Imperial Cultivation

Chapter 457: Chapter 454: Investigation

”Big brother, what are these?” Chu Yi asked curiously.

”Some little trinkets.”

”What kind of trinkets?”

”You don’t need to know.”

”Big brother—!”

”They are things of the Evil Sect.”

”Forget it, then.” Chu Yi unhesitatingly cast aside his curiosity.

Bai Ningshuang said, ”The lady said you were amazing, handling those four Great Grandmasters by yourself. You’re as formidable at killing Grandmasters as you are at killing Great Grandmasters.”

”Ahem,” Chu Minghou lightly coughed twice, ”Yuan’er, you should restrain your sharpness.”

”Yes.” Chu Zhiyuan agreed.

He understood Chu Minghou’s concerns.

He could kill Great Grandmasters too easily, which could cause the other Great Grandmasters to feel apprehensive.

The Court’s Great Grandmasters were fine, just wary of him, but the Great Grandmasters of the Evil Sect would certainly try to join forces to eliminate him, this significant threat.

The methods of the Great Grandmasters of the Evil Sect were bizarre and hard to defend against completely.

This was why Chu Zhiyuan wanted to eradicate these Evil Sects.

He could defend for a time but not for a lifetime.

He could not possibly stay in the Inner City of Yujing City all the time, guarding the Prince Qing Mansion.

Without thoroughly resolving these hidden dangers, it would be tough to leave without worry.

Yao Yue Palace could be ignored, but what about the Secret Cave Heaven, which possibly contained secrets to elevate one’s status?

So, under the pressing circumstances, he had to thoroughly deal with these threats from the Evil Sect.

”Restrain sharpness as needed, but as for the Evil Sect, they should be dealt with harshly!” Bai Ningshuang snorted.

Chu Zhiyuan said, ”I will kill another batch, to cripple them if necessary.”

”That’s the way to do it!” Bai Ningshuang agreed.

She would rather destroy or cripple the Evil Sect than hesitate for fear of their retaliation.

After eating, Chu Zhiyuan returned to Tingtao Courtyard, where a pitch-black box was placed in the small pavilion within the courtyard.

This was a large Sealing Spirit Box.

Chu Zhiyuan didn’t rush to open it but first closed his eyes, placing his hand on the box lid to sense it carefully.

He moved his hand and opened the lid, revealing twelve statues inside.

After looking at these statues, Chu Zhiyuan found the Yuding Sect seemed the most normal.

The twelve statues all had human bodies, but with strange feet, hands, ears, eyes, or heads.

Strange and bizarre.

Looking at these statues, one could guess the Outer Heaven forces behind these Evil Sects were not following the righteous path.

They were ignoring reality for the sake of power, showing human greed and the blindness that comes from self-interest.

Sadly, the Yuding was not among them.

However, the Yuding Sect was no longer a concern and needed not be worried about.

The four Great Grandmasters at the end of their lifespan came, those left had not.

Great Grandmasters cherish their lives, whether from the True Sect or the Evil Sect.

Upon reaching Great Grandmaster, the Evil Sect masters weren’t as affected by Outer Heaven Power.

So, these Great Grandmasters of the Evil Sect were not as impulsive, extreme, or terrifying as the Grandmasters and Innate Masters.

Now, the concern was the Evil Sect Great Grandmasters whose lifespan had reached its limit.

The Yuding Sect likely didn’t have such Great Grandmasters anymore.

The other Evil Sects probably did, so it wasn’t advisable to wait for them to come; it was better to strike preemptively and wipe them out thoroughly.

He picked up a thousand-hand statue.

With what seemed like a thousand hands moving, densely packed like a blooming flower.

The back of the thousand-hand statue had a small note with the words ”Thousand Illusion Sect” written on it.

Chu Zhiyuan smiled.

The Thousand Illusion Sect was not something he’d heard much about.

He closed his eyes, employing Super Sensing Illumination.

Lines of red came from all directions, converging on this statue.

Some lines were deep in color, some light.

Some lines were thick, some thin.

The depth of the color represented the depth of cultivation, and line thickness represented distance.

