At that moment, the battle in the academy's grand arena was all but over. The lingering afterglow of spirit energy lent the mist blanketing the scene a faint, dark-golden hue.
It should have been a beautiful, even sacred sight. But perhaps because of the resentment left behind by the Void Realm, a bone-chilling cold still hung over the place. The once-pristine green lawn of the grand arena had been reduced to scattered patches by charred craters and frozen frost.
Yet amid the wreckage, besides the still-burning embers, spirit light pulsed and gathered. Physical matter infused with mysterious power was crystallizing among the stars.
And so, amid the icy aftermath of battle, an inexplicable air of harvest and celebration had emerged.
The head of the Spirit Research Society and the young lady of the Earl of Yongdi's house were hard at work, as if harvesting crops.
The former was using mental control to direct more than twenty Huangjin strongmen resembling Tantai Jing—though they were actually paper figures just over a meter tall. Guided by Gongsun Qing's spiritual senses, they cleared rubble from the arena, dug through frost and scorched earth, separated the tiny zero-element fragments, sorted them, and packed them into boxes.
Some Huangjin strongmen were already bustling in and out like diligent laborers, pushing carts and carrying professional zero-element sealing equipment. Aside from the yellow paper figures looking a little unscientific, everything seemed quite professional.
As for the sturdy barriers before the distant tiered stands, thick enough to serve as battleship armor, several had collapsed, leaving behind a mess of explosions and scorch marks.
Fortunately, Mr. Beryliu Hewen, who had been supporting the fighters from the stands, was unharmed.
Tantai Jing and Gongsun Qing only had to focus on killing the enemy in the arena, then busy themselves collecting the