The entire skirmish concluded within the time it took an incense stick to burn down. Seven Foundation Establishment cultivators and seven or eight Qi Refining cultivators were all accounted for, none escaping. Only two team members sustained minor injuries from desperate counter-attacks just as the enemies perished—a decisive victory overall.

Lei Dong, too, had won with surprising ease. Apart from employing the Ghost Control Art, he hadn't deployed a single other skill to effortlessly dispatch the middle-aged cultivator. After all, three Eighth-Tier Ghost Guards were no laughing matter; even Lei Dong himself, facing them alone without his War Puppet, would likely end up losing more often than winning.

The Ghost Control Art was inherently like this: if one possessed superior Spirit Ghosts and cultivated formidable Ghost Guards, they could command a significant advantage in battles against peers. Lei Dong was blessed with three high-grade Spirit Ghosts, and his divine sense was far stronger than other cultivators of the same rank, enabling all three of his Ghost Servants to reach the Eighth-Tier Ghost Guard level. The combat power of a Ghost Guard was nearly equivalent to that of an ordinary cultivator of the same cultivation level. Three combined, their might naturally multiplied. Lei Dong observed that the middle-aged cultivator practiced an ordinary cultivation method and wielded decent spiritual artifacts. However, dealing with even two Eighth-Tier Ghost Guards simultaneously was his absolute limit. Three Ghost Guards of his own tier meant his demise was certain.

He seized the cultivator's nascent soul and sealed it within the Soul-Sealing Sphere. A nascent soul from an Eighth-Layer Foundation Establishment cultivator would be immensely useful, whether for refining the Myriad Ghost Banner or the Evil Ghost Canopy. However, this was a team operation, and Lei Dong had no right to claim that nascent soul for his personal use. If one were overly selfish, pocketing spoils immediately, it wouldn't take long before no one wanted to cooperate, leading to gradual exclusion from the group.

As for the miscellaneous souls of the Qi Refining cultivators and the flesh and blood of the Foundation Establishment cultivators, they could simply be fed to the myriad ghosts within the Myriad Ghost Banner. After all, fierce ghosts required both blood sustenance and living souls. If they were not fed for too long, their combat strength would gradually wane, and worse, starvation might provoke them to turn against their master.

After briefly sorting through the spoils, items like Storage Bracelets and Soul-Sealing Spheres were handed to Zhang Heng for unified management. The others quickly finished collecting their loot as well. Zhang Heng immediately dispatched someone to inspect the Flawless Warship, while he summoned Lei Dong and proceeded directly onto the large transport vessel. The massive ship resembled a huge belly, clearly built to haul considerable cargo.

Lei Dong and Zhang Heng boarded, and their divine senses swept outward, finding no stragglers. Only then did the two begin inspecting the cargo holds together. The moment they opened the hatches, both Zhang Heng and Lei Dong were startled. All sorts of rare treasures and exotic items were piled up in dazzling array. The vast majority were rich products from the East Sea: precious minerals stacked high throughout the hold. Opening some crates revealed spirit herbs harvested from the sea, such as pearls, sea agate, and dried bodies of various medicinal demon beasts. There were also hides, teeth, and sharp claws taken from sea-dwelling demon beasts. There were even dozens of boxes filled with sealed jade vials containing demon cores and vital blood. Furthermore, there were dozens of boxes stacked with Soul-Sealing Spheres. In addition, Lower-Grade and Middle-Grade Spirit Stones were piled up by the crate.

Someone might wonder why they didn't use spatial spiritual artifacts like Storage Bracelets to carry the cargo during transport. In reality, spatial items like Storage Bracelets do not possess infinite space as imagined. Lei Dong’s initial Storage Belt only contained a single cubic meter of space, enough only for small odds and ends. The Middle-Grade spiritual artifact Storage Bracelet gifted by his master, which he currently used, was of decent quality, offering about ten cubic meters. After stuffing it with a large pile of spirit stones and miscellaneous items, very little space remained. Even a Supreme-Grade spiritual artifact-level Storage Bracelet would scarcely exceed twenty cubic meters.

Twenty cubic meters sounds like a lot, but in practice, it is quite limited. A space measuring three meters squared already holds twenty-seven cubic meters. Even some decent Magic Treasure-level Storage Bracelets maxed out around that volume. Moreover, Storage Bracelets are spatial magic treasures, requiring refinement with one's divine soul and the embedding of a unique imprint before they can be used. Storage Bracelets are not only non-stackable but cannot be owned simultaneously. Consequently, spatial items like Storage Bracelets are mostly used to hold precious personal effects or small batches of spoils. Transporting minor quantities of valuable resources is not out of the question, but when faced with bulk resources, transport flying ships become mandatory.

A large transport flying ship like this one, stretching a hundred zhang in total length and specially designed, had cargo bays in its belly capable of holding hundreds of thousands of cubic meters. How many Supreme-Grade Storage Bracelets would it take to equal that loading capacity?

