Chapter 458 - 434: He Who Kills Zhang Chi Shall Be Spared Death

Chapter 458: Chapter 434: He Who Kills Zhang Chi Shall Be Spared Death

"So there really are ruins here!"

"Haha, wonderful! Now we finally have a chance at Ascension!"

Standing in the sky, a divine light flickered in the eyes of the many Divinity Transformation Cultivators. They were clearly using some kind of Spiritual Eye Class Divine Techniques.

This way, even if the Great Qian Immortal Dynasty had set up an ambush, they would be able to spot it in advance.

As it turned out, not only did they fail to find an ambush, but they did indeed discover a set of ruins.

The ruins floated in the Chaos Void, but they were connected to the space near this barren mountain. There were even some powerful Restrictions around the periphery.

These Restrictions served to both protect and conceal.

Because of them, even Nascent Soul Peak Cultivators would be unable to detect anything unusual if they came here.

If the ruins hadn’t been so close to this region of space, even the Divinity Transformation Cultivators, with all their special methods, would have failed to find this place.

But now, these beings, who possessed special Spiritual Eye Divine Techniques and were proficient in Arrays, had spotted it at a glance.

SWISH SWISH SWISH...

Without delay, after confirming that no experts from the Great Qian Immortal Dynasty were nearby, they immediately unleashed their techniques in unison. Dazzling rainbow lights shot out, forcibly punching through the space and Restrictions surrounding the ruins.

The resulting tunnel was only about the height of a person, but that was more than enough for Divinity Transformation Cultivators. The group exchanged nods, and with a slight flicker of their bodies, they transformed into streaks of Escape Light and flew into the ruins before the passage could repair itself.

"So it’s a Grotto Heaven, and a large one at that! No wonder the Celestial Repair Sect vanished without a trace all those years ago!"

"Indeed. With this Grotto Heaven, they would have had no need to ever go outside."

Inside the ruins, the Divinity Transformation Cultivators were all filled with amazement.

From the outside, the ruins hadn’t seemed very large, but there was a whole world within. You could say it was a small world of its own.

This small world was bordered by the Chaos Void, but within, it was filled with exotic flowers and rare herbs, complete with mountains, rivers, oceans, deserts, and all sorts of terrain.

Moreover, the Spiritual Qi here was noticeably denser than the average level of the outside world.

Clearly, there were Spiritual Veins within this Grotto Heaven, and quite a few of them. It was even possible that a Tier Five Spiritual Vein existed in its depths.

"Where are the people from Great Qian? Could it be they haven’t arrived yet?"

"It’s very likely. Let’s head to the depths of this Grotto Heaven immediately. If there’s anything truly valuable here, it must be in the deepest part of this Secret Realm!"

The Divinity Transformation Cultivators quickly composed themselves and flew forward together.

At the same time, they had already summoned various Spiritual Treasures and even formed a tactical formation that facilitated cooperation.

"Junior Brother Zhang, come to the center!"

They were rather protective of Zhang Chi. They all knew he had been severely injured for sixty years, and even with two Divinity Transformation Level helpers, his personal defenses were surely a weak point.

"Alright!"

Although Zhang Chi felt he didn’t need the protection, he didn’t want to refuse their kind intentions, so he did as he was told.

The Divinity Transformation Cultivators flew at extreme speeds. So, despite the Grotto Heaven being a vast small world, it only took them half an hour to reach its depths, where they indeed found a Tier Five Spiritual Vein.

Above the Spiritual Vein, a pillar of Spiritual Light shot straight into the sky, visible even from a great distance.

Coupled with the fact that the Spiritual Qi grew richer the closer they got to the vein, there was no way the cultivators could miss it.

Furthermore, there were numerous pavilions and terraces, along with a great number of planted Spirit Medicines. This was clearly the ruin of the Celestial Repair Sect.

"So many Tier Five Spirit Medicines!"

