The Sage Emperor was once the supreme leader among the five giants of the Tianmo Alliance a thousand years ago, a revered predecessor to all of us Eastern Sea cultivators. Furthermore, it was the Sage Emperor who personally drove out the Ghost Lord and the Ghost Cultivators occupying this city. Therefore, the distribution of the ancient treasury on this island should rightfully be overseen by Senior Sage Emperor; our sect has no objections whatsoever."

Sect Master Yu appeared somewhat awkward, pausing for a moment of contemplation before adopting an air of refined nonchalance, his smile strained.

He understood perfectly well that the Sage Emperor’s inquiry was merely a gesture of respect toward the Northern Sect Master of the Tiandao Alliance, not a genuine request for his opinion.

In the cultivation world, strength dictates reverence. The spoils of war have always been distributed under the supervision of the strongest individual present. In the current situation, it was evident to all that the Sage Emperor, possessing the greatest strength, had already secured control, and none dared challenge him further.

Sect Master Yu had initially intended to leverage his status as the Northern Sect Master of the Tiandao Alliance to command the distribution of the treasury's contents. However, having that authority swiftly stripped away by the Sage Emperor left him profoundly slighted, his smile a mask for deep resentment.

Yet, maintaining appearances, he continued to show immense deference to the Sage Emperor, careful not to offend.

It wasn't that he lacked the courage to be forceful; it simply wasn't necessary.

The Sage Emperor's decision to divide all the contents of the ancient treasury was ultimately advantageous for the White Floating Palace as well. Since the White Floating Palace stood to benefit without incurring any blame, Sect Master Yu, after weighing the pros and cons, naturally conceded.

Before the Sage Emperor, whose seniority and might surpassed his own, losing a little face over a minor matter was acceptable. Among the five sect masters of the Tiandao Alliance and the five giants of the Tianmo Alliance, his strength was not insignificant, but his temperament was famously the mildest.

The Sage Emperor was pleased to see that Sect Master Yu was perceptive enough not to contest his authority over the treasury distribution.

He then turned his gaze toward the Nascent Soul cultivators and declared, "Esteemed friends," all of you contributed significantly during the battle against the ghost cultivators of this island, and thus you all qualify to receive a portion of the treasury’s wealth. The division of the spoils will be determined based on the current strength of each faction. Those with lesser strength have only themselves to blame."

Although it was phrased as a question, his tone carried an undeniable authority.

The Sage Emperor already had his strategy mapped out.

The Sage Emperor's Palace could not possibly devour the entire ancient treasury alone; that would create enemies on all sides.

His purpose in coming to this Desolate Spirit Island was not to accumulate adversaries. Rather, it was to acquire vast wealth, win over the hearts of cultivators, and rebuild the Sage Emperor's Palace.

By decisively defeating the Ghost Lord, his power had been unequivocally displayed, achieving the goal of establishing his dominance. Utilizing the ancient treasury of the Tiandao Alliance and the Tianmo Alliance—dispensing the wealth of others—to rally the major powers, especially the cultivators from the Sea of Blood, was the perfect next step.

Employing both coercion and benevolence would undoubtedly benefit the reconstruction of the Sage Emperor’s Palace.

Since even Sect Master Yu did not object to the Sage Emperor’s proposal, the other Nascent Soul cultivators dared not voice any dissent. As for the Golden Core cultivators, none even dared to utter a sound.

True Man Dongyang glanced back toward the Nascent Soul cultivators aligned with the Sea of Blood faction.

The Nascent Soul cultivators aboard the Sea of Blood ships were overwhelmingly delighted.

True Man Dongyang respectfully addressed the Sage Emperor, "We, the cultivators of the Sea of Blood, willingly abide by the arrangements of Senior Sage Emperor! We blood-sea cultivators were initially concerned about unfair allocation, which is why we were indignant. This distribution by the Sage Emperor is, naturally, the best possible outcome!"

"Indeed, we blood-sea cultivators are the closest to this location and exerted considerable effort. Our strength is no less than that of the Eastern Sea cultivators. As long as the distribution is equitable, none of us have cause for complaint."

"Sect Master Yu previously only considered the interests of the Tiandao Alliance and Tianmo Alliance cultivators, disregarding us Sea of Blood cultivators entirely, even attempting to exclude us from the distribution—that is absolutely unacceptable! We are prepared to support the Sage Emperor!"

"The Ghost Lord was driven away by the Sage Emperor. We exerted little effort yet receive a share of the treasury; we are naturally quite satisfied!"

"If the Sage Emperor is willing to accept us, many of us Nascent Soul rogue cultivators have no fixed abode and are willing to follow the Sage Emperor’s command!"

Some rogue cultivators from the Sea of Blood even began contemplating pledging allegiance to the Sage Emperor's Palace. After all, a late-stage Nascent Soul Peak cultivator possessing the Sage Emperor's level of power was exceedingly rare in the Eastern Sea cultivation world—sufficient to rival, or even surpass, the five Tiandao Alliance sect masters and the five Tianmo Alliance giants.

"Our Immortal Palaces of the Tiandao Alliance are prepared to strictly adhere to the arrangements of Senior Sage Emperor!"

