Cultivation: Immunity to Negative Effects

This haul alone contained over 32,200 Middle Grade spirit stones and more than 300,000 Low Grade Spirit Stones.

There weren’t many other items like Magical Artifacts, Ores, and Spirit Medicines, but that was only relative. In total, they were worth at least 400,000 Low Grade Spirit Stones.

The loot was so substantial because those cultivators included more than just the Fake Core cultivator; their group was large. Though many had perished along the way, the survivors had collected their Storage Bags.

Over the past six months, Zhang Chi had learned from his Phantom Beetle surveillance that aside from the Fake Core leader, each of the other Demon Cultivators had spent at least a hundred thousand Spirit Stones for a spot on this smuggling trip.

Furthermore, the Demon Cultivators had also killed numerous Demons and Demon Beasts on their journey, obtaining many materials and Pseudo-Demon Pills.

This was far from the first time the Original Peak Master and the Fake Core Demon Cultivator had run this business, so they had amassed a considerable fortune—all of which now belonged to Zhang Chi.

Then there were the Fake Core Demon Cultivator’s Magical Treasures—two of them in total.

One was the golden Magical Treasure Flying Sword.

The other was a small, black Flying Boat.

This Magical Treasure Flying Boat was how they had managed to make the journey.

Since the Flying Boat was not an Offensive and Defensive Magical Treasure, and with his own formidable Divine Thought and considerable Cultivation, Zhang Chi successfully completed its Refinement. He immediately learned that the Low Grade Magical Treasure was named the Hidden Demon Boat.

The Flying Boat had a limited capacity, but it could conceal itself, a feature that was particularly effective for hiding within Demonic Qi.

That was how those Demon Cultivators had managed to cross the Demon Abyss and arrive here alive.

And that was indeed the case.

The Fake Core Demon Cultivator had used this Flying Boat to act as a middleman. Even his Magical Treasure Flying Sword and those Tier Three Spirit Talismans were bought with the Spirit Stones he earned from his smuggling business.

Before this, despite being a Fake Core Cultivator, he had only used a Top Grade Magical Artifact Flying Sword.

Next were the Tier Three Low Grade Spiritual Talismans. The Fake Core Demon Cultivator had used up many of them, but three still remained.

A Fire Dragon Talisman, an Ice Needle Talisman, and a Vajra Talisman.

Then there were the Fake Core Cultivator’s Golden Core and Divine Soul, both of which were also extremely valuable.

The latter’s value was comparable to the Giant Scorpion Demon Soul, and it was an incredible tonic for Low Tier Demon Souls.

The former had uses far exceeding a Demon Pill of the Same Tier. It could be used for Artifact Refining and Pill Refining, and could even be swallowed and refined directly.

However, this method was far too dangerous; only the most reckless Demon Cultivators would attempt it.

Zhang Chi’s Artifact Refining and Pill Refining skills had not yet reached Tier Three, so he couldn’t utilize the Golden Core himself. However, he could sell it, or use it to enhance his Spirit Beasts and Corpse Puppet.

After his six Spirit Snakes reached the Tier Two Late Stage, their rate of advancement had slowed considerably.

For one, they simply hadn’t had enough time to mature.

For another, their potential had been largely exhausted, and the effects of the Demon Snake Spine were diminishing.

After all, the Demon Snake Spine itself was only Tier Three. The Demonized Spring Water it produced was naturally less effective on High Tier Demon Beasts than it was on Low Tier ones.

Finally, there was the Fake Core Demon Cultivator’s corpse, which could be used to extract a Blood Spirit Pill or be refined into a Corpse Puppet.

But Zhang Chi already had Corpse Puppet No. 1. Although its Realm was lower than the Fake Core Demon Cultivator’s, its physical body was stronger, so he couldn’t be bothered to replace it.

Otherwise, raising a new one from scratch would only be more expensive.

The Blood Spirit Pill extracted from the Fake Core Demon Cultivator’s corpse was also of mediocre effect, roughly equivalent to one from a Foundation Establishment Peak Cultivator.

After all, a Fake Core Cultivator’s Cultivation was concentrated in the Golden Core, leaving little behind in the body.

HISS!

Afterward, Zhang Chi put away his spoils and released his Spirit Snakes, which immediately began to hiss in eager anticipation.

Then, Zhang Chi divided the Golden Core and the numerous Blood Spirit Pills into six portions and fed them to the snakes on the spot.

After devouring these powerful tonics, the six Spirit Snakes soon fell into a deep slumber.

