[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-imperial-cultivation":3,"chapter-imperial-cultivation-imperial-cultivation-chapter-600":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},1055409,1365,"Chapter 600 - 596 Cave Mansion","imperial-cultivation-chapter-600",600,"\u003Cp>Cheng Yifeng’s heart instantly tightened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your Highness...\" Six Grandmasters gathered around, looking worriedly at the spot where Chu Zhiyuan had vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As guards, they naturally understood the circumstances of this secret place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The loss of two Great Grandmasters was news that had spread outside, and they were, of course, aware.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If only a single Great Grandmaster was lost, it might have been due to carelessness, a slip-up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But losing two Great Grandmasters along with a group of Grandmasters, all together, could be said to be as stable as could be, yet still ending in complete annihilation—this was true despair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Yifeng shook his head, \"Since the Fourth Prince dared to enter, there shouldn’t be a problem.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew that Chu Zhiyuan’s instincts were sharp, far sharper than ordinary people, especially when it came to danger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since he dared to enter, he must be confident.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But there’s always a fear of the unexpected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, he maintained a calm demeanor on his face, as if he had victory in hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes.\" The six Grandmasters responded solemnly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Yifeng waved his hand, \"Alright, you all take a rest, no need to mind me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your Highness, why not warm up by the fire a bit, have a drink to warm yourself?\" A middle-aged man took a wine gourd from his waist and smiled, \"We’re on duty and dare not drink, so my wine is untouched, perfect for Your Highness.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under normal circumstances, Cheng Yifeng would have taken it and drunk up, but now he wasn’t in the mood for drinking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He waved his hand, \"I’ve already had quite a bit, any more and I’ll be drunk. Sit down.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He led them to sit by the campfire, inquired about the situation here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The six Grandmasters were forthcoming with everything they knew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Yifeng is the Seventeenth Prince, perhaps with no hope of becoming Emperor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But being from Wentian Cliff, with high talent and strong cultivation, he’s bound to wield power in the future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Yifeng shook his head repeatedly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once again, he looked toward the direction where Chu Zhiyuan vanished, his heart rising with anxiety.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>——\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Zhiyuan stepped into a dense forest, where the surrounding trees stood tall and ancient.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The lush canopy blocked the sky and sun, turning the forest into a dim place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The undergrowth below the trees persisted in growing, utilizing the strands of sunlight filtering through the leaves, striving upward unyieldingly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under Insight, Chu Zhiyuan discovered a small path opened up ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Evidently, this secret land was accessed from a fixed location each time, unlike the ever-changing secret land of Yao Yue Palace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This suggested that the potential of the secret land was lower, making it easier to unravel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, this didn’t mean that such a secret land lacked treasures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He closed his eyes, used Super Sensing Illumination, from a bird’s-eye to a close-up observation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A moment later, he furrowed his brow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He felt a familiar sensation, as if he had been here before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it was clearly his first time here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A moment later, he realized why he felt this peculiar familiarity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The forest, vegetation, rocks, rivers, and mountains in this secret land closely resembled that of the secret land at the Flying Sky Sect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Were the two secret lands actually one?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The space of a secret land is fundamentally different from that of the current world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet such a peculiar situation still left him astonished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He moved forward, and soon encountered a demon beast, then came across the invisible and trace-less transparent white ferret.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though it differed in appearance from the spirit cat that stayed by Xiao Ruoling’s side, their capabilities were nearly identical.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both were incredibly fast and could turn invisible, concealing themselves from the perception of a Great Grandmaster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While they could deceive a Great Grandmaster, they could not deceive him; he easily killed a few, obtained demon crystals, and the rest scattered and fled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Zhiyuan followed, captured two, sealed their energy flow, tied them up, and stuffed them in a bag, then turned and exited the secret land.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Crackle...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The campfire blazed, emitting soft crackles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Yifeng and the others were sitting cross-legged by the campfire, adjusting their breathing and operating their energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly hearing a movement, Cheng Yifeng abruptly turned around, saw Chu Zhiyuan, and overjoyed, exclaimed, \"Princely Heir!