Cultivation: Immunity to Negative Effects

Chapter 65: Chapter 65: Demon Snake Spine and Eye of the Spirit Spring

Eight stone pillars stood in the secret chamber, each carved with lifelike birds and beasts.

Between the pillars was a pool, ten zhang square. The water bubbled and churned, releasing a massive amount of pure Spiritual Qi.

A one-zhang-long black spine swam through the water as if it were alive.

The spine emanated an immense, almost tangible pressure and waves of black Demonic Qi, filling the entire chamber with a black mist.

Fortunately, Zhang Chi’s Divine Thought was powerful and unaffected by the Demonic Qi, allowing him to "see" the entire scene at a glance.

"A Tier One Peak Eye of the Spirit Spring on the verge of advancing?"

"And what is that spine? With such a powerful pressure, could it be a Tier Three Spiritual Object?" Zhang Chi exclaimed.

After a year in the Cangwu Sect, he had learned much and developed a discerning eye.

He had thus recognized the pool at a glance and sensed the extraordinariness of the spine within it.

An Eye of the Spirit Spring is one of the tangible Spiritual Objects that forms when Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi becomes sufficiently concentrated.

This object could synergize with a Spiritual Vein, and its greatest advantage was that it could be collected and carried using special methods.

If he took it and placed it beneath the Earth Fire Hall, combining it with his existing Tier One Peak Spiritual Vein, his Cultivation speed would undoubtedly soar.

As for the spine, it had to be the true source of the Demonic Qi in this canyon.

If not for his powerful Divine Thought and the aid of his Jade Pendant, the pressure alone would have been enough to injure him, or even knock him unconscious.

Lan Xuan, on the other hand, was another matter. Though her delicate frame trembled and sweat beaded on her forehead, she showed no other ill effects from the pressure. He couldn’t help but be a little impressed.

"That’s right, this is an Eye of the Spirit Spring. The spine comes from a Tier Three Demon Snake. All the Demonized Beasts in this canyon were cultivated by these two Spiritual Objects."

"This Demon Snake isn’t an ordinary Demon Beast. It’s a powerful Demon from the Demon Abyss."

Seeing Zhang Chi completely unaffected by the pressure, Lan Xuan was internally even more astonished than he was.

She immediately gave a compliant nod and began to explain the origins of the items before them.

"We came to Yuan South this time on our sect’s orders. We brought these two Spiritual Objects with us from the sect specifically to cultivate Demon Beasts and transform the environment."

"If your Cangwu Sect hadn’t interfered, this place would have eventually become one of the Spirit Control Sect’s secret outposts," Lan Xuan continued.

"I see. But why establish an outpost here? Are the major Demon Sects planning an invasion? If so, you wouldn’t stand to gain anything, would you?" Zhang Chi said, enlightened yet still puzzled.

"An invasion is unlikely, but all the major Demon Sects have contingency plans to relocate to Yuan South. It’s not just our Spirit Control Sect; the other Demon Sects are also secretly searching for and establishing outposts in Yuan South."

"The ultimate reason is that a Demon Tide has erupted once again in the Demon Abyss. Moreover, the scale of this tide is continuously expanding. We major Demon Sects must plan ahead and secure an escape route!"

Lan Xuan immediately launched into a detailed explanation.

This wasn’t really a secret among the upper echelons of the Great Abyss, but for a minor Cultivator like Zhang Chi, it was undoubtedly the first time he was hearing of it.

Lan Xuan clearly came from an extraordinary background to know so much.

From Lan Xuan’s concise explanation, Zhang Chi learned that Demon Tides frequently erupted in the Demon Abyss, unleashing torrents of Demons and Demonic Qi.

Ordinary Demon Tides weren’t much to speak of.

But once a massive Demon Tide appeared, even the major Demon Sects might not be able to hold it back.

It was said that in the very beginning, Yuan North was just like Yuan South, with no distinction between Righteous and Demonic Cultivators.

But ten thousand years ago, a massive Demon Tide occurred. Those in Yuan North couldn’t hold out, so they changed strategies and began practicing Demon Techniques. That was how Yuan North became a land of the Demon Dao.

And so the Great Abyss came to be divided between the Righteous and Demonic paths.

