Chapter 324 - 318: Taking Stock of the Spoils, Choosing a Destination

Chapter 324: Chapter 318: Taking Stock of the Spoils, Choosing a Destination

For this reason, the Hundred Flowers Palace had specifically dispatched several Nascent Soul Powerhouses to guard Beichen Immortal City.

Nascent Soul Powerhouses were lying in wait not just in the black market, but even in the city’s Marketplace and near the City Lord’s Mansion.

That was precisely why Zhang Chi had run into the Nascent Soul Cultivator with the silver mask.

Unfortunately for this Nascent Soul Cultivator, he had met Zhang Chi but failed to recognize him. He never expected Zhang Chi to launch a lethal Spirit Sword attack the moment they met.

Caught off guard and careless, the Nascent Soul Cultivator was killed by Zhang Chi before he even had a chance to use his true abilities.

’So the Celestial Secret Pavilion is such a behemoth. Its Pavilion Master is even a Nascent Soul Peak Cultivator who has mastered a Tier Four Calculation Skill. No wonder I ran into that Hundred Flowers Palace cultivator.’ ℴ

Zhang Chi couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of apprehension.

He secretly resolved, ’I need to raise my Turtle Shell Divination Technique to the Tier Four level as soon as possible. That way, I can prevent something like this from happening again.’

He also knew he needed to improve his own strength, which would make it harder for others to deduce things about him.

Besides, if he were strong enough, he could turn danger into safety even if he were discovered. This time, for instance, he had only gotten through it because his trump cards were powerful enough.

But despite the sense of urgency, he wasn’t panicking.

Even if the Celestial Secret Pavilion’s Master had deduced many things, his calculations couldn’t have been completely specific.

Moreover, the Pavilion Master couldn’t perform unlimited calculations, and he certainly wasn’t a servant of the Hundred Flowers Palace.

The Hundred Flowers Palace had paid a hefty price to have him perform the divination.

Therefore, he should be safe from major danger for the time being. This breathing room was enough for him to grow stronger and avoid the threat.

***

In the following days, Zhang Chi focused on his Cultivation. A month passed in the blink of an eye, and Corpse Puppet No. 1 finally brought him to the nearest large Immortal City.

After arriving, Zhang Chi put away Corpse Puppet No. 1. He once again changed his appearance, aura, and attire, then bought a ticket and boarded a Floating Airship, leaving Beichen Oasis directly.

A year flew by like this. Zhang Chi’s Cultivation was finally fully restored, and it was even more solid than before.

During that year, Zhang Chi had also used the Dream Space to raise his Turtle Shell Divination Skill to Tier Four. All that was left was to apply it in practice.

Of course, since he lacked a Tier Four Inheritance, his Tier Four skill was merely at the Half-Step Entry Level. To improve further, he would need to obtain the proper inheritance.

Even reaching this Half-Step was only possible thanks to repeated simulations and explorations in the Dream Space.

At this moment, though reluctant, Zhang Chi took out the Tier Four Turtle Shell and performed a Divination.

He was divining the fortune of his current journey.

CRACK...

Soon, the turtle shell cracked during the ritual. His Divination Technique officially leveled up, and Zhang Chi clearly felt a profound aura envelop and protect him.

He then interpreted the cracks on the shell and quickly arrived at a result: great fortune.

"Excellent!"

Zhang Chi was overjoyed.

He wasn’t just leaving to lay low. He had also discovered that in Beichen Immortal City, only Nascent Soul Cultivators could rent a Tier Four Cave Mansion.

If one wanted to use a Tier Four Cave Mansion to break through to the Nascent Soul realm, they first had to register, then sign a contract with the Beichen Sect or another major power and fulfill some harsh conditions.

Furthermore, the strongest expert on Beichen Oasis was at the Nascent Soul Late Stage, and there were over a hundred at the Nascent Soul Middle Stage.

He clearly didn’t feel safe here.

Therefore, he planned to find a small or medium-sized Oasis to make his breakthrough first. He would consider other matters after he had gained some strength.

Between a medium and small one, he prioritized a medium-sized Oasis. The resources there would be relatively abundant, but it wouldn’t be overly dangerous.

After all, he was now capable of killing a Nascent Soul Early Stage Cultivator. Although he needed to rely on a surprise attack to succeed, he was already quite powerful. He could even escape with his life when facing a Nascent Soul Middle Stage expert.

Of course, he had also considered cooperating with a Golden Core Clan to seize a small-scale Oasis, just as he had done before.

But that was clearly unrealistic.

For one, small-scale Oases only became available once every thousand years. He might have to wait for several centuries.

Second, guarding a small-scale Oasis was no trivial matter. Only true Major Immortal Cultivation Influences could participate.

The Desert Divine Palace was very strict with its screening process for this.

And his previous opportunistic tactics would, at best, only allow him to contend for a miniature Oasis.

***

Time continued to pass. Zhang Chi was still traveling on the Floating Airship, but now, his main practice in the Dream Space had shifted to Refining the Nascent Soul Pill.

