Cultivation: Immunity to Negative Effects

Although they were in the same line of business, Zhang Chi was far more cautious and professional than the original Peak Master.

For instance, although these Demon Cultivators had arrived at their destination, they were all wearing black leather hoods with no openings.

These hoods were Top Grade Magical Artifacts that Zhang Chi had specially refined beforehand. Once worn, they not only blocked the wearer’s vision but also prevented them from extending their Divine Thought. They even sealed away the wearer’s Magical Power and physical strength.

The Magical Artifact was ineffective against Golden Core Level experts and above, but it worked very well on Foundation Establishment Cultivators.

Furthermore, Corpse Puppet No.1 had long since used Corpse Evil to surround the Flying Boat, so these Cultivators couldn’t see Zhang Chi at all, nor did they know where they had been taken.

The same had been true when they departed from the north of the Demon Abyss. They had all put on the hoods beforehand, so none of them knew their precise starting point.

This way, the operation wouldn’t expose Lan Xuan or Zhang Chi, nor would it reveal the locations of Azure Dragon Ridge and Lan Xuan’s base.

Of course, Lan Xuan had no secret passage on her end, so getting past the defensive lines relied entirely on her own abilities.

Fortunately, with Corpse Puppet No.1’s assistance, the influence of the Lan Family, and Lan Xuan’s own status as a Peak Master, accomplishing such a minor task was not difficult.

Besides, far too many Cultivators in Yuan Bei wanted to escape; the demand for a way out far outstripped the supply.

Afterward, Zhang Chi collected the final payment and ordered Corpse Puppet No.1 to pilot the Flying Boat away from Azure Dragon Ridge, escorting the clients to their destination. Only then would it retrieve the magical hoods and return.

In any case, with his authority as Peak Master, all he had to do was open a channel through the Array for the Flying Boat.

"Xuan’Er pays her respects to Master!"

But Lan Xuan had stayed behind. Once Corpse Puppet No.1 and the Demon Cultivators had departed, she immediately came before Zhang Chi and gave a graceful bow.

"Mm, you may rise."

Zhang Chi nodded slightly, raising his hand in a gesture to help her up.

Instead, Lan Xuan took the opportunity to throw herself into his arms. Zhang Chi’s entire body tensed for a moment, but he quickly relaxed.

What followed was a fiery, passionate encounter, which only ceased an hour later when Zhang Chi was fully satisfied.

Evidently, Lan Xuan had once again provided one of her "special services" for Zhang Chi, one that stopped just short of crossing the final line.

Feeling refreshed and clear-headed as a result, Zhang Chi finally got down to business.

"Why did you come in person? Don’t you know how dangerous this is?" Zhang Chi asked, frowning slightly.

"Is Master worried about Xuan’Er?" Lan Xuan replied with a faint smile.

"You’re reading too much into it," Zhang Chi said. "I’m just worried that if you die, I’ll lose a capable servant, and this smuggling business we’ve just started will be impossible to continue. That’s all."

"Well, this is the first time, so of course I had to come and see for myself to feel at ease. I won’t tag along in the future, so Master can rest assured!" Lan Xuan replied, still smiling cheerfully.

Clearly, she didn’t believe a word he said.

She believed he did care about her; otherwise, he wouldn’t have held back at the critical moment just now.

After all, she had been lost in a daze of passion at the time.

At the same time, she was secretly astonished, as she discovered Zhang Chi seemed far more powerful than he had over a decade ago.

In fact, after all these years, she had long since deduced Zhang Chi’s true identity.

After all, when Zhang Chi had appeared in that canyon, he must have been a Cultivator from the Cangwu Sect.

Of the Cangwu Sect members who went, there were only a few at the Foundation Establishment realm. While there were many Outer Disciples, the only ones who later came to the Demon Abyss and reached Foundation Establishment so quickly were Chen Ling’Er and Zhang Chi.

Thus, she had easily narrowed down the list of suspects.

