Imperial Cultivation Chapter 1453 - 1449: Divine Fist

"Junior brother, come with me," Lu Xiaolu said.

Chu Zhiyuan clasped his fists toward Xiao Mingyue once more.

Xiao Mingyue waved with a smile. "There’s no need to rely too much on these Divine Clan Martial Arts. The Spirit Venerables in the palace mostly take the mental method as a base and innovate on their own—what they cultivate must suit themselves, and even more so, accord with heaven and earth."

Chu Zhiyuan nodded solemnly. "This junior understands."

Xiao Mingyue said, "It’s a pity I’m bound by the palace rules and can’t let you see those Fundamental Heart Methods."

Chu Zhiyuan chuckled. "Even if Palace Master really let me see them, I wouldn’t dare look."

Xiao Mingyue let out a light laugh. "Smart! ...Off you go, off you go."

Chu Zhiyuan clasped his fists again, then left the main hall with Lu Xiaolu, heading west.

Guanghan Palace floated above the Void; palaces to palaces, palaces to plazas, were all linked together.

If one ignored the white clouds within arm’s reach and the thick banks of cloud like snow peaks, it was no different from being on the ground.

The two of them arrived at a great hall.

This hall lay to the northwest of the main hall, about three hundred meters away.

They strolled over at an unhurried pace and entered the hall.

The hall was quiet and still. There was a long, winding counter in a returning-curve shape, and behind it two beautiful middle‑aged women were lazily reading.

The long counter, lacquered purple, gleamed with an oily luster, heavy with age, as if time had come to a stop upon it.

It set off the two women’s skin to look even whiter and more delicate, their bright eyes sparkling.

Seeing them come in, the two women put down their books, stood up, and leaned on the counter, looking at Chu Zhiyuan curiously.

Chu Zhiyuan smiled and clasped his fists.

"Master Cheng, Jiang, this is Junior Brother Chu Zhiyuan."

"Greetings, Master Cheng, Master Jiang." Chu Zhiyuan clasped his fists.

"The Palace Master has already given instructions."

The two women each placed three Bright Yellow Jade Boxes on the counter and pushed them forward.

"Xiao Lu, be careful." The round‑faced woman patted the two Bright Yellow Jade Boxes in front of her. "These two things are rather dangerous."

"Very dangerous?"

"For you, very dangerous." The oval‑faced woman’s expression turned solemn. "If you touch them you’ll be seriously injured. It’ll be extremely troublesome. Best not lay a hand on them."

"That formidable?" Lu Xiaolu said in surprise. "Aren’t they just two objects? They’re not even Spiritual Artifacts. I’m not who I used to be anymore."

"Even if you’ve reached Nine Transitions Perfection, if you run into them you’ll still be badly hurt all the same."

"What’s inside?" Lu Xiaolu asked. "They really aren’t Spiritual Artifacts?"

"A comb, and a bowl."

"Hee‑hee..."

"What, looking down on the two of them?" The two women burst out laughing.

Lu Xiaolu couldn’t help a coquettish laugh. "They’re not even weapons."

"The aura stained upon them is what’s formidable," the oval‑faced young matron said. "All right, just be honest and do as you’re told."

"Fine." Lu Xiaolu laughed. "I just won’t touch them. What about the partial scroll?"

"Even more so, don’t touch it!" the round‑faced young matron said. "That one’s even more dangerous!"

"So that means of these three things, I can’t touch a single one?"

"Right. These are for the Spirit Venerables. Who told you, little girl, you haven’t become a Spirit Venerable yet?"

"...Fine then." Lu Xiaolu said helplessly. "Let’s go."

She looked at Chu Zhiyuan. "Junior brother, you carry two, I’ll take one."

Chu Zhiyuan nodded, picked up one Bright Yellow Jade Box, and left the hall with Lu Xiaolu, coming to her small courtyard.

The three Bright Yellow Jade Boxes were placed on a stone table. The two of them sat in the little pavilion, enshrouded in the faint fragrance of the flowerbeds nearby.

"Hurry and open them, let’s see," Lu Xiaolu said with a smile. "Let’s see just where their formidableness lies."

Chu Zhiyuan looked at her.

Lu Xiaolu waved her jade‑like hand. "Don’t worry, don’t worry, I won’t touch them."

Chu Zhiyuan said, "Senior sister, don’t be careless."

"I know, I know, you’re so naggy," Lu Xiaolu pouted.

Chu Zhiyuan opened the leftmost Bright Yellow Jade Box with a smile. Inside lay a Jade Bowl.

