Imperial Cultivation

Chapter 1148: Chapter 1144: White Pearl

A quarter of an hour later, the surroundings quieted down.

All the evil demons had been slain.

Ding Huanchun told them to return to the Imperial City with the corpses of the demons, while he approached Chu Zhiyuan.

”Mr. Chu, if it weren’t for your assistance this time, we wouldn’t have been able to kill these demons.”

”Everyone must slay evil demons.” Chu Zhiyuan shook his head with a smile.

Ding Huanchun said, ”This is the biggest victory we’ve had this year.”

Chu Zhiyuan raised an eyebrow.

Ding Huanchun shook his head, ”We wish we could kill them all, but these demons are so cunning and slippery, hard to guard against. After one attack, they immediately escape without a trace, impossible to pursue.”

”Troublesome.”

Chu Zhiyuan nodded slowly.

He reckoned that the military must have selected first-class Qinggong masters and considered using them for pursuit.

Seems there was no significant result.

”If it weren’t for your assistance, sir, that demoness would have escaped again,” Ding Huanchun said. ”Not to mention the shame on our City Guards, even the Court’s authority would be greatly diminished.”

Chu Zhiyuan asked, ”Is it only the Divine Movement Sect? There must be other evil sects too?”

”It’s not just the Divine Movement Sect.” Ding Huanchun’s face was heavy, ”Spirit Flying Sect, Purple Light Sect, Bright Heart Sect, and many other evil sects!”

Chu Zhiyuan asked, ”Did you figure out why they are acting like this?”

”No,” Ding Huanchun shook his head, ”It’s inexplicable, they all seem to have gone mad.”

Chu Zhiyuan frowned, ”The Court is so powerful, yet in a year they couldn’t find the source of this madness?”

Ding Huanchun shook his head, ”These evil sects are hard to infiltrate; no news can be heard, and unable to capture alive, hence couldn’t extract information.”

Chu Zhiyuan nodded slowly.

It’s hard to infiltrate the evil sects, just like the Court can prevent evil and demons from entering the Imperial City, evil sects also have ways to discern non-demons.

Ding Huanchun remarked, ”Mr. Chu, you’ve helped us a lot.”

Chu Zhiyuan smiled, ”Brother Ding, shall we check out this valley?”

”Please.” Ding Huanchun gestured.

They floated towards the valley.

At first glance, the dense and deep valley; after walking in for over ten meters, they found it suddenly wide open.

Instead, it was a broad green grassland, with a pond of about ten meters in diameter in the center.

The pond was like a bright mirror, reflecting the sky filled with red clouds.

A row of wooden houses was built on the north side of the pond, about nine rooms.

Coming out of the wooden houses, the pond was visible.

Chu Zhiyuan reached the pond and looked in.

Ding Huanchun also glanced at the pond.

Discovering many fish swimming inside, the water was clear, and the fish seemed to float in the air.

He remarked, ”What clean water, such a good place, these demons have good taste!”

Chu Zhiyuan stared at the pond.

The abnormal power at the pond bottom was particularly dense, even more so than other places in the valley.

This valley’s filled abnormal power originates from the pond bottom.

And at the pond bottom lay a pearl, a Dragon Eye-sized white pearl.

This white pearl is likely the root of the abnormal power anomaly.

Thinking this, he floated up in the air, lowered his head, and swooped down like a fish into the pond water.

Ding Huanchun was surprised.

He hurriedly looked down.

The water surface was clear, allowing a clear view of Chu Zhiyuan diving into the pond bottom like a fish, walking several steps at the bottom, then surfacing.

Chu Zhiyuan leaped out of the pond water, lightly shaking in the air.

Suddenly, white mist exploded, forming a cluster of water vapor.

He detached from the vapor, landing beside the pond.

”Sir, this is...?”

”Nothing significant inside,” Chu Zhiyuan held the white pearl in his palm.

Ding Huanchun glanced at it and lost interest.

To him, it seemed just a Luminous Pearl, and even a faded one, likely due to prolonged immersion.

Chu Zhiyuan handed it to him, ”Brother Ding, see if there’s anything unusual.”

Ding Huanchun ”Oh” came, laughed, ”Is this some treasure? If it is, it’s still yours, sir.”

Chu Zhiyuan smiled, ”I feel it’s unusual, but it’s hard to say what kind of treasure it is.”

Ding Huanchun held it in his palm, examined it carefully, finding nothing peculiar, then returned it to Chu Zhiyuan, ”Shall we see how their dwelling is?”

Chu Zhiyuan nodded with a smile, took it and put it into his sleeve, storing it in the silver bracelet.

Ding Huanchun indeed felt no anomaly.

This is not surprising.

