Imperial Cultivation

Chapter 790: Chapter 786: Identity

Chu Zhiyuan had been observing the middle-aged man in the gray robe with Insight.

Inside and out, the flow of blood, True Yuan, changes in breath and muscle, facial expressions and eyes—all were under scrutiny.

When he first saw them, there was nothing unusual.

But the moment he heard the words ”Mind Reading Pearl,” his muscles tensed, his heartbeat accelerated, blood flow quickened, and his pupils dilated.

The whole person became completely different.

As if he had seen a monster and was desperate to escape.

Chu Zhiyuan frowned.

Why is this middle-aged man in a gray robe so afraid of the Mind Reading Pearl? Is he afraid of secrets being revealed?

If he fears exposure, is it because the Yuanzhen Dynasty has a hold over him, a weakness he would protect at all costs?

Family?

What would he do in that case?

Does he have the means to kill himself even with his acupoints sealed?

With this thought, he said, ”Prevent him from committing suicide.”

Li Miaotan sternly looked at the middle-aged man in the gray robe, glancing at Li Yuzhen.

Li Yuzhen nodded, stepped forward, and sealed the gray-robed man’s acupoints once more.

After sealing the acupoints, she carefully checked, pressing a jade palm on his back to probe his True Yuan state.

His movements were thoroughly locked at the Tanchong point before she released her jade palm.

Li Miaotan said, ”Hold him for now, to avoid any real mishaps.”

”Yes.” Li Yuzhen placed her jade palm on his back again.

The gray-robed man’s heartbeat accelerated, blood flow increased, and his pupils dilated further.

Chu Zhiyuan frowned, ”He has already used a secret technique for self-termination, hasn’t he?”

Despite his acupoints being sealed, it didn’t interrupt the trends of his heartbeat, blood flow, or pupil changes.

Continuing on this path, he would undoubtedly collapse and die.

Li Yuzhen frowned, ”Something is definitely wrong! ... But the acupoints are already sealed.”

At a close distance, she could already sense the peculiarity of the gray-robed man.

Earlier, she thought he was nervous upon seeing experts from the Fengtian Palace and became anxious.

So his heart was racing, but now the speed was increasing without signs of stopping.

This was evidently abnormal.

Li Miaotan turned her head, ”Mr. Chang.”

Chang Xihua flashed forward, touched the chest of the gray-robed man, and then tapped various points on his chest.

Chu Zhiyuan observed that with her peculiar finger force, the gray-robed man’s heartbeat ceased accelerating.

Even though it was still extremely fast, about three times the average person’s rate.

But with his robust body, he could sustain such a rapid heartbeat for quite some time.

Chu Zhiyuan narrowed his eyes, memorizing the nine strokes of finger force and the nine acupoints, replaying it twice in his mind.

Finally, he shook his head.

To achieve this effect, it was both the acupoints and the strange finger force.

Just striking these nine acupoints alone might not yield this result.

The pupils of the gray-robed man stopped dilating, glaring desperately at Chang Xihua.

Chang Xihua snorted, ”Wanting to die isn’t so simple!”

”Thank you, Mr. Chang!” said Li Yuzhen.

Chang Xihua replied, ”This is the Hidden Return Technique of the Purple Sky Jade Pavilion.”

Li Yuzhen was surprised, ”The Purple Sky Jade Pavilion of the Yuanzhen Dynasty?”

Chang Xihua nodded, ”This skill is a secret inheritance of the Purple Sky Jade Pavilion, unknown to outsiders, but I happen to know it... To be taught this secret of the Purple Sky Jade Pavilion, he must not be an ordinary disciple. You’ve caught a big fish.”

”A disciple of the Purple Sky Jade Pavilion?” Li Yuzhen scrutinized the gray-robed middle-aged man, puzzled, ”Is that possible?”

Fan Yuxuan asked, ”Mr. Chang, the Purple Sky Jade Pavilion, one of the Four Great Sects of the Yuanzhen Dynasty?”

”Yes, that’s right.”

”That can’t be!”

Fan Yuxuan examined the gray-robed middle-aged man in surprise.

Although the Phoenix Dynasty far surpasses the Yuanzhen Dynasty, the status of the Four Great Sects of the Yuanzhen Dynasty is extraordinary, comparable to the Four Great Sects of the Phoenix Dynasty.

Their strength is also nearly equal.

Could a disciple of the Purple Sky Jade Pavilion be easily captured?

This is nearly impossible.

Moreover, a disciple of the Purple Sky Jade Pavilion wouldn’t engage in such actions.

