The temple's defenses had been utterly annihilated. How could any remaining shield mechanisms or traps possibly hold back five imposing, peak Integration Stage powerhouses? The temple, at this juncture, was like a defenseless maiden, utterly at the mercy of their desires.

At this critical moment, no one dared to break ranks; they were compelled to move in unison. A sweep through the temple unearthed several built-in spatial repositories. When one of these was forcibly breached, a veritable flood of meticulously refined resources poured out.

Some were metallic, others wooden, yet every single item exuded a thick aura of Chaos. These were clearly Chaos Metals. The sheer volume of the metal blinded everyone. Furthermore, there was an immense quantity of lumber. These pieces of wood, neither truly metal nor conventional timber, also radiated a dense Chaos essence—they were, unmistakably, Chaos Divine Wood, a material now critically scarce in the realms.

Chaos Divine Wood was an extraordinary substance, originating in the dawn of the Primordial Chaos and requiring eons, millions upon millions of years, to mature. Its value and rarity far surpassed even the myriad of Chaos Spirit Medicines. By the current age, Chaos Divine Wood was nearly extinct.

Its precious nature stemmed from two primary attributes: first, it could be used as a supreme crafting material to forge Chaos Spirit Treasures of unparalleled might. Second, and perhaps more crucially, Chaos Divine Wood naturally generated Chaos Spiritual Qi. Although the amount produced hourly was minuscule, over time, it amounted to an astronomical dividend. Most importantly, the ambient Chaos Spiritual Qi in the world was declining irreversibly, a trend that seemed immutable. Countless mighty figures had devised innumerable schemes to artificially regenerate this Qi, yet all had met with inevitable failure.

The Chaos Divine Wood, however, possessed this innate capacity. Since this unique function was not invented but naturally present, the market value of the wood had skyrocketed. Many powerful, influential Sovereigns, upon acquiring even a small segment of Chaos Divine Wood, would fashion it into minor furnishings for their secluded abodes or personal residences.

This not only ensured a constant, albeit slight, trickle of Chaos Spiritual Qi but also served as a potent display of their strength and wealth. Power, status, and fortune were often inextricably linked. A single tree does not make a forest; no matter how formidable an individual, they require peers of equal standing, and more pressingly, legions of elite, capable subordinates to assist them.

If a Sovereign at the Integration Stage were to furnish their grand hall entirely with items crafted from Chaos Divine Wood, it would naturally elevate their prestige and notoriety exponentially, attracting a host of followers.

Moreover, furniture carved from Chaos Divine Wood emitted an enchanting, subtle fragrance, aiding in centering the mind and dispelling internal stagnation. This greatly reduced the risk of Qi deviation during intensive cultivation.

Alas, through the long sweep of history, this almost non-renewable resource had dwindled dramatically. Fueled by relentless speculation, the value of Chaos Divine Wood continued to climb. A single cubic measure of the wood weighed over tens of tons and was valued at hundreds of Chaos Crystals.

The accumulated stock within this storage space was estimated at a full thousand cubic measures—this cache alone was worth hundreds of thousands of Chaos Crystals. While the Chaos Metals were also precious, their scarcity paled in comparison to the Divine Wood. The entire hoard of metal, estimated at tens of thousands of tons, might fetch, at most, a few hundred thousand Chaos Crystals.

Madness.

The five Integration Stage powerhouses stared, mouths agape, at the scene. Such vast reserves of wealth were beyond anything even they, who stood as Sovereigns within the Three Realms, had ever witnessed. Typically, a cultivator at the initial stage of Integration would consider themselves affluent with assets totaling ten thousand Chaos Crystals.

After all, Chaos Crystals were consumable; they were required for personal cultivation, and they were dispensed to reward meritorious subordinates. Thus, despite their grand appearances, even these Sovereigns, commanding armies numbering in the tens or hundreds of thousands, found sustaining such forces no easy feat. Among the five, the richest was the Pain Queen, at the middle stage of Integration. Yet, even her accumulated wealth from millions of years, after accounting for all expenditures, amounted to barely over twenty thousand crystals. And she, by contrast, was renowned as a premier heiress among the High-Rank Demons.

The treasure contained in this single hidden chamber, if liquidated, could easily yield six to seven hundred thousand Chaos Crystals. Divided among them, their personal fortunes would multiply tenfold—truly, a beast cannot fatten itself without fresh grass, nor can a man grow wealthy without unexpected windfalls.

Inevitably, the breathing of the five Integration Stage experts grew ragged. While they knew that offloading such a massive quantity would inevitably depress market prices, even sold at a discount, it represented an unimaginable fortune. Mentally, their calculations were already spinning wildly.

