Chapter 269: That Zhang Chi

Chapter 269: Chapter 269: That Zhang Chi

The battle on the Star Sect’s side was over. The Demons had retreated after their surprise attack.

The Nascent Soul cultivators from the major sects were all contacting their respective sect leadership, their expressions grim.

For although the True Demon Sect had withdrawn, they had inflicted immense losses on the major sects.

Fortunately, all the major powers had access to a Grotto Heaven entrance; otherwise, they might have been completely wiped out.

"What? The sect is fine? And it’s thanks to Zhang Chi? He commanded the Spirit Swords in the Sword Testing Valley and destroyed the physical body of a True Demon Sect Nascent Soul Cultivator? You’re not joking with me, are you?"

Lu Daoyi had just received a message via a Secret Technique from the Cangwu Sect’s Leader, and his face was a mask of delighted shock.

"Zhang Chi?"

The other Nascent Soul cultivators looked over in astonishment.

They had all heard of Zhang Chi, but they had never truly paid him any mind. To them, he was practically a laughingstock.

Despite possessing a Top Grade Golden Core, he only knew Alchemy and never fought.

During the Righteous-Demon War, he hadn’t killed a single Northern Abyss Demon Cultivator.

Compared to the top prodigies from other sects who stole the spotlight among cultivators below the Nascent Soul realm, Zhang Chi wasn’t even worth mentioning.

This was why Lu Daoyi had rarely mentioned his name in their presence before; he found it too embarrassing.

But now, it seemed something extraordinary had happened to Zhang Chi.

"That’s right, it’s that kid, Zhang Chi. I knew all along he was special. I even suspect he’s the reincarnation of our Cangwu Sect’s Sword Dao Ancestor Master, haha."

Seeing their reactions, Lu Daoyi laughed smugly.

At the same time, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret for having neglected Zhang Chi for the past twenty years.

He wasn’t too worried, however.

In his view, the fact that Zhang Chi had stepped up at such a critical moment proved he felt a strong sense of belonging to the sect.

Besides, with the Spirit Contract in place, it was impossible for Zhang Chi to betray the sect.

’Therefore, as long as I go back and compensate him properly, he’ll surely let bygones be bygones and reveal his secrets.’

"What? The kid left the sect? And he dared to warn me like that?"

But as he listened to the rest of the message, Lu Daoyi’s expression turned incredibly foul.

"Haha, Lu Daoyi, this is your fault and the Cangwu Sect’s. You must have done something to break Martial Nephew Zhang Chi’s heart, or he wouldn’t have left like that."

"Exactly! If the Cangwu Sect has no place for Zhang Chi, why not let him join our Divine Sword Sect? He must be a Sword Cultivator, which would make him a perfect fit for us!"

"Our Pill King Sect wouldn’t be a bad choice either. He’s an Alchemy Master, after all!"

Upon hearing this, the other Nascent Soul cultivators couldn’t help but gloat, each offering to take Zhang Chi in.

Lu Daoyi’s expression soured at their words.

Normally, he would have kept the message private. But in his earlier smugness, he had gotten carried away and, wanting to show off, had listened to the second half of the message publicly. Now, all these Nascent Soul cultivators knew what had happened.

"All of you are thinking too simply. A kid with that much power has to be the one who killed our Cyan Cloud Sect’s two Golden Core Peak cultivators. The cultivator who entered the Ten Thousand Laws Grotto Heaven with us before... that was probably him too! What’s more, he seems to have used a Corpse Puppet, which means the Celestial Corpse Sect’s Celestial Corpse Coffin must be in his hands," the Nascent Soul Elder from the Cyan Cloud Sect interjected coldly.

"Indeed."

The Ten Thousand Treasures Tower Master nodded.

"So, it was Zhang Chi!"

The Celestial Corpse Sect Leader’s gaze was ice-cold.

"Senior Brother Celestial Star, I must ask you to perform another divination for us!" the Nascent Soul Elder from the Cyan Cloud Sect said, turning to Celestial Star True Monarch.

Even some of the other Nascent Soul powerhouses were looking on with ill intent.

After all, they had all participated in the events at the Ten Thousand Laws Grotto Heaven and had suffered losses because of it.

"Fine. But I need to rest for a moment," Celestial Star True Monarch said, nodding despite his visible exhaustion.

Clearly, the previous battle had been arduous; even repelling the True Demon Sect had taken a heavy toll.

