Chapter 144: Nascent Soul Cave Mansion
"As expected of a Tier Three Demon Beast. Even with a Fake Core, it’s something else!" Zhang Chi exclaimed in amazement.
Fortunately, the two Female Cultivators quickly succeeded in activating their Talisman Treasures.
The Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi for miles around surged violently. A massive golden brick, over a hundred feet long, and an equally massive black inkstone appeared one after another. Emitting a terrifying pressure, they smashed down hard on the giant scorpion trapped within the Sword Array.
BANG, BANG, BANG!
A series of thunderous crashes echoed as the giant scorpion shrieked in pain. It had finally sustained real injuries.
The yellow-robed cultivator and Zhang Chi, however, had already acted. They crushed two ochre-colored Spirit Talismans and slammed them into the ground, instantly solidifying a large patch of the surrounding desert into a hard, crystalline substance.
This way, when the giant scorpion was smashed to the ground, not only did it have nowhere to escape, but the incredibly hard ground also doubled the damage.
These two Spirit Talismans were both Tier Two Peak Earth Condensing Talismans, which the group had prepared in advance and given to Zhang Chi and the yellow-robed cultivator to use.
This type of Spirit Talisman usually wasn’t very useful, being effective only against special Magic like Earth Escape. Here, however, it proved remarkably effective.
Because the two Talisman Treasures had been carefully selected, their Mighty Power was immense, and they were especially effective against this giant scorpion. Thus, there were no further complications. Half an hour later, when the Talisman Treasures’ power was depleted, the Fake Core giant scorpion had been successfully slain.
Whew!
Everyone let out a sigh of relief. They went forward together to harvest the Demon Beast’s corpse, dividing the spoils on the spot according to their prior agreement.
Senior Brother Wen received the Demon Pill. But because the Demon Pill was the most valuable item, he compensated everyone else with a large amount of Tier Two Spirit Medicine.
Aside from him, the two Female Cultivators who had used the Talisman Treasures and the Divine Sword Sect cultivator who had provided the Five Elements Sword Array received the largest shares.
Zhang Chi’s contribution was similar to the remaining few. After some thought, he didn’t take any materials, choosing the Demon Soul instead.
This would greatly increase the Mighty Power of his Beast Soul Banner.
The Tier Three Demon Soul, plus the compensatory Spirit Medicine he received, not only made up for his losses but also earned him a hefty profit.
The other cultivators were also all smiles, as the Tier Three Demon Beast Materials were extremely valuable and could even be used for Refining Magical Treasures.
ROAR!
At that moment, a series of roars suddenly erupted from the desert, and a large number of Tier Two Demon Beasts began charging toward the Oasis.
These Demon Beasts had long been coveting the various Spirit Medicines in the Oasis. However, the Fake Core giant scorpion had occupied it, forcing them to remain in the relatively barren desert.
Now that the giant scorpion had fallen, they all sensed the disappearance of its Fake Core aura and could no longer restrain themselves.
"Everyone, we need to hurry. Our cooperation is over; from here on, it’s every person for themselves. I wish you all the best in finding great opportunities!"
"Thank you! The same to you, Senior Brother Wen!"
"Right. See you after we’re done exploring the Oasis."
Seeing this, the group quickly entered the Oasis and immediately went their separate ways, each seeking their own fortune.
"Junior Brother, would you like to team up?"
Before this, the cultivator from the Divine Sword Sect had specifically sought out Zhang Chi to extend the invitation.
"You can come with me, too."
The yellow-robed cultivator said the same.
"And me! I would also be happy to team up with you, Junior Brother!" Senior Brother Wen also spoke up.
"Thank you, all three of you, but I’d prefer to act alone!"
But Zhang Chi decisively refused them.
"Alright then!"
The three of them didn’t press the issue and left immediately.
Zhang Chi, on the other hand, went to a deserted spot, cast the Blood Escape Technique, and flew rapidly toward the location of the Ancient Cultivator’s Cave Mansion.
In truth, there were many Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures in the Oasis, but they were clearly nothing compared to the Ancient Cultivator’s Cave Mansion.
