Imperial Cultivation Chapter 1248 - 1244: Purpose

She shook her head vigorously, forcing her phoenix eyes wide open, and swiftly regained her composure.

The Second Layer of the Earth Origin Technique enables the safe relocation of others without causing them any injury.

Yet, performing such relocations repeatedly places enormous strain on the mind.

Even with her Phoenix Bloodline and robust spiritual power, Li Hongzhao couldn't endure it, leaving her dizzy and unsteady.

Chu Zhiyuan smiled and asked, "Feeling better now?"

Li Hongzhao let out a long breath, scented like orchids, and pouted, "I nearly passed out! Your Earth Origin Technique is way too intense..."

Chu Zhiyuan replied, "Had no other option; this foe is far too formidable."

"Truly living up to the name of the Undying Evil Venerable," Li Hongzhao nodded, still shaken, "Have we fully escaped him? ... But coming back here—aren't we walking right into his scheme?"

Chu Zhiyuan stated, "He's gone back to You Meng Heaven already."

"You took care of him?" Li Hongzhao inquired eagerly, "What I glimpsed before was..."

"Yes, taken care of," Chu Zhiyuan confirmed with a nod.

"Taken care of?!" Li Hongzhao creased her brows slightly.

Zhu Lingyun and Chu Liezhao emerged just beyond her sight, remaining unnoticed by her.

All she had witnessed was their frantic escape alongside Chu Zhiyuan, fleeing nonstop.

Chu Zhiyuan grinned and explained, "Largely owing to my Spirit Sword."

"Is it truly that incredible?" Li Hongzhao eyed Chu Zhiyuan's waist skeptically, half-doubting, but saw nothing there.

The Golden Sword had vanished completely.

The Undying Evil Venerable's power surpassed all expectations—could the Golden Sword have truly slain him?

Chu Zhiyuan smiled and remarked, "It's advancing rapidly, gaining immense power."

As his words hung in the air, the Golden Sword streaked across the sky.

"Swish, swish, swish, swish..."

It dove directly into the forehead of the golden statue, then sliced through it in swift, intersecting strokes.

"Bang!"

The golden statue shattered into fine powder.

In the midst of the airborne swirling dust, the golden particles drifted toward the Golden Sword, getting absorbed and fused within it.

Chu Zhiyuan sensed its deep satisfaction and thrill clearly.

Li Hongzhao observed the spectacle and smiled, "I get it now."

"Hmm—?"

"No surprise it's advancing so quickly," Li Hongzhao noted, "It's like tempering the sword in the heat of combat."

Chu Zhiyuan nodded, smiling in agreement.

Li Hongzhao commented, "With Undying Evil Venerables popping up everywhere, doesn't that benefit you greatly?"

"I guess it does," Chu Zhiyuan admitted.

Li Hongzhao understood suddenly, "That explains your eagerness; I was wondering about that."

Chu Zhiyuan declared, "I'm just brimming with zeal."

"I figured you only aimed to claim the Sect Leader role, building fame and unity, but you're reaping multiple gains—now it clicks."

Chu Zhiyuan's moves were always like that, maximizing every advantage.

Chu Zhiyuan shook his head with a smile, "You're misjudging my genuine intent. As a Heavenly Sword Sect disciple, it's my duty to elevate our sect's prestige and fend off any intruders."

"Never claimed you lacked sincerity," Li Hongzhao smiled, lips curving, "Just spotting some personal gain on the side."

Chu Zhiyuan shook his head again, wearing an expression of helpless exasperation, as if words failed him.

The tiny particles of dust finally settled entirely, erasing all trace of the former golden statue.

A mountain breeze swept away the remaining ground dust, leaving the spot pristine, as though nothing had ever stood there.

Chu Zhiyuan scanned the surroundings intently, sighed, and remarked, "This isn't the first Undying Evil Venerable we've faced."

"They used to be scarce, didn't they?"

"Indeed, extremely rare."

"Some grand shift in the world?" Li Hongzhao wondered, "The Spiritual Energy feels unchanged."

Chu Zhiyuan gazed upward into the Void.

Li Hongzhao asked, "Is the danger originating from beyond our realm?"

Chu Zhiyuan nodded deliberately.

Li Hongzhao gave a wry smile, "Don't frighten yourself like that."

"I'd prefer if it were mere self-induced fear," Chu Zhiyuan shook his head, "But the Divine Artifact protecting the Imperial City has failed, Undying Evil Venerables keep emerging, and even greater Evil Venerables are descending."

He sighed deeply and questioned, "Doesn't that strike you as strange?"

"Something's definitely off," Li Hongzhao furrowed her brow, "I'll consult my master about it."

Chu Zhiyuan nodded.

Li Hongzhao advised, "Don't push too hard either; the Sect Leader position will open when he's ready to retire. Rushing invites suspicion."

