["Li Anlong!"]

You recall the legends about this legendary emperor.

Not all emperors of Great Qian were Ultimate Grandmasters.

In Great Qian's thousands of years of history, the number of emperor Ultimate Grandmasters could be counted on one hand.

Li Anlong was unanimously recognized as the strongest among them.

Quite inspirational.

With Li Anlong and Lin Jingzhi's arrival, both nations now had forty-six Ultimate Grandmasters each.

Perfectly matched.

The Ultimate Grandmasters of Great Qian all bowed slightly toward Li Anlong as a sign of respect.

The hundreds of thousands of Great Qian soldiers kneeling on the ground erupted in thunderous cries:

"Long live Your Majesty!!"

"Your Majesty!!"

"Majesty!!"

"Sty!!"

The echoes reverberated across the vast field.

You asked: "Uncle-Master, with nearly a hundred Ultimate Grandmasters here, won't the sky collapse when they fight?"

Hu Zhongxuan turned his head, looking puzzled: "Fight? It's already over."

"What? When did they fight?!" you exclaimed in shock. "They just struck a few poses in the air and called it a fight? Was it a contest of whose stylist was better?!"

You were speechless.

What kind of nonsense was this?

They didn't even move.

Was this some kind of conceptual battle?

You wanted to see rivers of blood!

Damn it, refund my ticket!!

Hu Zhongxuan explained: "Unless it's a life-or-death grudge, Ultimate Grandmasters almost never fight personally. Having finally obtained two hundred years of lifespan, who wouldn't treasure it?"

You frowned: "If they don't fight, who does?"

"We lower-ranking soldiers do the fighting."

"Then what are they doing?"

"They're distributing profits."

You remembered a period when the battles had suddenly become extremely intense.

That must have been when the armies from both sides were fighting the decisive battle.

You had been so busy during that time that your cultivation suffered.

"Who won?"

"A draw."

"Equal profit distribution?"

"Equal."

You let out a long sigh: "Great. Screw their ancestors eight generations back."

With Li Anlong and Lin Jingzhi's arrival,

the Ultimate Grandmasters from both sides finally took action.

First, someone from Great Qian's side stepped forward.

He held a device resembling a rice cooker inner pot.

The man closed his eyes to sense something, then immediately flew off in a certain direction.

In just half a quarter-hour, he returned.

He presented the "rice cooker pot" to Li Anlong.

After examining it, Li Anlong nodded.

Someone from Jin Yue Nation also stepped forward.

Their "rice cooker pot" had a slightly different design,

but it was clearly the same type of object.

The Jin Yue representative similarly sensed for a moment, flew out for a round, then returned.

"Uncle-Master, what are they doing?" you asked.

Bai Chen also curiously craned his neck to listen.

"They're collecting Earth Sources," Hu Zhongxuan replied.

You thought of the misty substance in your space.

Though you had an inkling, you still asked: "What's an Earth Source?"

"Earth Sources can refine pills and artifacts, but their most important function is turning Grandmasters into Ultimate Grandmasters!"

Though shocked inwardly, you kept your expression calm.

You frowned: "Aren't Ultimate Grandmasters just Grandmasters who've cultivated further?"

Hu Zhongxuan smiled: "No Grandmaster can become an Ultimate Grandmaster through cultivation alone!"

Now you understood why Ultimate Grandmasters could fly and had two-hundred-year lifespans.

Fundamentally, Ultimate Grandmasters and ordinary martial artists weren't even the same species anymore.

They might as well have reproductive isolation.

And all this was thanks to Earth Sources.

You asked further: "Uncle-Master, what does an Earth Source look like?"

Hu Zhongxuan answered: "Martial artists below Ultimate Grandmaster level can't see Earth Sources, but they're said to appear as white mist."

You nodded.

You were certain now!

The mist you'd collected into your space was an Earth Source!

An Earth Source that could turn Grandmasters into Ultimate Grandmasters was ridiculously overpowered.

You decided to study it thoroughly once you were safe.

Fortunately, since the Earth Source was stored in your space, even Ultimate Grandmasters couldn't detect it.

You asked another question: "If Earth Sources can't be seen by martial artists below Ultimate Grandmaster level, and Grandmasters need Earth Sources to become Ultimate Grandmasters, then where did the first Ultimate Grandmaster come from?"

Faced with this chicken-or-egg dilemma,

Hu Zhongxuan's brain short-circuited.

After a long pause, he could only say he didn't know.

"Uncle-Master, how does an Earth Source turn a Grandmaster into an Ultimate Grandmaster? By absorbing it?"

"No, through enlightenment."

"Enlightenment?" you murmured.

"Yes, and not all Grandmasters necessarily succeed in becoming Ultimate Grandmasters through Earth Source enlightenment. There are many failures."

"If they fail, can the Earth Source be used by others?"

"Yes, but the Earth Source will dissipate. It can only provide enlightenment for three people at most."

"What if someone below Grandmaster level tries to comprehend an Earth Source?"

