Imperial Cultivation Chapter 1693: Breakthrough

The pain’s stimulus grew increasingly intense.

Their sword light didn’t begin to scatter, instead it became even more dense.

“Sister, these White Apes are peculiar, is it an array?”

“Or a spiritual artifact?”

“Perhaps a secret technique?”

Shen Hanyue shouted as she swung her sword.

“Hold on for now.” Xiao Ruoling’s eyes were calm, and her sword light flowed like water.

“Qingyu and I will cover, Sister, you break through,” Shen Hanyue said, “Call the princely heir over.”

Xiao Ruoling shook her head.

Zhou Qingyu said, “Master I don’t have a spiritual artifact, even if I cover it’s useless, Master if you can break through just break through, when Master comes everything will be fine.”

Xiao Ruoling shook her head, “Stop thinking about breaking through, find a way to deal with them.”

“We can’t, right?” Shen Hanyue exclaimed, “We have the will but not the power.”

Xiao Ruoling said, “With our ability, as long as we want, it’s no problem!”

Shen Hanyue said, “We’re not stronger than them, right?”

“Stop daydreaming, think of a way to break their encirclement!” Xiao Ruoling said.

Zhou Qingyu’s bright eyes burned, “If Master were here, how would Master deal with this?”

She quickly contemplated in her mind, considering how Chu Zhiyuan would act.

Of course, with Master’s skill, a flick of his sleeve would send them flying.

But if Master wasn’t at his current realm and was at her realm, how would he act?

What techniques would he use?

“Flying Knife!”

Her mind suddenly flashed with the image of Chu Zhiyuan’s sleeve releasing beams of light.

But she hadn’t practiced the flying knife; Master had said it should not distract her.

Then what technique had Master taught her to break the encirclement?

Just then, she felt something different.

Xiao Ruoling’s green robe billowed, her feet lifted off the ground, and she swung her sword lightly.

The incoming stones were shredded into powder by the delicate sword light.

The crystal clear swordsmanship missed no stone; no matter how fast they came, none could penetrate the sword light thin as a cicada’s wing.

“Wow, Sister, you’ve broken through!” Shen Hanyue cheered.

Xiao Ruoling’s stunning face blossomed with a smile, and her sword light exploded forward.

Shen Hanyue and Zhou Qingyu followed closely, forming a pyramid formation.

Xiao Ruoling’s sword light held at the front, blocking most stones.

The two women on her sides and behind her formed protection, avoiding stones from all directions.

All three women used the Pure Yin Sword Technique.

These stones flew in, soundlessly crumbling into powder.

No stone could penetrate the sword light and reach their bodies anymore.

This immense pressure was completely different from the feeling during their sparring.

Various stones carried different powers, whereas during sparring, they were already familiar with each other, making it hard to produce such strong stimuli.

These stimuli drove their sword techniques deeper, enabling more refined application of force on the sword.

The power of the stones, once halved when hitting the sword, would transmit to their bodies, shaking their blood and chi.

Now, only a third of the stones’ powers fell on the sword, and thanks to the exquisite step techniques, a third was further worn away; the remainder entering their bodies could no longer shake their blood and chi.

With Xiao Ruoling advancing one realm further, the stones posed no threat.

As they advanced, the White Apes retreated, throwing stones while withdrawing.

Zhou Qingyu shook her head, “At this moment, Master’s flying knife would be the most useful.”

Had she practiced Master’s flying knife, these White Apes couldn’t form an encirclement.

They’d even have fled with tails between their legs.

“Let’s practice the flying knife once we return.” Shen Hanyue said, “It’s one of the princely heir’s specialties, it’d be too regrettable not to master this flying knife.”

Zhou Qingyu nodded firmly.

Xiao Ruoling said, “I’ll go and break through their encirclement!”

“Sister, go ahead.” Zhou Qingyu said, “Let them see some skill!”

Xiao Ruoling turned into a stream of light, merging with her sword, moving at lightning speed.

The White Apes responded quickly, moving fast and screaming as they turned into beams of white light shooting into the distance.

Even the White Apes at the rear throwing stones fled upon seeing the scene.

