Imperial Cultivation

Chapter 480: Chapter 477: Thousand Spirits

The Evil Emperor’s Treasure has emerged, becoming a true deadly weapon, enough to drive these evil sect demonic beings mad.

Even the wisest among them would, driven by greed, involuntarily join the fray.

Once caught in this vortex, escaping is impossible.

It’s a fight to the death.

By then, there would be no need to do much; they would kill each other, inevitably resulting in a bloodbath, leaving corpses everywhere.

Meng Canglan slightly furrowed her dark eyebrows, sighed gently, and said, ”I wonder how many innocents will be drawn into this.”

Chu Zhiyuan slowly said, ”I will try to contain it within and around Yujing City, not letting it spread too far.”

In and around Yujing City, there are numerous experts from the Military Suppression Department to protect the innocent citizens.

Beyond Yujing City, however, it is too far for the Emperor’s reach, the mountains standing tall, and there are not as many experts of the Military Suppression Department, allowing the disciples of the evil sects to act without restraint.

Thus, confining them in and around Yujing City can minimize their harm to the greatest extent.

Meng Canglan gently nodded, ”The Princely Heir is benevolent.”

Chu Zhiyuan smiled, ”I do have some benevolence, but not much, ...who dared to harm my tenth uncle?”

Meng Canglan’s expression turned solemn as she slowly said, ”The Thousand Spirit Sect from the Southern Border.”

”The Thousand Spirit Sect...” Chu Zhiyuan pondered, slowly shaking his head, ”Never heard of it.”

”Though the Southern Border is a barbaric land, sparsely populated, it still has its own traditions.”

”Is this Thousand Spirit Sect a Great Sect of the Southern Border?”

”The sects in the Southern Border aren’t that large, usually consisting of a few people, akin to the ancient forms of tradition, focusing on quality over quantity.”

”Hmm.” Chu Zhiyuan nodded.

”This Thousand Spirit Sect also has a longstanding tradition; the number of its members should not exceed ten.”

”Do they have any disciples walking out in the open?”

”Hardly any disciples walk openly outside.”

”Then why target my tenth uncle?”

”He sometimes doesn’t need to get close to cast a curse using their secret technique.”

Chu Zhiyuan asked, ”As long as there’s a birthdate and horoscope, they can cast a spell from afar and directly use a curse spell?”

”A birthdate and horoscope alone aren’t sufficient; hair and essence blood are needed to lock onto the subject. Of course, the greater the distance, the more energy consumed, requiring sufficient cultivation.”

”Birthdate and horoscope?” Chu Zhiyuan’s face turned solemn.

Meng Canglan whispered, ”It’s not easy to obtain a prince’s birthdate and horoscope, especially for outsiders.”

Chu Zhiyuan slowly nodded.

For ordinary citizens, obtaining a birthdate and horoscope would indeed be easy.

The birthdates and horoscopes of princes and princely heirs are directly recorded in the imperial archives, never disclosed externally.

Few in this world know a prince’s birthdate and horoscope.

They are the delivering Imperial Physician, the maidservants and eunuchs serving nearby at the time, the Great Grandmaster, and the Emperor.

These people are mostly in the Prince Mansion or Imperial Palace, making it not easy to obtain Prince Ying’s birthdate and horoscope from them.

The Imperial Physicians, under protection, couldn’t be coerced to divulge this information.

The Great Grandmaster and the Emperor, even less so.

The only possible ones are the maidservants and eunuchs who were serving at the time.

If these people followed Prince Ying to the Prince Mansion, they may have leaked Prince Ying’s birthdate and horoscope.

Thinking of this, Chu Zhiyuan’s face grew grimmer.

Meng Canglan sighed, ”Moreover, getting hold of Prince Ying’s hair isn’t something just anyone can do.”

In the Grandmaster Perfection stage, hair rarely falls out, making it hard to find outside.

Only those beside him might have the opportunity to obtain it.

Chu Zhiyuan solemnly asked, ”Besides the birthdate and horoscope, is there any other way to cast that curse spell?”

Meng Canglan replied, ”No matter how skilled the art of cursing, without the birthdate and horoscope, it’s impossible to cast, though hair can be dispensed with.”

”Birthdate and horoscope...” Chu Zhiyuan shook his head.

This is nearly impossible to trace conclusively.

