Imperial Cultivation-Chapter 283 - 280: Accident

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Song Yichun laughed, "If you ask what’s in the secret land of our sect, I can’t really say, but you should ask what isn’t in our sect’s secret land?"

Chu Zhiyuan laughed, "Such big talk."

Song Yichun said, "I never exaggerate, I always speak the truth. The secret land is like another small world, naturally it contains everything."

"Heavenly materials and earthly treasures, rare birds and exotic beasts?"

"Of course there are."

"Divine weapons?"

"There are those as well."

"Spirit Pills?"

"Also present."

"Mysterious Skills?"

"Yes, there are."

"...All of them?" Chu Zhiyuan asked in amazement, "Aren’t Spirit Pills supposed to be crafted?"

"There are many Cave Mansions and ruins, naturally there are Spirit Pills as well as divine weapons."

"And in over a thousand years, they haven’t been fully explored?"

"The secret land is vast beyond the imagination of the Princely Heir, and it’s continuously changing. A thousand years, or even ten thousand years wouldn’t be enough to explore it fully."

"Doesn’t the secret land need a Great Grandmaster to guard it?"

"Naturally," Song Yichun laughed, "The Princely Heir knows, the demon beasts of the secret land are strong, without a Great Grandmaster, if they escape, everyone in the world would suffer."

Chu Zhiyuan said, "Then there are no other people in the secret land?"

"...None," Song Yichun shook his head, "This is a strange thing, the secret land has martial arts inheritance, and Cave Mansions, there are traces of human survival, yet no living people; all you see are the dead."

Chu Zhiyuan said, "So you’re saying this secret land is extremely terrifying? It can instantly destroy everyone, regardless of their cultivation level?"

He suddenly felt his hair stand on end.

There are mysterious skills and Cave Mansions there.

That implies the presence of practitioners, and very high-level ones at that.

But none are alive.

Could it be a great cataclysm, like the extinction of dinosaurs in a previous life, where no one survived?

Will this great cataclysm happen again?

What if such a cataclysm occurs while in the secret land, even a Great Grandmaster might not escape?

"The Princely Heir is overthinking," the two laughed and shook their heads.

Chu Zhiyuan laughed, "It seems you both know some inside information, I’m all ears."

"There are no living people in the secret land because of a heavenly transformation, where the atmospheric conditions became unsuitable for long-term living."

"Altered air?"

"Even a Great Grandmaster can only last a month before needing to return to recover for a few days."

"...Remarkable," Chu Zhiyuan said slowly.

It truly is a great cataclysm, a heavenly alteration, rendering it unsuitable for human life but a paradise for animals and plants.

"Does the secret land keep changing?" Chu Zhiyuan asked, "Continuously expanding?"

Song Yichun said, "The scope of the secret land is constantly increasing, and many forest areas are changing; places originally without Cave Mansions now have them, while others lose them — in short, the secret land is wondrous and unpredictable."

Chu Zhiyuan nodded.

It is indeed wondrous, but the records of the Four Grotto Heavens and the four secret lands are sparse, only circulating among Great Grandmasters.

Under a Great Grandmaster, even knowing about it would be useless, as they couldn’t enter.

Song Yichun laughed, "Does the Princely Heir wish to take a tour of our sect’s secret land?"

"Isn’t it too far?" Chu Zhiyuan asked.

Song Yichun shook his head, "Only a thousand miles, not far for the Princely Heir, right?"

Chu Zhiyuan raised an eyebrow.

He noticed that the distance from the Four Demon Sects to Yujing isn’t far, Yao Yue Palace is a thousand miles, and Wuyou Sect is also a thousand miles.

What about the other two sects? Are Jiuli Divine Sect and Yongling Divine Sect also a thousand miles?

Are they all, like the Four Spirit Array, a thousand miles from Yujing?

Chu Zhiyuan directly asked, "Are Yongling Divine Sect and Jiuli Divine Sect also a thousand miles from Yujing?"

"Precisely," the two nodded.

Chu Zhiyuan increasingly felt the complexity of the Court’s relationship with the Four Great Sects, clearly a protective stance.

