Imperial Cultivation Chapter 1239 - 1235: About to Cast Away

Zhu Lingyun shot him a glance.

Zheng Pingzhang’s grin stiffened: "Isn’t it right?"

"A few more strikes, and I’d lose my life before you!" Zhu Lingyun declared.

"This..." Zheng Pingzhang looked baffled.

"This staff drains the spirit heavily," Ji Qingyun explained.

"It’s not only the spirit that it devours," Zhu Lingyun remarked casually.

"What else?"

"Lifespan," Zhu Lingyun answered. "Those two strikes just now burned up ninety years of my lifespan!"

"Ah?!" Zheng Pingzhang leaped in astonishment and blurted out, "Ninety years of lifespan?"

Zhu Lingyun pulled a white strand from his hair, then released it to float down to the earth.

Without anyone noticing, several white hairs had sprouted on his head.

He pulled the Golden Staff from his sleeve once more and flung it toward Zheng Pingzhang: "Give it a try yourself."

Zheng Pingzhang snatched it as if grasping a red-hot coal, tempted to hurl it away at once.

Managing a strained smile, he replied, "I’d rather not test it."

Ji Qingyun’s expression shifted too: "It consumes lifespan as well?"

"How often have you wielded it?" Zhu Lingyun inquired.

Ji Qingyun shook his head rapidly. "I never used it before, just once."

"One swing costs around ten years of lifespan, the second about thirty, the third sixty, the fourth a hundred, and so on," Zhu Lingyun chuckled. "You’re quite fortunate."

Zheng Pingzhang flashed a quick smile and added, "The Sect Master’s fortune has always been top-notch; that’s how he acquired this treasure."

"Whether it’s truly a treasure is debatable," Ji Qingyun stated.

Its might was immense, yet the recoil was brutally severe, and the usage demands were incredibly strict.

The moment it activates, the user ends up like meat on the block, doomed if facing a Venerable or any powerhouse beneath that realm.

With a wry grin, Zheng Pingzhang handed it back to Zhu Lingyun: "Divine Venerable, thanks for the demonstration."

He refused to forfeit even one year of his lifespan, dreading the endless regret that would follow such a loss.

He’d prefer to escape than squander ninety years in battle.

Zhu Lingyun retrieved it and slipped it into his sleeve, asking flatly, "What’s your strategy for the leftover powerhouses?"

"Summon the disciples; without a Venerable, they stand no chance," Ji Qingyun suggested.

"Right, right, call them in!" Zheng Pingzhang echoed eagerly.

Zhu Lingyun waved dismissively, signaling them to hurry.

His mind refocused intensely on the Golden Staff, sensing its eerie nature.

What he shared with the pair was only partial truth.

The Golden Staff did sap lifespan, but it also unleashed a bizarre energy presence.

This presence triggered a savage assault from the Miao Jing Spirit Water the instant it emerged, like facing a deadly foe.

He sat still, watching the fierce clash to the death between the Miao Jing Spirit Water and this strand of energy.

To his great relief, the Miao Jing Spirit Water triumphed in the end, smashing that energy and scattering it completely.

He let out a deep breath of relief.

The alarm ringing in his heart was sharper than ever, surpassing even a dire life-or-death peril.

He realized that absent the Miao Jing Spirit Water, he couldn’t have fended off this invading energy strand.

This energy was no ordinary spirit force or willpower, given the extreme peril it posed to him.

He suspected it was something far more malevolent, capable not just of slaying him but ensnaring or dominating his soul.

The Golden Staff was no blessed tool but a accursed relic.

No surprise the Miao Jing Spirit Water reacted so violently upon first contact.

With that thought, he drew the Golden Staff from his sleeve again for a thorough inspection.

Super Sense stayed active in Insight mode, revealing it as a plain staff, remarkable only for its crafting material.

Forged from Undying Golden Essence.

That alone marked it as exceptional.

As he scrutinized the Golden Staff closely, Zheng Pingzhang had departed, while Ji Qingyun stayed behind to steady his breathing.

After the strange energy was fully purged, Zheng Pingzhang came back.

Noticing his eyes open, Zheng Pingzhang smiled and cupped his hands: "I’ve dispatched someone to fetch them."

