Imperial Cultivation Chapter 1192 - 1188: Guiding the Way

The combination of the Demon Suppressing Divine Tree and Guanghan Palace's secret technique unleashed a power that vastly surpassed his expectations.

He had managed to destroy the clone of the Undying Evil Venerable.

Then, might he be able to pursue the true body of the Undying Evil Venerable and inflict real damage on it?

To strike freely and retreat without a care, dealing such devastating blows?

He mulled over methods to boost the secret technique's might even higher.

This secret technique featured no tiers, drawing its strength solely from the Demon Suppressing Divine Tree and his own spiritual power.

With his ancestral acupoint awakened, his spiritual power surged immensely, granting the technique its tremendous potency.

Regular practitioners completing this secret technique could never unleash such overwhelming force.

To amplify its power more, strengthening spiritual power was essential, and at this stage, that required fortifying the soul.

To fortify the soul, advancing the Cultivation Realm was necessary—reaching Nine Transitions, then Nine Transitions Perfection, and finally stepping into the Spirit Venerable realm.

The Heavenly Sword Secret Scripture's cultivation sped up once again, yet it still hadn't hit Nine Transitions.

He sensed the Golden Sword held the secret to accelerating his progress further.

With that in mind, he chose to head back to the Heavenly Sword Sect first for a talk with Li Hongzhao.

…

Li Hongzhao was practicing her swordplay in the courtyard when a flicker caught her eye, revealing someone's sudden arrival.

She swiftly seized her longsword and spun around, spotting Chu Zhiyuan already settled at the stone table in the pavilion.

She glided over to Chu Zhiyuan's side and took a seat across from him, asking curiously, "Why have you come back?"

Chu Zhiyuan grabbed the nearby teapot, poured tea for himself, and refilled Li Hongzhao's cup too: "Why can't I return?"

Li Hongzhao accepted the teacup, inquiring curiously, "Have the sect elders, senior brothers, and sisters reached the Imperial City yet?"

Chu Zhiyuan shook his head: "They're not rushing to the capital; it'll take them a few more days."

The goal was to lure more evil demons along the way—the more, the better.

So far, the strategy proved highly effective, slaying numerous evil demons.

However, their pace had slowed, delaying their arrival by several days.

Li Hongzhao remarked, "Isn't it clear this is a trap?"

"Even if they spot it, what then? The Feixue Cave Mansion dangles like irresistible bait right before them," Chu Zhiyuan grinned, "They'll sink deeper and deeper into it."

"How tragic..." Li Hongzhao shook her head while taking a sip of tea.

Chu Zhiyuan produced the Golden Sword and passed it to her.

Li Hongzhao inspected the Golden Sword, sensing its oddity, and took it curiously; her hand dipped under its weight, prompting her to channel her power and steady her breath before lifting it gradually.

Her crystalline left hand gripped the sword hilt, while her slender fingers lightly traced the blade.

She murmured softly, "It's starting to resemble the Emperor’s Sword, aside from the weight."

This sword weighed beyond imagination; without her recent cultivation gains, she might not have lifted it at all.

She had no idea how heavy the Emperor’s Sword truly was, since its spirit allowed it to hover in the air, sparing her the need to hold it.

Evidently, this sword's spirit remained too weak to levitate on its own yet.

Still, she could sense its spirit stirring faintly, swelling with potential, on the verge of awakening.

Chu Zhiyuan smiled and explained, "I've refined it using a secret technique I devised myself—not sure if it's correct."

Li Hongzhao infused her aura; the Golden Sword showed no reaction, its Mojin Sword Body neither glowing nor pulsing, her aura vanishing into it like a drop in the ocean.

"It's quite intriguing." Li Hongzhao struggled to swing the Golden Sword a couple of times.

Chu Zhiyuan asked, "What's intriguing about it?"

Li Hongzhao replied, "It truly possesses more spirit, and I sense the aura inside it, very akin to the Emperor’s Sword."

Chu Zhiyuan reached out his hand.

The Golden Sword abruptly slipped from Li Hongzhao’s delicate grasp and soared into his palm.

Chu Zhiyuan swung it casually.

A colossal force plummeted from the skies, hurtling toward Li Hongzhao.

Li Hongzhao thrust out her jade palm.

"Bang!" She was hurled from the pavilion, her lithe form twirling gracefully mid-air before landing lightly, then leaping back toward it.

But Chu Zhiyuan swung the sword again.

Li Hongzhao countered with another palm strike, somersaulting once before touching down ten meters away at the wall base, her toe pressing against it as she propelled herself back.

Chu Zhiyuan swung the sword yet again.

The immense force crashed down from the void once more, flinging Li Hongzhao away like a storm-tossed leaf beyond the wall.

Li Hongzhao shot him a fierce glare while airborne.

Chu Zhiyuan sheathed the sword, grinning as he watched Li Hongzhao curl mid-air, float down gracefully, land before him, and resume her seat.

