Cultivation: Immunity to Negative Effects

"Martial Uncle, we’d like to ask you to contact the Sect’s higher-ups and help us find Guanhai Mountain. Is that possible?"

"Here are some Spirit Stones we’ve pooled together to cover the costs. If it’s not enough, we’ll figure out a way to get more later."

It took a while for the four of them to calm down, but they hadn’t given up. They looked at Zhang Chi with a mixture of nervousness and anticipation, eager to at least try to find him.

"What’s his current Cultivation? Do you know his approximate location before the incident? If he was at the Golden Sun Sect’s headquarters, then there’s basically no hope." Zhang Chi didn’t agree right away, instead asking questions first.

He hadn’t paid any attention to the man over the years, and Qin Susu and the others had never specifically mentioned him.

Therefore, he knew very little about the man’s situation.

"Guanhai Mountain has the same Tenth Layer Qi Cultivation as I do. He was on duty at one of the Golden Sun Sect’s Marketplaces, so he shouldn’t have been at the sect headquarters when everything happened," Zhao Yi quickly explained.

He and the other man were both in Qi Cultivation, so they were in contact more often and he knew more about the situation.

"Then there’s a chance he’s still alive. Alright, I’ll take these Spirit Stones. I’ll have news for you in a few days."

"But don’t go spreading it around that I’m helping you. I don’t want others coming to me with their problems."

Zhang Chi nodded slightly, deciding on the spot to help his subordinates.

Besides, it was a simple favor for him. He was also moved that their friendship had remained unchanged for so many years, which was quite rare.

However, he didn’t plan on asking the Sect for help. There was no need to trouble the Sect over such a small matter.

He planned to perform a divination directly. Since the man’s Cultivation was low, divining his situation would be easy for him.

The Spirit Stones he accepted would cover the cost of a Tier Two Turtle Shell, making it an equal exchange.

"Thank you, Martial Uncle!"

"Rest assured, Martial Uncle, we won’t breathe a word of this to anyone."

Qin Susu and the others were overjoyed and thanked him profusely. That night, Qin Susu was especially enthusiastic.

She knew that Zhang Chi had likely agreed so readily on her account.

The next day, during a break in his Cultivation, Zhang Chi took out a Tier Two Turtle Shell and performed a divination for Guanhai Mountain.

Since Qin Susu and the others had provided a good deal of relevant information and the man’s Cultivation wasn’t high, Zhang Chi quickly obtained a precise result.

The man was indeed alive, and he was currently in Golden Crow Immortal City, on the border between the Cyan Cloud Sect and the Golden Sun Sect.

As for why he hadn’t contacted Qin Susu and the others, the reason was actually quite simple. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to, but that he didn’t have a High Tier Communication Talisman. So even if he tried to get in touch, a letter would take some time to arrive.

So, Zhang Chi immediately relayed this news to Qin Susu and the others.

However, Zhang Chi claimed the information came from the Sect’s investigation. In any case, Qin Susu and the others had no way of verifying the source of the news.

Of course, they wouldn’t suspect Zhang Chi. For one, he had no reason to deceive them. For another, if they did suspect him and he found out, the loss would certainly outweigh the gain.

"Thank you, Martial Uncle."

Upon hearing the news, Qin Susu and the others breathed a collective sigh of relief, feeling immense gratitude and admiration for Zhang Chi.

Without Zhang Chi, it would have been incredibly difficult for them to discover Guanhai Mountain’s whereabouts. Even if Guanhai Mountain had tried to contact them, they would have had to wait a long time.

And so, three months passed in a flash, with no major incidents occurring during that time.

But the situation between the Righteous and Demon factions had finally become clear.

Early one morning, the Sect Leader summoned the Golden Core higher-ups to the Cangwu Celestial Palace to announce a joint decision made by the major Immortal Sects.

It was only then that Zhang Chi and the others learned that over the past three months, Supreme Elders from the Ten Great Immortal Sects, led by Lu Daoyi, had gathered specifically to discuss this matter. They had even engaged in face-to-face negotiations and sparring matches with the Nascent Soul Cultivators from Yuan Bei.

