Imperial Cultivation

Chapter 1618: Chapter 1614: Jade Tower

These two rose step by step through the ranks; they know the methods of the Evil Extermination Department inside and out.

What means the Evil Extermination Department will employ against the Heavenly Shadow Sect—they don’t even need to be told, they can guess.

Giving the Heavenly Shadow Sect a prior heads‑up, even without saying much, they likely already know and are on guard.

This time the Heavenly Shadow Sect disciples fell into disaster at the Guiyang Sword Sect precisely because lending that Spiritual Artifact to the Guiyang Sword Sect was a confidential matter.

The two of them did not know.

Chu Zhiyuan said, ”With these two here, it may not be easy if we want to deal with the Heavenly Shadow Sect.”

”It’s not that hard either.” Huang Zhengyang said, ”Since we’ve identified them, we can have them spread some false information.”

”Oh—?”

”Let them know where the weak points are—weak points the Heavenly Shadow Sect can exploit... But the Heavenly Shadow Sect is too far away; in the end there’s still not much we can do about them.”

All the Evil Extermination Department can do is defend.

So long as Heavenly Shadow experts break into Biyuan Heaven, the Evil Extermination Department will annihilate them.

They have never considered going to Qingyang Heaven to take the initiative against the Heavenly Shadow Sect.

The Evil Extermination Department does not possess such overwhelming power, and the Court’s Tribute will not lift a hand for this.

Chu Zhiyuan nodded. ”There’s no helping that.”

Huang Zhengyang shook his head and said, ”Though I am Director, the Heavenly Shadow Sect is, after all, not an Evil Sect. I have no way to issue an extermination order against them.”

Chu Zhiyuan nodded.

Huang Zhengyang said, ”Moreover, even if we wanted to wipe them out, we couldn’t. The will is there, the strength is not.”

Chu Zhiyuan said, ”Let’s hope they know when to retreat.”

Huang Zhengyang said solemnly, ”We must hurt them so badly they won’t dare come again!”

Chu Zhiyuan smiled. ”Then I shall await your good news, Brother Huang.”

Huang Zhengyang smiled. ”Brother Chu, I fear I’ll still have to trouble you for help when the time comes.”

Chu Zhiyuan nodded. ”Since the Heavenly Shadow Sect intends to deal with us, I naturally won’t sit idly by—only, I dare not charge into the Heavenly Shadow Sect.”

”The Heavenly Shadow Sect has a Spiritual Artifact guarding it?”

”Mm, its might is astonishing.”

”Good. I’ll find a way to make them never dare come again!” Huang Zhengyang ground his teeth.

...

Phoenix Secret Realm

Chu Zhiyuan and Li Hongzhao sat by the stone table in the small courtyard, lightly sipping their tea.

Li Hongzhao’s face was flushed as though drunk, her eyes hazy and unfocused.

Chu Zhiyuan drew the Mystic Turtle True Blood Pearl back into his sleeve and shook his head. ”Looks like we can’t force it.”

Li Hongzhao’s Phoenix Eyes cleared, bright light rippling within. She snorted, ”I can endure it.”

Chu Zhiyuan said, ”You can’t force the bloodline. Better to go slower.”

The Mystic Turtle True Blood Pearl’s stimulation of her bloodline was extremely fierce; fortunately he had the Divine Eye to observe and withdrew the Mystic Turtle True Blood Pearl in time, halting the bloodline stimulation.

If it had been someone else, and he’d been a bit slower, Li Hongzhao would have suffered bloodline backlash, being severely wounded or even crippled.

The bloodline boiling over and backlashing was indeed tyrannical to the extreme.

”No need.” Li Hongzhao said.

Chu Zhiyuan smiled and shook his head.

Li Hongzhao was forcing herself to hold on because she wanted to obtain more information as quickly as possible—information concerning the Divine Artifact.

Li Hongzhao said, ”What a pity, still nothing much gained.”

”Take it slowly. Better to have; if not, it doesn’t matter.” Chu Zhiyuan said, ”The experts who charged into the Divine Domain have even less hope.”

Li Hongzhao said, ”I’m just afraid someone will snatch it first.”

Chu Zhiyuan smiled. ”Then it’s simply that they were never fated with the Divine Artifact.”

When it comes to a Divine Artifact, luck is indeed required; forcing it may not work.

Li Hongzhao said, ”No progress on your side?”

”None. But more and more experts are entering the Divine Domain, and the slaughter grows fiercer and fiercer,” Chu Zhiyuan said. ”I don’t know how big it will blow up.”

”You can’t see the future?”

”I stand within the game. At any moment I can change the future.” Chu Zhiyuan shook his head. ”So what I see is inaccurate.”

”If, starting today, you no longer enter the Divine Domain, then you could see an accurate future, could you not?”

”It would still be difficult.”

”That won’t work either?”

”I may stay out, but those around me will go in—like you, like the Heavenly Sword Sect experts.”

”The Heavenly Sword Sect experts have yet to move. Can they still get in?”

”In the end, they can’t be held back. We can only delay them for a while.” Chu Zhiyuan shook his head.

