Chapter 376 - 357: The Status of Old Acquaintances (2)

Chapter 376: Chapter 357: The Status of Old Acquaintances (2)

"He is..."

The cultivators also stopped what they were doing, staring at Zhang Chi’s back with shock and uncertainty.

"Who am I? You were all just cursing me. Now that you see me in person, you don’t recognize me?" Zhang Chi sneered.

"You... You’re Zhang Chi?"

"Impossible! How did you get back? This is bad, retreat!"

The True Demon Sect cultivators finally snapped back to their senses. A chill of terror ran down their spines, and they immediately tried to flee.

Although they couldn’t discern Zhang Chi’s cultivation, they knew of his accomplishments from over three hundred years ago. Even if he hadn’t reached the Nascent Soul realm, he was certainly much stronger now. They were no match for him.

"Trying to run? Too late. You’re all staying."

Zhang Chi scoffed.

BOOM!

At the same time, his body trembled slightly, and an incomparably tyrannical pressure—the kind unique to a Nascent Soul Cultivator—instantly enveloped the entire area.

The sea of fire at his feet suddenly surged, swallowing all the Demons and Demonized Beasts in an instant.

The Demons and Demon Beasts shrieked endlessly, scattering in a futile attempt to escape. Even the Tier Three Peak beings could only fly a hundred zhang at most before bursting into flames and plummeting into the inferno below.

"Oh no, he’s a Nascent Soul True Monarch!"

"Quick, run!"

"Senior, we were wrong! Don’t kill us! Ah—"

Seeing this, the True Demon Sect cultivators grew even more terrified, finally realizing that Zhang Chi had already achieved the Nascent Soul realm.

Some immediately tried to flee, some dropped to their knees to beg for mercy, others were paralyzed with fear, and a few even tried to fight back in desperation.

But unfortunately, no matter what they chose, it was all useless.

The sea of fire continued to spread, engulfing them all in an instant. Like the Demon Beasts and Demons before them, they were all reduced to ash.

Only some Demon Beast Materials, Storage Bags, Golden Cores, and Magical Treasures were intentionally spared by Zhang Chi, who collected them all with a wave of his hand.

"Zhang... True Monarch?"

"Is it really you?"

The cultivators from the Great Abyss Human Race were all stunned. The Chen Sisters’ voices trembled, and they wondered if they were dreaming.

They had only ever seen Zhang Chi return in their dreams.

"Yes, it’s me. It’s been a long time, you two."

Zhang Chi retracted the sea of fire and his immense pressure. With a single step, he instantly appeared on the deck of the Floating Airship.

Even the Restriction Array outside the Floating Airship failed to hinder him in the slightest.

"It really is you! You’ve really come back."

"This is wonderful! Hahaha... I knew you’d come back!"

Seeing Zhang Chi’s face, the Chen Family Siblings were now certain. Chen Bufan couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

Chen Ling’Er was also overjoyed, but her extreme happiness soon brought tears to her eyes.

In truth, after so many years, even the two of them had inwardly come to believe that Zhang Chi would never return.

Every time they said he would return, it was merely to bolster their own spirits and those of their companions.

But now, Zhang Chi had truly returned, and as a Nascent Soul True Monarch no less. It was impossible for them not to be thrilled.

"Of course. I said I would come back."

Seeing their reactions, Zhang Chi couldn’t help but sigh softly.

’More than three hundred years is a long time,’ he thought. ’So long that I’d nearly forgotten what these old friends looked like.’

"We pay our respects to the True Monarch!"

"Thank you for saving our lives, Senior!"

The cultivators on site immediately knelt, and even the many mortals did the same.

"Alright. There’s no need for such formalities between us."

The Chen Family Siblings also quickly bowed in gratitude, but Zhang Chi simply waved his hand, helping the two of them back to their feet.

"Come, let’s head to Golden Crow City first. On the way, tell me what’s happened all these years."

Then, with a grand wave of his hand, an invisible force swept up the pair and brought them aboard his Magical Treasure Flying Boat, which then shot ahead toward Golden Crow City.

As for the Floating Airship, the other cultivators would pilot it.

In any case, with all the True Demon Sect cultivators, Demon Beasts, and Demons slaughtered, the Floating Airship was certain to face no further obstacles.

And even if it did, nothing within the range of his Divine Thought could possibly touch the Floating Airship.

"Alright. Over the years..."

Chen Bufan and Chen Ling’Er took several deep breaths to finally calm themselves before they began their tale.

To save time, they communicated directly using their Divine Thought, so they were able to quickly recount the general situation of the past few years.

Only then did Zhang Chi learn that after he left, the situation in the Great Abyss had gradually worsened.

Even in Yuan South, only a tenth of the territory still belonged to the Human Race.

This was completely consistent with what he had seen and deduced earlier.

Furthermore, even with only this small territory left, the Human Race’s defensive line was still constantly being pushed back.

