The Relic of the Three Realms Ruler

Chapter 7

Lin Jiang searched through the treasure chests once again and found several cultivation manuals that could actually benefit him. One of them was the Death Staff Manual.

"Could this be the manual that teaches the techniques of the Demon Staff?" Lin Jiang wondered.

He opened the manual and carefully read the instructions written inside.

"It doesn't seem too difficult," he murmured.

The staff was one of the simplest weapons in the martial world and also the easiest to wield.

Not only martial artists but even ordinary soldiers often used staffs to defend themselves.

The staff had only three fundamental techniques: thrusting, blocking, and striking. That was precisely why it was considered the easiest weapon to master.

However, once its techniques were cultivated to a higher level, the staff became an incredibly formidable weapon. In the hands of the right person, it was by no means inferior to any other weapon.

It was completely different from swords and sabers, the two most popular weapons among martial artists.

Throughout history, countless famous swordsmen and saber masters had earned their names across the martial world.

But masters who specialized in the staff were extremely rare.

"I wonder what it would be like to bring the staff to the very peak of the martial world," Lin Jiang muttered.

With that thought in mind, he walked out of the cave and stood before the Demon Staff that remained firmly embedded in the ground.

"I'll try pulling it out."

Standing firmly before it, Lin Jiang grasped the upper end of the staff.

"Come out!" he shouted as he pulled with all his strength.

The moment he tried to uproot the Demon Staff, an overwhelming pressure and an incredibly powerful aura surged into his body.

"So powerful..."

Unable to withstand the force, Lin Jiang released his grip.

Whoosh!!

A violent shockwave burst from the Demon Staff, blasting Lin Jiang backward.

"As expected of a divine treasure meant only for the chosen," he said with admiration.

The instant his hand left the staff, a glowing dragon inscription appeared, coiling around the entire weapon.

"So... the time hasn't come yet."

Lin Jiang remembered the words of the Spiritual Dragon.

He would only be able to pull out the Demon Staff after reaching the Sky Realm, a cultivation realm far beyond his current strength.

"The Sky Realm... it's still far beyond my reach. I still have five more major realms to cross."

At present, Lin Jiang was only at the Fifth Stage of the Spirit Realm.

Only after breaking through five additional cultivation realms would he possess enough strength to wield the Demon Staff.

"I'm certain I'll get there," Lin Jiang declared confidently.

He returned to the cave.

Oddly enough, he suddenly felt as though something was following behind him.

"The Demon Staff?"

When he turned around, the Demon Staff was standing directly behind him.

The sight left the young boy completely astonished.

"Do you really want to stay with me... but don't want me to hold you yet?" Lin Jiang asked with a bitter smile.

---

Three days passed inside the cave.

Lin Jiang's condition had improved greatly, and every trace of pain had disappeared from his body.

"This is the perfect time to resume my martial arts training. I'll practice the Rose Technique from the Orange Rose Sect."

The first thing he did was assume a firm horse stance—the very same stance he had practiced countless times in the Orange Rose Sect.

After that, he began performing the martial techniques he had learned from the sect where he first stepped onto the path of cultivation.

However, something unexpected happened.

He could not perform a single technique.

"What... what's going on? Why can't I remember any of the techniques I learned in the Orange Rose Sect?"

Just then, the familiar voice of the Red-Eyed Dragon echoed inside his mind.

"Boy, the moment you accepted the destiny of becoming the heir to the Sword of the Dark Ruler, everything you learned before was erased. Right now, you possess great cultivation... but not a single martial technique."

"That's impossible!"

"But it is the truth you must accept."

Lin Jiang fell silent.

In the end, he accepted the destiny he had chosen for himself.

"Perhaps... it's time to start over. I'll leave everything I learned in the Orange Rose Sect behind."

With renewed determination, he opened the Death Staff Manual once more.

From this moment onward, that manual would become his new path.

Since he still couldn't wield the Demon Staff, Lin Jiang searched outside the cave and found a long wooden branch.

"I suppose this will serve as a temporary replacement."

Gripping the wooden staff tightly, he assumed his stance.

"Hah!!"

He executed the very first movement recorded in the Death Staff Manual—

A straight thrust.

Again.

And again.

And again.

He repeated the motion countless times until the thrust became steadier and more natural.

"It's still far from enough... but this is my only choice."

"Haaaah!"

Channeling his inner energy, Lin Jiang dashed out of the cave.

"Training in the forest will be much more effective."

He landed before a towering ancient tree and chose it as his practice target.

Boom!!

With all his strength, Lin Jiang thrust the wooden staff toward the trunk.

To his surprise, the impact rebounded violently.

The wooden staff was thrown backward, and had he not reacted in time, its tip would have pierced his own body.

"That was completely unexpected."

He tightened his grip around the staff.

"I'll try again."

"Hah!!"

Once more, he thrust the wooden staff toward the tree.

His purpose was no longer simply to attack—

He was strengthening the stability of his grip, preparing himself for the day he would finally wield the true Demon Staff.

As time passed, his hands became steadier, and every thrust grew more stable than the last.

That was his focus now.

Strengthening the foundation of the weapon that would one day become his greatest companion.

"Training with a staff is completely different from training with a sword," Lin Jiang muttered.