Chapter 460 - 436: Map of Mountains and Rivers

Chapter 460: Chapter 436: Map of Mountains and Rivers

"Fellow Daoist Zhang, please stay your hand! This is all a misunderstanding. We were just joking with you before. Please, let us go. We apologize to you right here and now."

"When we return, we will give you a large amount of resources as compensation. Moreover, we promise we will no longer move against you, the Ancient Wilderness Snowfield, or the Xingluo Sea."

"We can even return the Endless Desert Sea to the three Palace Masters of the Desert Divine Palace, and we can share the Ascension Passage. That way, you and all the Divinity Transformation Cultivators can ascend to the Upper Realm."

At that moment, the Great Qian Ancestor immediately backed down to Zhang Chi, even making numerous promises.

Hearing this, the Third Prince of Great Qian and the other members of the Royal Family on the side didn’t object. Instead, they nodded repeatedly in agreement.

In truth, they all hated Zhang Chi to the bone. Not only had he completely ruined their plan, but they had also lost this Grotto Heaven they had just recently acquired. They were even facing mortal danger.

For proud Cultivators of Great Qian like them, who were used to being high and mighty, admitting defeat was a monstrous humiliation.

Thus, they wished they could tear Zhang Chi limb from limb that very instant.

But they were in a weak position and had no choice but to bow their heads.

Now, they finally understood why Zhang Chi had been so calm all along.

It turned out he hadn’t been putting on an act; he truly possessed an ace up his sleeve capable of turning the tide.

Still, they believed that Zhang Chi and the other cultivators would surely be tempted by the Great Qian Ancestor’s promises.

’They’re actually backing down? And they’re willing to make such a huge concession?’

’Doesn’t that mean we can all ascend to the Upper Realm?’

As expected, Xiahou Jiao and the other cultivators were quite surprised to hear this, and their composure was instantly shattered.

It couldn’t be helped. The concessions their enemies offered were too great, and it was everything they had wanted before.

"Is that so? Very well. However, you must first hand over all your Spiritual Treasures, Storage Rings, and the like. Then, you will let me place a Restriction on you to seal your Cultivation. Only then can I feel at ease letting you go."

Even Zhang Chi’s eyes lit up for a moment, but he quickly composed himself and stated his own demands.

After all, he didn’t trust them one bit.

Besides, they had just tried to kill him. Naturally, he couldn’t let them off the hook now.

Furthermore, he suspected their promises were a complete lie.

So he took the opportunity to state his own demands.

If they agreed, it would be much easier for him to kill them. Once they were dead, the Ascension Passage and everything else would naturally be his.

He could even lead his people to destroy Great Qian, and his rewards would be even greater.

Moreover, his demand was a perfect way to test if they were bluffing.

"That’s a great idea!"

"Yes, this is the only safe way!"

Upon hearing this, Xiahou Jiao and the others immediately understood Zhang Chi’s intent. They calmed down and voiced their agreement.

"What? That’s impossible!"

"Exactly! Don’t go too far! If you go back on your word halfway through, wouldn’t we be finished?"

The moment the Great Qian Ancestor and the other Divinity Transformation Cultivators heard this, their expressions turned ugly, and they subconsciously rejected Zhang Chi’s demand.

"No? Then you can all die. Once you’re dead, we’ll get everything we want anyway!"

Zhang Chi sneered.

He wasn’t the least bit surprised, nor did he care. Whether they agreed or not, he was going to kill them all.

It was just that if they agreed, his chances of success would be even higher.

"Wait! We can establish a Spirit Contract first, and we can swear on our Dao hearts. That way, both sides can be at ease. What do you think?"

"That’s right! Besides, it won’t be that easy for you to kill us. We have treasures borrowed from the Upper Realm. And we still have many hidden trump cards we haven’t used yet. We just don’t want to expend too much energy and end up in a mutually destructive fight. That’s why we’re seeking peace."

"Taking a step back, even if you succeed in killing us, you still won’t be able to ascend. The Great Qian Immortal Dynasty controls not only this end of the Ascension Passage, but the other end as well."

"Our Great Qian Immortal Dynasty has also established a power base in the Upper Realm, and they guard the Ascension Passage. If you kill us, they will know immediately. Then, they will definitely close the Ascension Passage."

"Even if they don’t close the passage, they’ll be waiting to pick you off like fish in a barrel after you ascend. So, cooperation is absolutely the win-win choice!"

Seeing the situation, the Great Qian Ancestor quickly tried to stop him, resorting to persuasion as a secondary option.

The other cultivators from the Great Qian Royal Family chimed in, all putting on a very sincere act.

At this, Xiahou Jiao and the other cultivators couldn’t help but feel a little swayed.

Even the three Palace Masters of the Desert Divine Palace, who had the greatest conflict with the Great Qian Immortal Dynasty, felt the same way.

However, they didn’t respond. Instead, they all looked toward Zhang Chi.

Clearly, Zhang Chi controlled the Array, making him the backbone of the group.

"How about this? We’ll establish a Spirit Contract and swear an oath together. We’ll agree that as long as you first accept my seal and control, I’ll let you go this time. Once you’ve paid compensation and shared the Ascension Passage, I will lift the seal and control, and I’ll guarantee I won’t kill you in the process."

"If you agree, I’ll stop. If not, it means you’re being deceptive and have a way to escape the constraints of the oath and Spirit Contract. Do you dare?"

