Cultivation: Immunity to Negative Effects

Ten more years passed in a flash. Zhang Chi spent his days practicing his swordsmanship and Body Refining... It was a busy yet fulfilling routine.

During this time, some fellow Golden Core Cultivators invited him to go on explorations and treasure hunts, but he rejected them all outright.

However, if they returned safely and had something to show for it, he would always ask if they had any materials he needed for sale.

Then one day, a Communication Golden Light suddenly flew down and landed in the array outside his cave abode.

Upon noticing it, Zhang Chi waved his hand. The array opened a path, and the Communication Golden Light immediately flew in. He then tapped it with his finger, and Mo Xue’s voice emerged.

It turned out she had finally succeeded in Core Formation, and she had been just a hair’s breadth away from a Four Patterns Golden Core.

Even though she hadn’t quite made it, she was still considered outstanding among the True Inheritors of the Profound Sun Sect.

After all, in a small oasis like Xuan Yang Oasis, cultivators with a Four Patterns Golden Core were few and far between; a Three Patterns Golden Core was already considered excellent.

This time, she had sent the message precisely to share the good news and to invite him to her Core Formation celebration.

’A Three Patterns Golden Core really is something else. No wonder she’s always been a bit proud. Now, she just sends a message to share good news and extend an invitation, without even coming in person!’

’And these Core Formation celebrations are usually held six months to a year after the fact, so she must have broken through a while ago. It seems she thinks her wings have hardened!’

Zhang Chi couldn’t help but shake his head after listening.

Although she had said in the message that she was too busy to get away and thus couldn’t invite him in person, asking for his understanding, these were clearly just empty pleasantries.

However, Zhang Chi wasn’t angry.

After all, his relationship with the Mo Family was purely one of cooperation.

He could understand this kind of youthful arrogance.

But since she was being so impolite, he wasn’t about to indulge her. He simply set the matter aside, not even sending a return message of congratulations, let alone attending the celebration or preparing a gift.

She, in turn, sent no further messages, nor did she come to invite him in person. In the days that followed, she never visited.

Even when Beast Tides occasionally broke out, she didn’t come to him for help, choosing instead to handle them herself or seek assistance from her fellow sect members.

However, she always had her servants deliver the oasis’s profits and ledgers to Zhang Chi’s cave abode on time, down to the last coin, just as stipulated in the original Spirit Contract.

Zhang Chi was perfectly happy with this arrangement.

And so, another ten years quickly passed.

One night, with a bright moon hanging high in the sky, Flying Dragon No.1 finally opened its eyes inside Zhang Chi’s cave abode. A fierce, wild, and ancient aura burst forth from its body.

Vast amounts of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi surged madly toward it, and it devoured it all in a single gulp. Its Realm remained unchanged, but its body transformed once more, gaining a faint resemblance to the Black Sand Profound Snake.

CRACK. CRACK!

Most notably, a single black horn sprouted from the top of its head at a speed visible to the naked eye.

This single horn was a full half-zhang long, gleaming with a cold light. It looked as if it were forged from High Tier Golden Iron, and a single glance revealed it to be incomparably hard and sharp.

"Not bad!"

Seeing this, Zhang Chi couldn’t help but feel quite gratified.

After slumbering for twenty years, the Spirit Beast had finally awakened. It was clear at a glance that its fusion with the Black Sand Profound Snake bloodline had been a success.

As its master, Zhang Chi immediately sensed the joy and gratitude emanating from the Spirit Beast.

Then, Flying Dragon No.1 flapped its wings and flew toward Zhang Chi, rapidly shrinking in mid-air until it was palm-sized. It then pounced into his arms like a pet.

Subsequently, Zhang Chi received a mental message from Flying Dragon No.1 and immediately understood what was going on.

It turned out this was one of the Talent Skills Flying Dragon No.1 had mastered after its bloodline enhancement: As You Wish.

It could now grow larger or smaller at will.

When it grew larger, its strength and defense would increase. When it shrank, it would become comparatively faster and more agile.

