76: Chapter 76 Distribution of Spoils and Rewards

Early morning on the third day after the battle of Black Wind Canyon, Heavenly Court Stronghold.

After two days of rest and inventory, the organization of the spoils was finally complete. The once mountain-like piles of equipment, Materials, Medicinal Pills, and Cultivation Technique Jade Slips had now been categorized and stored in the stronghold's newly built "Treasure Vault." The vault was located underground beneath the stronghold, protected by three layers of defensive Formations, with eight members of the Black Tortoise Hall on twenty-four-hour rotating guard duty at the entrance.

Inside the main hall, the core members of the Heavenly Court gathered.

Sitting on both sides of a long sandalwood table were Lin Ye, Su Qingyue, Chen Hao, Shi Potian, Zhao Wuji, and Qin Ruoxue. Seven lists were spread out on the table—six were individual battle merit statistics, and one was a summary of the overall spoils.

“Everyone is here.” Lin Ye scanned the group. “Let’s begin.”

As the Chamber of Commerce Manager, Zhao Wuji was the first to report the overall situation: “After two days of inventory, the total value of the spoils seized in the Black Wind Canyon battle is 213,500 Spirit Stones. Among them, equipment is worth 98,000, Materials 42,000, Medicinal Pills and Talismans 35,000, Cultivation Techniques and Secret Manuals 21,000, and liquid Spirit Stones 17,000.”

He paused and added, “This does not include special items that cannot be immediately valued, such as the Nightfall Guild Master's black stone slab and the bronze ghost mask fragments.”

Lin Ye nodded. “Has the compensation for the fallen been distributed?”

“It has been distributed according to the highest standards.” Zhao Wuji’s expression was solemn. “For the eight fallen members, each family received 5,000 Spirit Stones in compensation. Their immediate relatives will receive 300 Spirit Stones per month for living expenses from the Heavenly Court for three years. Additionally, their personal effects have been organized and sealed; if relatives come to claim them in the future, they will be returned in full.”

“You did the right thing,” Lin Ye said. “The Heavenly Court must not let the brothers' hearts grow cold.”

He picked up the individual battle merit statistics from the table and began to read them aloud.

“In this battle of Black Wind Canyon, 143 members of the Heavenly Court participated, including six core members and 137 members from the four halls. According to the combat records and Pavilion Master Qin’s Heavenly Secret Pavilion assessment, the battle merit rankings are as follows—”

“First place, Lin Ye. Personally killed twenty-one people, including the Nightfall Guild Master (Dao Palace Third Layer Peak), three of the Six Blood Fiends, and the Overlord Pavilion Vice-Guild Master Barbarian King. Commanded the overall situation, set up the Nine Apertures Phantom Slaying Formation, activated the Chaos Domain to suppress the enemy army, and used Chaos Return to Ruin to annihilate four Blood Fiend True Bodies. Battle Merit: 12,000 points.”

“Second place, Su Qingyue. Personally killed nine people, commanded the Vermilion Bird Hall for long-range suppression, set up the Vast Cold Ice Wall to block the canyon exit, and at the critical moment, used ice to restrict the Blood Fiend True Bodies. Battle Merit: 8,500 points.”

“Third place, Shi Potian. Personally killed seven people, commanded the White Tiger Hall for stealth assassinations, disrupted the Nightfall battle Formation at a critical moment, and killed the Zongheng Alliance Master Zhao Zheng. Battle Merit: 7,300 points.”

“Fourth place, Chen Hao. Personally killed six people, commanded the Azure Dragon Hall in a frontal charge, and pinned down the eldest of the Blood Fiends, creating a killing opportunity for Lin Ye. Battle Merit: 6,800 points.”

“Fifth place, Qin Ruoxue. Personally killed three people, commanded the Heavenly Secret Pavilion to provide full intelligence support, monitored movements outside the battlefield, and warned of the Nightfall raid. Battle Merit: 5,900 points.”

“Sixth place, Zhao Wuji. Did not directly participate in the battle but coordinated logistics, funds, and stronghold defense, ensuring the stability of the rear. Battle Merit: 4,200 points.”

