Imperial Cultivation

Chapter 192: Chapter 190 Cooperation

She cultivates the Phoenix Cry Nine Heavens Technique of the Phoenix Sword Sect.

She embodies the deeds of a phoenix, with an explosive temperament, skillfully controlled and disguised, so outsiders cannot discern it.

Beneath her stunning beauty lies dominance, strength, stubbornness, and resilience.

Even though she’s repeatedly suffered at the hands of Chu Zhiyuan, she’s not frightened and still insists on confronting him defiantly.

This kind of fighting spirit and willpower is not something ordinary people possess; it is a naturally born Phoenix Character.

The reason she isn’t prevented from continuing to face setbacks is because her cultivation of the Phoenix Cry Nine Heavens Technique requires such challenges.

Through setbacks, she continually rises, evolves, and experiences a Phoenix Nirvana, thus advancing further.

Every nirvana is a resource for progress.

Others rely on circulating breath, True Qi, or Gang Qi continuously to break through barriers and advance further in their cultivation.

Her cultivation, however, relies on her Mental State.

Without the support of her Mental State, no amount of circulated Gang Qi or breakthroughs will be effective.

Each transformation of her Mental State results in one level of advancement.

As her skills become more refined and her mind more extraordinary, fewer people and fewer things can cause her setbacks.

Now, finally, a person has appeared who can.

This person is her destined benefactor.

However, she will not reveal these matters.

Only a Grandmaster can comprehend this. Li Hongzhao herself doesn’t understand; she naturally acts in harmony with the Phoenix Cry Nine Heavens Technique.

If Li Hongzhao learned about it in advance, it would hinder her cultivation; acting without deliberation is best; having intentions makes it difficult to succeed.

"Someone, please summon the Fourth Prince to meet with me."

"Yes, Your Highness."

——

Chu Zhiyuan appeared before Li Hongzhao, cupped his fists, and smiled, saying, "Your Highness, we meet again, what a pleasure."

"Hmph, it’s true that enemies are destined to meet," Li Hongzhao replied irritably, "I had no desire to see you."

Chu Zhiyuan gave a fist salute to Su Qiuyan, then smiled and sat opposite Li Hongzhao, his gaze wandering over her beautiful face, and smiled, "Then why did you change your mind?"

After the past encounters, he had already discerned Li Hongzhao’s nature.

To meet her, there’s no need to directly seek her out. Instead, let her become alert; all one needs is to appear within her range of sight. _{𝑛𝑜𝑣𝑝𝑢𝘣.𝘤𝑜𝘮}

At that moment, she will naturally come to him, and certainly meet him.

Li Hongzhao is just so competitive!

"Recently, Sister Xiao has been avoiding me. Did you instigate this?"

"Ruoling hasn’t even married into the family yet, and even if she did, whom she wants to see or not see is entirely up to her."

"Ridiculous!"

"So why doesn’t Your Highness just ask directly?"

Chu Zhiyuan laughed.

"Hmph, I originally thought Sister Xiao was an extraordinary woman, different from mundane women, but she’s the same after all, subject to the whims of you vile men."

"Your Highness is too presumptuous," Chu Zhiyuan smiled, "Presumptuously assuming Ruoling is an extraordinary woman, and presumptuously assuming she’s just mundane."

Li Hongzhao frowned and stared at him.

"Your Highness’s assumptions deviate greatly from the true Ruoling," Chu Zhiyuan said, "Observe first, people are so complex; how could one meeting be enough to understand them? ...Does Your Highness always act with preconceived notions?"

Li Hongzhao bit her red lip and glared at him.

Chu Zhiyuan smiled, "Emotions first, disregarding facts."

"You’re full of it!" Li Hongzhao couldn’t help but scold.

She found her temper particularly short when facing Chu Zhiyuan, easily ignited, hard to control.

She decided not to control it; if she exposes her true nature, so be it, after all, they are simply rivals and enemies.

Chu Zhiyuan shook his head, smiling, "You’re angry because I hit the mark, ..."

"Chu Zhiyuan, you’re the one who’s presumptuous!"

"Perhaps," Chu Zhiyuan smiled with an expression of not wishing to argue, "If Ruoling doesn’t want to see you, maybe you should reflect and find out why."

"Chu Zhiyuan, shut up already!"

"However, your tactics are indeed quite impressive, directly having a master from Wuxiang Sect impersonate the Twelfth Prince to utterly control Da Lie?" Chu Zhiyuan said.