Furthermore, this size-shifting wasn’t merely a physical transformation; it also enhanced Flying Dragon No.1’s devouring ability.

Furthermore, after this metamorphosis, Flying Dragon No.1 had gained several other talent abilities.

First was Wind and Sand Manipulator, which made it stronger in the desert.

Second, Flying Dragon No.1 could display its full strength even in places devoid of Spiritual Qi.

Third, its horn could emit a black ray of light capable of slicing through any target.

Whether it could successfully slice through something depended on the difference in strength between it and the target.

With a surprise attack, it would have no problem instantly killing an ordinary opponent of the Same Tier.

However, this move had a limitation. Each time it was used, the energy within the horn would be completely depleted, requiring a significant recovery period before it could be used again.

Finally, its horn could emit an invisible wave to detect all living presences in the vicinity.

The effect was similar to a Cultivator’s Divine Thought, only more sensitive and with a greater range.

These new innate abilities were all undoubtedly similar to those of the Black Sand Profound Snake.

In addition, Flying Dragon No.1’s original abilities—such as its sharp claws and fangs, potent venom, and flight—were also greatly enhanced.

After all, the Black Sand Profound Snake wasn’t just known for its innate abilities; it was formidable in other aspects as well.

This bloodline enhancement was undoubtedly a comprehensive one, and its impact on Flying Dragon No.1 was unprecedented.

Zhang Chi wasn’t particularly surprised to learn of these changes, but he was still overjoyed.

He immediately sparred with Flying Dragon No.1 and found that its Combat Power had indeed grown much stronger. It could even hold its own against him now.

Of course, that was only because he wasn’t going all out or using his various techniques.

But even so, this was still remarkable.

After all, he now possessed a Six Patterns Golden Core, and his Body Refining Cultivation was also extremely high.

Zhang Chi also tested the power of Flying Dragon No.1’s horn and found its hardness and sharpness to be comparable to Middle Grade Magical Treasure blades.

The black light emitted by the horn could even easily slice through a Low Grade Magical Treasure Shield.

Zhang Chi then summoned his Corpse Puppet to spar with Flying Dragon No.1, and the puppet was completely overwhelmed.

Luckily, the Corpse Puppet was infused with Celestial Corpse Evil and possessed powerful regenerative abilities, or it would have been torn to shreds in minutes.

Zhang Chi became even more satisfied at this sight.

At the same time, Zhang Chi knew that while the Corpse Puppet was strong compared to ordinary cultivators, it was already starting to fall behind, being only slightly more powerful than a Three Patterns Golden Core Cultivator.

Fortunately, once he returned to the Great Abyss in the future, obtained the other Black Coffin, and had Corpse Puppet No.1 defeat and devour the Primordial Qi of the other Celestial Corpses, the Corpse Puppet would surely be able to catch up to the Spirit Beast.

Next, Zhang Chi inspected the Spirit Beast’s horn and discovered that while it was similar to that of a Black Sand Profound Snake, it did not produce Profound Snake Spirit Marrow.

This left Zhang Chi a bit disappointed, but he also breathed a sigh of relief.

It was better this way. At least it wouldn’t be coveted because of it.

Otherwise, if word ever got out, he feared that even Major Immortal Cultivation Influences like the Hundred Flowers Palace would make a move. In that case, no matter how strong the Spirit Beast was, it would be doomed.

Even he would have a difficult time protecting the Spirit Beast and might even be implicated himself.

Simply having a single horn wouldn’t make anyone think of the Black Sand Profound Snake, as many Demon Beasts possessed them.

After this affair with the Spirit Beast, life returned to its peaceful routine, and soon another ten years had passed.

Zhang Chi was now two hundred and ten years old. One morning, just as he had predicted, his Cultivation reached the Golden Core Limit.

At this point, he could advance no further. However, with a Nascent Soul Pill, he could attempt to break through to the Nascent Soul Realm at any time.

Furthermore, both Flying Dragon No.1’s and Zhang Chi’s own Body Refining Cultivation had long since reached the limit of Tier Three.

