Imperial Cultivation-Chapter 1024 - 1020: Political Marriage
He paced a few steps, stopped without moving, and looked up at the sky.
The sun was covered by dark clouds, a gloomy sky, with clouds growing thicker.
The Imperial City hadn’t seen rain for a while.
His sensitivity to cold and heat had dulled, spending days buried in cultivation, unaware of the passage of time and the change of seasons.
He sighed, shook his head, and continued to pace.
This cave mansion, under the secrecy joined by two sects, was known to very few.
Only a few elders might know of it.
It was unclear at what stage they were — just beginning the exploration or starting excavation?
Exploring the cave mansion didn’t require too many people; each sect sent four to five experts.
In such a situation, to find out the location of the cave mansion, one couldn’t directly forcefully question the elders of the two sects.
The only way was to take the simple approach.
Thinking of this, he waved his left hand, and a Light Gate appeared.
He stepped inside and vanished without a trace, and the next moment appeared in the woods halfway up a mountain outside Yukunlun Palace.
A transparent flying knife silently floated above his head.
He closed his eyes, stood still, while his Super Sense expanded outward.
An hour later, he opened his eyes, frowned, and shook his head.
He drew a Light Gate, stepped inside, and disappeared.
Leaving only the flying knife silently gliding towards the mountain peak, stopping in a crack in the stone.
The insight spread in all directions, covering an area of ten miles, observing all disciples leaving Yukunlun Palace.
...
He returned to the small courtyard in the Prince Consort Mansion, having only sipped half a cup of tea, when Li Miaotan returned with a radiant smile.
"Father invited an Elder from Fengtian Palace to help wash away the imprint on the sword."
"When will the refinement be complete?"
"They entered the Tongtian Pavilion, which isolates perception. It’s estimated to take a month, ... in a month, this Purple Sky Spirit Sword will completely belong to me."
"Congratulations." Chu Liezhao said with a smile, "No wonder there are many spiritual artifacts in the Tongtian Pavilion."
Li Miaotan was taken aback.
She blinked her bright eyes, understood Chu Liezhao’s meaning, and quickly laughed, "The spiritual artifacts inside the Tongtian Pavilion weren’t stolen, they were remnants from an ancient space."
Chu Liezhao smiled without speaking.
Li Miaotan tilted her head and thought, "Could it be both?"
She had also been inside the Tongtian Pavilion, indeed it was an ancient world, different from other grotto heavens.
But the spiritual artifacts inside might not all be ancient relics, could they have been stolen?
"Forget it, whether stolen or left behind, it has nothing to do with us." Chu Liezhao said, "As long as the Purple Sky Spirit Sword can be refined, that’s good."
Li Miaotan said, "Husband, you overestimate Fengtian Palace, they aren’t that strong."
"Hmm, maybe so." Chu Liezhao didn’t argue.
Times change, who knows if the Fengtian Palace of the past was stronger or weaker than now.
Li Miaotan quickly changed the topic, "I told Mother about the cave mansion, and she said there’s nothing to be done, Yukunlun Palace won’t acknowledge it."
"Naturally, they wouldn’t acknowledge it." Chu Liezhao said, "You haven’t told the Emperor, have you?"
"I haven’t told Father," Li Miaotan shook her head, "asking Fengtian Palace for a projection might not find anything, but..."
Chu Liezhao said, "For such a minor matter, it doesn’t warrant troubling Fengtian Palace."
A projection by Fengtian Palace would require a great cost of spiritual artifacts.
It’s obvious, even the Emperor couldn’t make such a request.
Chu Liezhao laughed, "Now there’s only one way, snatch the chestnuts from the fire."
Li Miaotan’s bright eyes shone.
Chu Liezhao smiled at her beautiful face.
He knew she was pondering how to snatch the chestnuts from the fire.
Li Miaotan thought for a moment, then looked up, her bright eyes sparkling, "Leak the information, let several other sects get involved?"
Chu Liezhao nodded with a smile.
Li Miaotan smiled, "They would never let those two sects explore the cave mansion smoothly, they would definitely cause trouble, which is our opportunity."
"Not knowing the location of the cave mansion now, they likely have methods, after all, they have been openly and secretly fighting for so long, understanding each other better."
After thousands of years of entanglement, their understanding far surpasses ours and the Court’s.
"Great idea!"
Li Miaotan clapped her hands and laughed.
Her smiling face was like a blooming flower, illuminating the small courtyard, dispelling the oppression formed by the gloomy weather.
"This trick is quite wicked."
She giggled.
To use the other six sects or even more to find out the location of the cave mansion, and then use the Swift Light Sword to snatch the spiritual artifacts.
"Let’s see if it works. By the way, this period, we shouldn’t leave the Imperial City." Chu Liezhao said, "Avoid retribution from the Purple Sky Jade Pavilion."
The Purple Sky Spirit Sword was too important to the Purple Sky Jade Pavilion, and after losing it, their Pavilion Master would surely be furious.
He probably wouldn’t dare enter the Imperial City, only seeking opportunities for revenge outside to reclaim the spirit sword.
Therefore, it’s best to avoid him at his most aggressive.
Li Miaotan quickly nodded, then showed a troubled expression, "Husband, I need to go to the Phoenix Cave Heaven for cultivation..."
