150: Confiscating property and distributing profits and misappropriation of public funds

On the fiftieth floor of Tianxing City, the early morning mist carried a faint scent of blood.

The gates of "Qingyun Recycling Station" had just opened when the maid Little Green, dressed in black robes and a veil, walked in. She carried a heavy Storage Pouch, the large-capacity kind used for building Materials, still stained with a few drops of wet blood.

"Black Tiger is dead."

Little Green's voice was devoid of emotion, as if she were talking about crushing an ant. "All three hundred and twelve members of the Black Tiger Gang, whether they were moles or not, have been completely purged."

"This is Black Tiger's head, and... the five hundred Spirit Stones you wanted."

She placed the Storage Pouch on the counter.

"So many?"

Ling Yunxiao leaned in curiously, and with a sweep of his Divine Sense, he gasped.

There were far more than five hundred Spirit Stones inside!

The mountain of Spirit Stones, Magical Artifacts, and Materials inside was worth at least fifty thousand Spirit Stones! They had brought the entire fortune of the Black Tiger Gang!

"The Young Lord said,"

Little Green looked at the old man dozing on the rattan chair. "The five hundred Spirit Stones are to repay the debt. The rest is for the Mister's 'mental distress fee'. Additionally, the Black Tiger Gang's original territory is now under the temporary management of Qingyun Recycling Station."

"Thank Young Master Wen for me."

Zhou Wannian (Old Man Han) didn't even lift an eyelid, merely waving his cattail leaf fan. "Fei Yu, collect the money and sweep the floor clean."

After Little Green left.

"We're rich! Old Man Han! This is fifty thousand Spirit Stones!" Ling Yunxiao hugged the Storage Pouch, grinning from ear to ear. "The Star Palace's Young Lord is too generous!"

"This is called having vision."

Zhou Wannian sat up, picked out a piece of Top-grade Geng-Metal from the Storage Pouch—found from Black Tiger's private stash—and tossed it to Li Feiyu. "Take this to plate your blade. This Black Tiger was a mole for so many years; he certainly had plenty of loot."

"However, this money isn't for nothing."

Zhou Wannian walked behind the counter and took out a list he had prepared long ago.

"Since we've taken their money, we have to do the job well. Work on that 'Lifebound Treasure Array' needs to begin."

"Ling Yunxiao, go to Tingfeng Pavilion and give this list to Young Master Wen."

Ling Yunxiao took the list and looked at it; his eyes nearly bulged out.

"Old Man Han... are you trying to refine an Immortal Artifact?!"

The list was densely packed:

【Ten-thousand-year Five Elements Jade (ten catties of each attribute)】

【Extraterrestrial Star Sand (five catties)】

【Top-grade Void Gazer Stone (three pieces)】

【Level Four Monster Core (one for each of the Five Elements attributes)】

..."The Materials on this list are enough to refine ten sets of Magic Treasures, aren't they?!"

"Shh."

Zhou Wannian raised a finger. "I am an Artifact Refiner. If I say the wastage rate is high, then it's high. Do you understand 'research funding'? Do you understand 'embezzling public funds'?"

"One set in here is for Young Master Wen."

"The remaining nine sets..."

Zhou Wannian pointed toward the backyard basement.

"I'm going to use them to upgrade Tie Zhu into a 'Five Elements All-Rounder' type and refine a set of protective Formation Flags for my 'Star Master' Clone."

"This is called... rational redistribution of resources."

"Go. Young Master Wen is a smart person; she knows that not only is this deal not a loss, but she's actually profiting."

...Three days later.

The Star Palace's efficiency was astonishingly high.

All the Materials, including those rare spiritual Materials that were priceless in the outside world, were delivered to Yun Zhu Courtyard.

The underground secret chamber.

Earth fire burned fiercely.

Zhou Wannian sat cross-legged in the center of the Formation, his hands moving like lightning as he refined the "five elements magnetic rings" tailored specifically for Ling Yuling.