The fact that Zhang Chi later became one of the Sect’s True Inheritors further solidified her suspicions.

What she hadn’t expected, however, was that Zhang Chi’s true Cultivation seemed to be far stronger than what he let on—stronger, even, than her own.

—

"Let’s go. Since you’re already here, come back with me. You can return to your own peak after a while; it won’t be too late."

Zhang Chi shook his head in resignation, then led Lan Xuan out of the passage and back to Divine Needle Peak.

As for the Stone Gate, he had already closed it at the earliest opportunity.

"Really? That’s wonderful! Thank you, Master!"

Upon hearing this, Lan Xuan was overjoyed, even thinking she must have misheard.

She had assumed Zhang Chi would continue to hide his identity and appearance from her.

After all, her finding out on her own and Zhang Chi willingly revealing himself to her were two completely different things.

Until he revealed himself, she would have to pretend not to know, but she would also be disappointed, feeling that he didn’t trust her enough.

Zhang Chi said nothing, but upon returning to Divine Needle Peak, he took off his mask and Conical Hat.

Clearly, he understood that his identity could not be kept secret forever and that Lan Xuan, in all likelihood, already knew.

Since that was the case, it was better to be forthright.

Moreover, Lan Xuan had earned a measure of his trust over this period, and he now possessed the power to protect himself.

Besides, revealing his identity was also conducive to their future cooperation.

Of course, this was also because of the Spirit Contract between them. Furthermore, a prodigy from a great family like Lan Xuan would have special Restrictions in her mind to prevent a Soul Search. Therefore, even if she knew Zhang Chi’s identity, it would be impossible for it to be leaked.

"So this is what you look like, Master!"

Seeing this, Lan Xuan immediately adopted an expression of delighted surprise.

But Zhang Chi just shook his head slightly, as he could tell with a single glance that her surprised expression was half-feigned.

She had most likely known what he looked like for some time now.

The only reason her surprise wasn’t entirely an act was likely because she hadn’t expected him to reveal his true face so readily.

"Yes. My name is Zhang Chi, which you’ve probably already investigated. This is Divine Needle Peak, and I am the Peak Master here. In the future, if you have any correspondence, you can send it directly here."

"Of course, you can also pass messages through the smuggling channel, but that carries a certain risk. If you have important information or valuable items, it’s safer to use the proper channels," Zhang Chi added with a slight nod.

"Understood, Master. But I didn’t intentionally investigate you," Lan Xuan said, quickly lowering her head to apologize.

"Oh, right. Was that Tier Three Corpse Puppet really made from the corpse I gave you all those years ago? How did it advance so quickly?" Lan Xuan then asked, filled with confusion.

Although she was a prodigy from a great family, her experience and knowledge were far inferior to those on the Golden Core Level. That was why the Fake Core Demon Cultivator had been able to recognize the Corpse Puppet as a Celestial Corpse, while she had not.

Of course, it was also possible she was merely pretending not to recognize it.

"Don’t ask so many questions. Knowing too much won’t do you any good," Zhang Chi warned her.

This concerned the Celestial Corpse Coffin. Regardless of whether she had guessed the truth, he would never state it plainly.

"Then what is your Cultivation, Master? Am I allowed to know? If I’m not mistaken, you didn’t reach Foundation Establishment just before you turned thirty. It was more like before you turned twenty, wasn’t it?" Lan Xuan pressed on.

"I can’t tell you that either. But I can tell you that I did indeed reach Foundation Establishment before I was twenty. My current Cultivation and combat power are far superior to yours, so you need to work harder," Zhang Chi said with a small smile.

"Is that so? I have a special physique, you know. It remains to be seen who will be faster in the future!" Lan Xuan retorted, unconvinced.

However, Zhang Chi paid no mind to her competitive streak and proceeded to discuss business with her.

For instance, the general situation in Yuan Bei.

After all, communicating by letter was always slow, and many things were better discussed face-to-face.