"The Sage Emperor's arrangement could not be better. Our Immortal Palaces of the Tianmo Alliance have no objections; we will defer entirely to Senior Sage Emperor’s arrangements."

The Nascent Soul Ancestors of the various Immortal Palaces belonging to the Tiandao Alliance and the Tianmo Alliance, while vexed about conceding some treasures to the Sea of Blood cultivators, realized they weren't suffering too great a loss under the Sage Emperor's division. After slight hesitation and internal consultation, they all consented.

"Since everyone agrees, let us proceed to the City Library to retrieve the contents of the ancient treasury for distribution,"

The Sage Emperor swept his divine sense across all present cultivators, assessing the strength of each faction, and stated this plainly before instructing Elder Song of the Sage Emperor’s Palace, along with a subordinate of Sect Master Yu, a cultivator from the Tianmo Alliance, and a cultivator from the Sea of Blood—one Nascent Soul representative from each major power—to enter the treasury and inventory the contents.

Once the inventory was complete, the division would commence based on the strength of each faction.

The Sage Emperor himself transformed into a streak of golden light and descended onto the barge palace ship.

"Greetings, Sage Emperor!"

"Ancestral Grandfather..."

Yin Lingsu, along with the surrounding Nascent Soul and Golden Core cultivators, rushed forward to greet the Sage Emperor as he returned to the ship, their expressions filled with fervor and profound respect.

Ye Qin and Huangfu Bing'er were also among the crowd on the ship, yet they maintained an unusually low profile.

"Young friend Ye, you are an elder of the Purple Sword Palace; do you also desire a share of the ancient treasury's contents? If so, I shall instruct Elder Song to arrange a portion for you."

The Sage Emperor scanned the crowd, his calm gaze settling upon Ye Qin.

Ye Qin inwardly started. He couldn't discern whether the Sage Emperor intended this as a benevolent gesture of recruitment or if suspicion had led him to test Ye Qin.

However, Ye Qin knew the Sage Emperor could not possibly grasp the full extent of his secrets; at most, he harbored some doubt.

Ye Qin forced himself forward, adopting a look of wry helplessness, and bowed slightly. "Senior Sage Emperor, you jest. Although this junior is an elder of the Purple Sword Palace, I am merely a mid-stage Golden Core cultivator, and I am alone here. If the top-tier treasures from the treasury are distributed among so many Nascent Soul ancestors from various Immortal Palaces, there might not be enough to go around, let alone reach my humble portion. As for ordinary goods, they hold little interest for me; whether I receive them or not makes little difference."

"Senior Sage Emperor, my husband and I have been investigating this island for some time. My husband is under a mandate to collect intelligence from the Sea of Blood and must return to the Purple Sword Palace to report. Since the danger on this island is resolved, and the cultivators await the Sage Emperor to preside over the division of the ancient treasury’s wealth, it would be inappropriate for my husband and me to impose further upon the Sage Emperor’s Palace. We humbly take our leave now and will depart shortly!"

Huangfu Bing'er also performed a courteous bow, speaking calmly.

"You refuse? Very well... If you have matters requiring attention, you may depart first!"

The Sage Emperor frowned slightly upon hearing this but said nothing more.

He did harbor certain questions. What exactly was Ye Qin doing on this island? Had he entered the treasury? Was the Ghost Lord's violent attack on the ship related to this?

Yet, he could detect no connection between Ye Qin and the Ghost Lord, nor could he fathom why the Ghost Lord would act so frantically.

After all, no one would ever suspect that the late-stage Nascent Soul Peak Ghost Lord would be involved with a mid-stage Golden Core cultivator. Linking the two cultivators, whose power disparity was so vast, seemed utterly absurd and forced.

The Sage Emperor was not inherently suspicious, so he did not hinder Ye Qin and his companion’s departure from the ship.

"We thank Senior Sage Emperor!"

Ye Qin and Huangfu Bing'er bowed once more, bid farewell to the Sage Emperor, and then departed the ship using the Dark Cloud Barrier.

"Husband, how will we leave this island and return to the ancient ship base? This location is more than ten days’ journey from the base. The Sea of Blood might be chaotic during this time. What if we encounter Nascent Soul cultivators or Ghost Cultivators hijacking us midway? I fear we might not escape."

Huangfu Bing'er voiced her concern through divine sense transmission.

"No matter. Come with me; we must first find Sun Xing and borrow his Azure Luo Silk Canopy."

Ye Qin stated after a brief moment of thought.

Ye Qin and Sun Xing had separated earlier, fleeing in different directions, because they hadn't anticipated such a massive influx of Nascent Soul cultivators descending upon Desolate Spirit Island. But now... there were too many Nascent Soul cultivators along the path, making it perilous.

"Sun Xing? This island is vast; he will surely be in hiding. How do we find him?"

Huangfu Bing'er asked, surprised.

Ye Qin, however, simply smiled faintly and flew directly toward the distant gathering of Sea of Blood cultivators.

Huangfu Bing'er followed with a puzzled expression.