Since he had all the main ingredients, and he had already gathered the secondary ones over the years, there were no problems with materializing them and practicing this time.

At first, he would often fail to produce any of the three Pills in a batch, not even getting a single Wasted Pill.

But as time went on, his success rate climbed higher and higher.

After three months, he could produce one Wasted Pill. After half a year, two.

By the one-year mark, he could consistently produce three Wasted Pills.

It was at this time that the Floating Airship finally flew out of Beichen Oasis.

Zhang Chi hadn’t encountered any trouble before this, which put him more at ease.

Another year passed, and Zhang Chi was finally able to refine one Nascent Soul Pill and two Wasted Pills in the Dream Space.

After another year, his Pill Success Rate finally reached two pills out of three, and he couldn’t improve it any further.

But Zhang Chi continued to practice to ensure that when the time came for the real thing, there would be no accidents.

After one more year, Zhang Chi finally reached his desired level of proficiency and only then reduced his practice.

’This Nascent Soul Pill is even harder to refine than I expected. Thank goodness I have the Great Dream Heart Scripture!’

On this day, Zhang Chi finished another practice session and couldn’t help but sigh with emotion.

"Fellow Daoists, we have arrived at Cyan Mang Immortal City in Canglan Oasis. Those disembarking at this stop may gather your belongings and prepare to leave the ship. We will be docked here for three days..."

Just then, a powerful voice boomed out, and the Floating Airship began to slow down.

"Finally!"

Zhang Chi immediately rose to his feet, waved his hand to retract the Array, and went to the deck of the Floating Airship.

There, he saw a vast, boundless land. Though not as large as Beichen Oasis, it was far superior to Golden Wind and Xuan Yang. Its total area was said to be even slightly larger than the Great Abyss.

This was the place Zhang Chi had chosen after buying and studying maps of Beichen Oasis and its surrounding areas.

This Canglan Oasis was a medium-sized Oasis. Like most Oases, it was occupied by a Sect and was even named after it.

Of course, perhaps the Sect was named after the Oasis.

The Canglan Sect on this Canglan Oasis was said to have occupied the land for tens of thousands of years. The Sect had two Nascent Soul Middle Stage Cultivators and over two hundred Nascent Soul Early Stage Cultivators.

Zhang Chi planned to join this Sect as an Honored Guest Elder, first to use one of their Spiritual Veins to achieve his breakthrough.

’In any case, with my current level in the Hundred Skills of Immortal Cultivation, most Sects, even the Beichen Sect, wouldn’t refuse me. The only difference is that each Sect has different conditions.’

And the Canglan Sect was famous for its generous terms; they treated even Loose Cultivators very well.

In addition, this Oasis had a relatively large number of Tier Four Spiritual Veins, but they were also relatively scattered, which perfectly suited Zhang Chi’s needs.

Moreover, Zhang Chi had previously used the Tier Four Turtle Shell to divine the fortune of this trip, so it was highly likely that nothing would go wrong.

’Of course, even if I find out this Sect isn’t suitable, I can leave at any time. There’s no Spirit Contract that can bind me, anyway.’

A few days later, the Floating Airship had traveled deep into the Oasis and stopped above Cyan Mang Immortal City. Zhang Chi immediately flew off the ship and began to wander around the city, observing.

He found that the Canglan Sect indeed had a good reputation. Only then did he ride his Golden Light Shuttle straight to the center of Canglan Oasis—to Canglan Immortal City, which belonged exclusively to the Canglan Sect.

In just half a month, he arrived and went directly into Canglan Immortal City’s City Lord’s Mansion.

"Fellow Daoist, you wish to join our Canglan Sect?"

Upon arriving, he explained his purpose directly to a Steward in the City Lord’s Mansion, who quickly summoned the City Lord.

The City Lord was a tall, middle-aged cultivator with a majestic and dignified bearing, clad in Silver Armor. He was, surprisingly, a Nascent Soul Early Stage Cultivator.

When he noticed that the Cultivation Zhang Chi was revealing was at Golden Core Peak, he immediately frowned slightly.

He clearly mistook Zhang Chi for a cultivator who had come to compete for Nascent Soul Spiritual Objects.

Although their Canglan Sect treated Loose Cultivators well, the Spiritual Objects within the Sect were clearly in short supply.

Furthermore, many Loose Cultivators joined only for the Spiritual Objects and felt no sense of belonging to the Sect at all.

Therefore, many cultivators in the Sect were not actually very welcoming to Golden Core Peak Loose Cultivators.

This City Lord was no different.

"That is correct. I am Chen Bufan, a Tier Three Peak Refiner. And as long as I have a Tier Four Inheritance, it won’t be long before I can make a breakthrough. I hope your esteemed Sect can take me in," Zhang Chi said with considerable humility, unconcerned by the man’s attitude.

At this moment, he had a completely different temperament and appearance, and he actually bore a slight resemblance to the Chen Bufan from the Great Abyss.