Chapter 231: Ancient Legends
Besides the battle merits ranking and the tempting list of redeemable resources, there was also a prominent bounty list for Yuan Bei cultivators.
The names of some Golden Core Powerhouses and top prodigies from Yuan Bei were clearly displayed on it. Just like the battle merits ranking, it was refreshed regularly.
Zhang Chi scanned the list and saw Lan Xuan’s and Xiao Yunhong’s names near the bottom.
Zhang Chi wasn’t bothered by the bounty list itself. ’I have no intention of carrying out assassinations, after all.’
’But if Yuan South has one, Yuan Bei surely does too. I’m definitely on their list.’
Zhang Chi quickly regained his composure. ’It’s fine. I’ll just be careful. I doubt anyone else, like that Celestial Corpse Old Demon, would dare come after me in the Cangwu Sect.’
Just as he was about to head back, Qin Susu, who was right beside him, asked, "Junior Martial Uncle, are you free in a moment? Guanhai Mountain wishes to pay his respects."
"Guanhai Mountain? Alright. Tell him to come see me at Nine Peaks Lake now."
Zhang Chi nodded slightly and returned to his residence.
Guanhai Mountain had already contacted Qin Susu and the others over a month ago, and he had also joined the Cangwu Sect, becoming an Outer Disciple.
Of course, the only reason he had successfully joined was that he was friends with Qin Susu’s group, who were in turn Zhang Chi’s subordinates.
Otherwise, even with the Golden Sun Sect having lost its home and being a mere shadow of its former self, the Cangwu Sect would never have accepted him.
For this reason, he had always wanted to thank Zhang Chi in person, but Zhang Chi simply couldn’t be bothered.
"Master Zhang agreed to let me pay my respects? That’s great! Thank you, Junior Martial Uncle Qin!"
When Qin Susu notified Guanhai Mountain, he was overjoyed and hurriedly bowed in thanks.
Afterward, he followed Qin Susu to Nine Peaks Lake.
Qin Susu brought him along on her Flying Boat, but he didn’t dare get close, not even daring to look at her back.
The reason was simple: he was merely a Qi Cultivation Cultivator, and the gap between him, Qin Susu, and Zhang Chi was far too great.
He had actually been fond of Qin Susu back in the day, but now he had long since faced reality and dared not entertain such fantasies.
Thinking about the changes over the years, he was filled with emotion.
’The legacy technique for Tier One Talisman Making, even an authentic version from a Major Sect, costs only a thousand Spirit Stones.’
’But they had been too poor back then, forced to go their separate ways just to obtain the Tier One Talisman Making legacy technique.’
’Thankfully, it had proven to be the right choice.’
’If they hadn’t made that deal with Zhang Chi, he wouldn’t have joined the Cangwu Sect. Then, Qin Susu and the others wouldn’t have received his help, and not a single one of the five of them would have ever reached Foundation Establishment.’
’Now, Qin Susu, He Yan, and He Shi had long since reached Foundation Establishment. He and Zhao Yi were at the Qi Cultivation Tenth Layer, with a chance to attempt it themselves. This was nothing short of a miracle.’
’He had even benefited from the connection after joining the Golden Sun Sect.’
’A portion of Qin Susu’s group’s business had long been funneled through him to the Golden Sun Sect.’
’He had profited handsomely from it.’
"I pay my respects, Master Zhang!"
Soon, the two arrived at Nine Peaks Lake. Guanhai Mountain was dazzled by the beautiful scenery, and the abundant Spiritual Qi filled him with envy.
Then, he saw Zhang Chi.
He was a world away from the man he remembered.
Though traces of his former self remained in his features, he was now taller and more imposing. His very presence exuded an aura of profound stillness and might, and his eyes seemed to contain the flow of the sun, moon, and stars.
Guanhai Mountain didn’t dare to stare and immediately bowed low.
"Rise," Zhang Chi said with a slight nod. "I am aware of your gratitude. You have paid your respects, so you may now return to your Cultivation in peace."
"Yes, Grandmaster. However, I have another request. I am at the Qi Cultivation Peak and wish to ask for your help in purchasing a Foundation Establishment Pill. I have the Spirit Stones right here. Also, I have a Jade Scroll I would like to offer you."
"This Jade Scroll isn’t particularly valuable, but it contains some legends from the Ancient Era. Perhaps it can offer you some amusement in your leisure time."
