Cultivation: Immunity to Negative Effects

This went on for three days and three nights until everything finally calmed down. Zhang Chi was once again completely broke, but Corpse Puppet No. 1 had now become a Golden Core Level entity.

Corpse Puppet No. 1 was now taller and more imposing than before, and in other respects, it more closely resembled a human Cultivator.

However, the aura it emanated was profound and dark; at first glance, one would certainly mistake it for a Demon Golden Core.

BANG!

At that moment, Zhang Chi activated his Celestial Net Evil Body and Asura Blood Burning Technique, as well as his Top Grade Flood Dragon Snake Armor. He threw a punch at the Celestial Corpse and was instantly sent flying back a hundred zhang, his arm going completely numb.

But the Celestial Corpse hadn’t even used its full strength.

Clearly, after its advancement, Corpse Puppet No. 1’s physical strength had far surpassed his own.

Zhang Chi then drove his Flying Sword at the Celestial Corpse with all his might, even commanding the puppet not to resist. Even so, he failed to injure it, only managing to leave a few white marks on its skin!

’Good. I didn’t expect Corpse Puppet No. 1 to be this strong already. In the end, it still advanced faster than I did. Using Krypton Gold really is the ultimate path. And now, I finally have a real trump card!’

Zhang Chi couldn’t help but feel immense satisfaction.

If Corpse Puppet No. 1 had been this powerful before, Zhang Chi could have ambushed and killed the Fake Core Demon Cultivator right here in the tunnel. He wouldn’t have even needed to lift a finger, let alone set up formations.

After all, even among those at the Golden Core Level, there were varying degrees of strength.

Based on Zhang Chi’s assessment, Corpse Puppet No. 1 at the Tier Three Early Stage was at least equivalent to a Middle Grade, or perhaps even an Upper Grade Golden Core.

Of course, this was only possible because his Divine Soul was as powerful as a Golden Core Peak cultivator’s. Otherwise, he would have been completely unable to control Corpse Puppet No. 1 and would have been betrayed and killed by it in a matter of minutes.

Even with his powerful Divine Soul, if Corpse Puppet No. 1 were to be upgraded further to the Tier Three Middle Stage, it would break free from his control.

Therefore, Zhang Chi immediately decided to halt any further investment in Corpse Puppet No. 1 for the time being.

Besides, Zhang Chi had no intention of letting it sit idle.

Zhang Chi immediately went to the dragon-shaped pattern on the wall. He wiped away the residual Magical Power left by the previous Peak Master and then began the Refinement of the hidden mechanism’s core deep within the pattern. In no time, the Stone Gate was under his control.

CREAK... CREAK...

He then opened the Stone Gate and sent Corpse Puppet No. 1 outside.

He also handed the Beast Soul Banner to the Corpse Puppet.

He had long since upgraded the Beast Soul Banner to a Top Grade Magical Artifact, giving the Demon Souls inside more room to grow.

That’s right. After consuming so many of his resources, it was time for Corpse Puppet No. 1 to start paying him back.

From now on, before the smuggling business officially began and during any downtime, he would use Corpse Puppet No. 1 as his workhorse. It would hunt Demons and Demon Beasts in the vicinity to gather Demon Beast Materials for him.

At the same time, Corpse Puppet No. 1 would also be responsible for strengthening the Beast Soul Banner, increasing the number and power of the Demon Souls within it.

As for himself, he still refrained from taking any risks. He closed the Stone Gate and returned to Divine Needle Peak to continue his Cultivation in Seclusion.

「Three months passed in the blink of an eye.」

On this day, the Spirit Snakes finally began to awaken one by one. As expected, they had all become Tier Two Peak Demon Beasts.

Their bodies had grown larger and their claws and fangs sharper. They were a far cry from the small Four-legged Strange Snakes they once were.

Afterward, Zhang Chi immediately sent them through the secret passage and into the Demon Abyss to hunt and grow stronger.

They might suffer some injuries this way, but it was the fastest method for them to break through to Tier Three. It would also be excellent training for their practical combat skills.

After all, Zhang Chi wasn’t raising them for his own amusement. He certainly couldn’t let them freeload forever, only providing an occasional assist.

Of course, Corpse Puppet No. 1 would be protecting them, so as long as they didn’t venture too deep into the Demon Abyss, there would be no major incidents.

For a long time afterward, according to reports from Chen Ling’er and others, the pressure on the defensive line at Azure Dragon Ridge was, for some unknown reason, significantly lighter than in the other major regions.