Zhu Lingyun nodded, produced the Golden Staff anew, pondered briefly, then gazed at Ji Qingyun: "I’ll get rid of it."

Ji Qingyun started in surprise.

"Discard it? Divine Venerable, toss it where?" Zheng Pingzhang asked hastily.

"Any sea close by?" Zhu Lingyun questioned.

Zheng Pingzhang shook his head fast: "None nearby."

"Divine Venerable, the closest sea lies thousands of miles distant," Ji Qingyun informed.

Zhu Lingyun suggested, "Let’s head to the seashore and hurl it into the ocean, ensuring it can’t be easily recovered."

"This..." Ji Qingyun wavered uncertainly.

Zheng Pingzhang remarked, "Divine Venerable, this small item might save your life during a dire crisis."

Normally, it goes unused since it drains one’s lifespan—who doesn’t crave a longer existence?

Yet in a desperate situation, like being besieged by multiple Venerables or even Nine Transitions Venerables, activating it could turn the tide.

Being an Elder in Wanxiang Sect, he often suffered terrifying dreams of pursuits and assaults from Demon Hunting Bureau specialists.

Zhu Lingyun cast a sharp sidelong look at him.

Ji Qingyun quickly interjected, "Divine Venerable, should we depart for the seaside right away?"

"Yes, let’s depart," Zhu Lingyun replied.

Zheng Pingzhang gazed helplessly toward Ji Qingyun.

Without hesitation, Ji Qingyun took the lead, soaring ahead swiftly.

With Zhu Lingyun right there beside him, Zheng Pingzhang refrained from voicing complaints to Ji Qingyun through Sound Transmission into Secret.

...

Chu Zhiyuan slid his sword into its sheath, grinning while eyeing the ragged Li Hongzhao.

Her dark green battle attire was ripped in multiple spots, exposing patches of her pale skin.

Gripping her longsword tightly, she furrowed her brows, sunk in profound contemplation.

Her techniques were flawless, so why did she end up so battered and feeble?

Each strike got perfectly countered, leaving her defenseless and powerless to strike back.

Chu Zhiyuan’s sword style appeared plain and direct, but it struck with uncanny precision.

This precision went beyond mere speed and rhythm; it carried an elusive mystique that she struggled to comprehend.

With a smile, Chu Zhiyuan observed her, refraining from any interruption.

Occasionally, Li Hongzhao swung her blade, replaying her earlier maneuvers.

She recalled every clash vividly, recreating them with perfect accuracy.

Yet no matter how relentlessly she practiced and mimicked, the secret eluded her grasp.

After what seemed like ages, Chu Zhiyuan chuckled, "Don’t bother wasting more time on it."

Snapping out of her trance, Li Hongzhao lifted her gaze to meet his.

Chu Zhiyuan grinned and explained, "The true finesse resides within my sword itself."

Li Hongzhao eyed Chu Zhiyuan’s Golden Sword: "This blade hasn’t fully materialized yet."

Smiling, Chu Zhiyuan passed it over to her.

Taking hold of the sword, Li Hongzhao shaped a sword technique with her left hand, her fingertips lightly tracing the Golden Sword’s edge.

Her delicate brows arched as she shook her head: "It possesses some spirituality, but nothing this profound."

"It reveals its marvels, supporting me in battle," Chu Zhiyuan stated.

At that instant, the Golden Sword’s spiritual essence shone brilliantly and intensely.

It synchronized perfectly with Chu Zhiyuan’s will, subtly realigning for greater synergy.

No common longsword could match this level of seamless unity.

This subtle attunement infused it with a unique character absent in typical blades.

That character sparked profound transformations in his sword arts.

Within such refined and intricate swordsmanship, the slightest shift dramatically amplified its might.

"The Emperor’s Sword appears as if..."

"Your Emperor’s Sword requires none of this, nor the use of sword techniques," Chu Zhiyuan smiled, "Besides, yours and mine diverge completely, lacking this constant refining and perfect harmony from the outset."

"...Indeed," Li Hongzhao conceded, "With such relentless dedication, who can predict its final shape?"

She faintly perceived that Chu Zhiyuan’s sword would evolve into something distinct from the standard Emperor’s Sword.