Imperial Cultivation Chapter 1219 - 1215: The Outcome

The jade-green altar surface appeared utterly ordinary and unremarkable.

The Giant Spirit Sword plunged into the altar's center with the ease of slicing through soft tofu.

"Buzz..."

A deafening buzz echoed like thousands of bees fluttering their wings all at once, the air churning as if boiling over.

The earth shook violently, like an massive Earth Dragon rolling in its sleep.

Chu Zhiyuan's body trembled, nearly toppling him over.

"You brat!... Preposterous! Reckless!"

The round-faced old man jabbed a finger at him, berating harshly.

They all pulled back to the altar's edges, clutching the railings tightly, eyes bulging at the bizarre sight unfolding.

How could this supposedly indestructible altar floor be stabbed through by a sword?

What sort of change was this?

"Swoosh!" The Giant Spirit Sword sank a full foot deep before halting, then got forcefully expelled from the ground, rocketing straight upward.

It morphed into a blinding white streak, climbing higher and higher until it vanished completely from view.

Once the Giant Spirit Sword shot out, the altar fell silent in an instant, as though nothing had ever happened.

Chu Zhiyuan gawked at the sky, expecting the Giant Spirit Sword to plummet back down.

Yet as moments dragged on, the Giant Spirit Sword never returned.

Chu Zhiyuan turned to the four elders with a wry smile: "What's going on here?"

"I should be the one asking you that!" The round-faced old man shot him a fierce glare: "You reckless idiot, where did you find the guts to be so impulsive? This is the Imperial Ancestral Temple!"

Chu Zhiyuan replied awkwardly: "I just wanted to check out any oddities here, see what makes this Secret Land so unique."

"Utterly lawless, you Four Great Sects always act so brazenly, ignoring the Court entirely!" The round-faced old man snapped: "Foolish behavior!... No need to test it like this to find out what's special!"

"Yes, yes, this junior was too bold, just a slip in the moment, I apologize to the four elders, no offense was meant..."

Chu Zhiyuan cupped his fists respectfully in apology.

The four elders' faces darkened with fury and chill, staring him down before shifting their gaze to the altar's center.

But no mark remained there, no evidence of a sword piercing it.

Still, unease gnawed at them, irritation boiling over as they confronted him icily.

Only years of discipline here kept their tempers in check; otherwise, they would have struck already.

The main issue was no assured win in combat.

Summoning more experts would be humiliating, especially with Chu Zhiyuan maintaining his friendly grin.

They had no choice but to glare coldly.

"Elders, isn't the Giant Spirit Sword a Spirit Sword?" Chu Zhiyuan shook his head: "Did it get destroyed outright?"

"Destroyed? Good riddance!" The round-faced old man snorted.

They too glanced skyward.

Dark clouds loomed heavily, marking a truly ominous day.

No matter how thick the black clouds, their inner force-enhanced eyes could spot a sword clearly.

But up in the heavens, no trace of that sword lingered.

It was as if it had never existed.

The round-faced old man sneered coldly: "So, destroyed then?"

Chu Zhiyuan frowned: "I've lost all connection with it."

"Then it's definitely destroyed." The burly old man stated flatly: "Fine by us, since it's an Evil Demon Sword anyway."

Chu Zhiyuan responded: "Our sect has purification techniques; we can reforge it, strip away the Evil Energy, and it'll remain a Spirit Sword. Elders, you know full well a Spirit Sword's immense value, right?"

"Consider it a hard lesson, completely out of control, total nonsense!" The round-faced old man grumbled irritably: "Keep this up, and we'll seize you and toss you into the Evil Suppressing Abyss!"

Chu Zhiyuan chuckled: "To be honest, elders, I've actually visited the Evil Suppressing Abyss before and chatted pleasantly with a few elders there."

"Bragging!"

"Elder Guan and Elder Hu were kind to me, even asked me to come back."

"Elder Guan?"

"Elder Guan Zhengying and Elder Hu Qixuan." Chu Zhiyuan clarified.

The burly old man furrowed his brow: "You truly entered the Evil Suppressing Abyss... Does your tie to the Evil Extermination Department's Xiaohuang count? Close to any Princes?"

The round-faced old man grinned: "Old Zheng, why even bother asking."

The burly old man eyed Chu Zhiyuan: "Just Prince Zhuang?"

Chu Zhiyuan cleared his throat lightly, flashing an sheepish smile but staying silent.

He shifted topics with a smile: "Maybe since descending the mountain, I've killed too many Evil Demons, earning the elders' favor, which let me enter here—a reward from the Court."

"How many Evil Demons have you slain?"

"A few hundred or so." Chu Zhiyuan said: "Especially lately, I aided the City Guard in wiping out a huge wave of rampaging Evil Demons."

"That explains it." The burly old man nodded.

The Imperial Ancestral Temple stood serene yet held supreme prestige; regular officials lacked entry rights.