The fighting had never ceased.

Of course, this was the big picture.

What Zhang Chi cared about most was the status of his old friends.

The Chen Family Siblings knew this well, so after only a few words about the overall situation, they focused on the current state of his friends.

After Zhang Chi left all those years ago, Lu Daoyi of the Cangwu Sect, having been warned by Zhang Chi, did indeed leave Jian Jinfeng and the others alone.

The upper echelons of the other sects also left them unharmed.

In fact, for a time, Jian Jinfeng and his group even received preferential treatment, and Chen Bufan and his family also benefited from it.

But as time went on, this preferential treatment gradually faded. Later, Jian Jinfeng and the others were all summoned for questioning.

The Chen Family Siblings were as well.

Fortunately, everyone had been instructed by Zhang Chi long ago, so they didn’t hide anything and told them everything they knew. As a result, they weren’t given a hard time.

But the good times didn’t last. Only about fifty years later, the four Nascent Soul True Monarchs from the Cyan Cloud Sect, the Celestial Corpse Sect, the Ten Thousand Treasures Tower, and the Star Sect simultaneously made their move. They demanded severe punishment for Jian Jinfeng and his disciples, and even for Qin Susu, the Chen Sisters, and others.

And the leadership of the Cangwu Sect, including Lu Daoyi, was actually planning to hand them over.

Luckily, Xiao Yunhong and his father from the Profound Yin Sect stepped forward to help them, allowing them to weather that crisis.

However, because too many sects were targeting the group, the Cangwu Sect, in order to draw a clear line and to gain some benefits in exchange, expelled all of them from the sect not long ago.

Even Lan Xuan was driven out by the leadership of the Spirit Control Sect and the Lan Family for speaking up for them at a critical moment and for refusing to submit to an arranged marriage.

Fortunately, at that critical juncture, Xiao Yunhong and his father went against all opposition and took in the group, including Lan Xuan.

So now, all of them, Lan Xuan included, are cultivators of the Profound Yin Sect.

By now, not only the Chen Family Siblings, but Qin Susu and the others have also reached the Golden Core realm.

Thanks to the strong support of the Profound Yin Sect and some of the gifts Zhang Chi left behind, not a single one of them failed.

However, the He Yan siblings, Zhao Zijian, Zhao Yi, Fu Hongchang, and the Hong Hu siblings were not so lucky. They were unable to cultivate to the Foundation Establishment Limit in their lifetimes and have all passed away after their lifespans ran out.

As for Jian Jinfeng, his lifespan was also running short and his death was certain, but the Profound Yin Sect Leader used a Profound Ice God-Sealing Coffin obtained from the Ten Thousand Laws Grotto Heaven to temporarily seal him away.

Furthermore, Xiao Yunhong has already reached Golden Core Peak, while that Yu Wan has become a Nascent Soul True Monarch.

Of course, the Chen Family Siblings only mentioned Yu Wan’s situation because Zhang Chi asked about her.

After all, the Chen Family Siblings had no idea just how deep the enmity between Zhang Chi and Yu Wan truly ran.

Additionally, Qin Susu and Lan Xuan are both on the verge of breaking through to the Golden Core Peak Realm.

However, the group’s recent circumstances are not very good.

Because the Profound Yin Sect openly took them in, they offended the Celestial Corpse Sect, the Cyan Cloud Sect, the Ten Thousand Treasures Tower, and the Star Sect all at once.

Other major powers were also greedy for the secrets Zhang Chi carried and hated him for destroying the Teleportation Array, so their relationships with the Profound Yin Sect are also very poor.

As a result, even the Profound Yin Sect is in a difficult position now.

Within the Profound Yin Sect itself, there is a turbulent undercurrent. Many Elders have received outside support and are plotting to overthrow Xiao Yunhong and his father.

In order to obtain more Cultivation Materials to improve their situation, and also due to pressure and covert schemes from the major powers, Qin Susu and the others have been constantly stationed on the front lines.

In a major battle several years ago, Qin Susu nearly perished. Fortunately, a Spirit Beast left behind by Zhang Chi sacrificed its life to save her, allowing her to escape.

But the Spirit Beast was grievously injured as a result. Several years have passed, and it still hasn’t recovered. In fact, it’s on the verge of death.

Furthermore, Xiao Yunhong and his father are also in a precarious position. Not only are the Elders within the sect dissatisfied with them, but Sect Leader Xiao was also gravely injured in battle and now has less than a hundred years of his lifespan remaining.

If Xiao Yunhong cannot achieve the Nascent Soul realm within a hundred years, then all of them will surely suffer a terrible fate.

And this is a very real possibility, because Xiao Yunhong simply cannot obtain enough Nascent Soul Materials.

"So much has happened... What about that bitch Yu Wan’s master and Elder Celestial Star? Are they dead? And those old bastards from the Celestial Corpse Sect and the Ten Thousand Treasures Tower, are they still alive?"