Distribution of Benefits

"Li Anlong!"

You recalled the deeds of that legendary emperor.

Not every emperor of the Great Qian Empire had been an Apex Grandmaster.

Across the Great Qian Empire's several-thousand-year history, the number of Apex Grandmaster emperors could be counted on one hand.

And Li Anlong was publicly acknowledged as the strongest among them.

Quite inspiring.

With the arrival of Li Anlong and Lin Jingzhi, the number of Apex Grandmasters on both sides had become forty-six.

They were especially evenly matched.

The Apex Grandmasters of Great Qian all gave Li Anlong slight bows, counting it as a formal salute.

The hundreds of thousands of Great Qian soldiers below dropped to their knees in perfect unison, and a roar like mountains crashing and seas surging rose up.

"Greetings, Your Majesty!!"

"Greetings, Your Majesty!!"

"Your Majesty!!"

"Majesty!!"

The scene was so enormous that it echoed.

You asked, "Martial Uncle, with nearly a hundred Apex Grandmasters here, wouldn't the heavens collapse and the earth split if they started fighting?"

Hu Zhongxuan turned his head and said strangely, "Fight? They've already finished."

"Huh? When did they fight?!" you cried in shock. "They just struck a few poses in the sky and that counted as fighting? Were they competing to see whose stylist was more capable?!"

You were utterly speechless.

What kind of nonsense was this?

They had not even moved.

Was this some sort of stream-of-consciousness exchange?

I want to see blood flowing into rivers!

Damn it, refund my ticket!!

Hu Zhongxuan explained, "Unless they bear a life-and-death grudge, Apex Grandmasters rarely fight personally. They finally possess two hundred years of lifespan—who would not cherish that?"

You frowned. "If they don't fight, then who does?"

"The armies beneath them fight."

"Then what are they doing?"

"They're dividing the benefits."

You recalled that there had suddenly been a period when the fighting had grown especially intense.

That must have been when the armies on both sides fought their decisive battle.

You had become exceptionally busy then, to the point that your cultivation had been delayed quite a bit.

"Who won?"

"A draw."

"So the benefits are split evenly?"

"Split evenly."

You let out a breath of stale air. "Wonderful. Screw their ancestors for eight generations."

With the arrival of Li Anlong and Lin Jingzhi—

The Apex Grandmasters on both sides finally made their move.

First, one person stepped out from Great Qian's side.

He held a vessel resembling the inner pot of a rice cooker.

The man closed his eyes and sensed for a moment, then immediately flew in one direction.

Only a quarter of an hour later, he had returned.

He brought the rice-cooker inner pot before Li Anlong.

After inspecting it, Li Anlong nodded.

Someone likewise stepped out from the Golden Yue Kingdom's side.

The rice-cooker inner pot in his hand was shaped somewhat differently.

But it was clearly the same type of object.

The Golden Yue Kingdom man also sensed for a moment, flew off for a circuit, and returned.

"Martial Uncle, what are they doing?" you asked.

Bai Chen was also curiously stretching out his neck and pricking up his ears.

"They're collecting earthsource," Hu Zhongxuan said.

You recalled the mass of mist in your space.

A faint guess arose in your heart, but you still asked, "What is earthsource?"

"Earthsource can refine pills and forge artifacts, but its most important use is allowing a Grandmaster Realm expert to become an Apex Grandmaster!"

Your heart shook, but your face remained calm.

You frowned. "Don't Apex Grandmasters cultivate their way up from the Grandmaster Realm?"

Hu Zhongxuan smiled. "No Grandmaster Realm expert can become an Apex Grandmaster through cultivation alone!"

You finally understood why Apex Grandmasters could fly and possess lifespans as long as two hundred years.

In essence, Apex Grandmasters and ordinary martial artists were not even the same species.

If things got bad enough, there might even be reproductive isolation between them.

And all of that was earthsource's doing.

You asked again, "Martial Uncle, what does earthsource look like?"

Hu Zhongxuan answered, "Martial artists below the Apex Grandmaster level cannot see earthsource, but it is said to be a mass of white mist."

You nodded.

You were certain now!

That mass of mist you had stored in your space was earthsource!

This earthsource could actually allow a Grandmaster Realm expert to become an Apex Grandmaster. It was simply too heaven-defying.

You decided that once it was safe, you would definitely study it properly.

Fortunately, the earthsource was stored in your space. Even Apex Grandmasters could not discover it.

You asked again, "Since martial artists below Apex Grandmaster cannot see earthsource, and Grandmaster Realm experts must rely on earthsource to become Apex Grandmasters, where did the first Apex Grandmaster come from?"

Faced with this chicken-or-egg question—

Hu Zhongxuan's CPU was burned dry too.

After staring blankly for a long while, he could only say that he did not know either.

"Martial Uncle, how does earthsource make a Grandmaster Realm expert into an Apex Grandmaster? By absorbing it into the body?"

"No. Through comprehension."

"Comprehension?" you murmured.

"That's right. And not every Grandmaster Realm expert can definitely become an Apex Grandmaster by comprehending earthsource. There have been quite a few failures as well."

"If they fail, can the earthsource still be used by someone else?"

"Yes, but earthsource will dissipate. At most, it can be used by three people for comprehension."

"What would happen if earthsource were given to a martial artist who was not yet in the Grandmaster Realm to comprehend?"

"Nothing would happen. A martial artist who has not even reached the Grandmaster Realm cannot understand earthsource. It is like an illiterate child—they cannot possibly read and understand an article."