A Heavenly Sword Sect disciple rarely got such access.

Yet higher orders permitted his visit.

Exceptions demand reasons.

First, solid background: Heavenly Sword Sect disciple, but loyal to the Court. Second, favored by four Princes.

It might tie into Court-Heavenly Sword Sect ties.

Chu Zhiyuan said: "Elders, don't you wish to probe the Imperial Ancestral Temple's secrets? Is it really impenetrable?... This doesn't count as offense, does it?"

If I dare to draw my sword in the four great halls, I will surely invite the attack from all the tributes and be punished.

But before the offerings are placed, this altar is merely a structure.

Although it appears disrespectful, it hasn't reached the point where severe punishment is necessary.

In pursuit of that strange treasure, I can only resort to this desperate measure; after all, time waits for no one, and adhering strictly to the rules will inevitably cause me to miss the opportunity.

This is the plan I settled on after countless thoughts and bursts of inspiration.

The burly old man snorted, "Do you have another sword? Try again."

Chu Zhiyuan waved his hands hastily, "I don't dare."

"I'm ordering you to try, so do it!" The burly old man commanded coldly, "Use a normal sword."

Chu Zhiyuan suggested, "Why don't the elders test it first... you haven't tried yet, right?"

Chu Zhiyuan smiled apologetically, "Shall I give it another go then?"

The Giant Spirit Sword was naturally snatched mid-air by Chu Liezhao.

With the Heavenly Concealment Pearl hiding his aura, plus his vantage here, Chu Liezhao materialized in the sky and seized the Giant Spirit Sword.

"Give it a try!" The round-faced elder snorted.

Chu Zhiyuan pulled another longsword from his sleeve.

This longsword was just a High Grade Cyan Blade Sword, no Treasure Sword status.

He advanced to the altar's center and stabbed downward.

"Ding..."

The Qingfeng Sword's tip rebounded off the ground, sparking faintly.

Perplexed, Chu Zhiyuan let out an "eh" and stabbed again, the blade glowing white.

"Ding..."

With a crisp chime, the sword tip bounced away once more.

Chu Zhiyuan snorted, "Interesting!"

A foot-long white blade glow erupted, thrusting down fiercely.

"Ding..."

The sword tip snapped off, hurtling at blinding speed toward the burly elder.

The burly elder flicked his sleeve.

A white light barrier emerged, capturing the fragment, which then dropped to the ground.

"Ding..." The tip clattered onto the altar floor.

Yet the altar surface showed no scratch, pristine as ever.

Chu Zhiyuan eyed the green surface, shaking his head, "Strange."

The round-faced elder snorted, "Strange? ...Your earlier Giant Spirit Sword was the strange one!"

Chu Zhiyuan wondered, "Maybe because it's a Spirit Sword?"

"Probably." The round-faced elder nodded.

Chu Zhiyuan withdrew a warm, white-jade-like Golden Sword from his sleeve.

"Another Spirit Sword?" The four elders' eyes widened.

The round-faced elder snorted, "Does your Heavenly Sword Sect have such abundance?"

Chu Zhiyuan laughed, "This one's mine; the Giant Spirit Sword was war spoils."

The burly elder snorted, "Just how many Spirit Swords does your Heavenly Sword Sect hold?"

"Junior doesn't know," Chu Zhiyuan chuckled, "only the Sect Leader knows."

"Heavenly Sword Sect, huh..."

The four elders shared knowing looks.

The world had truly shifted; Heavenly Sword Sect possessed more Spirit Swords beyond the Heavenly Sword.

Spirit Swords surpass mere Treasure Swords; they genuinely develop spiritual essence.

A Treasure Sword, forged from top materials, refined over endless time by owners' pure intent, might evolve into a Spirit Sword.

The bar is sky-high, standards brutal, odds minuscule—making them priceless.

Chu Zhiyuan lifted the Golden Sword with a laugh, "Shall I test it now?"

"...Give me the sword." The round-faced elder snorted.

Chu Zhiyuan passed the Golden Sword over.

The round-faced elder took it, swung it a couple times, then tapped lightly at the ground.

"Ding..." A sharp ring sounded as the tip was repelled.

He pressed harder, but only another ring—the tip refused to penetrate.

Chu Zhiyuan offered, "Elder, let me handle it; I'll be careful."

"Take it." The Golden Sword returned to him.

Chu Zhiyuan thrust the Golden Sword gently, and it pierced right through.

He halted swiftly, letting just an inch sink in.

The ground quaked abruptly.

He shot upward instantly, clutching the Golden Sword, rising a hundred meters high.

Chu Zhiyuan descended slowly, letting out a deep sigh.

The four elders fixed their stares on the flawless altar surface.

This time, they confirmed beyond doubt: Spirit Swords could breach the ground, and it wasn't unique to the Giant Spirit Sword.