Imperial Cultivation Chapter 1249 - 1245: Striving for Victory

Chu Zhiyuan hastened his steps, brows knitting tightly, his face darkening further with each moment.

Take possession of Ding Chonglou’s body, transform it into a clone, seize command of the Heavenly Sword Sect, pit it against the Court, and hurl the world into utter turmoil.

Amid that global chaos, he would forge a mighty artifact soaked in rivers of blood.

By gathering the five auras of savagery, despair, terror, rage, and hatred to temper this treasure, called the Five Extremes Divine Needle.

This Five Extremes Divine Needle strikes straight at the soul, wielding limitless might, able to slay the Undying Evil Venerable with ease.

Though it sounds a bit outlandish, riddled with hurdles, the odds of triumph or defeat hang evenly.

But such ruthless malice fills him with deep caution.

He had originally believed the Undying Evil Venerable’s arrival was just for some exotic treasure.

Now, it appears this Undying Evil Venerable stands apart.

Every one pursues unique cultivation paths, wields distinct techniques, and harbors varied ambitions.

The former Undying Evil Venerable chased bizarre treasures, much like other Evil Venerables.

Yet this one craves world-shattering chaos, reveling in bloodshed and carnage.

Treating all of Biyuan Heaven as mere materials for crafting treasures—truly heartless beyond measure.

If he pulls it off, countless lives will be lost, who can say how many.

Thankfully, Ding Chonglou was shielded by the Little Heavenly Sword, slipping away at the vital instant; else, he’d already be under control.

Per the Undying Evil Venerable’s occult method, once possession takes hold, it stays profoundly concealed.

Sect Leader Lu Wanshan might miss it without warning, and so might I.

The mere idea sends chills down the spine.

"Heh!" Chu Zhiyuan let out a cold sneer.

He eased his stride, brows creasing even more profoundly.

This Undying Evil Venerable’s divine split differs from my own clone—they share no link for communication.

Thus, this strand of divine split holds no memory of others like it.

Good tidings: deploying this divine split technique isn’t casual, as it harms the soul itself.

Any remaining divine splits would number just one or two at most, nothing excessive.

Ill tidings: the prior Undying Evil Venerable sent only a golden statue, but this one dispatched a divine split.

What follows after that?

Will something even bolder, more horrifying, more vexing emerge?

At this thought, he shook his head.

…

Imperial City

Within a modest courtyard of the Evil Extermination Department, Chu Zhiyuan and Huang Zhengyang faced one another.

Chu Zhiyuan set aside his teacup, eyeing Huang Zhengyang’s somber, heavy expression.

Huang Zhengyang exhaled deeply and spoke deliberately, "The Undying Evil Venerable, to have advanced to such heights!"

Chu Zhiyuan replied, "Brother Huang, I fear this isn’t a lone incident."

"Hmm—?" Huang Zhengyang’s brows furrowed, his visage growing darker as he asked, "You suspect he’s already pulled it off?"

Chu Zhiyuan gave a nod. "First, he might have triumphed already, possessing someone’s body; second, he’s not alone in craving this Five Extremes Divine Needle."

Huang Zhengyang gnashed his teeth, voice icy: "Other Undying Evil Venerables covet this cursed Five Extremes Divine Needle too!"

Chu Zhiyuan nodded gravely.

Huang Zhengyang’s countenance shadowed further, teeth clenched: "They treat us like livestock, butchering freely!"

Chu Zhiyuan sneered coldly, "Success means jackpot; failure costs them nothing—why hesitate?"

"Damn it!" Huang Zhengyang seethed with fury and injustice.

Chu Zhiyuan stated coolly, "We’re outmatched; what recourse do we have?"

Huang Zhengyang breathed raggedly, eyes blazing like fire.

Chu Zhiyuan advised, "Brother Huang, rage achieves naught. When foes advance, we block; tricks unfold, we unravel them one by one."

"Thank heavens for you, Brother Chu." Huang Zhengyang drew a long, burdened breath, quelling his fiery wrath, forcing clarity: "Without your intervention, he might’ve won... alas, a clash between Heavenly Sword Sect and the Court would spell disaster!"

Chu Zhiyuan nodded.

That divine split aimed to dominate the Heavenly Sword Sect, ally with the Four Great Sects, and turn against the Court.

Should that fail, sow chaos outright.

