Imperial Cultivation Chapter 1509 - 1505: Seeking

He chatted with Li Hongzhao for a while longer, then his figure flashed and disappeared.

The next moment, he appeared inside the East Huan Sacred Valley.

The East Huan Sacred Valley remained as before.

The green grass was lush, and the flowers were as beautiful as brocade.

The green bamboo swayed gently, rustling like heavenly melody.

Time seemed to stop here, no longer flowing, eternal in this place.

He stepped to the outside of the bamboo house and looked inside once more.

The seven-colored light no longer blocked his view completely.

He suddenly discovered he could push open the door now; a gentle push opened it.

The door opened to a Grotto Heaven, but instead of rushing in, he stepped back two steps.

His face was solemn, his hair stood on end.

The door faced a screen.

On the screen was a majestic landscape painting.

The painting showed where the East Huan Sacred Valley was located, where three mountains converged, and channels became valleys.

The three mountains resembled dragons, the valley like a pond.

Chu Zhiyuan’s gaze fell on the painting, his eyes brightening increasingly.

However, his eyebrows knitted, furrowing ever tighter.

"Pa!"

A sharp crack sounded in the air.

Like the sound of bamboo splitting from burning.

His blue robe billowed like a balloon as he retreated a difficult step.

As if walking against a fierce wind but being forced back by it.

A three-inch-deep footprint was imprinted on the bamboo floor.

"Pop!"

Amidst the sharp noise, two small cracks appeared around the footprint, then quickly spread like a web.

The dense cracks covered the floor in front of the bamboo house, stopping a foot in front of him.

Chu Zhiyuan’s gaze was fixed on the landscape painting on the screen, his eyes emanating golden light.

The golden light obscured his pupils, revealing only ice-cold majesty.

This no longer resembled human eyes, more like the eyes of a Heavenly God overlooking all beings and the world.

The Divine Essence surged turbulently within his body, continuously washing over him, replenishing the spiritual power consumed by resistance.

He needed to resist the pressure coming from the landscape painting, his spiritual power depleting like a breached dam.

"Pop!"

He stepped back again, another footprint embedded in the floor, followed by web-like cracks spreading.

These web-like cracks joined the previous ones, connecting webs to form a denser network.

"Pop!"

He retreated another step.

Again, a footprint was imprinted, cracks spreading like a web.

Connecting with the previous webs.

A gentle breeze blew in.

Suddenly, dust rose from the ground.

After the breeze carried the dust away, the bamboo floor vanished, revealing a golden ground.

Chu Zhiyuan looked down at the ground, as if paved with gold.

He used Super Sensing Illumination, knowing it was bronze.

This bamboo house was made of bronze after all, with bamboo merely as the outer decor.

Despite the cool, gentle aura from his clone, he still felt lacking in spiritual power.

He barely withstood the painting’s pressure but was powerless to overturn it.

Without overturning this pressure, stepping into the house would be seeking destruction.

He faintly felt that entering the house was the true great danger, great terror.

The current confrontation was child’s play.

If he couldn’t handle it now, it wasn’t time to enter the house.

He shook his head, sighed facing the open bamboo house.

He needed to continue improving the Heavenly Yuan Technique.

Along with Divine Essence.

Using a Divine Artifact to boost spiritual power and enhance the Heavenly Yuan Technique was already extremely rapid.

The current contact frequency was at its limit.

Any faster and there was a huge chance of being severely injured by the Divine Artifact, which would delay cultivation.

The Divine Essence, however, had much potential to be tapped.

Unfortunately, the Cloud Dragon Fist was merely a Fist Technique, not a Fundamental Heart Method.

Practicing Cloud Dragon Fist could enhance the power of Fist Techniques, and sequentially enhance Divine Essence, but the enhancement speed to Divine Essence wasn’t quick.

The previous Swordsmanship was alike.

If not for the threat posed by Song Wantao, practicing the Cloud Dragon Fist to enhance Divine Essence would be enough.

Now it felt somewhat insufficient.

He couldn’t help but think of the Heart Method practiced by Ji Qingxuan.

Limited by the Realm of Donghuan Saint Technique, he couldn’t see Ji Qingxuan’s Heart Method clearly.

The Divine Language inherently carried power, uniquely mysterious.

When tracking back the Donghuan Saint Technique, the Divine Language seen was twisted, a blurred mass.

He looked up at the sky, shaking his head, and laughed.

