Imperial Cultivation Chapter 1332 - 1328: Prediction

Before the imposing Karma Stone Wall, he could only shake his head in disappointment.

Footfalls approached, and Zhang Ji Yuan materialized beside him, a chuckle escaping his lips. "Junior Brother, how fares your endeavor? Let me offer a word of caution: do not squander your efforts here. It is futile and a sheer waste of precious time. You would be far better served dedicating this period to further cultivation."

Chu Zhiyuan’s gaze met Zhang Ji Yuan's.

He then transferred the peculiar stone into his own palm.

Zhang Ji Yuan accepted it with a hint of reluctance. "Another test? Is this truly necessary? Regardless, Senior Brother Ning and I are confined to the sect grounds; we have no intention of venturing out."

Chu Zhiyuan focused his intent on the Strange Stone, a slight nod indicating his assessment. "It appears to be fine now."

A jolt of surprise struck Zhang Ji Yuan. "Fine now? Does this imply I am at liberty to depart?"

Chu Zhiyuan replied, "At the very least, you are permitted to leave today."

"Haha... Wonderful, truly wonderful!" Zhang Ji Yuan's elation was palpable. "I'm off then!"

With a swift turn, he vanished without a trace in the span of a breath.

A faint smile played on Chu Zhiyuan's lips as he shook his head.

This Senior Brother Zhang possessed a fundamentally restless spirit.

The idea of remaining peacefully within the sect for cultivation was vastly different from being forcibly confined, a situation he found utterly intolerable.

It was akin to a wild beast abruptly set free from its confines.

Turning, he descended the stairs, navigated back through the Light Gate into the main hall, and found Ning Dongge.

Ning Dongge was seated in a meditative posture upon a cushion against the wall, utterly still, as if his spirit had temporarily departed his earthly form.

Chu Zhiyuan gathered his focus, activating his Super Sense and opening the Golden Pupil situated at the center of his brow.

The form of Ning Dongge before him immediately stirred.

He rose from the cushion, executed a sequence of Fist Techniques, then resumed his seated position, as rigid as a clay idol. Moments later, he stood once more to repeat the practice, followed by another period of absolute stillness.

After this cycle was performed eighteen times, he departed the main hall, vanishing instantly, only to reappear within a lavish mansion.

This sprawling estate exuded grandeur and opulence, boasting hundreds of servants, beams adorned with intricate carvings, and pillars painted with vibrant murals. Miniature bridges spanned flowing water, and exotic rock formations were artfully arranged amidst man-made hills.

The residence was strategically situated adjacent to a bustling and noisy main thoroughfare, itself part of an imposing, colossal city.

He materialized in a tranquil courtyard, from which emerged a charming young girl who darted into his embrace. "Dad!"

Ning Dongge smiled, gently patting her shoulder. "Xiaorong, did you practice diligently today?"

"I practiced for three hours today!" the enchanting girl declared with evident pride. "But older brother only practiced for two hours; he was being lazy!"

"Hmm—?" Ning Dongge's expression grew somber.

The captivating young girl elaborated, "He secretly went out to meet Sister Qingqing."

"Preposterous!" Ning Dongge's countenance hardened. "Summon him at once!"

"Should I call him?" The charming young girl displayed a flicker of hesitation, her bright eyes dancing with mischief. "Dad, if I go, he'll know it was me who squealed, and he'll surely seek retribution!"

"He wouldn't dare!" Ning Dongge scoffed, his tone authoritative. "If he truly attempts retaliation, I shall personally uphold your defense!"

"Alright then." The charming young girl readily agreed and gracefully ran off.

Ning Dongge took a seat at a nearby stone table, stroking his beard with a stern demeanor, his gaze piercing.

Chu Zhiyuan observed this entire exchange with profound astonishment.

He had never conceived that Ning Dongge possessed such a grown-up daughter.

Drawing upon the memories inherited from Chu Liezhao, he recognized this location instantly as the Imperial City of the Yuanzhen Dynasty.

A young man of steady bearing strode into the courtyard, cupping his hands in a respectful salute. "Father!"

Cold beams flashed within Ning Dongge's eyes as he scrutinized the youth from head to toe, his voice deep and resonant. "Distracted by a woman once more?"

"Father, Qingqing has been accepted into the Purple Sky Jade Pavilion."

"Accepted into the Purple Sky Jade Pavilion, and you deem this an accomplishment?"

"Father, it is the Purple Sky Jade Pavilion!"

"It is merely the Purple Sky Jade Pavilion!"

"Father, this is the Purple Sky Jade Pavilion, one of the Four Great Sects! It is not some minor sect or insignificant faction!"

