Imperial Cultivation Chapter 1370 - 1366: Perception

The valley lay in utter devastation, a scene of complete disarray.

Palaces stood stubbornly amid the ruins, their grand structures surviving the calamity while the collapsed houses were reduced to mere rubble.

Within the expansive valley, save for these nine grand palaces, no structure rose higher than a meter.

The once lush trees and vibrant, brocade-like flowers had vanished entirely, as if they had never graced the landscape.

They had dissipated into dust, mingling with the debris of fallen houses, leaving no trace behind.

The esteemed experts of the Flower God Sect were scattered across the ground, their fates uncertain, or sat in meditation, regulating their breath and tending to their wounds.

A cacophony of moans, howls, pained screams, and desperate curses filled the air, a ceaseless chorus of suffering.

Their hearts and spirits shattered, they could no longer contain their distress, emitting a spectrum of agonizing sounds.

Zhu Lingyun inwardly shook his head.

The retaliatory force of the Array had proven far more potent than he had anticipated.

Such a devastating consequence was not documented within the Donghuan Saint Technique.

Zhou Tianji, Mo Huaiyuan, and the other eight senior figures had already been disintegrated into mere dust.

Throughout the entire valley, an additional eighty-two Flower God Sect Disciples had succumbed to the Array's backlash.

Curiously, the two young girls observed earlier had miraculously survived, their lives spared.

All eighty-two fallen Flower God Sect Disciples who perished were middle-aged, each possessing peak Cultivation.

Including Zhou Tianji and the eight others, a grim total of eighty-one top-tier experts had met their demise.

The Flower God Sect had endured a catastrophic blow, crippling its Primordial Energy.

In stark contrast, the younger disciples, whose Cultivation was noticeably less advanced, had survived.

This backlash force had selectively targeted the strong, leaving the weaker unharmed.

It was akin to a scythe reaping wheat, cutting down the tall stalks while leaving the shorter ones standing.

With a moment's careful consideration, Zhu Lingyun grasped the underlying reason.

This backlash energy was simultaneously pure and chaotic; the Flower God Sect experts had integrated with this power, drawing from it and giving to it. Its inherent chaos, in turn, disrupted the mental cultivation methods of the disciples.

The higher an individual's Cultivation, the more severe the disruption, making them less able to withstand the chaos, ultimately leading to their death.

Amidst the disarray of the valley, Chu Liezhao materialized silently, his arrival unnoticed by anyone.

He appeared directly within one of the grand halls, retrieving the Haoyang Demon-suppressing Mirror.

Empowered by his Super Sense, the interiors and exteriors of the nine solitary, majestic halls were laid bare to his perception.

He knew precisely how many individuals occupied each hall, and which ones stood empty and deserted.

The Haoyang Demon-suppressing Mirror emitted a single flash.

Several beams of Seven-Colored Light, previously ascending towards the heavens, abruptly decelerated, halted, and then reoriented, surging back towards his location.

As eight streams of Seven-Colored Light streamed into the mirror, Chu Liezhao conjured a Light Gate and stepped through it, vanishing without a trace.

The Seven-Colored Light entered, and he departed; the transition was seamless, occurring with virtually no discernible interval.

"Who goes there?"

A furious roar echoed as an elder, his hair as white as a crane's and his face possessing a youthful appearance, emerged from the central great hall.

The elder propelled himself towards the hall where Chu Liezhao had been; with a resounding 'bang', he breached the entrance.

The hall was devoid of any occupant, entirely empty.

The elder bellowed sharply, "Men, surround this place!"

"Yes, Sect Hierarch!"

Numerous middle-aged men emerged from the surrounding halls, joined by over fifty younger disciples.

Among the latter group were the two young girls seen previously.

They converged at the front of the hall, their faces a mask of anger, and swiftly encircled it from all sides, from above and below, creating an impenetrable seal.

The elder turned and strode back with deliberate steps; exiting that hall, he proceeded to the central chamber.

Zhu Lingyun observed as the elder approached a cabinet situated in the northeast corner of the hall.

This cabinet, reaching only waist-high, measured two meters in length and one meter in width, its surface coated in a deep purple lacquer that gleamed with a rich luster and possessed an exquisite texture.

He placed his palm upon the cabinet's surface; a gentle luminescence emanated from his hand, permeating the wood.

"Pak!"

The cabinet sprung open, and a Purple Box ejected itself.

The Purple Box, measuring one foot square, bore intricate intaglio engravings on all six faces, resembling a magnificent cluster of blooming flowers.

Placing his middle fingers on either side of the Purple Box, he activated the engraved patterns. The lid sprang open with a loud 'bang.'

Within the box lay a section of a flower's branch.

A stem crafted from Jade, petals fashioned from White Jade, and leaves meticulously carved from yellow jade comprised the artifact.

Setting the Purple Box back onto the cabinet, he clasped his hands before his chest and bowed profoundly towards the White Jade Flower.

He then bowed a second time.

In total, he performed nine deep bows.

His expression grew increasingly solemn, his gaze sharper and more piercing.

A potent warning surged within Zhu Lingyun’s heart as several Flying Knives were unleashed.

He, however, conjured a Light Gate and vanished.