What they didn’t know was that this was because the primary area of operation for Zhang Chi’s Spirit Snakes and Corpse Puppet was the part of the Demon Abyss near Azure Dragon Ridge.

In a way, this was Zhang Chi’s contribution to the war effort.

But that is a story for another time.

After releasing the Spirit Snakes, Zhang Chi made a trip to the Ten Thousand Treasures Tower in Shifang Immortal City and successfully retrieved a reply from Lan Xuan.

In her letter, Lan Xuan was extremely supportive of Zhang Chi’s plan, expressing her delight and anticipation.

Over the past dozen or so years, Lan Xuan had already reached the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage Realm and had long since been stationed at the Demon Abyss.

One could say that only the Demon Abyss separated her and Zhang Chi.

Furthermore, she had the protection of a family elder—her sixth aunt. This aunt possessed a Golden Core Early Stage Cultivation, and her status was comparable to that of the Azure Dragon Master, meaning she held high status and great authority.

As a result, she was also a Peak Master in the Spirit Control Sect with numerous Foundation Establishment Cultivators under her command, making her the perfect partner for Zhang Chi’s plan.

According to her letter, the situation in Yuan Bei had grown increasingly tense. The major Top Level Sects had begun forcibly conscripting Loose Cultivators and those from smaller factions. On top of that, cultivators who worshiped True Demons were stirring up trouble in many areas. As a result, many Demon Cultivators were desperate to be smuggled over to Yuan South.

This meant the business would be a guaranteed success, and they could make a killing.

Her only concern was whether Zhang Chi could guarantee the survival rate of the cultivators being smuggled.

After all, such an operation would surely require a Golden Core Level expert as an escort, as well as a specialized Magical Treasure for the journey.

Reading this, however, Zhang Chi just smiled faintly, completely unconcerned.

For a Magical Treasure, he had the Hidden Demon Flying Boat.

As for an expert, he didn’t have one before. The Azure Dragon Master and Lan Xuan’s sixth aunt would have been suitable, but there was no way they would personally get involved in something like this.

Besides, if they participated, there would be no profit left for him.

What’s more, the two Golden Core cultivators might not even agree to the plan. They might even decide to severely punish him and Lan Xuan.

But now, he had a Tier Three Early Stage Corpse Puppet, which was perfect for the role of a bodyguard.

Its Combat Power was far superior to that of the Fake Core Demon Cultivator. So, if a Fake Core Demon Cultivator could manage it, his puppet should have no major issues as long as it was careful.

So, instead of replying through the Ten Thousand Treasures Tower, Zhang Chi returned directly to Divine Needle Peak. He recalled the Corpse Puppet and the Spirit Snakes, then handed his reply letter and the Hidden Demon Flying Boat to the puppet.

WHOOSH!

The Corpse Puppet then piloted the Flying Boat, vanishing into the Demonic Qi as it flew toward the opposite shore of the Demon Abyss.

Zhang Chi also entrusted the Beast Soul Banner and the Spirit Snakes to the Corpse Puppet. He even gave it all his Tier Three Spirit Talismans.

Furthermore, Lan Xuan had already provided specific coordinates, so he wasn’t the least bit worried that the Corpse Puppet would be unable to find her.

Of course, this was also possible because the Corpse Puppet’s intelligence had improved after its breakthrough. Otherwise, it really wouldn’t have been up to the task.

After that, Zhang Chi resumed his Cultivation in Seclusion and began to wait.

The distance was too great, so even as the master of Corpse Puppet No. 1 and the Spirit Beasts, Zhang Chi couldn’t know their exact situation. He could only sense that they had faced some scares but were in no real danger.

The puppet acted like a robot with a fixed program, strictly executing the commands Zhang Chi had set beforehand.

Half a year passed in the blink of an eye. One day, Zhang Chi suddenly sensed that the Spirit Beasts and the Corpse Puppet had returned.

He could even sense through his Blood Curse Technique that Lan Xuan had come with them.

He immediately hurried to the underground tunnel and opened the Stone Gate. Sure enough, Corpse Puppet No. 1 was back.

Compared to six months ago, Corpse Puppet No. 1 was completely unharmed, as were the Spirit Snakes. In fact, the auras of the Spirit Snakes had even grown stronger.

The Flying Boat was also undamaged. However, there were now eleven Demon Cultivators aboard.

The person in the lead wore a mask and a Conical Hat, and was dressed all in black, but even that couldn’t conceal a fine figure. Zhang Chi recognized her at a glance—it was Lan Xuan.

The other Demon Cultivators were, without a doubt, the first batch to be smuggled to Yuan South with his and Lan Xuan’s help.