A large sea bowl, about twice the size of an ordinary eating bowl.

A strange luster flowed across it, clearly distinct from an ordinary Jade Bowl.

A Jade Bowl ought to give off a gentle and mellow glow, yet this bowl had a layer of flowing radiance, a sheen like metal.

The moment Chu Zhiyuan saw it, he sensed how extraordinary it was; his Super Sense could not see through it.

He then opened the second Bright Yellow Jade Box. Inside was an ebony comb, likewise shimmering, with a sharp metallic luster.

His Super Sense still couldn’t peer into it.

He then opened the third Bright Yellow Jade Box.

A yellowed Ancient Scroll lay quietly inside the box, as if it had gathered the vicissitudes of ages.

At a glance one knew it was from a distant era; an ancient, simple aura rushed forth.

Chu Zhiyuan didn’t rush to touch it; his Super Sense still couldn’t pry into this Ancient Scroll.

He could conclude that all three were things of the Divine Race; otherwise they would have long since been laid bare under his Insight.

Lu Xiaolu examined them curiously, then finally shook her head. "I thought Divine Race items would look strange somehow. Turns out they’re the same as anything else."

Chu Zhiyuan smiled. "They’re only used for eating and combing hair. What’s supposed to look strange about them? But senior sister, you mustn’t touch them."

She asked, "They really have some special power on them?"

Chu Zhiyuan nodded.

If there were no special power, then merely relying on unusual material wouldn’t be enough to block his Super Sensing Illumination.

Lu Xiaolu said, "Which one is useful?"

Chu Zhiyuan’s gaze suddenly turned vacant as he looked at the comb.

A moment later, his vacant gaze shifted to the sea bowl.

In the end, his vacant gaze turned to that Ancient Scroll.

Seeing his appearance, Lu Xiaolu knew he was performing a secret technique, attempting to glimpse the mysteries of the three items.

Chu Zhiyuan closed his eyes and remained motionless.

In his mind, three long memories and scenes began to replay.

In the end they converged on the last one—that memory of a Fist Technique scripture.

He slowly opened his eyes and looked at this partial scroll.

"What partial scroll is it?" Lu Xiaolu asked curiously. "Don’t tell me it’s not a Martial Arts manual?"

Chu Zhiyuan reached out and gently picked up the partial scroll, and instantly felt an inexplicable pressure.

A tyrannical pressure descended slowly from the Void, squeezing his brain, making waves of dizziness arise.

Chu Zhiyuan focused his mind to resist this pressure, secretly sighing that if his Heavenly Yuan Technique hadn’t reached Perfection, he would have no choice but to put the scroll down.

Enduring the pressure, he opened the scroll.

There was no cover; on the very first page was a passage of text. He flipped further down: still text.

Nine pages in all, each crammed with words, enough to make Lu Xiaolu’s head spin.

She couldn’t help saying, "Junior brother, this isn’t a Martial Arts Secrets manual, is it?"

If it were Swordsmanship, there should be Sword Moves. If it were a Fist Technique or Hand Skills, there should be diagrams of fist and palm forms.

Even if it were a mental method, there ought to be meridian diagrams.

Yet here it was page after page of text, words she didn’t recognize.

This clearly wasn’t a Secret Martial Arts Manual.

Chu Zhiyuan smiled. "It’s a set of Fist Techniques."

"Fist Techniques?" Lu Xiaolu was half‑skeptical. "With just text, how are you supposed to practice Fist Techniques? ...There are no moves, no mental method. Is it just talking about principles... and what good is that?"

Chu Zhiyuan sighed. "It really is a set of Fist Techniques. The power should be quite something."

The Divine Language was different from ordinary writing; though it looked like text, it was actually a series of scenes.

As he spoke, he began to demonstrate, taking a stance and then slowly and leisurely throwing a punch.

Leisurely, composed, ethereal, transcendent.

As if he were treading upon clouds while practicing Fist Techniques.

Lu Xiaolu watched in amazement, then suddenly thrust out a Bright White Jade Palm toward his chest.

But the instant her Bright White Jade Palm shot out, she felt a vast, irresistible violent force crash into her.

She was sent flying at once, lifted into midair, her entire body going limp and powerless as she plummeted straight down.

Chu Zhiyuan flashed into the air, a bamboo twig already appearing in his hand.

The bamboo twig lashed her back, making her shudder as strength returned to her body.

After she drifted lightly to the ground, the bamboo twig in Chu Zhiyuan’s hand had already vanished.

Lu Xiaolu, however, was eyeing his sleeve, curiosity brimming.