Imperial Cultivation Chapter 1195 - 1191: Agreement

He had transformed beyond recognition, no longer snatching up every Lifespan Extension Pill he encountered to rush it to his parents.

Consuming too many ordinary Lifespan Extension Pills blocks the potency of superior Lifespan Extension Pills.

Lifespan Extension Pills possess inherent limitations in their effects.

The body builds up tolerance over time.

That’s why he now handles Lifespan Extension Pills with utmost caution.

A Lifespan Extension Pill granting six decades of life stands as the optimal option; he refuses to settle for common varieties.

Lu Wanshan remarked, "Even if it doesn’t add six decades, it might still grant ten or eight years. If you wish to use them, just go claim some."

Chu Zhiyuan replied deliberately, "Thank you, Sect Leader."

"Huang Zhengyang will assume the role of Director for the Evil Extermination Department next."

"Yes." Chu Zhiyuan nodded.

This outcome was easy to predict.

As Deputy Director, Huang Zhengyang already manages most of the Evil Extermination Department’s operations, shouldering the Director’s duties.

With his rising prestige and advancing cultivation, stepping into the Director position feels inevitable.

"You’re aware of the delicate ties between the Evil Extermination Department and our Four Great Sects."

"Yes."

"Dissolving that wariness and enmity would bring immense advantages to our Four Great Sects."

"Sect Leader, achieving that seems incredibly tough, bordering on impossible," Chu Zhiyuan shook his head, saying, "My friendship with Director Zhou stays personal and doesn’t bridge the gap between the Sect and the Evil Extermination Department."

"Public and private matters should remain separate, yet few can fully uphold that," Lu Wanshan chuckled, "Take my bond with Prince Zhuang—it counts as a private tie."

Chu Zhiyuan responded, "Sect Leader, my rapport with Director Huang proves unreliable at best, and it might not endure forever. After all, he serves as an official, worlds apart from us Martial Arts folk."

Officials’ natures clash with basic human instincts.

He had grasped this truth long ago, harboring no illusions.

Never expect genuine bonds with officials.

Lu Wanshan chuckled, nodding approvingly, "It’s uncommon for you to perceive this so clearly at your age, but people remain people—emotions can’t be wholly erased, and they still influence outcomes."

At such a young age, Chu Zhiyuan’s deep grasp of human nature and motives proved exceptionally rare.

Principles like these elude most folks their entire lives.

Chu Zhiyuan nodded, "Yes."

Still, he realized that dealing with Huang Zhengyang demanded abandoning such expectations above all.

A detached, unassuming mindset earns true acceptance.

Actively seeking ties, on the other hand, backfires, inviting scorn and rejection.

Grasping this nuance calls for both insight and temperament.

Lu Wanshan continued, "That said, no need to demean yourself. Our dynamic with the Evil Extermination Department carries subtlety, yet we hold no fear of them."

Chu Zhiyuan smiled.

Lu Wanshan eyed the Golden Sword at his waist, "Have you delved into the Emperor’s Sword method?"

"Sect Leader, I’ve come to comprehend the might of the people’s hearts..."

He detailed his realizations and training approaches to Lu Wanshan.

While concealing other Secret Skills, he freely shared his progress from the Heavenly Sword Secret Scripture and Emperor’s Sword cultivation.

Lu Wanshan excelled in this domain, making it unwise to withhold.

Lu Wanshan contemplated, nodded gradually, then spoke measuredly after hearing everything, "Your path retraces the Ancestor’s footsteps."

Chu Zhiyuan arched a brow.

Lu Wanshan explained, "The Ancestor pioneered this route... first securing the Divine Sword, mastering Sword Control Technique, unlocking the Emperor’s Sword method, then advancing to the Heavenly Sword Secret Scripture cultivation, thereby establishing our Heavenly Sword Sect."

"I wouldn’t dare liken myself to the Ancestor." Chu Zhiyuan shook his head.

Lu Wanshan stated, "You tread this same path, though circumstances differ vastly from back then, rendering it far harder to follow now."

Chu Zhiyuan’s mind grew profound.

Lu Wanshan added, "When the Ancestor founded the Heavenly Sword Sect, chaos reigned without stable courts; they emerged later, fragmented at first, before eventual unification."