“Among the members of the four halls, the top ten in battle merit have been listed separately; their rewards will be distributed individually.”

Lin Ye put down the list and looked at everyone: “Battle merit points will be converted into contribution points and deposited into your faction tokens. Now, let’s begin the distribution of spoils.”

He clapped his hands, and six members of the Black Tortoise Hall carried three large chests into the main hall.

The chests were opened, revealing carefully selected equipment inside.

In the first chest were six pieces of Epic-grade equipment glowing with a purple aura—to be precise, five Epic-grade pieces and one Legendary-grade imitation.

The second chest contained twelve pieces of Rare-grade equipment, all of top-tier blue quality.

The third chest held various Medicinal Pills, Talismans, Materials, and several volumes of Cultivation Technique Jade Slips.

“According to the rules of the Heavenly Court, spoils are prioritized for those with outstanding battle merit,” Lin Ye said. “However, considering the overall improvement of the team, I will distribute them based on each person's characteristics and needs. If there are any objections, you may raise them.”

Everyone nodded; they had no objections. This was a long-established rule.

Lin Ye first took a piece of equipment from the first chest.

It was a pitch-black cloak. The fabric was neither silk nor hemp, feeling cold and smooth to the touch, with faint dark moon patterns appearing and disappearing on the surface. The edges of the cloak were inlaid with silver thread, and there was a small dark moon clasp at the collar.

【Dark Moon Cloak (Epic)】

Quality: Purple

Defense: +220

Special Effect 1: Shadow Concealment (Concealment effect in shadows increased by 30%)

Special Effect 2: Moon Shadow Clone (After activation, can create three phantom Clones, lasting 10 seconds, cooldown 5 minutes)

Special Effect 3: Magic Break Resistance (Resistance to control-type and negative states increased by 15%)

Set Piece: Dark Moon Set (1/6)

Description: Standard equipment for Captain-level members of the Nightfall organization, woven from shadow spider silk mixed with moon-essence stone. It is light and tough, suitable for stealth and assassination.

“This cloak goes to Shi Potian.” Lin Ye handed the cloak over.

Shi Potian took it, a flicker of emotion crossing his eyes. A 30% increase in shadow concealment was practically a divine skill for an assassin. The Moon Shadow Clone was an even better means of life-saving and confusing the enemy.

“Thank you, Brother Lin.”

“No need,” Lin Ye said. “Your stealth and assassination abilities are indispensable to the Heavenly Court. With this cloak, your safety will be much higher when performing dangerous missions in the future.”

Next, Lin Ye took out the second piece of equipment.

This was a set of dark red heavy armor. The plates were thick, with ferocious spikes at the joints, and the breastplate was embossed with an Overlord pattern. The armor emitted a faint scent of blood and an overbearing pressure; clearly, its original owner had been extremely murderous.

【Overlord Heavy Armor · Complete Set (Rare)】

Quality: Blue (Set)

Components: Breastplate, Leg Guards, Bracers, War Boots, Helmet (Five-piece set)

Single Piece Attributes (Taking the breastplate as an example):

Defense: +320, Vitality: +1200

Strength: +25

Set Effects (5/5):

① Overlord’s Aura: Attack Power +15%, exerts a pressure effect on lower-level enemies (all attributes decreased by 5%)

② Unyielding Body Protection: Critical damage received reduced by 30%

③ Bloody Battle: For every 10% of Vitality lost, Attack Power increases by an additional 3% (up to a maximum of 15%)

Description: The exclusive battle armor of the Overlord Pavilion Vice-Guild Master Barbarian King, forged from fine iron mixed with Overlord Tiger bone. Its defensive power is astonishing, but its weight is also immense; it is difficult for non-strength-type Cultivators to wield.

“Chen Hao, this set is for you.” Lin Ye pushed the heavy armor over.

Chen Hao’s eyes lit up, and he impatiently picked up the breastplate. It felt heavy in his hands, at least three hundred pounds, but for him with the God King Body, this weight was nothing.

