Cultivation: Immunity to Negative Effects

"Seniors, you don’t have to say another word. We understand. We were just about to disembark!"

"Exactly! Thank you, Seniors, for bringing us here. We wish you all a bountiful harvest and hope you find a great opportunity."

"Seniors, fellow disciples, take care!"

The Qi Cultivation Disciples were already prepared. They nodded and began leaving the Top Grade Flying Boat.

Of course, a few people remained on the Top Grade Flying Boat.

However, they all had some connection to the Foundation Establishment Cultivators, or they were quite strong in their own right and had a few aces up their sleeves.

Chen Ling’Er was among them.

"Junior Brother Zhang, are you really not going to continue on with us?" Chen Ling’Er asked at that moment.

Given Zhang Chi’s situation, it was clear he could have just barely managed to stay.

After all, he was highly regarded by Chen Bufan, his sister, and Zhong Yu. Plus, Chen Bufan and the other Foundation Establishment Cultivators had explicitly stated that staying or leaving was completely voluntary.

That’s why Chen Ling’Er had spoken up to ask, and it wasn’t the first time, either.

"No, thanks. I’ve already prepared an Array. I’ll just stay in the outer circle, use the Array as a base, and focus on collecting Spirit Medicine. I don’t want to risk going deeper, and I don’t want to be a burden to everyone."

But Zhang Chi had been waiting for this opportunity for a long time; naturally, he had no intention of following them any further.

"Since he wants to stay, then let him. It’s indeed safer for him this way." Just as Chen Ling’Er was about to say more, Chen Bufan cut in.

"Alright then. Take care of yourself, Junior Brother." Chen Ling’Er sounded a little disappointed, but she could only nod.

"You all take care, too. By the way, this is a bottle of Rejuvenation Pills. I’m giving them to you, Senior Sister, to have as a backup. If you happen to get injured in a fight, be sure to use them immediately."

Zhang Chi nodded, thought for a moment, then took out a small, white Jade Bottle and tossed it to Chen Ling’Er.

Without another word, he leaped straight off the Top Grade Flying Boat.

SIGH.

Rejuvenation Pills were merely common Tier One Upper Grade Healing Elixirs. Chen Ling’Er wasn’t short on them at all; in fact, she had even prepared some of a higher tier.

But Zhang Chi had already taken off, giving her no chance to refuse. Helpless, she could only put the Jade Bottle away.

"Little Sister, I think it would be better if you kept some distance from this Zhang Chi from now on." The Top Grade Flying Boat continued to move forward as Chen Bufan spoke up unexpectedly.

"Why?" Chen Ling’Er asked, not understanding.

"Because he’s too cautious. In fact, it’s gone beyond caution. He lacks ambition, and you could even say he’s timid and weak. The chances of someone like him reaching Foundation Establishment are very slim."

"Even if he somehow manages it, his Combat Power will be lacking. The likelihood he’ll perish down the line will be very high," Chen Bufan continued.

"Indeed. Zhang Chi seems like a good person, but it appears we overestimated him."

Even Zhong Yu nodded slightly in agreement.

For a long time now, they had been waiting for Zhang Chi to go to the front lines to temper his Swordsmanship in battle, but he had never gone. Not once.

Moreover, Zhang Chi had never once asked them for advice on matters of Cultivation or Swordsmanship.

And now, Zhang Chi was even giving up the chance to press onward with them and seize greater opportunities.

All of this, without a doubt, left them feeling disappointed.

"But Zhang Chi is an Alchemy Master. He doesn’t need to have immense Combat Power, right?" Chen Ling’Er said, unconvinced.

"Heh," Chen Bufan chuckled. "That’s how it seems on the surface, but it’s a mistaken view. The world is unstable right now, and no one knows what the future holds. Therefore, even an Alchemy Master must possess strength and have the heart to advance bravely."

"Alright, I understand."

Chen Ling’Er thought for a moment and could only nod in acquiescence.

’I was originally thinking that once Zhang Chi reached Foundation Establishment, I could recruit him, an Alchemy Master, into my family as a Foreign Honored Guest Elder.’

