Cultivation: Immunity to Negative Effects

"This..."

Everyone present was dumbfounded, forced to re-evaluate Zhang Chi’s Body Refining prowess.

Only the three Divine Palace Envoys and the City Lord were not particularly surprised.

They had seen before that Zhang Chi was clearly holding back when he fought the bald-headed brute.

But even so, they couldn’t help but nod in appreciation.

"The Shang Family won again?"

The Kou Family Cultivators, however, couldn’t help but feel rather dejected amidst their astonishment.

"He’s just an Honored Guest Elder, it’s not like the Shang Family members themselves are strong. In fact, the more powerful the Honored Guest Elder, the worse it is for the Shang Family!"

"Exactly! An Honored Guest Elder that strong is bound to usurp the host’s role!"

"Besides, the Feng Family expert was just careless this time. He didn’t even use a Magical Artifact. Otherwise, the outcome would have been completely different."

However, they quickly calmed down, their expressions once again becoming dismissive.

"Number one hundred twenty-eight is the winner."

At that moment, the referee announced the result of the match. The Shang Family and Zhang Chi had successfully advanced again, moving directly into the top thirty-two.

Zhang Chi calmly stepped off the stage, and the Shang Family members immediately surrounded him, showering him with thanks and compliments.

But what no one expected was that Zhang Chi would continue to crush all opposition in his path.

In the third, fourth, and fifth rounds, Zhang Chi faced opponents at the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage, Foundation Establishment Late Stage, and another at the Foundation Establishment Late Stage, respectively. Yet, in every match, Zhang Chi ended the fight with a single punch, allowing the Shang Family to successfully enter the top four.

All the Cultivators present now understood that Zhang Chi’s previous victories were not due to surprise tactics, but because his Combat Power was genuinely immense.

It was only in the sixth round, when faced with a Foundation Establishment Peak opponent, that Zhang Chi chose to forfeit directly.

This couldn’t help but make his opponent and all the Cultivators present let out an involuntary sigh of relief.

Of course, this was only because Zhang Chi didn’t want to be too high-profile. Otherwise, he could have continued to win until he took first place.

It was just unnecessary, as there were no extra rewards for getting first place.

Placing in the top four was enough for him to choose a Super-Micro Oasis that had a Tier Two Peak Spiritual Vein and was in a suitable location.

Even though Zhang Chi had voluntarily forfeited the subsequent matches, not a single Cultivator or Immortal Cultivation Influence present dared to look down on him.

Many Cultivators and influences even believed that Zhang Chi actually had the strength to compete for the top three.

After all, Zhang Chi had never gone all out from beginning to end, and each of his victories had been won with ease.

This directly led to no one choosing to challenge Zhang Chi during the final challenge round.

As a result, Zhang Chi and the Shang Family directly secured fourth place.

The Shang Family had no complaints whatsoever about Zhang Chi’s decision to start forfeiting in the sixth round.

In fact, they were extremely supportive.

This was because placing in the top four already put them under immense pressure.

After all, the top-ranked Foundation Establishment Level influences were all very strong, far beyond what a minor clan like the Shang Family could compare to.

After all the rankings were finalized, it was time to select a Spiritual Land and sign the Spirit Contract.

SWOOSH!

At that moment, the City Lord waved his hand, and a massive, water-blue screen of light immediately appeared in the sky.

On it was a list of one hundred Spiritual Lands with corresponding maps and detailed descriptions.

These Spiritual Lands were all Tier Two, and among them were some Super-Micro Oases.

The top one hundred Foundation Establishment Level influences had their representatives, the contestants from the tournament, choose directly on their behalf.

The first-place winner went first, and the hundredth-place winner went last.

Once a Spiritual Land was chosen, its name on the light screen would turn from white to black, and other Foundation Establishment Level influences could no longer select it.

Therefore, the higher the rank, the greater the advantage, as they had priority in choosing the best Tier Two Spiritual Lands.

After all, even among Tier Two Spiritual Lands, there were significant differences.

For example, regarding Spiritual Veins, a good Spiritual Land might have a Tier Two Peak Spiritual Vein, while a poor one might only have a Tier Two Low Grade Spiritual Vein.

Furthermore, the size and quality of Spirit Fields, Medicinal Gardens, and so on were all completely different.

The selection process was swift, as each Immortal Cultivation Influence had already done its homework in advance.

Soon, it was Zhang Chi’s turn, and he immediately chose the best Super-Micro Oasis available.

