Chapter 105: Chapter 105: The Sect’s Attention, Arrival at the Demon Abyss
"Thank you for your high regard, Martial Uncle. I will certainly work even harder!"
Zhang Chi knew his own Combat Power might already surpass the other man’s, so the situation felt a bit strange.
On the surface, however, he had no choice but to respond with respect.
’Heh, sixty years old? By then, forget Foundation Establishment, I might have already achieved Golden Core. At that point, it’ll be your turn to call me Martial Uncle!’ Zhang Chi thought with a laugh.
"Not bad!"
The other Foundation Establishment Cultivators all gave Zhang Chi a slight nod but said nothing.
That included Zhong Yu.
After all, she was a Foundation Establishment Cultivator now. Just as Zhao Zijian had said, she and Zhang Chi were truly in different worlds.
Her asking for his contact information back then had been nothing more than a whim.
’What’s the deal with this Junior Brother Zhang? How did he get praise and affirmation from Martial Uncle Chen Bufan?’
The other disciples couldn’t help but feel a pang of envy and surprise.
Chen Ling’Er, on the other hand, watched Zhang Chi and couldn’t help but purse her lips, looking thoroughly unimpressed.
For the past three years, Qin Susu and the others had been fawning over her, but Zhang Chi had never taken part.
On several occasions when Chen Ling’Er and her friends were celebrating, Qin Susu’s group invited Zhang Chi, but he flatly refused every time.
Chen Ling’Er had even asked Qin Susu’s group to extend an invitation for him to join her, but he had tactfully declined that as well.
He hadn’t even come to apologize to her in person, which left Chen Ling’Er feeling rather displeased.
Furthermore, she didn’t believe Zhang Chi had any chance of reaching Foundation Establishment.
Many people, including her, believed he had only made such rapid progress by recklessly consuming an excessive amount of Elixirs.
Previously, Qin Susu and the others had even visited her with gifts, begging her to look out for Zhang Chi. She had agreed, but this only made her look down on him even more.
’He must have put Qin Susu and the others up to this,’ she thought. ’But he’s too proud to ask me himself, putting on this act of being aloof and superior. It’s so irritating.’
This minor annoyance wasn’t enough to make her hostile, however. She still intended to fulfill her promise to Qin Susu’s group. She just felt that Zhang Chi wasn’t worth her time.
Zhang Chi, for his part, was completely unaware of all this inner drama. Even if he had known, he would have just laughed it off.
Chen Bufan nodded in satisfaction, then continued on his way, chatting and laughing with Zhong Yu and the others as they left.
This was exactly what Zhang Chi wanted. He gave a few perfunctory replies to some fellow disciples trying to befriend him before heading into his cabin on the ship.
He found that the Sect’s accommodations were excellent. Not only were they being transported on a dedicated Floating Airship, but the rooms they were assigned were also top-notch.
The room was spacious, clean, and well-equipped. The Spiritual Qi was also incredibly rich, equivalent to cultivating near a Tier Two Low Grade Spiritual Vein.
While it was a far cry from having a Spiritual Vein all to oneself, it was still quite a luxury.
But on second thought, it wasn’t surprising.
After all, this group of Qi Refining Disciples heading to the Demon Abyss would surely face a high mortality rate. The survivors were destined to become the future pillars of the Sect.
Thus, in the time remaining, the Sect would naturally do everything it could to help them raise their Cultivation.
This suited Zhang Chi perfectly. Aside from leaving for meals and the occasional breath of fresh air, he spent his days in Cultivation in Seclusion inside his room.
——
"Junior Sister Yun, has this month’s group departed?"
At the same time, deep within the Cangwu Sect, inside a Floating Celestial Palace invisible to the disciples’ eyes, two Golden Core Powerhouses were in conversation.
One, a middle-aged man with a majestic and imposing air, sat on the highest seat. He was none other than the Sect Leader of the Cangwu Sect, his Cultivation just a single step from the Nascent Soul Realm.
The other was a beautiful woman in a palace gown, her temperament extraordinary. She was an Elder of the Sect, with a Golden Core Early Stage Cultivation.