’He also had a good personality, was from the same cohort as her, was friends with people like Qin Susu, and even had the approval of Chen Bufan and Zhong Yu. That was the only reason she had interacted with him so closely these past two or three years.’

’But now, it seemed she had also overestimated him.’

’In truth, just like Chen Bufan and Zhong Yu, she was also quite disappointed by Zhang Chi’s various actions.’

’She understood the other, unspoken meaning behind Chen Bufan’s and Zhong Yu’s words even more clearly.’

’As a Female Cultivator of her family, she would eventually have to find a dao companion. If she got too close to Zhang Chi, it would inevitably lead to gossip and tarnish her reputation.’

’And if Zhang Chi were to develop improper ideas about her, it would undoubtedly be a bad thing.’

———

"PHEW!"

On his end, Zhang Chi had no idea what Chen Ling’er and the others were thinking. After he disembarked, he acted as the Spirit Binder for his Golden Bamboo Leaf Flying Sword, guiding it to a deserted area. He couldn’t help but let out a long sigh, his whole body relaxing.

’Now, I can finally reveal my strength and move freely.’

Of course, a few other disciples had just invited him to travel with them, but he had flatly refused them all.

’After all, those disciples were far too weak; they would only be a hindrance.’

’Even people like Chen Bufan weren’t qualified to be his teammates, to say nothing of those Qi Cultivation Disciples.’

’Besides, even if they were familiar faces, he knew they couldn’t be relied upon in a critical moment.’

Those disciples didn’t insist. They gave up immediately, some even feeling that Zhang Chi didn’t know how to appreciate a favor.

In their eyes, after all, while a Tier One Upper Grade Alchemist like Zhang Chi might be a hot commodity on the outside, in here, everything depended on Combat Power. And in that regard, Zhang Chi was a nobody.

They had only invited Zhang Chi to build a better relationship with him, thinking he was a good and reliable person. Some even secretly harbored the idea of using him as cannon fodder in a crisis.

BOOM!

At that moment, Zhang Chi first took out a mask and a Conical Hat and put them on. He then changed out of his clothes and into a standard-issue Cangwu Sect Magic Robe. His body trembled, and the immense aura of a Foundation Establishment Powerhouse instantly erupted from him.

At the same time, he released his Corpse Puppet, Spirit Snake, and even his four Tier Two Beast Souls to patrol the surrounding area.

He recalled the Golden Bamboo Leaf Flying Sword and switched to an Upper Grade Small Magical Artifact Flying Boat.

He even took out the Furnace Carbon, letting it roam inside his sleeve, ready to deliver a Thunderbolt strike at a moment’s notice.

"Core Formation Opportunity, here I come!"

The Flying Boat then turned into a streak of light, rocketing toward the depths of the Secret Realm with incredible speed.

He soon truly entered the Inner Circle.

However, because he had chosen a different direction and the Inner Circle was immense, he didn’t encounter Chen Bufan’s group or any other Exploring Cultivators.

Furthermore, he quickly found several stalks of Tier One Peak Spirit Medicine, and there wasn’t even a Guardian Demon Beast in sight.

Evidently, Spirit Medicine of this Level was a fairly common find in the Inner Circle.

Some of the more powerful Demon Beasts likely didn’t even deign to notice them.

"Jade Spirit Grass? Not bad. It’s already reached the three-hundred-year limit for this type of Spirit Grass. And it’s such a large stalk, too. I’ll definitely be able to refine plenty of Elixirs from this!"

At that moment, in a patch of mountain forest, Zhang Chi had successfully found a Tier Two Low Grade Spirit Medicine.

The Spirit Grass shimmered with golden light and radiated an astonishing amount of Plant and Wood Spiritual Qi; a single glance confirmed its immense value.

Without hesitation, Zhang Chi’s figure flashed forward. He plucked the Spirit Grass and stored it away.

ROAR!

Just then, however, a roar suddenly erupted from the nearby tall grass. A black shadow immediately shot out, lunging toward Zhang Chi with incredible speed.

The black shadow was a Tier Two Low Grade black centipede. It was over twenty feet long, with sharp claws and fangs, and its carapace gleamed with a metallic sheen. Before it even drew near, it opened its maw and spat out a vast cloud of foul, black, poisonous mist.