Song Yichun laughed, "If the Princely Heir wishes to go, we can arrange it with a word, and you’ll be there."

Chu Zhiyuan considered for a moment, then shook his head with a smile, "Perhaps another time."

The two looked disappointed.

Chu Zhiyuan’s heart stirred.

It seems they are under orders to invite him to the secret land of Wuyou Sect.

He never thought of Wuyou Sect as causing harm to him; they didn’t have the nerve, and would instead strive to protect him.

Going to Wuyou Sect should be safe.

Moreover, with the Heavenly Dragon Divine Horse, no one could ambush him.

Indeed, it’s quite tempting.

But now, he mustn’t rely on external aids, but on steady progress.

Moreover, the Emperor probably doesn’t want to see him lean towards the Four Great Sects now.

Concubine Rou’s advice shouldn’t be fully ignored, but also not completely followed.

"The Princely Heir might believe our sect relies solely on poison skills?"

"Is that not the case?"

"This is a misunderstanding by the world; our poison skills are just one aspect, not the strongest."

"The strongest is...?"

"Naturally, it is martial arts." Li Yilong said solemnly, "The world misunderstands our sect too deeply."

"Martial arts?"

"The Four Great Sects originally established themselves through martial arts, and how could they rely on poison skills to stand firm?" Song Yichun laughed, "Our sect’s Sect Suppressing Martial Art is the Wuyou Scripture."

"Isn’t it a poison scripture?"

"Wuyou Powder got its name from our sect’s Sect Suppressing Heart Method, but it was mistakenly thought to be a poison skill."

"Such absurdity?" Chu Zhiyuan laughed, "Isn’t anyone aware of it?"

Song Yichun smiled with pursed lips, "It’s always said our sect’s poison is invisible and traceless, killing without a trace, and so is our martial arts, invisible and traceless, killing without a trace."

Chu Zhiyuan said, "Why not explain it?"

"To whom to explain?" Song Yichun said, "To those we want to kill, or to irrelevant people? Moreover, why should our sect explain its actions to others?"

Chu Zhiyuan laughed, "Quite the Wuyou Sect... Did the Holy Daughter of Yao Yue Palace go there?"

"The Holy Daughter is already in our sect," Song Yichun laughed, "The Princely Heir can still meet the Heir’s Wife if he goes now."

Chu Zhiyuan laughed, "If I go, she’ll leave, right?"

In his mind, Xiao Ruoling’s stunning beauty and bright smile appeared.

He felt a wave of longing.

"The Holy Daughter will stay for a few days; she might also explore the secret land."

"She can enter the secret land too?"

"The Four Great Sects are interconnected, it’s normal for the Holy Daughter to enter our sect’s secret land."

"Better not," Chu Zhiyuan laughed and shook his head.

He was very tempted but restrained himself.

Wuyou Sect wouldn’t harm him, but one still has to be cautious; sometimes harm isn’t direct but through various means.

He must not too early accept any side but be cautious.

First, he must clear up the details of Wuyou Sect.

——

"Master Ma, show me the information about Wuyou Sect."

"Yes."

"Hmm—?" Chu Zhiyuan looked at Ma Tianhe.

He originally thought Ma Tianhe would look troubled but didn’t expect him to agree so readily, quite unusual.

Ma Tianhe lowered his voice, "Your Highness, actually, our Inspection Department knows little about the Four Demon Sects; we have no authority to probe, only gathering a few fragmented pieces of information. Someone else truly knows about the Four Great Sects."

Chu Zhiyuan’s spirits lifted, "Is there someone specifically responsible for investigating the Four Great Sects?"

Ma Tianhe looked around, slowly nodded.

Chu Zhiyuan fixed him with a burning gaze.

Ma Tianhe mouthed a name silently.

Chu Zhiyuan immediately understood, frowning as he looked at him.

Ma Tianhe slowly nodded, his expression firm and earnest.

Chu Zhiyuan pondered.

He hadn’t expected the one secretly overseeing the Four Great Sects to be Chu Qingfeng, his Thirteenth Great Uncle Chu Qingfeng.

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