Imperial Cultivation Chapter 1207 - 1203: Secret Struggle

No one else can possibly steal this Golden Sword yet, as it remains unfully awakened.

The tiniest shift, and I'd detect it instantly.

This time, securing the Giant Spirit Sword came easily, owing to Zhao Ruilin’s self-centered diversions.

To stop the Evil Venerable from claiming it, Zhao Ruilin had tucked the sword into this peculiar Black Box, blocking its aura and breaking his link to it.

Now that the Black Box lay open, Zhao Ruilin couldn’t sense the sword clearly even from ten miles away.

He inspected the Giant Spirit Sword, noting how its name clashed sharply with its look.

His brows knit together at once.

The Giant Spirit Sword’s aura irked him, cold and savage in equal measure.

Icy cold, yet it carried a scorching ferocity.

A bizarre and clashing contradiction.

It clashed against his regal aura.

"Shua!" The Golden Sword slid from its sheath, thrusting lightly at the Giant Spirit Sword.

Suddenly, the Giant Spirit Sword burst with red light like blazing flames, aiming to swallow the Golden Sword whole.

The Golden Sword glowed with soft white light, swiftly scattering the red glow and wrapping around it, inching deeper gradually.

The red light struggled wildly but couldn’t halt the white light’s advance, which blanketed it layer by layer.

At last, it resembled a blade forged from ice and snow.

Chu Zhiyuan’s eyes gleamed like frigid stars, as he channeled spiritual power nonstop to bolster the Golden Sword’s efforts.

This white light stemmed from his spiritual power, refined by the Golden Sword into something mightier and deeper, eroding the Giant Spirit Sword’s spirit and snapping its spiritual bond.

After the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, as the fifteen Giant Spirit Sect experts departed the valley, the red light faded entirely, leaving the Giant Spirit Sword pristine like clear water.

He let out a relieved breath.

Zhao Ruilin abruptly felt something wrong, whirling around and drifting from the hall back to his small courtyard.

He found the Black Box and Giant Spirit Sword gone.

His expression twisted dramatically.

His hands blurred like phantoms, rummaging every possible hiding spot in the room for the Black Box.

Chu Zhiyuan flickered into view behind a Giant Spirit Sect expert.

The Golden Sword struck fatally once, then vanished, reemerging behind another Giant Spirit Sect expert.

By the moment Zhao Ruilin had scoured the whole room and courtyard, eyes bloodshot and breathing ragged, all fifteen Giant Spirit Sect experts lay slain.

As the final Giant Spirit Sect expert perished, Zhu Lingyun unleashed a piercing whistle from nearby.

With that cry, he surged toward Chu Zhiyuan.

Yet Chu Zhiyuan merely shot him a look and blinked away, leaving no trace.

Zhu Lingyun arrived like drifting mist at the vanishing spot, hands weaving seals before pressing softly into the Void.

Within the Void, a hazy silhouette emerged—Chu Zhiyuan’s.

He pressed relentlessly at the hazy form with his sealed hands.

Golden light flowed gently from his sealing hands, sharpening the hazy figure bit by bit.

Chu Zhiyuan rematerialized a mile off, brow creased as he watched from distance.

He drew in a deep breath, drawing the Golden Sword and easing white light from it.

The white light intensified rapidly, then cleaved the Void like it hunted an unseen strand.

Beneath the white light, the strand revealed itself—a slender rainbow thread aiming at his brow.

The Golden Sword flared white, severing the thread in a flash.

It broke apart right away.

Losing a chunk instantly.

Before Zhu Lingyun, the once-sharpening hazy figure blurred anew.

Chu Zhiyuan’s brow furrowed.

This thread proved tricky; even slashed, it didn’t shatter but just shed a piece.

Zhu Lingyun’s face darkened a touch, his hands speeding through seals.

The hazy figure sharpened once more.

Chu Zhiyuan snorted, brandishing the Golden Sword again.

White light flashed from the Golden Sword, slicing the thread once more—this time carving off a longer piece.

Chu Zhiyuan held the sword steady.

The sharpening figure blurred yet again.

Chu Zhiyuan grinned.

