Imperial Cultivation

Chapter 221: Chapter 218: Annihilation

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He turned his head to look at Guo Chi and the other three.

Zhang Youling, even when severely injured, was still incredibly fast.

The speed of Guo Chi and the other three couldn’t match his.

He then looked at Zou Fang.

Zou Fang’s cultivation technique was peculiar, with ghostly speed far surpassing that of Guo Chi and the others.

By combining the Near and Far Steps with the Earth Origin Technique, he could push his speed to the limit, surpassing Zhang Youling.

Currently, he was able to catch up to Zhang Youling with the aid of pine trees, fortunately, these two hundred miles of terrain were covered with them.

But Zhang Youling needed to draw essence blood from forest animals to heal his injuries.

If he were to run directly into the city, he would have already lost track of him.

However, Zhang Youling’s injuries were healing rapidly, making it increasingly difficult to kill him.

Continuing like this, tracking him down was bound to fail.

The best approach was to close the distance, using Super Sensing Illumination to capture his weaknesses, and look for an opportunity for a lethal strike.

If no opportunity arose, wait for the Great Grandmaster to arrive.

The Great Grandmaster wouldn’t be detained for long.

Thinking this, he said solemnly, ”Commander Guo, I must go ahead first.”

”Princely Heir!” Guo Chi was greatly alarmed.

Ji Dongxiao said, ”Princely Heir, is the situation unfavorable?”

”Yes, we’ll soon lose him,” Chu Zhiyuan said with a grave expression.

With Zhang Youling more dangerous after this injury, he absolutely couldn’t be left for another time; he didn’t want to constantly guard against him.

Ji Dongxiao said, ”Then Princely Heir, take care, we will follow behind.”

”Princely Heir, be careful,” Guo Chi said with unease.

For the first time, he wouldn’t be guarding by Chu Zhiyuan’s side, and he couldn’t help but feel worried, his heart feeling empty.

Chu Zhiyuan smiled and said, ”Zou Fang, you go with them, head straight back to Master Huang, and eliminate any experts from the Yuding Sect you encounter.”

Zou Fang hesitated, ”Princely Heir, let me stay with you, you shouldn’t be without attendants.”

”At a crucial moment, there’s no room for concern; I won’t starve.”

”...Yes.”

”Don’t worry, I won’t seek death on purpose.”

”...Yes, Princely Heir, please be extremely careful.”

——

Chu Zhiyuan appeared two hundred miles away.

Super Sense once again enveloped Zhang Youling, illuminating him.

Zhang Youling was huddled in a narrow cave, with a giant stone sealing the entrance, leaving only a thin crack for air.

Inside the cave, there was barely room for one person to sit, resembling an upright coffin.

He sat cross-legged, solemn in demeanor.

Chu Zhiyuan frowned.

This was obviously Zhang Youling’s secret chamber and safe house.

With the help of contraptions, he had pressed the giant stone against the cave entrance.

Clearly, he had prepared for the scenario of having impaired arms.

It was indeed well-secured.

This made things somewhat troublesome.

The Breaking Gang Flying Blade couldn’t penetrate such thick rock; palm power couldn’t punch through, the longsword couldn’t pierce it, and even sound couldn’t resonate through.

Perhaps poison could be used, seeping through the tiny crack.

But he wasn’t skilled with poison.

At the Grandmaster Realm, ordinary poison was ineffective.

Could he really only watch as he healed, until he fully recovered?

Chu Zhiyuan pondered in his heart, unleashing his Super Sense to the utmost.

Under the Super Sense, Zhang Youling’s body’s flesh and blood gradually became transparent, revealing his blue meridians.

Within the crisscrossed blue meridians, red currents surged vigorously.

Between the brows was a vertical eye flashing a brilliant golden light.

The vertical eye was closed, about the size of a thumb, appearing as if cast from gold, covered with dense, intricate patterns.

Chu Zhiyuan remembered that the vertical eye had been open at that time.

Zhang Youling being able to foresee danger a second in advance was likely related to this golden vertical eye.

The red currents within the body’s meridians operated along peculiar routes, passing through two places, one being the heart, the other the chest center.

The red currents strengthened the weakened heart continually.

The heart, like the arms, was vital for maintaining the entire body’s blood circulation, bearing a heavy burden, working non-stop.

It was like working while injured, naturally making recovery not so easy.

At the chest center, the red glow surged fiercely, like a blazing flame.

The red currents originated here and descended into the heart, integrating the red glow to heal the heart.

