Imperial Cultivation Chapter 1468 - 1464: Peculiar

Xiao Ruoling laughed, "Which one to give him?"

"This one is the most important, so naturally it’s for the Princely Heir." Shen Hanyue chuckled, "Although I’m the one who acted, the one who truly killed them to seize the Spiritual Artifact is the Princely Heir."

Without these twelve Flying Knives, encountering these people would only mean running for one’s life.

"Alright then." Xiao Ruoling nodded.

Among the three items, this Spiritual Artifact is the most important and also the greatest threat.

She glanced around.

The mountaintop had undergone a great change.

In front of the red mist, the stones of the mountaintop were as fragile as tofu. The red mist drifted to the ground, eroding the stones until they were pitted and dilapidated.

Shen Hanyue snorted, "These people are really fierce!"

Seeing them so decisively execute Jade and Stone Burning, she couldn’t help but be shaken inside.

Xiao Ruoling sighed, "Such enemies are troublesome."

Shen Hanyue snorted, "After this time, if they dare to cause trouble again, we’ll continue to kill them. I don’t believe they won’t be frightened!"

During the last battle between the two palaces, as soon as they felt things were not going well, they withdrew rather than fought to the death.

There is no one in the world who isn’t afraid of death, and Li Huo Palace’s disciples are human too.

Xiao Ruoling said, "We must be extremely careful. They will definitely seek revenge."

Shen Hanyue nodded, "Hmm, it’s best to report this to the master and Palace Master."

The two women glanced around their surroundings, then drifted away.

Chu Zhiyuan was already waiting at the Profound Yin Palace, his heart and spirit partly on them, partly on Huang Zhengyang.

Huang Zhengyang finally reached the valley seen in East Huan’s Saint Technique.

The valley was filled with strange stones, without any trees surviving.

Between the cracks in the rocks, Cang Snakes slithered slowly, moving so sluggishly they seemed almost still.

Seeing the red snake-shaped stones in the valley, Huang Zhengyang’s expression changed dramatically.

He looked around, very wary.

Beside him, an accompanying middle-aged man laughed, "Brother Huang, what’s wrong?"

"It’s very dangerous in here; it’s best not to go in."

"Not go in?... Isn’t this the path we must take?"

"Let’s take a detour," Huang Zhengyang said.

Knowing there’s danger inside, and it’s a deadly danger, there’s no need to insist on going through.

Even with the Flying Knives, and preparation of a Detoxification Elixir, there’s no absolute certainty.

Any variable could change the future.

So the safest thing is to directly bypass rather than force through.

The middle-aged man shook his head helplessly, "Brother Huang, there’s no route to bypass, you know."

Huang Zhengyang surveyed the surroundings, looking at the valley ahead and then at the towering walls on both sides.

The walls on both sides were steep and soared into the clouds, daunting anyone who considered climbing them.

The path forward seemed to only lead into the valley.

But as Martial Arts masters, they could use Qinggong to leap over the steep walls.

"Brother Huang, those sides are too steep, and they interfere with True Yuan. I’m afraid we won’t reach the top and would certainly die if we fall."

"Really that troublesome?" Huang Zhengyang frowned, "Brother Luo, have you tried?"

"Tried it yesterday." Luo Yun nodded, "Indeed couldn’t climb up, can only pass through from the front."

Huang Zhengyang asked, "Then why doesn’t Brother Luo just cross the valley?"

"Haha..." Luo Yun laughed, "I’m a bit unsure, so I thought I’d wait and see. Didn’t expect company so soon."

"What if I hadn’t come? What would Brother Luo have done?"

"Then just keep waiting, not urgent anyway."

"Brother Luo, you truly have great patience," Huang Zhengyang sighed, "Why not just turn back?"

Those selected are no simple figures.

This Luo Yun isn’t an ordinary person either, being a Court Honored Expert.

Such Court Honored Experts hold a transcendent standing, thus can disregard someone like me, the Director of the Evil Extermination Department.

If it were other experts encountering me, they would call me Director out of respect.

