If he hadn't known, or hadn't seen it, Zong Shou wouldn't have cared.

But seeing the incredibly dense array of restrictive spiritual formations, he instantly knew this vault was exceptionally rich.

Something already within his grasp—how could he allow another to touch it?

To steal another's wealth—that was an act of profound enmity!

With a mere thought, the twelve chilling white sword shadows descended into the air.

They pinned themselves around the treasury, their sword intent erupting, sweeping across the surroundings.

He wasn't so base as to kill over mere material wealth. Deploying the Ten Absolutes Dragon-Tooth Sword Array was merely a warning gesture.

The surrounding cultivators clearly understood the might of this sword formation; their faces instantly paled. Those who were sharp enough immediately scattered and fled.

As for the rest who were more avaricious, after a moment's hesitation, they too fled into the void.

External possessions, after all, were worth slightly less than one's own life.

Zong Shou flew over, taking the place of these men, and continued to break the seals.

He couldn't be bothered to trace the structure of the seals one by one.

Instead, he used the Ten Absolutes Dragon-Tooth Sword Array to forcibly reverse-attack, shattering everything in its path.

In just a moment, Zong Shou stood inside the vault.

The contents within neither surprised him with elation nor disappointed him.

It was roughly equivalent to one percent of the spirit stone reserves from the Qin Emperor's secondary tomb—about twenty-odd high-grade Profound-rank spirit stones.

For an Immortal-rank cultivator, such a treasury was quite respectable.

However, there were indeed many other miscellaneous items, piled so high they nearly filled the entire three-thousand-zhang expanse of the storeroom.

He felt indifferent. Feng Taiji, taking a look inside, was overcome with unexpected joy.

"Cherry Pattern Stone, thirteen thousand fang—and they are all top-grade Cherry Pattern Stone! This Yuanlian Realm actually produces such exotic material? Hmm? This jade… it looks strange. Could it be the legendary Heart-Questioning Jade—"

Zong Shou smiled inwardly as he listened.

Cherry Pattern Stone was a material for refining swords. Ordinary spiritual artifacts couldn't utilize it, but for the sword cultivation lineage, it was crucial, even indispensable.

Adding a small amount of powdered Cherry Pattern Stone could greatly enhance the cultivator's connection with the sword weapon.

It increased the sword's agility and responsiveness to sword intent, greatly easing the entry for sword cultivators.

The Cherry Pattern Stone veins in the Cloud Realm were mostly controlled by the Sword Sect, but even so, the supply was far from sufficient.

The annual yield was only about a thousand fang, which severely limited the number and combat strength of sword cultivators.

As for Heart-Questioning Stone, it served another purpose: aiding in the cultivation of the mind.

Unlike those rare treasures that purified the spirit, this item did not attract inner demons but rather tempted the mind with stray thoughts.

Worn on the body, it constantly interrogated the spirit, akin to undergoing a demonic tribulation.

If one could subdue this Heart-Questioning Stone and remain unaffected by it, the spirit would naturally tend toward perfection.

It was a rare and unusual treasure, and here there were thirty pieces.

Such a large quantity usually implied that the Yuanlian Realm contained a large vein of it.

The reserves of both exotic treasures were still immense.

Indeed, when Ci Fang arrived and saw the room full of treasures, they were all slightly moved.

The two exchanged a glance, revealing a hint of regret.

They had never expected their first foray into conquering an outer domain would yield such spoils.

The contents of this single storeroom almost accounted for three-tenths of their entire investment this time.

After this, the subsequent mineral deposits would surely bring massive returns.

The pre-expedition allocation stipulated that Zong Shou's Great Qian would take half, while the Cang Sheng Dao, Sword Sect, and Buddhism would divide the remaining half. This distribution could not be changed.

Internally, the Cang Sheng Dao had Three Sects and Six Gates, Buddhism had Eight Sects, and the Sword Sect had Seven Cliques, each with differing internal ratios.

Had they known, they should have fought harder to secure more for their respective primary sects in the Qiong Realm.

"I just carefully inquired among the scattered cultivators of the Ling Realm. It is said this Yuanlian Realm was only discovered a hundred years ago. Yet this Hermit Nine Purity managed to accumulate such wealth."

As for how or what exactly he inquired, Ci Fang did not elaborate.

"It is said that the southwest region is mountainous, with sparse produce but rich in spiritual resonance. It boasts over fifty spiritual consciousness mineral veins and countless others. Thus, the territory controlled by Hermit Nine Purity was the most desolate. Yet, the dozen or so Immortal Cultivators of this generation all envy it."

Zong Shou increasingly felt that choosing this person to establish his authority was an extremely wise decision.

Then he heard Feng Taiji say, "The immediate priority is to inventory all types of supplies and take over the various mines as soon as possible. Lest someone—"

As he spoke these words, the others who had successively arrived all nodded slightly.

The chaos evident in the Yuanjing Palace here suggested the state of affairs elsewhere.

When a tree falls, the monkeys scatter; the subordinates of that Hermit Nine Purity would certainly not have clean hands before departing. They would undoubtedly have plundered desperately, seizing whatever wealth they could.

Zhao Yanran frowned slightly at this point. "Then how should the contents here be distributed?"

A sudden silence fell within the treasury. Those present exchanged glances, their eyes flashing with sharp intent, sparks seeming to fly between them.

Originally, distributing according to the value ratio would have been the fairest method.

However, some of these spiritual items were urgently needed while others were merely dispensable.

Take the Cherry Pattern Stone, for example; Feng Taiji naturally wished to devour it all.

But such an item was equally sought after by the Buddhist and Cang Sheng Dao factions.

Especially the latter, with its myriad arcane arts, also included many sword cultivators.

Zong Shou sensed the atmosphere growing stiff and cold.

He felt a slight headache, thinking, We haven't even established a firm foothold, and internal conflict is already brewing?

"The assets and territory have been secured, but how should we deal with the Seven Saints Alliance? And how will these goods be transported back to Qiantian?"

These two brief questions instantly brought clarity back to everyone's minds.

They remembered that upon arriving, the matter of distribution was not urgent; they could discuss it slowly later.

The priority now was to secure the mineral deposits and handle transportation.

This place was a four-month voyage from Great Qian, and they possessed only six airships.

How to transport everything was a significant problem.

Many items here were not only massive in quantity but also generally could not be stored in a Qiankun Pouch; they required specialized spiritual methods for preservation.

Strictly speaking, their ability to occupy this territory today relied entirely on Zong Shou's sword might.

The three major sects had, in fact, exerted very little effort.

To divide the spoils now seemed to lack proper justification.

"The Seven Saints Alliance is manageable! Since we made an agreement initially, we naturally cannot stand aside."

Ci Fang smiled, then asked, "What is the Sovereign planning to do with the seven kingdoms previously governed by Hermit Nine Purity?"

Zong Shou raised an eyebrow; this was another matter entirely. After contemplating for a moment, he spoke: "This is also not urgent. We know nothing about the terrain, geography, or situation of the Yuanlian Realm. We are completely in the dark and don't know where to start. For these seven kingdoms, we should first summon their rulers to audience, and see what manner of individuals exist within those nations—"

He had no intention of keeping the monarchs left behind by Hermit Nine Purity, but suitable successors were needed. (To be continued)RQ

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