The Flying Knives sliced through the air, some embedding themselves in the floor tiles, others in a well, and some striking the stone walls.

Through the perspective of the Flying Knives, he observed the condition of the elder with hair like white crane feathers and a face as youthful as a child's.

The visuals transmitted by the Flying Knives were distorted and indistinct.

The old man deliberately retrieved the jade flower, lifting it high above his head.

The vision through the Flying Knives became even more warped, to the extent that the old man was barely discernible.

Only an amorphous mass of swirling light and shadow was visible; the old man's precise actions remained a mystery.

Abruptly, a beam of white light erupted from above the old man's head.

In the very instant the white light flashed across, it expanded to encompass the entirety of the valley.

Every single Disciple within the valley, without exception, was bathed in the white light, the old man included.

The white light swiftly permeated their forms, and in a flash, whether they had been on the brink of death or merely sustained minor injuries, all rose to their feet, fully restored to their former state.

Every wound was completely eradicated.

From within the Flying Knives, two suddenly disintegrated with muted popping sounds, and a potent force surged through the Void towards Chu Zhiyuan.

Chu Zhiyuan sensed impending danger but remained stationary, seated serenely within the grand hall of the Heaven-Reaching Sect.

"Bang, bang, bang, bang..."

Outside the Heaven-Reaching Sect's main hall, a gentle white luminescence swelled, coalescing into a circular Soft Light Shield that encased both the interior and exterior of the structure.

A smile graced Chu Zhiyuan's lips.

This, after all, was the very essence of the Heaven-Reaching Sect's purpose—to contain the might of a Spirit Venerable.

The power emanating from the White Jade Flower was comparable to the level of a Spirit Venerable.

It possessed the ability to resurrect the deceased and mend shattered bones in an instant; it could also annihilate one's spirit and even strike across the Void, disregarding all spatial barriers.

If this was not the power of a Spirit Venerable, then what was?

He arose and departed the hall, gracefully ascending to the roof's ridge and planting his feet on the ornate chiwen at the main ridge's apex, drawing near to observe the confrontation between the Soft Light Shield and the unseen force.

The shield was mere meters away from him, so close it felt within arm's reach.

A fist-sized, perfectly transparent rose continuously pressed forward, striving to penetrate the translucent barrier.

The transparent shield appeared fragile, as if it might shatter at any moment, yet it possessed an incredible resilience, impervious to any assault.

Gazing upon this flawless crystal rose at such close proximity, he could perceive the immense and awe-inspiring power contained within it.

He advanced two steps, nearly pressing himself against the shield.

The Heaven-Reaching Order concealed within his robes began to glow.

The transparent shield spontaneously detached a segment of soft light, which then enveloped him.

He extended his hand, gently reaching out towards the Crystal Rose situated beyond the shield.

The protective transparent shield that enclosed him and the one safeguarding the Heaven-Reaching Sect were intrinsically linked, allowing his hand to pass through the barrier.

A delicate layer of soft light still shimmered around the exterior of his palm.

The Crystal Rose abruptly propelled itself towards his palm, its luminescence intensifying.

The soft light met its advance.

Chu Zhiyuan felt a formidable power surge towards him, compelling him to recoil involuntarily.

His feet remained firmly planted on the chiwen; the overwhelming force flowed downwards along the main ridge, absorbed by the great hall.

He meticulously analyzed this tempestuous power, while the soft light clinging to his palm gradually receded.

The chasm separating him and the Crystal Rose grew progressively narrower.

The strength he sensed from it became increasingly overwhelming, making him feel as insignificant as an ant at the foot of a colossal mountain.

This inexplicable sensation of shame and diminished stature served as a form of self-preservation.

His instincts screamed a warning, advising him against making direct contact with this Crystal Rose, lest his life be imperiled.

Power so close to the Spirit Venerable Realm represented both a profound danger and an irresistible allure for him.

He felt an intense desire to reach out and touch this Crystal Rose, to personally experience the might of a Spirit Venerable.

To ascertain precisely the distance remaining between himself and a Spirit Venerable, and how much more time he would require for his Cultivation.

To dissect the true extent of a Spirit Venerable's power and to understand the path to achieving such strength.

Only through a clearer comprehension could one anchor their Cultivation journey and tread the Dao with unwavering resolve.

With his fingers drawing nearer to the Crystal Rose, the gentle radiance around them diminished.

Just as his hand was about to make contact, a surge of reason compelled him to retract his fingers, evading as the Crystal Rose lunged forward.

"Bang, bang, bang, bang..."

Multiple Flying Knives were unleashed from his sleeve, piercing through the Soft Light Shield and hurtling towards the Crystal Rose.

Upon contact, each knife disintegrated instantly.

They dissolved into dust, falling like a delicate rainfall.

Chu Zhiyuan's complexion grew ashen.

A fragment of his will, coupled with a trace of Spiritual Sense, was bound to each Flying Knife, enabling him to discern the formidable strength emanating from the Crystal Rose.

The Crystal Rose not only pulverized the Flying Knives but also ground his Spiritual Sense into oblivion.

It felt as if a hammer was relentlessly striking his very skull.

Yet, a faint smile graced his pale features.

So, this was the might of the Spirit Venerable Realm!