Imperial Cultivation

Chapter 1436 - 1432: Taking Action

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

...

Two Seven-Colored Long Swords clashed continuously, their speed surpassing the limits of the naked eye. All that could be seen were countless flashes of Seven-Colored Light, overwhelming the sky.

Thunder Shock resounded incessantly.

The gusts grew increasingly fierce.

The barren peak began to scatter stone and soil, large rocks were sliced and crushed, turned to dust and swept away by the wind.

Within a few breaths, the peak lost a layer, as if part of a snow-covered mountain had melted away.

Chu Zhiyuan suddenly stopped his sword, and shouted, "Master Ancestor, let’s stop."

Wang Miaoqiao halted his sword midair, the Seven-Colored Long Sword swiftly retracting.

Until it contracted into his palm, transforming into a flashing pattern of a Seven-Colored small sword.

The light from the small sword pattern began to burrow under his skin, gradually dimming, finally disappearing into his flesh.

Chu Zhiyuan praised, "What a Spiritual Artifact!"

Wang Miaoqiao smiled proudly, "This was obtained from a fortunate encounter, without it, things would have been dangerous at the start."

"Just entering Spirit Venerable and you had such luck?" Chu Zhiyuan laughed.

Wang Miaoqiao said, "All Spirit Venerables of Heaven-Reaching Sect have good fortune, including me, previous ones also had encounters, and you received this fortune too."

Chu Zhiyuan said, "It seems our Heaven-Reaching Sect truly has fortune."

"Ha, what good fortune!" A cold laugh suddenly echoed from the sky.

Chu Zhiyuan turned his head to see, a middle-aged man slowly emerged.

As if floating from underwater to the surface.

He was tall and upright, with a narrow face and a pair of shining horse eyes.

"Ma Changqiu!" Wang Miaoqiao frowned, "You’re not dead?!"

"Old Ghost Wang, disappointed? I’m not dead!"

"You troublesome spirit, how did you escape?!" Wang Miaoqiao snorted.

"I have my methods." Ma Changqiu said coldly, "Old Ghost Wang, we should settle our accounts, shouldn’t we?"

"You want to fight?" Wang Miaoqiao dismissed, "You’re not my match!"

"Originally not, but now..." Ma Changqiu drew a long sword from his back and lightly shook it.

The long sword suddenly became crystal clear.

Chu Zhiyuan raised a brow.

The transformation of the long sword seemed somewhat similar to his Golden Sword.

The crystal clear long sword suddenly emitted Seven-Colored Light, transforming into a Seven-Colored Light Saber.

The Seven-Colored Light Saber tripled the original length of the sword, slashing towards Wang Miaoqiao.

Wang Miaoqiao’s palm suddenly emitted Seven-Colored Light, which transformed into a slender Seven-Colored Sword, matching the saber’s length.

"Boom!"

The saber and sword clashed in midair.

Chu Zhiyuan pointed his fingers, activating Qiankun Sword Technique, a Seven-Colored Long Sword materialized, stabbing towards Ma Changqiu.

This sword moved with lightning speed, aimed at Ma Changqiu’s back.

Ma Changqiu leaned sideways to evade the sword, while shouting, "You brat!"

In the next moment, a Seven-Colored Long Sword had already pierced his shoulder.

Chu Zhiyuan appeared behind him.

Ma Changqiu let out a sharp scream, shot out over ten meters.

But another Seven-Colored Light pierced his back, exiting through the chest, spilling a burst of blood.

Chu Zhiyuan nodded in satisfaction.

The Phoenix Feather Blade’s power was indeed formidable.

Ma Changqiu screamed again, turning into a shadow shooting into the distance, disappearing in a blink.

The Phoenix Feather Blade halted in the air, vibrating with a "buzz," shaking off the blood, then shot back into his sleeve.

Chu Zhiyuan dispersed the Qiankun Sword Technique in both hands and smiled.

He looked at the bewildered Wang Miaoqiao and cupped his fists, "Master Ancestor, I was presumptuous."

Wang Miaoqiao shook his head, "I underestimated you, you managed to heavily wound Old Monster Ma!"

Chu Zhiyuan asked, "Who exactly is he, which sect?"

"Li Huo Palace." Wang Miaoqiao snorted, "Always at odds with me, we’ve crossed swords a few times."

"He’s at the Second Transition, right?" Chu Zhiyuan said.

If he were at the Third Transition, I’d probably not be able to hurt him.

"He’s at the Third Transition," Wang Miaoqiao said.

