Chapter 366 - 350: A Hundred Years of Bitter Cultivation, Nascent Soul Late Stage

Chapter 366: Chapter 350: A Hundred Years of Bitter Cultivation, Nascent Soul Late Stage

In the time that followed, Zhang Chi spent his days practicing his swordplay and Refining his God. Life was busy, yet fulfilling.

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, three years had passed.

Zhang Chi successfully refined the newly acquired Star Divine Iron, along with various other materials, into new Star Swords.

The number of Flying Swords in his possession increased from eighty-one to one hundred and eight.

SWOOSH!

At that moment, Zhang Chi stood in midair. With a raised hand and a point of his finger, one hundred and eight Flying Swords shot out violently. A Sword Array Map appeared next, and the Star Sword Array instantly took form.

BOOM!

Then, the Star Sword Array began to churn violently. A torrent of starlight pierced through the void, and a volcano below was immediately engulfed in resplendent Sword Light, instantly vanishing into nothing.

"Not bad."

Zhang Chi nodded in satisfaction.

The Sword Array’s Mighty Power was just as he had predicted, having reached a level comparable to a Pseudo-Spirit Treasure.

However, he still hadn’t reached his upper limit as a Spirit Binder.

This meant he could continue collecting Star Divine Iron and refining more Flying Swords.

Zhang Chi continued his Cultivation in Seclusion, and another four years passed in the blink of an eye.

One day, just as Zhang Chi finished his Cultivation, he finally received a letter from the Qin Family Siblings.

The letter detailed their recent situation.

After returning, Qin Yushan had immediately exchanged his merits for a Realm-breaking Elixir and entered seclusion to attempt a breakthrough.

He had now finally broken through to the Nascent Soul Peak and had since joined his fellow sect members in hunting down Cultivators from the Heaven-defying Alliance.

’Qin Yushan successfully broke through? That’s great!’

Zhang Chi had expected this, but he was still quite pleased.

After all, as long as no Divinity Transformation Celestial Monarchs showed up, a Nascent Soul Peak cultivator was the apex of Combat Power in the Endless Desert Sea. One could do whatever they pleased.

Having a sworn brother with such a high Cultivation was undoubtedly a good thing for him.

However, Zhang Chi wasn’t particularly envious.

He knew that, barring any surprises, Qin Yushan would likely never reach the Nascent Soul Limit in his lifetime.

Even if he did, the chances of him breaking through were slim.

As for himself, though he was only at the Nascent Soul Middle Stage, he was confident he would eventually catch up to and surpass him.

Time continued to pass, and in the blink of an eye, twenty years went by.

Zhang Chi’s two disciples, the Li Sisters, both finally broke through to the Golden Core Late Stage.

That same year, the Sect gained another Nascent Soul Elder: Zheng Hongping, who had entered the Sect at the same time as him.

"Congratulations, Junior Sister, on successfully forming your Nascent Soul!"

To mark the occasion, Zhang Chi made a special trip back to the Sect for her Nascent Soul Formation Ceremony, joining numerous Nascent Soul True Monarchs and countless guests in congratulating her.

"Thank you, Senior Brother Chen."

Facing Zhang Chi, Zheng Hongping quickly returned the gesture, not daring to show the slightest disrespect just because she had also reached the Nascent Soul Realm.

After all, while they had both reached the Nascent Soul Realm, Zhang Chi had achieved it more than a hundred years before her. His future was undoubtedly brighter.

Furthermore, Zhang Chi was a Tier Four Refiner. During the last Beast Tide, his immense Combat Power had shaken the entire Canglan Oasis.

The renowned name of "Chen Bufan" had even spread to many surrounding oases, including the Beichen Oasis.

One could say that Zhang Chi’s current standing in the Canglan Sect was already on par with the Sect Leader and the two Supreme Elders, and he was certain to surpass them all in the future.

For instance, the many guests present were all exceedingly polite to Zhang Chi—even Nascent Soul Middle Stage True Monarchs were no exception.

Meanwhile, looking at Zheng Hongping, who hadn’t aged a day, Zhang Chi couldn’t help but feel a little sentimental.

Because while Zheng Hongping had succeeded, her former companions were long gone or scattered.

