Various ceremonial guards led the way.
On both sides, guards from the Town Defense Office and the City Patrol were stationed, preventing onlookers from getting too close. Chu Zhiyuan and Cheng Miaozhen walked side by side.
Gao Lingfeng and the others walked in the row behind Gao Jiuqu and the two Grandmasters, while the rest followed.
The avenue was extremely lively. Among the crowd watching, many Town Defense Office experts were interspersed, their eyes like hawks, ready to strike at any moment.
Chu Zhiyuan and Cheng Miaozhen hardly spoke.
Chu Zhiyuan sensed her coldness and detachment, and knew that she was unwilling to make this trip. She didn't want to come, and was probably forced to.
He felt quite sympathetic and empathetic, so he didn't push forward, to avoid making things difficult for each other. Maintaining this cold and distant relationship was best.
The two arrived at the Great Zhen Hall of the Four Directions Pavilion, and Chu Zhiyuan took his leave.
He had just walked out of the Great Zhen Embassy when Gao Jiuqu's voice came from behind: "Left Vice Minister, please wait."
Chu Zhiyuan turned around and smiled at Gao Jiuqu.
Gao Jiuqu stepped forward and clasped his fist: "I am Gao Jiuqu from Asking Heaven Cliff. I heard that the Left Vice Minister is the First Prince of Great Jing, and I would like to ask the Prince for some guidance."
Chu Zhiyuan smiled and looked at Gao Jiuqu: "Mr. Gao is a direct disciple of Asking Heaven Cliff, right?"
"Indeed."
"Did you come because of Brother Cheng?" Chu Zhiyuan smiled and said, "Brother Cheng once declared that a senior brother from Asking Heaven Cliff would help him get his revenge."
Gao Jiuqu clasped his fist and smiled: "Junior Brother Cheng is young and vigorous, and takes victory and defeat too seriously."
Chu Zhiyuan smiled and said: "Mr. Gao doesn't take it seriously?"
Gao Jiuqu said: "If it doesn't involve life and death, victory and defeat are not that important. Finding the weaknesses in one's martial arts through victory and defeat is the most important thing."
Chu Zhiyuan smiled and said: "Mr. Gao's cultivation has reached the Perfection of Grandmaster realm, right? I am only at the eighth level of the Grandmaster realm, still two levels short. Fighting with me, I'm afraid it will be difficult to gain anything."
"I know the Prince's flying knives are amazing. Is it the Heart-Questioning Knife Technique of your sect?"
"Heart-Questioning Knife Technique?" Chu Zhiyuan smiled. Two white lights suddenly flew out of his sleeve, turned a corner, and arrived above his head, hovering silently one foot above his head.
Gao Jiuqu was gentle and refined, but his Dharma Form was a fierce tiger.
The fierce tiger sat imposingly one meter above his head, with the aura of the king of beasts.
Chu Zhiyuan knew that his gentleness was an appearance, a temperament cultivated by his environment.
Chu Zhiyuan smiled and said: "Brother Cheng didn't tell Mr. Gao that sparring with me is not rewarding. It's often just one move, either victory or defeat, with no benefit."
After he finished speaking, the flying knives suddenly turned into three white lights and shot towards Gao Jiuqu. Gao Jiuqu hurriedly drew his sword to meet them.
The three flying knives suddenly turned in the air, deftly avoiding the sword light, and slipped through the gaps, pointing at Gao Jiuqu's brow and body.
One pointed at his brow, one at his heart, and one at his dantian. These three positions were all vital.
The lowest one could cripple his cultivation, the middle one could injure his life, and the top one could kill him instantly, with no cure.
Gao Jiuqu's movements froze, and his long sword stopped in mid-air, the sword covered in a layer of hazy light.
The sword aura was even and dense, showing the depth and exquisiteness of his cultivation, and a solid foundation. Chu Zhiyuan smiled and said: "How is it?"
The three flying knives suddenly flew back to above his head, hovering in the air like three flying birds overlooking Gao Jiuqu.
Gao Jiuqu's face was stiff, and he barely twitched the corner of his mouth: "What amazing flying knives!"
"Is this the Heart-Questioning Knife Technique?" Chu Zhiyuan smiled.
Gao Jiuqu shook his head.
The Heart-Questioning Knife Technique is a flying knife, a hidden weapon, but Chu Zhiyuan's flying knife has transcended the category of flying knives.
It is similar to the legendary Sword Control.
