Imperial Cultivation Chapter 1696: The Price

They had always held onto the hope that someone would come to their rescue.

But each time, they held back from intervening, watching them fall into dire straits.

By this point, running several miles away, both the Spirit Shuttle and the Life-saving Jade Talisman remained ineffective, completely dispelling their hopes.

Realizing they couldn’t count on anyone, they knew they had to save themselves, fight desperately for a way to survive.

As for the lifespan they were burning, it was merely a drop in the ocean compared to their Spirit Venerable lifespans.

For the lifespan lost in the Inner Universe, they could compensate them with their own.

Let’s see if they can fight their way to safety, the White Tiger is nothing like those spirit-like White Apes, far more difficult to deal with.

“Ah—!” Zhou Qingyu roared, forming a seal with her hands, causing a Golden Light Talisman to appear.

The Golden Light Talisman shot onto the White Tiger.

The white light emitted from the White Tiger couldn’t block this Golden Light Talisman.

Its movements momentarily halted.

The power of the Great Demon Suppressing Seal is remarkable, especially effective against the soul.

“Ding ding ding ding…”

Shen Hanyue seized the opportunity to stab the White Tiger’s forehead with several strikes, avoiding several “crackling” Void rifts.

In the state of burning lifespan, her speed doubled, and the power contained at the sword’s tip also doubled.

Combined, the potency displayed was several times stronger.

“Senior Sister, Qingyu, you guys…” She glared angrily.

Xiao Ruoling said, “The Spirit Shuttle is completely unusable, and the Life-saving Jade Talisman is as well, we have to defeat it to survive!”

“How could this be?” Shen Hanyue exclaimed while swinging her sword.

“Something must have gone wrong,” Xiao Ruoling said.

Shen Hanyue responded, “Could it be the Princely Heir did it on purpose?”

Zhou Qingyu nodded quickly.

She also vaguely felt it was deliberately done by Chu Zhiyuan.

Otherwise, given their master’s keen eyesight, how could he not see they were in danger?

The master must be intentionally standing by, watching how they fought desperately, as a lesson: Rely on oneself for everything.

Xiao Ruoling wielded her sword like lightning, while evading the tiger tail, constantly stabbing the White Tiger’s forehead and eyes: “Whether or not, we have to drive it back.”

They triggered the secret technique of burning lifespan, and their speed and strength soared, reversing the situation with the White Tiger.

Once the White Tiger is slightly interrupted by the Great Demon Suppressing Seal, it provides them with an opportunity.

However, the White Tiger’s defense is amazing, even if its forehead and eyes are struck, they have no effect.

Its shiny silver fur is impenetrable; the sword tip slides off upon contact, negating most of the power, making it hard to penetrate.

Zhou Qingyu continually formed Great Demon Suppressing Seals, relentlessly disrupting its speed.

The two women fought desperately, with the constant sound of “ding ding” echoing.

Zhou Qingyu hovered mid-air, her speed slow, while the White Tiger and Shen Hanyue, Xiao Ruoling were incredibly fast, with the sword light and the silver light of the White Tiger’s fur shining brilliantly, they looked like three suns in the sky.

“Roar—!”

With a roar, the White Tiger suddenly shrank, halving its size in an instant.

Then its speed suddenly increased, its roar resounded louder, causing the three girls’ bodies to slightly freeze.

In the next instant, it turned into a white light, shooting into the distance, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

“This…” The three girls paused, looking at each other in astonishment.

Originally thinking it would be a fierce battle, extremely brutal, even preparing for death.

Unexpectedly, when the situation looked unfavorable, the White Tiger simply ran away.

They stopped the secret technique, their faces turning pale as paper, on the verge of collapse.

“Sigh… Such heavy losses,” Shen Hanyue said with a bitter smile, “I used up at least ten years of lifespan!”

“Five years.” Xiao Ruoling said.

Zhou Qingyu stated, “Three years.”

She didn’t risk much, mainly using the Great Demon Suppressing Seal to disrupt the White Tiger.

But the effect was equally significant.

“Sigh…, it’s fortunate to have you, Qingyu, otherwise…” Shen Hanyue shook her head.

Previously, their speed and strength alone couldn’t break the White Tiger’s defenses.

The White Tiger was also incredibly fast, if it weren’t for Shen Hanyue’s distraction, it wouldn’t have feared the other two.

