Imperial Cultivation Chapter 1223 - 1219: Background Information

While immersed in his cultivation, a voice echoed from outside: "Junior Brother? Junior Brother?"

Chu Zhiyuan snapped open his eyes, drifted from the bed, and stepped out to push open the courtyard gate.

Standing beyond the entrance was Lu Xiaolu.

Clad in a pristine snow-white gown, she resembled a snow fairy radiating soft glow.

"Hehe, Junior Brother, what are you occupied with?" Her jade hand waved lightly.

Chu Zhiyuan reached out invitingly, "Senior Sister."

Lu Xiaolu bounded through the gate, striding ahead gracefully like she owned the place.

She reached the little pavilion, gazing appreciatively at the blooms in the nearby flowerbed.

Twilight had fallen by now, causing the flowers there to start folding their petals.

Approaching closer, she caressed several blossoms, inhaled the scent lingering on her delicate hand, then settled at the stone table with a grin.

Chu Zhiyuan took a seat and brewed her a cup of tea, beaming: "Senior Sister, did you discover anything?"

"The Palace Master sent me back specifically to check the Evil Suppressing Abyss records."

"Is the Evil Suppressing Abyss really that bizarre?"

"Extremely bizarre!" She nodded vigorously, her sparkling eyes fixed on him: "Junior Brother, stay away from the Evil Suppressing Abyss!"

Chu Zhiyuan replied, "But I've already promised to assist there."

"Then renege on it, just don't go." Lu Xiaolu huffed: "Venturing there means certain death—so many Nine Transitions Venerables have perished in the Evil Suppressing Abyss!"

Chu Zhiyuan furrowed his brow.

"You doubt me?"

"I fully trust Senior Sister's words." Chu Zhiyuan shook his head and asked: "What precisely is sealed in the Evil Suppressing Abyss?"

"Something unspeakable."

"Unspeakable?" Chu Zhiyuan felt baffled, glancing upward at the heavens.

"That entity gains power partly from reality each time it's uttered." Lu Xiaolu's lovely features grew taut, her look grave.

Chu Zhiyuan felt intrigued: "Does such a weird existence truly exist?"

"And this is merely the start!" Lu Xiaolu snorted: "These ancient oddities possess unimaginable bizarre powers."

"Like what?"

"Certain anomalies feed on wind to flourish, others remain unkillable with any light present—both horrifically troublesome and immensely fearsome."

Chu Zhiyuan asked curiously, "I don't think I've encountered such horrors before, have I?"

"If we could spot them easily, everyone nearby would probably be dead by now."

"Are they confined solely to the Evil Suppressing Abyss?"

"No, not only there—some lurk in hidden realms or unique spots." Lu Xiaolu shook her head, saying, "I've just learned how truly hazardous this world is."

On her recent return, secret scrolls revealed a hidden facet of the world concealed from ordinary folk.

Chu Zhiyuan nodded thoughtfully.

Even with Super Sense granting him insights surpassing most mortals.

Still, he wasn't omnipotent; full knowledge eluded him, limited to sensing within a hundred-mile span.

This realm truly concealed bizarre ancient relics, much like the radiant light within his consciousness—an unimaginable force.

"Certain anomalies defy even martial arts, no matter one's strength." Lu Xiaolu stated: "Now I see how foolish I used to be!"

Chu Zhiyuan chuckled, "Senior Sister, are you implying I'm foolish too?"

Lu Xiaolu shot him a glare, "Don't you feel invincible now at Nine Transitions, roaming the world freely?"

Chu Zhiyuan nodded.

Lu Xiaolu continued, "If so, your Palace Master and Sect Leader wouldn't remain cooped up in the sect day after day, never venturing out."

Chu Zhiyuan agreed, "That checks out."

"The unspeakable horror in the Evil Suppressing Abyss cannot be slain." Lu Xiaolu warned, "Your aid there would be pointless."

Chu Zhiyuan questioned, "Our martial arts fail against it?"

Lu Xiaolu shook her head, "If killable, it would've been destroyed ages ago. Ancient martial arts dwarf today's by heaven-earth margins."

