Chapter 106: Chapter 106: Azure Dragon Ridge and the Lower Sect Cultivators
"So this is the Demon Abyss? It’s huge!"
That morning, countless Cultivators gathered on the deck of the Floating Airship, gazing at the Demon Abyss ahead in awe.
Zhang Chi was also in the crowd, feeling just as shaken.
Before them lay a massive, bottomless chasm with no end in sight.
Black Demonic Qi constantly billowed from the chasm, merging with the dark clouds in the sky and blotting out the sun.
As a result, the area around the Demon Abyss was shrouded in gloomy weather year-round.
All sorts of strange and terrifying cries echoed from within the Demon Abyss, blending into a cacophony that made it impossible to pinpoint any specific source.
For a Qi Cultivation Cultivator, just listening to this noise all day in such a somber environment could easily lead to irritability, or even Qi deviation.
Zhang Chi, however, was at the Foundation Establishment stage with powerful Divine Thought and the protection of his Jade Pendant, so he certainly wouldn’t be affected.
The closer the Floating Airship got, the more everyone felt the immensity of the Demon Abyss and their own insignificance.
Even the Floating Airship, a colossus in its own right, seemed like a mere speck of dust before the Demon Abyss.
At the same time, the Cultivators couldn’t help but feel a mixture of conflicting emotions: immense fear and profound pride.
Fear, because the Demon Abyss was so vast and terrifying.
Pride, because a Demon Abyss like this had been guarded by Cultivators for so long that very few Demonized Beasts or wisps of Demonic Qi could ever break through the blockade to affect the vast lands of Yuan South.
As for Demons, not a single one had ever slipped through.
Countless mortals lived their entire lives without ever knowing the Demon Abyss existed.
Several more days passed. The Floating Airship finally reached the true edge of the Demon Abyss, pausing over various strongholds to drop off the groups of Cultivators who had paid their own way to hitch a ride.
Finally, Zhang Chi and the others also reached their destination. The Floating Airship would linger for a short while, waiting to pick up the large batch of Cultivators rotating out before returning to the Cangwu Sect.
——
"We’re finally here."
At that moment, Zhang Chi flew off the Floating Airship with the others, a smile of relief spreading across his face.
The accommodations on the Flying Boat were decent, but the space was ultimately limited, and the Spiritual Qi was far inferior to having a Tier Two Spiritual Vein all to himself.
Furthermore, it had been inconvenient for him to release his Four-legged Spirit Snake and the Eye of the Spirit Spring, and he hadn’t even used Evil Qi for Body Refining.
Now that he had arrived, things would be completely different.
This destination was called Azure Dragon Ridge, a rolling mountain range running east to west that resembled a long dragon.
It was also one of the strongholds under the Cangwu Sect’s responsibility.
Because Azure Dragon Ridge ran parallel to the Demon Abyss, it served as a ready-made natural barrier.
Along the treacherous ridges of Azure Dragon Ridge stood a tall, winding city wall, with massive watchtowers capable of housing Cultivators at regular intervals.
The northern side of Azure Dragon Ridge was close to the Demon Abyss, with only a buffer of about a hundred li. It was desolate and saturated with dense Demonic Qi, and Demonized Beasts or even powerful Demons could appear at any moment.
It was especially dangerous at night.
On the southern side of Azure Dragon Ridge were some caves, all of which were cave abodes carved out by senior Cultivators.
In the central part of the southern ridge, there was also a city named Azure Dragon City.
The city, walls, watchtowers, and caves housed not only Cangwu Sect Cultivators but also countless conscripted Loose Cultivators and cultivators from various major and minor factions.
Additionally, there were also some mines, Medicinal Gardens, and the like on the southern side of Azure Dragon Ridge. Zhang Chi’s plan was to enter one of them.
Before their arrival, Chen Bufan and the others had already made arrangements. So, as soon as they disembarked from the Floating Airship, everyone went their separate ways to report in, led by Foundation Establishment Cultivators.
Zhang Chi, however, was left to his own devices. The Sect’s arrangement for him was to take Fu Hongchang’s letter of introduction and his Disciple Token and head directly to places like the Medicinal Garden or the Pill Hall.
