Imperial Cultivation Chapter 1225 - 1221: The Plan

Helplessness completely overwhelmed Chu Zhiyuan.

It resembled that odd sensation of trailing after a woman during her shopping spree.

That evening, they wiped out seven bands of evil demons; three consisted of full demon groups, while the other four had merely two or three members each.

Regardless of the demon numbers, she would stealthily approach, launch a sudden assault, and slay them in one strike.

Her integration of Qinggong, sword skills, and the recently acquired secret technique improved dramatically, making her strength surge.

By the final two bands, the demons perished without even realizing what struck them.

One band even included eight evil demons, spaced apart in the forest to not interrupt their meditation, but she silently eliminated every single one in a flash.

Her assassination prowess sharpened to a terrifying edge, filling her with thrill she could barely suppress.

As dawn's light crept in, they ventured far from the Imperial City and needed to head back.

Otherwise, she showed no signs of fatigue after the entire night's rampage and would have kept on slaughtering.

Ding Huanchun hurriedly replied, "Fine, fine, we'll chat later, this is..."

"Quite a few evil demons slain." Chu Zhiyuan shook his head, adding, "Too much hassle to handle the cleanup."

Ding Huanchun's eyes gleamed with excitement, and he chuckled, "We'll manage that—I'll dispatch men right away."

Chu Zhiyuan instructed, "It's distant, so just deal with those inside fifty li."

He flicked his finger with precision.

His finger force acted like a brush, sketching directly on the earth.

Moments later, a detailed map emerged on the ground.

The map vividly depicted mountains, rivers, and shaded forests.

Certain spots bore distinct marks, pinpointing the locations of their demon kills.

"Excellent, excellent!" Ding Huanchun grinned broadly, "This will let us locate them swiftly."

Chu Zhiyuan dismissed with a wave, "I'm heading out."

"Rest well upon return," Ding Huanchun promptly cupped his fists, saying warmly, "We'll gather all those evil demon bodies and deliver them."

"Appreciate the effort," Chu Zhiyuan acknowledged with a nod.

Their partnership flowed seamlessly now, needing no further explanation.

Chu Zhiyuan and Lu Xiaolu passed through the city gates, instantly enveloped by the lively clamor.

Loud vendor cries, kids' playful shrieks, parental rebukes—all surged across the crowded main avenue.

While chatting, Chu Zhiyuan and Lu Xiaolu navigated effortlessly through the throng.

The packed masses around failed to slow their steps or mute their exchange.

Though it appeared as idle banter, they actually transmitted sound secretly, merely lip-syncing.

Lu Xiaolu urged, "Junior brother, let's head out again tonight!"

Chu Zhiyuan swiftly refused with a wave, "Senior sister, no tonight."

Her boundless vigor left him utterly drained.

Lu Xiaolu puffed out her crimson lips in a pout right away.

Chu Zhiyuan explained, "Senior sister's abilities suffice for you to handle it solo."

"But locating them eludes me," Lu Xiaolu countered.

Spotting those evil demons proved challenging; with Chu Zhiyuan's aid, snagging seven or eight bands felt effortless.

Solo, however, it became like scattering nets blindly everywhere.

Proceeding in a straight line might bump into folks, yet they'd probably be fellow martial artists, not demons.

After all, the outer world sprawled endlessly, making demon hunts akin to seeking a needle in the vast sea.

Chu Zhiyuan noted, "We've cleared most nearby demons; for more, you'd need over a hundred li out. Not worth the effort."

Lu Xiaolu sighed in dismay, "Nothing left within a hundred li?"

Chu Zhiyuan replied, "Scant few now—Wanxiang Sect and Feiling Sect took heavy hits, prompting demons to flee on foot."

Last night, they eavesdropped on plenty of demon chatter, revealing how Wanxiang Sect and Feiling Sect's joint flop crushed the demons' fighting spirit across the board.

This debacle shattered their demonic resolve entirely.

As premier evil sects, Wanxiang Sect and Feiling Sect mobilized hundreds of elites together, only to fail breaching the city.

