Distribution of Benefits

"Li Anlong!"

You recalled the legends surrounding this legendary emperor.

Not all emperors of Great Qian were Apex Grandmasters.

Throughout Great Qian's thousands of years of history, there were only a handful of emperors who were Apex Grandmasters, countable on one hand.

Li Anlong was widely recognized as the strongest among them.

Quite inspiring.

With the arrival of Li Anlong and Lin Jingzhi, both nations now had forty-six Apex Grandmasters.

A remarkably even match.

The Apex Grandmasters on Great Qian's side bowed slightly towards Li Anlong, offering a greeting.

Hundreds of thousands of Great Qian soldiers on the ground knelt in unison, their voices rising like a tidal wave.

"Greetings, Your Majesty!!"

"See His Majesty!!"

"Your Majesty!!"

"Majesty!!"

The vast space caused an echo.

You asked, "Uncle-Master, with nearly a hundred Apex Grandmasters here, won't it be apocalyptic when they start fighting?"

Hu Zhongxuan turned his head, looking surprised. "Fighting? It's already over."

"Huh? When did it happen?!" you exclaimed. "Are they done just because they struck a few poses in the sky? Is it a competition for the best stylist?!"

You were speechless.

What was this?

They hadn't even moved.

Was this some kind of stream-of-consciousness battle?

I want to see rivers of blood!

Refund my ticket!

Hu Zhongxuan explained, "Apex Grandmasters rarely act personally unless there's a mortal enmity. With a lifespan of nearly two hundred years, who would waste it?"

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

"We, the soldiers below."

"Then what are they doing?"

"They're dividing the spoils."

You remembered a period when the battle situation suddenly became incredibly intense.

That must have been when the armies on both sides were fighting the decisive battle.

You became extremely busy then, even neglecting your cultivation for a considerable time.

"Who won?"

"A draw."

"Dividing the spoils equally?"

"Equally."

You exhaled a breath of turbid air. "Very well, screw them and their ancestors."

With the arrival of Li Anlong and Lin Jingzhi, The Apex Grandmasters on both sides finally made a move.

First, someone walked out from Great Qian's side.

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

The person closed his eyes, sensed something, and then immediately flew off in a certain direction.

In just half an hour, he had returned.

He presented the rice cooker inner pot to Li Anlong.

After Li Anlong inspected it, he nodded.

A person also walked out from the Golden Yue Kingdom's side.

The rice cooker inner pot in his hand had a slightly different shape.

But it was clear they were the same type of item.

The person from the Golden Yue Kingdom also sensed for a moment before flying out and returning after a brief circuit.

"Uncle-Master, what are they doing?" you asked.

[Bai Chen also curiously stretched his neck, bringing his ear closer.]

["They're collecting Earth Source," Hu Zhongxuan said.]

[You remembered the ball of mist in your spatial dimension.]

[You had a faint guess in your heart, but still asked, "What is Earth Source?"]

["Earth Source can be used to refine pills and artifacts, but its most important use is to allow a Grandmaster to become an Apex Grandmaster!"]

[You were shocked inwardly, but maintained a calm expression on your face.]

[You frowned, "Don't Apex Grandmasters become Apex Grandmasters through cultivation?"]

[Hu Zhongxuan smiled, "No Grandmaster can become an Apex Grandmaster through cultivation!"]

[You finally understood why Apex Grandmasters could fly and had lifespans of up to two hundred years.]

[Essentially, Apex Grandmasters and ordinary martial artists were no longer the same species.]

[It was almost as if they had reproductive isolation.]

[And all of this was thanks to Earth Source.]

[You asked again, "Uncle-Master, what does Earth Source look like?"]

[Hu Zhongxuan replied, "Martial artists below the Apex Grandmaster level cannot see Earth Source, but it's said to be a ball of white mist."]

[You nodded.]

[You were sure!]

[The ball of mist you put into your spatial dimension was indeed a source of Earth Source!]

[For Earth Source to be able to turn a Grandmaster into an Apex Grandmaster, it was far too heaven-defying.]

[You decided to study it thoroughly once you were safe.]

[Fortunately, the Earth Source was stored in your spatial dimension, and even Apex Grandmasters couldn't detect it.]

[You asked again, "Since Earth Source cannot be seen by martial artists below the Apex Grandmaster level, and Grandmasters must rely on Earth Source to become Apex Grandmasters, where did the first Apex Grandmaster come from?"]

[Facing this chicken-or-egg question,]

[Hu Zhongxuan's CPU seemed to have short-circuited.]

[He was stunned for a long time and could only say he didn't know.]

["Uncle-Master, how does Earth Source allow Grandmasters to become Apex Grandmasters? Do they absorb it into their bodies?"]

["No, it's through comprehension."]

["Comprehension?" you murmured.]

["Yes, and not all Grandmasters can become Apex Grandmasters by comprehending Earth Source; there are quite a few failed cases."]

["If they fail, can the Earth Source be used by others?"]