Zhang Chi was overjoyed. He knew at once that his Spirit Snakes were finally about to advance again.

Once they awoke, they would surely all be at the Tier Two Peak.

When that time came, if they joined forces with him, his Corpse Puppet, his other Puppets, and his Demon Soul, they would have a good chance of defeating a Fake Core Cultivator even without relying on an Array.

After that, Zhang Chi fed the cultivator Divine Souls he had just obtained directly to his Demon Soul, causing its overall strength to increase noticeably.

The cultivator Divine Souls still possessed a trace of consciousness, letting out silent screams as they were torn to shreds.

The Fake Core Demon Cultivator and the Original Peak Master, in particular, were filled with immense regret, but it was a completely futile struggle.

After taking care of these matters, Zhang Chi immediately made a trip to Shifang Immortal City. He sold off all the spoils he didn’t need to the Ten Thousand Treasures Tower, netting over five thousand Middle Grade spirit stones in total.

On his way back, he stopped by Demon Suppression Peak and sold the Low Grade Magical Treasure Flying Sword to Chen Bufan.

Chen Bufan paid three thousand Middle Grade spirit stones for it. He was delighted with his purchase and expressed his deep gratitude to Zhang Chi.

Of course, Chen Bufan shouldn’t have been able to use the Magical Treasure yet, but since he wanted it, Zhang Chi wasn’t going to stop him.

Perhaps the man had some extraordinary talent, or maybe a Secret Technique that allowed him to wield the Flying Sword.

As for the Magical Treasure Flying Boat, however, Zhang Chi neither sold it nor told anyone about it. He kept it, intending to use it for his own smuggling business.

His trip to Shifang Immortal City had two purposes: one was to sell his goods, and the other was to contact Lan Xuan to discuss the feasibility of this smuggling business.

That’s right. Although he didn’t have a middleman, he had Lan Xuan. He could run the business just the same, and with no intermediary taking a cut.

This was precisely why he had killed the Fake Core Demon Cultivator without a moment’s hesitation.

Of course, it was also because the man had witnessed many of his hidden techniques; killing him was simply the safer option.

Upon returning to Divine Needle Peak, Zhang Chi fully activated the array. He then entered the secret passage at the mountain’s base and stopped before the Stone Gate, where he took out the Black Coffin.

He then poured all the Spirit Stones he had just obtained, along with those he had accumulated recently, into the Black Coffin.

He was going to upgrade Corpse Puppet No. 1 and have it quickly ascend to a Tier Three existence.

Of course, he could only afford this because he wouldn’t be lacking Cultivation Materials for a long time to come.

Besides, upgrading the Eye of the Spirit Spring would be of limited help, as his own absorption capacity had a ceiling.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t be so extravagant.

Moreover, the smuggling business would certainly require a powerful escort, and Corpse Puppet No. 1 was undoubtedly the perfect tool for the job.

CRACK! CRACK!

Countless Spirit Stones shattered as a brilliant light flowed from the Black Coffin, surging into the body of Corpse Puppet No. 1.

ROAR!

Corpse Puppet No. 1 let out a roar of both pain and excitement as its aura climbed steadily higher.

At a certain moment, its aura finally broke through a limit, undergoing a fundamental transformation and reaching the Tier Three Early Stage.

WHOOSH!

At the same time, the puppet devoured a massive amount of dark, glowing Spiritual Qi, and a powerful pressure filled the entire passage.

Fortunately, Zhang Chi had studied the passage long ago and knew the runes on its walls could conceal auras, which was precisely why he had chosen this spot.

Otherwise, a celestial phenomenon would have instantly manifested, one that even the Divine Needle Peak’s Mountain Protection Array could not have concealed.

Moreover, the area directly above this location was outside the Azure Dragon Ridge defensive line, right on the true edge of the Demon Abyss.

Therefore, even if there was some commotion, it wouldn’t be noticed by the cultivators.

At most, they would assume a powerful Demon or Demon Beast was breaking through and wouldn’t risk coming over to investigate.

Nevertheless, the powerful pressure still seeped through the barrier of the Stone Gate, causing the nearby Demons and Demon Beasts in the Demon Abyss to scatter and flee.

Clearly, most of the nearby Demons and Demon Beasts had yet to reach the Tier Three level.

On the fringes of the Demon Abyss, a Tier Three existence could easily become a local overlord. Otherwise, the defenses at Azure Dragon Ridge would have fallen long ago.