Imperial Cultivation Chapter 1191 - 1187: Contest of Spells

An immense force plummeted from the heavens, akin to a colossal mountain crushing down.

Chu Zhiyuan slightly narrowed his eyes, sheathed his sword, and pressed his palms together to form a seal.

Great Demon Suppressing Seal.

A violet-gold palm imprint suddenly appeared in the empty void.

The massive Demon Suppressing Divine Tree abruptly glowed brighter, its soft radiance merging into the golden palm.

The golden palm rapidly shifted, becoming violet-gold, then pure gold, pale gold, pale yellow, and finally white.

The palm expanded to the size of two palms, then three.

As it soared above his head to three meters tall, it had grown four times larger.

The crystalline massive palm collided with the descending heavenly power.

"Boom..."

A deafening blast erupted overhead, resembling a thunderclap.

Everyone felt a sudden vertigo, barely managing to stay on their feet.

Their blood churned wildly, as if their hearts would burst out of their chests.

With a dull thud, the giant palm fragmented into crystalline shards, flying outward in all directions.

Chu Zhiyuan narrowed his eyes a bit, swiftly altering his hand seals, resembling two unfolding flowers.

The towering Demon Suppressing Divine Tree gently swayed, its motions almost perfectly matching his hand changes.

The gentle starlight poured down quicker, plunging into the fragments of the giant palm.

The dispersed shards gathered back at the center, reforming into a giant palm.

This giant palm was crystalline like an ice carving, and even more solid than before.

It launched upward once more.

"Bang!"

The dull boom echoed like thunder.

Blood trickled from the mouths of everyone present.

The golden sword at Chu Zhiyuan’s waist abruptly lifted into the air, slashing lightly.

"Tear!"

It sounded just like silk being torn.

Suddenly, a ferocious gale arose, hurling the nearby white curtains skyward.

Those gripping the curtains were all experts, yet their blood had been rattled by the prior impact; caught unprepared by the abrupt wind, they released their hold.

The white curtains whirled into the sky, with everyone's garments flapping wildly, as though they could be swept away anytime.

They stabilized using their cultivation and gazed upward.

High in the void, the Demon Suppressing Divine Tree trembled fiercely, apparently enduring the full force of the storm.

As it rocked wildly, its mild white glow morphed into golden brilliance.

The golden brilliance coalesced into a protective shield, shielding the mountaintop and encompassing all present.

A peculiar sensation welled up in their hearts: serenity and delight.

Chu Zhiyuan lifted his gaze to the void, faintly discerning a colossal figure hovering there.

A ten-meter-high entity with three faces veiled in golden light, impossible to make out.

Yet its gigantic form radiated holiness and majesty, compelling an urge to kneel.

Chu Zhiyuan formed seals with his hands again.

This time, the branches of the Demon Suppressing Divine Tree extended toward the massive figure.

They were on the verge of ensnaring it.

The giant brought its palms together, morphing them into golden palm prints that drifted toward the Demon Suppressing Divine Tree, similar to Chu Zhiyuan’s Great Demon Suppressing Seal.

Chu Zhiyuan frowned.

The Demon Suppressing Divine Tree’s branches whipped about, showering golden light onto the approaching giant palms.

"Bang!"

Yet another blast resounded from the void.

The Demon Suppressing Divine Tree quaked violently as if battered by a savage gust, its golden glow wavering.

However, the branches shot out longer, instantly reaching the giant silhouette in the void.

"Bang, bang, bang..."

A chain of explosions boomed through the void, like successive thunder strikes.

The light tree shattered repeatedly yet reformed each time, entwining the giant silhouette anew.

The onlookers stared upward, at last beholding the true nature of the giant silhouette.

The enormous form resembled a god, freezing them in place.

Not just their bodies, but their minds grew heavy and slow, incapable of thought.

Should the giant silhouette strike at them, they could merely await death in despair.

This sensation ignited rage within them; they strained to circulate their cultivation, but remained trapped.

Their fury proved useless against utter helplessness.

Chu Zhiyuan kept forming seals, unleashing one Great Demon Suppressing Seal after another.

The hovering golden sword suddenly darted upward, hurtling toward the giant silhouette in the void.

The light tree’s branches ceased shattering, tightly binding the giant silhouette.

