[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-imperial-cultivation":3,"chapter-imperial-cultivation-imperial-cultivation-chapter-548":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Imperial Cultivation",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},1055357,1365,"Chapter 548 - 545: Painful Killing","imperial-cultivation-chapter-548",548,"\u003Cp>```html\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Zhiyuan paid no attention to the Evil Sect experts charging in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, he focused on the other side of the street.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were able to create such chaos, and even under the control of the City Guard, naturally, they must have had some unique tricks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The horse aside, there were other experts secretly using a spirit secret technique.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amplifying people’s fear and panic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And fear and panic are contagious, able to be magnified in a crowd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it were him, he could easily break it with nothing more than a loud shout.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But being in the thick of it, unable to overlook the entire situation, the City Guards were flustered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This still showed their lack of experience.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tianjing City seems to have been peaceful for too long, rarely experiencing chaos, which makes it so fragile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After this incident, they will surely have gained experience and ways to deal with it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More than ten Imperial Guards rushed out from both sides, blocking those Evil Sect experts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A battle ensued on both sides.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Zhiyuan shook his head and scanned the surroundings with his eyes: \"Prince, it seems you don’t have many opportunities to fight against Evil Sect experts.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Prince smiled and said, \"Indeed, there are very few Evil Sect experts in Tianjing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Zhiyuan said, \"There are quite a few Evil Sect experts in Tianjing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Many?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I can see forty-some right now, besides this group in front, there’s another group hidden among the crowd observing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Prince showed a look of disgust.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Has the Prince ever witnessed the atrocities of Evil Sect demons personally?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...I’ve seen it once when I was young.\" The Prince’s face turned an ugly color.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t want to recall that scene anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It has been suppressed deep in his heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had been buried for so long that he thought he had already forgotten it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing these Evil Sect experts today, the memories he thought forgotten became clear again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only now he realized he had never forgotten.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The eighteenth younger brother and he were both captured by an Evil Sect expert, who first devoured his eighteenth brother.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He watched as his eighteenth brother was drained to just skin and bones amidst screams of agony.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Zhiyuan watched the battle in the arena calmly, looking at the crowd in the distance, and said calmly, \"Then the Prince should understand why I detest them so, why I must eradicate them.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Kill them all!\" the Prince slowly said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Zhiyuan’s Super Sense was always observing everyone, including the Prince.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching the Prince’s eyes, the emotional turmoil.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Zhiyuan sighed: \"The wisest move for me would be to stand by and do nothing, let your Da Meng’s Imperial Guards kill them, allow Da Meng’s guards to suffer losses, ... if I take action, I can prevent your guards from getting hurt, but you won’t appreciate it, instead, you will resent my meddling.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Princely Heir...\" the Prince hesitated, \"Will the guards suffer losses?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had to admit Chu Zhiyuan’s words weren’t wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wisest thing for Chu Zhiyuan is to stay put, let the guards act.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Zhiyuan said, \"Once they unleash Jade and Stone Burning, the guards can’t withstand it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Then I request the Princely Heir to act!\" the Prince gritted his teeth and said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today, he might as well lose face; compared to saving face, the lives of the guards are more important.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Zhiyuan said, \"Then shall I make a move?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Please do, Princely Heir!\" The Prince nodded vigorously, \"Kill all those demons!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From Chu Zhiyuan’s sleeve flew out eight apparitions, which hovered above, yet they were eight flying knives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eight flying knives, crystal clear, as if carved out of ice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They hovered in the void a meter above Chu Zhiyuan’s head, quivering slightly, eager to strike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Prince examined them in astonishment, Hu Ping’an, Guo Pu, and others curiously observed these flying knives as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each was exquisite and had faint, intricate strange patterns.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those with a heart knew Chu Zhiyuan’s flying knife reputation; having not seen it personally, some always found it exaggerated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could there be such formidable flying knives?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While they were scrutinizing, they felt these eight flying knives seemed like living things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like eight eagles, eager to hunt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Whoosh!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a whistle, the eight crystal flying knives instantly vanished into the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the next moment, they drilled into the battling crowd, flying past the foreheads of one Evil Sect demon after another.