Chu Zhiyuan said: "This is transformed from the Sword Control Technique. Well then, Mr. Gao, I'll take my leave." Gao Jiuqu was silent for a moment, then said: "It is said that the Prince's swordsmanship is also superb."
Chu Zhiyuan smiled and said: "My swordsmanship... is indeed not bad. Do you want to compare swordsmanship again?"
"If I could learn from you, that would be great," Gao Jiuqu said quickly.
Chu Zhiyuan said: "I have something to do today and can't delay any longer. How about this, we'll spar another day."
"... Okay." Gao Jiuqu could not force him, clasped his fist and said: "Then I will ask the Prince for guidance another day."
Chu Zhiyuan clasped his fists, smiled, and turned to leave. He felt bored.
Gao Jiuqu, as a martial arts genius and a direct disciple of Asking Heaven Cliff, and also at the Perfection of Grandmaster realm, was naturally far superior to the Perfection of Grandmaster realm of other sects.
Yet he was so vulnerable. The others at the Perfection of Grandmaster realm would probably be even worse.
For him, the real challenge was the Grandmaster, not the Grandmaster anymore. For a moment, he felt a sense of loneliness. He had originally thought that Gao Jiuqu could give him some surprises.
But unfortunately, he was still so vulnerable.
Then he would see his swordsmanship.
The swordsmanship inherited from the White Cloud Sword Tablet in his mind was now almost sorted out. The vast and boundless library of swordsmanship was finally about to be sorted and categorized.
This was too difficult.
If he hadn't integrated the Wonderful Spirit Pearl, and his thoughts could be divided into countless parts, and if he didn't have the Celestial Origin Technique to replenish his mental power at all times, it would have taken him half his life to sort out these swordsmanships.
It was too complex and too vast.
It could be called the complete collection of swordsmanship from ancient times to the present.
He felt that it was not just the swordsmanship of this world, but that the swordsmanship of many worlds was included in it.
Each world had its own martial arts style, movement habits, and even thinking habits.
This led to some swordsmanship being strange and bizarre, and contrary to common sense. It was not that the swordsmanship was wrong, but that the activation method was different, and the opponent was different.
If Gao Jiuqu really practiced the Asking Heaven Secret Technique, his swordsmanship should be different. Maybe it could give him some surprises.
He thought of this and suddenly smiled.
Comparing the situation of his fight with Cheng Tianfeng at the beginning, and then looking at the situation of his fight with Gao Jiuqu now.
His state of mind had undergone earth-shaking changes.
Previously, he was walking on thin ice, fearing that his cultivation would not be enough and he would fail and lose face.
Now, he was looking down from a high position, wanting to find a little excitement.
He immediately reminded himself not to be arrogant, to remain humble, to see the strengths of others, and to constantly improve himself.
He was not yet a Grandmaster, let alone the distant dream of eternal life. He returned to the Prince's Mansion, sat on the couch in Listening Waves Courtyard, and began to circulate the Glazed Blade Sutra.
The aura around his body suddenly changed, like a divine blade drawn from its sheath, wanting to cut through the sky.
The soaring blade intent forced Zou Fang to retreat outside the room. Staying in the room only made her feel a stabbing pain in her head, as if she was about to faint.
Chu Zhiyuan's blade intent became stronger and stronger. When two flying birds passed overhead, they suddenly fell straight down.
A figure flew up in mid-air, lightly picking up the two birds. It was a young guard from Listening Waves Courtyard.
He looked down at the two birds in his hand, already dead. There were no wounds on the birds' bodies.
He looked in surprise at Chu Zhiyuan's room, feeling the fierce blade intent, as if a knife was stabbing at his brow. He hurriedly retreated, returning to his original position.
It was not until lunchtime that Chu Zhiyuan stopped practicing the Spiritual Transformation Realm.
Chu Yi curiously leaned over and asked: "Big brother, is that Eighteenth Princess really that beautiful?"
Li Suyue also looked over curiously.
Chu Zhiyuan nodded: "Her appearance is indeed remarkable."
"How does she compare to Sister Xiao?"
"About the same."
"She's actually that beautiful?!" Chu Yi exclaimed in surprise.
Bai Ning霜 also looked over, opened her mouth, and then closed it.
Chu Zhiyuan said: "Mother, what can't be said?"
"Do you know the purpose of this Eighteenth Princess's visit?"
"I don't know."
"... Then forget it." Bai Ning霜 hesitated, and ultimately decided not to say it.
