Cultivation: Immunity to Negative Effects

Insider information revealed that the passage out of these Oasis Ruins was actually controlled by the Major Demon Beast Races.

The Silver Wolves, Golden Apes, and Black Bears were all among these Major Demon Beast Races.

In total, there were seven such clans on the Oasis, each occupying a Tier Four Spiritual Vein and, in some cases, other ruins.

The ruins occupied by the Black Bear Race were the most significant, as they were the former site of the Pill and Artifact Sect—the number one sect on the Oasis before it vanished.

However, after the Oasis fell into the void, the Spiritual Veins, no longer managed by Cultivators, underwent immense changes over the ages. The area with the most abundant Spiritual Qi was now known as Beast God Valley.

A powerful Demon Beast faction calling themselves the "Beast God Clan" resided there. They were the supreme power in the Oasis Ruins, far surpassing the seven major clans, including the Black Bears and Golden Apes.

It was said that within Beast King Valley, there was even a Divinity Transformation Level Demon Beast known as the Beast God.

However, the insider reports also claimed this Beast God was merely at the Peak of Tier Four, not at the Divinity Transformation Level at all.

After all, while the Oasis Ruins were vast, they were but a small place compared to the Endless Desert Sea. It was unlikely such a place could produce a Divinity Transformation Level existence.

And in truth, all this insider information came from Zhang Chi.

Over the years, Zhang Chi had gleaned information from the Demon Bear King and used a Corpse Puppet to relay it to Cai and Xiang, two Nascent Soul True Monarchs from Golden Wind Oasis.

Of course, Zhang Chi sent the messages anonymously. Thus, despite their curiosity, the two could only speculate. They soon concluded the information must be coming from a senior expert.

This expert, they figured, was the same one who had made a deal and signed a Spirit Contract with them years ago, but had never shown up afterward.

They believed this expert had clearly entered the ruins as well but possessed some Secret Technique to circumvent the Spirit Contract’s constraints, which was why he hadn’t joined them.

They were disappointed they couldn’t meet their benefactor, but they were still immensely grateful for the insider information.

Because they were the source of this insider information, their status among the other teams of Explorers skyrocketed, and they became highly valued.

Indeed, to defend against being surrounded and slaughtered by the Demon Beast factions, the Explorers had long since banded together into several large teams that maintained regular contact.

Only a few Explorers still operated as lone wolves.

Cai and Xiang were members of one such team.

Furthermore, more Explorers had entered the Secret Realm over the years, but their total numbers remained relatively low.

This was because, just as the Demon Bear King had said, the entrance was too remote and too small.

In reality, some of the Exploring Cultivators likely had ways to contact the outside world.

Zhang Chi, for instance, had his Divine Splitting Possession Technique; other Cultivators surely possessed similar methods, perhaps even an External Incarnation technique.

Even so, these Cultivators wouldn’t readily leak information about the ruins.

After all, if too many Cultivators came, there wouldn’t be enough treasures in the ruins to go around.

Zhang Chi currently shared this sentiment.

However, he planned to spread the news at the very end, and might even get the Desert Divine Palace to intervene.

This was because he was holding back one crucial piece of insider information: although the various Major Demon Beast Races controlled the exit, they did so jointly.

To open the passage, one needed the tokens from the leaders of the seven great clans, had to travel to Beast King Valley, and then obtain the Beast God’s permission.

This was obviously a difficult task. Even with the combined strength of himself and all the current Explorers, they would most likely fail.

But if some experts from the outside—or even a Palace Master from the Desert Divine Palace—were to arrive, it would be no problem at all.

A Divine Palace Master could easily wipe out all the Demon Beast factions and might even be able to forcibly connect the Oasis Ruins to the outside world.

It was just that in such a scenario, he and the first wave of Explorers might not even get the scraps.

「Thirty years passed.」

"Phew... It’s finally fully repaired!"

On this day, Zhang Chi gazed at the Array Flags and Array Base before him, letting out a long sigh of relief.

Over the course of forty years, he had run countless simulations in the Dream Space.

And now, in the real world, he had finally managed to repair the Mountain Protection Array, if only just barely.

Although the repaired Grand Array was only at the Tier Four Upper Grade, achieving even that was nothing short of a miracle.

Of course, the process had consumed a great deal of materials.

He had siphoned off an even greater amount of precious materials for himself, including some Star Divine Iron.

He now had enough Star Divine Iron to forge as many as forty-nine swords.

His true body wasn’t here, making it unsuitable for refining a Lifebound Magical Treasure. Thus, he hadn’t forged the Flying Swords. Instead, he had secretly transferred all the materials he’d acquired from the Demon Bear’s body to his Corpse Puppet long ago.

His only regret was that he still hadn’t obtained any more Tier Four Inheritances, nor had he collected the Tier Four Spiritual Objects required to nurture the Heaven-Reaching Tree Seed.

This was to be expected, however, as both were exceedingly rare.

The latter, in particular, was something that depended heavily on luck.

In addition to repairing the array, Zhang Chi had also succeeded in making some subtle modifications to the internal array within the Sect Leader’s Golden Seal.

Although it had taken immense effort, he had ultimately managed to complete the Refinement of the Sect Leader’s Golden Seal.

As a result, the Sect Array also fell under his control.

Even his proficiency as an Array Master had advanced by leaps and bounds through his years of dedicated study, surpassing his own Cultivation to reach the Tier Four Middle Grade.

Furthermore, after so many years, the Demon Bear King seemed to have placed considerable trust in him, having long since withdrawn his so-called "assistants."

