Imperial Cultivation-Chapter 940 - 936: Hundred Birds
Chu Zhiyuan looked up toward the mountain peak where the Phoenix Sword Sect was located.
Only one impression: rather ordinary.
A very common mountain peak, not high in altitude, far from the white clouds.
The mountain peak was lush with greenery, various tall trees arranged layer after layer, in ordered rows.
However, what his Super Sense saw was completely different.
Above this peak, there was another mountain, floating above the clouds, invisible to the naked eye.
Even though he had seen the scene of the Profound Yin Palace, he couldn’t help but be amazed by this.
He had always wanted to figure out what kind of force supported the palace of the Profound Yin Palace, and what kind of force supported this towering peak above the clouds.
But whether it was the palace of the Profound Yin Palace or this peak, they were too complex and vast, with various strange patterns scattered all over, making it hard to understand exactly what force it was.
Yet he could conclude that it was probably not the power of the Spiritual Abyss.
Lu Qingyuan led the way ahead, smoothly leading them up the mountain peak without taking them into the main hall, but directly to the front of a cave.
The cave also looked rather ordinary, guarded by two middle-aged people, a man and a woman, both Venerables.
Lu Qingyuan handed over a crimson waist token, turned to Chu Zhiyuan: "Prince Consort, that’s the pass token, you can go in now."
Chu Zhiyuan nodded.
Fu Zheng hurriedly said: "Your Highness, be careful."
Li Yuzhen also gave him a deep look.
Chu Zhiyuan chuckled: "This is the Grotto Heaven, not the Outer Realm Battlefield."
"Divine Clan Martial Arts aren’t easy to comprehend; they are said to be dangerous," Fu Zheng said.
Li Yuzhen said: "There’s no need to force, remember the Princess is still in seclusion."
"I won’t push myself," Chu Zhiyuan waved his hand, telling them to say no more.
Lu Qingyuan looked at Fu Zheng and Li Yuzhen: "I’ll take the Prince Consort over first."
Fu Zheng nodded.
Lu Qingyuan led the way, and Chu Zhiyuan followed her into the cave.
A flash in front of their eyes, and they had arrived in a verdant world.
The surrounding air was warm and pleasant, like a spring breeze on one’s face.
Chu Zhiyuan felt the temperature here was at least ten degrees higher than Xuanyin Cave Heaven.
If Xuanyin Cave Heaven was autumn, this place was spring.
Warm like spring, the spring breeze intoxicated people’s hearts.
Surrounding the area were layered and overlapping mountain ranges, rich in green, full of life.
Lu Qingyuan said: "Prince Consort, we need to walk forward about a hundred miles."
Chu Zhiyuan nodded: "The Phoenix Sword Technique is linked to this grotto, isn’t it?"
Lu Qingyuan nodded: "Cultivating here will speed up progress."
Chu Zhiyuan slowly nodded.
It seems the Phoenix Sword Technique isn’t an ultimate swordsmanship, but rather gentle.
He always thought the Phoenix Sword Technique implied the meaning of Phoenix Nirvana.
Now, it appears not to be the case.
The two continued forward and encountered many demon beasts, but none of them had any intention to avoid them.
They had sharp senses, an instinct for danger.
Yet, they didn’t perceive Lu Qingyuan and Chu Zhiyuan as dangerous.
Chu Zhiyuan glanced at Lu Qingyuan, smiling: "Miss Lu, your Fallen Abyss Sword Technique has improved deeply."
She had already trained the Fallen Abyss Sword Technique to a deep level, condensing her spiritual essence, hiding as if in a deep abyss.
So, the surrounding demon beasts couldn’t sense her sharpness and danger, thus didn’t avoid them.
As for himself, he naturally restrained himself completely.
"Thanks to Sister Fu."
"Sparing with each other surely benefits cultivation," Chu Zhiyuan said.
Fu Zheng and Lu Qingyuan’s personalities matched perfectly, they constantly sparred, both reaping great rewards.
Fu Zheng lacked the foundation and aura of top sect disciples, while Lu Qingyuan lacked the cunning and groundedness of small sect disciples.
Together, they complemented each other and reaped great rewards.
The two chatted idly while speeding up, moving faster and faster.
