Imperial Cultivation Chapter 1478 - 1474: Seeing Through

~6 minute read · 1,455 words
Previously on Imperial Cultivation...
Chu Zhiyuan and Zhou Qingyu return from exploring a peculiar Grotto Heaven. Back in their courtyard, they are met by Shen Hanyue and Xiao Ruoling, who have captured two experts from Forget Sorrow Valley. Despite initial hesitation and discussion about potential involvement in the conflict between Heaven-Reaching Sect and Li Huo Palace, Chu Zhiyuan eventually spars with Xiao Ruoling and Shen Hanyue. Later, Meng Yunyin and Sun Jing arrive, requesting Chu Zhiyuan's help in interrogating the captured Forget Sorrow Valley disciples, who seem to know nothing about a Strange Insect Jade Pendant.

Sun Jing said, "Brother-in-law, don’t you want to know if Forget Sorrow Valley is really behind this?"

Chu Zhiyuan chuckled, "I trust Master Lu and believe in all the senior sisters."

Meng Yunyin snorted, "We don’t believe in ourselves as much as we believe in you, brother-in-law."

Sun Jing said, "Brother-in-law, why not take a look and see if you can find anything out."

Meng Yunyin giggled, "Brother-in-law, we’ll count on you for that."

As she spoke, she stepped forward, grabbed Xiao Ruoling’s arm, and shook it vigorously, "Junior sister, hurry and speak."

Xiao Ruoling smiled wryly.

Chu Zhiyuan sighed, "All right, let’s go over and take a look."

"Thank you, brother-in-law!" Meng Yunyin giggled, "Quick, quick."

Shen Hanyue chuckled, "Senior Sister Meng is mighty, easily grasping the prince’s weaknesses."

Meng Yunyin rolled her eyes at her, "I’m out of options too, can’t count on you, always siding with outsiders!"

Shen Hanyue said, "The princely heir’s heart is still tender, ultimately he agreed."

Meng Yunyin giggled, "As long as Junior Sister Xiao is in our palace, brother-in-law can’t escape."

Chu Zhiyuan shook his head with a smile, "Let’s go have a look, Qingyu, follow along."

"Yes, Master." Zhou Qingyu straightened up and followed them out of the courtyard.

Along the street, they walked to the end and arrived at a hexagonal platform surrounded on three sides by white jade railings.

The platform was two feet high, with each side of the white jade railings ten meters long, carved with cloud patterns.

The platform was paved with white jade, flat and smooth.

The white jade ground was decorated with eight strange symbols, forming a symmetrical arrangement.

Beyond the railings was the void.

Snow peaks formed by white clouds were close at hand, as if stretching out a hand beyond the railings could touch them.

"You two, come over here."

Meng Yunyin stepped onto one of the symbols, then leapt over the railing and disappeared.

Sun Jing also stepped onto a symbol, and then jumped over the white jade railing and disappeared.

Xiao Ruoling pulled Chu Zhiyuan’s hand, while Shen Hanyue grabbed Zhou Qingyu’s hand, and they both leaped over the railing.

Zhou Qingyu felt her vision suddenly turn empty, then a vast expanse of white fog, unable to see anything.

Her heart suddenly tightened, feeling empty and weightless as if falling downwards, about to become minced meat.

This sensation caused her entire body to go soft.

She quickly exhaled and tried not to think about becoming minced meat, instead envisioning herself achieving the status of Spirit Venerable, like her master, able to traverse the void, walking on it as if on solid ground.

"Hee hee, are you nervous?" Shen Hanyue’s laughter sounded at her ear.

"Aunt Shen..."

"Don’t be afraid, you won’t fall." Shen Hanyue laughed.

As her voice fell, her movement suddenly slowed and she softly landed on a place similar to the previous hexagonal white jade platform.

The railing enclosed a platform, the white jade platform adorned with eight symbols.

They all landed precisely on the same symbols as on the previous platform.

Zhou Qingyu looked down at these symbols.

Shen Hanyue smiled, "Qingyu, isn’t it amazing?"

Zhou Qingyu quickly nodded.

Shen Hanyue said, "This is our unique mental method, cannot be passed outside. Even if someone could breach the palace, the harm would be limited; they could only reach the outer area without being able to go further inside."

"Aunt Shen, was it through those symbols that led us here?"

Zhou Qingyu felt her horizons broadened.

Earlier, she was enveloped in thick fog, her eyes rendered useless.

Even though Shen Hanyue’s cultivation was profound and her vision sharp, she could not penetrate this mist.

Quite possibly, it wasn’t through sight, but through feeling, determining the direction through intuition.

How was this intuition generated?

