Chapter 325 - 319: Temporary Cave Abode and Neighbors

Chapter 325: Chapter 319: Temporary Cave Abode and Neighbors

"A Quasi Tier Four Refiner? Excellent! You are most welcome. I will report this to the Sect immediately. Within a month at most, the Sect will respond and send someone to assess you. You’ll definitely be able to join our Sect then and will receive excellent treatment."

"Until then, you are free to do as you please or wait here. I will arrange a temporary cultivation dwelling for you so you won’t have to worry about delaying your Cultivation!"

Hearing this, the City Lord couldn’t help but size up Zhang Chi again. After confirming with his powerful senses that Zhang Chi didn’t seem to be lying, a smile immediately spread across his face.

"Then I must thank you for your trouble, City Lord."

Zhang Chi wasn’t surprised, but he still felt a little more at ease.

He wasn’t sure about the Canglan Sect, but at least this City Lord’s attitude was good.

He had claimed to be a Tier Three Peak Refiner precisely to make the other party—and the Canglan Sect—take him seriously. This way, when he requested the Tier Four Refining teachings in the future, it would be a matter of course.

The only regret was that it wasn’t a good idea for him to reveal multiple advanced skills at the same time.

Besides, he had already revealed his Alchemy and Talisman Making skills before. Revealing his Artifact Refining skills this time was undoubtedly the safer bet, and it would also help him collect the Star Divine Iron.

"Don’t mention it. My surname is Wu, and my given name is Tianyi. You can just call me Junior Martial Uncle Wu. After all, you’ll surely pass the Sect’s assessment, and we’ll all be fellow sect members then." The City Lord immediately introduced himself, appearing very approachable.

"Greetings, Junior Martial Uncle Wu. I hope to be under your care in the future. Once my Artifact Refining level breaks through, if you ever need a Magical Treasure refined, Junior Martial Uncle, you need only ask. I guarantee I won’t disappoint you."

Going with the flow, Zhang Chi immediately cupped his hands in a salute.

Although he was usually low-key, he wasn’t ignorant of social niceties.

Besides, these were just empty pleasantries for now; he didn’t actually have to give up anything.

"Haha, good! I’ll remember that. You’d better not go back on your word then."

Everyone loves to hear pleasantries, and City Lord Wu couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

But in truth, he didn’t pay it too much mind.

Becoming a Tier Four Refiner was no easy feat.

First, one’s Cultivation had to reach the Nascent Soul Realm, which was obviously difficult.

Canglan Oasis had a few hundred thousand Golden Core Cultivators, but only just over two hundred Nascent Soul True Monarchs.

Second, even if one reached the Nascent Soul Realm, they still had to obtain Tier Four Refining teachings. Moreover, it required extremely high talent and immense perseverance to have any chance of successfully becoming a Tier Four Refiner.

But he didn’t say any of these discouraging things right now.

Afterward, he chatted with Zhang Chi while leading him from the City Lord’s Mansion to a dwelling on the city’s west side.

"This is the temporary dwelling I mentioned. The conditions are average, but it’s fine for a temporary stay. There are some other Cultivators here who will likely become members of our Sect in the future. Their Cultivation is comparable to yours, so it’s a good chance for you all to get acquainted ahead of time."

"Alright, I have other matters to attend to, so I’ll be leaving now. If you run into any trouble, you can come find me directly at the City Lord’s Mansion."

The City Lord pointed at the dwelling and gave a brief introduction, then took out a white Jade Token and gave it to Zhang Chi. After a few more words of instruction, he transformed into a streak of Escape Light and departed.

"Thank you, Junior Martial Uncle!"

Zhang Chi accepted the Jade Token and cupped his hands.

The Jade Token had a number on it—eight. It was likely the proof of access for the dwelling, and eight was the room number.

The reason he called it a room number was that this dwelling was rather unique; it was a massive courtyard built atop a Tier Three Upper Grade Spiritual Vein.

The courtyard contained many rooms suitable for Cultivation, several of which were already occupied by Cultivators. Zhang Chi was assigned one of them.