"What Wuxiang Sect, what Twelfth Prince?" Li Hongzhao frowned, "I’m completely confused, explain clearly!"

"Your Highness, after so many meetings, do you still not understand? You can’t lie to me, put away those tricks."

"What this trick, that trick!" Li Hongzhao impatiently snorted, "Will you spill the details or not?"

Feigning ignorance was necessary, she couldn’t let him see through her.

Chu Zhiyuan said, "The Great Formless Technique of the Wuxiang Sect can’t be flawless, surely it has a weakness?"

"You could ask the Wuxiang Sect yourself and see if they’ll tell you," Li Hongzhao sidelong glanced at him, "You intend to unearth Wuxiang Sect’s secrets!"

Chu Zhiyuan laughed, "Looks like you don’t know either, Your Highness. If Wuxiang Sect used the Great Formless Technique, wouldn’t they even be able to fool you?"

"Chu Zhiyuan, maybe the one before you isn’t the real me but a Wuxiang Sect master, don’t you think?"

Li Hongzhao burst into laughter, giggling non-stop, her laughter like blossoming flowers, her body shaking.

She laughed for a while, then under Chu Zhiyuan’s calm gaze, finally said, "You’re killing me with laughter... Do you think Wuxiang Sect is that formidable?"

Chu Zhiyuan smiled, "Their flaw lies in the Spirit Pills, right?"

Li Hongzhao looked at him with a radiant smile.

Chu Zhiyuan pondered, "The Great Formless Technique should be highly consuming, unable to maintain with one’s own True Qi for long, requiring a large amount of Spirit Pills for supplementation."

He had an exceedingly profound understanding of the body, realizing that maintaining an abnormal state of the body consumed immense energy.

The Qi of Dantian is far from enough; one needs to continuously cultivate Internal Cultivation Methods to restore Qi, conflicting with the operation of the Great Formless Technique.

If lacking a Miracle Technique like the Earth Origin Technique and Heavenly Yuan Technique, one must rely on Elixir Pills.

And it requires a large amount of Elixir Pills.

Li Hongzhao kept her smile unchanged, "Chu Zhiyuan, you really should become a storyteller, your fabrications are impressive; this goes beyond being presumptuous!"

She resolved not to respond to Chu Zhiyuan’s questions, thereby obscuring the truth.

Chu Zhiyuan nodded, "I was right... The Twelfth Prince of Da Lie was impersonated. Where is the real prince, dead or imprisoned?"

Seeing Li Hongzhao’s ambiguous smile and silence, he nodded, "Oh, he wasn’t killed, just imprisoned... You Da Meng really haven’t gone mad."

Princes and Princely Heirs must not be killed without authorization; this is an iron rule.

If Da Meng broke this rule, it would be considered treason, punishable by the entire world.

Unless they could indeed crush all opponents, they couldn’t take this step.

Li Hongzhao suddenly felt a compulsion to block her ears or cover her face, preventing him from discerning anything.

With this thought, she turned her head, "Someone, fetch me a veil."

"Yes!" A small handmaid answered from outside.

Chu Zhiyuan laughed, "What reveals your truth isn’t the face, but the eyes. Otherwise, cover your eyes."

"Chu Zhiyuan, knowing too many secrets isn’t beneficial!"

"Does Your Highness intend to kill me?"

"I can’t kill you, but that doesn’t mean others can’t."

"For example?"

"The Demon Sect!"

Chu Zhiyuan raised his sword-like brows and slowly said, "Demon Sect disciples have entered the city?!"

"Heh, they’re certainly tired of living! ... Which Demon Sect?"

"Find it out yourself!" Li Hongzhao replied irritably, "In any case, it’s the Demon Sect, maybe they’re here targeting you."

Chu Zhiyuan laughed, "How do you know they aren’t targeting Your Highness?...In Da Jing, we have the Yuding Sect, specializing in slaughtering Imperial Family members to gain more power; hasn’t Your Highness heard of it?"

"...Yes."

"Why don’t we join forces?" Chu Zhiyuan suggested, "Your Highness provides information; I’ll arrange for the Military Suppression Department to eliminate those Demon Sects."

"...What’s in it for me?"

"For every Demon Sect disciple killed, we’ll release one of your captives, how about that?"

He found Li Hongzhao to be a real treasure.

Whenever he thought he had fully exploited her, there always seemed to be something new.