Imperial Cultivation

Chapter 994: Chapter 990: Eighth Grade

As soon as one stepped in front of the great hall, it was as if they were stepping into a swamp.

Not only was the body bound, making movement strenuous, but breathing also became difficult and laborious.

The air was thick like paste, requiring ten times the usual effort to draw it into the lungs.

Leng Tieya raised his sword-like eyebrows and smiled at Song Lianshuang.

Song Lianshuang’s jade-like face was tense, her bright eyes burning.

Song Shaohui said, ”Wait a moment, I’ll go in and announce your arrival.”

He stepped onto the stairs, parted the bead curtain, and entered the great hall.

The bead curtain swayed, glistening in the sunlight.

Leng Tieya laughed, ”Having your third brother here makes it more convenient than on my side, truly a blessing.”

After entering the Great Heavenly Demon Palace, he discovered that it was different from what he had imagined.

He wanted to enter the Inner Palace, which was isolated from the Outer Palace, not mixed together as he had thought.

”Him...” Song Lianshuang sighed lightly, her face troubled, ”He can’t be relied on.”

”The third young master Song is quite a talent,” Leng Tieya smiled, ”Accumulating steadily, perhaps making a breakthrough to the Great Heavenly Demon.”

As he walked along, he noticed that Song Shaohui had excellent relationships.

Even though Song Shaohui’s attitude was cold, the other disciples greeted him proactively.

If they were to mock or ridicule him, it would be understandable, but there was no trace of mockery, instead, they were quite friendly.

This was rather strange.

But regardless of how strange it was, Song Shaohui’s good relationships were certain.

This was beneficial for Song Lianshuang.

”The Great Heavenly Demon... let’s hope so.” Song Lianshuang nodded gently.

She always had this confidence, but Song Shaohui’s performance over the years made it difficult to maintain.

Song Shaohui parted the bead curtain and came out, beckoning, ”Second sister, come in.”

He also said to Leng Tieya, ”Third Brother Leng, come in as well, the manager has invited you.”

Leng Tieya and Song Lianshuang stepped onto the stairs and entered the great hall.

Inside the hall, it was tranquil and empty, except for the statues they had seen earlier in the hall, there was a middle-aged woman sitting on a cushion.

She was wrapped in a purple robe covering a voluptuous figure, her features exquisite, charisma enchanting.

Her bright eyes shone with a mesmerizing gleam, fixing on Leng Tieya and Song Lianshuang.

The two approached and greeted her with folded fists.

This was Zhu Qingzhi, the Vice Manager of the Outer Palace.

She chuckled lightly, extending her hand, ”Sit down and talk.”

The two slowly sat on the cushion.

Zhu Qingzhi chuckled, her mesmerized gaze flowing, ”I didn’t expect you, Cold Nephew, to come in person, I thought you would avoid suspicion.”

Leng Tieya smiled, ”There’s nothing to avoid suspicion about, is there? After all, my relationship with Sister Song can’t be hidden from everyone.”

He didn’t believe the Great Heavenly Demon Palace would accept him without a thorough investigation of his background.

They must have conducted a detailed investigation, making everything crystal clear, uncovering every secret.

Given the influence of the Great Heavenly Demon Palace, it could be done effortlessly.

”It’s rare that you’re so candid, don’t worry, here, everyone focuses on cultivation without the distractions you might think of.”

”Thank you, Manager, for your care.”

”Hmm, I’ll be watching over it,” Zhu Qingzhi nodded, ”just focus on your cultivation.”

Song Lianshuang knew that the position of the Great Heavenly Demon was high, but didn’t expect the Great Heavenly Demon Palace to also be so high.

The Outer Palace Chief was among the top of the Great Heavenly Demon Palace, yet treated Leng Tieya so politely.

Leng Tieya suspected that the fact he possessed Breaking Sky might not have escaped the attention of the Great Heavenly Demon Palace.

After exchanging a few pleasantries with Zhu Qingzhi, he proposed to take his leave, and Zhu Qingzhi summoned a young girl to lead Song Lianshuang, Leng Tieya, and Song Shaohui to a small courtyard.

It was a spacious and elegant courtyard, simply arranged, very suitable for living.

Moreover, everyday tasks were handled by the maids, and as a disciple of the Great Heavenly Demon Palace, one only needed to focus on cultivation.

...

A quarter of an hour later, Leng Tieya arrived at his courtyard in the Inner Palace.

After seeing off the Vice Manager, he turned to return to his courtyard.

