Imperial Cultivation

Chapter 288: Chapter 285 Subjugation

As soon as he said that, he suddenly realized it was inappropriate, feeling extremely annoyed.

What was happening to him? Was he really going to pledge allegiance to the Fourth Prince of Da Jing?

How on earth did he master the Fearless Sect’s mental method?

Chu Zhiyuan chuckled, ”Do you have any sense of your own cultivation? ... You’re good for passing on information, but expecting you to control the Fearless Sect is a colossal joke!”

The middle-aged man, initially annoyed, felt he shouldn’t listen to such nonsense.

But upon hearing this, he became indignant, ”My cultivation is low because I couldn’t see the Fearless Realm before, couldn’t firmly believe in it. Now it’s different.”

”And what if you do firmly believe?” Chu Zhiyuan shook his head, ”You’re not unaware of how many disciples in the Fearless Sect survive to become a Grandmaster, right?”

The middle-aged man’s gaze suddenly dimmed.

Thinking of how many neighbors of his had died, and not one of them persisted to become a Grandmaster, all had perished.

Fortunately, they had truly gone to the Fearless Realm, and not reincarnated, able to continue their cultivation there.

”Did they not hold firm beliefs?” Chu Zhiyuan said.

The middle-aged man remained silent.

Within the Fearless Sect, those who believed firmly were the majority, almost all of them.

He was a rare exception, perhaps even the only one.

But what use was firm belief?

Death still meant death.

Chu Zhiyuan said, ”Are you convinced that you can carve a path out? ... Everyone thinks like you do, but how many actually survive in the end?”

”I...” The middle-aged man gritted his teeth, ”I will definitely make it out alive!”

After speaking, he felt a bit regretful again.

Was he really going to pledge allegiance to the Fourth Prince of Da Jing?

He still had a bit of reluctance.

He had just begun to truly see the Fearless Sect clearly, had just started to truly believe in the Fearless Sect, had just started on the path of cultivation.

Dying young like this, he was truly unwilling.

Moreover, he knew a Miracle Technique, a technique known to no one else, that allowed him to fake death and come back to life.

Chu Zhiyuan scrutinized him.

”...” He stared unyieldingly at Chu Zhiyuan.

”Forget it, let’s not talk about this.” Chu Zhiyuan said, ”I’m not counting on you to carve a path out, just give me the information first.”

The middle-aged man instantly showed a reluctant expression.

He still had a vague sense that something was off.

His suspicious nature made him ponder: was he being deceived?

Chu Zhiyuan said, ”Unwilling to do this?”

”You...” The middle-aged man hesitated, staring intently at Chu Zhiyuan, trying to see through him.

Chu Zhiyuan laughed, ”Do you think you’re particularly important, irreplaceable?”

He looked at the other two, then at him, ”You seem to have been frustrated, suffered many setbacks, harboring anger, I saw a shadow of my childhood in you, so I started with you first. If you really think you’re irreplaceable, then forget it.”

”You were also frustrated in your childhood?” the middle-aged man questioned incredulously.

Chu Zhiyuan snorted, ”I also bided my time, had a sudden epiphany one night, so are you willing or not?... If not, I’ll approach them.”

”... What do you need to know?”

”Everything.” Chu Zhiyuan snorted, ”From beginning to end, I want a complete plan, how to control the Fearless Sect.”

”It’s impossible.”

”I’m about to step into the Great Grandmaster, isn’t it possible then?”

”There are Great Grandmasters on the mountain too.”

”... Then I’ll use the Court’s Great Grandmaster to wipe them out.”

”You...”

”Those who follow me will prosper, those who oppose me will perish!”

”... Alright.” The middle-aged man saw Chu Zhiyuan’s ruthless expression, and actually felt at ease.

He felt this was the true nature, the true means of a Princely Heir, especially a powerful Princely Heir.

The Imperial Family must surely be scheming and fighting for power.

As the Fourth Prince, and with such strong Martial Arts Talent, Chu Zhiyuan would definitely step into the Great Grandmaster, definitely seize the imperial throne.

In seizing the throne, one must do unspeakable things, must not be soft-hearted.

Chu Zhiyuan nodded in satisfaction, gesturing with his hand.

The middle-aged man instantly flew away from the wall, flying towards Chu Zhiyuan.