That’s right, Azure Dragon Ridge also had a Sect Pill Hall, located right inside Azure Dragon City.
Azure Dragon City was even overseen by a Golden Core Elder, making it extremely safe unless Azure Dragon Ridge itself fell.
Furthermore, the city was protected by a Grand Array that blocked out Demonic Qi to a certain extent, and beneath it lay a Tier Three Spiritual Vein.
However, there were far too many Cultivators there. The best spots were all occupied by that Golden Core Powerhouse and the Foundation Establishment Cultivators. Cultivating there definitely couldn’t compare to having a Tier Two Spiritual Vein to himself.
With the Cultivation level Zhang Chi was displaying, any cave abode assigned to him there would certainly only be at the Qi Cultivation Level.
Besides, Zhang Chi had no desire to be a mere workhorse in the Pill Hall.
Therefore, Zhang Chi had no intention of staying in the city.
But he knew very little about the Medicinal Gardens, mines, and other sites outside the city, and for a moment he didn’t know which to choose.
After all, the Cangwu Sect had many strongholds, and the one Fu Hongchang had come to back in the day wasn’t Azure Dragon Ridge.
"Zhang Chi, take this. You can look for me if you need something in the future, but don’t you dare bother me if it’s nothing important."
Just as Zhang Chi was about to enter the city to ask around, Chen Ling’Er coldly tossed a white Jade Scroll over to him.
Clearly, she hadn’t forgotten her promise to Qin Susu and the others.
"Thanks. You can come find me in the future if you need anything, too."
Zhang Chi raised his hand and caught the Jade Scroll. After probing it with his Divine Thought, his eyes lit up.
He then called out to the distant Chen Ling’Er.
However, Chen Ling’Er acted as if she hadn’t heard, leaving on her sword without so much as a glance back.
Zhang Chi didn’t mind.
The Jade Scroll she had given him contained a detailed introduction to Azure Dragon Ridge.
It even included the name and preferences of the Golden Core Elder, as well as specific details about the Foundation Establishment Cultivators.
Moreover, it also had relatively detailed descriptions of the Medicinal Gardens, mines, and other such places.
Evidently, all this information came from the Chen Family.
As an Immortal Cultivation Clan, it wasn’t surprising that the Chen Family could obtain such detailed intelligence in advance.
’Not bad! Looks like Qin Susu and the others must have asked Chen Ling’Er for help. It wasn’t a waste for me to leave those Spirit Talismans for them after all.’
Zhang Chi was pleasantly surprised by this.
While on the ship, he had cultivated his Turtle Shell Divination Skill to Tier Two Low Grade and performed a specific divination.
The result had been auspicious, and it seemed to be true.
Of course, divination results could change over time; they weren’t a once-and-for-all solution.
But this Jade Scroll would undoubtedly save him a great deal of time.
After studying the Jade Scroll for a while longer, Zhang Chi immediately chose his target and flew over on his Golden Bamboo Leaf Flying Sword.
It was a Tier Two Medicinal Garden, located in a relatively remote but also well-hidden valley.
Moreover, several mountain peaks separated it from the Demon Abyss, making it relatively safe.
More importantly, it had a contaminated Tier Two Middle Grade Spiritual Vein. Also, the Foundation Establishment Early Stage Cultivator in charge of guarding the Medicinal Garden was an old man nearing the end of his Lifespan.
The man spent most of his time in Azure Dragon City, just waiting to die and enjoying his final days, and never came to the Medicinal Garden unless there was a problem.
There were also relatively few Qi Cultivation Cultivators in this Medicinal Garden, and most of them had low Cultivation levels and skills. Few could compete with him.
With Fu Hongchang’s letter, Zhang Chi would be the second-in-command as soon as he arrived. With a little maneuvering, he’d have a chance to take over the Tier Two Middle Grade Spiritual Vein for himself.
Flying all the way, Zhang Chi soon arrived outside the Medicinal Garden. Before he even got close, he could see waves of a black, misty Array.
He took out his Disciple Token to pass through the mist and immediately saw a Medicinal Garden enveloped by a translucent black Array Light Curtain. The garden occupied the entire valley, but not many Medicinal Materials were planted inside, and most of them were Tier Two.