"Nothing would happen. Martial artists who aren't Grandmasters can't understand Earth Sources, just like illiterate children can't read essays."

"What if they force it?"

Hu Zhongxuan gave you a strange look: "I don't know that either."

"Uncle-Master, one last question - if Grandmasters can't see Earth Sources, how do they achieve enlightenment?"

"See those devices in their hands?"

You looked at the two rice cooker pots and nodded.

"There's a matching device for sensing Earth Sources, all made by Ultimate Grandmasters."

Hu Zhongxuan then told you much more about Earth Sources:

They appeared randomly in time and location,

though their approximate emergence range could be predicted beforehand.

This time, the Ultimate Grandmasters had deduced Earth Sources would appear at Yajiangkou,

which was why both nations' Ultimate Grandmasters had gathered here.

The Ultimate Grandmasters from both nations continued collecting Earth Sources.

In the end, each side's representatives made six trips,

meaning each side collected six Earth Sources.

After the collection concluded, the Ultimate Grandmasters departed without lingering, flying off in all directions.

Yajiangkou's commander-in-chief Ding Hanfei also descended to the military tent.

Hu Zhongxuan beside you looked exhilarated.

Without even speaking to you, he hurried into the tent.

You and Bai Chen exchanged glances before returning to the medical corps.

What was supposed to be an earth-shattering battle between Ultimate Grandmasters had ended so anticlimactically.

The next day,

after treating the wounded, you and Bai Chen stepped out of the medical corps for a break.

The two of you squatted by a wall chatting, each with a Zhonghua cigarette in your mouth.

Just then, Hu Zhongxuan passed by.

He looked at you two in surprise: "What are you doing here?"

You looked back equally surprised: "We've worked all day - can't we take a smoke break?"

"No, I mean why haven't you returned to Danxia Sect?" Hu Zhongxuan asked urgently.

You sighed: "Maybe because we enjoy this life on the knife's edge, living day-to-day without guarantee of tomorrow. Definitely not because you'd drag us back if we ran away."

"You could've left yesterday! The Ultimate Grandmasters finished distributing Earth Sources - the war's over!"

You froze: "Who said that?"

"Didn't I tell you yesterday?" Hu Zhongxuan sounded uncertain.

Gnashing your teeth, you said: "Dear Uncle-Master, you told us nothing! You ran off immediately yesterday!!"

Hu Zhongxuan suddenly realized: "My bad, my bad. I was too excited yesterday..."

"Damn it! We can finally leave!!" Overjoyed, you gave Bai Chen two hard slaps.

Equally excited, Bai Chen also slapped himself twice.

Arm in arm, the two of you skipped back to pack your things.

You finished packing quickly.

Cheerfully bidding farewell to Hu Zhongxuan: "Goodbye, Uncle-Master. Hope we never meet again."

Hu Zhongxuan just smiled: "We'll meet again."

"No thanks." You immediately bolted.

You planned to thoroughly study that Earth Source upon returning to Danxia Sect.

While in your space, the Earth Source remained unchanged like the food,

so you didn't need to worry about it dissipating before you reached Grandmaster level.

Before becoming a Grandmaster, you intended to thoroughly examine this Earth Source -

you might discover something unexpected.

You and Bai Chen soon reached the camp entrance,

only to find a crowd gathered there -

mostly Yajiangkou soldiers -

pointing and whispering at someone in the center.

"Isn't that the Extermination Sect's saintess? What's she doing here?"

"Who knows? Why don't you ask her?"

"You ask her! She could kill me with one slap!"

Hearing this, you frowned: "Wan Qingluan?"

"Let's go!" You quickened your pace to leave.

It was best not to provoke Extermination Sect members -

they were too unpredictable.

As Bai Chen followed, he glanced at the crowd: "Senior Brother, what's going on over there?"

"Don't ask. Someone you can't afford to mess with!"

Bai Chen immediately shrank back: "How do you know, Senior Brother?"

"Just don't!" you said in a hushed tone.

You and Bai Chen exited Yajiangkou camp.

Only after putting considerable distance between you did you dare look back.

You saw Wan Qingluan standing alone at the camp entrance,

her delicate face scrunched up as she looked outside,

appearing torn between wanting to leave and being too afraid to step forward.

She tentatively tried several times but couldn't bring herself to cross that line.

The surrounding soldiers watched her curiously,

but none dared approach due to the Extermination Sect's fearsome reputation.

Then Wan Qingluan noticed you watching.

Your eyes met directly.

Looking at you, she seemed to recognize you as the one who'd used Phantom Phoenix Steps yesterday.

Wan Qingluan didn't speak, just quietly observed you.

She looked pitifully beautiful, her exquisite face clouded with worry, seemingly fearful of her surroundings.

You stood watching for a long moment before finally gritting your teeth: "Ah! I'm always too soft-hearted!"

You strode over and naturally took Wan Qingluan's hand as if you'd done it a thousand times before.

"What are you doing outside with your fearful personality?!" you scolded in a low voice.