"My goodness! Even if we don’t find the Spatial Node, these Spirit Medicines alone are enough to sustain our Cultivation for a long time!"

"Indeed. This is what you’d expect from the Celestial Repair Sect, which was founded on Alchemy!"

As the Divinity Transformation Cultivators swept the area with their gazes and Divine Thought, they couldn’t help but feel a surge of excitement.

They discovered no living creatures or Arrays, but the Level of the Spirit Medicines was extremely high. At least a quarter of them had reached Tier Five, and there were some precious ones that even they, as Divinity Transformation Celestial Monarchs, did not recognize.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

However, just as the cultivators were about to move forward and harvest them, the space trembled violently. Streaks of dazzling white light suddenly appeared, rapidly forming a nine-layered Grand Array that enveloped them completely.

"Not good!"

"What’s happening?!"

Seeing this, the Divinity Transformation Cultivators were aghast.

"Haha, to think that the enemy Divinity Transformation Cultivators, whom we’ve always seen as our greatest threat, would be so foolish as to fall into our trap so easily."

"Exactly. It’s a miracle people like you managed to cultivate to the Divinity Transformation Realm."

At that moment, streaks of Escape Light shot out from all directions. As the light dissipated, powerful Divinity Transformation Powerhouses with formidable auras revealed themselves. The one in the lead wore a Dragon Robe; though ancient, he was full of majesty. It was the Great Qian Ancestor.

In addition, the Third Prince of Great Qian was right behind the Great Qian Ancestor.

Clearly, these were the powerhouses of the Great Qian Immortal Dynasty.

Their numbers had already reached a hundred, a near total mobilization.

In contrast, Zhang Chi’s side only had about fifty people, and they were trapped within an Array, placing them at a clear disadvantage.

"Impossible! We scanned the surroundings earlier. If you were hiding in the shadows, it’s impossible that we wouldn’t have discovered you. And the same goes for your Array Restriction! There’s no way it could have escaped our notice!"

"That’s right! Unless you’re a Divinity Transformation Middle Stage expert or even higher, or you possess an Upper Grade Spirit Treasure, this is absolutely impossible!"

Seeing this, the expressions on Xiahou Jiao and the others turned even uglier. They even suspected they were having a nightmare.

It wasn’t that they were foolish. In fact, not only did they have Spiritual Eyes and powerful Divine Thought, but many also had Spirit Beasts and Divine Techniques that could sense danger.

Before coming here, they had specifically investigated and found that many of Great Qian’s Divinity Transformation Cultivators hadn’t left their residences and fiefs. Otherwise, they would never have rashly approached the center of this Grotto Heaven.

And even if the enemy had set up an Array, they normally would have had a chance to detect and avoid it.

But this time, the enemy had hidden themselves too well, and the Array had activated too quickly, without any warning. This was completely beyond their expectations.

"Haha, nothing is impossible. You only think it’s impossible because you are too weak!"

"Indeed. We, the Great Qian Immortal Dynasty, have been planning for this day for a long time. Not only have we mobilized all our experts, but we also specifically borrowed a treasure from the Upper Realm. Naturally, you were unable to detect anything amiss beforehand."

"That’s right. Not only did we have an expert from the Upper Realm obscure the Celestial Secret, but we also discovered these ruins long ago and have already completed the Refinement of this Grotto Heaven. Therefore, all the Array Restrictions here are under our control. Add to that the fact that the Array is high enough Level—already at Tier Five Upper Grade—and of course you couldn’t avoid it!"

"Alright, you know what you need to know. It’s time to send you on your way!"

The Great Qian Ancestor and his followers laughed smugly as they patiently explained the situation.

Of course, they weren’t being kind. They simply felt their plan was so perfect that it would be even more perfect to let their enemies know the truth and despair.

Seeing their enemies terrified, or even begging for mercy, would give them a greater sense of accomplishment.

The Third Prince and the Great Qian Ancestor, in particular, hated Zhang Chi to the bone, so they would be delighted to see him filled with regret, or even kneeling and kowtowing.