As a Heavenly Sword Sect disciple, if Ding Chonglou slew Court Evil Extermination Department elites, Demon Hunting Bureau agents, or officials, the Court wouldn’t spare him.

And if Ding Chonglou then took his own life?

Even in defeat, he could ignite strife between the Court and Heavenly Sword Sect.

Who can tell if it won’t provoke an even bigger storm?

Chu Zhiyuan shook his head once more: "Yet my clone has restrictions, and my actions are constrained too; relying on Guanghan Palace’s secret technique and my Demon Suppressing Saber, I can merely sever one strand of the divine split, which offers no danger to its true form, allowing them to behave so boldly."

"Sigh..." Huang Zhengyang let out a sigh, "These fellows are genuinely a pain."

Chu Zhiyuan remarked, "Brother Huang, the Court boasts numerous court honored experts among its ranks."

Huang Zhengyang gave a nod.

Chu Zhiyuan continued, "Within those court honored experts, does anyone possess the power to confront the Undying Evil Venerable and strike at its core?"

Huang Zhengyang furrowed his brows in contemplation.

Chu Zhiyuan pressed on, "Could the four royal family tributes, drawing on their bloodline might, master secret techniques or miracle techniques beyond our Martial Arts Extreme Realm to wound the Undying Evil Venerable fundamentally?"

"This..." Huang Zhengyang mulled it over before shaking his head, "Brother Chu, you’ve got me there... the tributes from the four royal bloodlines remain enigmatic and beyond grasp, far outside the Evil Extermination Department’s scope!"

"Does the Evil Extermination Department lack any elite court honored experts like that?" Chu Zhiyuan inquired.

Huang Zhengyang sighed while shaking his head, "Even our tributes stand powerless before the Undying Evil Venerable, incapable of handling the Evil Venerable itself; else, those Evil God Statues would’ve been eradicated long ago—it falls to experts like you, Brother Chu, to shatter them."

Chu Zhiyuan knitted his brows, "The Court’s roots run profoundly deep, vastly outshining our Four Great Sects."

Huang Zhengyang nodded.

The Court’s legacy and foundations surpass all in depth, without question.

With an enduring legacy that spans vast and varied realms, the Court holds untold Secret Skills and secret techniques within the Royal Treasure Vault—who knows their number?

Chu Zhiyuan stated, "Ancient heritages might lurk there too. Truly, no legacy exists to counter the Undying Evil Venerable?"

Huang Zhengyang appeared pensive.

He reflected, "I must discuss this with the Director... though these Miracle Techniques are often impossible to cultivate; had they been viable, they’d have been perfected ages ago."

Chu Zhiyuan sighed, "Attempting cultivation is still worthwhile... Without practicing Guanghan Palace’s secret technique in the past, I’d have failed to stand against the Undying Evil Venerable."

Huang Zhengyang declared, "I’ll seek the Director’s counsel. Should such a secret technique exist, I’ll fight to secure it."

Chu Zhiyuan shook his head with a sigh, "I fear it’ll prove futile, yet we must attempt it; else, I’ll remain restless and unsatisfied."

In a grave tone, Huang Zhengyang said, "Brother Chu, your contributions to the Court are immense; acquiring a secret technique ought not to be hard."

Chu Zhiyuan laughed lightly and shook his head, "Brother Huang, drop the innocent act."

Huang Zhengyang went quiet, then shook his head at last, "You’re right, it merits the effort... Refraining would surely breed unease."

Chu Zhiyuan cupped his fists, "I leave it to you then... Frankly, Brother Huang, I wouldn’t have raised this had he not aimed at our sect’s disciples."

Huang Zhengyang sighed and nodded, "I get it. This doesn’t fall under Brother Chu’s duties anyway. You’ve already exerted yourself fully in opposition."

Chu Zhiyuan nodded, "Brother Huang, you comprehend well."

Gazing toward the Imperial Palace, Huang Zhengyang stated solemnly, "I’ll exert every effort in talks with the Director."

Chu Zhiyuan advised, "Don’t push too hard; if it fails, so be it. Mortal strength has bounds; we dare not challenge the Court."

Huang Zhengyang nodded deliberately.

Chu Zhiyuan shifted talk to the Evil Sect’s recent activities.

Huang Zhengyang grinned.

Of late, infighting has gripped the Evil Sect, as Wanxiang Sect ruthlessly wipes out fellow evil sects, having already annihilated two.