Of all the Loose Cultivators who had joined the sect back then, only he and Zheng Hongping had succeeded.

The others had either died while attempting a breakthrough, met with mishaps while gathering Spiritual Objects, or had simply grown too old and given up.

For example, Wei Wei had died during a failed breakthrough attempt, while the white-haired Pill Master, Lü Fuguang, had passed away peacefully after his Lifespan ran out.

Wu Changchun and Gao Yunfei were still alive and were present at the ceremony. They had both even come to pay their respects to Zhang Chi earlier.

But their hair was already streaked with white, and they had both given up on Nascent Soul Formation due to their advanced age.

Even Zheng Hongping was considered old for someone just achieving Nascent Soul Formation.

Her success was a testament to both her courage and her luck; she couldn’t have done it without either.

Seeing Zhang Chi again, Wu Changchun and Gao Yunfei, who watched from a distance, felt a complex mix of emotions, chief among them being immense envy.

"Senior Brother, will you have time later? I have some questions about Cultivation that I’d like to ask you privately."

Just then, Zheng Hongping secretly sent a voice transmission to Zhang Chi.

Her intentions were clear: she wanted to pursue a relationship with him.

She had considered it before but never dared to bring it up, knowing the gap in their Cultivation and status was too vast.

But now that she had reached the Nascent Soul Realm and gained several hundred more years of life, she had finally found a sliver of courage.

"I have to return to my Cultivation later. Perhaps some other time."

Unfortunately, Zhang Chi had no interest in her. Knowing he would be leaving the Canglan Sect within a few decades, he turned her down without a second thought.

"Very well."

Zheng Hongping could only give up in disappointment, not daring to feel the slightest bit of anger.

The ceremony ended without a hitch, and Zhang Chi returned to his Volcano Cave Mansion to continue his Cultivation in Seclusion.

Another ten years passed. A new letter arrived from the Qin Family Siblings; they had finally completed their extermination mission and returned to the Desert Divine Palace.

With their increased Cultivation and newfound composure, the siblings had managed to avoid any life-threatening danger over the past thirty years.

During the mission, the Desert Divine Palace had killed many Cultivators from the Heaven-defying Alliance and destroyed several of their strongholds.

It was a pity, however, that they still hadn’t located the Heaven-defying Alliance’s headquarters, nor had they managed to eradicate the organization completely.

Fortunately, after this campaign, the Heaven-defying Alliance was sure to lay low for a long time.

This would leave the Desert Divine Palace with fewer worries, allowing them to officially begin their pioneering operations.

Another decade passed. The Desert Divine Palace, having completed its preparations, issued a summons, ordering all oases, large and small, throughout the Endless Desert Sea to dispatch Cultivators. They were to assemble at the border between the northern and southern regions of the Desert Sea and await their orders.

The Canglan Sect also received the order and dispatched a group of Cultivators, with ranks ranging from Nascent Soul down to Qi Cultivation.

Zhang Chi, however, did not take part.

For one, he wasn’t currently in need of resources.

For another, the mission was, in fact, quite dangerous.

The Sect had no intention of compelling Zhang Chi to participate, either.

Because while Zhang Chi was powerful, he was also a Tier Four Refiner, a special talent. More importantly, he was the lynchpin of the Canglan Sect.

Therefore, unless he volunteered, they would never force him to undertake such a risk.

However, the Combat Power Zhang Chi had previously displayed was so overwhelming that even the Beichen Sect had taken notice of him.

As a result, the Beichen Sect’s leadership was eager to send Zhang Chi on the pioneering mission.

If Zhang Chi were to achieve great merit, the Beichen Sect, as the Canglan Sect’s superior, would certainly be rewarded by the Desert Divine Palace.

And if Zhang Chi were to fall in battle, they would be even more delighted.

They feared that once Zhang Chi was fully developed, the Canglan Sect might usurp the Beichen Sect’s position.

Unfortunately for them, Zhang Chi had the backing of the Qin Family Siblings from the Desert Divine Palace, so the Beichen Sect ultimately had to abandon their scheme.

Zhang Chi continued his Cultivation in Seclusion. In the blink of an eye, another forty years passed, bringing him to the age of four hundred and twenty.