Zhang Chi felt that what they were saying was likely true and did make some sense.

But he still didn’t agree to their terms directly. Instead, he immediately proposed a new plan.

This way, regardless of whether they were trustworthy or not, he would hold the initiative.

’In any case, I’m not bound by Spirit Contracts and oaths.’

"An excellent idea!"

"This is the safest way!"

Xiahou Jiao and the others were delighted, immediately agreeing that this was a much safer approach.

Besides, if they were truly sincere, they would definitely agree.

"No! Who knows if you have a way to break the oath and Spirit Contract!"

"Exactly! Unless we do it our way, it just means we fight to the death."

In the end, Zhang Chi’s demand was like stepping on a cat’s tail. They immediately erupted in furious shouts and even turned the accusation back on Zhang Chi and his group.

"So you really are up to something!"

Xiahou Jiao and the others couldn’t help but be disappointed, and killing intent flared in their eyes once more.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM...

Zhang Chi even more so. He stopped talking, and the Array’s assault intensified.

In truth, he never needed to say so much to them. But he needed the help of Xiahou Jiao and the others, so he had to consider their feelings.

Fortunately, his enemies had now shown their true colors, so he could finally attack without reservation.

As for whether killing them would truly render the Ascension Passage unusable, he didn’t particularly care.

In any case, besides Great Qian’s Ascension Passage, there were surely other ways.

For instance, the experts of the Celestial Repair Sect had managed to ascend back then, so he was confident he could too.

"Damn you! I was trying to be reasonable, but since you refuse to agree, don’t blame me for what comes next!"

"That’s right! Now we’ll show you the true power of our Great Qian Immortal Dynasty!"

At this point, the Great Qian Ancestor and his cultivators finally dropped the act, cursing and gnashing their teeth.

It turned out they really did have a way to nullify Spirit Contracts and oaths.

They had originally planned to use this method to deceive Zhang Chi’s group, escape, and then find a chance to counter-attack. But none of them had expected Zhang Chi to be so cautious.

This frustrated them so much they wanted to vomit blood, and their killing intent toward Zhang Chi surged.

"Great Qian Jade Seal, rise!"

"Map of Mountains and Rivers, appear!"

With that, the Great Qian Ancestor and the other Divinity Transformation Cultivators of the Royal Family held nothing back. They formed a Spirit Technique and summoned two powerful Spiritual Treasures.

One of the Spiritual Treasures was a small, white jade Seal. Initially palm-sized, it instantly expanded upon appearing, becoming like a small mountain. It radiated a shocking pressure and directly blocked much of the black lightning.

The other was a Scroll. When it opened, it revealed a painted vista of mountains and rivers, deserts and oceans—all sorts of natural landscapes.

Woven within were countless cities and towns, which even contained humans. In the forests and wilderness, there were Demon Beasts, insects, and fish, while the sky held birds, stars, the sun, and the moon.

In short, the content of the painting was vast, as if it depicted an immense and real kingdom.

Upon closer inspection, the cultivators could see that the painting depicted the endless territory of the Great Qian Immortal Dynasty, including even the Endless Desert Sea.

One could say it was like a map, but even more so, it was like a colossal photograph.

But this painting contained the destiny of Great Qian and the power of its mountains and rivers. It was clearly a powerful treasure, and the vast pressure it emitted was in no way inferior to that of the Great Qian Jade Seal.

The moment the Map of Mountains and Rivers appeared, an illusory landscape of mountains and rivers materialized, enveloping and protecting the Great Qian Ancestor and the other cultivators as if they had entered the painting itself.

Instantly, even more of the black lightning was blocked.

The black lightning crashed against the illusory landscape, causing mountains to crumble and the earth to crack. But with the help of the Map of Mountains and Rivers and the Great Qian Jade Seal, it was clear the Great Qian Ancestor and his cohort would be safe for the time being.

"It’s the ultimate treasures of Great Qian!"

"Those two are Middle Grade Peak Spiritual Treasures, even stronger than the Golden Dragon Banner!"

"They actually brought both of those treasures with them? This is going to be trouble!"

Seeing this, Xiahou Jiao and the other Divinity Transformation Cultivators couldn’t help but exclaim in worry.

They weren’t worried that they or Zhang Chi were in danger, but they were very concerned that their enemies might use these two treasures to escape.

Great Qian possessed more than one ultimate treasure, but even among them, there were differences in power.

While the Golden Dragon Banner was powerful, it was clearly the weakest of Great Qian’s ultimate treasures.

The Great Qian Jade Seal and the Map of Mountains and Rivers, however, symbolized the supreme authority and sovereign territory of the Great Qian Immortal Dynasty, making them clearly stronger and more precious.

If anything happened to either of them, the very destiny of the Great Qian Immortal Dynasty would be severely damaged.

To ensure the continued prosperity of the Great Qian Immortal Dynasty, these two ultimate treasures could not be used often.

Under normal circumstances, the experts of the Great Qian Immortal Dynasty would never bring these two ultimate treasures out, let alone bear to use them.

But this time, the Great Qian Immortal Dynasty had clearly come fully prepared, and now they were going all out.

’Special Spiritual Treasures with Mighty Power comparable to the Upper Grade?’

Even Zhang Chi was quite surprised to see these two treasures.