This led to an awkward predicament.

If the Realm of Donghuan Saint Technique was insufficient, he couldn’t obtain the Fundamental Heart Method of the Divine Race.

Without gaining the Fundamental Heart Method of the Divine Race, he couldn’t quickly enhance the Donghuan Saint Technique.

...

Zhu Lingyun appeared above the clouds, standing before the Cloud Stepping Leopard.

The Cloud Stepping Leopard lay lazily on a cloud, its gleaming white fur seemingly merging with the white cloud.

It lay as if asleep on the cloud, appearing hazy under the sunlight, seeming like just a shadow.

"Why have you come?"

The Cloud Stepping Leopard opened a thin sliver of its eyes, glancing at Zhu Lingyun, its voice resonated in Zhu Lingyun’s mind.

Zhu Lingyun said, "Senior, I want to find a Divine Race Heart Method to practice."

Speaking to the Cloud Stepping Leopard required clean, straightforward talk; hesitations would only annoy it, and it was best not to beat around the bush.

"You can’t practice a Divine Race Heart Method."

"I can give it a try."

"That’s a road to death."

"Senior, I entered Spirit Venerable without dying even once."

"Just luck; you stumbled into Spirit Venerable inexplicably, hit or miss."

"I’ve always had good luck, even with a Divine Race Heart Method I can give it a try."

"Hmph, a Divine Race Heart Method, it was taken by the Divine Race when they left, how could any be left behind?"

"Have you ever seen a Divine Race Heart Method, senior?"

"No, I can’t read Divine Language! I’ve never even seen Divine Race."

"Alas..."

"Why are you seeking death?"

"Since you’ve never seen a Divine Race Heart Method, how do you know it can’t be practiced? Have you heard of anyone practicing a Divine Race Heart Method?"

"I’ve never seen a Divine Race Heart Method, but I’ve seen someone die from practicing one, a Spirit Venerable no less."

"Witnessed with your own eyes?"

"Yes."

"Who?"

"Seems like it was a Spirit Venerable from the Giant Spirit Sect, died a miserable death."

"Giant Spirit Sect..." Zhu Lingyun frowned, pondering, shaking his head.

He truly hadn’t heard of a Spirit Venerable from the Giant Spirit Sect dying.

"This news never got out." The Cloud Stepping Leopard said disdainfully, "Even the Giant Spirit Sect doesn’t know this Spirit Venerable died, thinking he just went into hiding."

Zhu Lingyun nodded slowly.

A Spirit Venerable’s lifespan was long, their concept of time different, often shutting away for a hundred or even a thousand years.

Traveling from one realm to another, they might forget to return.

Thus it was hard to determine the life or death of a Spirit Venerable.

Even knowing a Spirit Venerable died, it wouldn’t be spoken of, outsiders wouldn’t dare assert they died.

One never knew when they might reappear, serving as a powerful deterrent.

Zhu Lingyun’s spirit lifted, "Where did that guy die?"

"Why, do you want to see?"

"The body of a Spirit Venerable is immortal, has it been acquired by others?"

The presence of a Spirit Venerable could be perceived by others; their demise would be felt by nearby Spirit Venerables.

"He fell into an abyss, no one else acquired him."

"Didn’t they retrieve him from the abyss?"

"They searched but judged he had fallen into a peculiar Grotto Heaven."

"Where is the abyss?" Zhu Lingyun’s spirit lifted, eyes shining.

The Cloud Stepping Leopard remained lazy.

"Senior, please lend a hand." Zhu Lingyun said, "If I become stronger, the little one will be safer, yes?"

He gestured to the little leopard asleep in the courtyard below.

It was in a deep slumber, sleeping the entire day.

Considering its long lifespan, a nap often lasted a year or more.

"Hmph, I’m afraid you might end up like that guy."

"I’ll first take a look at the Heart Method, won’t necessarily practice it."

"Hey!"

"I’ll swear an oath, absolutely not practicing it, just a glimpse, how about that?"

"Really?"

"I swear it now!"

Zhu Lingyun said, lifting three fingers skyward, swearing never to cultivate the Divine Race Heart Method found.

"Fine, let’s go then." The Cloud Stepping Leopard gestured him closer.

Zhu Lingyun floated before it.

"Come up." The Cloud Stepping Leopard said, "The path is long and remote."

Chu Zhiyuan then floated onto its back.

The next moment, light and shadow in front of him twisted sharply, blurring into a haze.