Imperial Cultivation Chapter 1283 - 1279: Awakening

He slowly opened his eyes.

Huang Zhengyang inquired urgently, "How is it? How is it?"

Chu Zhiyuan offered a smile.

Huang Zhengyang followed suit with a grin, "It worked?"

Chu Zhiyuan nodded slowly, "Extremely useful. This is precisely the key we needed."

Huang Zhengyang erupted into laughter. "Good, good, good! It truly works!"

All the considerable effort hadn't been in vain—the favors called in from all sides to procure this small sword and present it.

Nor had his friendship with Chu Zhiyuan proven to be meaningless.

If he couldn't assist with this matter, he would never be able to face Chu Zhiyuan with his head held high, forever burdened by guilt.

Chu Zhiyuan stated with a smile, "This small sword should undoubtedly serve as the identity token for disciples of the Heaven-Reaching Sect."

Huang Zhengyang's gaze drifted to Chu Zhiyuan's waist. "How does it measure up against your Golden Sword?"

"Naturally, it is inferior," Chu Zhiyuan replied with a smile.

Huang Zhengyang commented, "Then it’s not quite such a remarkable Treasure Sword."

Chu Zhiyuan smiled, shaking his head. "My sword is intrinsically linked to my Heart and Spirit, imbued with a full Spiritual nature. This sword, conversely, is likely held by every disciple of the Heaven-Reaching Sect."

"That distinction is indeed significant," Huang Zhengyang acknowledged. "So, you can now commence practicing that secret technique?"

"I can initiate it now, but whether I can bring it to completion..." Chu Zhiyuan shook his head. "It's difficult to say."

"With your comprehension, Brother Chu, as long as it is feasible, you will undoubtedly achieve success!"

"I lack that level of confidence... Brother Huang, thank you."

"Please, let's not be so formal."

Chu Zhiyuan remarked, "I am aware that obtaining this small sword was not a simple feat."

"A mere trifle," Huang Zhengyang waved his hand dismissively.

Chu Zhiyuan offered a smile, shook his head, then tossed the small sword back to him. "Take it back to be submitted."

"There's no need; this small sword is now yours," Huang Zhengyang stated. "It should have been bestowed alongside the Secret Manual from the outset."

Chu Zhiyuan mused, "Perhaps the Court did not realize this Secret Manual required the small sword's cooperation."

"Highly probable. No one even apprehended the mystery surrounding this small sword," Huang Zhengyang observed. "Otherwise, it would have long ago vanished from the vault."

Chu Zhiyuan chuckled. "My fortune is not insignificant."

Huang Zhengyang nodded vigorously in agreement.

Chu Zhiyuan's capabilities were truly formidable; he had uncovered the secret of the small sword that eluded everyone else.

Yet, his fortune was equally extraordinary.

Otherwise, this small sword might have ended up in unknown hands or perhaps been lost to the ages, interred somewhere between heaven and earth.

...

After bidding Huang Zhengyang farewell, Chu Zhiyuan returned to his humble courtyard, settled onto the couch, and commenced his study of the third segment of the secret technique.

This section contained the true essence of the Ascension Technique.

The preceding two segments, one yin and one yang, were not meant to be practiced independently but interwoven, their arrangement defying any discernible pattern.

If one were to practice either segment alone, or even attempt both concurrently without the correct integration, the twelve intricate patterns would remain dormant, the third segment would remain hidden, and any attempt at practice would inevitably lead to certain demise.

This was the stringent and lethal transmission method of the secret technique.

The knowledge within the third segment flashed through his mind as he contemplated it repeatedly.

The cultivation prerequisites for this particular Ascension Technique were exceptionally demanding.

However, for an individual like himself, who had already navigated past Little Outer Heaven, Outer Heaven, and Biyuan Heaven, the challenge was not insurmountable.

Through this secret technique, he began to vaguely discern the cultivation trajectory of the Heaven-Reaching Sect.

By employing this secret technique, its disciples were purportedly capable of traversing numerous heavens and earths, entering and exiting different realms without cessation.

This allowed them to absorb vital essence and enhance their own strength.

To them, these myriad worlds were akin to mere Secret Lands and Grotto Heavens, accessible and exitable without any obstruction.

With a Sect possessing such capabilities, its immense power was undeniable.

What remained peculiar was the complete absence of any mention of this Sect within the ancient historical records.

From every perspective, something about this situation felt anomalous—unless, upon entering another world, they systematically altered their appearances and identities, much like his Clone, Zhu Lingyun.

If such were the case, then the actual status of the Heaven-Reaching Sect's purported extinction would be exceedingly difficult to ascertain.

His conviction was that the Heaven-Reaching Sect had not perished; it was highly likely that inheritors still roamed the world, their existence simply unknown to the masses.

If he were to successfully cultivate this secret technique, would the Heaven-Reaching Sect eventually seek him out?

A faint smile graced his lips.

That prospect, he admitted, would be rather intriguing.

...

As noon approached, the sun reached its zenith, blazing high in the sky.

Outside Dongning City, within the dense fog, Lu Zhenhui and the eight Sacrificial Level Tributes experienced a dramatic shift in their expressions.

"Something's not right, I sense a disturbance!"

"We must retreat!"

"Let's go!"