Chu Zhiyuan was astonished.

Wang Miaoqiao mused, "I never imagined you could harm him,... but you acted decisively."

He hadn’t expected Chu Zhiyuan to act without hesitation.

The timing of his strike was perfect, effectively wounding Ma Changqiu.

Although Chu Zhiyuan’s Realm was clearly inferior to Ma Changqiu, he managed to heavily wound him.

Demonstrating extremely proficient combat skills.

Such experts, one need not worry about their survival.

Chu Zhiyuan said sheepishly, "Since he’s your foe, Master Ancestor, how could I stand by?... I fear I acted rashly, shouldn’t have intervened."

His decisive action was not due to this, but because of Ma Changqiu’s murderous intent towards him.

His keen senses clearly felt Ma Changqiu’s determination to kill him, and his attempts to ambush with treachery in mind.

Since Ma Changqiu intended to kill and ambush, waiting for his move was unnecessary; preemptive action was the answer.

"I’d be even happier if you could kill him," Wang Miaoqiao laughed, "That fellow deserves death."

Chu Zhiyuan said, "Alas, I couldn’t kill him, quite tricky."

"He is indeed hard to kill, adept at preserving life." Wang Miaoqiao remarked, "He possesses a Spiritual Artifact, enabling quick escapes."

Chu Zhiyuan asked, "He escaped so quickly just now because of that artifact?"

Wang Miaoqiao nodded, "To kill him, you must strike fatally, otherwise he always escapes with his life, very difficult!"

"A fatal strike..." Chu Zhiyuan pondered and shook his head.

Ma Changqiu, as a Spirit Venerable, had exuberant vitality, far beyond normal people.

Even if struck by the Phoenix Feather Blade, he still would not perish.

Moreover, his cultivation was not strong enough, only at the Second Transition, while Ma Changqiu was at the Third Transition, capable of dispelling his Spiritual Essence.

Wang Miaoqiao said, "Battles between Spirit Venerables are like this, very hard to completely kill each other, only the pursuit of victory in a single encounter."

Chu Zhiyuan nodded slowly.

He indeed needed to adapt to the differences of Spirit Venerables, unlike the previous days of swift extermination.

He recalled the previous confrontation with Ma Changqiu, feeling he seemed weaker than expected.

Was it due to injuries or another reason?

"Master Ancestor, shall we pursue him?"

"Can you catch him?"

"He bears my Spiritual Essence within him, I can sense it."

"Then..."

"Master Ancestor, follow me."

He placed his hand on Wang Miaoqiao’s shoulder, vanishing in a flash.

In an instant, they appeared atop a mountain peak, where Ma Changqiu sat cross-legged, operating his powers.

The Seven-Colored Long Saber lay across his knees.

Chu Zhiyuan pointed with his left hand, his right sleeve releasing the Phoenix Feather Blade, it shot towards Ma Changqiu.

Wang Miaoqiao, momentarily surprised, his palm also emitting a Seven-Colored Long Sword, aimed at Ma Changqiu.

Ma Changqiu suddenly widened his eyes, swept his saber horizontally, trying to cleave the Phoenix Feather Blade, but missed.

The Phoenix Feather Blade pierced his chest once more, followed by a burst of blood.

Ma Changqiu flickered, appearing a hundred meters away, then flickered again, two hundred meters away, disappearing into the distance.

Chu Zhiyuan placed his hand on Wang Miaoqiao’s shoulder, "Master Ancestor, let’s chase."

Wang Miaoqiao hurriedly said, "Wait!"

Chu Zhiyuan stopped, puzzled, looking at him.

"Don’t pursue for now." Wang Miaoqiao shook his head, "Spare him this time."

Chu Zhiyuan was puzzled.

Wang Miaoqiao said, "This guy likely escaped back to Li Huo Palace, it’s unwise to pursue further."

Chu Zhiyuan frowned.

Wang Miaoqiao said, "Li Huo Palace is guarded by other Spirit Venerables, we’re no match for them."

"...Understood." Chu Zhiyuan nodded slowly.

...

Chu Zhiyuan sat cross-legged on the prayer mat in Heaven-Reaching Hall, eyes closed, contemplating.

Continuously operating the Taihao Jade Void Scripture.

Spiritual Essence circulated within his body, undergoing constant changes.

Getting lighter, as if merging with the Void more closely, becoming one.

In a daze, he was the Void, the Void was him.

His mind still churned, pondering the encounter with Wang Miaoqiao and Ma Changqiu.