This Oasis was shaped like a half-moon, hence its name, Half Moon Oasis. Not only did it possess a Tier Two Peak Spiritual Vein, but its location was also quite good.

Additionally, the Oasis covered a large area and had over ten Tier One Peak Spiritual Veins, as well as numerous Spirit Fields, making it incredibly bountiful.

Given the current size of the Shang Family, they didn’t have nearly enough people to garrison this Oasis.

But this wasn’t a problem. After Zhang Chi became the new Master of the Oasis, he could simply have the Shang Family recruit a large number of Loose Cultivators and Qi Cultivation Clans to guard various locations within Half Moon Oasis.

In return, these Loose Cultivators and Qi Cultivation Clans would only need to pay Spirit Stones to Zhang Chi.

Furthermore, near Half Moon Oasis was another, smaller oasis called Qin Mountain Oasis. It had a Tier Three Peak Spiritual Vein and was excellent in other aspects, making it Zhang Chi’s very next target.

When the time came and Zhang Chi became the Master of the Oasis at Qin Mountain Oasis, Half Moon Oasis would fall under its jurisdiction. If the Shang Family didn’t want to move, they could simply continue to garrison Half Moon Oasis.

"Congratulations, Senior, on getting what you wished for!"

The Shang Family members all came forward to offer their congratulations.

They were extremely satisfied with Zhang Chi’s choice. After all, this was far better than Yanxia Mountain.

In fact, the Spiritual Lands chosen by the top three finishers couldn’t compare to Half Moon Oasis in many respects. The only advantage they had was that their lands were relatively farther from the edge of the Golden Wind Oasis, making them a bit safer.

And in the future, the Shang Family would have more Spiritual Veins and various resources, allowing them to cultivate many more Qi Cultivation Cultivators.

Even after a Cultivator reached Foundation Establishment, they could still manage to practice their Cultivation on a Tier One Peak Spiritual Vein, though the speed would be a little slower.

"Congratulations to us all, haha!"

Zhang Chi was also in a good mood.

Although this place was just a stepping stone, it was more secluded than Yanxia Mountain, and the superior Spiritual Vein would allow him to recover his Cultivation faster.

"Congratulations, Fellow Daoist Zhang, and congratulations to Patriarch Shang and everyone here."

"Yes, Fellow Daoist Zhang is brave and invincible, and Patriarch Shang is young and promising. With you two, the Shang Family is sure to have a boundless future."

"Fellow Daoist Zhang, Patriarch Shang, are you two free tonight? We, the top-ranking Immortal Cultivation influences, will be holding a celebratory banquet. If you are free, you must grace us with your presence!"

"That’s right, the Shang Family is now the fourth-ranked Foundation Establishment Level Immortal Cultivation Influence around Black Origin Immortal City..."

At this time, higher-ups from many Immortal Cultivation Clans and Sects came forward to congratulate them. Many Cultivators even presented gifts, acting with a familiarity as if they were old friends of the Shang Family.

Some of the top-ranking Immortal Cultivation influences had been worried that Zhang Chi and the Shang Family would choose a conventional top-tier Tier Two Spiritual Land. Seeing them choose an Oasis instead, they couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief and became even more enthusiastic toward them.

They all felt that this must be because the Shang Family and Zhang Chi knew how to conduct themselves. They figured they also knew the Shang Family didn’t have enough Cultivators, so they had deliberately yielded the best spot.

The Shang Family members were overwhelmed by the attention. After all, these top-tier Foundation Establishment Level influences were normally existences far beyond their reach.

They felt even more fortunate to be cooperating with Zhang Chi. Even Shang Deyi had gained more recognition and support from the clan’s upper echelon because of this.

However, faced with the invitation, none of them made an immediate decision. Instead, they all looked at Zhang Chi with anticipation.

"Thank you, everyone, but I must enter Cultivation in Seclusion, so I will not be attending the banquet. Please, have Patriarch Shang and the others join you."

Zhang Chi, however, was quite calm. He didn’t care much for these Foundation Establishment Level Immortal Cultivation influences, so he refused immediately.

However, he did not stop the Shang Family’s higher-ups from interacting with these influences.

"No wonder Fellow Daoist Zhang’s Body Refining prowess is so incredible!"

"Indeed! Fellow Daoist Zhang is truly a role model for our generation..."

Upon hearing his refusal, not only were the higher-ups of the various Foundation Establishment Level influences not angry, but they all showered Zhang Chi with praise.