The Devouring Islands had six islands in total. The first island had the largest population, at least eighty thousand strong. The second island was a bit smaller, with fifty-sixty thousand people; the third island had around thirty thousand, and the fourth also had more or less the same. The fifth had fifteen thousand residents, and the sixth had three to four thousand. The total population of the six islands combined was more than two hundred thousand. Although the greater majority were Astral Reaching experts and Sea of Soul realm experts didn’t even make one-tenth of the population, everybody had to act according to the rules established by the Blackwater Alliance. An Astral Reaching expert had to hand over three Zhen Yuan crystals, and Sea of Soul realm experts had to hand over fifteen Zhen Yuan crystals. The monthly accumulation of Zhen Yuan crystals was frightening.
Moreover, it should not be forgotten that Black Powers also handed over the greater half of their Zhen Yuan crystals to Blackwater Alliance. In other words, Blackwater Alliance had two sources of monthly revenue—the crystals handed over by the cultivators and those handed over by the Black Powers.
To settle his debts and leave the island, Ye Chen could only go against the Blackwater Alliance.
“Who is it?”
On this enormous summit, experts were like clouds in the air. One figure after another rushed out.
“Ha!”
Without slowing his speed at all, Ye Chen let out a boundless wave of Destruction Sword Intent, carrying an aura as if it would annihilate everything in its wake. Such a frantic and pure aura made the numerous experts who had rushed out feel their blood running cold and their soul plunge into chaos. Unwittingly, all the plants and trees instantly died, completely devoid of vitality.
At this moment, anybody who didn’t have a grade five martial will or hadn’t become a half-step King had no courage to battle.
“Let’s go in.”
In a flash, Ye Chen and Murong Qingcheng arrived before the palace at the summit.
“Halt your steps!”
Suddenly, four half-step Kings that were not any weaker than the Fierce King closed in from four directions, trying to intercept Ye Chen and Murong Qingcheng.
Ye Chen smiled indifferently as he pulled out the Thunder Disaster Sword and slashed in every direction once. Four black colored sword Qi slashed forth almost simultaneously. With that, the four flew off as fast they came, spurting out huge streams of blood on top.
Kacha!
While the four flew away, Ye Chen’s Thunder Disaster Sword rose high in the air and chopped down. The magnificent and dazzling palace was instantly cleaved into two like a fruit.
“Not here!”
Ye Chen swept his glance but didn’t discover any stored Zhen Yuan crystals. However, he was in no hurry. With another chop, he cleaved the left section into further two.
In this manner, Ye Chen chopped left, right, and center, turning the magnificent and beautiful palace into a a sliced fruit.
“Found the storehouse!”
When he chopped the eighteenth time, his sword aura met some resistance. A cold light flickered in his eyes before he held the sword with both hands and vigorously chopped down.
Bang!
A huge burst of light exploded and everything across split open.
This was a storehouse made completely of water crystals. These were not Zhen Yuan crystals, but a kind of special energy crystals used to make arrays. Therefore, the resistance just now was from the power of an array, which had now been cut apart by a full power blow from Ye Chen.
At the center of the cleaved storehouse was a stone platform, above which hovered a light sphere. Inside the light sphere was a storage ring.
Striding forward, Ye Chen arrived before the light sphere and reached out.
Buzz!
The light sphere suddenly trembled, bouncing Ye Chen’s palm back.
“The power of space!”
Ye Chen could feel a kind of unique spatial power on the light sphere. Ordinary attacks would have no effects on this sphere, and if one tried to forcefully destroy it, the light sphere would pierce the space and enter the void. In other words, if one didn’t understand the method to resolve the light sphere, nobody under Life and Death King realm could take the storage ring inside.
Letting out a breath of turbid air slowly, Ye Chen’s pointed with his index finger. The void by his finger’s edges gradually warped, emitting a ripple which seemed virtually the same as light sphere. It was precisely the power of space!
“Open!”
Ye Chen’s finger slashed at light sphere.
Pop!
Like a bubble popping, the light sphere popped out, and the storage ring fell down into the waiting arms of Ye Chen. Obtaining the storage ring, he instantly poured his soul power inside.
The spirit ring had no soul imprint. Thus, Ye Chen’s soul power charged straight in, entering the space inside.
“How big!”
The space inside the storage ring was much bigger than Ye Chen had expected, more than twenty folds that of mid grade storage rings. It was like a huge plaza, which had numerous chests stacked together, half the size of a person. These chests were opened wide, and one could clearly see the crystalline glow coming from within.
