57: Chapter 57 One-Click Recycling: The Battlefield Instantly Turns into an ATM!

Lin Tian slumped on the ground, his face ashen and his body trembling uncontrollably. Lin Chen's words, "Ownership has been bought out," were like a final judgment, shattering all his delusions and pretenses. Looking into Lin Chen's eyes, which seemed to see through everything, he felt as if he had been stripped naked and thrown into the snow, his very soul shivering.

Lin Chen didn't spare him another glance; the psychological breakdown of such a minor character wasn't worth any more of his attention. He turned and gave instructions to Zhang Hao, who stood at the door with an expression that said, 'I knew this grandson was no good':

"Keep a close eye on him. Don't let him die, and don't let him pull any more tricks. He's still useful."

"Don't worry, Master!" Zhang Hao thumped his chest, a cruel and excited smile appearing on his face. "I'll make sure to 'provide' for him like an ancestor! I'll definitely make him live 'comfortably'!" He emphasized the words 'provide' and 'comfortably' as his unfriendly gaze swept over the limp Lin Tian.

Lin Chen nodded and, accompanied by the phantom of Bai Qi and Su Qingyu, headed straight out of the observation area. He left Zhang Hao and two guards behind to begin their 'meticulous' 'care' for Lin Tian.

Over the next few days, the Underworld Fortress entered a high-speed state of combat readiness.

The repair work on the city walls proceeded at an incredible speed with the cooperation of the Ghost Soldiers and survivor craftsmen. The cracks caused by Wang Kun's impact were quickly filled and solidified with a substance called 'Nether Soil Breathing Earth' that emitted a faint ghostly light, making them even stronger than before. Lin Chen even took the opportunity to carve several basic defensive runes onto them.

Inside the Fortress, Su Qingyu displayed exceptional management talent, keeping all affairs in perfect order. The inventory of supplies, the placement of personnel, the preliminary list for rewarding merit... everything moved forward efficiently under her coordination. She seemed to have fully accepted Lin Chen's 'rules are survival' philosophy, acting with increasing efficiency and decisiveness.

Meanwhile, Lin Chen personally led a team of elite Ghost Soldiers to 'clean up' the main battlefield.

A faint scent of blood and ghostly energy still lingered over the battlefield, but the previous murderous atmosphere was gone. On the ground, broken weapons, shattered bones, and the torn black robes of Thousand Faces Cult believers were scattered everywhere. Of course, the most abundant items were the Bizarre Monster core fragments and special materials containing Yin energy left behind after being slain by the Ten Thousand Ghost Talisman and the Ghost Soldier legion.

To others, these things were disasters and filth, but under the scan of Lin Chen's nether domain asset system, they all turned into glittering resources!

"Ding! Recycled [Broken Wraith Core] x124, obtained nether talisman +12,400!" "Ding! Recycled [Resentment-Stained Obsidian] x58, obtained nether talisman +5,800!"

"Ding! Recycled [Deformed Aberration Remains] x1, obtained nether talisman +5,000!" "Ding! Discovered [Thousand Faces Cult Low-Level Priest Staff (Damaged)], contains weak fel energy, can be decomposed, obtained nether talisman +800, obtained material [Filthy Crystal] x1!"

...

The system notifications rang out in Lin Chen's mind one after another, like the most beautiful music. He was like a walking money magnet; wherever he went, all valuable 'trash' was instantly recycled by the system and converted into clinking nether talismans.

This efficiency was countless times faster than having the Ghost Soldiers pick them up manually.

Zhang Hao followed closely behind him, watching as various remains vanished into thin air just by Lin Chen walking around, followed by a satisfied look on Lin Chen's face. Although he didn't understand the specific principle, it didn't stop him from frantically sucking up:

"Master is mighty! This 'Void Wealth Gathering Technique' of yours is truly divine! In your hands, this trash turns into glittering nether talismans!"

Lin Chen didn't bother with him and continued to focus on 'picking up money'.

Aside from these scattered gains, there were several 'big items' on the battlefield.

For instance, several hideously shaped siege crossbow carts brought by Wang Kun's Deformed Legion, cast from a mix of biological bone and metal. Though most were damaged in battle, the core structures remained. After a system scan, they yielded a decent recycling price.

There were also several small altars left behind by the Thousand Faces Cult, carved with twisted runes and emitting an uncomfortable aura. Lin Chen directly had the Ghost Soldiers dismantle them and recycled all the materials.

What interested Lin Chen most was a palm-sized black token he found after a careful search at the spot where Wang Kun finally vanished. It was neither metal nor wood, cold to the touch, and carved with a blurry pattern of an ancient palace.

[Item: Broken Netherworld Guide Token (Fragment)]

[Description: A part of an Ancient Netherworld token. It seems to point toward a specific Netherworld region or trial ground. Contains a faint trace of Netherworld Authority.]

[Status: Severely damaged, incomplete functions.]

[System Evaluation: Recyclable for nether talisman +50,000. Alternatively, an attempt can be made to repair/analyze it, requiring a large amount of nether talismans and special materials.]

"Netherworld Guide Token?" Lin Chen rubbed the cold token, his eyes flickering. Combining this with the information from the armory documents and Wang Kun, it seemed this 'Ancient Netherworld' indeed had countless ties to him—or rather, to his system.

He chose not to directly recycle it for fifty thousand nether talismans and instead put the token away. This thing might be useful later.

After half a day of 'cleaning,' Lin Chen stood in the center of the much cleaner battlefield and pulled up the system interface to check his nether talisman balance.

[nether talisman Balance: 1,158,740]

His nether talisman reserves, which had shrunk considerably due to the high costs of building the Fortress, exchanging supplies, and using the Ten Thousand Ghost Talisman, had not only fully recovered after this wave of 'battlefield recycling' but also gained a net profit of over three hundred thousand!

True warfare is indeed a way to get rich!

Lin Chen closed the interface with satisfaction. With this ample 'military fund,' he felt more confident about exploring the Netherworld or dealing with potential retaliation from the Thousand-Faced Sect Leader.

"Let's go, head back." Lin Chen was in a good mood as he spoke to the Ghost Soldiers and Zhang Hao behind him.

"Master, we've struck it rich this time!" Zhang Hao grinned obsequiously. "Should we hold a victory banquet to celebrate?"

Lin Chen glanced at him and said calmly, "There will be a victory banquet. But before that, there's something else to deal with."

His gaze turned meaningfully toward the direction of the Fortress.

It was time for that 'younger brother' Lin Tian to provide his final 'value.' Just keeping him locked up wouldn't squeeze out any more profit.

Zhang Hao followed Lin Chen's gaze, understanding perfectly, and once again showed that 'I get it' smirk.

The battlefield cleanup ended with a bountiful harvest.

But the real 'cleanup' might have only just begun. The filth and conspiracies hidden in the shadows also needed to be thoroughly cleared out through 'pay-to-win' methods.