Imperial Cultivation Chapter 1546 - 1542: Weakness

Li Hongzhao said, "By obtaining these strange artifacts, you might gain unimaginable rewards. Just for this reason alone, you should agree."

Chu Zhiyuan smiled, "You’re siding with the Court now. As expected of a talented student of the Four Holy Veins."

"It’s clearly a good thing. I’m just worried for you," Li Hongzhao suddenly paused, then glanced at him with her phoenix eyes and snorted, "You’ve already made up your mind to agree, haven’t you?"

She had great rapport with Chu Zhiyuan and understood him well enough.

Judging by Chu Zhiyuan’s demeanor, she could tell what was on his mind.

Clearly, he had decided to agree to be the Tribute.

But even after making a decision, he still needed to understand the situation as much as possible and weigh the pros and cons.

Chu Zhiyuan said, "The better the opportunity, the more cautious you must be to avoid it being a trap."

"Isn’t it obvious whether it’s a trap or not? ... Besides, you’re the Tribute, your status is aloof, and you’re a Spirit Venerable. As for the Court, listen if you want, ignore them if you don’t."

"The Divine Artifact is more formidable than you imagine; it can obscure my secret techniques."

"Isn’t the Divine Artifact broken?"

"Who knows if it’s good or not?"

"True enough, you’re usually right," Li Hongzhao huffed, "However, even if you plan to agree, you shouldn’t agree so easily."

Chu Zhiyuan raised his eyebrows.

"What you get too easily won’t be cherished," Li Hongzhao sneered, "Weren’t you ever bothered by how the Court treated you at the start?"

"It doesn’t matter," Chu Zhiyuan said with a smile.

He wasn’t that magnanimous, but he chose to ignore it because he was aiming for the Golden Sword.

Compared to the benefits he would gain, the grievances were actually insignificant.

Li Hongzhao said, "Even I feel indignant for you. In that case, make them suffer a bit this time."

Chu Zhiyuan said, "Tease them a bit?"

"Yes, make them drool with anticipation, even if they know, all they can do is stare in envy."

"Alright, sounds good." Chu Zhiyuan nodded.

What comes too easily is not cherished, that’s human nature.

Now that he was a Spirit Venerable, taking the initiative, there was no need to be overly cautious anymore.

...

Chu Zhiyuan and the Elephant Beast appeared at the foot of Dragon Mountain, standing next to that hundred-meter round pit.

The Elephant Beast looked around with a vibrant spirit.

No longer was it as timid as in the previous encounters.

If Chu Zhiyuan could handle that Cyan Bird, then he could handle the Shattering Bees and the God-slaying Mosquitoes.

He could also fend off the Golden-winged White Eagle, making the remaining threats seem less daunting.

Chu Zhiyuan laughed, "Same old, you watch, I’ll continue."

The Elephant Beast vigorously wagged its tail.

Chu Zhiyuan stepped into the pit, moving to the front, extending both hands forward to continue moving the soil and trees of Dragon Mountain.

The more he experienced the wonders of this soil and the Dragon Trees, the more profound his understanding became.

The Heavenly Yuan Technique, Earth Origin Technique, and Human Element Skill were constantly improving.

All of this was due to the evolution of his Heaven and Earth, which was thanks to the soil and Dragon Trees of Dragon Mountain.

Just as he was focused on moving stuff, his left shoulder sank slightly, and the Elephant Beast had landed.

At once, two White Dragons surged from his body, spiraling out ten meters in front and behind him, then another two White Dragons, spiraled ten meters to his left and right. Lastly, a White Dragon spiraled ten meters above his head.

Five White Dragons shielded his five positions from the southeast, northwest, and above, blocking everything.

The Elephant Beast perched on his left shoulder, gazing at the eight Cyan Birds that appeared thirty meters away.

They had formed a peculiar pattern and were hovering mid-air, staring intently, ready to launch an attack at any moment.

The Elephant Beast’s tail tensed up, its inky tip positioned behind its head, pointing straight at the eight Cyan Birds.

A voice sounded in Chu Zhiyuan’s mind, "Eight of them, can you handle it?"

"No problem."

"Eight!"

"No problem, they can’t breach my defense."

While they were talking, the eight Cyan Birds couldn’t hold back any longer and launched their attack.