In fact, many among them were injured.

Fortunately, the True Demon Sect’s attack had only been intended to weaken Yuan South’s forces, not to conquer the region in one fell swoop.

After all, Yuan South’s overall strength was too great to be conquered in a single bite.

"That’s fine, we can wait. In any case, even if that kid left the Cangwu Sect, it’s only temporary. With the Spirit Contract binding him, he can’t get away," said the Nascent Soul Elder from the Cyan Cloud Sect.

"Indeed. Even if he has some Secret Technique to bypass the Spirit Contract, he’ll never escape the Great Abyss," the Celestial Corpse Old Demon added with a nod.

"Everyone, if it really was him, I ask you to give him a chance to redeem himself. I will make him hand over the treasures he obtained in the Ten Thousand Laws Grotto Heaven, compensate the Cyan Cloud Sect for their losses on his behalf, and have him return the Celestial Corpse Coffin," Lu Daoyi said.

"Heh, we’ll see about that."

"Lu Daoyi, he threatened you so blatantly. It’s clear he intends to betray the Cangwu Sect, yet you still speak for him? You don’t actually believe that reincarnation nonsense, do you?"

"Exactly. And he’s probably the one who killed the members of the Song Family. If I recall correctly, wasn’t one of the Songs your concubine?"

The other Nascent Soul cultivators remained unconvinced, especially those from the Cyan Cloud Sect, the Celestial Corpse Sect, and the Ten Thousand Treasures Tower.

"Regardless, this is an internal affair of the Cangwu Sect. I cannot abandon him," Lu Daoyi insisted, his expression dark.

"Heh, we can let him go... as long as the compensation from the Cangwu Sect is to our satisfaction. And another thing—we must know his secrets!" the Ten Thousand Treasures Tower Master sneered.

"Indeed. Don’t think we don’t know. You’re protecting him for the Cangwu Sect, yes, but the main reason is the secrets he’s hiding," said the Celestial Corpse Sect Leader.

"He must also kneel before the gates of our Cyan Cloud Sect for three days and three nights in apology! After all, he nearly killed our sect’s Nascent Soul Seed!" declared the Nascent Soul Elder from the Cyan Cloud Sect.

"Fine. I agree to your terms. And if he refuses to cooperate, I will personally deal with him and cleanse the sect!" Lu Daoyi agreed after a moment’s hesitation.

After all, he himself was deeply dissatisfied with Zhang Chi’s actions and was incredibly envious of the secrets he possessed.

"Is it really right for us, as Nascent Soul powerhouses, to be coveting the secrets of a junior?"

"Besides, he’s no ordinary junior. He destroyed a True Demon Sect Nascent Soul True Monarch’s physical body with a single sword strike. In terms of combat power, he’s no weaker than any of us here."

"He’s only a little over a hundred years old and already possesses such combat power. What will happen when he reaches the Nascent Soul realm? Have you considered the consequences of offending someone like that, once he fully matures?"

However, it was the Profound Yin Sect Leader who suddenly spoke, his cold tone clearly showing his disapproval of the decision.

Of course, there were other reasons besides the ones he had stated.

In truth, there was another reason.

That reason was Xiao Yunhong.

He knew that Xiao Yunhong had stolen the Celestial Corpse Coffin back then, and he was also aware that Xiao Yunhong had given it to his savior.

Therefore, if the Celestial Corpse Coffin was in Zhang Chi’s possession, then Zhang Chi was his son’s savior, and he naturally held a favorable opinion of him.

He even admired Zhang Chi. A mere Mining Slave with no background had managed to reach his current level of achievement.

Others might see Zhang Chi as the weakest cultivator with a Top Grade Golden Core.

He, however, believed that for Zhang Chi to reach such heights, he must have endured countless trials and tribulations. Without a cautious and resilient Heart far beyond that of an ordinary person, he would have perished long ago.

It was hard not to admire such a person, and he was even less willing to make an enemy of him.

More importantly, he knew that if Zhang Chi truly reached the Nascent Soul realm, Xiao Yunhong would be able to walk unhindered throughout the Great Abyss.

After all, according to his investigation, Xiao Yunhong had already reconnected with his benefactor and had even helped him exchange for Top Grade Spirit Stones previously.

It was precisely because of this connection that Xiao Yunhong had been able to gather enough Top Grade Spirit Stones so easily back then.