Imperial Cultivation

Chapter 1457: Chapter 1453: Discovery

His eyes were as bright as lightning, sweeping over the crowd.

The crowd had solemn expressions, staring at him without blinking, showing no sign of retreat.

They were all elite warriors, carefully selected; only thirty-two people in the entire Biyuan Heaven had the qualifications to enter.

Such great risk also meant great reward, unimaginable reward.

Because of this danger, it also contained astonishing rewards, making it possible to ascend to Heaven in one step and find the Divine Race heritage to directly enter Spirit Venerable.

Ordinary Grotto Heavens, those not so dangerous, actually don’t have this possibility.

”Really not withdrawing?” The thin middle-aged man said in a deep voice.

Huang Zhengyang’s eyes narrowed slightly, pondering how to cope with the impending danger.

His mood was heavy but secretly excited.

Since Brother Chu said once again that he wanted the Divine Race’s artifacts, it meant that there must be something of the Divine Race in this Grotto Heaven.

Divine Race’s artifacts, they meant infinite possibilities, the key to entering Spirit Venerable.

As long as we safely get through that perilous stage, what’s left would be smooth sailing, meaning great rewards.

”Alright, in that case, there’s nothing more to say. Life and death are up to fate, wealth and honor in Heaven’s hands. Let’s go!” The thin middle-aged man said in a deep voice.

The sturdy middle-aged man took an object from his bosom.

It was a palm-sized pitch-black disc, at first glance like a teacup lid, with dense patterns faintly engraved on it.

His right palm emitted a seven-colored light.

After absorbing the seven-colored light, the pitch-black disc’s hidden patterns began to light up.

Streams of light traveled along these patterns, emitting a soft glow.

The seven-colored light was transformed into a bright and soft glow through these patterns.

The light first formed a ball, then slowly expanded.

The thin middle-aged man solemnly waved his hand.

The crowd quickly stepped back.

The ball of light slowly grew larger, from the size of a palm to the size of a face, then a basin, and then a pot lid, finally forming a circle ten meters in diameter.

He tossed it towards the sky.

The ball of light floated two meters in mid-air, like an umbrella canopy.

”Step into the light!” The thin middle-aged man said in a deep voice.

The crowd rushed in, all thirty-two of them, plus the two of them, squeezing into the five-meter-wide circle of light.

The thin middle-aged man said in a deep voice: ”Get ready, don’t operate your cultivation, so as not to cause accidents, if it feels uncomfortable, just endure it, don’t throw up!”

The crowd’s faces instantly tensed up, solemnly prepared for the forthcoming physical discomfort.

”Boom!”

A loud explosion, like thunder.

Chu Zhiyuan squinted his eyes slightly.

With Super Sense illuminating, the ball of light was infused by a force from the Void, suddenly bursting out with even more powerful force, breaking through the Void, and disappearing within the Imperial Palace.

With their disappearance, the place was left empty, his eyes widened suddenly, bursting with bright rays.

Where did this force descending from the Void come from?

He had been searching within the Imperial Palace and the Imperial Ancestral Temple, believing the Divine Artifact must be hidden in the palace.

He hadn’t found it, thinking the Divine Artifact hid itself, concealing its aura to avoid detection by outsiders.

Now he realized that the artifact might not be hidden on the ground, but rather above the Void!

Just like that Void Divine Flower.

His eyes burned, looking up above the Imperial Palace, but now it was calm as water.

The descending force seemed never to have appeared.

Yet he knew this force could not have originated out of thin air; it must have a source.

Super Sensing Illumination above, however, yielded nothing.

He flashed up into the Void, channeling the aura of Cloud Dragon Fist, transforming himself into a wisp of breeze.

He felt truly like the wind, merging with the drifting breeze around, meandering upwards, soon level with the eaves.

He quickly halted, then leisurely descended once again.

The more urgent he felt, the more he needed to calm down and not act rashly.

If the Divine Artifact truly existed within the Void, a rash search might alert others.

A more cautious approach was needed.

His goal was observation, not acquisition, let alone taking it.

Attempting to seize it would equate to opposing the entire Biyuan Heaven.

He clasped his hands behind his back, pacing in the courtyard, shaking his head.

