Chapter 312 - 309: 30 Years Later

Chapter 312: Chapter 309: 30 Years Later

’Besides, I didn’t leave a Life Token or anything like it behind in this Endless Desert Sea, so they have no way of confirming whether I’m dead or alive.’

Having reached this conclusion, Zhang Chi focused on his Cultivation. Half a year passed quickly.

After that, Zhang Chi boarded a Floating Airship the very same day and left Huixing City.

Truthfully, Zhang Chi could have waited for the Huixing Pavilion auction or found a way into the local black market to take a look around.

But a wise man doesn’t stand under a crumbling wall.

Other Immortal Cities had their own auctions and black markets; there was no need to take the risk in Huixing City.

Besides, the Hundred Flowers Palace Cultivators weren’t just watching Lang and Shen; they also seemed to be secretly investigating other Golden Core Peak Cultivators.

If enough time passed, they might even hire someone to calculate his whereabouts.

After all, they had found the first Black Sand Profound Snake by hiring someone to calculate its location.

Although Zhang Chi possessed a Calculation Skill of his own and could largely block such attempts, it would still be troublesome if they hired someone with exceptionally high Cultivation and skill.

Therefore, putting distance between them was the safest option.

As for Qin Mountain Oasis, Zhang Chi had no plans to return.

He had long since made a verbal agreement with Lang and Shen: if he were to die, the Shen and Lang Families would take over Qin Mountain Oasis.

This not only served as a goodwill gesture but also prevented a scenario where a Beast Tide might strike the oasis in his absence, leading to widespread slaughter.

At the same time, although he hadn’t mentioned the Shang Family, the two families would likely look after them to some extent after taking over the oasis.

This way, in the decades before the next competition began, the Shang Family would surely be able to develop further.

As for what happened after that, it would have nothing to do with him.

This arrangement would prevent other major powers from targeting the Shang Family and destroying them after he disappeared. It was a fair return for the years the Shang Family had followed him.

Furthermore, if the Shen and Lang Families chose not to look after the Shang Family, he couldn’t and wouldn’t be bothered to do anything about it. That would just be the Shang Family’s bad luck.

Entrusting the oasis to Lang and Shen was already doing more than enough for the Shang Family.

Of course, when he’d made this arrangement, it wasn’t to settle his affairs before death. It was a preemptive measure, allowing him to leave without any lingering attachments whenever he pleased.

’It’s a shame. Those seven Golden Core Peak Cultivators who died during the mission must have had Nascent Soul Spiritual Objects on them, but their Storage Bags were all taken by the Hundred Flowers Palace Cultivators.’

’Otherwise, I might have gathered all the Spiritual Objects I need and maybe even gotten a Nascent Soul Pill.’

At that moment, Zhang Chi stood on the deck of the Floating Airship, watching Huixing City recede into the distance, feeling a pang of regret.

But he quickly smiled again.

’I’m being too greedy. I managed to survive the Hundred Flowers Palace Cultivators’ scheme, obtain two portions of Profound Snake Spirit Marrow, and gain so much else. I’ve already made a huge profit.’

Putting everything else aside, the first portion of Spirit Marrow alone was worth many times more than the promised mission reward.

That was why he had taken the Profound Snake’s corpse without a moment’s hesitation.

Of course, he felt no guilt about it, as they had intentionally tried to get him and the others killed.

After all, he had performed a Soul Search on the Profound Snake and knew the true strength of those Hundred Flowers Palace Cultivators.

If the two Nascent Soul Early Stage Cultivators had been willing to go all out, the Golden Core Peak Cultivators might not have died, but they hadn’t.

’Next, I’ll find a place for Cultivation in Seclusion for a few decades, then return to Beichen Oasis to search for the remaining Spiritual Objects and a Nascent Soul Pill. Besides, my gains this time were immense; I need time to digest them.’

’By then, my Combat Power will be even greater, and the Hundred Flowers Palace will have likely given up the search. My chances of finding the Spiritual Objects and the Nascent Soul Pill will increase dramatically!’

Having made his decision, Zhang Chi returned to his room and began his Cultivation in Seclusion.

「Three years later」

In Luming Immortal City, south of the small Xuan Yang Oasis, a competition was held for a Tier Three Spiritual Vein. A Loose Cultivator named Xiao Yunhong burst onto the scene like a dark horse.

This Master Xiao used a large number of Tier Three Peak Spirit Talismans to sweep aside his opponents, securing third place in the competition and successfully claiming a micro-oasis near Xuan Yang Oasis.

This micro-oasis was named Bailu Oasis. It possessed a Tier Three Peak Spiritual Vein, was rich in resources, and vast in territory, yet its location was relatively remote. From then on, it became Master Xiao’s place for Cultivation in Seclusion.