Chu Zhiyuan furrowed his brow, "Sect Leader, do you mean I can no longer harness the power of the people’s hearts?"

Lu Wanshan shook his head, "It’s nearly impossible in this era."

Chu Zhiyuan declared, "I’ll gather whatever I can."

Lu Wanshan sighed, "That limits you from profound Realms, let alone true power."

"It suffices," Chu Zhiyuan grinned.

Lu Wanshan nodded slowly, "The Heavenly Sword Secret Scripture holds secrets you must uncover."

Chu Zhiyuan lifted an eyebrow.

Lu Wanshan advised, "Seek the clues within, probe deeper—don’t treat the Heavenly Sword Secret Scripture merely as a mental method."

"...Yes." A spark of enlightenment flashed in Chu Zhiyuan’s mind.

He grasped Lu Wanshan’s intent.

The Heavenly Sword Secret Scripture embodied the pinnacle of wisdom from endless refinements.

...

Back at the Heavenly Sword Branch in the Imperial City, after a quick cleanse, a disciple from the Evil Extermination Department delivered an invitation.

He promptly arrived at Huang Zhengyang’s courtyard in the Evil Extermination Department.

Huang Zhengyang brimmed with joy, exclaiming excitedly, "Brother Chu, you’re cleared to enter the Evil Suppressing Abyss now!"

Chu Zhiyuan questioned, "Am I really permitted into the Evil Suppressing Abyss? The Court surely wouldn’t approve."

The Evil Suppressing Abyss piqued his intense curiosity.

Yet he knew entry remained virtually forbidden for him.

As a prime Court Secret Land, how could a Heavenly Sword Sect disciple gain access?

Even his ties to Prince Zhuang likely wouldn’t sway permission.

Huang Zhengyang replied, "It demanded considerable effort, but the Court has consented at last."

Chu Zhiyuan smiled, "Then it’s definitely worth the visit."

Huang Zhengyang noted, "Before heading to the Evil Suppressing Abyss, we must first deal with several Undying Evil Venerable statues."

Chu Zhiyuan frowned, "Again?"

"Six more this time," Huang Zhengyang sighed, "The appearances grow more frequent."

Chu Zhiyuan observed, "It all stems from the Court’s Divine Artifact failing... Any word on its restoration?"

With the Divine Artifact active, it repelled the Undying Evil Venerable’s projected power.

The current turmoil traces back to the Divine Artifact’s downtime, unleashing demons and evils.

He feared that without swift recovery, disorder would escalate, worsening the crisis.

"News like that must stay secret!" Huang Zhengyang warned, "But I believe it won’t drag on much longer."

"Let’s hope the wait isn’t prolonged."

Chu Zhiyuan stated gravely, gazing into the Void.

Shadows seemed to linger overhead in the Void, peering down upon them.

These manifested as power projections.

Once barred by the Divine Artifact, they now stirred restlessly.

He lightly gripped the Golden Sword’s hilt.

Lu Wanshan deemed this world unfit for channeling the people’s hearts power.

Yet he sensed that amid such turmoil, that very path might prove viable.

Besides, if blocked here, the people’s hearts path could open in another realm.

...

By dawn the following day, Chu Zhiyuan and Huang Zhengyang returned to the Imperial City.

Covered in dust, their eyes gleamed with fervor.

Chu Zhiyuan reveled in his rewards, as the Golden Sword grew stronger and more spirited.

Huang Zhengyang overflowed with delight, for the foremost Undying Evil Venerable statue among them had disappeared.

This signaled that Chu Zhiyuan had fully driven back one Undying Evil Venerable in their prior clash.

Proving Chu Zhiyuan capable of repelling the Undying Evil Venerable.

Hope surged within him, erasing his fears.

Next time they shattered an Undying Evil Venerable Statue, any clone appearing would meet destruction.

And these six statues all linked to a single Undying Evil Venerable.

No others emerged, marking the finest development.

Repelling this one could eliminate the menace entirely.

If so, it would qualify as a true Miracle Technique.

As they parted at the city gate, Huang Zhengyang sent a private transmission to Chu Zhiyuan, "Brother Chu, tomorrow we head to the Evil Suppressing Abyss!"

Chu Zhiyuan nodded steadily.