Imperial Cultivation

Chapter 243: Chapter 240 Entering the Palace

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Xiao Ruoling was about to bid farewell to Chu Zhiyuan when she suddenly turned to look back.

The sound of a galloping horse was rapidly approaching from afar and in the blink of an eye, it had arrived nearby.

With a neigh, a snow-white steed stopped not far from them, rising on its hind legs.

The two Heavenly Dragon Divine Horses glanced at it and then turned away, disdainfully ignoring it.

Sitting atop the horse was a woman dressed in white as pure as snow, her face covered by a white veil, revealing only a pair of bright and beautiful eyes that pierced through like cold light.

Chu Zhiyuan directly perceived her as an extraordinary beauty, appearing to be two years younger than Xiao Ruoling.

A penetrating chill was between her brows, and she looked down upon everyone with an unapproachable air.

Chu Zhiyuan raised a sword-like eyebrow.

This was also a female disciple from Yao Yue Palace, with her cultivation at Innate Perfection, similar to Xiao Ruoling’s.

Xiao Ruoling was calm and serene, profound yet gentle, whereas this woman was arrogantly overbearing, clearly a prodigy of her age.

”Shen Hanyue from Yao Yue Palace!”

”Sister Shen.”

The two young women smiled and folded their hands in greeting, ”Sister Shen, you’re just in time. This is Sister Xiao, who just arrived.”

Shen Hanyue, sitting on her horse, perfunctorily cupped her fist, her clear, shining eyes landing on Xiao Ruoling’s face.

Like Shen Hanyue, Xiao Ruoling’s face was also covered with a white veil. This was a rule of Yao Yue Palace, where all disciples masked their faces from the gaze of men.

Men were unworthy to behold the true faces of Yao Yue Palace disciples.

Even with her face covered, Xiao Ruoling’s deep, mesmerizing eyes drew others into them at a glance, proving irresistible.

Just with those eyes, even if her features were ordinary, she was enough to attract, akin to a beauty.

She averted her gaze to Chu Zhiyuan, immediately showing a disdainful expression.

Once more, Chu Zhiyuan’s eyebrow arched.

Being a dazzling figure of remarkable appearance and the identity of the Princely Heir with the cultivation of a Grandmaster, not to mention a divine-like Super Sense, gave him a composed and serene demeanor.

While not every woman would fall for him, she was the first to show such clear contempt.

She snorted lightly through her nose, rustling the veil covering her face, ”Man?”

Xiao Ruoling spoke, ”So you are Sister Shen, I’ve heard much of your reputation.”

This indeed was the rising prodigy, one of the strongest contenders for the title of Holy Daughter.

Chu Zhiyuan looked towards Xiao Ruoling, ”Ruoling, I’m off then, I’ll be back in a few days to see the results.”

Xiao Ruoling responded softly, ”Be careful on the road.”

”Haha...” Chu Zhiyuan laughed, ”Even if those of the Evil Sect ambush me, they’d have to catch up with me first.”

Once the Heavenly Dragon Divine Horses start galloping, no Grandmaster’s qinggong could catch up, making it very difficult.

Moreover, he had a premonition of danger and would immediately change direction if he sensed trouble ahead.

He mounted his horse, waved towards Xiao Ruoling, nodded at the two white-robed maidens of Yao Yue Palace, and then two beams of golden light shot out, vanishing without a trace.

”Such fast horses!” the two white-robed maidens exclaimed in admiration.

One girl curiously asked, ”Sister Xiao, what kind of horse is that, to be so swift?”

”Heavenly Dragon Divine Horses,” Xiao Ruoling smiled.

”Heavenly Dragon Divine Horses...” The two white-robed girls tilted their heads, clapped their hands, ”We remember now, the Heavenly Dragon Divine Horses of Da Zhen. So someone has tamed them?”

Suddenly, they realized, ”It’s the Fourth Prince.”

Xiao Ruoling nodded lightly.

It seemed that the news from Yujing could also reach Yao Yue Palace.

The two white-robed girls marveled, ”The Heavenly Dragon Divine Horse lives up to its name, so fast!”

The two girls clearly adored fine horses and were full of praise for the Heavenly Dragon Divine Horses.

They asked Xiao Ruoling again if sitting on them was particularly exhilarating, exciting, and refreshing.

Xiao Ruoling smiled and nodded, describing the ride experience.

Sitting on the back of a Heavenly Dragon Divine Horse felt like being seated on a chair, giving no sense of the horse running.

There was neither bumping nor any sense of speed.

Yet, the actual speed was incredibly fast, far surpassing her own qinggong.

From Yujing City to here took only two hours, with a round trip in a day done with ease.

This news drew repeated exclamations from the two young women.

They wished they, too, could have a try.

”Sister Xiao, can we also ride?”

”They don’t allow others to ride, only the Princely Heir,” Xiao Ruoling said helplessly.