In this world, there are very few people who can sense Abnormal Power, far beyond what ordinary people can achieve.

...

They searched nine small wooden cabins, which contained various daily items, such as clothes and jewelry, as well as some personal belongings.

After Chu Zhiyuan and Ding Huanchun inspected these cabins, they came to the edge of the pond to talk.

Chu Zhiyuan said, ”Another person lived here. Judging by the traces, they should have left several days in advance.”

Ding Huanchun nodded.

He had the same judgment.

As an elite in the Military and knowledgeable in tracking skills, he could see that the person had left some time ago.

He was instantly invigorated: ”If we set an ambush here...”

If we set up an ambush here, it’s very likely we can catch that guy, and maybe even take down an Evil Demon.

Killing an Evil Demon is already a great merit for them now.

They won’t dismiss an Evil Demon even after having killed so many.

Chu Zhiyuan said, ”We can give it a try... Let us Heavenly Sword Branch take care of this place.”

”Alright.” Ding Huanchun readily agreed.

Chu Zhiyuan helped kill eight Evil Demons; leaving this one to the Heavenly Sword Sect is reasonable.

They can’t take all the credit and all the benefits.

Chu Zhiyuan cupped his fists to express his gratitude.

In Ding Huanchun’s view, the Heavenly Sword Sect also wanted to use this opportunity to gain merit.

He didn’t bother to explain, and it was just as well to think of it that way.

The two left the valley and headed towards the Imperial City.

At that moment, dusk had descended over the fields, and weary birds were returning to the woods.

Upon arriving at the Imperial City, as they passed through the city gates, Chu Zhiyuan rarely felt a sense of melancholy.

He had always been with family through Chu Liezhao and Leng Tieya, dispelling the pain of separation.

But when he came to the Imperial City and stepped into the bustling crowds, looking at the surrounding prosperity and noise, he inexplicably felt a twinge of homesickness.

There was a feeling of being a stranger in a foreign land.

Ding Huanchun cupped his fists in farewell, intending to meet up with the City Guard, excited and eager, thinking about the great achievement this time.

Chu Zhiyuan then walked north along the main street, then turned east onto another avenue.

Amidst this hustle and bustle, he felt no sense of amazement other than melancholy.

Although the style of clothing differed, the architectural style differed, and the displays of prosperity and liveliness differed, having experienced several worlds and seen much prosperity, he was not particularly impressed.

Soon, he passed through the bustling crowds and arrived in front of a courtyard on the street.

On either side of the purple gate crouched a white stone statue of a mythical beast.

The gate was tightly closed, with hardly any passersby lingering.

The signboard above the gate bore the large characters ”Heavenly Sword,” gleaming with Golden Light.

The handwriting was sharp, like crisscrossing Sword Qi, making those who approached inexplicably feel a chill, unwilling to linger.

With this signboard here, it was no less intimidating than several Guards standing at the door.

Chu Zhiyuan paused before this gate, examining the two large characters on the signboard.

The material of the signboard looked like wood, but it was actually a unique material harder than iron.

He could even assert that even the Shadowless Divine Sword could not damage it.

Such a material, clearly suitable for casting swords, was used for making a signboard, befitting the Heavenly Sword Sect.

To inscribe these two characters with finger force on such a material harder than iron and stone, one could see how astonishing their Cultivation was.

Moreover, the two characters embodied not only Sword Posture and Sword Intent but also powerful Spiritual Power.

The ability to condense Spiritual Power into the characters so precisely showed the purity and depth of their Cultivation, truly commendable and admirable.

After observing for a while, he stepped forward and knocked on the door knocker.

Soon, an old man emerged from a side door, and upon seeing his Token, tread lightly inside to report.

Soon, the old man was accompanied by a young man, leading Chu Zhiyuan into the courtyard to the front hall.

Chu Zhiyuan met the Dean of the Heavenly Sword Branch, an Elder of the Heavenly Sword Sect, Gu Junqi.

Gu Junqi’s figure was slender and upright, with a gaunt appearance, and three wisps of clear whiskers under his chin, partly celestial in demeanor.

After a round of courtesies, they each took seats and were served tea.

After listening to Chu Zhiyuan’s purpose, Gu Junqi’s expression turned serious, and he said slowly, ”Nephew Chu, regarding Prince Zhuang, it would be best to wait.”

Chu Zhiyuan was puzzled.

Gu Junqi shook his head and said, ”Lately, Prince Zhuang has gotten into big trouble; it might be best to avoid suspicion.”

”What big trouble?” Chu Zhiyuan asked curiously, ”Does the Sect Leader know?”

If the Sect Leader knew, then he would have to make this trip.

If the Sect Leader didn’t know, then he would have to first request instructions before delivering any message.