Thus, the division between Righteous and Demonic was mainly a difference in things like Cultivation Techniques.

It wasn’t to say that the Cultivators and Immortal Cultivation Influences of Yuan South were all paragons of virtue.

In the last century, the major top-tier sects had all discovered signs that the Demon Abyss was on the verge of another massive Demon Tide.

If it truly erupted, as long as it didn’t exceed the scale of the one ten thousand years ago, it wouldn’t be a major problem.

But if it did, Yuan North would certainly be the first to fall.

After becoming a land of Demon Sects, their defenses against the Demon Abyss were no longer as robust as they had been ten thousand years ago.

Worse, many within the Demon Dao had long since begun to worship True Demons.

Therefore, when the time comes, Yuan South will naturally become their only retreat.

As for the lands outside the Great Abyss, they were surrounded by all manner of deadly natural barriers, so not even the top-tier Demon Sects would consider them a priority.

"In recent years, the major sects have been recruiting disciples far and wide, paying particular attention to potential Golden Core and Nascent Soul Seeds. It’s all actually related to this larger situation."

"But you can rest assured, Master. A massive eruption from the Demon Abyss is just a worst-case scenario; it most likely won’t happen. The major Demon Sects are just establishing outposts here as a precaution. Their main goal is to use this opportunity to gather some resources," Lan Xuan concluded with a small smile.

"Is that so?"

Zhang Chi, however, was unconvinced.

’He didn’t believe the major Demon Sects would be so idle.’

The Great Abyss Immortal Cultivation Realm had existed for countless millennia, yet it had never been completely overrun by a Demon Tide.

But if a massive Demon Tide did erupt, the top experts and major Immortal Cultivation Influences would be fine, while weaker Cultivators and minor factions would undoubtedly become cannon fodder.

’But he was just a small fry right now. Worrying was useless. The only true path forward was to grow stronger, and quickly.’

He quickly regained his composure.

"Then Xiao Yunhong’s earlier appearance in Yuan North... he wasn’t there to establish a secret outpost for the Profound Yin Sect, was he?" Zhang Chi asked curiously.

"That fellow? I’m not sure. It’s possible. But some say he stole the Celestial Corpse Sect’s greatest treasure, and that’s why he fled here."

"But he later returned, and the Celestial Corpse Sect’s higher-ups sought him out, but they didn’t find the treasure. He even swore an oath that he hadn’t taken it."

"Plus, prodigies like him have protective Restrictions in their sea of consciousness to prevent a Soul Search, so no one knows if he was telling the truth."

"Of course, it’s also possible he really did take the treasure at first, but it later ended up with the Cyan Cloud Sect. I heard the Celestial Corpse Sect negotiated with them, but it led nowhere. Who knows what really happened."

Lan Xuan spoke with the casual air of someone sharing gossip.

Hearing this, Zhang Chi’s heart skipped a beat as he immediately thought of the Black Coffin he carried.

’He had a nagging suspicion that it was the Celestial Corpse Sect’s treasure.’ But he didn’t press the matter.

’After all, the Celestial Corpse Sect’s greatest treasure was bound to be famous. He could just look it up himself when he got back.’

’Even though Lan Xuan was his servant, he couldn’t let her know too much.’

"Since you brought both of these Spiritual Objects here, you should have a way to collect them, right?"

Time was short, so Zhang Chi didn’t continue the idle chatter and got back to the point.

Both items were treasures, and now that he’d encountered them, he naturally wouldn’t pass them up.

"Yes, Master. Please wait a moment. Originally, only that old fellow could collect these two treasures, but he taught me the relevant Secret Technique to curry favor with me."

Lan Xuan reined in her gossiping nature and immediately formed a series of hand seals for a Spirit Technique. Beams of black Spiritual Light shot out, and she quickly collected the Demon Snake Spine and the Eye of the Spirit Spring.

The Demon Snake Spine’s pressure was immense. Normally, even if placed directly into a Storage Bag, its aura would leak out and contaminate the other items inside.

But after being collected with the Secret Technique, runes flowed across its surface, completely sealing its aura. It soon looked no different from an ordinary snake bone.

The Eye of the Spirit Spring also shrank rapidly before being sealed within a Scroll.