Simultaneously, all eight, including Lu Zhenhui, withdrew their hands, retracting their Array Devices into their sleeves. Then, in pairs, they clasped their palms together, pressing against pieces of yellow jade and swiftly vanishing into the distance.

As they departed, the pervasive fog rapidly dispersed, as though a mighty wind had swept it away.

Witnessing this peculiar phenomenon, their faces grew serious. Some unseen power was dismantling the Array and scattering the fog.

There was no need for further discussion; it could only be the Divine Statue unleashing its power.

They retreated, casting glances back, and observed the Undying Evil Venerable Statue pulsating with golden light.

The golden radiance flickered intensely, intensifying to a degree comparable to the sun in the heavens.

"It is about to fully awaken!"

"Move, move!"

"Everyone, make haste to withdraw!"

"Retreat!"

Lu Zhenhui's voice, sharp and commanding, pierced the air.

His cry resonated like a colossal drum and a resonant bell, pushing outward in an unbroken, dense wave.

Reaching the ears of the Court experts stationed at the crucial checkpoints beyond the thick fog, they immediately pulled back, streaking like arrows toward Dongning City.

At this precise moment, atop the battlements outside Dongning City, Chu Zhiyuan and Huang Zhengyang stood observing.

As the enveloping fog around them dissipated, Chu Zhiyuan let out a quiet sigh. "It has arrived."

"Damn it all," Huang Zhengyang gritted his teeth. "We are powerless to stop him?"

Chu Zhiyuan responded, "Previously, the answer was a definitive no. Now... I would only venture a fifty percent chance."

He turned his head, casting a glance at the thirty-two middle-aged men accompanying him, and offered a smile. "However, with these thirty-two gentlemen, our odds climb to eighty percent."

These individuals were the Sacrificial Level experts painstakingly assembled over the preceding days by the Evil Extermination Department, the Demon Hunting Bureau, and the Court.

"Merely eighty percent?" Huang Zhengyang chuckled, his tone laced with amusement. "In my estimation, it is a full one hundred!"

"We will only ascertain the truth through action. Let us commence the Array's formation," Chu Zhiyuan advised. "Delaying further may render us too late."

Huang Zhengyang turned to address the assembly of thirty-two middle-aged men. "Gentlemen, I must impose upon your capabilities."

"Form the Array!" a gaunt middle-aged man commanded with a voice of profound depth.

Each man held a fragment of White Jade, ascending into the sky and rapidly spreading out along the perimeter of the city wall.

In a mere instant, they had vanished from direct sight, with only two remaining figures visible at the very edge of one's peripheral vision.

Utilizing Super Sensing Illumination, each took their designated position, encircling the city wall.

The gentle luminescence emanating from their hands gradually ascended, weaving long streams of light that converged one hundred meters above Dongning City.

A portion of the city's inhabitants noticed the unusual activity, exclaiming in surprise and drawing others to gaze upward.

Thirty white streams converged at a solitary point, coalescing into a sphere of light approximately ten meters in diameter.

This white sphere, perfectly round and brilliant, shone with the luminescence of the Bright Moon.

"What is that object?"

"What is occurring? Are they preparing for battle?"

"It appears to be an Array..."

"An Array? What kind of Array?"

"They must be constructing an Array, surely? Where are the City Guards? Are they simply allowing this to proceed?!"

Exclamations of alarm erupted, with calls for the City Guards; some even attempted to ascend directly, eager to investigate the unfolding events.

Yet, the moment they tried to rise, an unseen pressure forced them back down, rendering flight impossible.

"This is..."

"Quickly, find the City Guards!"

Disregarding the clamor, Chu Zhiyuan’s gaze remained fixed on the distance. "This is not good."

At that very instant, the Undying Evil Venerable Statue erupted in a blinding surge of Golden Light, which then abruptly contracted.

A middle-aged individual clad in a Mystic Robe now stood precisely where the statue had been.

His countenance resembled flawless White Jade, and his eyes shone like distant, cold stars.

His features appeared chiseled from stone, possessing sharp, defined lines and a striking handsomeness that imposed itself upon observers.

From their vantage point on the walls of Dongning City, Chu Zhiyuan and Huang Zhengyang clearly perceived this transformation.

Huang Zhengyang's expression soured. "Blast it, he has finally awakened!"

The middle-aged man in the black robe cast a brief glance toward Lu Zhenhui and his companions.

Two incandescent beams of Golden Light shot forth from his eyes.

These twin beams shot out like colossal pillars of light, extending to envelop Lu Zhenhui and the other eight figures in the distance.

Concurrently, a vibrant purple luminescence suddenly flared around the wrists of Lu Zhenhui and his entourage.

This violet light rapidly enveloped their entire forms.

'Boom, boom, boom, boom...'

They were sent flying, the purple light shield sputtering, on the brink of shattering.

Lu Zhenhui clenched his jaws and bellowed, 'Heavenly Escape Pearl!'

Instantly, the string of beads he wore erupted, a radiant purple luminescence flaring forth.

'Boom!'

With a muffled thud, his whole being dispersed into a cloud of mist.

The mist was rapidly scattered, and he was gone.

The remaining seven followed suit.

The middle-aged man clad in black robes flickered and disappeared, transforming into a golden streak of light in the sky that instantly shot towards the very location the seven had occupied moments before.