The incessant downpour ceased with a chorus of croaks, the very frogs in the pond roused to a frenzy of croaking, and the grasshoppers, huddled in their corners, joined the jubilant noise.

In the courtyard, bamboo swayed in the wind, casting dancing shadows from their leaves.

Chu Fei offered a smile. “Right, it’s time to divide the spoils.” The Moon Demon Sect, being quite a substantial faction, naturally possessed considerable resources. Now that they were annihilated, these spoils had to be distributed. The method of division was based on the combat achievements of this expedition—the fairest way. Those with higher achievements received more, those with lower, less; no one would object. As Chu Fei spoke, his smile was utterly joyful. This time, he had truly slapped Gu Fei across the face, and such a decisive victory was rare. Considering how many years he had been enemies with Gu Fei, with countless grievances between them, he had only ever managed minor wins, never such a crushing triumph. Now, everything about Lu Yuan pleased Chu Fei’s eye.

“Alright, first up, Ye Fei. Your spoils for this venture are five low-grade Spirit Stones.” Ye Fei shrugged. His performance this time was rather poor; essentially, he had the lowest combat score. He probably deserved a severe beating from Master Yang Fei, but thankfully, the Sixth Senior Brother’s victory had improved the master’s mood, so perhaps the ensuing lecture wouldn't be too harsh. Still, being last and still receiving five low-grade Spirit Stones was quite good indeed.

……

“Ye Fang, not bad this time. Fifteen low-grade Spirit Stones.” Ye Fang’s performance was truly excellent, earning him fifteen low-grade Spirit Stones.

……

“Ling Yuzhu, well done. This time, you’ve earned twenty-five low-grade Spirit Stones.” Ling Yuzhu’s performance was average, netting her twenty-five low-grade Spirit Stones. However, that was quite commendable considering the sect only distributed about ten low-grade Spirit Stones annually. Earning twenty-five amidst life-and-death combat during this training exercise was perfectly reasonable.

……

“Shen Luo, your performance was quite good. You receive thirty low-grade Spirit Stones, and one Mist-element Spirit Being: a Mist Rabbit.” When the spoils for Shen Luo, the fifth direct disciple of the South Peak, were announced, nearly everyone present gasped. Thirty low-grade Spirit Stones were insignificant compared to the actual prize: a Mist-element Spirit Being.

The Five Peaks of Mount Hua each cultivated a distinct type of Dharma power.

For instance, the East Peak, Sun-Riding Peak, cultivated Fire-element Dharma power, fiercely energetic like flame. It was the lineage among the Five Peaks with the most ferocious swordsmanship and the strongest attacks.

The North Peak, Cloud Terrace Peak, cultivated Cloud-element Dharma power. Its power was dense and persistent; it didn't look particularly impressive at first glance, but once truly caught within it, one would sink deeper and deeper, finding escape near impossible.

The South Peak, Descending Goose Peak, cultivated Mist-element Dharma power. Its foundational technique was the Grand Art of Cloud and Mist, and its most renowned foundational sword technique was the Thirteen Hundred Forms of Ever-Changing Illusory Mist.

This lineage specialized in arcane and strange techniques, following the most unorthodox path among unconventional practices.

Mist-element Spirit Beings were exceedingly rare. No one expected Shen Luo to acquire one this time. Even Shen Luo himself couldn't help but smile slightly, his spirits immediately lifted.

It was Wei Bei’s turn. His performance was slightly better than Shen Luo’s, and he also received a Mist-element Spirit Being, along with thirty-one Spirit Stones.

At this moment, everyone held their breath.

Shen Luo and Wei Bei from the South Peak had performed notably well compared to the other direct disciples, but they were still a tier below Lu Yuan. If they received such rewards, what would Lu Yuan receive?

“Lu Yuan, your performance this time was excellent. You have obtained ninety low-grade Spirit Stones, three Cloud-element Spirit Beings—Cloud Cats—and a Dharma Treasure: the Asura Pouch.”

Hearing the extent of these rewards, nearly everyone sucked in a sharp breath.

Lu Yuan’s prize this time was extraordinarily rich.