"Five Elements generate each other, with Magnetic Force as the guide."

"Using Metal to generate Water, Water to generate Wood..."

Before him, five rings the size of bracelets floated in the flames. They were gold, green, blue, red, and yellow, their surfaces covered in miniature Cloud Seal runes.

These seemingly simple rings were actually Zhou Wannian's masterpiece, combining the "Cloud Seal Heavenly Scripture" and the Formation chapter of the "Reverse Star Strategy."

They were not just a set of Magic Treasures, but a miniature Formation that could be implanted into the body.

"Condense!"

Zhou Wannian spat out a mouthful of essence blood.

The five rings instantly closed together, forming a perfect Five Elements cycle in the air. They attracted and repelled each other, finally forming an extremely stable magnetic field structure.

"It's done."

Zhou Wannian wiped his sweat and placed this "official version" into a brocade box.

Then, he looked at the remaining mountain of top-tier Materials and showed a gratified smile.

"Next, it's time for my private projects."

"Tie Zhu, come here."

"This time, I'll replace your heart with a 'Five Elements Reactor' and install a 'Five Elements Evasion' module."

"And for the Star Master Clone, this Void Gazer Stone is perfect for making a 'Space Blade'..."

...Another three days passed.

Late at night.

Ling Yuling visited again. This time, she wore no veil. Although her face was still pale, her eyes were full of expectation.

"Mister, I have fortunately fulfilled the mission; all the Materials are gathered."

"I have also fortunately fulfilled my mission."

Zhou Wannian pushed the brocade box over.

"These are the 'five elements magnetic rings'. A set of five: the Gold Ring, Wood Ring, Water Ring, Fire Ring, and Earth Ring."

Ling Yuling opened the box, feeling the endless cycle of power flowing within the five rings, her eyes filled with shock.

"What an ingenious design! To use the power of the Five Elements to simulate a magnetic field, fighting poison with poison and magnetism with magnetism!"

"Don't be so quick to praise."

Zhou Wannian's expression was serious. "These aren't meant to be worn on your hands; they are to be... planted into your Dantian."

"Planted into the Dantian?" Ling Yuling was stunned.

"Your Magnetic Force has already eroded your internal organs. A new point of balance must be established at the core of your Dantian."

"The process will be very painful, comparable to shattering one's core and recultivating. Do you dare?"

Ling Yuling looked at the five rings, took a deep breath, and a flash of determination crossed her eyes.

"Why wouldn't I dare?"

"Please cast the technique, Mister!"

...Inside the secret chamber.

Ling Yuling sat cross-legged, with Zhou Wannian standing behind her.

"Endure it."

Zhou Wannian gave a low shout, his fingers tapping repeatedly.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

The five rings turned into five streaks of light and sank directly into Ling Yuling's lower abdomen.

"Ugh!"

Ling Yuling let out a muffled groan, her whole body trembling violently as cold sweat instantly soaked her clothes.

It felt as if five hands were frantically stirring inside her stomach, tearing her Meridians apart and forcibly restructuring them.

"Guard your mind! Circulate your Cultivation Technique!"

Zhou Wannian's Divine Sense was fully deployed, guiding the five rings to their positions within Ling Yuling's Dantian.

"Metal to the West, Wood to the East, Water to the North, Fire to the South, Earth to the Center!"

"Five Elements in position! Magnetic Force reversal!"

Boom!

As the final hand Seal was struck.

The originally violent and chaotic black magnetic Qi within Ling Yuling's body suddenly seemed to encounter a massive suction force, frantically converging toward her Dantian.

In the center of the Dantian, the five rings spun at high speed, crushing and refining the incoming black Qi before transforming it into a pure and gentle gray spiritual power that nourished her whole body.

That was... the tamed Magnetic Force!

Ling Yuling's originally pale face turned rosy at a visible rate. Her aura also surged steadily, showing signs of breaking through to the Late Foundation Establishment Stage and touching the False Core Realm!

