Chapter 304 - 1: First Immortal City, Immortal Martial City
Chapter 304: Chapter 1: First Immortal City, Immortal Martial City
"Senior Brother! Jiang Yue and Dong Sea have arrived. Yang Chen, Qi Hong, and Shi Yun are also waiting outside!"
Yi Yunya’s gentle voice, like the chime of a clear bell, shattered the tranquility of the Starry Courtyard and stirred Zhong Ming from his meditation.
"...I know."
As he spoke, Zhong Ming walked out of the Starry Courtyard’s Spirit-Gathering Array.
SWISH!
As he appeared, both Yi Yunya and Ji Qinglian, who were waiting outside, raised an eyebrow.
The Zhong Ming before them no longer possessed his previous unbridled flamboyance.
But this didn’t mean Zhong Ming had grown weaker. On the contrary, his restrained presence was a result of his Essence, Qi, and Spirit gradually reaching a state of flawless perfection.
A great abyss hidden within the ordinary, a sharp edge veiled like ancient jade—this phrase was the perfect description of Zhong Ming’s current disposition.
Beneath his seemingly ordinary features, a gentle yet immense vitality flowed through every inch of his being. Deep within his eyes, stars seemed to live and die; the longer one gazed, the more unfathomable he became.
And this was the fruit of Zhong Ming’s recent Cultivation.
’It’s already been a month since the tumultuous ordeal in the Star Secret Vault.’
Sighing with emotion, Zhong Ming’s thoughts surged like a tide as he recalled the changes of the past month.
First, there was the attack on the Qinghe Commandery Mansion by the Evil God Cultists. It was meant to be a catastrophe, but thanks to Zhong Ming’s presence, the resulting losses were not too severe.
And Prince Qinghe, a formidable figure of considerable ability, seized the chance to turn the crisis into an opportunity. He convinced the many sects, who now feared for their very existence, to join his newly formed alliance.
In this process, Zhong Ming, as the one who had contributed the most, was naturally not forgotten.
Whether to repay a debt of gratitude or to win over a peerless prodigy like Zhong Ming and keep him in his service, the Prince did not send him back to the Seven Profound Sect. Instead, he had Zhong Ming remain to cultivate in the Starry Courtyard. During this time, the support for Zhong Ming’s Cultivation from Prince Qinghe’s Mansion was practically limitless, with a ceaseless supply of Spirit Liquid, Elixir Pills, and other Heavenly and Earthly Treasures.
Of course, the Seven Profound Sect also benefited.
So as not to create any ill will with Zhong Ming, Prince Qinghe specially set aside a valley with a rich Spiritual Vein near the Prefecture City and gave it to the Seven Profound Sect, allowing them to build another branch of their sect there.
Though it was called a branch sect, thanks to Prince Qinghe’s generosity, its Spiritual Vein was of extremely high quality, and it came with numerous Spirit Fields and Spiritual Ore mines.
Furthermore, its close proximity to the Qinghe Commandery Mansion made it less susceptible to attacks from Demonic Fiends and other evil spirits. This made the Sect Leader of the Seven Profound Sect, Zong Chengze, even consider moving the sect’s main headquarters there and turning the one in Jade Lake City into a branch.
With a new branch being established, it was only natural that many disciples would come.
Dong Sea, Jiang Yue, Yang Chen, Qi Hong—these were people with whom Zhong Ming had a history, and he had specifically summoned them.
"Boss!"
"First Senior Brother..."
At Zhong Ming’s arrival, Dong Sea, Qi Hong, and the others waiting outside all rose to their feet. As they looked at him, their eyes were filled with utter worship and awe.
They had personally witnessed Zhong Ming transform from a fellow disciple into the now-unreachable prodigy. The legend of him slaying a Foundation Establishment expert while still in the Qi Cultivation realm had long since spread throughout the lands surrounding the Qinghe Commandery Mansion.
The one they once cultivated beside had now become as distant as the moon in the clouds, a figure of legend. This filled them with both wistful emotion and eager anticipation.
’Knowing Senior Brother Zhong Ming’s character, he must have summoned us for a reason.’
Among the crowd, Qi Hong, Shi Yun, and Yang Chen were the most excited.
Exchanging a glance, they each had their suspicions, and their fists clenched unconsciously.
’Could it be...’
Just as their hearts filled with anticipation, Zhong Ming spoke. His voice was gentle yet carried the weight of a mountain:
"You all looked after me when I was weak. Now that I have some measure of strength, it is only right that I repay you."
As soon as he finished speaking, Zhong Ming didn’t take out the ordinary resources Prince Qinghe had given him. Instead, with a flick of his fingers, he slit his own wrist.
SHLICK!
With a flash of sword light, a wound appeared on Zhong Ming’s wrist. Under his control, it didn’t heal immediately. Instead, purplish-gold Essence Blood welled up from the cut.
The blood contained Star Power and Tai Sui Vitality. It condensed without scattering, forming five translucent beads of blood that floated in Zhong Ming’s palm.
Afterward, he gave the drops of Essence Blood to the senior brothers who had once practiced with him.
"This is my Essence Blood. It contains the power of the Star Core and the vitality of the Demon Star, Tai Sui. Consuming it will initiate a process of Washing Marrow and Cutting Veins, improving your constitution and granting you extremely strong Recovery Power. Your physical lifespan will also increase by several hundred years... Of course, for Senior Brother Qi and the rest of you, the most important thing is that after you take it, I can completely purge the Evil Spirit contamination from your bodies, allowing severed limbs to regenerate and all your injuries to fully heal."
BOOM!
These words struck them like a clap of thunder, causing Shi Yun, Qi Hong, and the others to shudder, their faces flushing crimson.
Tears even streamed from Qi Hong’s eyes. His words of thanks to Zhong Ming were choked and incoherent: "Zhong Ming, thank you... I’m so, so grateful..."
Seeing his emotional state, the onlookers—be it Jiang Yue, Ji Qingyue, or Yi Yunya—were not surprised. Nor did they think such a fervent display of emotion was an overreaction.
Once one has experienced the vast ocean, a mere stream can never compare. Those who have tasted the wonders of Cultivation, knowing it can lead to immortality, would rarely be willing to give it up.
Shi Yun, Qi Hong, and the others had been tainted by the contamination at a young age, their path of Cultivation cut short. The torment this caused them was immense, and it had plunged them into utter despair.
Now, Zhong Ming was offering to reopen their path to Cultivation. For them, it was nothing short of a rebirth.