Chapter 378 - 359: Zhang Chi’s Plan

Chapter 378: Chapter 359: Zhang Chi’s Plan

SWISH!

At this moment, the black Flying Sword twitched slightly, transforming into a slender beam of Sword Light that pierced the Nascent Soul’s brow, killing it completely.

Afterward, the Sword Light gracefully swept up, collecting the Nascent Soul and the rest of the spoils.

And this Flying Sword was none other than the Magical Treasure Furnace Carbon, remotely controlled by Zhang Chi.

Even though this True Demon Sect Cultivator had a Nascent Soul Early Stage Cultivation, he was utterly defenseless before the Sword Light.

After all, Zhang Chi was at the Nascent Soul Late Stage, a much higher Realm than this True Demon Sect Cultivator, not to mention Zhang Chi also possessed the ability to fight across realms.

The only reason this True Demon Sect Cultivator had even managed to flee so far was that Zhang Chi didn’t want to reveal his full strength in public just yet.

—

"What a pity!"

Meanwhile, the Profound Yin Sect Leader had no idea what had just happened far away.

He saw the True Demon Sect’s Nascent Soul Cultivator escape and couldn’t help but feel it was a shame, but he didn’t give chase.

Because their Cultivation levels were similar, it would be nearly impossible to stop an opponent who was dead set on escaping, unless they could surround them or trap them with an Array.

Not to mention, he was still injured.

Still, scaring the opponent off was a good outcome. At least he wouldn’t have to fight while wounded.

And what’s more, Zhang Chi’s return after his Nascent Soul Formation was an even greater joyous occasion.

"Haha, I knew it! I knew you could achieve the Nascent Soul Realm and that you would return. Right, you probably don’t know who I am, do you? I am the Profound Yin Sect Leader, and also Xiao Yunhong’s father."

At that moment, the Profound Yin Sect Leader flew down, laughing as he greeted Zhang Chi.

Normally, he should have addressed Zhang Chi as ’Fellow Daoist,’ but being older and a friend of Xiao Yunhong’s, he decided to pull rank with his age.

"Yes, this is my father."

Xiao Yunhong, who was also present, confirmed immediately.

Looking at Zhang Chi, he was overcome with complex emotions—surprise, admiration, and even a hint of jealousy.

He had thought that after so many years, he would have caught up. He never imagined that Zhang Chi had already achieved the Nascent Soul Realm long ago.

But the jealousy quickly faded. He understood that this was, without a doubt, a great thing for him.

At the same time, both he and his father felt an overwhelming sense of relief. They were grateful that despite having doubted over the years whether Zhang Chi would ever return, they had persisted in helping Li Ruohai and the others.

"So it is Sect Leader Xiao. I’ve heard so much about you. Also, my thanks to you, Sect Leader Xiao, and to Brother Xiao, for helping my old acquaintances all these years." Zhang Chi clasped his hands and thanked them sincerely.

Back when he left the Great Abyss, he had asked Xiao Yunhong to lend Jian Jinfeng and the others a hand if necessary.

It seemed they had not disappointed him.

"Haha, you’re too kind, Fellow Daoist. We were simply fulfilling a promise we made," the Sect Leader Xiao laughed heartily.

He had hoped Zhang Chi might call him ’Uncle’ or something similar, but when he was only addressed as ’Sect Leader,’ he knew he had gotten ahead of himself and immediately adjusted his attitude.

He wasn’t angry, however; in fact, he was a little pleased. Such confidence from Zhang Chi meant his Combat Power was surely not weak.

Besides, Zhang Chi’s sincere gratitude meant that his and his son’s efforts over the years had definitely not been in vain.

"Indeed. Senior, you saved my life back then. My father and I were simply returning the favor."

Xiao Yunhong quickly added, his tone just as humble.

And Zhang Chi’s use of ’Brother Xiao’ had left him feeling flattered and overwhelmed.

"Greetings, Senior."

At the same time, the many Cultivators at the scene finally composed themselves and bowed in unison.

Zhang Chi gave a slight nod, then flew toward the Golden Crow City’s City Lord’s Mansion with Xiao Yunhong and the others, under countless gazes of awe.

Inside the City Lord’s Mansion, after some pleasantries, Xiao Yunhong and the others couldn’t help but ask where Zhang Chi had been all these years.

Zhang Chi didn’t hide anything and began to speak of the Endless Desert Sea.

He didn’t go into detail about his personal experiences, however, as there was no need.

When the others learned that to the south of the Great Abyss lay the Endless Desert Sea—a vast, boundless region where Nascent Soul Cultivators were as common as blades of grass—they were both astonished and filled with longing.

Even Sect Leader Xiao was no exception.

At the same time, they realized that the Great Abyss was, in fact, nothing more than a cage.

"In thirty years, I will return to the Endless Desert Sea. After all, the resources here in the Great Abyss are too scarce and completely unsuitable for a Nascent Soul Cultivator’s Cultivation in Seclusion."

"When the time comes, if you are willing to leave with me, I will find a way to take you out. But the number of spots will be limited. So, migrating an entire family or Sect will be impossible," Zhang Chi concluded.

There were no outsiders present, so Zhang Chi didn’t conceal this matter and stated his intentions directly.

In truth, while he couldn’t migrate an entire family or Sect right now, it might not be impossible for him in the future.

But no one knew what the future would hold.

Besides, just offering these people a chance to leave was already more than generous.

"Really?"

"We can leave with you?"

Hearing this, everyone’s eyes lit up.

"Yes. I was only able to return this time with the help of the Desert Divine Palace. Theoretically, I can’t take anyone back with me. But I have a method: using the Profound Ice God-Sealing Coffin."

