Imperial Cultivation Chapter 1233 - 1229: Guardian

The region spanning one hundred and fifty li had yet to expose the boundary of this Secret Land.

No trace of humans appeared anywhere, though beasts roamed in abundance.

He turned to Li Hongzhao. "Where is Senior Song?"

"Master remains in closed-door cultivation and will emerge shortly," Li Hongzhao replied. "I've handled the preparations."

Chu Zhiyuan asked, "Does this Secret Land resemble the one in our realm?"

"It ought to mirror the Secret Land on our side exactly," Li Hongzhao answered.

Chu Zhiyuan nodded deliberately.

Little Heaven Beyond boasting a Secret Land comes as no shock, nor does Biyuan Heaven possessing one.

"Let's head out," Li Hongzhao urged.

She morphed into a crimson beam of light, hurtling toward the horizon.

Chu Zhiyuan pursued her, chatting while they raced forward. "Doesn't this spot seem rather desolate?"

"Plenty of folks are around," Li Hongzhao responded.

Chu Zhiyuan arched a brow.

"Most bearing the Phoenix Bloodline dwell within," Li Hongzhao explained.

Chu Zhiyuan chuckled. "They can't all hail from the Imperial Family, right?"

"Correct," Li Hongzhao affirmed with a nod. "In this place, solely the Imperial Family carries the Phoenix Bloodline."

"Prince Zhuang's line?" Chu Zhiyuan probed.

"Prince Zhuang counts among that very lineage, one might say," Li Hongzhao answered.

After traversing ten li, his Super Sense picked up a series of linked pavilions and yards.

These structures clung to the mountainside, sprawling across dozens of li.

Men and women filled the pavilions and courtyards, all looking youthful.

He instantly discerned they weren't genuinely young—just appearing that way.

This marked eternal youth.

He grinned. "Can your Phoenix Bloodline grant eternal youth?"

He recalled Prince Zhuang showing no signs of age.

"Attaining a specific cultivation stage lets one reclaim a youthful look," Li Hongzhao stated.

She beamed with pride next. "I've advanced far enough for genuine eternal youth already."

Chu Zhiyuan shook his head admiringly. "Truly befitting the Phoenix Bloodline."

Li Hongzhao burst into laughter. "The Phoenix Bloodline's abilities surpass anything I ever dreamed."

Ascending to Da Meng Emperor owed entirely to the Phoenix Bloodline.

The Phoenix Bloodline had let her infiltrate Yujing Imperial City; encountering Chu Zhiyuan afterward skyrocketed her cultivation.

That paved the way for her to claim the Emperor’s Sword.

Yet in Biyuan Heaven, the Phoenix Bloodline proved even more crucial, fueling astonishingly swift cultivation progress.

Such was the ancient ancestors' heritage, thriving to this day.

Lacking the Phoenix Bloodline, breaking into Nine Transitions would demand decades; she conceded lacking Chu Zhiyuan's insight or genius.

But with the Phoenix Bloodline's aid now, she matched his pace.

The Phoenix Bloodline hid countless enigmas, spanning cultivation and exclusive secret arts alike.

Not granting invincibility perhaps, yet ample for wandering unbound.

"The Phoenix Bloodline packs real power."

Chu Zhiyuan nodded agreement.

Naturally, the Phoenix Bloodline wielded immense might, amplifying further amid richer Spiritual Energy.

Consider Li Miaotan—she overwhelmed fellow world cultivators via her bloodline alone.

They pressed on amid their exchange, velocity unbroken.

Chu Zhiyuan observed her Qinggong had evolved to extraordinary heights, gliding effortlessly as though borne by unseen winds, barely tapping True Yuan circulation.

This clearly arose from a bloodline-derived secret art—the bloodline's inherent force.

"What Qinggong technique is that?" Chu Zhiyuan inquired, intrigued.

"Phoenix Soaring Technique. Impressed?" she queried, smiling.

Chu Zhiyuan chuckled. "An outstanding Qinggong indeed."

"It surpasses mere Qinggong," she declared proudly. "Mastered fully, it ignores distance for instant arrival; Master employs it to span to Heavenly Sword Sect and fetch me."

Chu Zhiyuan grinned, resting a hand on her scented shoulder; scenery shifted in a blink.

Mountain-embedded pavilions and courtyards ascended ceaselessly, hugging the peaks' lines.

Chu Zhiyuan smiled. "Something like this?"

Earth Origin Technique's Second Layer shone brightest in ferrying companions through the Void.

Such marked a profound shift.

"You...?" Li Hongzhao's phoenix eyes bulged in disbelief.

Chu Zhiyuan laughed. "Like so?"

"You've mastered this too!" Spotting his smug grin, Li Hongzhao huffed. "Not bad."