The super sense spread upwards, yet even within a hundred-mile range, he still hadn’t discovered the artifact’s presence.

How far was it from the Imperial Palace?

Clearly, it wasn’t the distance but the concealment of its aura that blocked his Super Sense.

Indeed, it was worthy of being a Divine Artifact.

...

He closed his eyes, concentrating on the Flying Knife.

The Flying Knife lay within Huang Zhengyang’s sleeve.

His heart and spirit connected with it, not severed by spatial differences.

Chu Zhiyuan smiled.

This was the best scenario.

At this moment, it was as if he had descended, becoming Huang Zhengyang’s avatar.

Huang Zhengyang hunched over, trembling lightly, his body shuddering, seemingly on the verge of vomiting.

His location was the peak of a mountain.

The peak appeared as if its sharp top had been sheared off, forming a neat and open square.

The smooth, flat bluestone ground was slanted by the bright sun above.

The thirty-two elite warriors, all like Huang Zhengyang, looked unwell, trembling as they stood, unable to calm down for a long time.

The two Spirit Venerables didn’t look good either, with seven-colored light in and out, trying their best to restore themselves.

Chu Zhiyuan’s heart and spirit flashed slightly, Insight into all directions.

Soon he felt a weight in his heart.

The plaza beneath their feet was evidently not naturally formed, it was indeed the work of man.

He sensed residual fluctuations of power from the ground, what seemed to be caused by Sword Aura.

The current Qiankun Sword Technique alone could achieve such a result.

By wielding the Qiankun Sword Technique, he could currently form a ten-meter-long Spiritual Essence Sword.

Yet the plaza under their feet was about a hundred meters in diameter.

If his cultivation was enhanced, advancing a few more Transitions, he might be able to extend his Sword Aura to a hundred meters, slicing this mountain peak into such a shape with one swing.

Through his Insight, it was clear the ground was smoothed in one sweep, merely a sweep, rather than being cut by standing in the center and rotating the sword.

This aura was evidently made by Spiritual Essence, the work of Spirit Venerables.

The thin middle-aged man and the robust middle-aged man, with only Fourth Transition cultivation, certainly couldn’t reach this level.

Apparently, within the Grotto Heaven were higher realm Spirit Venerables, possibly aligned with the Court.

Otherwise, they wouldn’t have descended directly here.

Chu Zhiyuan breathed a sigh of relief.

Fortunately, he didn’t act recklessly and rush in.

”Alright, this is the Grotto Heaven.” The thin middle-aged man said in a deep voice: ”From here on, everyone should explore at your own leisure. Whatever gains you achieve is up to you; the Court will not interfere.”

The crowd’s spirits instantly lifted.

The thin middle-aged man said: ”Remember this place, this position, for future returns.”

”Senior, when do we return?” someone asked.

The robust middle-aged man said in a deep voice: ”Return once every half month, if you don’t want to return just keep exploring.”

He pointed to the sky, ”Tonight the Bright Moon will be full, the next full moon is half a month from now, and every full moon cycle is the time to return.”

The crowd nodded solemnly.

The robust middle-aged man said: ”It’s very dangerous here, so far, we have only encountered Demon Beasts; they are immensely powerful, unlike anything our Biyuan Heaven can compare to.”

The thin middle-aged man said: ”We haven’t encountered any humans yet, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any. Be cautious at all times, if you see a silhouette of someone, unless they are our own, you must keep your distance, remain vigilant!”

The robust middle-aged man nodded and said: ”You all noticed the Spiritual Energy here, haven’t you? This suggests that if indeed there are humans, their cultivation might exceed ours, their mental methods may be superior.”

The crowd nodded gravely.

”Go on!” The thin middle-aged man waved his hand.

Huang Zhengyang solemnly cupped his fists, turned, and flew towards due north.

The others shot off in a rush, vying to find their opportunities.

...

As night fell, the entire Biyuan Heavenly Imperial City was a sea of lights, making the Imperial City more prosperous.

The city was like daylight, unobstructed vision.

But the sky above the city had become dark.

The Bright Moon had not yet risen.

Chu Zhiyuan drifted upward with the wind, glancing obliquely towards the sky above the Imperial Palace, getting higher and higher.