Imperial Cultivation

Chapter 1020: Chapter 1016: Spirit Sword

If it weren’t for Chu Liezhao indicating through a message, Li Miaotan would not have recognized which of the four people hidden in the woods by the road was Wen Siming.

These four middle-aged men were all Venerables, two Seventh Transition, the remaining two Fifth Transition.

The weakest among them was on par with her.

Chu Liezhao placed his large hand on her back, the breaths of the two were connected, entirely as one.

This way, they could completely conceal their aura, keeping it hidden from the four Venerables a mile away.

Otherwise, she felt those four Venerables would have already detected her.

”Should we make a move?” She lowered her voice even when transmitting her message.

Chu Liezhao said, ”First strike to kill Wen Siming, then leave.”

”... Or perhaps, wait a bit longer, and seize the opportunity to attack.”

Four Venerables, two Seventh Transition, two Fifth Transition, making a move is akin to courting death.

This indeed was a trap.

Chu Liezhao said, ”Two are from the Purple Sky Jade Pavilion, the other two are not.”

He discerned the four people through their aura and divided them into three groups.

Wen Siming and one Fifth Transition Venerable were from Purple Sky Jade Pavilion, another Seventh Transition Venerable was unknown to him, the last Fifth Transition Venerable was from the Tianya Sword Sect.

Li Miaotan’s bright eyes turned icy cold, and she slowly said, ”Emperor Yuanzhen’s craft?”

Chu Liezhao said, ”The Tianya Sword Sect and Purple Sky Jade Pavilion don’t get along, how could someone easily pull them together?”

”Damn it!” Li Miaotan cursed, ”We should also find someone!”

Chu Liezhao turned his head to look at her.

”Hold off on making a move,” Li Miaotan transmitted, ”Let Father find someone to deal with them!”

If it was just Purple Sky Jade Pavilion taking action, it would be fine for us as a couple to handle it.

But now it’s not just Purple Sky Jade Pavilion, there are other top experts from Yuanzhen’s sects.

This equates to Yuanzhen breaking the agreement, if the Phoenix Dynasty feigns ignorance, it would show weakness, and Yuanzhen would push further.

”...Alright.” Chu Liezhao agreed after a brief consideration.

The two moved as if swimming underwater, silently retreating, the distance increasing.

It wasn’t until they were three miles away that Chu Liezhao drew a Light Gate, disappearing with Li Miaotan.

At this time, three miles away, the four Venerables sat cross-legged on a tree deep within the forest.

This tree was thin and long, marked by traces of a lightning strike, lying horizontally in the forest.

The four sat cross-legged on the tree trunk three feet above the ground, looking relaxed.

A burly middle-aged man took out a wine jug from his chest, gulped down a large mouthful, exhaled a long breath and hummed, ”Old Wen, will they really come?”

”They will come.”

A lean, nondescript middle-aged man laughed, ”Brother Lei, are you scared?”

”Heh, what’s there to be afraid of?” The burly middle-aged man hummed, ”We four, plus the Spiritual Artifact, even if Chu Liezhao and Li Miaotan came with a few more Venerables, we can advance and retreat as we please!”

Another chubby middle-aged man said, ”Old Wen, will Chu Liezhao really dare come?”

The last elegant middle-aged man shook his head, ”Even if he came, he wouldn’t dare show himself, but once he senses anything, he’d know it’s best not to provoke.”

”He’s not reckless; he knows to retreat when faced with difficulty.”

”What if he doesn’t know to retreat?”

”Then send him to his grave!”

”Haha, old Wen, you have quite the Evil Qi, Chu Liezhao isn’t easy to kill; otherwise, he wouldn’t be alive until now.”

”That depends on who kills him!” Wen Siming, lean and nondescript, said blandly, ”Early on, those Demon Clans underestimated him, what about us?”

”That’s true,” the burly middle-aged man nodded, ”Demon Clans are arrogant, they look down on us, plus, Chu Liezhao is young, but... these demons have been killed into fear, they don’t dare provoke him again.”

”Just brutes,” the elegant middle-aged man shook his head, ”Sheer brute force, useful against others, but not against Chu Liezhao... If he weren’t the Phoenix Dynasty’s Prince Consort, not Prince Yujing, I’d really want to get to know him well, what a pity!”

”Indeed a pity, such a powerful individual wasn’t born in our Yuanzhen.”

”If he isn’t one of us in Yuanzhen, we can only extinguish him, it’s for the best for all of us!”

”Sigh...”

...

For a moment, silence fell.

A Flying Knife, crystal-clear, merged with the Void, fell onto a tree branch not far from them.