Quite likely, it was guided by those symbols, consolidated through Profound Yin Palace’s unique mental method.

Without such intuition for outsiders, they would be trapped in the mist, difficult to escape.

"Clever." Shen Hanyue laughed.

Meng Yunyin and Sun Jing led the way, descended the white jade hexagonal platform, and walked along a broad path paved with white jade, arriving before a grand hall with hexagonal flying eaves.

The hexagonal flying eaves made the grand hall resemble a flying eagle, ready to soar into the sky at any moment.

As soon as Chu Zhiyuan appeared, a middle-aged woman appeared at the entrance of the grand hall.

One was Palace Master Lu Qingfeng, dignified and imposing, and the other a charming young woman.

Chu Zhiyuan’s gaze fell on the charming young woman, clasped his hands in salute.

It’s a unique greeting ritual among Spirit Venerables.

"Mr. Chu, you’ve finally arrived." The charming young woman chuckled softly, clasping her hands in salute, "Thank you for your trouble."

Chu Zhiyuan chuckled, "I can assist, but may not be of much help."

Lu Qingfeng laughed, "For you to come, Mr. Chu, the entire palace is beyond grateful."

Chu Zhiyuan cupped his hands, "Palace Master, those two evil demons from Forget Sorrow Valley don’t recognize that Jade Pendant?"

"They shouldn’t have seen it." Lu Qingfeng shook her head.

The charming young woman Zhu Yuxia said, "They should be telling the truth."

As she spoke, she turned and walked inside.

Lu Qingfeng extended her hand, inviting Chu Zhiyuan into the hall.

All the women followed them inside the grand hall.

The grand hall was empty, only furnished with simple and unadorned furniture, old-fashioned and antique.

Calligraphy and paintings adorned the walls.

On the ground, the polished white jade made the lighting inside warm and soft, exuding a sense of warmth.

In the center of the hall sat two rows of Taishi Chairs, occupied by two middle-aged men in blue robes, their features thin and deep, having an air of celestial immortals.

They sat poised, serene, seemingly indifferent to life and death, calmly watching Chu Zhiyuan and the others enter.

Chu Zhiyuan glanced at the two, observing their condition. Besides their sealed spiritual essence, there were no injuries on their bodies.

At first glance, they seemed not to be captives, but guests.

"These two are the experts from Forget Sorrow Valley." Lu Qingfeng said, "They claim not to have seen that Strange Insect Jade Pendant."

Shen Hanyue curiously examined them.

Xiao Ruoling frowned slightly.

Upon hearing the experts were from Forget Sorrow Valley, she felt a sense of disgust towards them.

This wasn’t due to preconceived notions but was because she knew the inside story of Forget Sorrow Valley.

One could say that not a single disciple of Forget Sorrow Valley could emerge unstained, all were evil beings.

Even if originally having a hint of kindness, they would become evil with cultivation of the mental method, losing humanity, not considering people as people.

Every disciple of Forget Sorrow Valley had hands stained with countless innocent blood.

So every disciple was guilty of death, unworthy of pity.

Shen Hanyue said, "Palace Master, it seems that Strange Insect Jade Pendant is quite mysterious."

Xiao Ruoling said nothing, coldly staring at the two middle-aged men.

Zhou Qingyu curiously examined them, expression filled with doubt.

She couldn’t understand, if these two were brought for interrogation, why were they so unharmed.

Shouldn’t they have been subjected to torture?

Chu Zhiyuan’s eyes suddenly became empty.

Moments later, his eyes returned to normal, slightly squinting as he chuckled, "Good means."

Lu Qingfeng and Zhu Yuxia looked at Chu Zhiyuan.

Chu Zhiyuan said, "They recognize the Strange Insect Jade Pendant."

Zhu Yuxia was surprised, "My secret technique failed?"

Chu Zhiyuan said, "This time, they left the valley under the command of the Jade Pendant’s owner, to observe the outcome."

He looked at the two, still calm as if not hearing the conversation, "Unfortunately, bad luck brought them here."

"Are they not afraid of death?" Shen Hanyue said, "Not a hint of panic."

If true, their mental state was truly amazing.

This was seeing life and death as nothing, without fear?

Chu Zhiyuan said, "They took a kind of Miracle Pill, Forget Love Pill, no worries or fears, no thoughts or concerns."

"Forget Love Pill?" Zhu Yuxia frowned, "Does Forget Sorrow Valley have such a thing?"

Chu Zhiyuan said, "Forget Sorrow Valley developed the Miracle Pill recently."

Zhu Yuxia’s brows furrowed more tightly, intensely examining the two middle-aged men still calm and composed.

Her eyes gradually became bright, turning radiant and eye-catching, compelling one to look over.