The origins of the Sea of Blood cultivators were extremely complex. If they didn't declare their affiliation, other cultivators wouldn't know who they were. Naturally, since most Sea of Blood cultivators were here seeking adventure, they wouldn't particularly care about the identities of others.

"As long as those two aren't fools, they will realize that blending in with the multitude of Sea of Blood Golden Core cultivators is the safest way to protect themselves. They must be among these Sea of Blood cultivators, pretending to be ordinary treasure-seeking cultivators..."

Ye Qin led Huangfu Bing'er through the crowd of Golden Core cultivators, quickly locating the targets he sought, and couldn't help but smile.

Sun Xing was indeed mixed in with the crowd, alongside Cultivator Pang.

"Daoist Friend Ye, what brings you here?"

Sun Xing was momentarily stunned when Ye Qin approached him so directly.

"Brother Sun, Brother Pang, let's find another place to talk!"

Ye Qin gestured, and the three of them moved to a secluded, deserted ruin within Desolate Spirit City. Transmitting their thoughts via divine sense was insufficient, as Nascent Soul cultivators could intercept spiritual fluctuations. Ye Qin erected several layers of sound-insulating barriers to prevent eavesdropping by Nascent Soul experts before speaking openly.

"What? You two brothers are hiding among the Sea of Blood Golden Core cultivators, masquerading as ordinary treasure seekers. Do you still hope to blend in here and claim another share of the treasure? What else do you want—a few more minor divine ability ancient artifacts, a few Nascent Soul Pills? Dream on!"

Ye Qin looked at Sun Xing and Pang, suddenly sneering mockingly.

Having his thoughts exposed, Sun Xing instantly became embarrassed and angry.

"Brother Ye, how dare you speak like that! You gained such immense benefits and even managed to forge connections with the Sage Emperor’s Palace, so of course, you don't care about other things. We two haven't profited nearly as much as you, nor do we have such powerful backing. What is wrong with securing an extra share of the benefits? Moreover, by hiding among the crowd, we are also safer, avoiding being killed by ghost cultivators."

Sun Xing sounded somewhat annoyed.

"The Nascent Soul-grade treasures from the inner vault—those minor divine ability artifacts and Nascent Soul Pills—have certainly been entirely divided among the Nascent Soul cultivators and won't reach the hands of Golden Core cultivators. The Golden Core-grade treasures in the outer vault are of little use to us anyway."

Cultivator Pang, however, appeared thoughtful and nodded. "Daoist Friend Ye, what is your plan?"

"The three of us each possess a Nascent Soul Pill and several other minor divine ability treasures; our harvest is already substantial enough. Remaining here only increases the risk of exposure. If exposed, with so many cultivators eyeing us covetously, we might face certain death. Even if we avoid exposure, we might encounter other troubles—the risk outweighs the reward. In my view, we must leave as soon as possible! I possess a Dark Cloud Barrier artifact; it is extremely fast and can conceal most of our auras, making us difficult to detect. Furthermore, Brother Sun still has the Azure Luo Silk Canopy; if anything goes wrong, we can conceal our tracks, making us hard for Nascent Soul cultivators to discover. We should take advantage of the moment when the Ghost Lord has just been defeated, when the Nascent Soul cultivators are anxious to divide the treasury, and leave this place quickly—that is the superior strategy. The Ghost Lord won't easily abandon his lair on Desolate Spirit Island. As long as we flee far from this island, we will be safe."

Ye Qin spoke rapidly.

"That... that seems reasonable!"

"Then let us leave this place!"

Sun Xing and Cultivator Pang exchanged a look, showing signs of agreement.

After making their decision, Ye Qin navigated the Dark Cloud Barrier, accompanied by Bing'er, Sun Xing, and Cultivator Pang, silently slipping away from the noisy, chaotic mass of Sea of Blood Golden Core cultivators into the distant blood mist. Sun Xing then activated the Azure Luo Silk Canopy to shield them. Although their aura couldn't be completely masked during flight, it was exceedingly faint, drawing minimal attention from most cultivators.

The Dark Cloud Barrier left Desolate Spirit Island and vanished into the horizon.

"That boy, exiting Desolate Spirit City toward the south, indeed profited from the ancient treasury, which is why he is so eager to leave. One Nascent Soul Pill and several minor divine ability treasures each; that Azure Luo Silk Canopy must be the minor divine ability artifact they acquired from that ancient treasury!"

The Sage Emperor stood with his hands clasped behind his back on the deck of the barge palace ship, his expression aloof.

His divine sense probed extremely far and deep, having reached the Spirit Transformation realm; it was by no means something a few Golden Core cultivators could obstruct. The fluctuations of the divine sense dialogue spoken by the four of Ye Qin had been completely absorbed by him, word for word. If Ye Qin knew the Sage Emperor's divine sense was this potent, he would surely break out in a cold sweat.

The Sage Emperor only registered the mentions of a few Nascent Soul Pills and minor divine ability artifacts and couldn't be bothered to investigate further.

After detecting an inconspicuous dark cloud leaving Desolate Spirit Island and flying into the distance, the Sage Emperor withdrew his divine sense and refocused it on the ruined grand hall at the center of Desolate Spirit City.