Imperial Cultivation

Chapter 300: Chapter 297: Into the Secret

The disputes in Yujing City were clearly perceived by the Yao Yue Palace.

The disciples of Yao Yue Palace refrained from entering Yujing, but it didn’t mean they were unaware of Yujing’s happenings or isolated from news.

On the contrary, Yao Yue Palace was exceptionally well-informed about Yujing City through various channels.

They were also thoroughly informed about the Martial Arts Hall and Chu Zhiyuan.

While surprised, they couldn’t help but be intrigued.

The path to becoming a Grandmaster is a rigid barrier in front of all Martial Arts experts, and Yao Yue Palace’s disciples are no exception.

The disciples of Yao Yue Palace are all exceptionally talented, yet many are stuck on the path to becoming a Grandmaster, unable to advance an inch.

Even if the mental method of Yao Yue Palace is superb and the Secret Land is marvelous, the blockage remains.

About one-third of Yao Yue Palace’s disciples can become Grandmasters, while two-thirds cannot break through.

This is already an extraordinarily high success rate.

These breakthrough disciples often remain stuck at Innate Perfection for several years, commonly one or two years, sometimes even ten or twenty years.

On average, it’s about ten years.

Even though Yao Yue Palace maintains a peaceful and harmonious environment, ten years is still difficult to endure.

Now, however, Chu Zhiyuan has managed to reduce what takes ten years into ten days, a huge difference that drives people wild.

They could understand the craze of those in Yujing City; they would feel the same in their position.

But for such an important opportunity, Yao Yue Palace’s disciples simply had no chance and couldn’t possibly enter the Military Suppression Department or the Martial Arts Hall.

Initially filled with sighs, they then remembered that Chu Zhiyuan is the future husband of the Holy Daughter.

Thus, they held a glimmer of hope.

However, this glimmer was shattered by Chu Zhiyuan’s conduct in Yujing City.

Impartial and just, showing no favoritism, whether to the Four Great Sects or various sects, whether to royal and noble families or uncles and maternal uncles, all were refused.

Everything followed the rules set by the Court, entering the Martial Arts Hall according to merit rankings.

They originally worried that he would be as impartial and just as he was in Yujing City, showing no favoritism.

Unexpectedly, he was so eager to assist Yao Yue Palace.

This is the treatment of one’s own people!

Within Yao Yue Palace, the disciples who had initially been somewhat critical of Xiao Ruoling becoming the Holy Daughter also unhesitatingly changed their stance, feeling fortunate that Xiao Ruoling had become the Holy Daughter.

Xiao Ruoling softly asked, ”Really, it’s okay?”

”Let them talk.” Chu Zhiyuan said with a smile, ”Let’s start today, in groups of ten; any more might be overwhelming.”

”... Okay.” Xiao Ruoling finally nodded gently, agreeing after seeing his expression.

”Phew...”

Yun Qiuhua and the others breathed a sigh of relief, the sound was quite loud, causing the women to blush.

They feared Xiao Ruoling would refuse.

Based on Xiao Ruoling’s usual conduct, she might indeed do such a thing.

Just look at how much Sky-reaching Grass was given to Chu Zhiyuan to understand.

Once Xiao Ruoling relented, they all exhaled in chorus; even though it was a light sigh, together it made quite an impact.

”With the Princely Heir like this, Yao Yue Palace shouldn’t be too stingy.” Yun Qiuhua laughed, ”Princely Heir, do you have any interest in entering the Secret Land of Yao Yue Palace?”

Chu Zhiyuan chuckled, ”Isn’t this inappropriate?”

Yun Qiuhua replied, ”If it were an outsider, they naturally couldn’t enter, but the Princely Heir is not an outsider.”

Chu Zhiyuan looked towards Xiao Ruoling.

Xiao Ruoling nodded lightly, ”You can go experience it.”

”Then I won’t be modest; I’ll go in and have a look.” Chu Zhiyuan said with a smile.

Yun Qiuhua said, ”How about going in now?”

Once inside the Secret Land, it would be awkward for him to change his mind, so the sooner, the better.

Chu Zhiyuan said, ”That would be best.”

”Holy Daughter?” Yun Qiuhua looked at Xiao Ruoling, ”Should the Princely Heir go in alone or with someone accompanying him?”

”I’ll go in with him.”

”Alright.”

——

Chu Zhiyuan, Xiao Ruoling, and Shen Hanyue stepped to the edge of a cliff, and with a blink, the three of them appeared in a lush ancient forest.

Chu Zhiyuan held Xiao Ruoling’s hand, and Xiao Ruoling held Shen Hanyue’s hand.