Meanwhile, Corpse Puppet No. 1 and Flying Dragon No. 1 had also made significant gains, though they had encountered danger several times.

Fortunately, Zhang Chi had sent the Corpse Puppet off with more than enough Spirit Pills and Spirit Talismans.

Moreover, over the years, Zhang Chi had also used the Corpse Puppet to refine more Spirit Talismans and several sets of arrays.

The Spirit Talismans were all Tier Four Low Grade and were immensely effective.

The arrays, also at Tier Four, were even better tools for ambushing and killing Demon Beasts.

One in particular, a Tier Four Middle Grade Array called the Profound Light Dragon-locking Array, was an absolute death trap.

The Corpse Puppet and Flying Dragon No. 1 had even used this array to ambush and kill two Tier Four Middle Grade Demon Bears.

This forced the Demon Bears of the Black Bear Race into a state of constant anxiety; even Tier Four Middle Stage Demon Bears no longer dared to venture out alone.

By now, only eleven Demon Bears of that level remained, and that number included one imposter.

Meanwhile, the other Explorers had also made considerable gains, but they had suffered heavy casualties over the years as well.

Moreover, they hadn’t managed to take down a single one of the Major Demon Beast Races.

This prompted many Explorers to use special methods to summon reinforcements from the outside, further increasing the number of Cultivators coming to explore the ruins.

’I’ve lain low for so long... It’s time to make my move!’

Gazing at the Array Flags and Array Base, Zhang Chi quickly composed himself and sent a message to the Demon Bear King.

WHOOSH...

Soon, the Demon Bear King arrived on a demonic wind, accompanied by the other ten Tier Four Middle Stage Demon Bears.

"Is the array truly repaired?" the Demon Bear King asked impatiently. The other Demon Bears looked on, their faces filled with anticipation.

"Yes," Zhang Chi said with a nod. "But for now, it can only exert the Mighty Power of a Tier Four Low Grade array. Restoring it to its Tier Four Peak will be extremely difficult and require at least several hundred more years of work."

He was obviously lying about the array’s grade, but he was fully prepared; there was no way they would spot the deception.

"Tier Four Low Grade, you say? That’s more than enough!"

"Exactly! We already have other Tier Four Low Grade Arrays, but none of them can cover the entire sect entrance, much less connect to the earth’s spiritual veins. They can’t even compare to this Mountain Protection Array!"

The Demon Bears’ initial disappointment quickly turned to joy.

Lately, it wasn’t just the Corpse Puppet and Flying Dragon No. 1 watching them in the shadows; there were plenty of other Explorers as well.

These Explorers were like mosquitoes. They weren’t fatal, but they would buzz in for a bite at any moment, making them impossible to guard against and leaving the bears extremely agitated.

With a Mountain Protection Array, their predicament would be significantly eased.

"This is the Sect Leader’s Golden Seal," Zhang Chi then took out a Sect Leader’s Golden Seal and handed it to the Demon Bear King. "I’ve modified the array inside, so you can begin its Refinement whenever you’re ready."

"Excellent. You’ve done well. Name your reward."

The Demon Bear King accepted the Golden Seal, inspecting and refining it on the spot. He seemed quite satisfied.

The other Demon Bears immediately looked on with envy.

Only Zhang Chi felt a sudden chill run through him. Relying on the keen senses of his true body, he instantly perceived a wave of killing intent.

The killing intent was undoubtedly coming from the Demon Bear King.

’He’s a clever one,’ Zhang Chi thought. ’He’s worried I tampered with the array and the Golden Seal. He’s even more worried that he’ll be threatened, killed, and I’ll usurp his position as Bear King. Besides, even though I’ve been cautious all these years, he must have realized I’ve been skimming materials. Not that it matters whether he knows for sure. He doesn’t need evidence. Suspicion alone is enough for him to act. And so, it’s time to get rid of the hound now that the hunt is over. That way, he can also save himself a hefty reward.’

But the Demon Bear King hid his intentions well. The other Demon Bears didn’t notice, and the few who might have didn’t seem to care.

"I wish to study more books on arrays. It would be best if I could enter the Inheritance Hall and browse freely," Zhang Chi said, feigning excitement.

The Bear King seemed slightly taken aback. "This is an Inheritance Hall Token," he said, producing a Black Iron Token. "Go and see for yourself. Choose whatever you like. The inheritances of the Pill and Artifact Sect are all in there, but I don’t know if you’ll find what you’re looking for."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Zhang Chi said gratefully, accepting the Black Iron Token.

"It’s what you deserve. However, this reward alone is too meager. The other bears would certainly object. Therefore, I shall promote you to the rank of ’Bear One’."

"Furthermore, after you are finished in the Inheritance Hall, you are to come immediately to my residence for Cultivation in Seclusion. I will personally guide you and provide you with Spirit Pills, Blood Food, and access to a Spiritual Vein. This will be for a period of one hundred years."

"Heavens!"

"What an incredible reward!"

The other Demon Bears were overcome with envy upon hearing this. The original Bear One, in particular, was practically green-eyed.

But none of them voiced any objection.

After all, Zhang Chi’s contribution was immense; he deserved such a reward.

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Zhang Chi said again, feigning excitement but adding a hint of hesitation. "However, I may be a while. Perusing books on arrays is very time-consuming."

"Not a problem. Take your time," the Bear King said affably. "I will give you ten years. That should be sufficient, no?"

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Zhang Chi thanked him once more and proceeded to give a detailed explanation of the array. Afterward, the bears celebrated with drinks and revelry before finally dispersing.

As for Zhang Chi, he immediately made his way to the Inheritance Hall.