Lu Qingyuan pushed her speed to the limit, while Chu Zhiyuan followed her unhurriedly.
A hundred miles covered under their qinggong, they soon arrived.
Ultimately stopping in front of a large hall on a mountain top.
This large hall was entirely golden-shimmering, crafted from bronze, like a ten-story building from the previous life, about three hundred square meters, with wing-like eaves.
Hundred meters above the hall, a phoenix sculpture stood high in the air, akin to an enormous phoenix poised for flight.
This phoenix sculpture stood around thirty meters high, with wings spread, about ten meters wide.
The feathers reflected a rainbow glow, with gleaming eyes crafted from gemstones.
Yet, he didn’t know how these feathers were made.
Around the sculpture, several flocks of birds flew, occasionally rising and falling, their formations constantly shifting.
Chu Zhiyuan was amazed.
He hadn’t imagined this phoenix sculpture possessed such divine charm, giving him the feeling of a real phoenix.
The aura of the king of hundred birds was immense, drawing flocks of birds to worship.
"This is...?" Chu Zhiyuan was curious.
"This is the Spiritual Treasure," Lu Qingyuan said softly, "The Divine Clan Martial Arts are within."
Chu Zhiyuan turned to her: "Inside this sculpture?"
"It’s said that this sculpture itself is the Divine Clan Martial Arts," Lu Qingyuan said.
Chu Zhiyuan laughed: "This phoenix sculpture is the Divine Clan Martial Arts?"
Lu Qingyuan gave a light nod.
Chu Zhiyuan said: "In that case, anyone can see it?"
Lu Qingyuan smiled: "Non-Phoenix Sword Sect disciples cannot enter this grotto heaven."
Chu Zhiyuan said: "That means all Phoenix Sword Sect disciples can see these Divine Clan Martial Arts?"
Lu Qingyuan lightly nodded.
Chu Zhiyuan laughed: "No wonder they agreed so straightforwardly."
Lu Qingyuan smiled: "What use is it to see it? Just like that palace, if you can’t enter it, naturally you can’t obtain the treasures inside."
Chu Zhiyuan slowly nodded: "What’s inside that palace?"
The Super Sense opened but didn’t notice this golden-shimmering bronze palace.
This gave him a sense of familiarity, as if the palace was just a projection.
It’s like the condition within the Heavenly Illusion Pavilion territory.
"I don’t know." Lu Qingyuan lightly shook her head: "We’ve never opened this Phoenix Palace."
"Phoenix Palace..." Chu Zhiyuan murmured.
He saw the name on this palace, written in Divine Language, not the three words Phoenix Palace.
But Hundred Birds Palace.
Focusing his mind, what he saw was flocks of birds either gracefully dancing or soaring away.
Various birds danced gracefully between heaven and earth, free and unrestrained.
He couldn’t help but feel light and floating, as if he would transform into a bird and fly away.
"Prince Consort, shall I go then?" Lu Qingyuan said.
Chu Zhiyuan stared at the plaque of the palace, his heart and spirit immersed in the flock of birds, absentmindedly nodding: "Go ahead."
Lu Qingyuan, seeing him like this, didn’t leave directly but stood quietly a hundred meters away, guarding to prevent anyone from disturbing him.
Chu Zhiyuan’s heart and spirit increasingly rendered in the Divine Language, becoming more and more ethereal and soaring.
He faintly felt a strange sensation, as if two pairs of wings had grown on his back, ready to soar with the wind.
This strange sensation grew increasingly intense.
Lu Qingyuan saw Chu Zhiyuan’s feet slowly leaving the ground.
Yet, no aura flowed around him, as if his body was rapidly becoming lighter, like being lifted by the wind.
She widened her bright eyes, staring intently at Chu Zhiyuan and realized his gaze still focused on the palace.
This palace was a mirage; sect elders said it was between reality and illusion, possibly situated in another realm, and what they saw was just its projection.
What was the point of looking at this projection?
The real mystery should be in that phoenix, right?
Then a thought struck her: could everyone be mistaken, and the true secret lay not in the phoenix but the palace?
If the direction was wrong, no matter how you try to comprehend, it would only become more skewed.
This realization invigorated her spirit, and she too focused her gaze on the glittering golden palace.
A quarter of an hour later, she reluctantly gave up.