"What if they insist on reading it?"

Hu Zhongxuan looked at you oddly. "I don't know either."

"Martial Uncle, one last question. Grandmaster Realm experts cannot see earthsource, so how do they comprehend it?"

"Do you see the vessel in their hands?"

You looked at the two rice-cooker inner pots and nodded.

"When sensing earthsource, there is also a matching vessel. They are all made by Apex Grandmasters."

After that, Hu Zhongxuan told you much more about earthsource.

For instance, the times and locations where earthsource appeared were highly random.

However, before earthsource appeared, its general range could be determined.

This time, the Apex Grandmasters had deduced that earthsource would appear at Yajiang Pass.

That was why the Apex Grandmasters of both nations had gathered here in such joyous company.

The Apex Grandmasters of both nations continued collecting earthsource.

In the end, the Apex Grandmasters of both nations went out six times each.

That meant each side had collected six portions of earthsource.

After the earthsource was collected, the Apex Grandmasters of both nations did not linger and flew away in all directions.

Luan Hanfei, the commander-in-chief of Yajiang Pass, also descended into the army's main tent.

Hu Zhongxuan beside you looked exhilarated.

He did not even have time to speak to you before hurriedly striding into the main tent.

Bai Chen and you looked at each other, then returned to the military medical office.

A grand and stirring Apex Grandmaster battle had ended so blandly before your eyes.

The next day—

After Bai Chen and you finished treating the wounded, you stepped out of the military medical office to rest for a while.

The two of you squatted in a corner by the wall, chatting idly, each with a Zhonghua cigarette clamped between your lips.

At that moment, Hu Zhongxuan passed by.

He looked at Bai Chen and you in surprise. "Why are you two here?"

You looked at Hu Zhongxuan in surprise as well. "We've been busy all day. Can't we come out for a smoke and a rest?"

"No, why haven't you returned to the Danxia Sect?" Hu Zhongxuan hurriedly asked.

You sighed. "Maybe because we enjoy this kind of life—licking blood from a blade's edge, not knowing whether we'll survive until tomorrow, with no tomorrow after today. It definitely isn't because if we ran away, you would drag us back."

"You could have left yesterday! Those Apex Grandmasters had already divided the earthsource. The war is over!"

You froze. "Who said so?"

"Didn't I tell you yesterday?" Hu Zhongxuan asked uncertainly.

You gritted your teeth. "My dear Martial Uncle, you didn't say a damn thing. You just ran off yesterday!!"

Hu Zhongxuan suddenly understood and said embarrassedly, "My fault, my fault. I was too excited yesterday..."

"Damn it! We can finally go back!!" You were beside yourself with excitement and slapped Bai Chen twice hard.

Bai Chen was also thrilled and slapped himself twice as well.

The two of you threw arms around each other's shoulders and skipped back to pack your things.

You quickly finished packing.

You happily bade Hu Zhongxuan farewell. "Martial Uncle, goodbye. I hope we never meet again."

But Hu Zhongxuan merely smiled. "We will meet again."

"No, no." You immediately ran off.

You planned to carefully study that portion of earthsource once you returned to the Danxia Sect.

While this earthsource was inside your space, it was like the food there—it would not undergo the slightest change.

You did not need to worry that the earthsource would dissipate before you reached the Grandmaster Realm.

Before reaching the Grandmaster Realm, you also planned to thoroughly fiddle with this earthsource.

Perhaps there would be some unexpected harvest.

Bai Chen and you soon reached the gates of the main camp.

At that moment, you saw a crowd gathered around the gate.

Most were soldiers from Yajiang Pass.

They were pointing toward the center of the crowd and whispering among themselves.

"Isn't that the Extinction Sect's Holy Maiden? What is she doing standing there?"

"Who knows what she wants? Why don't you go ask?"

"Why don't you go? She could slap me to death with one palm!"

Hearing the conversation, you frowned. "Wan Qingluan?"

"Let's go!" You hurried outside at a brisk pace.

It was best not to provoke people from the Extinction Sect if possible.

There were too many uncertainties surrounding them.

As Bai Chen followed you, he looked toward the crowd. "Senior Brother, what's going on over there?"

"Don't worry about it. She's someone you can't afford to provoke!"

Bai Chen quickly drew back his head. "Senior Brother, how do you know?"

"Don't ask!" you said in a lowered voice.

Bai Chen and you walked straight out of Yajiang Pass's main camp.

Only after you had gone quite far did you dare turn back for a look.

You saw Wan Qingluan standing alone at the camp gate.

Her little face was faintly furrowed as she looked outside, appearing pitiful as though she wanted to leave but did not dare to.

She tested it several times, yet did not dare take that step.

The surrounding soldiers all watched her strangely.

But intimidated by the Extinction Sect's fearsome reputation, none dared go up and provoke her.

At that moment, Wan Qingluan noticed that you were looking at her.

She locked eyes with you.

She looked you over, recalling that you were the one who had used the Phantom Phoenix Stride movement technique yesterday.

Wan Qingluan said nothing, merely watching you in silence.

She looked so pitiful and delicate, sorrow frozen upon her breathtakingly beautiful face, as though she were terrified of everything around her.

You stood there watching her for quite a while before finally gritting your teeth. "Ah! My heart is always too soft!"

You strode over and naturally took Wan Qingluan's hand, as though you had performed this gesture millions upon millions of times before.

"With such a timid personality, why are you still running around outside?!" you rebuked her in a low voice.