Imperial Cultivation Chapter 1508 - 1504: Preparations

He closed his eyes, sat cross-legged, and fell into deep thought without moving.

Lu Tiancheng gently picked up the ancient book scroll from the low table and placed it back on the shelf, then quietly left.

Time slowly passed by.

Chu Zhiyuan remained motionless like a statue.

Meanwhile, the women in the Profound Yin Palace were feeling a bit anxious.

"Junior Sister, when will your husband be back?"

"Senior Sister Meng, it’s hard to say, he might return soon, or it might take a few days."

"A few days?" Meng Yunyin laughed: "How is that possible, to take a few days?"

"Senior Sister Meng, after becoming a Spirit Venerable, the perception of time changes for them." Xiao Ruoling smiled: "What feels like a moment to them might feel very long to us."

"Is it really that bizarre?" Meng Yunyin was surprised: "Time passes just as fast, a cup of tea is still a cup of tea’s time, how can it be different?"

Xiao Ruoling said: "Perhaps because their lifespan is longer, their feelings change too. We feel wasting a day is a sin, while they see a day as insignificant, even wasting a year might seem okay to them."

"Senior Sister Meng, it’s not hard to understand," Shen Hanyue laughed: "Having one hundred taels of silver versus having ten thousand taels, the feeling of one tael will be different, won’t it?"

"That’s true," Meng Yunyin slowly nodded, reluctantly accepting the analogy: "So, we don’t need to wait here?"

Xiao Ruoling said: "If we really wait, it might take a few days, but it’s a good chance to practice together."

"Then forget it." Meng Yunyin quickly refused, turning to look at Hu Menghua and the others: "Senior Sister Hu, I’m leaving, how about you?"

"Then let’s go." Hu Menghua smiled: "It wouldn’t be appropriate to keep disturbing Junior Sister Xiao here."

Xiao Ruoling quickly said: "Senior Sister Hu, I’d love the company, the more the merrier for practice."

"Exactly." Shen Hanyue laughed: "Practicing together is more fun, let’s stay."

"No, no, we’re leaving." Meng Yunyin hurriedly grabbed Sun Jing’s hand: "Let’s go!"

Sun Jing smiled without resistance and left with her.

Hu Menghua and Luo Xiaonan also left the small courtyard with them.

"Really..." Shen Hanyue was a bit disappointed: "Why not join in the fun."

Xiao Ruoling shook her head with a smile, and glanced at Zhou Qingyu who was tidying up the table: "Qingyu, tell your Aunt Shen why."

Zhou Qingyu chuckled: "Mistress and Aunt Shen, you two are so gifted, practicing with them makes them seem clumsy, they surely don’t like it and are unwilling."

"Really?" Shen Hanyue was surprised.

Zhou Qingyu said: "Master Meng and the others are also extremely capable, they definitely can’t bear such a blow."

Shen Hanyue sighed: "Ah... this is the loneliness of experts."

...

Chu Zhiyuan opened his eyes, his gaze intense.

He walked slowly out of the Ten Thousand Knowledge Tower, came outside, and looked up at the clear sky.

The connection between spiritual essence and the world is the heart and spirit.

If the heart and spirit are not extended outward, fully contained within, without a trace escaping, spiritual essence will not merge with the world.

Once spiritual essence merges with the world, it condenses into a unique aura that is boundless and unmistakable.

This unique aura can disregard space.

Thus, all Spirit Venerables, even across hundreds or thousands of miles, can sense it.

The divine essence can hide the aura because it expels the spiritual essence from itself.

Why it can expel it is because the divine essence envelopes the heart and spirit, separating it from the spiritual essence.

Without the heart and spirit as a guide, the spiritual essence cannot merge with the world and only disperses externally.

Yet, being led by his heart and spirit, it does not dissipate completely.

How did Song Wantao conceal his aura then?

Perhaps, just like himself, wrapping his heart and spirit, not merging with the spiritual essence, so the spiritual essence does not merge with the world?

Or through another method, fully concealing the heart and spirit, not letting it escape?

Or using a divine artifact to assist in restraining the heart and spirit from escaping?

He once again sensed the wisp of green silk within the Jade Sea and Sky.

It floated motionlessly in the air, like a dead object.

It was actually playing dead.

Chu Zhiyuan had already seen through it, knowing it was a rare spiritual object.

With an unusual material, it could change forms and elude perception.

The next moment, he appeared in the new Cave Heaven, atop a mountain peak.

This was about ten miles from Li Hongzhao’s Cave Mansion.

In the next moment, he flashed to another mountain peak, now twenty miles away.

Instantly, he felt a strange aura rising from beneath, trying to disturb his aura.

But as soon as the divine essence emerged, it merged in, blending into the divine essence.

Chu Zhiyuan smiled.

This place, a nightmare to others, where even Spirit Venerables had no recourse.

To him, it was a wonderful place for cultivation.

He let the divine essence operate on its own, assimilating the abnormal power that penetrated in, with a wisp of green silk appearing in his palm.

The three-meter-long green silk appeared in the air, and suddenly became blurred.

Chu Zhiyuan chuckled lightly and flicked his sleeve.

The divine essence surged, and it became clear again, unable to turn real into void.

Chu Zhiyuan nodded with satisfaction.

The divine essence can restrain its transformation, otherwise, it would have already escaped.

He pondered as he stared at the green silk, his gaze intense.

This green silk wanted to flee, so, where does it intend to escape to, or is it to its master?

Its master should be Song Wantao, can he find Song Wantao through this green silk?

Assuming Song Wantao possesses a divine artifact, concealing aura and even life force.

It is quite possible, it can also foresee the future.

This would be a being more advanced than himself.

Can he find him through this green silk?

If someone else wanted to find him, could they find him through his possessions?