Cloud-element Spirit Beings were already famous for their scarcity, and he received three at once. As for the low-grade Spirit Stones, others received only a few or a dozen; even the best performers, Shen Luo and Wei Bei, only got thirty each, yet he alone received ninety—a terrifying bounty.

It was easy to imagine how much faster Lu Yuan’s Dharma power cultivation would accelerate now that he possessed three Cloud-element Spirit Beings.

And then there was the Dharma Treasure.

The mainstream in the Cultivation World centered on swordsmanship; everyone practiced the sword daily. Once they reached the second major realm, the Body Tempering stage, they could command their swords to fly, at which point the power of their sword arts would far surpass mere physical swordplay. However, Dharma Treasures were not considered entirely unorthodox.

Every Dharma Treasure had its specific function, and some possessed immense power; when used well, they could overturn outcomes even if one's swordsmanship was lacking.

But forging Dharma Treasures was incredibly troublesome, and no one had previously received one gifted by their seniors, so everyone remained without one. Unexpectedly, Lu Yuan was the first to possess a Dharma Treasure.

——————

This time, the gains were truly enormous.

Lu Yuan lay back, contemplating.

The sect's decision to send the disciples out on this expedition was truly beneficial; the harvest was immense. Of course, he understood that this initial venture was of lower difficulty, with elders supervising nearby. However, this favorable treatment would only last for the first few times. Later expeditions would not have elders accompanying them; if one failed the trial and died, it simply meant their luck had run out.

Hadn't the previous generation seen ten direct disciples reduced to just the Six Sword Immortals of the North Peak?

Ninety low-grade Spirit Stones would likely suffice for him to advance his Dharma power realm, but there was no rush. First, he would study his first Dharma Treasure, the Asura Pouch. He had only ever heard legends of Dharma Treasures and never used one. The pouch in his hand was predominantly grayish-black, inscribed with the tiny characters for ‘Asura.’

His spiritual sense immediately entered the Asura Pouch, and he instantly understood: this was a spatial storage-type Dharma Treasure. The space within wasn't vast, merely the size of a large sack. Larger storage treasures were far more valuable, but even one the size of a large pocket, like the Asura Pouch, held considerable worth.

Storage-type Dharma Treasures were not commonly used in the Cultivation World, but possessing one made travel much more convenient; smaller items could all be stored inside.

His consciousness scanned the interior and found a few items.

The first was a scroll-like token, pale yellow and ancient. His spiritual sense swept over it and read: "Earth King Summoning Token." Interpreting the words plainly, it should allow the summoning of Earth Puppets. It seemed Moon Asura’s ability to summon Earth Puppets was linked to this token. Although summoning was said to require significant Dharma power, Cloud-element Dharma power was renowned for its dense, continuous nature, meaning it wasn't overly fearful of power consumption.

He flicked his hand and drew the Earth King Summoning Token from the Asura Pouch. It felt comfortably substantial in his grasp. He raised his hand and shouted, "Summon!" The ground immediately stirred, and an Earth Puppet materialized. This puppet possessed the strength of a cultivator at the third level of Qi Condensation.

A flash of clarity struck Lu Yuan. This Earth King Summoning Token was truly a fine item; it could summon Earth Puppets, and during the initial test, he realized the summoned puppets scaled according to the summoner's Dharma power. Since he was at the sixth level of Qi Condensation, he could summon puppets at the third level, and there seemed to be a significant quantity available.

If his Dharma power increased, he could summon stronger and more numerous puppets, allowing him to overwhelm opponents with a puppet swarm. Of course, this was facilitated by his Cloud-element cultivation method; without the dense characteristic of the Cloud-element technique, sustaining such a high level of Dharma power consumption would be difficult.

In truth, this Earth King Summoning Token was so valuable that even the Sword Immortals Chu Fei and Gu Fei were tempted. However, since Lu Yuan defeated Moon Asura alone, it would be unseemly for the senior Sword Immortals to shamelessly claim the treasure. In the end, they allowed the Earth King Summoning Token to fall into Lu Yuan's hands.

In fact, Lu Yuan had already discovered the token's greatest utility: when he felt too lazy to fetch wine, he could command an Earth Puppet to run the errand. If Chu Fei ever learned that this junior martial nephew was using such a formidable Earth King Summoning Token for that purpose, he would likely be speechless with a mixture of laughter and exasperation.