Of course, this was largely thanks to the Black Sand Profound Snake’s Demon Pill and Essence Blood.

There had been two Demon Pills; Zhang Chi had gradually processed one and fed it entirely to Flying Dragon No.1. The resulting improvement in the beast was astonishingly rapid.

The Essence Blood from the two Black Sand Profound Snakes was not only abundant in quantity but also had a tremendous effect on Body Refining.

However, it had no special efficacy for breaking through to the next Body Refining Great Realm; otherwise, Zhang Chi would have already become a Tier Four Body Cultivator.

’Alright, it’s time to leave!’

Thus, without any delay, Zhang Chi dismantled the array and sent a message to Mo Xue.

"Senior, you’re leaving?"

This time, Mo Xue rushed over in person. It was the first time she and Zhang Chi had met since her Core Formation.

Compared to years ago, she was older, yet she hadn’t aged a day. In fact, she looked even more radiant and captivating.

Here in Zhang Chi’s cave abode, she looked at him with an expression of pure astonishment.

"That’s right. I’m leaving Bailu Oasis, and likely Xuan Yang Oasis as well, to seek opportunities for Nascent Soul Formation. Barring any accidents, I probably won’t be coming back."

Zhang Chi simply nodded.

To break through to the Nascent Soul Realm, it was best to have a Tier Four Spiritual Vein, as it would offer a higher chance of success. Although Zhang Chi was confident he could succeed even with a Tier Three Peak Spiritual Vein, a Tier Four one was a much safer bet.

Furthermore, a Tier Four Spiritual Vein would also result in a stronger Nascent Soul.

More importantly, Zhang Chi’s future Cultivation would require a Tier Four Spiritual Vein anyway, so it was best to secure one now if possible.

As for this place, he undoubtedly had no reason to stay any longer.

"Senior, are you sure? Opportunities for Nascent Soul Formation are hard to come by. And if you leave, to find another Spiritual Vein you’ll have to wait for the next Spiritual Vein tournament or go to another oasis!" Mo Xue asked again, realization dawning on her face.

"I’m sure," Zhang Chi replied with a slight nod.

"Alright then. I’ll compensate you immediately as stipulated in our Spirit Contract. However, Senior, you could also choose not to accept the compensation. That way, if you fail to find an opportunity for Nascent Soul Formation, you can still come back."

"You could still be an Honored Guest Elder for our Mo Family, you just wouldn’t have exclusive use of the Spiritual Vein. If you’re not interested in that, I could even recommend you join our Profound Sun Sect," Mo Xue added expectantly.

She believed that Zhang Chi was bound to fail in his search for an opportunity. Even if he got lucky, he might find one or two Spiritual Objects at most; finding a Nascent Soul Pill was highly unlikely.

After all, those were resources tightly controlled by the Major Immortal Cultivation Influences. Even with his modest wealth, Zhang Chi had no hope of acquiring one.

Therefore, Zhang Chi’s best choice should have been to leave only temporarily.

But Zhang Chi had clearly stated he was leaving for good, which meant terminating his partnership with the Mo Family.

This, however, was exactly what Mo Xue wanted, so she made no attempt to dissuade him.

After all, once Zhang Chi left, she and her family could share the Spiritual Vein. If they couldn’t use all of it, they could even rent it out.

With her sect as a backer and being a Golden Core Cultivator herself, she wasn’t worried about anyone trying to seize the Spiritual Land.

Therefore, her main concern at this moment was whether she could avoid paying the large compensation fee.

And she felt there was a high probability she could.

For one, she was now an Elder of the Profound Sun Sect, so he ought to show her some respect.

For another, he really did need a fallback plan.

"That won’t be necessary," Zhang Chi said, taken aback for a moment before shaking his head. "If I intended to leave myself an out, I wouldn’t have called you here. Let’s just proceed as stipulated in the Spirit Contract."

He had to admit, she was really overthinking things, but he couldn’t be bothered to explain anything to her.