In the blink of an eye, there were no White Apes visible in the field of view.

“Hmph, they were sensible enough!” Shen Hanyue huffed angrily.

These White Apes were very cunning and fast. When things didn’t go well, they’d flee, never stubbornly confronting.

This aggrieved feeling of just taking hits without hitting back filled her with anger.

When she turned to Xiao Ruoling, her smile bloomed like a flower, “Sister, congratulations!”

Xiao Ruoling smiled and shook her head, “It’s just by chance, how about you?”

“I’m just a tiny bit away,” Shen Hanyue said, “Just a tiny bit away, let’s wander a bit more and I think I’ll make it.”

She turned to Zhou Qingyu, “Qingyu, how about you?”

Zhou Qingyu laughed, “Aunt, I’m also just a little bit away, soon I’ll break through too.”

Shen Hanyue’s eyes gleamed, “How about we deal with the White Tiger this time? Get some stimulus!”

She realized stimulation indeed improved her realm.

If not for the White Apes pushing too hard, she wouldn’t have improved so much. Although she hadn’t broken through, she was just a step away.

“Sure.” Zhou Qingyu clapped her hands, “Let’s get something stimulating!”

Xiao Ruoling nodded.

“Sister, maybe… you go out first.” Shen Hanyue said, “With you around, we don’t need to use our full strength.”

Xiao Ruoling’s bright eyes suddenly widened.

Zhou Qingyu giggled, “Master, Aunt is right, with you there, we have support and can’t go all out.”

“…Let’s see first.” Xiao Ruoling snorted, “If I really get in the way, it’s not too late to leave.”

“Just afraid we won’t be able to leave then.” Shen Hanyue said, “Is it that these White Apes have peculiar skills, or do other strange beasts similarly have peculiar skills?”

“Let’s go.” Xiao Ruoling pointed to the west, “That’s where the White Tiger is.”

The three women floated about a hundred miles away, reaching halfway up another mountain, and saw the White Tiger.

The White Tiger lay on a huge rock, paws drooping, exposing its belly to the sun.

Its eyes, the size of lanterns, were closed, and its glossy belly lightly rose and fell.

Despite the distance, despite its lazy demeanor, the women felt an overwhelming pressure.

It came from a bloodline suppression, driving them to turn and leave.

Zhou Qingyu transmitted sound into secret, “Aunt, this White Tiger… we can’t deal with it, right?”

Shen Hanyue flipped her hand to take a Spirit Shuttle out, frowning and looking at Xiao Ruoling.

Xiao Ruoling also took out a Spirit Shuttle and shook her head.

The Spirit Shuttle was ineffective here, which meant they couldn’t rely on it to escape.

“It wasn’t the ability of the White Apes before; all the strange beasts’ territories are this way?” Shen Hanyue said.

Xiao Ruoling slowly nodded.

“How about… we retreat?” Shen Hanyue looked at the drowsy, lazy White Tiger, and her heart was tempted to retreat.

Zhou Qingyu said, “Auntie, since we’re here, let’s do it!”

Shen Hanyue sneaked a look at the White Tiger, not daring to stare, “Just afraid we’re serving ourselves up.”

“Only by fighting do we know.” Zhou Qingyu said, “Otherwise, how can we break through?”

Shen Hanyue turned to Xiao Ruoling, “Qingyu, this girl, is truly not afraid of death, so bold!”

Xiao Ruoling laughed, “Check if your master’s jade pendant works.”

Zhou Qingyu took out the jade pendant and shook her head.

“Then…” Shen Hanyue hesitated.

Zhou Qingyu said, “Aunt, we’re here, fight once before knowing.”

“Alright, let’s fight.” Shen Hanyue said, “Sister, go afar, don’t intervene. If we can’t hold, rush back to find the princely heir.”

“Fine.” Xiao Ruoling nodded.

This was indeed a safe method.

She was about to retreat when the White Tiger slowly opened its eyes and let out a low roar.

The roar was like distant thunder, shaking their blood and chi, plunging their vision into darkness.

“Run quickly!”

Shen Hanyue grabbed Zhou Qingyu and ran.

Xiao Ruoling also retreated, accelerating to flee.