Chapter 180: Entrustment and Opportunity
Three years ago, Lan Xuan successfully broke through to the Foundation Establishment Late Stage.
Although her speed was far from matching Zhang Chi’s, she was still exceedingly rare among her peers.
After all, she was about the same age as Zhang Chi.
Of course, her ability to break through so quickly was also thanks to the high income she earned from the smuggling business.
Additionally, Chen Ling’Er had broken through to the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage. Zhong Yu’s Cultivation was even closer to the Foundation Establishment Late Stage.
Chen Bufan, however, was still a long way from the Foundation Establishment Late Stage. It would likely take him another decade or so to break through.
And that was only because he had been in the Demon Abyss, earning a great deal of Contribution Points.
Such was the disparity between Spirit Roots.
Although Chen Bufan possessed an Innate Sword Bone, he only had a Middle Grade Spirit Root, and under normal circumstances, an Innate Sword Bone could only bolster one’s Swordsmanship.
He would only be able to turn his Innate Sword Bone into a true advantage if he managed to obtain a special Cultivation Technique from an Ancient Sword Cultivator.
Zhong Yu, on the other hand, possessed an Upper Grade Mutated Spirit Root, making her cultivation speed nearly on par with someone who had a Top Grade Spirit Root.
Furthermore, her family was more powerful than the Chen Family, she had a good master, and she was diligent in her efforts, so her cultivation speed was naturally faster.
Then there were Qin Susu, He Shi, and He Yan. They had all reached the Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer, but the Tenth Layer was still a distant goal.
This was only thanks to Zhang Chi’s investments, which had allowed them to earn a significant amount; otherwise, their progress would have been even slower.
Meanwhile, they were all in their early forties.
If they couldn’t reach Foundation Establishment within twenty years, their chances of ever doing so would diminish greatly.
As for Zhao Yi, his Cultivation was even lower; Zhang Chi didn’t even bother to pay him any special attention.
Barring any miracles, he had no hope of reaching Foundation Establishment, even with the help of Qin Susu and the others.
Such was the disadvantage of a Low Grade Spirit Root.
—
’After my Cultivation breakthrough, I’ve grown stronger, but my Refinement of Ganlin Jade Marrow has also sped up. On top of that, my Body Refining Cultivation broke through not long ago, so my Refinement of Profound Crane Blood is faster as well. As a result, I now consume one drop of each resource every five days.’
’Even with my VIP discount, my monthly expenses will far exceed one hundred thousand Spirit Stones when you factor in things like Spirit Tea and Spirit Wine. It looks like I’ll have to put my training in the Tier Three Turtle Shell Divination Technique on hold for now.’
’Fortunately, the Tier Three Middle Grade Inference Technique is more than enough for my needs in the short term.’
After a short cultivation session, Zhang Chi immediately noticed these changes and decisively adjusted his training plan.
Although his proficiency in the Hundred Skills of Immortal Cultivation was constantly improving, it wasn’t a simple case of higher skill equating to more Spirit Stones earned.
At higher levels of craftsmanship, the required materials became rarer, and the pool of potential customers shrank considerably.
Fortunately, Zhang Chi was in the Demon Abyss, where various materials were relatively abundant. Otherwise, things would have been even more troublesome.
Besides, this was just at Tier Two Peak. Once he reached Tier Three, obtaining Tier Three Materials would be even more difficult.
Furthermore, Tier Three Spirit Talismans, Magical Treasures, and Elixirs were all premium items; it was impossible to produce them in large quantities.
Sometimes, refining a single Magical Treasure required searching for materials for decades. Blueprints for such treasures were also incredibly precious, making the refining process even slower.
The upside was that these refined Magical Treasures could be sold for much more. The rarer the item, the higher the price, following a purely premium-quality business model.
However, this also meant that after reaching Tier Three, the rate at which he could improve his Hundred Skills of Immortal Cultivation would slow down considerably.
Of course, there was a silver lining: Zhang Chi would have more free time to cultivate other Magic and Divine Techniques, or even to simply enjoy life.
But that was all in the future. For now, it was absolutely necessary for him to adjust his plans.
He was also fortunate that the smuggling business had been running smoothly without any major issues; otherwise, he certainly would have been unable to maintain his current pace of cultivation.
But Zhang Chi knew that the smuggling business was becoming increasingly difficult and could be forced to shut down at any moment.
