Imperial Cultivation Chapter 1495 - 1491: Interception

"Yes," said Huang Zhengyang.

He sighed inwardly.

As expected, masters from the Four Holy Veins think and act just like the Court.

Until a critical moment, they definitely wouldn’t employ Brother Chu.

Li Hongzhao’s Phoenix Eyes shimmered faintly, glancing at him.

Huang Zhengyang felt that her faint glance implied he was meddling.

Li Hongzhao indeed found Huang Zhengyang intrusive.

Chu Zhiyuan was so busy now, how could he have time to come over and join them?

Besides, if there really was danger, he would have long told her.

If he hadn’t mentioned it, then there was no life-threatening danger, no need to invite him over.

Song Chaoge closed her eyes, motionless.

Everyone stared at her, watched her beautiful face slowly blossom with a smile.

Her bright eyes snapped open: "Let’s go."

"Master, any discovery?"

"Uh-huh, felt something."

"Is it related to our bloodline?"

"Hard to say."

Luo Yun laughed: "Senior Song, what kind of perception?"

Song Chaoge chuckled: "Can’t tell, we’ll know after checking it out."

Luo Yun smiled: "Finding something is good, at least there’s progress."

"Might not be your place," Song Chaoge said, "It’s said the Grotto Heaven is vast, can’t be that coincidental."

"Indeed," Luo Yun nodded, "Senior Song is right, such fortuitous encounters can’t be forced; if it’s out of reach, then it’s not ours."

While they talked, Song Chaoge strolled leisurely, gracefully like drifting dust, her speed astonishingly swift.

Her speed was ten times faster than when they initially entered, the scenery before them flashed by.

The expressions of Huang Zhengyang and the four changed quickly.

Li Hongzhao turned her Phoenix Eyes slightly, said indifferently: "Director Huang, what’s the matter?"

Huang Zhengyang looked around, eyes gleaming towards Li Hongzhao: "Miss Li, this is the path leading to that Cave Mansion!"

"Yes, it is indeed that path!" Luo Yun said hastily.

He pointed to the towering stone walls on both sides: "Brother Huang was delayed here for days to study the peculiarity of those walls."

Zheng Zhenxing and Meng Xianda’s eyes sparkled, nodding vigorously: "Yes, yes, this is the path!"

Cheng Qian and Cheng Kun shook their heads.

Cheng Qian smiled bitterly: "Miss Song, your fortune is truly extraordinary."

"My luck has always been poor," Song Chaoge smiled: "But this Cave Mansion resonates with our bloodline."

Cheng Qian chuckled: "Then this Cave Mansion should have many good things."

"I hope it’s not that dangerous," said Song Chaoge.

She appeared carefree, yet was extremely cautious inside.

Thinking of the ancestors who sacrificed when opening the Secret Realm, she felt fearful.

Not seeking merit, but avoiding mistakes.

Gains were indifferent; as long as there was no danger, it was fine.

With Li Hongzhao, a genius disciple, among her lineage, surpassing the Four Veins, there was no need to push further.

She understood well the principle of overflowing water.

When they arrived in front of Snake Valley, Luo Yun promptly and solemnly warned of danger.

However, by now Snake Valley had turned into a lake.

With barely a ripple, the lake, like a bright round mirror, reflected a few white clouds in the azure sky.

"How do we cross?" Luo Yun turned to look at Huang Zhengyang.

Huang Zhengyang said: "Go around from the sides?"

Luo Yun suggested: "How about going directly over the lake surface?"

Huang Zhengyang shook his head: "Who knows what’s in the lake, better to walk from the sides."

Zheng Zhenxing disagreed: "Brother Huang, it just turned into a lake, what powerful things could there be?"

Luo Yun added: "Worried the sides are as peculiar as the stone walls, then it’s impassable."

Song Chaoge already knew the peculiarity of the stone walls, glancing at Li Hongzhao.

Li Hongzhao nodded and, with a flash, entered Snake Valley, heading towards the sides of the valley.

"Watch out for serpents!" Huang Zhengyang hurriedly warned.

Li Hongzhao’s red robe fluttered, floated to the stone walls of the valley, her lotus feet lightly tapping the walls several times before returning.

During this process, the snakes nestled in the wall crevices avoided her.

Huang Zhengyang and the four of them widened their eyes.