The apparently frail City Guards hid astonishing might.

This sparked suspicions that prior events were City Guard traps, luring them to doom.

Sudden epiphanies during reflection led to many evil sect experts vanishing mysteriously.

Meanwhile, City Guard casualties stayed minimal.

It all reeked of a grand con—be it the Imperial City's divine artifact mishap or the Four Great Sects seizing Feixue Cave Mansion's treasure; everything screamed deception.

Ultimately, they neither stormed the Imperial City, seized Feixue Cave Mansion's prize, nor even learned what that treasure entailed.

The deeper they pondered, the more absurd and tragic it seemed, igniting retreat urges.

Lu Xiaolu pressed eagerly, "If they're fleeing, we must chase and slaughter harder—tougher once they hole up in lairs."

Evil demons warranted universal eradication; letting them retreat to bases or skulk for mischief would complicate eliminations.

This moment offered prime opportunity.

Chu Zhiyuan grinned, lightly shaking his head.

Lu Xiaolu's gaze sparkled instantly, as she giggled, "That look means you've got a clever plan, right?"

Chu Zhiyuan just smiled and shook his head.

Lu Xiaolu prodded insistently, "Spill it quick—why hold back on the pursuit?"

Chu Zhiyuan smiled, "Slaughter them all now, and how do we uncover their lairs?"

Lu Xiaolu froze briefly, then clapped in delight, "Tail them to guide us?"

Chu Zhiyuan nodded affirmatively.

"But demons number so many—tracking solo won't cut it."

"If Four Sects' experts fall short, enlist the Evil Extermination Department for thorough uprooting."

"Then... did we overdo the kills last night?" Lu Xiaolu wavered.

Chu Zhiyuan denied with a headshake, "No kills, no scaring off the far-off demons."

"Was last night's toll sufficient?" Lu Xiaolu queried, "Need another round?"

"Plenty, plenty," Chu Zhiyuan hastened to say.

Excess kills risked losing lair trails entirely.

"Fine then," Lu Xiaolu conceded reluctantly, then beamed, "I'll shadow a demon to its lair and stealthily dismantle the whole nest!"

Her present prowess might let her slip into a lair undetected, picking off occupants quietly without rousing the sect.

This posed an epic trial.

The thought set her eyes ablaze with fervor.

Chu Zhiyuan asked, "Which sect's demon will senior sister track?"

"Choice is mine?" Lu Xiaolu wondered curiously.

Chu Zhiyuan smiled, "Wanxiang Sect or Feiling Sect, I can pinpoint directly; others rely on fortune."

"Wanxiang Sect!" Lu Xiaolu declared without pause.

Wanxiang Sect ranked among the slyest evil sects; infiltrating and obliterating it would mark a monumental feat.

Chu Zhiyuan agreed, "Wanxiang Sect's vitality wanes now, perfect for striking."

Lu Xiaolu teased coyly, "Junior brother, calling me out for picking on the weak?"

Chu Zhiyuan chuckled, shaking his head, "Weakened yes, but Wanxiang Sect stays tricky—are you certain?"

"Exactly," Lu Xiaolu huffed, "I insist on Wanxiang Sect!"

Chu Zhiyuan nodded, "Very well, tomorrow night I'll track a Wanxiang Sect demon for you to shadow covertly."

"You can truly locate one?"

"No issue at all."

"Great!"

...

Zhu Lingyun sat cross-legged in a courtyard, specifically a modest one within the Imperial Ancestral Temple.

He never anticipated slipping into the Imperial Ancestral Temple with such ease.

Despite its profound mystery and might, he infiltrated this secretive holy ground effortlessly.

This defied all his expectations.

His appearance had transformed, now resembling a different youth.

Finer-featured and more striking, his frame appeared somewhat slimmer too.

Wanxiang Sect's techniques enabled this—a facial mask providing flawless disguise.

A standard mask might deceive ordinary folk, but not peak masters; this one concealed him perfectly.