Imperial Cultivation Chapter 1349 - 1345: Blocking the Street

Ning Dongge let out a laugh, "Are you not cultivating the Taihao Jade Void Scripture?"

Chu Zhiyuan responded, "The fortuitous encounter I had in Little Outer Heaven was a Miracle Method, entirely different from our established cultivation path."

"Junior Brother, the fundamental technique remains our Taihao Jade Void Scripture, which is capable of directly cultivating all the way to Spirit Venerable."

"Senior Brother Ning, I understand," Chu Zhiyuan affirmed.

The Taihao Jade Void Scripture allows for cultivation in one continuous process up to the Spirit Venerable realm. When combined with the Three Cultivation Methods, my cultivation speed is already quite rapid.

However, it can still be accelerated.

The crucial step to achieving this increased speed lies in enhancing one's spiritual power.

Engaging in cultivation with Xiao Ruoling and Shen Hanyue significantly drains mental power; the immense mental power accumulated can only sustain one night's worth of such intense exertion.

Now, by mastering the Second Layer of the Human Element Skill, I am equipped to practice the Second Layer of the Heavenly Yuan Technique.

This will lead to a rapid augmentation of my spiritual power.

Consequently, this will extend the duration I can spend cultivating the Taihao Jade Void Scripture alongside Xiao Ruoling and Shen Hanyue.

This strategy is akin to sharpening an axe, which ultimately does not delay the task of chopping firewood.

Ning Dongge nodded in agreement, "As long as you comprehend the core principles, cultivation should fundamentally prioritize the enhancement of one's realm."

He observed Chu Zhiyuan's proficiency in various Miracle Techniques, noting that each demanded considerable time and energy.

Had this time and energy been dedicated solely to realm enhancement, Chu Zhiyuan might have already attained the Spirit Venerable stage by now.

Chu Zhiyuan offered a smile, "Senior Brother, practicing Miracle Techniques also serves to deepen my comprehension."

"...Indeed," Ning Dongge conceded, nodding. "You've been in seclusion for two days; you should probably return and check on things, shouldn't you?"

Chu Zhiyuan glanced upwards towards the grand hall.

The hall's ceiling was designed in a conical shape, with a glass tile measuring two meters in diameter positioned at its apex, allowing direct sunlight to penetrate the interior.

"Then I shall take my leave."

"Go on, go on."

With a flicker, Chu Zhiyuan vanished from sight.

In the very next moment, he materialized at the Heavenly Sword Branch. His Super Sense immediately extended, coupled with his Insight.

...The sun was positioned high in the sky, its brilliant rays bathing the earth in light.

Outside the Ministry of Industry Office, four City Guards clad in Mystic Robes, their long swords by their sides, stood idly on either side of the main entrance.

All four had their heads lowered, appearing listless and utterly devoid of energy.

Upon hearing approaching footsteps, they promptly snapped to attention, standing straight with chests puffed out, feigning an air of authority.

Amidst the sound of hurried footsteps, a young man dressed in a red robe adorned with a bird pattern strode briskly over the imposing threshold.

Despite his relatively short stature, his features were remarkably handsome and refined.

As he crossed the threshold, his pace deliberately slowed, proceeding with a leisurely, unhurried gait down the steps.

He offered a slight nod to the four City Guards.

"Lord Duan, have you just concluded your duties?" the four City Guards inquired in unison, clasping their hands and offering smiles.

"I'm heading out for lunch," the handsome youth replied with a smile.

"Lord Duan, aren't you bringing a guard with you?"

"I'm merely going to the restaurant next door for a bite; there's no need to dispatch guards."

"Lord Duan truly shows concern for his subordinates."

"Not at all, not at all."

He waved his hand dismissively, a smile gracing his lips as he walked outwards.

This particular street, housing the Ministry of Industry Office, also accommodated the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Revenue.

The thoroughfare bustled with officials coming and going, with very few commoners visible; the area was notably clean, tranquil, spacious, and level.

He proceeded eastward along the street, his movement abruptly ceasing a dozen meters ahead, a frown creasing his brow.

Two individuals were positioned squarely in the middle of the street, effectively obstructing his path.

At the forefront stood Huang Zhengyang, accompanied by Mo Qiuqiu.

"Huang Sizheng, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"Lord Duan, we have been waiting for you for a considerable time!" Huang Zhengyang declared coldly. "You have finally emerged!"

Duan Tianhai smiled faintly. "Is Huang Sizheng seeking me out on official business or for personal matters? If it is official business, we should proceed inside the government office; as for personal matters... I believe we have no personal affairs to discuss."

"I believe there is ample reason for us to discuss matters!" Huang Zhengyang retorted with a sneer. "Allowing personal grievances to supersede official duties—is this the conduct expected of a just and honest official like Lord Duan?!"

"What personal grievances could possibly exist between us?" Duan Tianhai inquired, smiling and shaking his head. "Is this not merely your own wishful thinking, Huang Sizheng?"