Otherwise, the three would end up in different locations upon entry.

Each time one enters the Secret Land, they would appear in different locations with different dangers.

Chu Zhiyuan surveyed the towering ancient trees.

Every tree was several thousand, even tens of thousands of years old, towering straight and upright.

Seeing Chu Zhiyuan observing the trees around him, Shen Hanyue huffed, ”What’s so interesting about these trees!”

Chu Zhiyuan shook his head, ”From one leaf, one knows autumn; from a tree, one can discern the surrounding environmental changes.”

The tree trunks held the records of environmental changes and the passage of time, which he found to be colorful.

He reached out and touched an ancient tree.

This ancient tree was ninety meters tall; the three of them in the woods seemed like dwarfs.

Using his spiritual connection, Chu Zhiyuan instantly transformed into this tree, experiencing the vicissitudes of its years.

Seeing Chu Zhiyuan standing still with his eyes closed, Shen Hanyue turned to look at Xiao Ruoling.

Xiao Ruoling shook her head gently, signaling her not to disturb him.

At that moment, a beautiful little bird swept through the sky, diving towards the eyes-closed Chu Zhiyuan.

The little bird, shaped like a swallow, was slender and agile, with feathers gleaming in seven colors, extremely beautiful.

Xiao Ruoling leaped lightly, a flash of cold light at her waist.

The bird was silently split in two, not even bleeding.

Shen Hanyue stuck out her tongue, ”Sister, your swordsmanship is getting better and better.”

The Taiyin Great Refining Form could cultivate the power of ultimate Yin and purity, instantly sealing the blood of the bird.

Xiao Ruoling smiled and shook her head, ”Still far from it.”

She knew that her swordsmanship, though exquisite, was no match for Chu Zhiyuan’s.

Discontented, Shen Hanyue said, ”This swordsmanship is still lacking?”

Xiao Ruoling laughed, ”Let’s have the Princely Heir guide your swordsmanship.”

To make Shen Hanyue stop making faces and remarks, the simplest way was to impress her.

She was very straightforward; if impressed, her attitude would change instantly.

This was very easy for the Princely Heir.

The Princely Heir just never bothered to do it.

”He—?” Shen Hanyue pouted.

Xiao Ruoling laughed, ”The Princely Heir’s swordsmanship is truly exceptional, and his understanding of swordsmanship surpasses anyone; you’ll know when you try.”

”Then I want to see for myself.” Shen Hanyue snorted.

Chu Zhiyuan opened his eyes, looking up at the sky.

The sky was mostly obscured by the ancient trees, azure like a wash, with a few white clouds adorning it.

When the sense of history in his eyes faded, and his mental state returned to clarity and calmness, Chu Zhiyuan looked at Xiao Ruoling, ”Let’s go, let’s find the Sky-reaching Grass.”

”We should be able to find quite a bit.” Xiao Ruoling said with a smile.

Shen Hanyue pouted, ”Sister, you’ve almost plucked all the Sky-reaching Grass; where is there any left?”

Xiao Ruoling replied, ”The Secret Land is so vast, beyond imagination, there’s no way to pluck it all.”

Shen Hanyue glanced at Chu Zhiyuan, shaking her head.

She really didn’t understand what was so good about him that made Sister Xiao so infatuated.

Chu Zhiyuan walked slowly, traversing through the forest, when suddenly a white light flew out from his sleeve into the grass.

”Whoosh!” In the light whistle, a jade-like little snake sprang from the grass, meeting the white light head-on.

The white light pierced through the snake’s vital point, turned in the air, returning to Chu Zhiyuan’s hand.

Chu Zhiyuan gave it a gentle shake, and a Blood Pearl was thrown off.

The flying knife returned to its bright, shiny state.

Even though the jade snake was hit by the flying knife, it still sprang upward by a meter before falling to the ground limply.

”Boom!” With a loud noise, the ground shook.

The little snake rapidly expanded and lengthened into a giant snake.

The giant snake was twenty meters long and as thick as a person’s waist, its emerald scales bearing peculiar patterns.

The grass on the ground was pressed into the soil.

Xiao Ruoling shivered, goosebumps appearing all over, while Shen Hanyue excitedly examined it.

Chu Zhiyuan said, ”To be able to change size, this must be a demon beast over a hundred years old; at this length, it should be six or seven hundred years.”

It was known through the memory of ancient trees that these demon beasts gained transformative powers after a hundred years.

The ability to change size.

After a thousand years, they would have the opportunity for Tribulation, and success would mean Ascension.