Periodically, the Demons and Demon Beasts within the Demon Abyss would grow stronger and more numerous.
To ensure safer crossings over the past two years, the Corpse Puppet had been forced to reduce the number of people it escorted, first to eight, and now down to five.
With fewer people, the chances of attracting the attention of powerful Demons were lower, and they could also escape more quickly if needed.
Fortunately, while he was taking fewer people per trip, the price per person had increased, so the overall financial impact wasn’t significant.
Even with the price hike, there was still a long line of people waiting, because the situation over in Yuan Bei had become far more severe long ago.
’Hm? Senior Brother Hong’s lifespan is nearly at its end?’
A short while later, Zhang Chi emerged from his secluded cultivation and suddenly received a message from the Sect.
’So soon? This is two years earlier than my calculations predicted. It seems Senior Brother Hong indulged himself a bit too much these past few years, lacking restraint. Then again, he was on death’s door anyway. Expecting him to be temperate was probably unrealistic.’
Reading the message, Zhang Chi sighed softly before flying off from Divine Needle Peak, soon arriving in Azure Dragon City.
At Senior Brother Hong’s residence, the Hong Mansion, he saw many other Foundation Establishment cultivators. Chen Ling’Er and the others were all present.
Clearly, even if most of them weren’t close with Junior Martial Uncle Hong, they had all crossed paths with him numerous times over the years.
For instance, when Chen Ling’Er celebrated her breakthrough to Foundation Establishment, Senior Brother Hong had attended and presented a gift.
And now, as fellow cultivators of Azure Dragon Ridge, with Junior Martial Uncle Hong on his deathbed, it was only natural for them to come and pay their last respects.
Zhang Chi even spotted the Azure Dragon Master seated in a place of honor, surrounded by numerous Foundation Establishment cultivators.
"Junior Martial Uncle Zhang, you’re finally here! Grandfather has been waiting for you. He said he has something to tell you!"
Hong Hu, who had rushed over from the Sect earlier, waited for Zhang Chi to finish greeting the other Foundation Establishment cultivators and the Azure Dragon Master, then immediately came forward with Hong Jin’Er to greet him with the utmost respect.
Both of their eyes were slightly red, a clear sign they had just been crying.
Zhang Chi’s gaze swept over them, and he instantly noticed that Hong Hu was already at the Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer. Hong Jin’Er, meanwhile, was at the Qi Cultivation Sixth Layer; even accounting for her younger age, her progress was a bit slow.
Furthermore, the innocent, carefree little girl he remembered had grown into a rather mature young woman.
"Alright. Lead the way."
Zhang Chi nodded slightly and followed the two juniors into a bedroom deep within the Hong Mansion. There, he saw Senior Brother Hong lying on a couch, looking drowsy and on the verge of sleep.
He was in a much worse state than when they had first met. His face was covered in dark spots, and an aura of death clung to him.
Upon seeing Zhang Chi, his spirits seemed to rally. He waved away Hong Hu and Hong Jin’Er, then struggled to sit up.
Zhang Chi quickly moved forward to help him, and only then did he manage to sit upright.
"Junior Brother Zhang, it’s been a long time. You’re still so young... and you seem to have grown even stronger."
Senior Brother Hong sighed, his eyes filled with envy.
"I’m not even as old as Hong Hu, so of course I’m young," Zhang Chi said after a moment’s silence. "Hong Hu said you had something you wanted to tell me?"
He could sense the man could pass away at any moment, so he didn’t waste time with idle chatter; more words of comfort would be useless anyway.
He did have a Longevity Fruit that could save him, but it hadn’t been refined into a Lifespan Extension Pill. Besides, the Tier Two Growth Fruit was far too precious to be used on Senior Brother Hong.
"You’re right," Senior Brother Hong said with a slight nod. "To be honest, I was hoping you would take Hong Jin’Er as your disciple. And after I’m gone, I’d like you to look after Hong Hu, to ensure both he and Hong Jin’Er successfully reach Foundation Establishment!"
"This..."
Zhang Chi couldn’t help but frown, on the verge of immediate refusal.
While the two of them were on good terms, their relationship had clearly not reached the point of such a heavy request. This was no easy task, far from a simple favor.
"Of course, I wouldn’t ask you to help for nothing," Senior Brother Hong continued. "If you agree, Junior Brother, I have a fortuitous opportunity I can give you in return."