Jiang Ming looked at the Fire God Crystal in Marquis Flame Abyss's hand, and his heart trembled.
As an Immortal level strategic resource, the Fire God Crystal was something even Jiang Ming's current authority could not access. Yet even without being able to look it up, he could roughly guess its value.
This kind of ultimate weapon capable of threatening an Immortal level being would cost thousands of Chaos Units even at the lowest quality.
Anything slightly better would be worth tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of Chaos Units.
Jiang Ming could not judge the quality of the Fire God Crystal in Marquis Flame Abyss's hand, but even the lowest-grade Fire God Crystal was beyond anything he could covet at present.
"All right, take it. Cultivate well. I look forward to your performance in the Universe Genius Battle."
Marquis Flame Abyss handed the Fire God Crystal to Jiang Ming, speaking with a smile.
Jiang Ming's future had already surpassed the bounds of her imagination. When Man Luo had first introduced him to her, he had merely described a Stellar level warrior with a Ninefold Domain, suspected of possessing a high-grade bloodline and a mysterious background.
He had also said that Jiang Ming's growth rate was astonishing, describing the progress he had made in comprehending Laws during this recent period.
He had asked her to take Jiang Ming as her student.
At the time, Marquis Flame Abyss had agreed partly out of consideration for Man Luo and partly out of curiosity about how a talent like Jiang Ming could emerge from a backwater like the Black Dragon Mountain Empire.
A Stellar level genius who had comprehended the Ninefold Domain was talented enough to rank among the top thousand in the Ganwu Universe Country.
More importantly, Man Luo's description of Jiang Ming's improvement had been simply astonishing. He seemed to change every day, as though he underwent a transformation at every interval.
Even so, Marquis Flame Abyss had not initially intended to accept him as her student. Only after meeting him, exchanging a few words, and judging Jiang Ming's grasp of the Laws—
did she finally take him in with satisfaction.
At the time, she had merely believed Jiang Ming had a chance of becoming immortal. But as his talent continued to reveal itself—
Marquis Flame Abyss's evaluation of him continued to rise, from having a chance of becoming immortal to having a chance of reaching the Marquis level, climbing higher and higher.
By now, Marquis Flame Abyss could no longer judge Jiang Ming's future.
Over her long life, Jiang Ming had already surpassed every Stellar level genius within her understanding.
"Master, Crimson Flame Continent currently has 6.4 million residents and must pay one million Cosmic Coins every hundred years.
"Trade taxes, port taxes, exploitable mineral resources, local specialties, real estate, cultivation rooms, and so on...
"Total: 0.8 Chaos Units."
Inside a vast hall, Jiang Ming sat upon a golden throne and listened as Crimson Flame gave her report.
"0.8 Chaos Units?"
Jiang Ming felt that figure was somewhat low, but he quickly understood.
Such territories brought long-term returns, accumulated over tens of thousands or millions of years.
At 0.8 Chaos Units every hundred years, that would be 80 Chaos Units in ten thousand years, and eight thousand Chaos Units in a million years.
And compared to Flame Abyss Star and Marquis Flame Abyss's lifespan, a hundred million years was no more than the blink of an eye.
"No wonder Experts start managing territories once they reach a certain stage. The accumulation of resources may not be fast, but given enough time, the wealth becomes considerable."
Jiang Ming had never fully understood why even Experts accustomed to traveling alone would begin managing their own forces after reaching a certain stage.
Only now, after receiving the financial report for Crimson Flame Continent, did he understand what it meant for wealth to flow in endlessly.
A single star field could cost anywhere from one thousand to several thousand Chaos Units.
But as long as it was not managed too poorly, the investment could be recovered within a few million years.
Of course, that was on the condition that it was managed well.
"As long as you're strong enough, making money really is easy."
Looking at the report in his hand, Jiang Ming could roughly estimate how much wealth Flame Abyss Star provided Marquis Flame Abyss every hundred years.
However, the current Flame Abyss Star was the result of Marquis Flame Abyss's management over endless years. In the beginning, its profits had certainly been far inferior to what they were now.
Managing a territory required enormous investment.
From the territory's financial report, Jiang Ming saw not only the endless stream of income but also the terrifying strength of his Teacher.
Having developed Flame Abyss Star to this extent, she must have attracted no small number of covetous eyes.
No wonder Flame Abyss Star had likely contributed greatly to Teacher being granted her title.
At the same time, however, Jiang Ming felt somewhat puzzled.
"Is Teacher being a little too generous?"
Jiang Ming asked Crimson Flame.
Once an Intelligent life acknowledged a Master, it would be absolutely loyal. Thus, there was nothing inappropriate about Jiang Ming directly asking Crimson Flame about Marquis Flame Abyss.
"Old Master may be planning to venture into the universe, which is why she gave Crimson Flame Continent to you."
A trace of sorrow appeared on Crimson Flame's face. Although she was absolutely loyal to Jiang Ming after acknowledging him as Master, she still had feelings for Marquis Flame Abyss.
Hearing Crimson Flame's answer, Jiang Ming immediately understood.
Venturing into the universe was a gamble, and it was common to settle one's inheritance beforehand.
Marquis Flame Abyss's other Disciples and clansmen could not bear the burden of inheriting her legacy. Instead, Jiang Ming, her weakest student, was the one most likely to smoothly take over what she left behind.
As for Marquis Flame Abyss planning to venture into the universe, Jiang Ming was not particularly surprised.
Even an immortal with infinite life would undergo changes in mentality after being stuck at a bottleneck for hundreds of millions of years without advancing in the slightest.
And under the stimulation of life-and-death adventures, Experts were most likely to break through.
After thinking for a while, Jiang Ming temporarily put the matter aside.
As an immortal with infinite life, Marquis Flame Abyss viewed time differently from Jiang Ming. What she considered soon might be measured in tens of thousands of years.
Perhaps Jiang Ming would have already grown strong by the time Marquis Flame Abyss finally set out.
With that thought, Jiang Ming immediately rose and flew toward the base of the tower.
This tower had been forged by an Immortal Expert proficient in smithing at Marquis Flame Abyss's request. At its base was a cultivation room effective even for Marquis Flame Abyss.
Upon entering the cultivation room, Jiang Ming immediately felt that the Flame Origin Law around him had become much clearer, while traces of Space Laws also circulated faintly through the room.
This cultivation room extended deep into the core of the earth of Flame Abyss Star. It was the place on Flame Abyss Star with the best effect for comprehending Laws.
Time Laws fluctuations circulated around Jiang Ming as the Wheel of Time condensed within his body.
As a symbol of his talent, the Wheel of Time had no physical form and could condense anywhere.
Previously, Jiang Ming had needed it to absorb external energy, so he had chosen to condense it outside his body.
Jiang Ming held the Fire God Crystal and used the Wheel of Time to draw its vast power into himself.
The Fire God Crystal had been condensed from the immense divine power of a flame immortal. Its level of power was unimaginably high to Jiang Ming.
If he placed his consciousness upon it, it would be annihilated in an instant. There was no other possibility.
Only by drawing upon it through the Wheel of Time could Jiang Ming come into indirect contact with it.
As the Fire God Crystal's energy poured in, the Wheel of Time within Jiang Ming began spinning madly.
The flow of time increased tenfold, a hundredfold, a thousandfold, three thousandfold, six thousandfold, until it reached ten thousandfold!
Under the ten-thousandfold flow of time, Jiang Ming began the longest seclusion of his life.
When he emerged, he would surely amaze the entire universe!
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