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Zhiyuan smiled and lifted the bag, \"Caught two little creatures.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Yifeng came forward, curious, \"What are they?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Zhiyuan opened the bag and picked out two small white ferrets, \"Are these the invisible killers?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two small white ferrets were only the size of a squirrel, looking adorable and pure white without blemish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the firelight, the two little ferrets were closed-eyed and motionless, as if dead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their fluffy tails drooped, while their white fur gleamed brilliantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"These are them?\" Cheng Yifeng examined the two white ferrets in amazement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The six Grandmasters stared at them as if facing a great enemy, their nerves taut, their energy circulating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If these two ferrets suddenly awakened and escaped Chu Zhiyuan’s control, they could instantly kill them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They should be,\" Chu Zhiyuan said, \"Once they enter attack mode, they become transparent, merging with the void, unseen, and unperceivable.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Terrifying!\" Cheng Yifeng marveled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Zhiyuan said, \"Their claws can break through Gang Qi and Spiritual Energy, slicing through iron like mud. How did those two Great Grandmasters die?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Their hearts were shredded,\" Cheng Yifeng’s face darkened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As proud Great Grandmasters, to have their hearts shattered was bizarre.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If these little creatures’ claws could break through Spiritual Defense and slice through iron as if mud, it indeed could shatter a Great Grandmaster’s heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Zhiyuan nodded, \"They are capable of it... Should we bring them back for research, find a way to counter them?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Yifeng said, \"If we can see them, can we defend against them?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Zhiyuan thought for a moment, then shook his head, \"They’re too fast, reaction might not be quick enough.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their terror lay not only in their invisibility but also in their lightning-fast speed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beyond human normal reaction speed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Yifeng sighed, \"Then forget it, it’s too troublesome.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Studying them requires them alive, but the beasts have astonishing vitality, and if out of control, without Chu Zhiyuan, who would escape?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Zhiyuan nodded, \"Alright, I’ll head back in, see if there are other demon beasts.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Princely Heir, be cautious!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Zhiyuan smiled, shook lightly, and the two white ferrets began to fade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their white fur quickly turned gray.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Zhiyuan carried them and turned back, disappearing again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The six Grandmasters immediately let out a long breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Zhiyuan re-entered the secret place, began to walk inward, and after about thirty miles, he saw no further marks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He proceeded in a particular direction, aiming to see if he could reach the Flying Sky Sect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After over a hundred miles, he stopped atop a mountain peak, gazing at an eerie cave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He immediately saw it was a cave mansion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The entrance was hidden behind boulders on the pinnacle, merely a gap—which his Insight revealed to have a cave behind it after all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Entering or exiting the cave required pushing aside the boulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He felt that only he, having practiced the Dragon Transformation Technique with formidable Divine Power, could move the boulder—not even a regular Great Grandmaster could do so.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cave mansion blocked his Insight, leaving the interior a mystery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Standing before the eerie cave entrance, he focused, sensing for danger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A potent sense of danger rushed toward him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He frowned, feeling the urge to retreat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This level of danger meant it wasn’t wise to force entry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was left with the option to use Sword Soul again and would again have to employ the Clone Technique.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This tread dangerously close to the line, so the Avatar could only exist briefly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Avatar would soon have to return, merging back into his Sword Soul.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that thought, a flying knife slipped from his sleeve, hovered over his head, a wisp of Sword Soul split out, entering the flying knife.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The flying knife lightly flew inward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His perspective naturally followed, surveying the surroundings as though personally present.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few meters later, the flying knife halted before two unusual stone doors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everything went dark in front of him, then plunged into total darkness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Zhiyuan stood outside the mountain cave, his expression solemn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wisp of Sword Soul he had sent out was extinguished in an instant!\u003C\u002Fp>",1402,"2026-06-03T09:58:17.452Z","2026-06-03T09:58:23.466Z",1,"novelbin.me","bcca9d86d8f829dc263f776a13a6fb7fbb69ba96587dd6087281b6ace88e6a15","imperial-cultivation-chapter-601","imperial-cultivation-chapter-599",1378,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fimperial-cultivation-cover.jpg"]