["Yes, but the Earth Source will dissipate. It can only be used for comprehension by at most three people."]

["What happens if Earth Source is given to martial artists who are not Grandmasters to comprehend?"]

["Nothing will happen. Martial artists who aren't even Grandmasters cannot understand Earth Source, just like a child who can't read cannot understand an essay."]

["What if they force it?"]

[Hu Zhongxuan looked at you strangely, "I don't know."]

["Uncle-Master, one last question. Grandmasters can't see Earth Source, so how do they comprehend it?"]

["Do you see the artifact in their hands?"]

[You looked at the two inner pots of the rice cooker and nodded.]

["When sensing Earth Source, there is also a matching artifact. They are all manufactured by Apex Grandmasters."]

[Afterward, Hu Zhongxuan told you many more things about Earth Source.]

[For example, the time and place of Earth Source's appearance were very random.]

[However, the general area could be determined before Earth Source appeared.]

[This time, Apex Grandmasters had deduced that Earth Source would appear at Yajiang Pass.]

[That's why the Apex Grandmasters from both countries were gathered here.]

[The Apex Grandmasters from both countries were also collecting Earth Source.]

[Finally, the Apex Grandmasters from both countries went out to scout six times each.]

[Meaning, each side had collected six sources of Earth Source.]

[After the Earth Source was collected, the Apex Grandmasters from both countries no longer lingered and flew off in all directions.]

[Luan Hanfei, the General of Yajiang Pass, also landed in the military tent.]

[Hu Zhongxuan, standing beside you, looked excited.]

[He was too busy to even speak to you and hurried into the large tent.]

You and Bai Chen exchanged glances and returned to the military medical department.

It seemed a grand battle between Apex Grandmasters was ending anticlimactically.

The next day.

After tending to the wounded, you and Bai Chen walked out of the military medical department for a break.

You two were squatting in a corner, chatting, a Zhonghua cigarette dangling from each of your mouths.

Just then, Hu Zhongxuan walked by.

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

You looked back at Hu Zhongxuan, equally surprised. "We've been busy all day. Can't we come out for a smoke break?"

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

You sighed. "Maybe it's because we just love living on the edge, with no guarantee of tomorrow, no idea if we'll make it past today. It's definitely not because we'd be dragged back if we ran."

"You could have left yesterday. All the Apex Grandmasters have divided the Earth Source, the war is over!"

You froze. "Who said that?"

"Didn't I tell you yesterday?" Hu Zhongxuan sounded uncertain.

You gritted your teeth. "My good martial uncle, you're talking nonsense. You ran off yesterday!!"

Hu Zhongxuan suddenly realized. "My bad, my bad. I was too excited yesterday..."

"Damn it! We can finally go back!!" You were incredibly excited and slapped Bai Chen hard twice.

Bai Chen was also excited and slapped himself twice.

You two slung arms around each other and went back to pack your things, hopping and skipping.

You quickly finished packing.

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

Hu Zhongxuan smiled. "We will meet again."

"Later, later." You took off immediately.

You planned to meticulously study that Earth Source once you returned to the Danxia Sect.

While in Space, this Earth Source remained unchanged, just like the food.

You didn't have to worry about the Earth Source dissipating before you reached the Grandmaster level.

You intended to thoroughly work on this Earth Source before becoming a Grandmaster.

Perhaps there would be unexpected gains.

You and Bai Chen soon reached the entrance of the main camp.

At that moment, you saw a crowd gathered at the entrance.

Most of them were soldiers from Yajiang Pass.

They were pointing and whispering amongst themselves.

"Isn't that the Saintess of the Extinction Sect? What is she doing standing here?"

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

"Why don't you go? She could kill me with a single palm strike!"

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

"Let's go quickly!" You hurried out.

It was best to avoid people from the Extinction Sect if possible.

They were far too unpredictable.

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

"Don't mind it. Someone you can't afford to provoke!"

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

"Don't mind it!" you whispered.

You and Bai Chen walked straight out of the Yajiang Pass main camp.

You didn't dare to look back until you were quite far away.

You saw Wan Qingluan standing alone at the camp entrance.

Her small face was slightly furrowed as she looked outwards, appearing pitiful, as if she wanted to leave but dared not.

She had tried several times but didn't dare to take that step.

The surrounding soldiers watched her strangely.

But out of respect for the Extinction Sect's reputation, no one dared to provoke her.

At this moment, Wan Qingluan also noticed you looking at her.

[She met your gaze directly]

[She looked at you, remembering you were the one who used the Phantom Phoenix Stride yesterday]

[Wan Qingluan didn't speak, just watched you quietly]

[She looked pitiful, her breathtakingly beautiful face etched with sorrow, appearing terrified of her surroundings]

[You stood there for a good while, finally gritting your teeth: "Sigh! I'm always too soft-hearted!"]

[You walked over quickly, naturally taking Wan Qingluan's hand, as if you had done it countless times before]

["If you're so scared, why did you run out here anyway?!" you chided in a low voice]