——

Chu Liezhao and Li Miaotan appeared in the small courtyard of Prince Consort Mansion.

Li Miaotan said, ”I’ll go find Father.”

”Speak calmly, just explain the current situation, leave it all for the Emperor to decide.”

Chu Liezhao released her waist, admonishing her a few times to curb her temper, not to let concern cloud judgment and be overly anxious.

”...Mm.”

Li Miaotan took a deep breath, nodded slowly, calming her anger and killing intent.

Chu Liezhao saw her calming down, relieved, ”Go early, return early, if the Emperor doesn’t act, we’ll handle it ourselves.”

”Alright.” Li Miaotan nodded lightly, gracefully leaving.

Chu Liezhao sat by the stone table in the small pavilion, admiring the swaying Green Bamboo forest.

Fu Zheng appeared silently and softly called, ”Your Highness.”

She bent over, presenting a cup of tea with both hands.

Chu Liezhao glanced at her, took the tea leaves, opened the lid and took a sip.

She wore a green garment, as gracefully as slender Green Bamboo stalks.

”Your Highness, is Wen Siming troublesome?”

”Hmm, difficult to deal with, the key is he has backup, deliberately waiting for me to go... ”

Chu Liezhao explained the situation in detail, hearing Fu Zheng’s bright eyes blazing, filled with killing intent.

She angrily said, ”Then let me go, kill him and get away.”

”Seventh Transition, you can’t kill him now.”

”...”

Chu Liezhao said, ”Swordsmanship is important, as is Realm.”

”Yes.” Fu Zheng was at a loss for words.

”Go practice.” Chu Liezhao waved his hand, ”Don’t worry about this matter.”

”Yes.” Fu Zheng withdrew.

Chu Liezhao, through the Flying Knife, continued to keep an eye on Wen Siming and the four Venerables.

”Old Wen, what Spiritual Artifact did you bring? Seems like the Purple Sky Jade Pavilion only has two Spiritual Artifacts, right?”

”You’ll know when the time comes.”

”Heh, being so mysterious at a time like this, what’s the point?”

”Can’t say.” Wen Siming shook his head.

”There’s no one else here, we’re supposed to be fighting side by side, can’t we know?”

”Exactly, Old Wen, what kind of Spiritual Artifact is it? Is it your Purple Sky Spirit Sword or Jade Pavilion?”

”Probably the Purple Sky Spirit Sword, we’re here to kill, not capture.”

”But the cost of wielding the Purple Sky Spirit Sword isn’t trivial, are you really going to unsheathe it?”

”Compared to killing him, the cost can be ignored!”

”Haha, seems like your Purple Sky Jade Pavilion hates him to the bone, that cost is Lifespan, right? A hundred years of Lifespan?”

”Yes.”

”Exchanging a hundred years of Lifespan for Chu Liezhao’s life is indeed quite worthwhile, but Chu Liezhao is slippery, the opportunity may not arise.”

”He will come!” Wen Siming said coldly, ”He absolutely won’t swallow this anger!”

”Good, then we’ll wait for him to die under the Purple Sky Spirit Sword!”

Chu Liezhao, upon hearing this, furrowed his brows.

If it’s the Spirit Sword, then it certainly must be guarded against, can the Dragon Soaring Bell withstand it?

With a hundred years of Lifespan as the cost, the power of this sword would be astonishing, the Dragon Soaring Bell may not withstand it.

If it can’t, he truly has a risk to his life, he carries Spiritual Artifacts, knows the strength when they’re pushed to the limit.

With Wen Siming using a hundred years of Lifespan to wield it, its power exceeds the combined strength of two Seventh Transition Venerables, which he cannot withstand.

Wen Siming said seriously, ”Okay, absolutely don’t mention my Spiritual Artifact again!”

”Fine.”

They closed their mouths, lest Chu Liezhao truly master some secret technique that allows him to eavesdrop on this side.

...

Chu Liezhao lifted his head to see Li Miaotan fluttering back with a smile.

Her beautiful face beaming with a smile, like a blossoming flower, ”Father has agreed to send experts over!”

Chu Liezhao smiled, ”Which experts are being sent?”

”Two Venerables from the Fengtian Palace, and two from each of the other Four Sects.”

”Are there any Spiritual Artifacts?”

”Fengtian Palace will bring a Spiritual Artifact.”

”Wen Siming has the Purple Sky Spirit Sword.”

”Then I’ll convey this to Fengtian Palace, so they’re prepared. When do we act?”

”As soon as possible.”

”Then I’ll send the message now.”

An hour later, the Prince Consort Mansion gathered ten Venerables.