"I am not senile; I am well aware of the Purple Sky Jade Pavilion. But what if she was accepted? Do you truly believe your family's cultivation techniques are inferior to those of the Purple Sky Jade Pavilion?"

"They certainly are, otherwise, how could our Ning Family remain so obscure and unknown."

"Ignorant! Utterly foolish!"

"Father, I too wish for our family's cultivation methods to possess greater power, but reality is reality. Mere wishful thinking achieves nothing."

"Foolish beyond measure! You hold genuine gold but mistake it for common stone!" Ning Dongge declared, shaking his head. "From this day forward, you are forbidden to see her again!"

The youth's face flushed with anger, and he responded in a deep voice, "Unless you break my legs!"

"You believe I would refrain from such action?!" Ning Dongge's glare was frigid as he fixed it upon him.

A captivating young girl intervened gracefully, swiftly speaking, "Father, please let it be. My elder brother is merely foolish; don't take his words to heart."

The young man shot her a glare, "Little sister, mind your own business!"

"That Qingqing is no good, elder brother, you're being deceived!"

"What's wrong with Qingqing?" the young man retorted. "Little sister, you're simply envious that she is both beautiful and talented, and managed to join the Purple Sky Jade Pavilion."

"Nonsense," the charming young girl pouted. "Elder brother, Qingqing is so cunning; you're not her only admirer, there are several others."

The young man stated plainly, "With Qingqing being so beautiful, how could she not have men pursuing her?"

"Hmph, if she is so virtuous, why would she allow so many men to linger around her?"

"Qingqing is kind-hearted; she doesn't have the heart to reject them, yet she maintains her distance and never gets too close."

"Heh, elder brother, you're so foolish; you're the one being kept at a distance!"

"I can win Qingqing's heart."

Ning Dongge's face turned ashen, and he said coldly, "Be quiet. You are confined to the house for ten days, or I will break your legs!"

"Then break them now!" the young man declared in a deep voice. "I will definitely leave the house."

Ning Dongge gritted his teeth, fixing him with a cold glare.

The charming young girl quickly tugged at the young man's sleeve, forcefully escorting him out of the courtyard.

Ning Dongge sank heavily beside the stone table, striking it in frustration until it instantly shattered into pieces.

...

Chu Zhiyuan retracted his gaze, contemplating Ning Dongge with a thoughtful expression.

Ning Dongge remained seated, utterly motionless, like a statue carved from clay.

The preceding scene felt akin to a hallucination.

However, it precisely depicted what would unfold within the next ten days.

No wonder Ning Dongge preferred to remain within the sect instead of returning home.

He possessed a troublesome son, a recalcitrant firstborn.

With such a child, controlling him was beyond his capability, leading him to seek solace by avoiding the source of his frustration.

Without making a sound, he quietly departed the main hall, exiting the Heaven-Reaching Sect.

In the very next moment, he materialized once more at the summit of a solitary peak.

The vast, starlit night sky enveloped his surroundings.

The resplendent moon had already retreated behind a scattering of white clouds, casting a silver-white luminescence upon that section of the sky, shining brilliantly.

He stood bathed in the gentle evening breeze, gazing upwards, re-examining the heavens and focusing his senses.

He was attempting to capture the residual Qi detected from utilizing the Heaven Peeping Skill.

The Heaven Peeping Skill they employed drew upon the aura of a peculiar stone.

This strange stone was not intrinsically linked to the New Cave Heaven, nor was it a New Cave Heaven they had discovered; rather, it was a relic from the East Huan Sacred Valley.

Therefore, in theory, this location should be the nearest.

But why did the relics of the East Huan Sacred Valley possess a tendency to shift unpredictably?

He shook his head, vanishing from sight.

At the crack of dawn the following day, upon his reappearance, he was already brimming with vitality.

Consequently, he refocused his attention on the Golden Pupil, commencing the task of pinpointing the location of those relics and meticulously tracking their movements.

Suddenly, he flickered and disappeared, instantly reappearing mid-air, only to flicker away once more.

In the subsequent second, he found himself standing before a mountain valley.

Before his eyes lay lush forests, flanked by towering, mountainous peaks on either side.

Three intersecting mountain ranges converged, forming the enclosed valley that stretched out before him.

He surveyed the environs, having a faint premonition that this was not within the external world, but rather within another distinct realm.

The very next moment, just as he prepared to venture into the valley for exploration, his vision abruptly blurred.

He then comprehended that he was suspended within the Void, plummeting directly downwards.

His form felt utterly like a falling stone.

His True Yuan ceased to function, and his Qinggong skills failed him, as though he had been reduced to a cultivator with crippled abilities.

He flickered and vanished, reappearing at the summit of the isolated peak, precisely at the location of the East Huan Sacred Valley relics.