"So that’s how it is!"

"You are despicable and shameless!"

Xiahou Jiao and the other Divinity Transformation Cultivators finally understood, and just as their enemies hoped, they fell into despair.

Although they had prepared many countermeasures, it was clear that none of them would be effective inside this Array.

Leaving aside everything else, they simply couldn’t break this Array.

Even burning their Primordial Spirits would be useless; the Array’s Level was too high.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

However, they didn’t just sit and wait for death. They immediately used Primordial Spirit Emergence, channeling their various Spiritual Treasures to strike the surrounding Array. Unfortunately, it had no effect. The Array Light Curtain merely flickered a few times before returning to calm.

Forget breaking out of the Array; they couldn’t even breach the first layer.

"Hahaha! This is what you get for opposing my Great Qian! Do you regret it now?"

Seeing this, the Great Qian Divine Transformation Cultivators became even more smug.

The Great Qian Ancestor, the Third Prince, and the other members of the Royal Family were especially elated. They even felt that unifying the Immortal Cultivation Realm was just around the corner.

Originally, they had expended a massive amount of resources to communicate with the Upper Realm and receive its aid. Even the Great Qian Ancestor had found the cost so painful it felt like his heart was bleeding.

Fortunately, it now seemed that not a single bit of that expenditure had been wasted.

"Huh? Why does that brat still look so calm?"

But soon, they noticed a cultivator on the enemy side who remained calm and composed, not even attempting to break the Array.

This cultivator was tall and straight, dressed in a black robe. It was none other than the man they hated most: Zhang Chi.

This sight made the smiles on their faces freeze.

"I know! He must be scared stiff!"

"Yes, that must be it!"

But quickly, the Third Prince conjured up a possible explanation and started smiling again.

Hearing this, the other Great Qian Divine Transformation Cultivators immediately agreed.

After all, at a time like this, it was impossible for Zhang Chi not to be afraid. This was the only explanation.

"Zhang Chi, what are you standing there stunned for? Hurry up and kneel to beg for mercy! If you do, perhaps this Prince will spare your life!" the Third Prince couldn’t help but sneer at Zhang Chi.

After he spoke, he and the other Great Qian Divine Transformation Cultivators watched with great anticipation, eager to see Zhang Chi panic.

Even Xiahou Jiao and the others noticed Zhang Chi’s unusual behavior and looked over at him in confusion.

"Hehe, you’re the ones who should be kneeling and begging for mercy! If you don’t want to die, surrender now. Perhaps, seeing as your Cultivation wasn’t easy to achieve, I’ll give you one chance," Zhang Chi retorted with a cold laugh, completely unafraid.

"You... you’re courting death!"

"Still talking tough when you’re about to die!"

The Third Prince and his men were stunned for a moment, then furious.

"Xiahou Jiao, Huyan Yan’an... Listen to this Prince! Kill Zhang Chi right now, and we will let you go. In fact, whoever contributes the most, this Prince will reward handsomely!" The Third Prince’s eyes darted as he deliberately made the offer.

"That’s right! Whoever kills Zhang Chi will be spared!"

The Great Qian Ancestor, after a brief pause, immediately voiced his approval.

The other Great Qian Divine Transformation Cultivators said nothing, but they all waited with anticipation.

They had no intention of letting any of their enemies go. They held the absolute advantage and weren’t even afraid of a desperate last stand. But that didn’t stop them from deceiving their opponents and making them put on a good show.

"This..."

Xiahou Jiao and the other Divinity Transformation Cultivators were completely caught off guard by this move. They were stunned for a moment, then all turned to look at Zhang Chi.

"My fellow Brothers and Sisters, if you choose to attack me, I would understand. But I hope you will think it through carefully before you make your decision!" Zhang Chi, however, remained as calm as ever. He didn’t even bother analyzing the pros and cons for his comrades, instead leaving the choice entirely up to them.