Zhu Lingyun’s expression soured further, eyes blazing fiercely, too bright to meet.

He persisted with seals, pressing on, clarifying the hazy form repeatedly.

Chu Zhiyuan bided his time until the thread regrew to full length, then swung the Golden Sword anew.

Again and again, each time Zhu Lingyun clarified the haze, he’d lop off a segment of the thread.

Just one cut per round, observing as Zhu Lingyun mended the thread, then striking once more.

To Zhu Lingyun, Chu Zhiyuan seemed drained mentally, forced by heavy toll to struggle sustaining the secret art.

He was certain this secret technique guzzled vast spiritual power, more than any top expert in this world could endure.

On spiritual power drain, he trusted no master here rivaled him.

Thus, Chu Zhiyuan teetered on collapse, unable to hold out much longer.

But after repeated clashes, a wave of mockery hit him.

It felt like a cat toying with a mouse.

Abruptly, he halted his hands, glaring at the hazy figure with raw killing intent.

His icy stare scanned around, hunting for Chu Zhiyuan.

But Chu Zhiyuan hid like a fish in depths, aura utterly gone, silent.

The chilling gaze swept empty voids, detecting nothing.

The chill intensified, mighty spiritual power radiating out.

"Okay!" he thundered like lightning, wheeling about and gliding toward the valley.

Zhao Ruilin stood motionless in the courtyard, face shadowed and detached.

He mulled over who might have swiped his Giant Spirit Sword without a sound.

Regular disciples wouldn’t dare enter his courtyard; only about a dozen had access.

Most of them lingered outside; just Sun Haoyang and Hu Chengxiang stayed in the valley.

One of them, or perhaps both acting together?

He dismissed it with a shake of his head.

Not them.

Then... Divine Venerable?

This thought darkened his face more, brows locked in thought.

If Divine Venerable truly desired it, he’d simply demand it from me—no need for theft.

Sun Haoyang’s voice rang from beyond the courtyard: "Senior Brother, Divine Venerable is here."

Zhao Ruilin smoothed his features to calm before exiting, telling Sun Haoyang, "Why’s Divine Venerable back? Some pressing issue?"

Sun Haoyang shook his head.

Zhao Ruilin eyed Sun Haoyang: "You and Junior Brother Hu were...?"

"Setting up folks to excavate the Blood Pool," Sun Haoyang answered. "It’s finished."

Zhao Ruilin nodded.

Sun Haoyang inquired, "Something go wrong?"

Being so near to Zhao Ruilin and knowing him deeply, even with the calm facade, he sensed the bottled gloom and fury underneath.

Zhao Ruilin smiled: "Nothing at all."

This affair couldn’t leak out; no one else must learn of it.

The pair headed to the front hall, where Zhu Lingyun stood arms clasped behind.

Zhu Lingyun’s visage was grim as he spoke coldly: "All the disciples you dispatched got killed."

Sun Haoyang jolted: "Divine Venerable, you mean every one of the fifteen?"

Zhu Lingyun nodded: "They’re all dead, yes."

Sun Haoyang’s eyes bulged: "No way, really?"

Zhao Ruilin questioned, "Did Divine Venerable spot the killer? How many were there?"

"Just a single foe," Zhu Lingyun said softly, "Qinggong top-notch; with those moves, slaughtering all fifteen wouldn’t tax him."

He shook his head: "Underestimated the masters of this world."

At first, entering this world, he’d figured his rare secret arts and superior strength would overwhelm any local expert.

Only wielders of spiritual artifacts or divine artifacts warranted caution.

The rest fell easily.

"Just one..." Sun Haoyang glanced at Zhao Ruilin, then Hu Chengxiang.

Hu Chengxiang stated, "Not even a Four Great Sects sect master could silently take out fifteen experts solo."

Sun Haoyang gnashed his teeth: "Who the hell is he? This bastard?"

He faced Zhu Lingyun: "Divine Venerable, catch his face?"

Zhu Lingyun inhaled deeply, shaking his head slowly.

He’d glimpsed the form but couldn’t make out the features.

Some invisible force obscured it, like a shroud of white silk, impenetrable.

Not even his secret arts pierced through.