These snakes glared at them as if seeing mortal enemies, determined to kill them.

But upon seeing Li Hongzhao, they avoided her like the plague, scared to touch her.

This attitude was completely different.

Li Hongzhao wasn’t a Spirit Venerable, the only possible explanation was her bloodline.

Was this the power of the Holy Vein?

Li Hongzhao said: "Master, indeed there’s abnormal energy invading the stone walls, dissolving the power."

Song Chaoge asked: "Can’t rely on the stone walls, can only cross the water surface?"

Li Hongzhao slowly nodded: "That’s the only way."

She glanced around.

Luo Yun quickly asked: "Miss Li, what are you looking for?"

Li Hongzhao replied: "Trees or similar, to use as leverage, but there’s not a single tree."

Luo Yun laughed: "It’s just this strange here, no trees, not even wild grass grows."

Li Hongzhao said: "Then there’s no leverage point, can’t cross it, ... the stone walls can’t serve as a leverage, they might worsen things."

A peculiar power drilled into the stone walls, being counteracted by the Phoenix Burning Heaven Scripture’s power.

Yet the counteraction was very slow.

Attempting Qinggong, when exhausted and seeking leverage, relying on their power is like making things worse.

Luo Yun suggested: "There really something in the water? Or we can swim across?"

Huang Zhengyang said: "Brother Luo, could these snakes fear water?"

"They really might fear water," Luo Yun said, "especially those fire snakes, might be scared of water."

Those fire snakes resembled flames, looked fiery, very likely feared water.

Meng Xianda proposed: "Or catch one and throw it in to see?"

With a flash of red light, Li Hongzhao already shot into the valley, her lotus feet tapped the stone wall and, with a flick of her sleeve.

The fire snakes and brown snakes squirming out of the crevice to dodge her immediately flew up, falling into the lake.

"Sss." They fell into the lake, instantly turned into white smoke, vanished.

"Uh—?"

"What is...?"

"This is poison? Doesn’t seem like poison?"

Huang Zhengyang and the others were shocked.

Li Hongzhao gracefully flashed back beside Song Chaoge, with her brows furrowed: "This lake water is that toxic?"

Song Chaoge remarked: "A bit weird."

She tapped her toe, a stone flew high, arced, then fell into the lake.

"Splash!"

Water splashed everywhere.

The splashes that hit the stone walls caused the snakes to instantly smoke and vanish.

Yet the stone walls remained unharmed.

The stone that fell into the lake already disappeared, like a snowball in a hot spring.

Luo Yun marveled: "Only the stone walls around can withstand the toxicity?"

Li Hongzhao flicked her sleeve.

A stone rolled out of her sleeve, about the size of a fist, arced and fell into the lake.

"Plop!"

It fell straight into the lake, then vanished, blending.

"What is...?" Luo Yun was curious.

Li Hongzhao explained: "Stone from the walls."

Luo Yun revealed admiration: "Miss, impressive."

He hadn’t noticed her collecting a stone into her sleeve for study.

Obviously, after noticing abnormality, she took a piece for research upon exiting the Grotto Heaven.

Such meticulous thinking and rapid hands left others in the dust.

"What is..." Zheng Zhenxing frowned: "Why are the valley walls unharmed?"

Li Hongzhao said: "There should be an Array."

"No wonder!"

Everyone was enlightened.

Li Hongzhao looked at Song Chaoge: "Master, since there’s an Array, it won’t be easy to pass."

Without clear understanding of the Array, predicting changes after entering the valley was difficult.

What forces might attack them, would it push them into the lake.

If they fell, could they survive in this water?

Song Chaoge looked at Cheng Qian and Cheng Kun: "We must ask for your assistance."

Both nodded slowly: "Alright, we’ll lead you through."

Spirit Venerables could walk the Void like flat ground, this valley might trap Venerables, but not Spirit Venerables.

Li Hongzhao said: "Mr. Cheng, try it alone first."

Cheng Qian chuckled: "Worried I can’t cross this valley?"

"I always feel it’s not that simple," said Li Hongzhao.

Cheng Qian said: "Then I’ll give it a try."

He leapt, crossing over the lake atop the valley, about to charge through.

Mid-flight, he suddenly halted and then plummeted straight toward the lake.

Everyone cried out in shock.