Compared to a normal cultivation dwelling, this place was free of charge, requiring no rent. However, for Zhang Chi, the Spiritual Qi here was clearly a bit thin, the space was too small, and there was no privacy to speak of.

But staying here temporarily wasn’t a big issue.

After all, his Cultivation had long since reached its limit. He was already using any excess Spiritual Power he refined to nourish his Star Sword.

And since he had already waited for many years, he didn’t mind waiting a few more days.

The dwelling was enveloped by a white Array Light Curtain. Zhang Chi gripped the Jade Token, infused it with Magical Power, and shot a beam of white light at the curtain. The curtain immediately rippled, and a passageway soon appeared.

Zhang Chi then successfully entered the courtyard and immediately saw five Cultivators gathered together under a large, verdant tree. They were sitting around a stone table, drinking tea and chatting.

When these Cultivators saw Zhang Chi enter, they all turned to look at him.

A flicker of Spiritual Light passed through Zhang Chi’s eyes, and he instantly discovered that all of these Cultivators were at Peak Golden Core Cultivation.

"Fellow Daoist, may I ask your name? Are you, like us, also here to join the Canglan Sect?" one of them, a middle-aged Cultivator in a green robe with a three-stranded beard, immediately asked with a smile.

"City Lord Wu Tianyi himself escorted you here. Could it be that you have some connection to him, Fellow Daoist?" another, an alluring beauty in a daring red dress, asked, her eyes lighting up.

The others didn’t speak, but they were clearly just as curious.

"That’s right. And you all are as well? I am Chen Bufan, a Loose Cultivator. I hope we’ll all get along. As for the City Lord, I have no special relationship with him. Perhaps it’s because I’m a Tier Three Refiner, or maybe he simply had business on the west side and dropped me off on his way." Zhang Chi replied with a slight smile.

"So, it’s Fellow Daoist Chen. A pleasure."

"I wouldn’t dare say ’look after,’ but we can certainly stick together for support."

The five Cultivators responded one after another.

Then, they began to chat with Zhang Chi and introduced themselves.

Zhang Chi quickly learned the names and backgrounds of the five.

The middle-aged man in the green robe and the alluring beauty were Wu Changchun and Zheng Hongping, respectively.

Among the other three, the white-haired old man in the blue robe was named Lü Fuguang, the large man in black armor was Gao Yunfei, and the last one, an arrogant-looking young man in a black robe, was named Wei Wei.

Among the five, besides the white-haired elder Lü Fuguang, who was a Loose Cultivator, the other four all came from Immortal Cultivation Clans in other regions of the Canglan Oasis.

However, Lü Fuguang was a Tier Three Upper Grade Alchemy Master. Otherwise, as a Loose Cultivator nearing the end of his Lifespan, it would have been impossible for him to have Golden Core Peak Cultivation.

Of course, the other four, aside from the black-robed youth Wei Wei, also possessed Immortal Cultivation Techniques, but their skills weren’t particularly high—Tier Three Middle Grade at most.

But this was normal. Immortal Cultivation Techniques were not easy to improve, and if they had truly reached the pinnacle of their craft, their clans might not have agreed to let them join the Canglan Sect.

Even now, their main reason for joining the Canglan Sect was for Nascent Soul Materials.

When the five learned that Zhang Chi had no connection to the City Lord, they didn’t become cold, but upon hearing he was an Artifact Refiner, they didn’t pay him much special attention either.

Evidently, they all subconsciously assumed Zhang Chi was, at most, a Tier Three Middle Grade or Upper Grade Refiner.

An Artifact Refiner of that level, while capable of refining Magical Treasures, could at best create Low Grade Peak Magical Treasures. Thus, they were just ordinary craftsmen.

Zhang Chi, however, quickly discovered that the group seemed to revolve around the alluring beauty, Zheng Hongping. For one, she was attractive, and for another, she was quite adept at using her looks to her advantage.

Even the old Pill Master, Lü Fuguang, had a fiery gaze when he looked at her.

