In the Primordial Universe, the smallest standard unit of a Cosmic Crystal was a cube ten centimeters long, wide, and high. This was the universally recognized unit of measurement among the various races, and it was also called a Cosmic Coin.
One cubic meter of Cosmic Crystal could be divided into a thousand pieces, also called a thousand Cosmic Crystals or a thousand Cosmic Coins.
Ten cubic meters amounted to one million pieces.
A hundred cubic meters amounted to one billion.
A thousand cubic meters amounted to one trillion.
Now, inside Leo's Space Ring, Wu Sheng had discovered a massive pile of Cosmic Crystals floating quietly.
It was a kilometer long and wide, and only half as tall. By his estimate, it contained at least five hundred billion Cosmic Crystals.
Looking at the dazzling blue crystals piled up like a small mountain, Wu Sheng was like Sun Wukong stumbling into the Peach Garden, drooling at the sight.
"Damn, a horse won't grow fat without night grazing, and a man won't get rich without a windfall! I wouldn't regret dying after a haul like this. I mean, even if all I did was capture Leo, let alone kill him on the spot, seeing this many Cosmic Crystals afterward would make it all worthwhile!"
No matter how strong Wu Sheng's resolve was, he was a little overwhelmed at this moment.
Five hundred billion! Several times more than all the money he had painstakingly earned before. And once he added in the other treasures he'd acquired, this haul had made him a fortune.
All right, stay calm. The time to reap the rewards hasn't come yet. I need to use Leo's identity to separate the two groups first. If this fight goes on, I'll give myself away!
It would have been foolish to keep Leo, who couldn't use Thunder Domain, on the battlefield, so Wu Sheng's thoughts shifted.
Leo's eyes suddenly cleared. With a roar, he beat his wings, stirring up a gale that swept across the sky. One after another, azure wind pillars several meters thick appeared at his command, all aimed straight at Wu Sheng, as if they would crush him in the raging storm.
The Thunder Wing Giant Clan were favored by both the Wind and Thunder Source Laws, and naturally possessed the power to control the wind.
And Wu Sheng, as the "Soul-Devouring Demon Tank," was also favored by the Wind Source Law. Using Leo's body to wield it made the power even greater.
"No good, I can't hold him anymore. He's not only broken free of my illusion, he's even able to fight back!"
Wu Sheng hurriedly fled the area and called out to Li Long on the other side, "Let's retreat for now. With the boost from his Innate Life Core, Leo is a war machine with limitless power. The energy inside him seems endless. If we keep this up, we'll be at a disadvantage."
"All right!" Li Long readily agreed. He swept his spear across Cang Ge, sending him flying into the distance, then shouted, "Fall back! We've already won a great victory today. There's no need to keep fighting them!"
Truthfully, Li Long had wanted to end the fight for some time. As an ordinary Prison Clan Member without an Innate Life Core, he certainly couldn't last as long as Leo.
Besides, they had already achieved their goal. Kadi was dead, and Wu Sheng had joined their side. The balance of power had shifted in an instant.
Even if Leo and the others came back for revenge, Li Long was confident he could handle them with ease. He wouldn't be forced to fight three against one like before.
Events had proven him right. If they hadn't fought today, and Leo and the others had been allowed to grow stronger, Li Long would have been in a very difficult position on his own.
Fortunately, Kadi had died in today's battle, easing the pressure on him considerably. Otherwise, he wouldn't have needed to start this fight at all.
"Roar! Nine Spirits... Society... scum, don't run!"
Leo roared repeatedly from behind, but barely took a step, as though he were letting Li Long and the others leave.
"Leo, let's not chase them. I've nearly used up all the energy in my body, and our men and attendants are close to their limits too. If we keep fighting, we'll suffer heavy losses as well!"
A plant resembling a dandelion appeared. It wasn't a grass but a tree, with lush green leaves and a snow-white sphere at its crown, gleaming with crystalline light. Some of its seeds fell off from time to time and drifted into the distance.
He was Cang Ge of Cangming Valley. Though he was a plant life-form, he still possessed a soul. But he, too, lacked an Innate Life Core. He could last longer than Li Long, but unlike Leo, he couldn't use his energy endlessly.
"All right, then... let's leave... for now. Once I break... through, I'll come... back for revenge!"
A trace of satisfaction flickered in Leo's eyes. He then uttered a few halting threats before immediately ordering the troops to withdraw.
Swoosh!
Li Long smashed the unlucky Sky Grade martial artist from Thunder Star Mountain into dust with a single thrust of his cold spear. He lowered his weapon and stood there in a daze, as if weighed down by endless sorrow.
"Enough. You've always been so reckless. Even if you hadn't met your end today, you'd have gotten yourself into even worse trouble eventually."
After a long while, Li Long sighed. Though he grieved over Li Hu's death, he understood that with Li Hu's habit of making enemies everywhere, he was never going to live long unless he changed.
"I suppose I got revenge for you with my own hands."
While Li Long continued to lament, Wu Sheng, the true instigator, lowered his eyes and kept his thoughts to himself.
Li Hu had been targeting him in the first place, so Wu Sheng didn't feel he had done anything wrong by setting him up to be killed. If he could go back and do it again, he'd do the same.
That was how he survived, and it was also the reason he'd begun cultivating his mind.
He wouldn't kill indiscriminately, and he could even sympathize with others—but only if they posed no threat to him.
If he had to overflow with sympathy for his enemies and preach that anyone who laid down their weapons could instantly become a Buddha, that would be a real joke.
"Here. There's a full two hundred billion Cosmic Crystals in this Space Ring. You earned them."
Li Long came back to his senses and tossed Wu Sheng a Space Ring. Inside was another mountain of Cosmic Crystals, a kilometer long and wide but only two hundred meters tall.
"This Space Ring is a little over a kilometer in length, width, and height, so it doesn't count as trial equipment. You can take it out of the Trial Ground, so you may as well have it too." Li Long sighed. "Leo and the others won't dare pursue us now. Take the chance to recover your energy. I had a few insights during this fight, so I'll be in seclusion for a while too."
With that, Li Long went into his own cave.
To him, these Cosmic Crystals were certainly precious, and had been bestowed on him by the higher-ups of his clan. But given his standing in the Nine Spirits Society, they wouldn't make any difference to him in the end.
As for the Space Ring, it was probably worth only two or three hundred million Cosmic Crystals. It might be worth a fortune to some Cosmic Level powerhouses or poorer Domain Lords, who might even fight desperately over it. But to a wealthier Domain Lord or an heir from a great family like Li Long, it was hardly a big deal.
Besides, Li Long believed Wu Sheng was worth cultivating a relationship with.
"Heh, looks like I can do this kind of deal more often. It's a win-win!"
Looking at the silver-white Space Ring in his hand, Wu Sheng thought excitedly.
Li Long had won. He'd not only "avenged" Li Hu but also taken out Kadi, all for the price of some Cosmic Crystals given to him by his clan.
Wu Sheng had won too. Li Hu was dead, removing a major threat, and he'd unexpectedly gained a fortune while improving his standing.
Everyone had gotten what they wanted!
Right, there's still one debtor who hasn't paid up. One billion Cosmic Crystals isn't much, but even the smallest bit of meat is still meat!