“Good armor!” He grinned. “With this, I can charge at the very front from now on!”

“Put it on and try it,” Lin Ye said.

Chen Hao was not polite and began to change gear on the spot. The Overlord Heavy Armor had a modular design and was easy to wear. When the five-piece set was fully donned, Chen Hao’s entire temperament changed—originally he was just burly, but now he was like an iron tower war god; just standing there gave off a sense of oppression.

Even more miraculous was that after the armor was put on, it automatically adjusted its size to fit his body perfectly. The dark red plates glinted with a metallic luster under the sunlight, and the Overlord pattern looked lifelike.

“How does it feel?” Su Qingyue asked curiously.

“Great!” Chen Hao swung his war hammer. “My strength has increased by at least twenty percent! And this armor seems to have a spirit; it can automatically deflect force!”

He tried hitting his own breastplate with the war hammer. With a loud "clang," the breastplate didn't budge an inch, and the counter-shock force was evenly distributed throughout his body; he only felt a slight vibration.

“As expected of the Barbarian King’s battle armor,” Zhao Wuji praised. “If this set of armor were taken to auction, it would be worth at least twenty thousand Spirit Stones.”

“But now it belongs to Chen Hao,” Lin Ye said. “Continuing the distribution.”

The third piece of equipment was an entirely ice-blue rapier.

The sword was about three feet three inches long, with a narrow blade and a tip as thin as a cicada's wing, forged entirely from some kind of ice-crystal-like material. A blue gem the size of a pigeon egg was embedded in the hilt, with snowflake-like patterns slowly rotating inside the gem.

【Cold Moon Sword · Enhanced Version (Rare)】

Quality: Blue (Growth-type)

Attack: +420

Ice Damage: +35%

Special Effect 1: Vast Cold Sword Qi (Attacks carry cold energy, with a 20% probability of freezing the target for 1-3 seconds)

Special Effect 2: Moon-essence Resonance (When used under moonlight, all attributes increase by 10%)

Special Effect 3: Sword Spirit Embryo (This sword has developed a faint spirituality and can gradually grow as it is nurtured by its master)

Growth Condition: Needs to be regularly tempered with cold-attribute Materials; the master's increase in cultivation can drive the sword's advancement.

Description: Originally Su Qingyue's sidearm, it was reforged and enhanced by Lin Ye using scraps of cold marrow crystal and the Nightfall Guild Master's sword embryo fragments. Its quality has been raised from Excellent to Rare, and it now possesses growth potential.

Lin Ye picked up the sword and walked over to Su Qingyue.

“Qingyue, your Cold Moon Sword was damaged in battle. I asked Master Appraiser’s apprentice to reforge it using the remaining cold marrow crystal and the Nightfall Guild Master's sword embryo fragments. It is now Rare-grade and has growth potential.”

Su Qingyue took the sword and lightly stroked the blade. The blade gave a slight tremor, as if responding to her touch. She could feel a surge of spirituality within the sword, resonating with her Vast Cold Spirit Body.

“Thank you,” she said softly, her eyes warming up.

“And this.” Lin Ye took out a pair of folded wings from his robe.

The wings were purple-gold in color. When unfolded, each wing spanned about five feet and was composed of thousands of tiny metal feathers. The surface of the feathers had wind and thunder patterns, and the edges were as sharp as knives. There were two small clasp devices at the base of the wings that could be fixed to the shoulder blade positions.

【wind and thunder wings (Epic)】

Quality: Purple

Effect: After equipping, grants the ability to fly, with a maximum flight altitude of 300 zhang and a maximum speed of up to 30 zhang per second.