"Yes, Sect Leader. This month, a total of thirteen Foundation Establishment Cultivators and six hundred and twenty Qi Refining Disciples departed. Among them, one hundred and eighty are at the Qi Cultivation Late Stage, one is at the Qi Cultivation Middle Stage, and the rest are at the Qi Cultivation Tenth Layer," the palace-gowned woman, Junior Sister Yun, reported immediately.
The Cangwu Sect sent a group of Cultivators to the Demon Abyss every month. It was just that Zhang Chi’s group of Qi Refining Cultivators was larger, and by coincidence, their acquaintance Chen Bufan was going with them.
"Someone at the Qi Cultivation Middle Stage?" The Sect Leader was taken aback.
"Correct. His name is Zhang Chi. He’s at the Qi Cultivation Sixth Layer and only joined the Sect three and a half years ago. However, he ranked first in his batch’s Heart assessment. He’s also a Tier One Middle Grade Alchemist, and Fu Hongchang from the Pill Hall thinks very highly of him, saying he’ll become a Tier One Upper Grade Alchemist as soon as his Cultivation breaks through."
Junior Sister Yun nodded and began to explain.
With so many Sect Disciples, it was impossible for her to keep track of everyone. But Zhang Chi’s low Cultivation, paradoxically, had caught her eye.
Besides, Zhang Chi’s history was quite unique; once she’d looked into it, he was hard to forget.
"Zhang Chi? I’ve heard of him. I thought he would fade into mediocrity, but to think he could still achieve so much and possess such courage after that setback... He is truly worthy of someone who passed the Heart assessment in eight breaths. Very well. Have our people at the Demon Abyss look out for him a bit," the Sect Leader said with a slight nod.
"Fu Hongchang and Chen Bufan will already be looking out for him. There’s no need for me to get involved. That would only stir up jealousy, which wouldn’t be good for him. I think it would be better to give him an extra reward. It’s more practical and would help him raise his Cultivation," said Junior Sister Yun.
They were both aware that Zhang Chi had been wronged, but they hadn’t paid it much attention before.
For one, the incident at the Inheritance Hall was difficult to investigate.
Compared to Zhang Chi, who had an outstanding Heart but few other notable strengths, the Xie Family and Song Family were clearly more important.
For another, Chen Bufan had already secured the Sword Control Technique for him.
As high-ranking members of the Sect, they were swamped with countless responsibilities and couldn’t possibly spare much time to worry about a mere Outer Disciple.
This time, however, Zhang Chi had re-entered their field of vision.
"Alright. Find an excuse to give him an extra thousand Contribution Points each year. If he reaches Foundation Establishment in the future, we will afford him greater importance. If he can’t even manage that, then we’ll forget about it," the Sect Leader said casually.
"Understood."
Junior Sister Yun nodded.
"Is there something else?"
The Sect Leader asked, seeing that Junior Sister Yun had yet to leave.
"Yes. This month at the Inheritance Hall, someone redeemed the Tier Two inheritances for Alchemy, Artifact Refining, and Talisman Making. They also redeemed the Tiers One and Two inheritances for Arrays and the Celestial Mechanism Inference Skill," Junior Sister Yun continued.
"How do you know it’s the same person?" the Sect Leader asked.
"Because that person bought multiple types of Tier Two Materials from the Treasure Pavilion in the Sect Marketplace, including the turtle shell required for the Turtle Shell Divination Skill," Junior Sister Yun replied with a smile.
"Interesting. Let’s hope they can achieve something with it, and not get themselves killed by the Inference Technique. Continue to monitor this. Find out who it is, but don’t alert them," the Sect Leader said, a hint of anticipation in his voice.
"Understood, Sect Leader. There’s one more thing. This month, twelve disciples registered their Foundation Establishment Cultivation, but fifteen people collected a Foundation Establishment Realm Cultivation Technique," Junior Sister Yun added.
"Isn’t that very normal?" the Sect Leader asked, puzzled.
It was an agreement among all the top Immortal Sects that a Cultivator must go to guard the Demon Abyss after reaching Foundation Establishment. The sects even monitored each other to ensure compliance.
However, every major Immortal Sect wanted to minimize casualties among their Foundation Establishment Cultivators.