Guanhai Mountain nodded quickly. Instead of leaving, he gritted his teeth and took out a full fifty thousand Low Grade Spirit Stones and a white Jade Scroll.
It turned out that Guanhai Mountain was already preparing for Foundation Establishment. He had even been on the waiting list to trade for a Foundation Establishment Pill at the Golden Sun Sect.
Unfortunately, the Demon Sect’s invasion of the Golden Sun Sect completely upended his plans.
And while he could get on the waiting list for a Foundation Establishment Pill after joining the Cangwu Sect, the wait would be even longer.
First, he was a cultivator who had sought refuge from an outside sect; his acceptance was already a huge testament to Zhang Chi’s influence.
As such, he naturally had no priority when it came to exchanging for a Foundation Establishment Pill.
Second, the recent arrival of the Demon Sect had caused many resources to be in short supply, with demand far outstripping supply.
This was especially true for advancement resources like the Foundation Establishment Pill, whose market price had skyrocketed.
Furthermore, following a joint decision by the Ten Great Immortal Sects, the Sect had changed its exchange rules for the Foundation Establishment Pill; cultivators were now required to have a certain amount of battle merits.
Although the cultivators from the Demon Sect were elites, they had occupied the territories of two sects. They would certainly take control of the many local cultivators and recruit new disciples.
Therefore, Qi Cultivation Cultivators in Yuan South had opportunities to earn merits in battle, but doing so was extremely dangerous and time-consuming.
Fortunately, he knew a powerhouse like Zhang Chi.
He had managed to acquire a great deal of wealth by taking advantage of the chaos in the Marketplace he was guarding before he fled; otherwise, there was no way he could have amassed so many Spirit Stones.
After all, even though Qin Susu and the others were Foundation Establishment Cultivators, their own Cultivation was a massive drain on resources.
Qin Susu’s group had already spent a considerable sum asking Zhang Chi to gather information for him, so they couldn’t possibly provide him with another large sum of Spirit Stones.
"Fine."
It was no trouble for Zhang Chi. With a wave of his hand, he collected the Spirit Stones. He then drew the Jade Scroll into his grasp and probed it with his Divine Thought.
After a look, Zhang Chi nodded slightly. ’Grotto Heaven Secret Realms, a Nine Patterns Golden Pill? Interesting.’
The Jade Scroll was filled with ancient legends from the Ancient Era.
For example, it claimed that during the Ancient Era, some major powers would retreat into Grotto Heaven Secret Realms whenever a massive outbreak occurred in the Demon Abyss.
Although these Grotto Heaven Secret Realms weren’t as vast as the Great Abyss, they were comparable to small worlds, with abundant Spiritual Qi capable of sustaining a large number of cultivators.
They could hide within to weather the storm, only emerging once the Demon Tide receded.
And if they didn’t survive to see it, they would become a treasure trove for future generations.
Another legend claimed that in the Ancient Era, the Celestial Grade Golden Core was not the pinnacle, but was considered merely mid-tier.
The most powerful Golden Core actually possessed nine Dao Patterns and was known as the Nine Revolutions Golden Core, or the Nine Patterns Golden Pill.
The so-called Top Grade Golden Core of today would only be considered a Four Patterns Golden Core in the Ancient Era, while a Celestial Grade Golden Core was nothing more than a Five Patterns Golden Core.
Furthermore, the variety of Core Formation Spiritual Objects in the Ancient Era was immense, far surpassing the few fixed types available today.
It was precisely this reduction in the variety of Core Formation Spiritual Objects that led to the overall decline in the quality of Golden Cores in the modern Immortal Cultivation Realm. Now, even a Five Patterns Golden Core was hailed as Celestial Grade, a worldly rarity.
"Where did you get this Jade Scroll?" Zhang Chi asked casually. "Or did you copy these contents into it yourself?"
’The Immortal Cultivation Realm of the Ancient Era was stronger and more prosperous. Every massive outbreak from the Demon Abyss would cause the extinction of life in the Great Abyss and severely deplete the Spiritual Qi of the Immortal Cultivation Realm.’
’Yet humanity and its Immortal Cultivation traditions were never wiped out, which must have been related to the Grotto Heaven Secret Realms. It also made sense that Core Formation Spiritual Objects would become rarer as Spiritual Qi declined.’
Therefore, he wasn’t particularly surprised or skeptical when he read these legends.
In fact, similar legends could be found in some ancient texts, just not with such certainty or detail.