Special Effect 1: Wind and Thunder Acceleration (After activation, can instantly increase speed by 100%, lasting 3 seconds, cooldown 1 minute)

Special Effect 2: Thunder Tremor (While flying, can release lightning attacks on enemies below, causing area-of-effect thunder damage)

Special Effect 3: Hurricane Protection (Automatically forms a wind shield while flying, reducing long-range attack damage by 30%)

Energy Core: Built-in Thunder Eagle King crystal core, can fly continuously for 3 hours; once exhausted, needs to be recharged with thunder-attribute Spirit Stones or one's own thunder-attribute spiritual power (Recharge time: 1 hour of recovery per 1 hour of flight time)

Description: Rare Materials obtained from the Thunder Eagle King, personally refined by Master Appraiser. Cultivators below the Dao Palace Realm cannot control its wind and thunder power.

As soon as this piece of equipment was brought out, everyone held their breath.

Flight equipment! At the Dao Palace Realm stage, Cultivators who could fly were as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns. Usually, only those who specialized in wind or thunder Systems, or those who had special fortuitous encounters, could obtain flight capabilities before the Four Extremities Realm. Yet the wind and thunder wings directly broke this limitation!

“Qingyue, this is for you.” Lin Ye handed the wings over.

Su Qingyue was stunned. “For me? But... this is Epic-grade flight equipment, worth a fortune. It would be most suitable for you to use...”

“I have the Yaoguang Footwork and Void Step; my mobility is sufficient.” Lin Ye shook his head. “But you are different. The Vast Cold Spirit Body is good at control and long-range attacks but lacks mobility. With the wind and thunder wings, you can take the high ground at any time or quickly escape danger. Moreover...”

He paused. “The ice and thunder Systems do not conflict; instead, the wind and thunder power can enhance the speed of your cold energy diffusion. Give it a try.”

Su Qingyue no longer refused. She took the wings and fixed the clasps to her shoulder blades according to the instructions. The moment the clasps touched her skin, they automatically adhered and connected to her bones, yet there was not the slightest discomfort.

With a thought, the wings unfolded.

The purple-gold metal feathers shone brilliantly in the morning light, and the wind and thunder patterns lit up with a faint glow. Su Qingyue gave a light leap, and her whole body suspended in the air, three feet off the ground. She tried flapping the wings, and her body circled the hall as lightly as a bird, landing back on the ground almost soundlessly.

“So light and nimble...” She felt the wind and thunder power flowing through the wings. “And I can feel that these wings are still absorbing the wind and thunder elements in the air to automatically recharge.”

“Most Epic-grade equipment has a self-recovery function,” Zhao Wuji said enviously. “Sister Qingyue, from now on, you are the aerial combat ace of our Heavenly Court.”

[part:gemini-3.1-flash-lite]

Su Qingyue put away the wings and said solemnly to Lin Ye, "I will use it well."

Lin Ye nodded and continued the distribution.

The fourth piece of equipment was a ring.

The ring was entirely silver, with a polyhedral crystal on the face, inside of which a constantly shifting nebular light mist was sealed.

The band was engraved with dense runes that flowed slowly, like living things.

[Heavenly Secret Ring (Rare)]

Quality: Blue

Effect: Wearer's Divine Sense strength +15%, Divine Sense detection range +30%

Special Effect 1: Astrological Deduction (Consumes Divine Power to perform simple divination, predicting good or bad fortune; accuracy is related to the user's Divine Sense strength)

Special Effect 2: Information Storage (Can store an amount of information equivalent to one thousand books and access it at any time)

Special Effect 3: Divine Sense Shield (Automatically activates when encountering Divine Sense attacks, absorbing Divine Sense damage equivalent to 10% of the maximum Divine Power value, cooldown 1 hour)

Description: One of the Legacy tokens of the Heavenly Secret Pavilion, forged from Star Meteorite and stardust sand, designed specifically for intelligence analysts. Originally an item of Qin Ruoxue's sect, it was lost during the previous turmoil and later fell into the hands of Night Curtain. Now, it returns to its rightful owner.

Lin Ye handed the ring to Qin Ruoxue, "Pavilion Master Qin, this item should have belonged to you."

The moment Qin Ruoxue saw the ring, her body trembled slightly.

She took the ring, her fingers lightly caressing the band, and a flash of complex emotion appeared in her eyes.