So this red glow was the source of healing power.

Where did this red glow come from?

Chu Zhiyuan furrowed his sword brows.

Most likely, it came from the absorbed essence blood.

Could this power from the essence blood be obtained through other means, or replaced with other forces?

He observed that the red glow would emit weak strands of black vapor, leaving the meridians, floating upwards, eventually drifting to his brain.

They aimed to drift into the back of the brain but suddenly changed direction, being drawn by the golden vertical eye.

He speculated that this black vapor was likely the source of the inhumanity and disregard for life of the Yuding Sect disciples.

The more they practiced this cultivation technique, the deeper they were tainted by this black vapor, leading to greater slaughter, more cold-bloodedness, and a lack of humanity.

And all this black vapor was absorbed by the golden eye, allowing Zhang Youling to remain unaffected?

Judging by Zhang Youling’s actions, he was also inhuman, killing as though slaughtering pigs.

Was this his true nature?

The world always had naturally evil people.

They had no compassion, couldn’t think of others, lacked love and empathy, having only indifference and hostility.

Was Zhang Youling one of these people?

Chu Zhiyuan unraveled the mysteries of the mental method.

The mental method itself wasn’t particularly miraculous; the key lay in the red glow and the power of essence blood.

The absorbed essence blood must have been transformed through a special mental method, becoming a mysterious power, carrying black vapor, yet capable of regenerating lost limbs and rapidly healing the body.

Chu Zhiyuan felt regretful.

Obtaining this special mental method was difficult, often only demonstrated when they killed, and he couldn’t bear to watch them kill idly.

Unless a Yuding Sect disciple demonstrated it to him directly.

Super Sensing Illumination constantly searched for Zhang Youling’s weaknesses.

Moments later, he suddenly moved.

At this moment, Zhang Youling was at a critical stage, with nearly all the red glow converging at the heart.

This moment could not afford any disturbance.

This was a cave hidden halfway up the mountain, with a platform in front of the entrance, the edge of the ten-square-meter platform having two pine trees.

Silently, he leapt onto the platform and approached the giant stone without a sound, the Qingying Sword probing through the thin crack, slicing gently.

The stone was shaved away like tofu, softly wrapped by his Gang Qi without falling.

He sheathed his sword.

Zhang Youling sat with closed eyes, operating, while the golden eye between the brows suddenly opened.

Several white streaks flew out from Chu Zhiyuan’s sleeve.

”Swish, swish, swish, swish!”

In the confined space, there was no room to dodge.

Zhang Youling’s eyes widened, wanting to rise but it was too late; the mental method was at its most critical point, and his body wouldn’t obey.

The blade lights shot into his body.

The Breaking Gang Flying Blade ignored defenses, unobstructed.

Several blood holes instantly appeared on his body.

”You...” Zhang Youling’s eyes widened, his vicious gaze piercing fiercely through the crack, now widened to a palm’s thickness.

Chu Zhiyuan inserted both hands into the crack, pressed against the giant stone, Gang Qi rapidly spreading through the stone from his palms.

His hands slowly raised blue veins, with several veins extending from his arms, upward to the neck, climbing up to the temples.

”Boom!”

The giant stone rolled and fell onto the platform, as if causing the whole mountain to tremble.

The cave entrance was exposed.

Chu Zhiyuan swiftly entered, delivering a punch to Zhang Youling’s brow without waiting for him to finish speaking.

At such close range, Zhang Youling raised his palm to block.

Chu Zhiyuan ignored his block, amidst a faint dragon chant, his fist swelled, breaking his still-healing hands and arms.

He tilted his head to dodge the punch.

But at the last moment, the punch shifted direction.

”Pop!” The punch landed squarely on the left side of his temple.

The head, lacking Gang Qi protection, was struck solidly, the full power of the Great Heavenly Dragon Fist poured into his brain.

Instantly, his brain matter boiled.

”Pfft!” A streak of golden light shot out, crashing into the rock wall.

Chu Zhiyuan landed another punch on Zhang Youling’s head.

By then, he was bleeding from all seven apertures, the blood mixed with white matter.

”Pop!” Once more, the Great Heavenly Dragon Fist solidly struck the back of his head, one of the human body’s weakest spots.

Zhang Youling limply leaned against the stone wall, sliding down like a puddle of mud.

He had a small hole in his forehead.

The size of a pinky, yet not a drop of blood oozed out.

Super Sense had already seen that the golden light was a golden bead.

The size of a pinky fingertip, perfectly round and shining brightly.

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