She felt once again insufficient in cultivation, and this time it was especially stimulating.
The previous satisfaction and tranquility vanished completely, and a desire to strive arose again.
Living a peaceful life with Chu Liezhao, the two were as sweet as honey.
After being stimulated this time, she could only suppress these tender feelings and choose to retreat for cultivation again.
"I’m returning to the Yujing Cave Heaven." Chu Liezhao said with a smile, "Just in time to avoid the limelight."
"Then let’s each retreat for a month; by then we can refine the Purple Sky Spirit Sword."
"Alright."
While the two were talking, Li Yuchun came to report that the Eldest Prince had arrived.
Chu Liezhao personally went out to greet him.
Li Cunren stood with his hands behind his back in front of the main hall of the front courtyard, standing under two peculiar trees, looking up at the sky.
The clouds in the sky gradually dispersed.
The rain had yet to fall.
Upon hearing footsteps, Li Cunren turned his head to look over, examining Chu Liezhao up and down.
Chu Liezhao clasped his fists and smiled, "Brother doesn’t recognize me anymore?"
"Haha, every time I see you, brother-in-law, I am amazed. This time you really made a name for yourself!"
"Brother knows?"
"Who wouldn’t know about this matter? You achieved a great victory." Li Cunren said with emotion, "A Seventh Transition Great Venerable—killed just like that, it’s terrifying!"
Chu Liezhao shook his head and smiled.
Li Cunren said, "Even a Nine Transitions Great Venerable would find it difficult to kill a Seventh Transition."
"Brother, I relied on a Spiritual Artifact," Chu Liezhao said, "It was not reliable; my cultivation is still insufficient."
Li Cunren said, "Others need to train for hundreds or even thousands of years, and you’ve done it in less than two years; this progress makes you the next Spirit Venerable!"
"Brother, be cautious with your words."
Chu Liezhao quickly waved his hand.
The position of Venerable is noble, hence the title, but comparing it to Spirit Venerable, it’s beyond logical explanation.
The achievement of a Spirit Venerable is not just comprehension, not just luck, even the two combined are insufficient.
A Nine Transitions Venerable advancing to Spirit Venerable is beyond human capability; it is destiny.
"Haha... alright, I won’t praise you too much; it’s not flattery now. Even the Four Great Sects, including Fengtian Palace, are convinced this time."
"Brother, is there anything you need?" Chu Liezhao laughed, "Just say it."
"I heard news that your Yujing is going to form an alliance through marriage with Yuanzhen."
"Alliance through marriage?" Chu Liezhao shook his head and smiled, "Third Brother just got married."
Li Chunhou married Princess Yuanzhen Thirteen, which is also an alliance through marriage.
His own marriage to Li Miaotan was also an alliance.
The alliance through marriage of the Three Dynasties didn’t affect the relationship between any of them.
"The Jade Dynasty and Yuanzhen Dynasty are simultaneously marrying princesses and giving princesses in marriage. Two couples getting married at the same time." Li Cunren said.
Chu Liezhao frowned.
"We don’t know yet which prince from Yujing or which princess, but Yuanzhen should be the Sixth Prince and Fourteenth Princess."
Chu Liezhao laughed, "Isn’t this too much of a joke?"
He doubted the effectiveness of the alliance through marriage, thinking it was not very useful.
The greater use is to show externally, stabilize the people’s sentiments, and deter the third dynasty?
Li Cunren said, "Brother-in-law, you’re caught in the middle, a bit awkward, best to avoid it."
Chu Liezhao laughed, "I thought brother was persuading me to take action."
Li Cunren said, "What action, kill Yuanzhen’s Sixth Prince?"
Chu Liezhao quickly waved his hand, "I can’t bring myself to do it, this Sixth Prince is quite a good person, completely different from Cheng Yunzheng."
Li Cunren said, "First retreat for cultivation, hide for a while, wait until they’re married."
"When is the marriage?" Chu Liezhao said.
"Probably soon, a month, no more than two months, wanting to catch us off guard... haven’t you received any news?"
Chu Liezhao shook his head, his expression tense.
Indeed, he hadn’t received any news, which chilled his heart.
Has Yujing lost trust in him or thought this matter irrelevant to him, not need to know?
Is he being excluded as the Ninth Prince?
"This is top-secret information," Li Cunren said, "Maybe they don’t want to make things difficult for you."
"Afraid I’ll leak the news?" Chu Liezhao said coldly.
Li Cunren said, "Either way, brother-in-law, you should avoid the awkwardness."
Chu Liezhao nodded, clasped his fists without saying thanks.
Li Cunren said, "Where is Twelfth Sister?"
"Practicing."
"Hmph, she really doesn’t take me as her big brother at all; leaving now."
Li Cunren flicked his sleeves, turned, and walked out.
Chu Liezhao laughed, escorted him outside.
Upon returning to the small courtyard, he sank his face and told Li Miaotan about this matter.
Li Miaotan hurriedly comforted him, saying that Yujing probably didn’t want to disturb him and make him lose focus.
Chu Liezhao felt even more displeased hearing this.
So he directly drew a Light Gate, left the Prince Consort Mansion, and appeared on the Great Bright Peak.
