Imperial Cultivation

A green-robed youth was leisurely drifting through the pine forest, occasionally tapping a pine branch with his toes, his figure darting out a dozen yards at a time. The sky was azure, the pines a deep green.

The green-robed youth had a face like jade, his eyes like gemstones, sparkling with brilliance as he glanced around. Just then, a phantom image silently and imperceptibly swept in.

As if sensing it in advance, his figure swayed a foot away ahead of time. By the time the phantom image approached, he had already shifted a foot and a half away. This phantom image was a flying knife, too fast to clearly see the blade, only a blur of afterimages visible.

As he moved horizontally, the flying knife suddenly twisted, its speed abruptly increasing, and pierced him. The flying knife passed through only his shadow.

Continuing forward, it shot into a pine tree, passing clean through it, then piercing through the two pine trees behind it, finally embedding itself in the fourth pine tree. Half the knife was buried in the wood, the tail of the knife trembling incessantly, seemingly unwilling to have been evaded, wanting to fly again.

The green-robed youth reappeared on the treetop a dozen feet away, his face instantly turning grim, his eyes as sharp as awls, as if he were a different person. All trace of his previous leisure and elegance had vanished.

Just at that moment, his figure swayed again, once more evading another knife shadow. The knife shadow changed again, twisting and accelerating once more.

Finally, it pierced through his shadow, then shot through six pine trees, each as thick as a man could embrace, before unwillingly stopping in the fork of the seventh pine tree. Two hundred meters away, Chu Zhiyuan looked grave.

The current flying knife, based on the Asking Heart Knife Manual of Asking Heaven Cliff, incorporates the Sword Control Art, maintaining the power of the Asking Heart Knife Manual while adding the agility, endurance, and concealment of the Sword Control Art. Furthermore, there is also the insight of Extrasensory Perception.

Within a range of three hundred and fifty meters, the enemy wouldn't realize they were already locked onto, before a fatal strike was launched. Silent and imperceptible, killing without a trace.

Since he merged into One with the Knife, he had never encountered anyone who could evade this strike.

Always victorious, even Grandmasters from the Jade Cauldron Sect and the Shadow Secret Sect had failed to evade this strike, killed silently and imperceptibly. Insight like a god, life and death in his grasp.

He truly felt a sense of being the master of heaven and earth.

He knew this was an illusion, his cultivation was not yet sufficient. Not to mention Grandmasters, even encountering top-tier Grandmasters, he probably couldn't withstand them. He hadn't expected that an opponent capable of evading this strike would arrive so quickly, and was someone not much older than himself.

His age should be no more than ten years apart from his own, yet he was already a Grandmaster of the Eighth Heaven. The Jade Cauldron Sect's cultivation methods were indeed exceptionally fast.

The green-robed youth stood on the treetop, cupped his fist, and called out, "Which deity is playing jokes with Zhang?" Chu Zhiyuan frowned, looking towards Huang Shirong: "A top expert from the Jade Cauldron Sect, Eighth Heaven."

Huang Shirong asked, "Should we send a signal?"

Chu Zhiyuan nodded: "Summon the Grandmaster."

Huang Shirong took out a small silver tube from her sleeve, gleaming like pure silver, and pointed it towards the sky. "Woo..."

A sound like a monster's roar echoed through the heavens and earth. Chu Zhiyuan felt a sense of relief.

With such a signal, the Grandmaster would know and be able to return in time. "So you're here!"

He glanced at Huang Shirong and the other three women.

His gaze swept over Huang Shirong and the other three women, lingered around Guo Chi and the other four, and finally stopped on Zou Fang. His eyes suddenly lit up, and he suddenly laughed: "Eunuch? ...Royalty, a prince or a son of nobility?"

Chu Zhiyuan sensed his ease and disdain, knowing it was due to the difference in their realms, cupped his fist and slowly said: "Chu Zhiyuan, son of Qing Wang's mansion, who might you be?" "Chu Zhiyuan? That number one son of Da Jing?" The green-robed youth's eyes shone even brighter, his handsome face filled with delight, as if he had won the lottery.

