Imperial Cultivation Chapter 1217 - 1213: Found

"Should this keep going, the merits earned by your Four Sects will soar; wiping out a whole sect outshines merely taking down lone Evil Demons."

"Brother Huang, doesn't the Evil Extermination Department have intel on those Evil Sects?"

"How can we obtain it without sneaking in?"

"No supreme stealth infiltration art exists?" Chu Zhiyuan inquired.

"We possess methods to hide one's aura, yet they're not elite enough to deceive those Evil Demons."

"I possess one such technique." Chu Zhiyuan mused thoughtfully.

Huang Zhengyang chuckled, "Is it superior to the secret arts of our Evil Extermination Department?"

"It just might be." Chu Zhiyuan replied with a grin.

From his chest pocket, he pulled a slender booklet and offered it.

The booklet appeared pristine and untouched.

Huang Zhengyang accepted it, flipping it open; the script within was freshly inked, prompting him to glance upward.

"I obtained it from another source—truly remarkable," Chu Zhiyuan explained.

Huang Zhengyang grinned and stowed it away. "No need for thanks, then."

Sect secret arts must not be shared lightly, but those gained externally, no matter how profound, could be disposed of freely.

Chu Zhiyuan never bothered with mediocre techniques; this one had to be extraordinarily potent.

Should it bolster their concealment skills, the boost to the Evil Extermination Department's prowess would be tremendous.

Chu Zhiyuan grinned and gestured dismissively. "I've caught wind of something else too—in the coming days, a huge attack will hit the city gates."

Huang Zhengyang's face grew grave.

"At minimum, two Evil Sects, maybe three, plan to smash through and storm the Imperial City," Chu Zhiyuan stated.

"Elite powerhouses from Evil Sects aiming to infiltrate the Imperial City?"

"Precisely."

"Curse them!" Huang Zhengyang gnashed his teeth.

Should Evil Demons breach the Imperial City, as Deputy Director, he'd forfeit any chance of advancement and risk losing his post entirely.

"This presents a golden chance for the Evil Extermination Department too—and I'll alert the City Guards naturally," Chu Zhiyuan added.

His bond with Ding Huanchun was strong, so withholding such vital news was out of the question.

"Brother Chu, your cunning and adaptability never cease to amaze."

"Haha..."

"...With the City Guards on alert and our forces united, we'll repel these fiends!"

"They'll have traitors inside," Chu Zhiyuan warned.

"Traitors... hmph, such vile scum exists." Huang Zhengyang sighed, shaking his head. "At times, I fail to fathom why folks pick the path of evil over righteousness!"

"Perhaps driven by greed or terror—some forced, others embracing it eagerly," Chu Zhiyuan replied.

Insights from the Evil Venerable's memories unveiled the Giant Spirit Sect's coercive tactics.

Tactics routine among Evil Sects, potent enough to dominate common folk.

Leveraging threats to family or life itself, backed by overwhelming menace to breed terror—failures were rare.

Yet not every traitor was compelled; plenty volunteered as lackeys, craving rapid power.

Such individuals often harbored grand ambitions yet lacked true talent.

"Humanity..." Huang Zhengyang sighed deeply. "That's what makes rooting out Evil Sects so arduous."

The temptation of Evil Techniques proved irresistible, mirroring base desires and the frailties of the heart, nearly impossible to excise.

Chu Zhiyuan nodded in agreement.

They reached a majestic gateway.

Copper studs adorned the crimson gates, while four masters in mystic robes gripped their sabers, poised for instant action.

The pair of white jade lions exuded such ferocity they appeared poised to leap alive at any instant.

The daunting presence from the stone lions and the four mystic-robed guardians sent chills racing across skin even from afar.

As though a savage beast lurked nearby, blade already pressing against the neck.

The crimson doors creaked open gradually, revealing an elder clad in cyan robes crossing the lofty threshold.

Of average stature, he carried himself neatly and refreshingly.

Silver-white brows and locks gleamed purely, beardless, his flesh translucent like fine mutton-fat jade, horsetail whisk in hand.

He cupped his fists with a faint smile. "Might you be Lord Huang and Mr. Chu?"

"Yes, elder, we appreciate your trouble." Huang Zhengyang returned the salute.

Chu Zhiyuan smiled and cupped his fists.