Forced into extremes, one would have to resort to even more drastic secret techniques, consuming not only lifespan but also damaging the body.

That would rapidly deplete lifespan, counting by centuries, and even then, might not secure victory.

Zhou Qingyu sighed, “I couldn’t be of significant help, my Realm is still too low.”

“It’s already great,” Shen Hanyue patted her shoulder, “At least we drove it away, let’s go back.”

Suddenly, she froze for a moment, then her clothes expanded and her body gradually floated.

Xiao Ruoling smiled, “Breakthrough!”

Shen Hanyue widened her bright eyes joyfully, “I actually broke through!”

The aura around her shot up like a mountain, with surging waves of Spiritual Essence rising continuously.

Zhou Qingyu clapped in delight, “Congratulations, Aunt!”

Shen Hanyue giggled, radiating joy, “I never thought in such circumstances a breakthrough would happen!”

Initially assuming after losing several years of lifespan her aura would decline significantly, thinking to repair it would require diligent cultivation over time.

Unexpectedly, she broke through.

Truly a surprise, an unexpected pleasure.

Concealing her aura, she slowly landed, her blue robe settling down, curiously looking at Zhou Qingyu, “Qingyu, how about you?”

Zhou Qingyu shook her head, “I’m still a bit short.”

“You’re close, it seems worth exploring here!” Shen Hanyue surveyed the surroundings, “Otherwise…”

“…Let’s go back first.” Xiao Ruoling gave her a look.

It’s forgetting the pain when the wound heals.

A moment ago they barely managed to win, with lifespan burned.

And now she’s eager to continue exploring.

Without understanding why the Spirit Shuttle and Life-saving Jade Talisman failed, it’s really not safe to venture further.

“Alright.” Shen Hanyue laughed.

She took out the Spirit Shuttle, then looked at Xiao Ruoling, “Senior Sister, it’s usable now?”

Xiao Ruoling also noticed that the Spirit Shuttle had regained its function, and Zhou Qingyu’s Jade Talisman had too.

“What’s going on?” Shen Hanyue frowned, “Was it due to the White Tiger?”

Xiao Ruoling said, “I ran far enough away, but the Spirit Shuttle still didn’t work.”

“So it’s not the White Tiger’s fault? Is it because the place is strange?”

“Maybe it is the White Tiger,” Xiao Ruoling shook her head, “The Spirit Shuttle wouldn’t work here initially, but after it left it’s functional.”

Zhou Qingyu said, “Master, Aunt, is it because of its power? After being affected by its power, we couldn’t use the Spirit Shuttle and Jade Talisman?”

“Hmm… that makes sense,” Shen Hanyue said, “Also, those White Apes earlier, the stones they used, their power dissipated quickly and was weaker, while this White Tiger’s power is pure and dissipates slowly.”

Zhou Qingyu said, “Does this mean that any Strange Beast encountered here suppresses the Spirit Shuttle and Jade Talisman?”

“If so, it’s a huge problem.” Shen Hanyue said.

Xiao Ruoling nodded slowly, “That would be very dangerous.”

“Let’s go back and ask the Princely Heir,” Shen Hanyue hummed, “He didn’t even warn us earlier.”

Zhou Qingyu laughed, “If Master had said something, Aunt and Senior wouldn’t have made such progress in the First Realm?”

Shen Hanyue said, “He definitely tried to scare us intentionally!”

Zhou Qingyu nodded with a smile.

She felt the same way too.

Xiao Ruoling shook her head, “Let’s go, let’s get out of here.”

The two activated the Spirit Shuttle, bringing Zhou Qingyu to the small courtyard of the Profound Yin Palace.

Chu Zhiyuan smiled as he looked at them.

“Princely Heir…” Shen Hanyue complained, “Did you intentionally scare us?”

She whimpered coquettishly, “We’ve lost lifespan.”

Chu Zhiyuan smiled, “Exchanging a few years of lifespan to advance a First Transition, isn’t that worth it?”

“…Can’t say it’s not worth it.” Shen Hanyue was speechless.

Advancing a First Transition, the improvement in lifespan is counted by a thousand years.

Compared to a thousand years, losing a few years of lifespan is indeed negligible.

Chu Zhiyuan asked, “How did you find the Grotto Heaven experience?”

“Master, the Strange Beasts there were incredibly powerful.” Zhou Qingyu said.

Xiao Ruoling asked, “Husband, what was really going on?”