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were discernible and indistinct, yet astonishingly fast; by the time one realized, the flying knife had already arrived, unavoidable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The eight flying knives made one round, piercing through sixteen heads, then another round, killing all the Evil Sect demons engaged in battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They reappeared in the void above Chu Zhiyuan’s head, unstained by a drop of blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Prince and others widened their eyes, feeling a sense of disorientation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Zhiyuan gestured with his mouth to the distance, \"There’ll probably be another battle over there.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Prince stared blankly at him, then turned dimly to the distant street.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Should I handle it directly?\" Chu Zhiyuan asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Prince murmured, \"Deal with it then.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The eight flying knives immediately glowed and shot out again, disappearing into the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They drilled into the crowd in the distance, passing through each head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah—!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Murder—!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Screams echoed from afar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Transparent flying knives pierced through each head, causing their owners to die abruptly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bodies shrank rapidly, leaving only clothes and the bones beneath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the blink of an eye, eight flying knives flew back to the void above Chu Zhiyuan’s head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They trembled lightly, seemingly revealing a sense of dissatisfaction, a thirst for more killing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Zhiyuan faintly sensed their unfulfilled desire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These Evil Sect experts were neither strong nor numerous, not enough for them to slaughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Such a fine Sword Technique,\" the Prince marveled, \"Truly a marvelous Sword Technique!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such a flying knife skill, miraculous indeed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Zhiyuan nodded with satisfaction, smiled and said, \"Glad not to have disappointed you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Princely Heir’s divine knife, I’ve witnessed a grand spectacle!\" the Prince marveled, \"Such unparalleled Sword Technique, truly wonder how it is mastered!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Zhiyuan laughed, \"By chance and coincidence, it’s very convenient for slaughtering Evil Sect demons.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guo Pu, clad in a red robe, laughed and said, \"Princely Heir, wouldn’t it be wrong, wouldn’t you kill the wrong people?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Zhiyuan said, \"They only kill those with intense murderous aura, specializing in slaying demons; those without such aura aren’t as easily killed.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Imperial Guards had already stopped, watching the rapidly shrinking corpses on the ground, turning their gaze towards Chu Zhiyuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Zhiyuan said, \"Prince, the purge is complete.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thank you, Princely Heir.\" The Prince clasped his fists, \"Shall we continue?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alright.\" Chu Zhiyuan nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Imperial Guards quickly moved the shrinking corpses aside, allowing the envoy and Da Meng Ministry of Rites officials to continue forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a hundred meters, before reaching another street junction, the eight flying knives above Chu Zhiyuan’s head shot out again, drilling into the crowd at the junction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then came screams one after another.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah—!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Murder—!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Death—!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The screams were incessant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Zhiyuan continued walking forward without stopping, and the flying knives above never rested.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not long after returning, they flew out again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the time they reached the Four Directions Pavilion street of Da Meng, Chu Zhiyuan’s flying knives had already deployed six times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each time, killing twenty to thirty people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Prince secretly tallied, from the South City Gate to the Four Directions Pavilion, they had slaughtered over two hundred people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over two hundred Evil Sect demons, it made them shudder inwardly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They never expected the Evil Sect to be so rampant, with over two hundred demons in Tianjing City!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These were just the demons coming to assassinate Chu Zhiyuan; not all the demons in Tianjing City would target Chu Zhiyuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So there are even more demons within Tianjing City!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Realizing this, they all felt heavy-hearted, a vague anxiety.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was once thought to be steadfast and safe Tianjing City, harbored hundreds of demons, or even thousands, tens of thousands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After bidding farewell to Chu Zhiyuan, each of them had a serious expression, looking grim.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Prince then personally entered the Imperial Palace to speak to the Emperor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wished to report the matter of the Evil Sect demons personally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He also needed to offer his apologies; today had indeed humiliated Da Meng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>```\u003C\u002Fp>",1406,"2026-06-03T09:58:18.416Z","2026-06-03T09:58:16.817Z",1,"novelbin.me","0b0d7e28264b57eb6e5bf8e7bcfabdb4e11cb50f5e11fd6514203914730e363d","imperial-cultivation-chapter-549","imperial-cultivation-chapter-547",1378,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fimperial-cultivation-cover.jpg"]