He did not believe they could completely bar the Perfect Venerables of the Four Great Sects from the Divine Domain.

All he strove to do was push back the time of their entry, best if they entered after the great slaughter.

By then, the most dangerous period would have passed, and losses could be minimized.

”Ah... Knowing full well that entering is courting death, yet ultimately being unable to resist—this is fate, is it?”

”It is.” Chu Zhiyuan nodded.

When a nine‑deaths‑one‑life risk and a one‑in‑ten‑thousand reward are placed together before them, they still ignore that nine‑deaths‑one‑life risk and fix their eyes only on that one‑in‑ten‑thousand reward.

”Eh...” Li Hongzhao suddenly froze, quickly focusing her mind to ponder.

Chu Zhiyuan watched her sharply.

Li Hongzhao’s beautiful face tightened, her fine brows slightly knitted, Phoenix Eyes flickering.

Chu Zhiyuan set aside appreciation of her beauty and stared only at her gaze.

Li Hongzhao’s Phoenix Eyes suddenly lit up.

Chu Zhiyuan’s spirit also leapt.

Li Hongzhao showed a faint smile. ”I know the Divine Artifact’s appearance.”

”What does it look like?”

”It is a tower.”

”A tower...” Chu Zhiyuan frowned in thought.

He thought of the Spirit Communication Pavilion of Fengtian Palace, and even more of the Taixu Tower that the Elephant Beast had spoken of.

So it is that Taixu Tower the Elephant Beast mentioned?

He then asked, ”What does this tower look like?”

”Mm... I can’t see it very clearly.” Li Hongzhao frowned in contemplation and said, ”It’s hidden within clouds and mist, hazy and indistinct—I can’t see it plainly.”

”You can’t discern even a bit?”

”I can’t. It seems very tall, seems to have many levels.”

”Not thirty‑six levels, is it?” Chu Zhiyuan said.

”Mm, it might be thirty‑six.” Li Hongzhao shook her head. ”I couldn’t count them.”

Chu Zhiyuan sighed. ”It seems the legend is indeed not false—it truly is a Divine Artifact that governs the myriad heavens.”

Li Hongzhao said, ”This is something only the Divine Race can control. It’s impossible for outsiders to obtain it; it should already have been taken away.”

Chu Zhiyuan nodded.

In theory, such a Divine Artifact could not possibly be left behind; it must be taken away no matter what.

Yet Divine Artifacts cannot be judged by common sense—what if it exists like the Void Divine Flower?

If it exists in another Void, then whether it was taken away or not is irrelevant.

The key is whether one can control it.

Li Hongzhao said, ”Even if it wasn’t taken away and still remains here, it’s impossible for anyone to obtain it—no one will be able to command it.”

Chu Zhiyuan said, ”You know the method to command it?”

”I do not.” Li Hongzhao said, ”I cannot read Divine Language, and there is Divine Language on that tower.”

Chu Zhiyuan’s spirit stirred. ”Divine Language—how many characters?”

”It seems there are only two,” Li Hongzhao thought for a moment. ”But it also seems not just two... I can’t say how many.”

Chu Zhiyuan activated the Heaven‑Reaching Spirit Talisman, then brought his two fingers together and pressed them to the center of her brow.

She did not evade, closing her Phoenix Eyes.

Before Chu Zhiyuan’s eyes there immediately appeared a Jade Tower veiled in clouds and mist.

Cast of warm White Jade, its whole body crystal‑white and flawless, it flowed with radiance within the mists.

Yet as though separated by a vast distance, and further obscured by clouds and mist, it could not be clearly seen.

This sensation was exceedingly rare for him.

Ever since he gained Super Sense, everything he saw grew ever clearer; he had not felt this in a long time.

He focused his mind, peering forward, yet no matter what he did, he could not see it clearly.

This was a legacy in Li Hongzhao’s mind, not his own; no amount of effort on his part would help.

He withdrew his fingers from Li Hongzhao’s brow, deep in thought.

Li Hongzhao opened her Phoenix Eyes. ”Have you seen this Divine Artifact before?”

Chu Zhiyuan shook his head.

Li Hongzhao said, ”With this, it should be easier to find, shouldn’t it?”

”At the very least, we won’t fail to recognize it when we see it.” Chu Zhiyuan smiled. ”A Divine Artifact conceals itself; without this, even if we saw it, we might not recognize it.”

”If need be, just make a circuit of the entire Divine Domain.” Li Hongzhao said. ”Search every inch—it may not be impossible to find.”

Given this Divine Artifact’s might, if searching the Divine Domain inch by inch could find it, it would be worth it.

Besides, he is a Spirit Venerable; his Lifespan is long, and he can, in time, traverse the whole Divine Domain.

Chu Zhiyuan chuckled. ”Even if we really put in such foolish effort, we may still not find it—it might not be here.”

Li Hongzhao frowned. ”Then I’ll hasten the bloodline’s activation, see if I can gain more clues.”

Chu Zhiyuan shook his head. ”No rush. Your life comes first.”