Moreover, the Oasis was quite large. The other cultivators knew of the Oasis, but not the specific location of the Ancient Cultivator’s Cave Mansion. Therefore, Zhang Chi naturally had to make good use of this advantage and be the first to arrive.
Of course, this conclusion was something Zhang Chi had deduced from the newly acquired Beast Hide.
That Beast Hide marked the cave mansion’s approximate location, but its precision was far inferior to the one Zhang Chi had.
Deep within the Oasis were numerous beautiful and verdant mountain peaks, and the Ancient Cultivator’s Cave Mansion was located at the summit of one of them.
In a flash of crimson light, Zhang Chi quickly arrived at his destination.
The place looked normal, but when Zhang Chi flicked a small stone forward, a black, translucent Array Light Curtain with runes flowing across its surface immediately appeared.
The light curtain not only blocked the stone but also shot out an arc of electricity that pulverized it to dust.
Relying on his powerful senses, Zhang Chi discovered that the Mighty Power of this electric arc was no less than that of the array barrier he had encountered at the edge of the central region.
Moreover, this time, there were no gateways on the Array Light Curtain.
But Zhang Chi wasn’t concerned. He took out the newly acquired Beast Hide, summoned his Corpse Puppet, and had it approach while carrying the hide.
This time, not only was there no attack, but the Corpse Puppet successfully passed right through the Array Light Curtain.
Zhang Chi was overjoyed, knowing at once that his deductions and prior divination were correct. The Beast Hides weren’t just maps; they were passes to enter the Ancient Cultivator’s Cave Mansion.
So, he immediately took out the other Beast Hide and flew over as well.
At the same time, he activated all his defenses, even preparing to use the Black Coffin and hide inside it at a moment’s notice.
But again, he was not attacked. He passed through the light curtain and into the cave mansion with ease.
The next moment, the Array Light Curtain and the cave mansion within vanished. Everything returned to normal, and from the outside, it was as if Zhang Chi and his Corpse Puppet had suddenly disappeared into the void.
’Such abundant Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi! Truly worthy of being an Ancient Cultivator’s Cave Mansion. The concentration even exceeds the upper limit of what I can refine!’
Meanwhile, Zhang Chi felt a wave of Pure Spiritual Qi wash over him. Although it was tainted with Demonic Qi, it had no effect on him.
’The only shame is that I definitely can’t stay here for long. Otherwise, undertaking Cultivation in Seclusion here would be far, far better than at the Azure Dragon Ridge Medicinal Garden.’
Next, Zhang Chi began to observe his surroundings.
He found himself at the entrance to the cave mansion.
The cave mansion covered a large area, containing numerous buildings and even a medicinal field.
Moreover, a pillar of Spiritual Light rose to the heavens from the medicinal field’s location, but it was blocked by the Array Light Curtain outside the cave mansion, making it invisible from the exterior.
Furthermore, there were surprisingly no Restrictions inside the cave mansion, so he could explore it freely.
’This is great!’
Zhang Chi was overjoyed.
He immediately released his Phantom Beetles to lie in wait nearby, then shot into action, racing against time to start looting.
’Heaven Mending Celestial Monarch’s Cave Mansion?’
Upon entering the cave mansion, Zhang Chi immediately saw a black Stele over ten feet tall, engraved with several large, flamboyantly written characters.
He recognized all the characters but had never heard the title "Heaven Mending Celestial Monarch."
However, Golden Core Cultivators were generally called "Perfected Ones," while only those at the Nascent Soul realm earned the title of "True Monarch." This was undoubtedly a Nascent Soul Cave Mansion.
Then, on the Stele, he also saw a topographical map of the cave mansion, identical to the one recorded on his Beast Hide.
It wasn’t just a map of the cave mansion; there was even a map of the entire Secret Realm carved here.
Additionally, there was some writing next to the diagram.
The diagram and the writing were miniscule, but for a cultivator, reading them posed no problem whatsoever.
Zhang Chi read through it with incredible speed. Combining the information with his own deductions, many of the questions in his mind were instantly resolved.