All the while, Shen Hanyue, who had been silently listening, suddenly let out a cold laugh, ”Lies, if others can’t ride, then how did you get here?”

Xiao Ruoling replied with a smile, ”Sister Shen, I came riding together with the Princely Heir.”

”Two horses, yet you only rode one?” Shen Hanyue snorted.

Xiao Ruoling nodded.

Shen Hanyue said, ”You’re a disciple of Yao Yue Palace, how can you ride with a man?”

Xiao Ruoling smiled, ”I am to be the future Heir’s Wife; riding together isn’t inappropriate.”

”... Can Yao Yue Palace disciples marry?” Shen Hanyue was somewhat confused.

Xiao Ruoling said, ”Didn’t my master marry the Emperor?”

”But that’s...”

Xiao Ruoling explained, ”We at Yao Yue Palace aren’t forbidden from marrying, we simply choose not to.”

Shen Hanyue shook her head, feeling it wasn’t right.

Her master had clearly stated that marriage was forbidden.

The two white-robed maidens chimed in, ”Sister Xiao, Sister Shen, hurry into the palace, the Elders are waiting.”

”Let’s go quickly then,” Xiao Ruoling laughed.

Chu Zhiyuan stood a hundred meters away, unable to perceive what was on the mountain, as an invisible force enveloped it.

He sighed inwardly.

The true nature of Yao Yue Palace was always unclear—how many Grandmasters, Great Grandmasters, or disciples it had remained a mystery.

Even Xiao Ruoling hadn’t figured it out; West Palace Lady Zeng Yuan had said such information was top secret, not to be disclosed.

Not even the Emperor knew.

As a disciple of Yao Yue Palace, she could observe for herself, but must not discuss it with outsiders, nor with her future husband.

Seeing no more, Chu Zhiyuan decided not to waste time, releasing the restraint on the Heavenly Dragon Divine Horses, allowing them to gallop freely.

When he had Xiao Ruoling with him, he restrained the Heavenly Dragon Divine Horses somewhat, but without her, he let them fully loose.

The two horses raced at full speed, no longer holding back their strength, like two beams of golden light sweeping across the road.

Wherever they passed, dust flew, resembling a rising Yellow Dragon; the thundering hoofbeats synonymous with the clamor of hundreds of horses.

The two horses created the momentum of two hundred horses.

Riding on the horse, Chu Zhiyuan’s lips curled up in excitement and thrill.

He bolted back to Yujing City in one breath, returning to his Prince Mansion, letting the horses roam in the rear garden at their leisure.

Every two days, he would take them out for a romp, letting them run to their hearts’ content while he, too, relished the freedom.

Then he began to immerse himself in cultivation.

——

Xiao Ruoling and Shen Hanyue followed the two white-robed maidens, skimming along treetops upward, finally reaching the mountainside.

An ancient and majestic palace stood on the mountainside, with a group of women in white combat uniforms practicing on the martial arts training ground in front of the grand hall.

The bright sunlight shone on the martial arts training ground, radiating vigor.

Xiao Ruoling noticed that over a hundred young women were all quite young.

On the steps of the grand hall, stood a middle-aged woman solemnly, her gaze often sweeping over the young women training on the ground.

The two white-robed maidens skimmed over the treetops, whispering softly, ”These are the newly admitted junior sisters, and that’s Elder Meng, the strictest of all.”

Speaking of Elder Meng, they even shrank their necks, clearly having been scolded by her before.

Shen Hanyue frowned, ”Their cultivation is too weak, isn’t it?”

”They’ve only been here a year,” came the reply.

”Let’s continue upwards; the senior sisters are above.”

They continued upward.

They soon spotted scattered groups of deer and various other small, adorable creatures in the forest, creatures they had never seen before.

Shen Hanyue widened her bright eyes, captivated, chasing each delightful creature.

Xiao Ruoling marveled as she observed.

”These are companions we raise; after practice each day, we can play with them.”

”Can Yao Yue Palace raise such creatures?” Xiao Ruoling was surprised.

It was her first time hearing this.

”You can choose to raise them or not, never forced, but you mustn’t abuse them; they are to be treated as friends or family, even considered disciples of Yao Yue Palace.”

”I want to keep a little fawn!” Shen Hanyue eagerly said.

The two girls smiled, nodding, then detailed the characteristics of various animals.

Though cute, fawns were mischievous and quite a handful, raccoons weren’t too sociable, and spirit dogs were the most fun.

As they introduced, they continued upward, soon arriving at another palace, a White Jade Palace.

Before the palace was the White Jade Square.

On the square were over a hundred Innate Masters.

They continued upward to reach another White Jade Palace, on whose martial arts training ground there were more than a hundred women, all Grandmasters by regard.

Eventually, they reached the summit, descending before the final White Jade Palace.

Before the White Jade Palace stood nine young and beautiful women.

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