He thought for a moment, then shook his head.

This possibility doesn’t seem feasible, at least not now.

His eyes became vacant once more, staring blankly at the green silk.

The green silk twisted in the air, like a snake writhing, feeling uneasy under the vacant gaze.

When his eyes returned to normal, Chu Zhiyuan smiled.

Finally, some progress.

The past, shrouded by a mystical presence, now reveals some fragments before his eyes.

Through these fragments, he clearly senses the presence of Song Wantao.

This Green Silk is a Spiritual Treasure, and its owner is Song Wantao.

Chu Zhiyuan feels the distance between him and Song Wantao suddenly collapse.

A mere magical artifact apart, for them, it’s almost like facing each other.

Originally thought to be far away, possibly with people in between.

With increased Realm and greater understanding of the heavens, one can see some fragments.

Only then did he know its owner was Song Wantao, finding him close.

Considering Song Wantao’s ability, is he truly not confident in killing me?

Or perhaps, Song Wantao didn’t make a move, not killing me, implying deeper intentions?

He shook his head, took out a Jade Bottle from his sleeve, placed the Green Silk inside, and sealed it.

His eyes became hollow again, then returned to normal in a moment, the next moment, he appeared in the cave mansion.

...

New Cave Heaven

Demon Suppression Cave

Li Hongzhao, in a red robe, sat beside the Little Demon Suppression Divine Tree on the high platform.

Her jade face and peach blossom cheeks, phoenix eyes and slender brows, were further highlighted by the red robe, adding to her allure.

Seeing his appearance, she nodded slightly, and gestured towards the Little Demon Suppression Divine Tree with her red lips, "It is indeed very powerful."

Chu Zhiyuan smiled.

Two days apart, Li Hongzhao’s strength had increased significantly, all thanks to the Little Demon Suppression Divine Tree.

The Little Demon Suppression Divine Tree kept absorbing the power of the Six Ferocious Beasts, feeding it back to him and Li Hongzhao.

For him, it was better than nothing.

For Li Hongzhao, it was a dramatic improvement, surpassing over a month’s hard cultivation.

At such advancement, she had one foot in that layer, ready to step in at any moment.

Chu Zhiyuan glanced around, "No one else came?"

"Senior Sisters and Master Uncles came by, but found it boring and left."

"It is indeed dull here."

Chu Zhiyuan took out the Jade Bottle from his sleeve and threw it under the Little Demon Suppression Divine Tree.

The Little Demon Suppression Divine Tree immediately scattered Golden Light, enveloping the Jade Bottle, turning it golden.

"What is this..." Li Hongzhao was curious.

Chu Zhiyuan said, "A Spiritual Artifact, it’s that guy’s."

"...The one named Song?"

Chu Zhiyuan nodded, "Let’s see if it can lure him over."

If Song Wantao could be lured over, this would be his burial ground.

If Song Wantao could see the future, he would never dare to come.

So placing the Green Silk here is most appropriate.

Even within Jade Sea and Sky, Song Wantao might still sense it if kept on me.

The chances are minimal, yet he avoids the risk firmly.

He absolutely doesn’t want his movements to be sensed by Song Wantao.

Especially in some Secret Lands.

Like the East Huan Sacred Valley.

He felt that the urgent task now is to enhance the Donghuan Saint Technique, to break through the aura enveloping Song Wantao, and see him clearly.

If unseen clearly, it’s challenging to kill him.

"He wouldn’t come over, right?" Li Hongzhao said, "Rashly coming to this perilous place, he wouldn’t have lasted until now."

Chu Zhiyuan said, "Still, one must be cautious. In case he truly comes, we must be prepared."

"How do we prepare?" Li Hongzhao asked.

Chu Zhiyuan smiled, "The outer array, you can now activate it with ease, right?"

Li Hongzhao shook her head.

Chu Zhiyuan looked at her in puzzlement.

Li Hongzhao, embarrassed, said, "The outer array is still too difficult."

"Can you not sense the outer array through the Demon Suppression Divine Tree?"

"I can sense the array, but activating it is still beyond reach."

"The power source of the array is the Six Ferocious Beasts," Chu Zhiyuan said, "The power fed back to you by the Demon Suppression Divine Tree comes from the Six Ferocious Beasts."

Li Hongzhao said, "Use my power directly to activate the array?"

Chu Zhiyuan nodded.

"Is it really like this?" Li Hongzhao hesitated.

She then flicked her sleeve, sending out a breath of Phoenix Burning Heaven Scripture.

This breath surged out of the cave, suddenly splitting into six parts, each heading towards the six Fierce Beast patterns on the ground.

The Six Fierce Beast patterns flickered, lighting up with various colors, six vortexes appeared in the Void above.

The Six Vortexes rapidly expanded and merged into one.

The six vortexes seemed to cancel each other out, completely disappearing.

Calm and tranquil.

Chu Zhiyuan smiled.

This array is already activated, running, anyone coming will be trapped inside.

"So simple!" Li Hongzhao shook her head, then glared at him, "Am I really that stupid?"

Chu Zhiyuan laughed.

Li Hongzhao said, "Can this array hold him? Maybe not?"

She learned about Song Wantao’s prowess from Chu Zhiyuan.

Since this array cannot trap Chu Zhiyuan, it probably cannot trap Song Wantao either.

Chu Zhiyuan said, "No need to trap him, just hold him back; if he does come, it’s actually a good thing."

The Demon Suppression Divine Tree specializes in suppressing evil demons.

For ordinary people, its power might not be that strong, but if opposing an evil demon, its power would be tremendous.

With the help of the Demon Suppression Divine Tree and the Little Demon Suppression Divine Tree, he feels hopeful in capturing Song Wantao.

It all depends on whether Song Wantao takes the bait.