A dense web of cracks instantly enveloped Chu Zhiyuan.

The five White Dragons suddenly brightened, becoming more tangible, and their movement speed significantly increased.

They seemed to lazily flick their tails, yet dispelled the cracks.

Chu Zhiyuan was constantly improving.

Even though only a day had passed, the Cloud Dragon Fist had advanced a step, making the White Dragons more powerful.

The Elephant Beast on Chu Zhiyuan’s left shoulder saw this and its eyes shone brightly.

It didn’t even bother to activate any Divine Skills, just kept its gaze on the eight Cyan Birds.

The eight Cyan Birds hovered in the air, flapping their wings, their tiny eyes gleaming coldly.

In the next moment, eight Flying Knives suddenly appeared behind them, shooting lightly toward their rear ends.

The Cyan Bird’s feathers were beautiful, seemingly just for show, but in reality, they boasted extremely high defense, making it hard to break through from the front.

Only by using the element of surprise could one succeed.

"Screech!"

Their feathers fluffed up.

The puffed feathers made them appear like green spheres floating in the air.

The cracks became denser and started to fuse together.

This increased their power significantly.

Where once a single White Dragon could easily fend them off, now with the fusion of cracks, it became a struggle.

The Elephant Beast recognized the unfavorable situation and swung its tail forcefully.

In Chu Zhiyuan’s mind, he said, "It’s alright, I can hold it!"

In the next moment, he vanished on the spot, reappearing behind the Cyan Birds.

The cracks followed closely behind.

The Cyan Birds suddenly appeared to become phantoms.

They had moved, but their speed was too fast, leaving only afterimages.

Chu Zhiyuan vanished again, this time appearing behind them, gently throwing a punch.

They turned phantom again in the sky a hundred meters away, evading a White Dragon he unleashed.

Though only four White Dragons remained at Chu Zhiyuan’s side, two patrolled the distance while two circled nearby, sweeping their bodies and tails through the cracks.

These cracks had already thinned out.

Under Chu Zhiyuan’s pursuit, they couldn’t maintain a high-intensity offense.

The Elephant Beast’s tail wagged joyously, its eyes aglow.

What it expected was Chu Zhiyuan scrambling around to dodge, them pressing in with each step.

But what it saw was quite the opposite.

It never expected this scene, it was Chu Zhiyuan chasing them down.

The cracks were becoming more sporadic, and Chu Zhiyuan’s pursuit quickened, drawing him ever closer as the White Dragon from the Cloud Dragon Fist neared.

They finally dispersed in a panic, disappearing over the horizon in the blink of an eye.

Yet, Chu Zhiyuan didn’t stop, suddenly appearing at a certain spot in the sky, sending two White Dragons flying forward.

At that moment, a Cyan Bird unexpectedly charged forward, only to be met by the two White Dragons conjured by Cloud Dragon Fist.

The Cyan Bird turned phantom, but as the White Dragon’s tail swept through, it became solid, flying backward with sharp "chirp chirp" screams.

In the next moment, Chu Zhiyuan appeared behind the Cyan Bird, reaching out with a quick grab.

It vanished without a trace.

In those few moves, Chu Zhiyuan flickered and flashed, moving with incredible speed.

The Cyan Bird was already inside the Jade Sea and Sky, hovering in the air, warily looking around.

Then it experienced a brief confusion, reappearing above Dragon Mountain.

Chu Zhiyuan stood in mid-air, smiling at it.

By this point, the Cyan Bird was known to him inside and out, with its weaknesses in hand.

To be fair, this Cyan Bird didn’t have any significant weaknesses.

At least its body had none; the tail was extraordinarily tough, impervious to blade or sword.

Its speed was extraordinary, even capable of breaking through the Void.

It could even toggle between the corporeal and the phantom state.

Without Divine Essence, hitting it was nearly impossible.

The only weakness was its spiritual power; only spiritual power could truly harm them, not even Spiritual Essence or Divine Essence.

Divine Essence could hit them, but not harm them.

Spirit Secret Technique was precisely what Chu Zhiyuan excelled at, hence he confidently watched the Cyan Bird.

The Cyan Bird stared back at him, but did not attack, seemingly unsure of its own intentions.

Having entered the Jade Sea and Sky once, its hostility towards Chu Zhiyuan had already dissipated.