"This way, I can temporarily seal you inside, take you with me, and then awaken you after we arrive."

"However, you must keep this plan strictly confidential. No one else can know, not even your own kin or disciples."

"Also, whether you choose to leave or stay is up to you. Take your time to consider it. In any case, there are still thirty years until I depart!"

With a slight nod, Zhang Chi laid out his detailed plan.

The reason for the secrecy was precisely because the number of usable Profound Ice God-Sealing Coffins was very limited.

And most of them were not in their possession.

Therefore, if the major powers who possessed these coffins learned of his plan, it would surely lead to unnecessary complications.

"So that’s the method. It’s certainly feasible. And don’t worry, we will swear an oath of secrecy right now..."

Everyone had a moment of realization. They were now even more certain that Zhang Chi wasn’t making empty promises but truly intended to follow through, with a high chance of success.

As for the Desert Divine Palace, Zhang Chi had already given a brief introduction when he mentioned the Endless Desert Sea earlier.

The Cultivators therefore all knew that the legendary Divinity Transformation Celestial Monarchs resided within the Desert Divine Palace, so they didn’t doubt for a moment its ability to send Zhang Chi back.

Following this, Sect Leader Xiao was the first to swear an oath.

"We also swear..."

The other Cultivators, all understanding the importance of secrecy, immediately followed his lead.

"By the way, do you have any specific plans for the next thirty years? If not, why not join our Profound Yin Sect as a Supreme Elder?" the Profound Yin Sect Leader continued, his voice full of expectation.

"I can. But I will be leaving eventually and can’t protect the Profound Yin Sect forever. You need to be prepared for that," Zhang Chi replied nonchalantly, nodding in agreement.

"No matter. Thirty years is enough time for us to properly consolidate and develop the Profound Yin Sect. Besides, even after you’ve left, and even after we’ve left, our continued existence will be a perpetual benefit to the Sect," the Profound Yin Sect Leader said, overjoyed.

Xiao Yunhong and the others were also quite excited.

Even Chen Bufan and his group were no exception.

After all, they were now all Cultivators of the Profound Yin Sect and had been members for many years. Naturally, they hoped to see the Sect prosper.

But they didn’t fully grasp what Zhang Chi’s seemingly casual agreement truly meant for the Profound Yin Sect.

They understood even less the immense impact it would have on the Sect’s future.

"That’s true!"

Zhang Chi deeply agreed with Sect Leader Xiao’s words.

He knew that his return was no small feat, and everyone present roughly understood that as well.

But the Cultivators of the outside world didn’t know.

Therefore, his becoming a Supreme Elder of the Profound Yin Sect would certainly deter many, and the effect would last for a very long time.

After all, under normal circumstances, he still had at least eight hundred years to live.

--

"By the way, the news of your return will spread quickly. When it does, people will definitely come looking for trouble. The Cyan Cloud Sect, Ten Thousand Treasures Tower, Star Sect, and Celestial Corpse Sect, in particular, will surely bring up old scores."

"Even if there are no old scores, there will certainly be many Nascent Soul Cultivators who are jealous of the Spiritual Treasure in your possession and want to know how to leave the Great Abyss."

"Also, if we want to obtain more Profound Ice God-Sealing Coffins, we’ll inevitably have to deal with the Nascent Soul Cultivators from the major powers. Therefore, we must come up with some countermeasures immediately."

As the Profound Yin Sect Leader continued to speak, his expression couldn’t help but turn grim.

The other Cultivators fell silent upon hearing this. The more they thought about it, the more worried they became.

"Heh, you don’t have to worry about that. I have my own ways of dealing with them. All you need to do is wait patiently and watch the show."

But Zhang Chi just smiled, unconcerned.

’It would be even better if those Nascent Soul Cultivators came looking for me themselves. It would save me the trouble of seeking them out one by one.’

’As for how to deal with them, it’s simple: kill anyone who doesn’t submit.’

Besides, he wasn’t worried that killing too many Nascent Soul Cultivators would lead to the complete fall of the Great Abyss.

Firstly, he could kill Nascent Soul Cultivators, but he could also create them.

Secondly, he could kill Nascent Soul Cultivators of the Human Race, but he could just as easily kill the Nascent Soul Cultivators of the True Demon Sect, and he could also wipe out the Tier Four Demons and Demon Beasts that had already escaped the Demon Abyss.

Finally, he didn’t actually care that much whether the Great Abyss fell or not.

While he didn’t want to see widespread death and destruction, nobody was going to use the ’greater good’ to corner him into sparing his enemies.

Besides, whether the Great Abyss fell was mainly determined by the tides of the Demon Abyss. That was the grand tide of events; even if he killed all the Nascent Soul Cultivators, he would at most only be speeding up the process slightly.

Of course, he did not want to explain too much, so he did not voice his true thoughts to the people before him.

"You have a way? That’s good."

Hearing Zhang Chi’s words, the Cultivators were taken aback. But seeing that he didn’t seem to be boasting and apparently didn’t want to explain further, they didn’t doubt him or press the issue.

However, just in case, the Profound Yin Sect Leader still proposed making more preparations.

The Profound Yin Sect Leader’s method was simple: contact some allies and try to win their support for Zhang Chi and the Profound Yin Sect.

With Zhang Chi having returned and about to become the Profound Yin Sect’s Supreme Elder, it was the perfect opportunity for the Sect to hold a grand ceremony to celebrate his Nascent Soul Formation and joining the sect, and to formally welcome him back.

This way, they could take the opportunity to invite some Nascent Soul True Monarchs, and then negotiate with them and win them over.