Both Zhang Heng’s and Lei Dong’s breaths grew quick. While they knew the ship's cargo would be valuable, they hadn't anticipated this level of wealth. A top-tier Sect truly was a top-tier Sect. Reportedly, this was merely the harvest the Tianyin Palace had amassed in the East Sea over several months. It explained why the Yinsha Sect was attempting to expand its reach in the East Sea—to challenge the Tianyin Palace on equal footing.

An individual, no matter how powerful, truly could not compare to a top-tier Sect.

"Lei Dong, what now?" Zhang Heng licked his lips and sent a sound transmission to Lei Dong. Calling him by name rather than 'Number One' clearly signaled that Zhang Heng regarded him as an equal in this discussion. Indeed, Lei Dong's strength was formidable; Zhang Heng, though confident in his own power, wasn't certain he could defeat Lei Dong.

Thus, Zhang Heng had always treated Lei Dong with great courtesy and consideration.

A flicker crossed Lei Dong's mind; he estimated Zhang Heng was growing tempted. So many precious materials—it was only natural to feel a stirring of desire. If he and Zhang Heng discussed taking a small portion for themselves... Lei Dong contemplated for a moment, then suddenly conceived of a possibility that struck him as dangerous. His expression immediately sobered, and he urgently transmitted back, "Brother Zhang, this is absolutely out of the question. The higher-ups knew this cargo was extremely valuable, yet they only sent our small team. There's no way they won't have Nascent Soul cultivators following behind. Perhaps not monitoring us directly, but at least prepared for any contingency. Wealth is tempting, but caution is needed, lest we fall into a pit of eternal doom for a mere trifle."

Hearing Lei Dong’s warning, Zhang Heng’s face hardened slightly, appearing somewhat strained. He transmitted back in a husky voice, "No wonder I felt like someone was watching us from the shadows. Forget it, forget it. Lei Dong, thank you for reminding me this time. You are indeed stronger than me; I almost lost control of myself..." He sighed softly, expressing both regret and relief at having narrowly avoided disaster.

"Brother Zhang is overthinking it. I merely experienced the torment of heart demons in the Heart Demon Hall and know the temptation of boundless wealth..." Lei Dong replied humbly, "Besides, even if I hadn't said anything, Brother Zhang would have sobered up on his own."

"Indeed. We are both young, with boundless futures awaiting us." Zhang Heng’s expression relaxed, as if a heavy stone had been lifted, "There's no need to risk eternal catastrophe for a mere bit of wealth. After all, having one's Soul Lamp marked is not something to take lightly. This place is not safe for long; let us withdraw."

Under Zhang Heng’s command, the First Squad of the Third Legion began their withdrawal. They arrived on one ship, but they left on three. However, the Flawless Warship, having taken a direct hit from the Nether Fire Main Cannon, was substantially damaged and couldn't travel fast.

Zhang Heng also had Number Two and Number Four tally the captured spoils. All the various items were appraised. Those disciples from the Tianyin Palace branch were quite wealthy, perhaps because being far from the capital and stationed in the rich East Sea had allowed them to accumulate substantial funds. Take the Eighth-Layer Foundation Establishment cultivator Lei Dong had killed—his spiritual artifacts were quite fine, though he lacked any Supreme-Grade items. Cracking open his storage bracelets revealed some dazzling arrays of pills, spirit stones, and miscellaneous materials.

It wasn't until they returned to Small Isle that Number Two and Number Four finished their final accounting. The total estimated worth of the wealth on the seven Foundation Establishment cultivators and eight Qi Refining cultivators amounted to over twenty million, which included the calculated value of their nascent souls. Upon hearing this figure, many team members showed clear delight. Unlike the goods on the transport ship, the personal belongings taken from the slain individuals would be divided internally among the squad members, counting as private spoils.

The spiritual artifacts and materials might not be of much interest to everyone. After all, anyone who had served in the War Hall for five or six years would hardly use Middle-Grade spiritual artifacts anymore. With all their equipment being High-Grade, they might not even spare a glance for other High-Grade artifacts. Moreover, those High-Grade artifacts were extracted from the cultivators' divine souls, clearly things refined by heart and soul. They would require the Sect's artifact refiners to laboriously erase the spiritual imprints, significantly reducing their value.

Consequently, most items could be sold back to the Sect, which would offer a fair price for acquisition. After all, this was a time of war, and while these cultivators might not need an occasional Middle-Grade or High-Grade artifact, the Yinsha Sect was continuously absorbing rogue cultivators and members of minor families. For these newcomers, such items were considered quite valuable.

Upon returning to Small Isle and exchanging everything for High-Grade Spirit Stones, Zhang Heng, due to his seniority, was entitled to two-tenths of the total. Lei Dong, as Number One, held a position equivalent to that of a vice-captain, with a regulated share of fifteen percent—which amounted to three hundred and fifteen High-Grade Spirit Stones in spoils. This was why members of the War Hall squads were eager to advance their rankings; the higher the placement, the better.

Having secured this massive sum, everyone was beaming. Although making a fortune was relatively easy while stationed in the War Hall, opportunities for such enormous gains were rare. After all, killing cultivators from poor family backgrounds rarely yielded such riches.

...