"This was crafted by my Grandmaster..." she said in a low voice, "Thirty years ago, my sect suffered a catastrophe, and this ring, along with many Legacy items, went missing. I didn't expect it to be in the hands of Night Curtain..."

She put the ring on the index finger of her left hand.

The ring automatically adjusted its size, fitting perfectly.

The nebular light mist inside the crystal began to rotate faster, resonating with her Divine Sense.

Qin Ruoxue closed her eyes, opened them a moment later, and starlight flickered in her eyes.

"My Divine Sense strength has increased by nearly twenty percent." She felt the change, "And... I can feel that the ring stores a large amount of ancient information, some of which may involve the secrets of the Night Curtain organization."

"Study it slowly when you go back," Lin Ye said, "The Heavenly Secret Pavilion is crucial to the Heavenly Court. Your increase in strength is an improvement for the Heavenly Court's intelligence network."

"I will not fail the trust," Qin Ruoxue said solemnly.

The fifth piece of equipment was a pen.

It was not an ordinary writing brush, but a Talisman pen made entirely of jade.

The shaft was as white as snow, and the bristles were pale gold, made from the tail bristles of some Yao Beast.

The shaft was engraved with dense, miniature Formations, and faint spiritual light flowed at the tip.

[Qiankun Talisman Pen (Rare)]

Quality: Blue

Effect: When drawing Talismans, success rate increases by 20%, Talisman power increases by 15%

Special Effect 1: Spiritual Ink Self-Generation (The bristles can automatically absorb Spiritual Qi from Heaven and Earth to condense into spiritual ink, no extra preparation of Talisman ink is needed)

Special Effect 2: Formation Copying (Can temporarily copy observed Formations and store them in the pen, storing a maximum of three Formations)

Special Effect 3: Talisman Enhancement (The duration of Talismans drawn with this pen is extended by 30%)

Description: A treasure that Talisman masters dream of. The original owner was a Talisman Great Master of the Blood Fiend Alliance, who was killed by Chen Hao in battle. This pen provides bonuses to both Talismans and Formations, making it most suitable for logistics and support personnel.

Lin Ye handed the Talisman pen to Zhao Wuji, "Wuji, you are the chief steward of the Heavenly Court, in charge of resources and logistics. I'll give this pen to you; in the future, the efficiency of the Heavenly Court's Talisman supply and Formation deployment will be greatly improved."

Zhao Wuji took the Talisman pen, unable to put it down.

Although he specialized in business, he also had some knowledge of Talismans and Formations—this was a basic skill for running a merchant guild.

With this pen, his future drawing of trading Talismans, contract Talismans, and defensive Talismans would yield twice the result with half the effort.

"Many thanks, Brother Lin," Zhao Wuji smiled, "With this, our Heavenly Court's 'Contribution Point Exchange System' can be further improved. I plan to design a type of 'Heavenly Court Contribution Talisman'. Members can exchange contribution points for them and use the Talisman to collect resources, which will greatly reduce management costs."

"You make the decisions on these," Lin Ye said, "Continue."

Finally, Lin Ye took out an item from the box... armor fragments.

It was not a complete piece of equipment, but a pile of dark gold metal fragments, about thirty-some pieces.

Each piece was the size of a palm, with irregular edges and dragon-shaped patterns on the surface.

Although the fragments were incomplete, they still emitted a heart-palpitating pressure.

[Dragon Pattern Black Gold Fragments (Legendary Material)]

Quality: Gold (Material)

Source: Leftover from the shattering of the Night Curtain leader's longsword. The original sword was forged by mixing a small amount of Dragon Pattern Black Gold with other metals; after it shattered, the Dragon Pattern Black Gold was precipitated out.

Quantity: 37 pieces

Single piece attribute: Defense +80, Metal attribute affinity +5%

Possible uses: 1. Reforging sword weapons: Can be fused into other sword embryos to improve the quality and power of the sword weapon. 2. Strengthening equipment: Can be embedded in defensive gear to significantly improve defense and resistance. 3. Refining and absorbing: Cultivators who Cultivate Metal attribute Cultivation Techniques can slowly refine and absorb it to improve Physical Body strength and Metal attribute control.