Many Foundation Establishment Cultivators who had powerful backing, skill, and a fear of death would conceal their Foundation Establishment Cultivation, only revealing it once they had gained a certain level of strength.
This allowed them to postpone their deployment to the Demon Abyss, giving them more time to prepare.
The major Immortal Sects all turned a blind eye to this practice, and the Cangwu Sect was no exception.
This was why a situation existed where a Cultivator, after reaching Foundation Establishment, could have their Cultivation and Magical Power verified directly via a Restriction. This allowed them to receive their next Cultivation Technique without having to officially register.
On the surface, this was for convenience, and it might even seem like a loophole. In truth, it was a system the Sect had created intentionally.
The Sect Leader and Junior Sister Yun naturally understood this as well.
"That is normal, but one of them collected a Middle Grade Cultivation Technique called the Three-Turns Fierce Sun Technique. I suspect this person is likely an Outer Disciple," Junior Sister Yun explained.
"An Outer Disciple reaching Foundation Establishment? Don’t they know they can switch to an Upper Grade Cultivation Technique for free after their breakthrough? That’s impossible. An Outer Disciple would have to be at least several decades old to reach Foundation Establishment. After so many years, there’s no way he wouldn’t know about this Sect rule!" The Sect Leader’s eyes widened in realization, and he frowned slightly.
"Exactly. That’s why I suspect this disciple has been suppressed or has some other reason for not daring to reveal his Foundation Establishment Cultivation. After all, those cultivators from the great families are constantly targeting ordinary disciples. They’ve turned the Sect into a foul mess."
"Sect Leader, are you just going to ignore this? If this continues, it will undoubtedly harm the Sect’s future development! To say nothing of others, the very Zhang Chi we just discussed was clearly suppressed by clan cultivators!" Junior Sister Yun said indignantly after nodding.
"Do you think I don’t know that? In fact, every few hundred years, the Sect conducts a purge to intimidate these families, big and small. It’s about time for another one."
"But a massive Demon Tide is about to erupt from the Demon Abyss. At this critical juncture, we cannot have any internal turmoil. Otherwise, the Sect could be utterly destroyed in the coming tide."
"Similar things have happened in other regions of the Great Abyss before. What’s more, our Sect’s current Supreme Elder comes from an Immortal Cultivation Clan. Therefore, unless we have a Nascent Soul expert who is both powerful and has a clean background to suppress them with the speed of a Thunderbolt, the situation is hopeless!"
The Sect Leader sounded helpless.
"Then you should hurry up and cultivate, Sect Leader. Just become a Nascent Soul, and that will solve it," Junior Sister Yun said with a pout.
"It’s not that easy. Besides, even if I did reach the Nascent Soul Realm, my strength wouldn’t be enough to single-handedly turn the tide."
"Let’s drop it. A turning point is bound to appear in the future," the Sect Leader said, shaking his head.
"Fine. But what if this Outer Disciple who reached Foundation Establishment never reveals himself? Cultivating a Middle Grade Cultivation Technique will surely harm his future prospects," Junior Sister Yun said with a sigh of resignation.
"That’s easily solved. During the next Outer Sect assessment, I’ll have to trouble you to go and use the Celestial Eye Technique. He’s bound to be exposed then. It will only be a few years at most; he’ll have more than enough time to start over with a new technique!" the Sect Leader said with a small smile.
"Alright!"
Junior Sister Yun nodded. After a few more words, she took her leave.
’These Sect Disciples have no trust in the Sect whatsoever. Do they really think the Sect covets their little secrets? Or do they believe the Sect can’t protect a mere Foundation Establishment Cultivator?’
The Sect Leader mused to himself.
But he quickly shook his head in resignation. The power of the clans within the Sect was too great to suppress. Of course the disciples without backing had no confidence. It was no wonder they chose to hide their abilities.
Take, for instance, the Song Family that had suppressed Zhang Chi. The Golden Core in their family actually had connections to the Sect’s own Supreme Elder. For that reason, even the Sect Leader didn’t want to have a falling out with the Song Family over such a minor issue.
——
Zhang Chi spent his days in Cultivation in Seclusion, and the time flew by. In the blink of an eye, three months had passed. The Floating Airship, having picked up many other Cultivators along its route, finally arrived at the Demon Abyss.
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