Chapter 104: Chapter 104: Setting Off for the Demon Abyss
"Yes, because unlike you, I’m an Alchemy Master. I won’t have to be a combatant over there. Besides, I have a good relationship with Uncle-Master Fu Hongchang. With his help, I’m sure I’ll get a good position."
Zhang Chi couldn’t possibly tell them the truth—that he had already reached Foundation Establishment—so he could only offer this explanation.
"Is that so? Alright, then you have to be careful over there. Write to us often, and most importantly, you have to come back alive."
Qin Susu and the others knew Zhang Chi had a point. They fell silent for a moment before finally accepting it.
If they were the ones going, He Shi could be a non-combatant, and Zhao Yi could work in the Medicinal Garden.
But that clearly wasn’t an option for Qin Susu and He Yan.
Besides, the environment there was harsh, and there were no Spirit Fields available to manage.
After all, just a few Demonized Beasts from the Demon Abyss could easily destroy the Spirit Fields that Cultivators had spent so long tending.
"Don’t worry. Not only will I come back alive, but I’ll be much stronger when I return. You’ll all have to call me Uncle-Master then. So you guys better work hard too, and don’t fall too far behind," Zhang Chi said with a smile.
"Yeah, right. By the way, before you go, can you introduce us to the owner of the Four-legged Spirit Snake? That way, we can borrow the Spirit Snake again next time there’s a pest infestation. And we’ll give you a cut."
Qin Susu and the others just smiled, not taking him seriously, and then brought up another matter.
Since they couldn’t change reality, they could only accept it and try to make the best of the situation.
"No, that person is also going to the Demon Abyss."
Zhang Chi refused without hesitation.
If he left the Spirit Snake behind, it could not only help with pest control but also assist them with their missions.
But the Spirit Snake was about to become a Tier Two Spirit Beast. It would be very useful to him and was clearly no longer suitable for them to see.
Besides, with the Xie Family having lost so many Foundation Establishment Cultivators, they were in a precarious situation. The younger generation of the Xie Family had no time to cause trouble for Qin Susu and her group anymore. This meant that even if there was another pest infestation, they could borrow a Spirit Beast from the Sect.
Therefore, without the Four-legged Spirit Snake, the worst that would happen is they would have to spend a few more Spirit Stones and earn a little less.
"Alright. Oh, Senior Sister Chen Ling’er is also going to the Demon Abyss this time. We’ll talk to her and ask her to look out for you if needed. And don’t worry about the Spirit Field; we’ll manage it for you and send you the income on schedule."
Qin Susu and the others were a little disappointed but had no choice but to give up.
"We also prepared some Spirit Talismans and Spirit Stones for you, Senior Brother. Take them. Of course, we’re just lending them to you. We’ll deduct the cost from your Spirit Field income later."
Then, He Shi took out a stack of Tier One Middle Grade Spirit Talismans and ten Middle Grade spirit stones, handing them to Zhang Chi.
"There’s no need. I’m not short on these. In fact, I even have some extra High Tier Spirit Talismans. Here, take a look. If you need any, I’ll sell them to you cheap. Of course, this can also be deducted from the Spirit Field income over time."
Zhang Chi was slightly taken aback. Not only did he refuse their offer, but he even took out some Spirit Talismans and made a counter-offer.
Most of these Spirit Talismans were Tier One Peak, with a few at Tier One Late Stage, all of which he had refined himself.
He no longer had a use for them and would have to sell them sooner or later, so it didn’t matter who he sold them to. By selling some to Qin Susu and the others, he could get a better price than the shop’s buyback rate and also help out his fellow disciples in the process.
After all, he had a good relationship with these fellow disciples, and they were helping him earn Spirit Stones. It was only natural for him to help them when it was easy to do so.
Besides, now that he was at Foundation Establishment, he had the confidence not to worry about attracting unwanted attention over mere Tier One Spirit Talismans.
In any case, they would surely assume he had bought these Spirit Talismans.
However, he didn’t take out a single Tier Two Spirit Talisman.
After all, he could use Tier Two Spirit Talismans himself, and they were far too precious for a Qi Cultivation Cultivator. It would be highly unusual for him to sell them.