Chu Zhiyuan smiled and inquired, "What do you think?"

"Childish tricks!" Li Hongzhao scolded.

Her luminous eyes gleamed as she huffed, "It does carry some of the Emperor’s Sword's aura."

Chu Zhiyuan stated, "Isn't this the authentic way of the Emperor’s Sword?"

He had channeled his power earlier, letting her experience its true essence.

Li Hongzhao huffed, "True enough, though it's still quite feeble, the purity is spot on."

Chu Zhiyuan smiled.

Li Hongzhao asked, "Are you truly set on this path? It won't be simple, will it?"

Gathering public opinion and sentiment proves no easy feat.

First, winning the people's loyalty is the hardest hurdle.

In Little Outer Heaven, ascending the throne as Emperor would naturally draw the people's hearts to him, channeling into the Emperor’s Sword.

That's a path forged over tens of thousands of years, reliable and straightforward.

In Little Outer Heaven, as Prince Qing Mansion's Princely Heir with peerless cultivation and stellar merits, he could readily claim those hearts.

But here in Biyuan Heaven, he's merely a Heavenly Sword Sect disciple.

No matter his strength, he can't eclipse the Court; becoming the focus of the people's allegiance seems impossible.

Thus, cultivating the Emperor’s Sword has grown exponentially harder, nearly unattainable.

Chu Zhiyuan countered, "Is gathering public sentiment the sole path for the Emperor’s Sword?"

"What are you implying?" Li Hongzhao looked baffled, "Is there another method?"

"Do you know the Emperor’s Sword is a clone of the Heavenly Sword?" Chu Zhiyuan revealed.

Li Hongzhao rolled her eyes, "Of course I know that!"

Chu Zhiyuan pressed, "Then why doesn't Heavenly Sword cultivation follow this route?"

The Heavenly Sword Sect clearly avoids gathering public sentiment.

Its demon-slaying yields far less acclaim than the Emperor’s Sword's public support, proving the Heavenly Sword's path differs.

Li Hongzhao furrowed her brow lightly, "Could that be true?"

Chu Zhiyuan affirmed, "If it relied on public sentiment, the Heavenly Sword wouldn't wield its present might."

Li Hongzhao nodded slowly.

She perceived the Heavenly Sword's power eclipsing the Emperor’s Sword.

Yet its public sentiment paled in comparison.

So what explained it?

She whispered softly, "Perhaps it's power drawn from the Emperor’s Sword?"

Chu Zhiyuan arched a brow, "Quite possible, though another path might exist."

"Which is?"

"Merit." Chu Zhiyuan uttered deliberately, "From slaying demons and accruing merit."

Li Hongzhao contemplated deeply, her bright eyes flashing as ideas swirled.

Chu Zhiyuan probed, "Does that seem feasible?"

"... It might be merit, or perhaps something different." Li Hongzhao shook her head, "This touches the deepest secrets of our Heavenly Sword Sect; we probably can't uncover it."

Chu Zhiyuan shook his head.

He never anticipated Lu Wanshan revealing it, given its status as the sect's ultimate secret, tied to its very survival.

Should outsiders learn it and devise countermeasures, the Heavenly Sword Sect's downfall would follow swiftly.

Li Hongzhao noted, "The Emperor’s Sword serves another purpose: elevating one's realm."

Chu Zhiyuan nodded gravely, replying measuredly, "That must stay confidential."

Li Hongzhao agreed with a nod, "I can share the broad concept without revealing the exact mental method, avoiding any breach."

Chu Zhiyuan's mood brightened.

Li Hongzhao explained, "When shifting your mental state, don't force control—embrace it fully, and gains will come naturally."

Chu Zhiyuan nodded thoughtfully, "Embrace..."

"The profound essence requires your careful contemplation to seize its nuances."

"Got it," Chu Zhiyuan responded slowly, "I won't bother with thanks then."

Li Hongzhao shot him an eye roll.

Chu Zhiyuan drew a palm-sized gold medal from his chest and offered it to her, "I carved this myself; it repels evil."

Li Hongzhao accepted it, scrutinizing it from every angle.

"It calms the mind daily," Chu Zhiyuan smiled, "and alerts to nearby evil spirits or demons, much like my Demon Suppressing Saber."

Li Hongzhao stroked the Jade Token, "Such a marvelous function?"

Chu Zhiyuan advised, "For you, calming the mind matters most, to avoid rapid advances destabilizing your state."

"It's truly helpful," Li Hongzhao beamed sweetly.

She sensed the soothing coolness steadily flowing from the Jade Token, filling her with serenity.

This countered the subtle restlessness and urges in her heart.

Chu Zhiyuan shut his eyes and reconnected with the Golden Sword.

This time, the Spirit Summoning Talisman, lingering in the recesses of his mind, sprang to his thoughts.