For any one of them to claim this entire fortune solely meant that, in the coming million years—perhaps far sooner—they would stand a chance of challenging the pinnacle of the Integration Stage, becoming the most powerful figures short of the Three Venerables. With this resource base, they effectively possessed an inexhaustible wellspring of Chaos Spiritual Qi.

Amidst their rising avarice, one must consider: how many millions, even tens of millions of years, had these individuals lived? They had weathered countless storms, having stormed through countless life-and-death sieges. Even the seemingly ethereal and pure-mannered Fairy Canglan had, throughout her long existence, shed an incalculable amount of blood and extinguished countless lives.

How many of those who managed to reach the Integration Stage were genuinely soft-hearted? How many could afford to be unguarded? If such individuals existed, they had surely been betrayed by those they trusted during crises and reduced to dust long ago.

At this most crucial juncture, every person present fought to suppress their inner euphoria, adopting an air of intense caution, maintaining deliberate space between themselves. Even Bai Mu and Fairy Canglan, supposedly allies, consciously widened the gap separating them.

"Infidi, what should we do about this? Are we really going to hand half of this wealth over to them?" Lei Dong transmitted via soul wave to the Pain Queen.

"What choice do we have?" Infidi shot back, giving him a disdainful glance. "If we make a move now, and that Fairy Canglan decides to genuinely flee, I have no confidence in stopping her retreat with a Void Teleportation Talisman. If she escapes, we are in serious trouble."

"What if I were to say I possessed a secret technique talisman capable of temporarily restraining her for a few breaths?" Lei Dong continued, maintaining a placid demeanor as he transmitted.

"What?" The spiritual energy Infidi sent back held a distinct note of shock. "What sort of talisman have you acquired? Its power must be immense. That Fairy Canglan is nearly at the peak of initial Integration. You can hold her for that long? Which mighty expert forged such a talisman?"

"It is a Space Imprisonment Talisman. I don't know the forger's identity," Lei Dong replied calmly. "I guarantee the talisman's efficacy, but I require an extra half-share. Infidi, are you certain you can seize her in one decisive strike?"

"With Pius present, certainly. As long as your talisman's power holds true, Fairy Canglan is doomed." Infidi sent a bewitchingly seductive look toward Lei Dong. "Since you contributed such a valuable talisman that plays the decisive role now, an extra half-share is deserved. Thus, the two of us will take seventy percent, leaving Pius with thirty."

"Do you think Pius will agree?" Lei Dong transmitted, his brow furrowing slightly.

"We'll just lie to him for now. Once we deal with the other two, giving him thirty percent will already be generous," Infidi sneered. "By then, even if he objects, what can he do to us?"

"Fine. Then please communicate with him. I will make the first move, and you follow shortly after," Lei Dong messaged, though internally he scoffed: Oh, Infidi, Infidi, you're probably telling Pius to stabilize the brute, me, first, aren't you?

The High-Rank Demons were undeniably powerful, possessing astonishing innate talents. However, this race harbored a fatal flaw: they were inherently cunning, suspicious, and mercurial. Consequently, their internal structures were generally governed by the strict law of the strong leading the weak, resulting in minimal mutual trust. Furthermore, they were highly susceptible to prioritizing small gains over ultimate righteousness.

This was, perhaps, understandable. If the High-Rank Demons were a cohesive race built on unwavering trust, they might very well have unified the Three Realms by now. Instead, their strength was often sapped by internal strife.

After Infidi finished her exchange with Pius, the remaining two—Bai Mu and Fairy Canglan—also appeared to have concluded a communication via spiritual sense, reaching a consensus.

Fairy Canglan then spoke with seeming sincerity. "Pain Queen, we were unaware beforehand that the wealth here was so astonishing, which led us to demand too high a price. Therefore, Bai Mu and I have conferred, and we believe it is fairest to allocate one share per party."

Clearly, the sheer magnitude of the treasure had stunned her as well. Her long life had taught her that faced with overwhelming temptation, many would lose their composure and gamble recklessly for everything—for instance, by choosing to slay Fairy Canglan and Bai Mu, thereby gaining a larger share. While she might well escape using the Void Teleportation Talisman, facing such enormous profit, she couldn't rule out that these brutes might risk everything. Even a slim chance of successfully hindering her escape was worth testing.

Her ability to remain clear-headed at the final moment and concede some profit demonstrated Fairy Canglan's intelligence. Under normal circumstances, the Three Demon Lords might have been tempted to play it safe and avoid the risk. But now, armed with a high degree of confidence in neutralizing her, hesitation was pointless. Why would they settle for a single share, or even half a share, when they could take all?

"The Fairy speaks reason," Lei Dong replied smoothly, already soaring toward the colossal hoard. "I am the weakest here, so I am best suited to dividing the spoils."