"It's done!"

Ling Yuling suddenly opened her eyes, two gray divine lights shooting from them, piercing through the stone walls of the secret chamber.

"Thank you, Mister, for the grace of remolding me!"

She was so excited she was about to stand up and bow.

"Don't move."

Zhou Wannian suddenly pressed down on her shoulder, his brow furrowed as he stared intently at the position of her Dantian.

"What's wrong?" Ling Yuling was startled.

Zhou Wannian did not speak.

Just now, the moment the "five elements magnetic rings" successfully activated.

The "Cloud Seal Heavenly Scripture" within him suddenly produced an extremely strong resonance.

This resonance did not come from Ling Yuling.

But from... beneath his feet.

From the deepest depths of this Heavenly Star Mountain, that legendary sealed "Magnetic Divine Mountain."

Using the Magnetic Force in Ling Yuling's body as a medium, Zhou Wannian's Divine Sense seemed to connect to an invisible thread, instantly penetrating countless layers of Restrictions to "see" a scene at the base of the mountain.

It was a massive cage carved out of a single piece of the Magnetic Divine Mountain.

Inside the cage sat two people who had long since grown into the mountain, inseparable from it.

A man and a woman.

Those were... the Twin Saints of Tianxing!

They weren't in seclusion.

They were... "trapped" by that Magnetic Divine Mountain!

"So that's how it is..."

Waves of shock surged through Zhou Wannian's heart.

"The Twin Saints of Tianxing ran into trouble while cultivating the 'Magnetic Divine Light'. Their physical bodies have been completely magnetized, and they cannot leave Heavenly Star Mountain by even half a step! Once they leave, they will instantly turn to ash!"

"The so-called 'seclusion' and 'guarding' are actually... imprisonment."

"And Ling Yuling..."

Zhou Wannian looked at the girl before him, who was still unaware.

"She is the only 'antidote' the Sages have cultivated."

"Or... a replacement."

"Mister?" Seeing Zhou Wannian remain silent for so long, Ling Yuling panicked slightly.

"It's nothing."

Zhou Wannian withdrew his hand, instantly suppressing the shock in his heart, his face returning to that inscrutable expression.

"I was just checking the stability of the Formation. It's perfect."

"Congratulations, Young Master Wen. From now on, the Magnetic Divine Light will no longer be your death warrant, but a sharp sword for you to reach the summit."

Ling Yuling let out a long breath and wept with joy.

"This kindness, I shall never forget!"

"From now on, the affairs of Qingyun Recycling Station are the affairs of my Star Palace!"

...After seeing off Ling Yuling.

Zhou Wannian sat alone in the secret chamber, toying with the Heavenly Secret Dao Disk in his hand.

"Old Man Han, what's wrong?"

Ling Yunxiao walked in. "Young Master Wen sent many gifts of thanks. Aren't you going to take a look?"

"I won't."

Zhou Wannian looked at the pointer on the Heavenly Secret Dao Disk pointing to the bottom of Heavenly Star Mountain, a flash of complexity in his eyes.

"Ling Yunxiao, do you know what the most valuable thing in this Tianxing City is?"

"The Star Palace Vault?"

"No."

Zhou Wannian pointed beneath his feet.

"It's this mountain."

"A 'Divine Mountain' that can trap Soul Transformation Stage cultivators to death, yet also create them."

"These murky waters are even deeper than I imagined."

"However..."

Zhou Wannian patted Tie Zhu, who had finished upgrading, and looked at the Star Master Clone nearby, which was emitting spatial fluctuations.

"The murkier the water, the bigger the fish."

"Since the Sages cannot come out..."

"Then it's time for the sky of Tianxing City... to change colors."

"Fei Yu, get ready."

"I heard the 'Myriad Treasures Convention' in Tianxing City is in a few days?"

"Let's take our new equipment, upgraded with public funds, and... show our faces at the convention."

"It's time for our Qingyun Recycling Station to expand its business."