Compared to Song Lianshuang’s courtyard, this one was about the same size.

The Outer Palace of the Great Heavenly Demon Palace was located on a giant peak suspended in the sky, while the Inner Palace was situated on a high platform above Qiyun City.

This high platform resembled the center of Qiyun City’s hundred-meter platform, with a similar area.

Leng Tieya immediately guessed that the platform in Qiyun City was modeled after this platform.

But unlike the platform in Qiyun City, what was built on top here was not a palace but a series of small courtyards.

There were six rows, each with six courtyards, making a total of thirty-six courtyards.

With one sweep of Super Sense, he knew that only sixteen showed signs of life, while the remaining twenty were empty with no traces.

Leng Tieya was assigned to a courtyard on the edge. The courtyard was not large, but fully furnished.

After taking a tour around his courtyard and tidying up a little, he planned to explore the entire Inner Palace.

This was completely different from what he had imagined of the Great Heavenly Demon Palace, so simple it was almost rustic, even could be called plain.

Though the outer peaks and inner halls were suspended in the air, imposing, having seen the Profound Yin Palace, he wasn’t impressed, finding it ordinary.

More importantly, the Inner Palace was too deserted, hardly anyone around.

The inner disciples were either absent, secluded elsewhere, or traveling the world.

Even the head of the Inner Palace wasn’t there; it was the Vice Manager of the Inner Palace who personally brought him over, introducing the Inner Palace’s situation and its disciples.

He speculated that these inner disciples were out either for cultivation or because the Inner Palace had little to offer.

After leaving his courtyard, Leng Tieya approached a young man sitting at the edge of the high platform.

This young man was clad in a green robe, with an ordinary appearance, neither handsome nor ugly.

His feet dangled outside the platform, gently swaying, a glazed look in his eyes, gazing through the gaps in the white clouds below at Qiyun City.

Leng Tieya said, ”Senior Brother Huang, are you observing the mundane world?”

This was Huang Daochu, who had been in the palace for thirty years yet looked young, actually forty years old.

Entering the Great Heavenly Demon Palace at ten, he was a prodigious talent, with peerless qualifications.

”No,” Huang Daochu’s gaze was glazed, muttering, ”I’m looking at myself.”

”Yourself?” Leng Tieya laughed, ”Is there another you down there, Senior Brother Huang?”

Could it be that Huang Daochu also had the Clone Technique?

”Down below are all beings, and I am one of them,” Huang Daochu turned to look at him, ”and not above them all!”

Leng Tieya chuckled at the notion that there was no Clone Technique, as his Divine Power couldn’t be copied.

He said solemnly, ”Senior Brother Huang, isn’t what we’re striving for to be above all beings?”

”Wrong, quite wrong!” Huang Daochu shook his head, ”We’ve all been practicing wrongly!”

Leng Tieya looked at him in confusion.

Huang Daochu’s speech quickened, murmuring, ”To be above all beings is to lose the seven emotions and six desires, losing them, one can no longer resonate with the Demon Abyss, unable to obtain its power, making further progress difficult!... Everything has been practiced wrongly!”

Leng Tieya seemed thoughtful.

Huang Daochu looked up at the sky.

The sky was clear and blue, distant cloud layers like overlapping ridges and peaks, majestic and grand.

”In that case, Senior Brother Huang,” Leng Tieya said slowly, ”does the Demon Abyss have feelings?”

”Who says the Demon Abyss is unfeeling?” Huang Daochu’s eyes slowly cleared, calm and serene, seemingly able to reflect the heart: ”That was baseless and unfounded imagination, the Demon Abyss is the most feeling of all!”

”How does Senior Brother Huang know?”

”I just know!”

”The seven emotions and six desires...” Leng Tieya pondered.

He didn’t dismiss Huang Daochu’s somewhat erratic appearance.

Instead, a flash of insight came to him, something touched him.

Huang Daochu once again cast his gaze through the gaps in the clouds below, gazing intently at Qiyun City.

Leng Tieya, however, withdrew his gaze and began searching through his memories of the Demon Clan’s Soul Pearls.

After reviewing over a dozen Soul Pearl memories, he knew he was on the brink of a breakthrough!

A quarter of an hour later, an aura surged around him, his clothes billowed, almost blowing Huang Daochu, sitting at the edge, away.

”Haha...” He soon let out a long laugh.

Already the Great Heavenly Demon Eighth Rank!

Enlightened by a single word, broke through in a quarter of an hour.