Imperial Cultivation-Chapter 1212 - 1208: The Struggle for Control

Chu Zhiyuan shook his head.

Zhao Ruilin and Qi Qingmei’s cultivation were equivalent.

But Qi Qingmei had the Bright Moon Divine Sword, while Zhao Ruilin had lost the Giant Spirit Sword.

Adding swift decision-making led to such a drastic outcome.

Looking at their duel, it was unlike experts of the same level and realm battling.

Zhao Ruilin was constantly suppressed, never able to catch his breath, until gravely injured unable to recover.

Spitting out flesh meant his organs were shattered, life endangered.

Qi Qingmei suddenly retreated, shouting, "Fall back!"

The three of Zhou Chongming saw his situation, and caution arose in their hearts as they quickly retreated ten meters away.

"Bang!" Zhao Ruilin crashed heavily into a tree, leaves cascading down.

"Bang!" A bird’s nest from the tree precisely struck his head.

He "Wa" spat another mouthful of blood, weakened he leaned against the tree root, glaring fiercely at Qi Qingmei and the others.

Chu Zhiyuan had already retreated behind him, standing out of his field of vision.

Lu Gengshen shook his head, "That’s all? Is this the skill of the Sect Master of the Giant Spirit Sect?"

"Haha..." Zhao Ruilin suddenly laughed.

Blood continued to gush from his mouth, staining his collar and the dried leaves in front of him.

Li Xinhe said, "Unconvinced?"

"Convinced? Haha..."

Zhao Ruilin laughed endlessly.

He felt absurd, puzzled, as if heaven was opposing him.

Obviously luring the Evil Venerable, yet attracted four top experts.

If the Giant Spirit Sword were there, he could retreat intact, without it, the situation became perilous.

Within the blink of an eye, gravely injured, powerless.

No matter how he thought, the development was filled with a sense of fantasy and absurdity.

Never has life been so bizarre and whimsical, with such highs and lows over such a short span.

"What exactly are you laughing at?" Li Xinhe asked.

"I laugh at how absurd and ridiculous this world is!" Zhao Ruilin laughed, "You truly believe you wounded me based on ability?"

"Isn’t that so?" Li Xinhe asked smilingly.

He kept enough distance from Zhao Ruilin to prevent him from erupting, especially using the Jade and Stone Burning Secret Technique.

So he dragged time, easing Zhao Ruilin’s desperate intent, best to drag him to death.

"Hey, if it wasn’t for another Divine Venerable stealing my Spirit Sword, who knows who’d die!"

Li Xinhe shook his head, "We are four, you are alone, it’s unwinnable."

"Haha..." Zhao Ruilin laughed shaking his head, spitting more blood.

Li Xinhe chuckled, "Feeling aggrieved? We haven’t used our killer moves. Dying by our hands isn’t unjust, rest assured once you’re dead, every disciple of the Giant Spirit Sect will soon accompany you down."

"Haha..." Zhao Ruilin laughed, shaking his head continuously, "Go ahead, let’s see how you die, who says I’m done for?"

As he spoke, he took out a jade bottle, spilling a red pill into his mouth.

His complexion visibly shifted, pale to flush, radiant with red light.

No longer spitting blood, his aura ceased to scatter, becoming concentrated and restrained.

His injuries not only quickly eased, appearing healed, his cultivation also elevated.

Qi Qingmei scoffed, "Where did this Evil Pill come from again!"

Such spirit pills require Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, or them usually deep in mountain ancient forests, or the Court having Secret Lands.

Evil Sects often refine these spirit pills with human Essence Blood.

The better the effect, the more lives consumed.

"Heh, Evil Pill, in your eyes, we are all Evil Demons, hence Evil Sect, the spirit pill is also Evil Pill!"

"Isn’t that fact?" Li Xinhe shook his head, "For those unjust acts you commit, what else to call but Evil Demons?"

"Ridiculous!" Zhao Ruilin sneered, "Survival of the fittest, it’s been this way since ancient times, we merely comply with destiny, act according to heaven!"

As he spoke, he prepared to activate secret technique.

At that instant, a flash of golden light, Chu Zhiyuan silently appeared behind him, piercing his back with a sword.

Already at the Ninth Transitions Venerable Realm, wielding the Golden Sword, deliberately concealing himself.

Combined with the stealth technique learned from the Evil Venerable, it actually deceived Zhao Ruilin.

Just as Zhao Ruilin was about to be struck, Chu Zhiyuan heard a commanding shout, "Fix!"

Like a heavenly thunder crashing down, abruptly striking, catching off guard.

Chu Zhiyuan’s brow flickered, like lake water reflecting the sun in a flash at his forehead.

The next moment, the sword tip of the Golden Sword emerged from Zhao Ruilin’s left chest.

In disbelief, he froze, turning his head to glare.

