Imperial Cultivation

Chapter 272: Chapter 269 Entering the Mansion

```html

”Sure enough, someone has been here.” Chu Zhiyuan surveyed the surroundings of the stone wall, covered with dense small pits.

The wave of hidden weapons that shot toward them had rebounded, and these pits on the stone wall were caused by hidden weapons fired earlier.

”Really, someone has been here?!” Li Hongzhao furrowed her eyebrows, examining the pits and hollows, ”More fierce than the hidden weapons we encountered.”

Chu Zhiyuan said, ”This is the second time the mechanism has been triggered; this person understands the mechanisms within the cave mansion.”

”Too late by one step!” Li Hongzhao immediately felt disappointed.

She came to this cave mansion first to deal with Chu Zhiyuan, and second to seek Lu Yaofeng’s inheritance.

But now it seems both goals are in vain, naturally leading to disappointment.

”Miss Song,” Chu Zhiyuan reminded.

Song Yichun quickly nodded, returning from her thoughts, gracefully stepping forward, her sleeve fluttering, and her jade fingers flicking out streams of powder.

The powder was mostly pink, with an unpleasant and pungent smell, prompting Xu Yingying to cover her nose with her little hand.

Li Hongzhao slightly furrowed her phoenix eyebrows, watching quietly.

Chu Zhiyuan smiled, ”Miss Song, is this the antidote from your sect?”

Song Yichun shook her head with a smile, ”Princely Heir, this is not an antidote; it’s to test the potency of the poison.”

Chu Zhiyuan nodded thoughtfully.

The pungent pink powder fell, quickly changing into various colors.

Some turned red, some white, some black, some blue, and some purple.

The array of colors was dazzling.

Song Yichun sighed, ”What a powerful poison.”

”What poison is this?” Xu Yingying covered her nose and mouth, her voice coming out through her little hand.

”All nine poisons coexist; it should be Lifeless Powder.” Song Yichun said, ”Fatal upon contact with blood, deadly in the wind, colorless and tasteless, even a Grandmaster would not be alerted. Only a Great Grandmaster can avoid it; it’s one of our sect’s strongest poisons.”

”Junior Sister,” Li Yilong gently reminded.

Song Yichun smiled and nodded.

Chu Zhiyuan glanced at Song Yichun, noting her scheming nature.

Revealing the top poison of Wuyou Sect so openly was as if to amplify her voice in speaking.

Though Wuyou Sect is strong, they are evidently not top disciples within the sect, seeming weaker when standing next to Xu Yingying, not to mention with me and Li Hongzhao present.

Even if Wuyou Sect dares to look down on the royal and noble families, facing me, they still would be apprehensive. It would be different if it were the Holy Daughter of Wuyou Sect.

”Lifeless Powder...” Xu Yingying snorted, ”Isn’t your strongest the No Worries Powder?”

”Lifeless Powder is just one of the strongest; and Yes, No Worries Powder is indeed the strongest,” Song Yichun replied, ”But No Worries Powder is precious and won’t be used lightly.”

Li Hongzhao said, ”What is the effect of No Worries Powder?”

”How can the living be without worries?” Xu Yingying replied, ”Of course, it’s for the dead; they will never worry again.”

”Is it a certain death?” Li Hongzhao asked.

Song Yichun said, ”Even a Great Grandmaster can’t defend against it.”

Li Hongzhao clicked her tongue in surprise.

Su Qiuyan frowned, glancing at Xu Suying and Huang Cheng, but said nothing.

The three Great Grandmasters no longer stayed hidden, directly appearing to follow alongside, avoiding any danger within the cave mansion.

Chu Zhiyuan laughed, ”Even a Great Grandmaster can be poisoned to death, truly impressive, living up to the name of Wuyou Sect. ... No Worries, No Anxieties, both mean the same, right?”

Xu Yingying laughed, ”Hee hee, do you think they make people happy without worries?”

Chu Zhiyuan nodded with a smile.

He had always thought that Wuyou Sect meant carefree, with cultivation techniques focused on happiness and absolute enjoyment.

Now he realized that Wuyou meant freeing people from worry, essentially making them die.

This sounded far more terrifying.