”I’m not wrong about this.” Chang Xihua shook her head, ”He should be a disciple of the Purple Sky Jade Pavilion... How did he end up in our hands?”

Li Miaotan lightly coughed, ”Whether he is or isn’t, once the Mind Reading Pearl is used, it’ll be perfectly clear.”

”Then let’s test it.” Chang Xihua suggested.

The three from the Fengtian Palace had remained still with closed eyes, as if in a state of meditation.

Their breaths flowed between them, interconnected, and inseparable.

An elderly man in a purple robe took out a crystal-clear orb, about the size of a yellow apricot.

He held it in his right palm, bringing it to the gaze of the gray-robed middle-aged man.

The gray-robed man’s expression changed again.

Chu Zhiyuan observed his heartbeat speeding up once more, and blood flow increasing again.

The previously sealed nine strokes of finger force had unexpectedly been undone.

Chu Zhiyuan remarked, ”Mr. Chang, this isn’t right.”

Chang Xihua tapped several points on the gray-robed middle-aged man’s chest again, and the nine strokes of finger force entered his body, restraining the flow of his blood and qi.

Yet his heartbeat continued to rise, faster and faster, rushing towards collapse.

Chu Zhiyuan frowned, ”Still not working.”

Chang Xihua’s expression turned stern.

Chu Zhiyuan proposed, ”Mr. Chang, let me try.”

”Please.” Chang Xihua hurriedly responded.

She hadn’t expected the situation to become so thorny.

This truly wasn’t the Hidden Return Technique.

It had bypassed the realm of the Hidden Return Technique, becoming a more troublesome secret technique.

Chu Zhiyuan extended a finger, tapping a specific acupoint on the gray-robed man’s back.

It was precisely the point where blood and qi were gathering.

Then another point on his shoulder, another on the left rib, and again on the right rib.

These locations were all where blood and qi congregated, and the finger forces dispersed them.

With these taps, his heartbeat ceased speeding up, instead slowing, leveling off.

The gray-robed man stared at Chu Zhiyuan in astonishment.

Chu Zhiyuan asked, ”Are you a disciple of the Purple Sky Jade Pavilion?”

He silently noted that it indeed worked; the core of this technique was stimulating and concentrating blood and qi.

By dispersing the gathered blood and qi ahead of time, the technique was also undone.

Of course, it could only be achieved by someone with Super Sense like himself.

The translucent orb was attached to the gray-robed middle-aged man’s forehead.

The other two experts from the Fengtian Palace placed their palms on the back of the purple-robed elder.

Their qi began surging, merging into the translucent orb, turning it purple.

The Purple Pearl cast the gray-robed middle-aged man’s forehead in purple light, revealing every detail.

”Not a disciple of the Purple Sky Jade Pavilion,” The purple-robed elder stated slowly, ”but a disciple of Yunyang Peak.”

”Yunyang Peak...” Fan Yuxuan sighed, then mused, ”I seem to have heard of it.”

”Also a notable prominent sect of the Yuanzhen Dynasty,” Li Yuzhen remarked.

Fan Yuxuan added, ”As long as he’s not a disciple of the Purple Sky Jade Pavilion.”

She couldn’t accept a disciple from one of the Yuanzhen’s Four Great Sects engaging in such actions.

Disciples of the Four Great Sects have brighter futures, the Outer Realm Battlefield should be their true destination.

Li Miaotan sighed, ”Good thing it’s the Yuanzhen Dynasty.”

What worried her most was if these assassins truly belonged to the Jade Dynasty.

Chu Zhiyuan thought, ”Indeed, it’s the Yuanzhen Dynasty!”

The Yuanzhen Dynasty enjoyed engaging in such tactics, fond of employing such plots and intrigues.

Fan Yaohui’s face fell, ”Yes, he absolutely cannot be silenced again!”

Thinking back to the last incident, he agreed with her.

He wasn’t particularly inclined to help the Yujing Dynasty, but he did want to help the Princess and, incidentally, Chu Zhiyuan, thereby repaying them.

Li Miaotan sighed softly, ”Well, it’s fortunate that he’s from the Yuanzhen Dynasty.”

Chu Zhiyuan asked, ”Are you from the Purple Sky Jade Pavilion’s disciple?”

The purple orb faintly shimmered.

The gray-robed man’s expression struggled, whilst Chu Zhiyuan coldly looked at him, ”It’s useless; you can’t interfere with the Mind Reading Pearl’s abilities.”

He could see the gray-robed middle-aged man desperately trying to think random thoughts to prevent the Mind Reading Pearl from probing him.