Warning: Dragon Pattern Black Gold has a domineering nature; direct contact may cause ordinary metal equipment to shatter. It requires professional handling.

"These fragments come from the sword of the Night Curtain leader," Lin Ye said, "That sword was mixed with a small amount of Dragon Pattern Black Gold. After I shattered it, the Dragon Pattern Black Gold precipitated into these fragments."

He looked at everyone, "I plan to distribute these fragments as follows: ten pieces to Chen Hao to fuse into his Overlord Heavy Armor to increase defense. Ten pieces to Shi Potian to strengthen his Dark Moon Cloak and dagger, enhancing his concealment and assassination abilities. Five pieces to Pavilion Master Qin to embed into the Heavenly Secret Ring to improve Divine Sense protection. The remaining twelve pieces..."

Lin Ye looked at Su Qingyue, "Qingyue, your Cold Moon Sword has growth potential. These Dragon Pattern Black Gold fragments can be given to Master Appraiser's apprentice to attempt to fuse into the sword. Although the amount is not large, it should be able to raise the quality of the sword by another level."

Su Qingyue shook her head, "Dragon Pattern Black Gold is too precious; it would be a waste on me. You should keep it for your own use. Doesn't your myriad things mother qi cauldron embryo need high-quality Materials to evolve?"

"Dragon Pattern Black Gold is incompatible with me," Lin Ye explained, "Dragon Pattern Black Gold is extremely rigid and Yang. My Chaos Body is all-encompassing but leans more towards neutral Chaos. Forcing a Fusion might instead destroy the balance of the cauldron embryo. While your Vast Cold Spirit Body belongs to the Yin-Cold attribute, the Cold Moon Sword itself is Ice-type. Ice and Gold do not conflict; instead, they can form a 'Cold Gold attribute,' further increasing its power."

Seeing that Su Qingyue still wanted to say something, Lin Ye waved his hand, "That's settled. Although Dragon Pattern Black Gold is precious, it can only exert its maximum value when used on the most suitable person."

After distributing the main equipment, Lin Ye began to distribute the items in the third box.

Various Medicinal Pills were distributed according to need: healing types were prioritized for Chen Hao and the Azure Dragon Hall who were often charging at the front; Qi-recovery types for Su Qingyue and the Vermilion Bird Hall who needed to cast Spells continuously; detoxifying and buffing types were distributed evenly.

Regarding Talismans, attack-type Talismans were mainly given to the White Tiger Hall and the Azure Dragon Hall; defensive types to the Black Tortoise Hall; and auxiliary types to logistics and intelligence personnel.

Materials were put into storage to be used for equipment crafting, Medicinal Pill refining, and Formation deployment in the future.

For Cultivation Techniques and Secret Manuals, Lin Ye picked out a few valuable volumes for everyone to circulate and study. For example, although the "Blood Fiend Technique - Incomplete Manual" was evil, the techniques regarding the use of Qi and blood within it could be referenced; the introductory chapter of the "Night Curtain Stealth Technique" was to be learned by all core members to improve concealment abilities; the incomplete sword moves of the "Shadow Killer Nine Styles" could be studied by Shi Potian and Qin Ruoxue to integrate into their own assassination techniques.

Finally, Lin Ye took out those few special items.

The three black tokens of the Night Curtain organization were kept by Lin Ye himself—this might be needed to investigate the background of Night Curtain.

The blood-colored compass was temporarily kept by Qin Ruoxue for research to see if the secret it pointed to could be uncovered.

The bronze ghost mask fragments were carefully put away by Lin Ye—this item was related to the bronze ghost mask he had previously obtained in the Bronze Ancient Palace and might involve clues to the ruthless ones inheritance.

And the most mysterious one was the black stone slab.

Lin Ye placed the stone slab on the table and let everyone observe it carefully.

The stone slab still had no reaction; its surface was smooth as a mirror, and the aura inside was obscure.

"Try to sense it," Lin Ye said.