Xu Yingying huffed, ”Yao Yue Palace are lunatics, but it’s Wuyou Sect that are actual madmen, very scary. I, for one, dare not mingle with Wuyou Sect disciples.”

Song Yichun smiled, ”Miss Xu, these are all just misunderstandings; we are actually normal people, not that frightening.”

”But your poisons are very scary.”

”We don’t use poisons often, there are sect rules restricting us. Truly killing someone, we have to pay with our lives.”

Xu Yingying said, ”Anyway, just hearing it gives me goosebumps.”

Li Yilong spoke slowly, ”Many people misunderstand our sect, and some purposely spread such rumors to make the world misunderstand us.”

”Who?” Xu Yingying asked.

Li Yilong looked at Chu Zhiyuan.

Chu Zhiyuan laughed, ”Doesn’t necessarily have to be the Court, could be the other three sects of the Four Great Sects.”

”Maybe,” Li Yilong did not argue.

He thought Chu Zhiyuan’s words made sense, it certainly could be the Court, but the other three sects might not be innocent either.

Song Yichun took a small porcelain bottle from her pocket, poured out a dark green elixir pill, crushed it into powder, and blew it skyward.

The dark green powder scattered, quickly dissolving the dazzling colors.

”It’s okay now.” Song Yichun retrieved the small porcelain bottle, smiling.

”Let’s continue.”

The group proceeded and encountered two more batches of deadly poisons, each neutralized by Song Yichun.

The subsequent poisons were different, their colors just as vibrant.

The second time was Nine Death Powder, the third was Intestine-breaking Powder.

The porcelain bottle elixir taken out the second time was crimson, and the third time was black.

Different poisons have corresponding antidotes.

Chu Zhiyuan seized the opportunity to ask if the Detoxification Pearl could counter these deadly poisons.

”The Detoxification Pearl can,” Song Yichun candidly responded, ”But it can only neutralize one type of poison at a time, requiring time to recover before neutralizing a second, at least needing an hour’s respite.”

”Such intricate wonders?” Chu Zhiyuan said, ”After another hour’s respite, it can neutralize a third kind of poison?”

Song Yichun said, ”For the third time, the respite needed may be two to three hours.”

Li Yilong kept frowning.

This is the most confidential of secrets, not suitable for dissemination, yet Junior Sister Song had no hesitation in disclosing it.

Chu Zhiyuan couldn’t help but secretly praise Song Yichun’s cleverness.

Being sincere with others while teaching everyone so much about antidote methods, how could one treat her harshly?

Everyone possessed a noble status; good manners must be observed.

The group finally reached inside the cave mansion.

Looking at the emptiness, with only a tombstone in the center, Li Hongzhao turned to Chu Zhiyuan, ”Are you sure? Is it really Lu Yaofeng’s cave mansion?”

Chu Zhiyuan smiled, looking at Song Yichun, ”That fellow disciple of yours, Cheng, did indeed come.”

He pointed at the tombstone, ”There used to reside Outer Heaven Power upon this stone, now extinguished by the Great Bright Sword.”

At this moment, the ancient and old tombstone had turned transparent, as if carved from crystal.

Chu Zhiyuan felt a slight stir.

This was actually the same material as the White Tripod.

When there was black flame, the tombstone’s material was different from now; the black flame could directly alter its material.

With the black flame dissipated, the material also changed.

Chu Zhiyuan vaguely felt that this tombstone was valuable, with unique material, surely of wondrous use.

Xu Yingying stepped forward, curiously touching the ancient tombstone, exclaimed, ”This is Outer Heaven Strange Stone, no wonder you were apprehensive. Such a large piece of Outer Heaven Strange Stone, the Outer Heaven Power contained within must be very strong!”

Chu Zhiyuan raised an eyebrow.

Xu Yingying knew about this too!

He said slowly, ”Miss Song, your fellow disciple Cheng may have been corrupted by this strange power.”

Song Yichun stared at the ancient tombstone, her expression grave.

Li Yilong had always been skeptical, but seeing the surroundings of the cave mansion, then looking at the ancient tombstone, recalling the deadly poisons along the way, it was clear that perhaps it truly was as Chu Zhiyuan said.

Could Cheng, the fellow disciple, truly be corrupted?

He could not accept this harsh reality.

```