In the end, the two sides established rules of engagement: the Righteous and Demon factions would officially go to war.

However, the fighting would be restricted to those below the Nascent Soul level. Nascent Soul Powerhouses were not to intervene directly without sufficient reason.

Cultivators below the Nascent Soul Realm, on the other hand, would have to rely on their own abilities to seize territory.

Furthermore, neither side was permitted to kill prisoners. Instead, all captives had to be sent to the defensive line on the Southern Demon Abyss.

Additionally, two-fifths of the Southern Demon Abyss region would be designated for the Demon Sect’s cultivators to manage.

Moreover, the original Ten Great Immortal Sects would dispatch a large number of cultivators to the border regions of the Cangwu Sect, Silver Moon Palace, and Star Sect to form a defensive line against the Demon Sect cultivators.

These three sects were precisely the ones bordering the Pill King Sect and the Golden Sun Sect.

The numerous surviving cultivators from the original Pill King Sect and Golden Sun Sect would become one of the main forces resisting the Demon Sect.

To motivate the cultivators on both sides, the Righteous and Demon factions would each erect a Battle Merit Stele and create a Battle Merit List.

Cultivators with high battle merit would receive all sorts of benefits.

At the same time, guarding the Demon Abyss could also earn battle merit. Even prisoners could regain their freedom if they accumulated enough merit.

Finally, the Demon Sect would no longer be called the Demon Sect. They were now recognized by the Ten Great Immortal Sects and would be referred to as the cultivators of Yuan Bei.

Of course, this was just the official designation.

Privately, the cultivators of Yuan South would surely continue to call them the Demon Sect; that wouldn’t change completely for at least several decades, or even a century.

’As expected, everyone below the Nascent Soul Realm is just a pawn. The Nascent Soul cultivators can sit down and negotiate, while the cultivators below them have to fight to the death!’

’Also, I’m afraid the higher-ups on both sides made this decision to weed out the excess cultivators and ensure there are enough resources to go around, right?’

’But this will indeed stabilize the situation to some extent and improve the overall Combat Power of the Great Abyss cultivators. In the future, if a problem arises in the north, these cultivators from Yuan South will be able to hold out for a few more years.’

Outside the Cangwu Celestial Palace, Zhang Chi, having just left the high-level meeting, couldn’t help but sigh inwardly as he reflected on the news.

At the same time, he also felt a sense of relief.

As long as the overall situation was settled, he could now focus on his Cultivation in peace for a while.

As for the war between the Righteous and Demon factions, he had no intention of participating directly. Even in the Golden Core Realm, he wasn’t invincible.

Besides, he didn’t want these conflicts to delay his Cultivation.

In any case, he was a Nascent Soul Seed, so the Sect wouldn’t force him to fight. Plus, he could still earn battle merit by accepting the Sect’s Alchemy tasks.

Combined with his various benefits, personal enterprises, and his many Immortal Cultivation skills, he was confident he could meet his Cultivation needs.

Even so, he still hadn’t given up his search for Top Grade Spirit Stones.

After all, no one knew when the Righteous and Demon factions might get serious and bring out the True Fire, prompting the Nascent Soul Elder Monsters to personally enter the fray again.

Moreover, Yuan Bei was a huge, hidden threat that could erupt at any moment.

On top of that, with all the Nascent Soul cultivators of the Great Abyss gathered in Yuan South, Tier Four materials and Spiritual Veins would inevitably be in short supply.

And since the Demon Sect also had its own Nascent Soul Seeds and Golden Core Peak Cultivators, Nascent Soul Materials in Yuan South would become even more contested.

The path to advancing to the Nascent Soul Realm would surely become congested. If he wanted to seek a breakthrough in the future, he would likely have to leave.

A few more days passed, and just as expected, the news was made public.

A massive, one-hundred-zhang-tall white stele was erected in the Sect’s main square, displaying various rankings and other information.

This was the Battle Merit Stele, and it was also a Magical Treasure, said to have been jointly forged by the Nascent Soul Powerhouses.

That day, many cultivators gathered in the main square to look at it, and Zhang Chi made a special trip to see it as well.

But upon seeing it, Zhang Chi couldn’t help but frown slightly.