Many don’t even realize the significance of such information and unintentionally leak it.

They might even forget they ever leaked it.

Even I, previously unaware of the Thousand Spirit Sect and this curse spell.

Meng Canglan stated, ”That’s the cunning aspect of the Thousand Spirit Sect.”

Chu Zhiyuan calmly said, ”They should be aware of targeting a Prince, right?”

”Not necessarily.” Meng Canglan shook her head, ”If someone pays a sufficient price, and just provides the birthdate and horoscope, along with hair, Thousand Spirit Sect disciples will cast the spell.”

Chu Zhiyuan sneered coldly.

”Indeed, casting this spell has its costs, and they aren’t low, probably in lifespan.”

”The Thousand Spirit Sect...”

”Princely Heir, don’t think of looking for the Thousand Spirit Sect. They are in the Southern Border, a vast and barbaric land, with many uninhabited areas.”

Chu Zhiyuan said, ”Many evil sects hide there.”

”...That’s true.” Meng Canglan nodded lightly.

It’s unfit for habitation; ordinary people can’t enter.

But, it’s suitable for evil sects to establish their Main Altars, and experts from the great Da Jing’s Military Suppression Department find it hard to enter the Southern Border.

”How to break this curse spell?”

”There’s also a secret technique called Heaven and Earth Small Movement, which redirects the spell’s target.” Meng Canglan explained, ”I redirected the harm meant for the Prince to a pig, having it die in the Prince’s stead.”

Chu Zhiyuan marveled, ”This secret technique is formidable.”

Meng Canglan apologized, ”It’s a secret of our sect and cannot be taught externally.”

Chu Zhiyuan waved his hand, ”I don’t need to learn it; should such troubles arise, I’ll just ask for your help.”

Meng Canglan smiled and nodded, ”But the Princely Heir won’t face such troubles; this spell is ineffective against a Great Grandmaster.”

”A Great Grandmaster... Does that mean the mastermind behind this can’t be determined and has vanished without a trace?”

”...Extremely hard to trace.” Meng Canglan replied, ”But whomever the culprit or the one who cast the secret technique, they paid a heavy price.”

Chu Zhiyuan said, ”This harmful method is really indefensible.”

Even for a Prince or Royal Heir, they can’t defend against this spell, let alone ordinary people.

”Curse spells kill slowly and exact a high price, which makes ordinary experts not worth using them.”

”This Thousand Spirit Sect, using such secret techniques, isn’t following any righteous path, ...the Southern Border must be full of such mysterious techniques?”

”Indeed, there are quite a few.” Meng Canglan nodded, ”They follow a different path from martial arts cultivation.”

Chu Zhiyuan asked, ”Has the Court no way to bring them under control?”

Meng Canglan shook her head, ”Outsiders find it hard to enter the Southern Border, unable to adapt to its harsh environment, and the Court won’t put in such effort.”

To the Court, it seems utterly unnecessary.

Chu Zhiyuan gazed in the direction of the Southern Border, ”Do we have a map of the Southern Border?”

”Does the Princely Heir intend to enter the Southern Border?”

”Afraid I’ll eventually have to make a trip there.”

”The Southern Border is vast; even our sect’s map is incomplete.”

”No matter.” Chu Zhiyuan said, ”Having one is better than none.”

”I’ll bring it over tomorrow.” Meng Canglan added, ”Our disciples have also sent a few evil sect statues.”

As they talked, Chu Zhiyuan glanced southward.

Meng Canglan, puzzled, followed his gaze but saw nothing.

She continued, ”I’ll bring it over tomorrow as well.”

”Thank you.” Chu Zhiyuan nodded.

Meng Canglan noticed four middle-aged men floating towards them, wearing peculiar smiles.

Meng Canglan, dressed in white like snow, her expression beautiful, stood in the forest looking truly captivating.

They were directly captured in spirit, merely skimming past Chu Zhiyuan with a glance.

Two Great Grandmasters were already hidden in the shadows.

It looked like a man and woman rendezvousing here, while Chu Zhiyuan appeared to possess no cultivation.

Meng Canglan, disdainful, lightly furrowed her brows, her bright eyes chilly.

As they floated down from the treetops and were about to advance, their movements suddenly halted.

The light quickly faded from their eyes, shock solidified on their faces, and then they slowly collapsed.