"You’re a senior brother from the Upper Sect, here to see the guardian, Junior Martial Uncle Hong? Alright, please wait a moment while we inform him. We can’t guarantee he’ll come, though."
When he reached the entrance to the Medicinal Garden, some disciples looked at Zhang Chi with surprise and stopped him outside, though their attitude wasn’t unusual.
Zhang Chi noticed that these disciples all had pale skin and facial features that were slightly different from ordinary people.
Or rather, they were different from most people in Yuan South.
Zhang Chi wasn’t surprised, however, because these people were natives from the Demon Abyss region.
The immediate vicinity of the Demon Abyss wasn’t suitable for human life, but there were human settlements in areas farther away.
The Sect also recruited disciples from these places, but unless they were exceptionally talented, they would not be qualified to go to the Sect Headquarters.
Most of them spent their entire lives here at the Demon Abyss, cultivating while also guarding it.
Therefore, they were also a vital part of the Sect’s forces at the Demon Abyss.
The ones before him were clearly disciples the Sect had recruited locally.
"Then I’ll have to trouble you all. By the way, here are some Elixirs as a small greeting gift."
Zhang Chi nodded slightly and immediately took out some Tier One Low Grade Spirit-Storage Pills to distribute among his fellow disciples.
"Thank you, Senior Brother."
His fellow disciples were delighted. They thanked him immediately and became much more enthusiastic.
Of course, the eyes of a few disciples flickered. They seemed to view Zhang Chi as a fat sheep, and were brewing some ill intentions.
But Zhang Chi paid them no mind.
He was actually hoping someone would provoke him so he could establish his dominance.
Only by using both carrot and stick could he take control of this Medicinal Garden.
In fact, he had given them the gifts precisely to draw such people out.
"Senior Brother, Junior Martial Uncle Hong probably won’t be here for a while. Since we’re just standing around, why don’t you let us witness the true strength of an Upper Sect disciple?"
"Yeah, we’ve hardly ever met any disciples from the Upper Sect!"
Just as he’d expected, someone couldn’t resist stepping forward, and the other disciples chimed in with agreement.
This Medicinal Garden was an important location, so it was impossible for them to recruit Loose Cultivators or the like to work here.
The Sect also rarely sent artisans or Cultivators below the Qi Cultivation Late Stage, so everyone here was a local disciple.
These locally recruited Sect disciples were known as Lower Sect Cultivators, while someone like Zhang Chi who came from the Sect proper was called an Upper Sect Cultivator.
"Alright. How do you want to witness it?" Zhang Chi revealed a set of pearly white teeth and smiled faintly.
"Simple. Let’s have a spar. I’m the strongest of all the Lower Sect disciples here, and like you, Senior Brother, I have a Qi Cultivation Sixth Layer cultivation. It’s the perfect way to see who’s better."
"But a straight fight is no fun, so we need some stakes. If you lose, Senior Brother, you give us one hundred Spirit Stones or Spirit-Storage Pills. If I lose, then from now on, we’ll all listen to you. How about it?"
The first Lower Sect disciple to step forward was tall and brawny with bulging muscles, looking to be only in his early twenties. He responded in a loud voice.
The other disciples all chimed in again in agreement.
Clearly, witnessing the strength of an Upper Sect disciple was just an excuse; their real goal was to take the opportunity to get some Elixirs.
Moreover, if they won, it would also serve to put Zhang Chi in his place, ensuring there would be no shortage of benefits for them in the future.
"Fine," Zhang Chi said readily. "But if you lose, no crying, no snitching, and no regrets."
He had to admit, their ploy was simple and crude, but it was effective and perfectly matched the "might makes right" style of the Demon Abyss region.
And he quite liked it.
He seemed to be at a disadvantage in this bet, but since he couldn’t lose, it didn’t matter.
"You’re the one who said it! Everyone here is a witness."
The Lower Sect disciples were overjoyed, clearly very confident in the one who had stepped forward.
"Enough nonsense. Let’s get this started!" Zhang Chi said impatiently.
As a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, his patience was naturally limited when it came to playing house with a group of low-Tier disciples.
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