Of course, for Master Xiao to participate in the competition as a Loose Cultivator, he naturally had to find a partner.

Master Xiao’s partner was an Immortal Cultivation Family known as the Mo Family.

This Mo Family had a Golden Core Early Stage Ancestor, but his Lifespan was nearly exhausted. A chance encounter with Master Xiao brought this great fortune to the Mo Family.

The appearance of Master Xiao caused many of the major powers in Xuan Yang Oasis to take notice and even become wary.

However, Master Xiao lived in seclusion and rarely showed his face, never stirring up trouble.

Furthermore, Master Xiao possessed a talent for Talisman Making, having long since reached the Tier Three Peak level.

Whenever Cultivators came to purchase his wares, Master Xiao always offered fair prices, and the quality of his Spirit Talismans was excellent.

As a result, this Master Xiao quickly earned a good reputation.

Nearly thirty years passed in a flash. The Cultivators and powers in Xuan Yang Oasis and the surrounding micro-oases had grown accustomed to Master Xiao’s presence. They no longer paid him much attention or viewed him with such apprehension.

And this so-called Master Xiao was, without a doubt, Zhang Chi, who had changed his name.

’In any case, it’s impossible for any Great Abyss Cultivator to show up here, so I don’t mind using the name of an old acquaintance.’

’And even if a Great Abyss Cultivator did appear, I wouldn’t be worried.’

’The experts from the Great Abyss can no longer pose a real threat to me, with the sole exception of that Nascent Soul Middle Stage Cultivator from the True Demon Sect.’

’Besides, the number of Cultivators in the Endless Desert Sea is boundless; it’s perfectly normal for someone here to share a name with a Cultivator from the Great Abyss.’

Furthermore, Xuan Yang Oasis was still in the vicinity of Beichen Oasis, but it was relatively far away, located in a completely different direction from Golden Wind Oasis.

This way, coupled with his ability to partially block the Celestial Secret Calculation Technique, even the Hundred Flowers Palace Cultivators, with all their vast Divine Techniques, couldn’t hope to find him within a century.

He even suspected they had already given up.

’Even if the two Profound Snake corpses are extremely valuable, they can’t possibly keep expending resources on the search forever.’

’After all, they’re from the Hundred Flowers Palace. Their standards should be quite high.’

Moreover, to avoid exposing his identity while also building a network for gathering information, Zhang Chi had deliberately revealed his status as a Talisman Master while concealing his skill in Alchemy.

This way, even if the Hundred Flowers Palace had investigated him, they would focus their search on Alchemy Masters and wouldn’t suspect a Talisman Master in such a remote location.

’My previous calculations were correct. In another thirty years, I should be able to cultivate to the Golden Core Limit. I’ll be exactly two hundred and ten years old then. To have made this much progress at that age is already quite good.’

’In fact, the vast majority of Cultivators haven’t even successfully formed their Golden Core by this age!’

One morning, in the year he turned one hundred and eighty, Zhang Chi finished his daily Cultivation once more. He checked his progress and couldn’t help but feel quite satisfied.

Reaching the Golden Core stage at two hundred and ten would make one a prodigy in the Great Abyss, and it was considered quite outstanding even in the Endless Desert Sea.

Not to mention, if he had a Nascent Soul Pill by then, he could already attempt to break through to the Nascent Soul realm.

The reason for his rapid progress was not only the improvement of his Golden Core Dao Pattern but also the fact that the Spiritual Vein at Bailu Oasis was in no way inferior to the one at Qin Mountain Oasis. Not only was it a Tier Three Peak vein, but he also had it all to himself.

Although Flying Dragon No. 1 and the Corpse Puppet were also here, the former spent most of its time roaming and hunting outside. Even when it frequently returned, it didn’t absorb much Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi.

As for the Corpse Puppet, it spent most of its time lying in the Black Coffin and had almost no need for the external Spiritual Vein.

The Mo Family’s Golden Core Ancestor also did not share Zhang Chi’s Spiritual Vein, as this was one of their original agreements.

Otherwise, with so many declining Immortal Cultivation Families in Xuan Yang Oasis, he could have easily found another partner.

’Come to think of it, the Mo Family’s Ancestor should be nearing his end, right?’

Thinking of the Mo Family’s Ancestor, Zhang Chi recalled the results of the special calculation he had performed before they partnered up.

According to his calculations, the man’s death should occur within the next two years.

WHOOSH!

Just then, a streak of Escape Light suddenly flew toward his cave abode. As the light subsided, a young Foundation Establishment Peak Female Cultivator was revealed.

She was tall and long-legged, with fair skin and beautiful features, but her face was haggard. She was also dressed in mourning clothes, clearly here to report a death.