He even laughed with glee: "Haha, I've searched high and low, only to find you here!" Chu Zhiyuan frowned as he looked at him.

"You don't need to know who I am, just know that today is the day you return to the heavens. In your next life, be born into a better womb."

Before Chu Zhiyuan could act, he quickly said: "What kind of womb is a better womb? I am already a son of nobility, and a martial arts prodigy. Is there an even better womb?" "Hmm, that's true." The green-robed youth pondered, thinking carefully: "Otherwise, be reborn into our Jade Cauldron Sect?"

Chu Zhiyuan said: "The Jade Cauldron Sect is hated by everyone, like rats crossing the street. What is there to be reborn into?" The Grandmaster should be arriving soon, right?

Why hasn't he come yet?

If this guy wasn't completely disregarding him, certain he could easily deal with him, he wouldn't have been so easily interrupted and had the topic diverted. "Everyone shouts for us to be beaten, but who actually dares to make a move?" The green-robed youth snorted: "I am Zhang Youling of the Jade Cauldron Sect, who dares to strike me?"

"I dare." A white light flew out from Chu Zhiyuan's right sleeve. The speed of the Daybreak Blade was incredibly fast, fierce and domineering.

The blade was drawn abruptly, and its speed was so fast that it arrived before the green-robed youth before he could react.

The green-robed youth lightly swayed, about to evade, but the Daybreak Blade suddenly changed direction in mid-air, shooting towards him again, faster and closer.

The Daybreak Blade changed direction, increasing speed, and the green-robed youth swayed again in mid-air, seemingly without changing his speed.

But the Daybreak Blade still flew past his shoulder by a hair's breadth. Chu Zhiyuan frowned.

This Zhang Youling could indeed sense danger in advance.

He himself had Extrasensory Perception, others couldn't possibly have such an encounter, but they might not have other strange abilities. Extrasensory Perception and Insight, this Zhang Youling could sense danger one second in advance, thus evading it ahead of time.

If he didn't have this premonition, relying solely on his footwork, even if his footwork was incredibly fast, it would still be difficult to evade his flying knife. This meant that the flying knife was ineffective against him, no need to try again.

Even the Hidden Blade would be useless.

This premonition of his was likely not targeted at external objects, but at himself, so no matter how fast or concealed the flying knife was, it still couldn't kill him. A Grandmaster of the Eighth Heaven from the Jade Cauldron Sect, not only was his realm high, but he also had a strange ability similar to his own Extrasensory Perception.

He couldn't cope with it, he needed a Grandmaster.

"Haha..." Zhang Youling suddenly laughed loudly.

Chu Zhiyuan said in a deep voice: "Zou Fang, the pearl!"

Zou Fang quickly took out a cloth pouch from her bosom and handed it to Chu Zhiyuan. Chu Zhiyuan stuffed it into his bosom.

As soon as the Flying Dragon Pearl entered his body, the Dragon Transformation Art surged, like a flood bursting a dam. Great Heavenly Dragon Fist.

His most powerful fist technique to date, and also his strongest martial art. The Flying Dragon Pearl not only accelerated the Dragon Transformation Art, but also the Great Heavenly Dragon Fist.

Zhang Youling chuckled: "Chu Zhiyuan, there's no denying your aptitude, your bloodline is strong, you should have also practiced quite a few wondrous arts, right?" "So what if I have?"

"This secret technique of mine can devour your essence, energy, and spirit, your vital blood, memories, and cultivation, especially your cultivation experience." Zhang Youling smiled: "After you die, the wondrous arts and secret techniques you've mastered will transfer to me."

Chu Zhiyuan frowned as he looked at him.

"What's wrong?"

"Aren't you afraid that a Grandmaster will come?" Chu Zhiyuan slowly said.

"Grandmaster? Where would a Grandmaster come from?" Zhang Youling chuckled: "Are you waiting for those five Grandmasters?" Chu Zhiyuan's expression changed slightly.

"Haha..." Zhang Youling suddenly burst into loud laughter.