Ninety-four years had passed since his last breakthrough. On this day, Zhang Chi’s Cultivation finally reached the limit of the Nascent Soul Middle Stage.

Zhang Chi spent the next few days adjusting his condition before immediately beginning his push toward the Nascent Soul Late Stage.

This time, he finally encountered some resistance in his breakthrough. However, he immediately consumed some Tier Four Earth Milk Spirit Liquid, which aids in breaking through realms.

At the same time, he activated his Cultivation Technique, merging his nine Blood Flames into a single entity.

CRACK!

The Cultivation Barrier instantly shattered upon contact.

BOOM!

A massive column of Spiritual Light shot into the sky as his Cultivation once again underwent a qualitative leap.

Flame-like clouds appeared in the sky once more. A massive amount of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi gathered, forming a giant funnel that poured down toward him.

All of this Spiritual Qi was devoured by Zhang Chi’s Nascent Soul.

This continued for several days. When the celestial phenomenon and its immense pressure finally dissipated, Zhang Chi had officially entered the Nascent Soul Late Stage.

He even re-formed the Blood Flame back into nine separate flames.

Compared to before, it wasn’t just his Realm that was different; his Combat Power had increased more than tenfold.

He was now confident he could even hold his own against a Nascent Soul Peak cultivator.

As for his Divine Thought, its range had expanded to a staggering three hundred thousand zhang, equivalent to the Divinity Transformation Late Stage.

’Good. This breakthrough came a few years sooner than I expected. Now, as long as I don’t run into a Divinity Transformation Celestial Monarch, I can go anywhere I want in this Endless Desert Sea.’

Zhang Chi was overjoyed as he felt the changes in his Cultivation.

SWOOSH!

With a slight flicker of his body, he instantly appeared in the sky above the Volcano Cave Mansion.

He then took out the Pill and Artifact Sect’s Sect Leader’s Golden Seal. After infusing it with Magical Power, the Golden Seal rapidly expanded and began to fly fiercely around him, completely and effortlessly under his control.

Next, he put away the Golden Seal and took out the Heaven-Reaching Spirit Treasure Flying Sword. To his surprise, he could now wield it properly.

While it was still a strain, he could now unleash even greater Mighty Power. Most importantly, using it no longer caused his Cultivation to drop—it merely consumed a large amount of Magical Power.

For instance, a single, full-power strike would instantly deplete all the Magical Power in his body.

But as long as he had a moment to recover, it wouldn’t take long to replenish his energy, and there would be no lasting ill effects.

Besides, he possessed a Secret Technique that could convert his Blood Qi and the Power of his Divine Soul into Magical Power, so running out was not a concern.

Of course, this was only possible because he had the Divine Whale Devouring Sea Technique. Without it, he wouldn’t be able to manage this, even with his improved Cultivation.

BOOM!

Then, Zhang Chi raised his hand and pointed. A resplendent, three-thousand-zhang-long Sword Light instantly shot toward the heavens.

It cleaved through the clouds, and for a moment, it seemed as if space itself would shatter.

The Sword Light flew straight into the Nine Heavens Gang Wind Layer and only dissipated upon reaching the Star Departing Flame Layer.

As expected, this single attack completely consumed both Zhang Chi’s personal Magical Power and the reserves stored by his Divine Whale Devouring Sea Technique.

But new Magical Power began to generate almost immediately.

His reserves of Earth Milk Spirit Liquid, the Heaven-Reaching Tree, and his high-quality Nascent Soul all worked together to greatly accelerate his Magical Power recovery.

’If I used this sword strike against a Nascent Soul Peak cultivator, I could definitely kill them instantly, right?’

Zhang Chi was quite satisfied with the attack.

It was precisely because of the strike’s power that he hadn’t aimed it at the ground.

If he had, his Volcano Cave Mansion would have been utterly destroyed.

’Alright, it’s time to leave the Canglan Oasis and head to the Central Continent, where the Desert Divine Palace is located. It wouldn’t do to miss the Demon Abyss trial!’

After spending a few days restoring his Magical Power and acclimating to his new Cultivation, Zhang Chi packed his belongings. He gave his Volcano Cave Mansion one last look, then transformed into a streak of Escape Light and flew toward the Canglan Sect’s gates.