Aftermath and Collecting Money

In the Primordial Universe, the smallest standard unit of a Cosmic Crystal is a cube measuring 10 centimeters in length, width, and height—this is the universally recognized unit of measurement for Cosmic Crystals, also known as a Cosmic Coin.

One cubic meter of Cosmic Crystal can be divided into 1,000 pieces, also called 1,000 Cosmic Crystals or 1,000 Cosmic Coins.

10 cubic meters equals 1 million pieces.

100 cubic meters equals 1 billion.

1,000 cubic meters equals 1 trillion.

Now, inside Leo's spatial ring, Wu Sheng discovered a massive chunk of Cosmic Crystal quietly floating within.

It measured a full kilometer in length and width, but only half that in height, amounting to at least 500 billion Cosmic Crystals.

Seeing so many brilliant blue Cosmic Crystals piled up like a small mountain, Wu Sheng felt like the Monkey King stumbling into the Peach Garden—drooling with greed.

"Damn it, a horse won't fatten without night feed, and a man won't get rich without windfall! Even if this job only meant keeping Leo under control, or even killing him on the spot, if I could see this many Cosmic Crystals afterward, I'd die without regrets!"

No matter how firm Wu Sheng's resolve, at this moment he was going a little crazy.

500 billion—that was several times the wealth he had painstakingly earned before. If he factored in the other treasures gained from this job, he had hit the jackpot.

"Mm, stay calm! It's not time to reap the rewards yet. I need to use Leo's identity to separate these two factions. If this fight drags on, I'll expose my weakness!"

Keeping Leo, who couldn't activate the Thunder Domain, on this battlefield any longer was foolish. So Wu Sheng made a move.

In an instant, Leo's eyes cleared, and he let out a roar. With a flap of his wings, he stirred up a raging gale, summoning green wind pillars several meters thick, all aimed at Wu Sheng as if to crush him in the violent storm.

The Thunder Wing Giant race were favored children of both the Wind and Thunder Source Laws, naturally possessing the power to control the wind.

And Wu Sheng, this "Soul-Devouring Demon Tank," was also a favored child of the Wind Source Law. Using Leo's body to execute the technique only made it more powerful.

"No good, I can't trap him anymore. Not only did he break free from my illusion, but he can even counterattack."

Wu Sheng quickly fled, calling out to Li Long on the other side: "Let's retreat first. With the support of his Innate Life Core, this Leo is a war machine with unlimited power. His internal energy seems inexhaustible. If we keep this up, it'll work against us."

"Fine!" Li Long was decisive. He swept Cang Ge away with a horizontal strike of his spear, sending him flying into the distance, then shouted:

"We're pulling back! Today is already a great victory. No need to keep grinding them down!"

In truth, Li Long had wanted to stop fighting long ago. As an ordinary Prison Clan Member without an Innate Life Core, his endurance was certainly inferior to Leo's.

Besides, his goal was already achieved. With Kadi dead and Wu Sheng joining his side, the balance of power had instantly shifted.

Even if Leo and his group came back for revenge, he was confident he could handle them easily—unlike before, when he had to fight three enemies alone.

And sure enough, if this battle hadn't happened today, once Leo and the other two fully matured, he would have been in a very passive position alone.

Fortunately, with Kadi dead in today's fight, the pressure on him had dropped sharply. Otherwise, he wouldn't have even needed to start this battle.

"Roar! You... Nine Spirits... Society scum, don't run!"

Leo kept roaring from behind, but his steps barely moved, as if letting Li Long and the others leave.

"Leo, let's not chase. My energy is almost depleted too, and my team members and retainers are nearing their limits. If we keep fighting, we'll suffer heavy casualties as well!"

A plant resembling a dandelion appeared—not grass, but a tree. Its leaves were a vivid, dripping green, and its upper half bore a snow-white spherical object that shimmered with crystalline light, occasionally shedding pieces that drifted into the distance.

He was Cang Ge of Cangming Valley, a plant-type lifeform, but he too possessed a soul. However, he also lacked an Innate Life Core. Though his endurance was slightly better than Li Long's, he was nothing like Leo, whose internal energy seemed never-ending.

"Alright, then... let's withdraw from here first. Once... I break through... I'll definitely... come back for revenge!"

A hint of satisfaction flickered in Leo's eyes. He spat out a few broken threats, then immediately ordered a retreat.

Chi!

Li Long's icy spear smashed the unlucky Sky Grade martial artist from Thunder Star Mountain into dust. He then withdrew his spear and stood still, staring blankly, as if lost in endless melancholy.

"Forget it. You were always this reckless. Even without today's calamity, you would have stirred up even bigger trouble sooner or later."

After a long pause, Li Long sighed softly. Though grief and anger over Li Hu's death filled his heart, he understood that a personality like Li Hu's—always offending people—was destined to live a short life if it never changed.

"At least I avenged you myself."

While Li Long was lost in his reflections, the instigator, Wu Sheng, kept his eyes on his nose, his nose on his mouth, and his mouth on his heart.

Li Hu had targeted him first, so killing him by trickery didn't feel wrong at all. If time rewound, he would do it again.

This was his way of survival, and the original intent of his cultivation.

He wouldn't kill indiscriminately, and he could even sympathize with others—but only if they posed no threat to him.

If he were to blindly pity his enemies, preaching about putting down the butcher's knife and becoming a Buddha on the spot, that would be a real joke.

"Here. This spatial ring holds 200 billion Cosmic Crystals. It's your due."

Li Long snapped back to reality and tossed a spatial ring to Wu Sheng. Inside was another small mountain of Cosmic Crystals, a kilometer in length and width, but only two hundred meters high.

"This spatial ring is a bit over a kilometer in length, width, and height. It's not part of the trial equipment, so you can take it out of the Trial Ground. I'm giving it to you as well." Li Long shook his head and sighed. "Now that Leo and his group don't dare to pursue, take the chance to recover your energy. I've gained some insights from this battle and need to go into seclusion for a while."

With that, Li Long entered his own cave dwelling.

To him, these Cosmic Crystals were certainly precious, granted by the higher-ups of his clan, but given his status in the Nine Spirits Society, it wouldn't affect him in the slightest.

As for that spatial ring, its value was probably only two or three hundred million Cosmic Crystals. To those Cosmic Level experts or poorer Domain Lords, it might be worth a considerable sum, even enough to drive them to desperate fights. But to a wealthier Domain Lord or someone like Li Long, who came from a major family background, it really wasn't a big deal.

Besides, Li Long believed that Wu Sheng was worth forming such a connection with now.

"Heh heh, looks like this kind of deal is worth doing more often—it's a complete win-win!"

Wu Sheng looked at the silver-white spatial ring in his hand, thinking excitedly.

Li Long had won. Not only had he "avenged" Li Hu, but he had also eliminated Kadi, paying only some Cosmic Crystals granted by his clan.

He himself had won too. Li Hu was dead, removing a major hidden threat, and he had unexpectedly gained a huge sum of money while also boosting his own standing.

Everyone simply took what they needed!

"Hmm, there's still one debtor who hasn't paid up. Ten billion Cosmic Crystals—though it's not much, even a mosquito's leg is still meat!"