Chu Zhiyuan mused, "Thus, mere suppression is possible, no total elimination..."

"Exactly, and yearly, elite lives get fed to it." Lu Xiaolu explained, "Peak experts nearing lifespan's end often rush to the Evil Suppressing Abyss."

"The Palace Master mentioned the Court pays dearly to station such powerhouses there."

Chu Zhiyuan nodded.

Such outcomes were unavoidable.

Facing scant remaining years without instant demise, hefty compensation was required to dispatch them to doom. No surprise about the Lifespan Extension Pill.

His face grew solemn by degrees.

He remembered the powerhouses observed at the Evil Suppressing Abyss—not insignificant numbers, over a dozen at least.

Were they all doomed?

Yet their vital essences brimmed with vigor, far from death's door.

"Regardless, the Evil Suppressing Abyss poses extreme peril; avoid returning there."

Chu Zhiyuan inquired, "Exist other secret realms akin to the Evil Suppressing Abyss?"

"From what I know, two more spots." Lu Xiaolu replied, "But I cannot disclose them."

Chu Zhiyuan chuckled softly.

Lu Xiaolu's dainty face hardened seriously: "I truly cannot reveal it."

"Unspeakable?" Chu Zhiyuan noted.

Lu Xiaolu nodded gravely.

"Could you jot it down?"

"Impossible."

"Then how do you know?" Chu Zhiyuan pressed.

"It appeared directly in my thoughts." Lu Xiaolu said, "Our palace's secret tome holds the record."

Chu Zhiyuan laughed, "Fair enough..."

"Yet I can't inscribe those symbols." Lu Xiaolu added.

Chu Zhiyuan pondered deeply.

The Divine Language sprang to mind, writable by few.

Nor could it be voiced aloud.

He wondered aloud, "Is cultivation level too low?"

Lu Xiaolu affirmed, "Precisely—without sufficient cultivation, none can transcribe it nowadays, and that tome stays hidden from you."

Chu Zhiyuan sighed, "Fine, excessive curiosity isn't always beneficial."

Lu Xiaolu queried, "Junior Brother, still heading to the Evil Suppressing Abyss?"

She understood his steadfast nature; promises were ironclad for him.

Yet genuine fear gripped her for his safety.

The Evil Suppressing Abyss was no trifling matter—fatally hazardous, entry equaled suicide.

Chu Zhiyuan assured, "I'll stay vigilant."

Lu Xiaolu rolled her eyes, huffed, "You're always so prudent, terrified of dying? Knowing the Evil Suppressing Abyss's deadliness, why proceed?"

Chu Zhiyuan grinned, "It's not nearly as perilous as you fear."

For the moment, at least, the anomaly remained sealed without escape.

"If not so deadly, why did countless Nine Transitions experts fall?"

"Likely their lifespans expired."

"...That holds water." Lu Xiaolu paused, then nodded gradually.

The Evil Suppressing Abyss had claimed numerous Nine Transitions experts, but upon reflection, lifespan depletion probably felled them.

Chu Zhiyuan smiled, "Were the Evil Suppressing Abyss truly that lethal, I wouldn't enter."

His sharp instincts excelled at detecting peril.

Upon nearing the Evil Suppressing Abyss, they'd signal the threat level.

Should it prove overwhelmingly dire, warnings would spur retreat.

But the risk fell short of that.

Lu Xiaolu advised, "Very well, exercise utmost caution, shun heroism, and flee if needed."

Chu Zhiyuan nodded with a smile, "Rest easy, Senior Sister—I'm no foolhardy type."

Lu Xiaolu beamed.

Indeed, mortal danger wouldn't compel him to persist.

"Alright, time for me to leave." Lu Xiaolu rose, downing her tea in a single swallow.

"Senior Sister, hold on briefly." Chu Zhiyuan gestured, retrieving a slim manual from his robes and offering it: "A secret technique I acquired from another source."

Lu Xiaolu accepted it, leafed through, and eyed him astonished.

Chu Zhiyuan grinned, "It conceals one's aura effectively."

Reciprocity mattered; after gaining a technique from Guanghan Palace, returning the favor was essential.

Mutual exchange fostered enduring bonds.