Huang Zhengyang scoffed. "Lord Duan, are you fully aware of the repercussions that will arise from your interference?"

"I am acting strictly in accordance with official duty," Duan Tianhai stated calmly. "Your Evil Extermination Department's request to deploy the God-Binding Rope contravenes established regulations."

"In what manner does it contravene regulations?"

"The God-Binding Rope is an artifact of considerable age and fragility; it can be utilized at most three more times and should not be squandered on this particular endeavor."

"Duan Tianhai, do you comprehend the ferocity of the experts from the Dan Yang Heavenly Flower Divine Sect? Do you grasp how many lives will be lost?"

"Can you assert with certainty that it is indeed experts from the Dan Yang Heavenly Flower Divine Sect who are coming?"

"Without a doubt."

"What proof do you possess?" Duan Tianhai inquired calmly. "On the basis of mere conjecture, you propose that experts from the Dan Yang Heavenly Flower Divine Sect will arrive? Records indicate those individuals were merely incidentally involved; there is no established passage between our realms and Dan Yang Heaven!"

"If they have intruded twice, they are capable of a third incursion. Should they do so, and we fail to apprehend them swiftly, the populations of several villages or even an entire city could be silently annihilated... By then, even if your position is revoked, it would be impossible to safeguard those innocent lives!"

"Exaggeration! Scaremongering!" Duan Tianhai scoffed. "Magnifying a minor accomplishment into a significant victory, and a small peril into a dire threat. Only by inflating the danger can your own feats appear more substantial. These are tactics you, in the Evil Extermination Department, have most skillfully mastered!"

"Duan Tianhai, you are spouting falsehoods!"

"Huang Zhengyang, it is you who speaks untruths!" Duan Tianhai sneered. "It is rumored you even intend to enlist several tribute masters to form an array? Preposterous!"

"What is preposterous about it?!" Huang Zhengyang retorted fiercely. "By setting a trap to capture that individual and conducting a thorough interrogation, we could definitively neutralize the threat from Dan Yang Heaven. This would serve the Court, and it would serve us here in Biyuan Heaven!... Duan Tianhai, as the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Industry, your obstruction is significant—what is your true motive?!"

"Setting a trap and waiting? Hah!" Duan Tianhai continued to sneer, shaking his head. "Allow me to ask you, how do you ascertain precisely where this individual will materialize? And should they appear, how will you pinpoint their location?"

"I have my methods!" Huang Zhengyang replied icily.

Duan Tianhai burst into hearty laughter, his head shaking continuously. "I suspect you have succumbed to madness in your pursuit of merit, lost within a delusion!"

"Duan Tianhai, you comprehend nothing!" Huang Zhengyang sneered back. "You are like a frog peering from the bottom of a well!"

"Unless a National Guardian Divine Artifact is deployed, how could one possibly predict the appearance of Dan Yang Heaven's Evil Demon?" Duan Tianhai taunted. "You wouldn't presume to claim it was revealed by a Divine Artifact, would you?"

"Regardless, I possess my own means," Huang Zhengyang stated coldly. "Furthermore, in matters of such gravity, it is prudent to err on the side of utmost caution, just to be absolutely sure."

He could not bring himself to reveal that Chu Zhiyuan had provided the prediction.

To admit as much would only invite Duan Tianhai's derision and scorn.

"The utilization of the God-Binding Rope demands considerable restraint!"

"Duan Tianhai, you will bear the mark of a sinner in our Biyuan Heaven!"

"Ha ha, I am merely performing my official duties, and yet I am branded a sinner of Biyuan Heaven?" Duan Tianhai scoffed. "While you, Huang Zhengyang, are to be hailed as the hero of Biyuan Heaven?"

"Ignorance!" Huang Zhengyang declared, shaking his head. "Blinded by personal animosity, have you failed to consider that if I lacked certainty, how would I dare to orchestrate such an ambitious plan?"

"You have just attained the position of Director, and already you are consumed by ambition for merit, eager to make a grand impact. However, I will not indulge your recklessness, and the God-Binding Rope shall not be squandered at your behest!"

"Very well, very well," Huang Zhengyang muttered through gritted teeth. "I shall petition Mr. Feng for approval."

"Ha, laughable, how utterly naive! Will Mr. Feng heed your words or mine?"

"Because the deployment of the God-Binding Rope is being impeded, if it proves impossible to apprehend the demon, you will be the sinner, and the Ministry of Industry cannot evade responsibility. I refuse to believe Mr. Feng will remain unconcerned!"

"Then proceed with your attempt," Duan Tianhai responded with unshakeable confidence, a smile playing on his lips. "Let us see if you achieve your objective."

Huang Zhengyang fixed him with a frigid glare.

Duan Tianhai returned the gaze with an easy smile.

Mo Qiuqiu felt a growing sense of unease.

If this contentious exchange were to persist, securing the God-Binding Rope would become an impossibility, and the complications would only multiply.