The deeper the color, the stronger the cultivation; the lighter the color, the weaker the cultivation.

The thicker the red line, the closer the distance; the thinner the red line, the farther away.

He first looked for thick lines, then examined their colors, sensing them carefully.

The disciples of the Thousand Illusion Sect were in the Outer City, four in total, all with Innate cultivation.

Further away were villages or deep mountains ten miles beyond the city.

The strongest cultivation, a Grandmaster, was in a mountain village a hundred miles away.

Chu Zhiyuan shook his head, placing the Thousand Illusion Sect statue down.

Next, he picked up a four-hand statue.

With one hand each to the front, back, left, and right, forming a cross shape, with the name Split Origin Sect written on its back.

On it also converged innumerable red lines, thick, thin, deep, and shallow.

Three Innate Realm disciples were in the Outer City, with no disciples within ten miles outside the city, and two Grandmaster disciples a hundred miles away.

Then there was the Six-leg Three-hand Jiuyuan Sect, with two Innate Realm disciples in the Inner City and one Grandmaster and six Innate Masters in the Outer City.

Ten Innate within ten miles, two Grandmasters within a hundred miles.

Chu Zhiyuan slowly nodded.

The Jiuyuan Sect’s strength was formidable enough, with numerous disciples and solid cultivation.

It seemed many had been killed.

He continued to look, thoroughly examining all twelve statues.

Placing them down, closing the pitch-black Sealing Spirit Box, Chu Zhiyuan sighed.

He looked at Zou Fang.

Zou Fang stood respectfully by a pillar in the small pavilion and, seeing Chu Zhiyuan’s gaze, said, ”Princely Heir, are all these Evil Sect disciples in Yujing City?”

”Not a single one missing, they all have disciples in the city.” Chu Zhiyuan sighed, ”Yujing City indeed entices people, even knowing it’s a dragon’s den and tiger’s lair, they still rush in to die.”

Zou Fang said, ”They managed to elude the Military Suppression Department and the Grandmaster Mansion; they are getting more troublesome.”

Chu Zhiyuan nodded.

Indeed, the Military Suppression Department and the Grandmaster Mansion had been vigilant against the Evil Sect, preventing their entry.

Yet they still couldn’t stop them entirely.

Evidently, they were adept at concealment, able to elude the Military Suppression Department and even the Grandmasters.

Zou Fang said, ”Does the Princely Heir intend to completely sweep them out?”

”What do you think?” Chu Zhiyuan asked.

Zou Fang said, ”I think it’s better to keep them.”

Chu Zhiyuan said, ”Use their own plan against them, cast a long line to catch a big fish?”

Zou Fang said, ”Have someone watch them. If their sects make a move, their reactions can offer clues.”

Chu Zhiyuan shook his head, ”If they were ordinary sect masters, or even Great Zhen’s spies, we could handle them like that. But they are from Evil Sects; they could harm innocent civilians at any time. Da Jing cannot tolerate them, Heaven and Earth cannot tolerate them!”

”Yes.” Zou Fang nodded sternly.

”The Evil Sect followers must be eliminated!” Chu Zhiyuan said calmly, ”This is not just empty words; it must be carried out without fail.”

He continued, ”...Don’t rush to become a Great Grandmaster. Let me see if I can help you along the way.”

”Yes.” Zou Fang gratefully clasped his hands.

He understood why Chu Zhiyuan advised him not to rush to advance to Great Grandmaster.

It was to avoid depleting more lifespan.

He had initially planned to leave, as Chu Zhiyuan had already achieved Great Grandmaster status. Remaining as a mere Grandmaster, he couldn’t withstand the Great Grandmaster’s aura pressure.

That would make staying by his side and serving as a close attendant impossible.

Chu Zhiyuan looked northeast, his gaze flickering, ”Tonight, I will begin the purge. You will follow me.”

Zou Fang agreed.

He wanted to say that the Evil Sect followers wouldn’t dare to commit atrocities in Yujing City. They would have to hide their identities to avoid attracting attention, especially from the Military Suppression Department.

But he never had the habit of contradicting Chu Zhiyuan. Since Chu Zhiyuan had instructed, he would comply.