Although their relationship was good, it wasn’t so close that he would reveal his secrets for them.
Moreover, while he was willing to lend them a hand, he wasn’t going to be their babysitter.
Besides, they generally wouldn’t have a use for Tier Two Talismans anyway. Getting them might just inflate their egos and lead them to take on dangerous missions, which wouldn’t necessarily be a good thing.
Of course, he didn’t have many Tier Two Talismans left himself—only a few types, like the Small Shifting Talisman and the Cyan Wood Thunder Talisman.
As for his Talisman Making skill, it would still be some time before he could advance to Tier Two Low Grade.
"So many First Grade Peak Spirit Talismans? Thank you, Senior Brother!"
Qin Susu and the others had intended to persuade Zhang Chi to accept their kind offer, but they immediately abandoned the thought when they saw the Spirit Talismans he took out. Their eyes lit up, and they couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise.
They now understood that Zhang Chi didn’t need their help; on the contrary, his Spirit Talismans would be a huge help to them.
At the same time, they once again felt incredibly fortunate to have befriended Zhang Chi and were once again stunned by the wealth of an Alchemy Master.
Afterward, they immediately selected a few, paid with some Spirit Stones, and insisted on creating a Spirit Contract to serve as an IOU for the remaining balance.
Seeing this, Zhang Chi shook his head slightly but didn’t mind too much and just let them do as they wished.
After completing the transaction, Qin Susu and the others didn’t leave. Instead, they ordered fine wine and food from the Drunken Immortal Tower, intending to drink to their heart’s content with Zhang Chi. It was essentially a farewell banquet.
This time, Zhang Chi didn’t refuse. The group drank and talked freely until the middle of the night, when Qin Susu and the others finally left, drunk and stumbling.
Zhang Chi, however, immediately circulated his Magical Power to dispel the effects of the alcohol and resumed his Cultivation in Seclusion. Time quickly passed, and the day of departure arrived.
Early in the morning, several hundred Qi Refining Stage disciples gathered at the sect gate. Then, under the leadership of Chen Bufan and about a dozen other Foundation Establishment Cultivators, they boarded a Floating Airship that had been waiting for them.
Qin Susu and the others were in the crowd below, waving goodbye.
But the fellow disciples who had come to befriend Zhang Chi when he revealed his skill as a Tier One Middle Grade Alchemist were nowhere to be seen.
Apparently, they all thought it was impossible for Zhang Chi to return alive.
Of course, it was also possible they were in seclusion and simply didn’t know about it.
Zhang Chi noticed that most of the Qi Cultivation Disciples traveling with him were at the Qi Cultivation Peak, with only a few at the Qi Cultivation Late Stage.
And just as expected, Chen Ling’Er was among them.
Her Cultivation was the lowest among the group, but her Combat Power might not be. Plus, with Chen Bufan to protect her, it wasn’t surprising that she dared to go.
Of course, on the surface, the one with the lowest Cultivation wasn’t Chen Ling’Er, but him—Zhang Chi.
He was the only "Qi Cultivation Middle Stage" cultivator in the group.
However, even though Zhang Chi’s Cultivation was the lowest, the other disciples didn’t look down on or exclude him for it.
Because they all knew Zhang Chi was an Alchemy Master, and they had all heard he was about to break through to become a Tier One Upper Grade Alchemist.
In addition, Zhang Chi saw that Zhong Yu was indeed among the leading Foundation Establishment Cultivators, just as he’d expected.
Right now, he was chatting happily with Chen Bufan and the other Foundation Establishment Cultivators.
"So you’re Zhang Chi? Not bad. Although your Cultivation isn’t high, your Cultivation progress isn’t slow. And you have the courage to go to the Demon Abyss while also being skilled in Alchemy. As long as you work hard, it might not be impossible for you to successfully reach Foundation Establishment before you’re sixty!"
Chen Bufan even made a point of stopping Zhang Chi to offer a few words of encouragement as he and the other Foundation Establishment Cultivators passed by.
This was also the first time he had ever met Zhang Chi.
He had heard of Zhang Chi before, and had even helped him, but he had never actually met him. Before, he hadn’t paid much attention to an Outer Disciple like Zhang Chi.
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