Chu Zhiyuan struck him on the back with a palm.

”Swish, swish, swish!” A dense array of silver needles shot from his body into the wall, forming three circles on the wall.

Chu Zhiyuan flicked his sleeve.

The middle-aged man fell to the stone table next to the well in the courtyard, hurriedly grabbing the table to prevent himself from falling.

His whole body felt weak and powerless.

But inside his body, strength was slowly flowing, gradually recovering.

He took a deep breath, struggling once more with his thoughts.

Chu Zhiyuan suddenly flashed beside him, placing a palm on his shoulder, said irritably, ”Stop overthinking, sit down and talk!”

The middle-aged man’s expression fluctuated, under Chu Zhiyuan’s gaze, finally sat down.

He sensed the Gang Qi Chu Zhiyuan pressed against him, indeed the same source as that of the Fearless Sect.

The aura of the Fearless Realm couldn’t be faked.

Chu Zhiyuan said, ”Alright, start from the beginning. When did you enter the Fearless Sect? What experiences have you had over the years? Tell me about the situation within the sect.”

”... Alright.” The middle-aged man finally gritted his teeth and began to recount.

Chu Zhiyuan listened, nodding as he did.

He felt the Fearless Sect, though it sounded intimidating, was actually just a small sect.

The sect’s management was simple and crude, loose yet free, not so meticulous.

This stemmed from the disciples’ firm belief in the Fearless Realm, fearless in their hearts, hopeful, not having high demands for their current lives in the sect.

They cultivated self-sufficiently, practiced for a while, then went down the mountain to fight, if they progressed, they would return to consolidate, and after a while, go down the mountain to challenge again.

This cycle continued until they either stepped into the Grandmaster, leaving their small courtyard for the mountaintop, or died.

Chu Zhiyuan said, ”Are there any tasks for the disciples of the Fearless Sect, like killing certain people?”

”If there were, everyone would be happy, but throughout the year, there are very few such tasks.”

”Don’t you care about who to kill?”

”It doesn’t matter, does it? Killing is killing, isn’t it?”

”What about innocents, women, and children?”

”There’s no need for us to kill them. We only kill Martial Arts experts, risking our lives.”

”Do you cooperate with any other sects, or any Evil Sects?”

”We don’t know that, we just follow orders.”

”That’s quite foolish.”

”What difference does it make knowing or not? In any case, we must follow orders; otherwise, being expelled from the Fearless Sect is worse than death.”

Now he saw the Fearless Realm clearly, and could more acutely feel the fear of being expelled from the Fearless Sect.

Chu Zhiyuan nodded, ”That’s true... Alright, you know too little. What about the other two?”

”The other two are Grandmasters, they know more.” Lu Gaoxuan enviously looked at the two young men.

Chu Zhiyuan nodded slowly, ”If you go back now, will you be suspected?”

”Only the three of us know, how could there be suspicion?”

”Should we kill those two?” Chu Zhiyuan pondered, ”Otherwise, you’d be exposed... Or rather, let all three of you go back...”

Lu Gaoxuan’s spirit lifted, ”Of course they’ll be killed.”

Chu Zhiyuan pondered.

Lu Gaoxuan hurriedly said, ”If I don’t kill them, they would kill me.”

If Chu Zhiyuan needed informants, his value wouldn’t be that high anymore.

The two Grandmasters obtained more information.

Chu Zhiyuan might decide to kill him first to not expose the other two.

It’s best to strike first and kill those two.

Chu Zhiyuan sighed, ”Fearless Sect’s disciples aren’t supposed to kill each other, right?”

”... You can’t reach the Fearless Realm by mutual killing.”

”You... ” Chu Zhiyuan shook his head, ”You’re not fit to be my informant.”

He suddenly flashed behind one of the young men, striking him on the back.

”Swish, swish, swish...” Silver light flickered.

The young man, Wu Kuisong, suddenly widened his eyes, the light in them abruptly brightened, and his left palm flipped back to strike at Chu Zhiyuan.

Chu Zhiyuan met it with a palm.

”Boom!” Thunder Shock resonated, Wu Kuisong’s body flew out, smashing hard into the wall.

Chu Zhiyuan withdrew his palm, smiling as he looked at Wu Kuisong, ”You heard everything, right?”