Chu Zhiyuan advised, "Keep refining it, aim to master soon."

Li Hongzhao shot him a glare. "Reaching such heights? Heaven knows when!"

Chu Zhiyuan laughed heartily. "Your talent ensures no issue whatsoever."

Li Hongzhao let out a cold snort. "Don’t mention aptitude to me."

Before others, including even her Master, she could stay arrogant, full of faith in her own gifts.

Yet facing Chu Zhiyuan, she saw no point in raising it just to shame herself.

"Follow me." She guided Chu Zhiyuan toward a pavilion.

This structure perched atop the summit, built from jade, bearing the marks of years yet its shine stayed vibrant.

A soft glow wrapped the whole pavilion, as if submerged in gentle autumn streams.

Chu Zhiyuan spotted the uppermost level of the pavilion, where in the room's heart, a white-robed maiden sat cross-legged upon a crimson jade bed.

Her eyes were half-shut, her hands like carved white jade forming a mudra, still as a sculpture.

Her eyebrows arched like brush strokes, her beauty breathtaking, a vivid red mark right at the center.

That mark formed a miniature phoenix, appearing to pulse with life and flutter.

A phoenix materialized behind her, soaring softly, mirroring the tiny one on her forehead.

The fiery bird in the emptiness bathed amid blazing infernos, with fireballs swirling nearby like myriad crimson fowl paying homage.

Those flames almost licked the pavilion's roof, yet mysteriously held back.

The space around the phoenix warped, hinting at a gateway to some other realm.

Suddenly, the cross-legged maiden on the crimson jade bed snapped open her eyes.

Li Hongzhao felt it instantly and called out, "Master, Chu Zhiyuan has arrived."

"Enter," came a voice faintly raspy.

Li Hongzhao shoved the door wide and stepped inside the pavilion, bringing Chu Zhiyuan up to the third floor before the white-clad woman.

The woman shifted, reclining on her side against a plush cushion, eyeing Chu Zhiyuan with lazy indifference.

Chu Zhiyuan clasped his hands in salute. "Greetings, Senior."

Song Chaoge now resembled a true phoenix overlooking him from above.

Her menace dwarfed that of the Giant Demon.

Clearly, Senior Song's bloodline had fully awakened, unleashing tremendous power.

His instincts screamed warnings to stay alert, never slack, or risk his very life.

"The genius of Heavenly Sword Sect, tomorrow's Sect Leader," Song Chaoge gave a soft laugh. "Delighted to make your acquaintance."

Chu Zhiyuan shot a look at Li Hongzhao.

Li Hongzhao poked out her tongue playfully. "No secrets from Master; we're all kin here."

Chu Zhiyuan bowed to Song Chaoge. "Forgive my impoliteness, Senior."

"Hongzhao speaks the truth. We're family—no need for stiff courtesies or outsider flattery."

"Got it."

"Your cultivation..." Song Chaoge shook her head softly. "No surprise Hongzhao holds you in such high regard."

Chu Zhiyuan chuckled. "True, this disciple stumbled upon some luck, leading to this level of cultivation."

"Fortune smiled on you, paired with sharp insight and unyielding resolve," Song Chaoge nodded. "Heavenly Sword Sect is fortunate indeed... Do you truly aim to claim the Sect Leader position?"

"Merely a humble goal for this disciple, far from guaranteed," Chu Zhiyuan replied.

"Leading a Sect is no simple matter," Song Chaoge warned. "Far less dazzling than it seems."

Chu Zhiyuan's face turned grave at once.

"Heavenly Sword Peak stands apart from typical peaks," Song Chaoge stated.

Chu Zhiyuan furrowed his brow. "Does the Sect Leader remain bound to the peak, unable to depart?"

"Exactly," Song Chaoge confirmed with a nod.

Chu Zhiyuan grew quiet.

He had first assumed Lu Wanshan stayed atop the mountain solely to defend against demon assaults on Heavenly Sword Peak.

After his trip to the Evil Suppressing Abyss, a vague notion stirred that it might involve sealing away some horror.

Sealed by the Heavenly Sword itself.

Song Chaoge's revelation now confirmed his suspicions: the Sect Leader must indeed hold something in check.

Thus, the Sect Leader stays trapped on the mountain—a truly burdensome duty.

Regardless of one's strength, confinement to the peak without wandering the world felt suffocating.

Song Chaoge's eyes narrowed faintly as she watched the emotions flicker across Chu Zhiyuan's face.

Chu Zhiyuan let out a sigh, nodding deliberately. "The Sect Leader bears heavy burdens; it's no easy path."

Song Chaoge inquired, "Do you still desire to become Sect Leader?"