"Mr. Chu, come with me," the cyan-robed elder invited warmly.

"Many thanks, elder." Chu Zhiyuan responded.

The Imperial Ancestral Temple held lofty status, its overseers outranking even Huang Zhengyang.

The cyan-robed elder pivoted and led the way inward.

Chu Zhiyuan nodded to Huang Zhengyang before trailing the elder into the Imperial Ancestral Temple.

First, he suppressed his Super Sense, steering clear of scanning the area to avoid mishaps.

Crossing the elevated copper sill, the ambiance shifted abruptly.

Solemn, profound, pure, immense.

Mysteriously, his heart and soul felt purified, plunging into serene calm.

Myriad stray thoughts vanished like mist, leaving his mind pristine and unclouded.

Nothing remained but the vista of heaven and earth ahead; all else faded into irrelevance.

Heart steady, spirit serene, filled with reverence and gravity.

No effort required—merely passing the threshold induced this profound state.

Chu Zhiyuan curbed the urge to deploy his Super Sense.

Curiosity burned to uncover the formations here responsible for such an effect.

Rounding the screen wall post-entry, a vast plaza unfolded.

Its scale rivaled a stadium from his past life, leading to a colossal palace hall.

Perched atop nine tiers of stairs, the hall loomed like a titanic beast in repose, overseeing the cosmos.

The cyan-robed elder glided effortlessly, akin to treading upon waves—noiseless, rapid, pace seeming leisurely yet blisteringly swift.

Chu Zhiyuan kept pace across the white jade plaza, climbed the stairs, and stepped into the grand hall.

A greenstone water basin flanked the entrance.

Sensibly, he advanced to rinse his hands.

"Mr. Chu clearly grasps the proper rites," the cyan-robed elder noted approvingly.

"Brother Huang informed me," Chu Zhiyuan admitted.

"Splendid. This way, please," the elder urged with a smile.

Guiding Chu Zhiyuan inside, a line of screens greeted them.

Majestic landscapes in bold, towering strokes decorated the panels.

The cyan-robed elder offered a slight bow.

Chu Zhiyuan slipped behind a screen.

A garment stand bore robes there—a Mystic Robe.

He shed his outer layer and donned the Mystic Robe.

Emerging, he shadowed the cyan-robed elder deeper into the hall.

The northern exit opened to yet another expansive plaza.

Broader still, its heart held a round altar encircled by four imposing halls oriented to the cardinal directions, each crowned with massive, beast-ridged eaves.

Those beast-ridged roofs marked the Imperial Ancestral Temple's core, housing the Imperial Family's lineage.

Roof hues revealed their hierarchies.

Jade green, crimson, azure, ebony.

Prince Zhuang Mansion claimed crimson.

The rest: Prince Su in jade green, Prince Cheng in black, Prince Ying in blue.

Potent auras pulsed from within the four halls, all converging upon him.

"Mr. Chu, to which sacred ancestor emperor do you wish to offer respects first?" the cyan-robed elder inquired.

"That one there." Chu Zhiyuan indicated the crimson beast-ridged hall.

"This way, Mr. Chu," the elder intoned gravely.

Chu Zhiyuan composed himself solemnly, descending the steps unhurriedly, crossing the plaza to the altar.

Four elders perched statue-still upon it.

They betrayed no sign of noting his approach.

Still, Chu Zhiyuan sensed their power washing over him in waves.

These Nine Transitions masters at perfection stood primed to strike.

He offered a respectful bow, then pivoted toward the southern hall.

Before its doors, he halted, eyes shut, statue-like.

Super Sense unfurled gradually, enveloping a hundred meters.

Atop the peak, Zhu Lingyun abruptly shut his eyes; his consciousness detached, merging into Chu Zhiyuan's mind.

Instantly, his eyes snapped open, awareness restored.

In a flash, he'd surveyed the entire Imperial Ancestral Temple.

Detecting the Strange Treasure.

Indeed, the Strange Treasure existed!

Nestled at the altar's core, amid the four elders.

Chu Zhiyuan's eyes opened.

Simultaneously, the four elders' gazes ignited, faces etched with utmost solemnity, fixed intently upon him.

Chu Zhiyuan pivoted steadily, facing their intense inspection with utter composure.