Chu Zhiyuan nodded once more.

"Let's head out—I'll see you safely back to the Secret Land first," Chu Zhiyuan proposed, "Then I'll report to the Sect Leader."

"Okay."

Li Hongzhao consented.

...

Sect Leader’s Hall

Sunlight illuminated the grand hall, where four Elders along with Lu Wanshan faced Chu Zhiyuan, intently listening to his words.

"Golden Man?" Lu Wanshan furrowed his brows, stroking his beard thoughtfully.

Xu Qianfan wore a grim expression, "So it's the doing of the Undying Evil Venerable! Are these wicked demons stirring up trouble once more?!"

Chu Zhiyuan glanced at Xu Qianfan, "Elder, have Undying Evil Venerables appeared in the past?"

Xu Qianfan snorted coldly, "From time to time, one or two show up, leaving trails of blood and devastation wherever they go!"

"Yet I haven't found many records about them."

"It's better to avoid documenting them if possible," Xu Qianfan shook his head, explaining, "Such tales bring harm without gain, shared only by word of mouth."

Elder Meng Xusheng shook his head, "What makes these fiends truly terrifying are their bizarre techniques that no defense can withstand, not even Martial Arts!"

Xu Qianfan added, "Every encounter demands the sacrifice of numerous experts just to repel them."

"How exactly were they repelled?" Chu Zhiyuan asked with keen curiosity.

Xu Qianfan replied, "Our sect trained special disciples in an Array designed precisely against these evil demons."

Chu Zhiyuan eyed him with interest.

Xu Qianfan continued, "Known as the Great Lock Dragon Formation, it requires sixteen disciples, each at Venerable Cultivation level, no less than Fourth Transition, their minds united in perfect harmony, flawless... Junior Brother Zhu, can they still perform it now?"

A different middle-aged man stroked his beard and nodded softly, "The Great Lock Dragon Formation has achieved minor success and stands ready for deployment."

Xu Qianfan revealed a pleased smile.

Meng Xusheng let out a sigh, "We should refrain from using it unless absolutely necessary."

Chu Zhiyuan turned to him.

Meng Xusheng explained, "Activating the Great Lock Dragon Formation to slay an Undying Evil Venerable demands a tremendous price—they must sacrifice their cultivation entirely."

Chu Zhiyuan frowned deeply, "Exchanging cultivation for such destructive power?"

Xu Qianfan nodded in agreement, "After all, an Undying Evil Venerable possesses superior might."

Chu Zhiyuan shifted his gaze to Lu Wanshan.

Lu Wanshan stated, "The Heavenly Sword can eliminate them, yet it shouldn't be wielded recklessly."

Chu Zhiyuan nodded slowly.

He grasped the implication of Lu Wanshan's words.

The Heavenly Sword guards the ultimate barrier of Heavenly Sword Peak; deploying it would expose a vulnerability.

Meng Xusheng grinned, "Your Demon Suppressing Saber has slain the Undying Evil Venerable—henceforth, we need fear them no longer!"

The remaining three Elders broke into smiles as well.

This marked a tremendous fortune for the Heavenly Sword Sect, as Chu Zhiyuan's Demon Suppressing Saber kept performing astonishing feats, now even vanquishing the Undying Evil Venerable.

That single Demon Suppressing Saber rivaled sixteen Venerables in strength.

Moreover, it dispatched demons and evil demons with effortless ease, like mowing down weeds.

With Chu Zhiyuan advancing to Nine Transitions in cultivation, scarcely any demons or evil demons in the realm could stand against him.

Such overwhelming power defined the Heavenly Sword Sect's dominance.

Among the Four Great Sects, Guanghan Palace once held supremacy, but now the Heavenly Sword Sect appeared poised to surpass it.

...

Back in his small courtyard, Chu Zhiyuan paced with hands clasped behind him, brows tightly knit.

Zhu Lingyun had unleashed a forbidden technique, burning away thirty years of his lifespan, and was now secluded in meditation.

On Chu Liezhao's end, the Haoyang Demon-suppressing Mirror had successfully refined that cluster of Seven-Colored Light.

Much swifter than anticipated.

Still, the outcome astonished him greatly.

That cluster of Seven-Colored Light turned out to be a fragment of the Undying Evil Venerable's soul.

This particular Undying Evil Venerable's cultivation vastly exceeded those he had faced previously.

A mere thread of its soul had descended to this place, and refining it posed no threat to its core form.

Acting much like an independent clone.

Yet, via this soul fragment, one could access roughly a third of the Undying Evil Venerable's memories and cultivation methods.

From those memories, it became clear this Undying Evil Venerable sought no treasure.

Instead, it had orchestrated nine experts to seize Ding Chonglou alive, aiming to claim his body.