Everyone took turns probing the stone slab with their Divine Sense, but all without success. The stone slab was like the most ordinary black stone, without any spiritual power fluctuations or any information.

"Strange..." Qin Ruoxue frowned, "If it were an ordinary stone, the Night Curtain leader would not have treasured it so much. But if it were a treasure, why can we not perceive anything?"

"It might require special conditions to activate," Shi Potian said.

"Or... it might require a specific person," Su Qingyue looked at Lin Ye, "Lin Ye, you said before that this stone slab resonates with your Chaos Body?"

Lin Ye nodded, "A very weak resonance, like a feeling of the same origin but different flow. But I have tried various methods, and none could activate it."

He put the stone slab away, "Keep it with me for now, and we'll study it slowly later."

The distribution of loot was completed, and everyone obtained equipment and resources suitable for themselves.

Chen Hao's Overlord Heavy Armor, Shi Potian's Dark Moon Cloak, Su Qingyue's wind and thunder wings and enhanced Cold Moon Sword, Qin Ruoxue's Heavenly Secret Ring, and Zhao Wuji's Qiankun Talisman Pen—the combat power of the core members had improved by a level overall.

"Next, is the reward for the members of the four halls," Lin Ye said, "Zhao Wuji, you distribute the remaining equipment according to the battle merit ranking. Reward the top ten members in battle merit with priority, with each person receiving at least one Rare-grade piece of equipment. For other participants, give them contribution points and Spirit Stone rewards based on battle merit."

"Yes," Zhao Wuji replied.

"Also..." Lin Ye thought for a moment, "Starting today, establish a 'Heavenly Court Contribution List'. Every month, the top ten will be selected based on battle merit, task completion, professional skill contributions, etc., and given additional rewards. The list will be posted on the stronghold's bulletin board so that everyone can see it."

"This is good!" Chen Hao agreed, "Only with competition is there motivation!"

"Will that cause internal conflict?" Qin Ruoxue was a bit worried.

"There is competition, but there must be even more cooperation," Lin Ye said, "The contribution list is only an incentive. The true core of the Heavenly Court is unity. This point requires us core members to lead by example."

Everyone nodded.

The meeting ended, and everyone left to familiarize themselves with their new equipment and handle their respective affairs.

Su Qingyue stayed behind.

"Lin Ye, thank you," she said softly, "The wind and thunder wings are too precious, I..."

"Don't say these things," Lin Ye interrupted her, "Qingyue, between us, there is no need to say thanks."

He walked to the window, looking at the members of the four halls training on the training ground outside, "The Heavenly Court can reach where it is today not by me alone, but by everyone's efforts. You, Chen Hao, Shi Potian, Zhao Wuji, Qin Ruoxue... everyone is playing an irreplaceable role in their own position."

Su Qingyue walked to his side and also looked out the window.

The sun was bright, and the shouts of battle on the training ground were deafening. Warriors of the Azure Dragon Hall were practicing spear Formations, assassins of the White Tiger Hall were practicing stealth, mages of the Vermilion Bird Hall were practicing combined Spells, and defensive Cultivators of the Black Tortoise Hall were practicing shield wall coordination.

Everything was orderly and full of vitality.

"It's hard to imagine that half a year ago, we were just Loose Cultivators who had teamed up temporarily," Su Qingyue sighed with emotion.

"The road ahead is still very long," Lin Ye said, "The Heavenly Court seems glorious now, but it is fraught with crises. Core members of Night Curtain may retaliate at any time, and other forces in the God City are also eyeing us covetously. Not to mention, the Five Elements Secret Realm is about to open, and that will be another bloody storm."

"We will face it together," Su Qingyue's voice was firm.

Lin Ye turned to look at her, their eyes meeting.

"Mm, together."

Team cohesion was silently enhanced.

And in the underground secret room of the Heavenly Court stronghold, the black stone slab, during the process of Lin Ye taking it out and putting it back just now, seemed to have... extremely slightly, flashed a barely visible gray-white pattern on its surface.

That pattern was identical to the light emitted by the Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body.