The golden sword reached its mark, thrusting at the central smiling face’s brow, then cleaving toward the brows of the other two faces.

As if guided by an unseen hand, the golden sword moved with nimble speed.

"Buzz..."

Ripples spread across the void like water waves.

In the instant that followed, fissures cracked the giant silhouette in the void, which fragmented into golden light shards and slowly faded away.

The Demon Suppressing Divine Tree settled into tranquility, its outstretched branches softly lowering, once again scattering gentle starlight.

Everyone let out a deep sigh of relief.

Huang Zhengyang gazed at Chu Zhiyuan in astonishment.

Chu Zhiyuan’s eyes blazed intensely, too dazzling to meet directly, like a god descended to earth.

He formed seals once more, swiftly withdrawing his overwhelming aura.

In a flash, he reverted to his mild and composed self, with the Demon Suppressing Divine Tree overhead gradually fading.

"What is this...?" Huang Zhengyang asked in shock, "What kind of secret technique is this?"

Chu Zhiyuan smiled and replied, "A secret technique passed down from Guanghan Palace."

"Incredible!" Huang Zhengyang exclaimed in admiration, "Was that the Undying Evil Venerable earlier?"

"Only its power transformed," Chu Zhiyuan answered, "Without destroying the body of the Undying Evil Venerable, I suppose it will still send down a statue."

"Or maybe it’s severed the connection with this world!" Huang Zhengyang said gravely, "If so, there’s hope to destroy the Undying Evil Venerable!"

Their aim wasn’t to slay the Undying Evil Venerable, but to block its power from manifesting.

The Undying Evil Venerable existed beyond this world; fully eliminating it was virtually impossible.

Chu Zhiyuan stated, "Let’s see how effective it is."

Huang Zhengyang marveled, "Truly an eye-opener. I never imagined such a secret technique could exist, and that you, Brother Chu, could master it!"

This secret technique surpassed mere martial arts, divine and wondrous.

He couldn’t fathom how anyone could comprehend such a technique, wielding such might.

When the giant silhouette emerged in the void, he felt shackled, immobile.

His cultivation appeared childish before the Undying Evil Venerable, highlighting the technique’s power.

His eyes shifted to the golden sword.

The golden sword drifted back to Chu Zhiyuan, smoothly returning to its sheath.

"This sword..." Huang Zhengyang examined the golden sword.

Chu Zhiyuan explained, "After countless refinements, this sword has become quite spiritual."

"A good sword!" Huang Zhengyang praised, "I hope this secret technique can stop more statues from descending."

Chu Zhiyuan nodded.

More statues meant more gold dust, strengthening the golden sword further.

But more statues also brought greater chaos, likely claiming more innocent lives.

In the end, the choice wasn’t his; he’d adapt to circumstances.

Just then, a figure drifted over from the distance, whispering a message to Huang Zhengyang in secret.

Huang Zhengyang’s face darkened as he dismissed the youth with a wave.

Huang Zhengyang turned to Chu Zhiyuan, "Brother Chu, another statue has descended."

"Let’s go," Chu Zhiyuan said gravely.

...

Come morning, the radiant sun bathed the thriving Imperial City.

Within the Heavenly Sword Branch, Chu Zhiyuan sat cross-legged on his bed, gradually opening his eyes.

The golden sword resting on his lap grew darker in tone, shifting nearer to black than violet-gold.

After shattering six statues yesterday in one go, the golden sword had evolved.

He caressed the sword tenderly, as if stroking his own limb.

His bond with the golden sword intensified.

Particularly after grasping the Guanghan Palace secret technique, his link to the sword deepened profoundly.

As his integration with the golden sword and mastery of the secret technique advanced, he sensed himself nearing the Nine Transitions Venerable.

He stood and stepped into the courtyard, where breakfast scents mingled in the breeze.

He looked up into the void.

The ethereal Demon Suppressing Divine Tree lingered there, swaying softly.

He pondered whether he could actually relocate the Demon Suppressing Divine Tree from the Demon Suppression Palace to hover above him.

He was currently chasing this notion; if successful in summoning its true body, its might would vastly surpass the current projection.

Why could the Undying Evil Venerable project freely? Why not send power into its realm to slay it?

Enduring passive assaults all along felt like squandering his cultivation prowess.