After all, the Evil Extermination Department is not an ordinary government office, wielding significant power. Any Court expert would show some deference.

"Haha... Brother Huang is joking," Luo Yun laughed, "Since we’re moving forward, how can we turn back?"

"Why can’t we turn back?" Huang Zhengyang was puzzled.

Luo Yun curiously asked, "Brother Huang, do you truly not know, or are you pretending to test me?"

Huang Zhengyang shook his head, "I genuinely don’t know. What’s going on?"

Luo Yun stated, "Entering this Grotto Heaven, if one retreats, it means exiting."

Huang Zhengyang was stunned, quickly saying, "I’ve never heard of such a rule."

Luo Yun laughed, "This is a rule we’ve compiled ourselves."

Huang Zhengyang’s heart stirred, immediately catching the deeper meaning, quickly asking, "So, Brother Luo, you’ve entered more than once?"

"Haha..." Luo Yun laughed embarrassingly, "Indeed, I’ve entered once before."

Huang Zhengyang solemnly said, "So we’re not the first group to enter?"

Luo Yun shook his head.

Huang Zhengyang said, "Brother Luo has experience."

"Ah, it’s not really experience. This Grotto Heaven is peculiar, ever-changing. Sometimes experience is not useful."

"Brother Luo is modest," Huang Zhengyang stated, "I’d like to know, last time, were there any masters who fell?"

"Eight died." Luo Yun shook his head, revealing a heavy expression as he sighed, "They died inexplicably, mysteriously."

Huang Zhengyang’s face also turned solemn.

Luo Yun said, "The rules inside here that we’ve figured out so far are simply not to retreat."

"Thanks for telling me, Brother Luo!" Huang Zhengyang clasped his fist, expression serious, "If Brother Luo hadn’t mentioned it, I might have retreated."

Luo Yun shook his head, "If you truly exit, it may not necessarily be a loss."

Huang Zhengyang said, "Since we entered, naturally we must make discoveries to not waste this trip,...Brother Luo, last time, how many masters entered?"

"Twenty-four."

"Twenty-four, with eight casualties..." Huang Zhengyang frowned, "This Grotto Heaven is indeed dangerous."

"Certainly dangerous," Luo Yun said, "That’s why I prefer to go slowly than take adventurous risks,...otherwise, shall we wait longer?"

"Wait longer?" Huang Zhengyang shook his head, "If there’s danger inside, even more people won’t necessarily ease it."

"More people still means greater strength," Luo Yun said, "What do you think?"

Huang Zhengyang said, "Brother Luo, I want to first try the two sides."

"Alright." Luo Yun laughed, "You can give it a try."

Without hitting a wall, one doesn’t turn back. These top-tier experts have this flaw, putting most trust in themselves, always holding some doubt about others’ words, never fully believing.

Huang Zhengyang actually understood in his heart.

Ultimately, he would likely have to traverse that valley, yet not trying first feels uncomfortable.

He ascended gracefully, landing on a steep, knife-sharp cliff.

The cliff was dark brown, appearing mottled and weathered, as if it had experienced countless ages.

His toes lightly tapping the cliff occasionally and felt a wisp of abnormal energy entering his feet.

As the energy entered, his body’s energies immediately became chaotic, causing his upward movement to stall.

He hurriedly adjusted his energy mid-air and stopped touching the cliff.

When the energy was nearly exhausted, he struck the cliff with his palm, using the rebound force to ascend again.

He originally thought he could avoid the cliff’s energy interference but didn’t expect the rebound force also carried the cliff’s energy.

His energy disrupted mid-air, causing him to plummet straight down.

Anxiously adjusting his energy, barely stopping his fall before Luo Yun caught him.

He twisted in the air, gently landing, his face solemn.

Luo Yun laughed, "Brother Huang, it didn’t work?"

"Really peculiar." Huang Zhengyang looked skyward at the towering cliffs.

Luo Yun said, "There are many oddities inside, ignore them, just move forward."

Huang Zhengyang showed no intention of moving forward, still staring at the cliff.

He wanted to understand the source of the cliff’s peculiarity and why it was like that.