"Swish!" The Golden Sword withdrew, piercing his forehead, the sword tip protruding from the back of his head.

His raised hand stopped in mid-air, wanting to make a move but powerless, his gaze quickly dimmed.

The Golden Sword instantly shattered his mind, swallowing him in darkness, causing him to die on the spot.

"Ah—!"

A roar came from afar, and in the next moment, a dark shadow rushed close.

Chu Zhiyuan stepped sideways, barely avoiding a palm, the Golden Sword thrust out.

The shadow dodged the Golden Sword, striking at his back.

He sidestepped again, the Golden Sword reversed its thrust.

The shadow dodged again, struck again, he sidestepped again and thrust the Golden Sword.

Each palm aimed to seize the soul, each sword thrust for the kill.

Qi Qingmei and the others frowned, clutching their Longswords but unsure how to proceed.

What they saw were only two moving shadows, unable to see the actual forms.

Even if they thrust their swords, they couldn’t hit the target, unable even to see it clearly.

They guessed it was the Evil Venerable Chu Zhiyuan mentioned, as only this Evil Venerable could possess such astounding movement technique.

The only thing they could do was remain motionless, lest they disturb Chu Zhiyuan’s actions.

Chu Zhiyuan soon fell behind, striving to escape to the distance, yet persistently pursued by the Evil Venerable, caught in a tight bind.

The four were anxious but helpless, unable to assist, their hearts filled with irritation.

Chu Zhiyuan tangled with the shadow and dived into the forest.

Their figures weaved through the dense woods, sword and palm clashing, yet the leaves and branches remained undamaged.

They seemed as if they had truly transformed into shadows.

Such an exquisite movement technique made the four despair, as they could never attain that level.

Not only did cultivation need to be strong, but also incredibly refined and precise, requiring profound practice.

The Evil Venerable could achieve it because he hailed from the outer world, possessing more Secret Skills, and deeper cultivation.

But how could Chu Zhiyuan manage it?

Truly miraculous!

Chu Zhiyuan’s voice sounded in their ears: "Senior Sister, Senior Uncle, and Elder, you go first, I’ll follow shortly."

They instantly understood.

Chu Zhiyuan wasn’t truly falling behind, he intentionally lured the Evil Venerable away from them.

This was to prevent the Evil Venerable from getting cornered and killing the four of them instead.

In front of the Evil Venerable, they were bound to be slow and powerless, not even worth a hit.

After Chu Zhiyuan went deeper into the forest, his pace increased once again, disappearing in a flash, reappearing thirty feet away.

Zhu Lingyun chased him like a shadow, sneering: "Where do you come from? Which sect did you descend into?"

Chu Zhiyuan snorted: "Where do you come from?"

"I hail from Giant Spirit Peak!" Zhu Lingyun snorted: "State your name!"

"Giant Spirit Peak? Never heard of it!" Chu Zhiyuan snorted while thrusting his sword and sneering: "A nameless place."

"What about you?" Zhu Lingyun snorted: "Could it be Heavenly Robbery Cliff?"

Chu Zhiyuan was immensely curious.

Giant Spirit Peak, Heavenly Robbery Cliff.

Yet his face appeared disdainful: "You’re not worthy to know, just took a little trinket, if you keep pestering, don’t blame me for being ruthless!"

"You’re even mixing with those four, does that mean you joined the Four Great Sects?" Zhu Lingyun shook his head: "Certainly up to the standards of Heavenly Robbery Cliff!"

If he was a disciple of Heavenly Robbery Cliff, then it wouldn’t be surprising, everything that happened explained clearly.

Unknowable to gods and spirits, he fooled even himself.

Only a disciple of Heavenly Robbery Cliff could infiltrate the Four Great Sects.

Chu Zhiyuan suddenly stopped, loudly said: "Hold your hand!"

Zhu Lingyun disregarded him, a Sealing struck, shooting a red light.

Chu Zhiyuan disappeared in a flash, reappearing behind Zhu Lingyun the next moment.

As he vanished, Zhu Lingyun vanished too, unbelievably fast.

Chu Zhiyuan realized they had unknowingly run over ten miles away.

Then Chu Liezhao stepped out from the Light Gate, wielding the Swift Light Sword thrusting out, while lightly calling.

Like a dragon’s roar.

Zhu Lingyun paused, the nape of his neck struck by Chu Zhiyuan’s palm, infused with the rich aura of Demon Suppressing Divine Tree.

Zhu Lingyun paused again.

The next moment, Chu Zhiyuan, Chu Liezhao, and the newly emerged Leng Tieya from the Light Gate simultaneously concentrated.

Zhu Lingyun formed a Sealing with both hands, suddenly lightly pressed his brow.

His eyes instantly flickered, alternating between bright and dim, his expression sometimes cold, sometimes solemn.

It was Chu Zhiyuan and the Evil Venerable competing for control over Zhu Lingyun’s body.