Currently, no Evil Sect powerhouses assail the Imperial City, and evil demons have vanished from a fifty-mile perimeter.

Chu Zhiyuan smiled, offering congratulations.

Huang Zhengyang’s grin gradually dimmed, "Still, a new issue arises... Wanxiang Sect shows signs of monopolizing power."

Chu Zhiyuan arched a brow.

Huang Zhengyang spoke gravely, "Should Wanxiang Sect dominate and consolidate all evil sects, it’d spell an irrepressible disaster."

Chu Zhiyuan nodded slowly.

Huang Zhengyang declared, "We managed to suppress the Evil Sect since they resembled loose sand, taken down one by one with ease. Should the Evil Sect unify... it would become a horrifying force that the Evil Extermination Department cannot contain."

Chu Zhiyuan’s face turned grave.

Huang Zhengyang asked, "Brother Chu, do you grasp the gravity of this matter?"

"I’d like to hear the details."

Though Chu Zhiyuan already knew the key point, he still wished to listen to Huang Zhengyang’s thoughts, hoping to pick up some new insight.

"The root of power for these evil sects lies with the Evil Venerable, yet he’s no benevolent figure. Why does he bestow power? In truth, it’s not his own strength. He simply gathers the spiritual power from his disciples, keeps nine parts for himself, and returns just one part to them, accelerating their cultivation."

"Yes." Chu Zhiyuan nodded in agreement.

"That spiritual power stems from the disciples’ faith. The deeper their faith, the more spiritual power they contribute, and the greater the power they receive in return... The faith level of disciples in a scattered Evil Sect versus a unified one simply can’t compare."

Chu Zhiyuan let out a sigh and nodded.

"Compared to a fragmented one, a unified Evil Sect will experience a massive qualitative surge. Their disciples’ cultivation pace will vastly outstrip that of today’s evil demons, turning them into something utterly fearsome... In the mildest case, the Martial Arts world will plunge into bloody chaos; in the worst, the entire realm will fall into upheaval."

Chu Zhiyuan spoke deliberately, "Unifying the Evil Sect won’t be simple, though, right? Surely those Evil Venerables will step in?"

"They absolutely will." Huang Zhengyang nodded firmly.

Chu Zhiyuan remarked, "Wouldn’t it benefit the Court more to let them slaughter each other and strike only when they’re both weakened?"

"That approach does have its merits." Huang Zhengyang replied slowly, "However, timing such a move is incredibly tricky. Act too late, and the fallout could be catastrophic."

"So, what’s Brother Huang’s plan?"

"Target Wanxiang Sect first and crush its rising momentum!"

"Wanxiang Sect is riding high right now. Dealing with them won’t be straightforward."

Huang Zhengyang sighed deeply, "When faced with two evils, we must pick the lesser one, even if it means some losses."

Chu Zhiyuan fell into thought.

Huang Zhengyang inquired, "Does Brother Chu have any clever suggestions?"

"Let us handle it." Chu Zhiyuan stated calmly, "Allow our Four Great Sects to eliminate Wanxiang Sect."

Wanxiang Sect had to be dealt with decisively, severing Wanxiang Cliff’s influence.

Otherwise, Zhu Lingyun would face endless retaliation from Wanxiang Cliff.

Two Evil Venerables had already appeared; who could say a third or even fourth wouldn’t come next?

"This..." Huang Zhengyang hesitated momentarily.

Chu Zhiyuan pointed out, "With Undying Evil Venerables popping up all over, we must scour broadly to detect and counter them swiftly. I suspect the Evil Extermination Department lacks sufficient hands?"

Huang Zhengyang gave a bitter smile, "Brother Chu, your stance only makes me feel more ashamed and restless."

If every one of the Four Great Sects supported the Court as devotedly as Chu Zhiyuan, it would provide tremendous aid to the imperial forces.

For a man as earnest as Chu Zhiyuan, failing to acknowledge him from the Court would demoralize others.

And a lavish reward from the Court would inspire all and forge a legendary tale.

This realization bolstered his resolve to approach the Director for that secret technique.

Before, he’d felt zero confidence.

Chu Zhiyuan smiled faintly, "Our top experts came to the Imperial City to deliver a crushing defeat to the evil demons. Now that the demon threat here is resolved, it’s time for us to head back. Tackling Wanxiang Sect en route makes perfect sense."

"...Very well, then. I entrust it to you." Huang Zhengyang bowed deeply with utmost seriousness.