But Lü Fuguang was a Loose Cultivator and old, so despite his decent alchemy skills, he was a relatively marginal figure in the group.

The middle-aged man in green, Wu Changchun, and the black-robed youth, Wei Wei, on the other hand, received more of Zheng Hongping’s favor.

The former was eloquent and socially adept. The latter, though rather cold and aloof, was younger and seemed to have a more significant background—rumor had it he was connected to a Nascent Soul Elder of the Canglan Sect.

Zhang Chi, however, suspected the connection was nothing special.

Otherwise, Wei Wei wouldn’t be stuck waiting here with the rest of them.

After Zhang Chi joined the conversation, he clearly felt a certain hostility from Wei Wei.

The other three male Cultivators felt the same, but they concealed it better, and their hostility wasn’t as intense as Wei Wei’s. If not for Zhang Chi’s powerful senses, he never would have noticed.

The reason for this was his current appearance as Chen Bufan from the Great Abyss. Dressed in white robes, with his sharp brows and starlike eyes, he was strikingly handsome, even among Cultivators.

Because of this, even though Zheng Hongping knew Zhang Chi was a Loose Cultivator, she was still quite enthusiastic toward him.

’Being too handsome has its downsides!’

Zhang Chi couldn’t help but complain to himself.

But he wasn’t surprised. With their long Lifespans, Cultivators understood enjoyment better than mortals. Moreover, having a dao companion of a similar Cultivation level for mutual support—or even practicing special dual cultivation techniques—could promise a Cultivator a brighter future.

"Fellow Daoist Chen, we plan to sign a Spirit Contract and form a Nascent Soul Alliance to work together to acquire Nascent Soul Materials, share resources, and help one another. Are you willing to join?" After a while, seeing that Zhang Chi’s overall strength seemed decent, Zheng Hongping formally extended the invitation.

"That’s right. You might not know, Fellow Daoist, but pursuing Nascent Soul Formation is no easy task. Even if the Canglan Sect is more generous to us visiting Honored Guest Elders than other Major Sects, getting your hands on Nascent Soul Materials is still as difficult as ascending to the heavens. It’s impossible to do it alone," the middle-aged Cultivator Wu Changchun chimed in.

The other three also turned to look at Zhang Chi again.

"No, thank you. I’m actually just looking for a quiet place to focus on my Cultivation. I don’t intend to pursue Nascent Soul Materials." But upon hearing this, Zhang Chi just smiled faintly and immediately refused.

"Of course, we’ve all met now, and we’ll be fellow sect members in the future. Even without an alliance, we can still look out for each other if something comes up," Zhang Chi added.

"Alright, to each their own. We won’t insist. But if you ever change your mind, Fellow Daoist, you can come find us. We’ll welcome you to join us at any time!"

Zheng Hongping was a little disappointed, but she didn’t press the issue.

The others were the same.

However, Zhang Chi clearly sensed that most of their hostility toward him had vanished.

After that, Zhang Chi chatted with them for a few more minutes before entering his own Room Eight. He closed the door, activated its independent Protective Array, and sat down to meditate and cultivate.

After all, he had learned what he needed to know. Talking too much with these people was just a waste of time.

Besides, since he had refused to join them, it would be awkward to keep hanging around and listening to their conversations and plans.

"What a shame!" Zheng Hongping glanced at Room Eight and couldn’t help but shake her head slightly.

"It’s fine. He’s a Loose Cultivator; it’s normal for them to be wary of others. Besides, I’m sure it won’t be long before he recognizes the reality of the situation, regrets it, and comes back begging to join us!"

"Exactly! But by then, it won’t be so easy for him to join us!"

"Besides, it’s actually too early to invite him. It’s not even certain he’ll become an Honored Guest Elder of the Canglan Sect."

But the other Cultivators felt no regret. In fact, they were secretly relieved to have one less competitor.

And what they were competing for wasn’t just the beautiful Zheng Hongping, but also the opportunity for Nascent Soul Formation.