“Ten, hundred, two hundred chests…”
The chests were so numerous that they were occupying one-fourth of the plaza, numbering between two hundred to two hundred and fifty. According to the dimensions of Zhen Yuan crystals and the dimension of the chests, each could easily store ten thousand Zhen Yuan crystals. Thus, two hundred chests were equivalent of two million Zhen Yan crystals.
“Take a look.” Ye Chen passed the ring to Murong Qingcheng, who took the ring and poured her soul power in.
“So many! Blackwater Alliance could rake in two million Zhen Yuan crystals a month!” Murong Qingcheng asked skeptically.
Ye Chen shook his head, “It shouldn’t be one month, but three. This month is not over yet, so they probably only received a part. Their monthly collection should be around a million. As for how many months they transport it, that’s hard to guess.”
To transport, they would surely have half-step Kings carry out the task. A half-step King had to pay a hundred thousand Zhen Yuan crystals to leave once. Of course, one half-step King couldn’t provide full insurance, so it must be done in a group of several. Several hundred Zhen Yuan crystals was not a small amount. Thus, Blackwater Alliance most certainly didn’t carry transportation every month.
“Nobody died this time, so we’ve more than enough.” Ye Chen sucked in a deep breath, a smile appearing on his face.
Two million Zhen Yuan crystals were priceless, and an upper grade storage ring was the same. Although they were tricked by Blackwater Alliance to enter, their gains had counteracted it.
“Let’s leave then!” Ye Chen took out the stone altar.
Suddenly…
A ripple appeared in the space above the summit and two figures appeared—one was Sima Zonguan while the other was a majestic-looking young man wearing a golden crown and luxurious robes. The latter’s age looked around thirty years old while his actual age should be around forty. His long and narrow eyes were emitting a substantive killing intent. As soon he appeared, his eyes locked onto Ye Chen inside the storehouse.
“It’s the crown prince! The Crown Prince has arrived!”
Blackwater Alliance experts revealed ecstatic expressions as they saw Sima Zonguan and the Crown Prince, then stared Ye Chen as if looking at a dead man.
Ye Chen sized the young man and said inwardly, “What a profound cultivation base! Seems much higher than the Flame Burst King. A ‘Strongest’ half-step King?”
“Crown Prince, it’s him!” Sima Zonguan swept his gaze through the summit and the broken palace, then finally stared at the stone platform inside the storehouse. Once he saw that the light sphere on the platform had disappeared without a trace, his face paled as if he had seen a ghost and roared, “You dare rob my Blackwater Alliance’s storehouse!”
Blackwater Alliance transported the crystals every six months. Although it hadn’t even been three months, two million crystals was still a hefty amount.
“Consider it Blackwater Alliance’s compensation to me!”
“You!” Sima Zonguan’s face turned ashen.
“State your name!” The young man’s face remained expressionless until Sima Zonguan spoke about Ye Chen plundering the storehouse. At this moment, his face had sunk, wholly revealing his killing intent.
“Why don’t you gentleman introduce yourself first?” Ye Chen said.
“Wang Taiyi.” The majestic young man looked down from above.
“Ye Chen.” Faintly nodding, Ye Chen gave his name.
“Ye Chen…never heard of you. Take out the crystals now and I’ll leave you an intact corpse, or you and your girlfriend will fare much worse than death.” Wang Taiyi’s voice was extremely downcast, carrying a bone-piercing chill with it.
“Pardon me, but the power to give choices is in my hands right now.” Ye Chen took out a hundred and fifty thousand Zhen Yuan crystals and threw them into the altar.
“Courting death!”
Want Taiyi erupted with fury. His palms wide opened before his palm pressed towards Ye Chen and Murong Qingcheng.
Roar!
A dragon cry echoed as Wang Taiyi’s five fingers emitted five majestic Qi energies. The five energies seemed like five flood dragons, intertwining with each other and pressing down on the summit. At this moment, everything stood still, leaving behind only the echoes of the dragon roar. Even the space outside the summit had warped.
“Sure enough, one of the ‘Strongest’ half-step Kings.” Ye Chen’s pupils shrank.
Buzz!
The moment the five flood dragons arrived, Ye Chen and Murong Qingcheng disappeared. The five dragons that had lost their target immediately went berserk and destroyed the summit. Their wriggling bodies drilled into the ground and then shot toward the sky, seeming like a scene of doomsday.
“You’re dead for sure. There is no place under the heavens that can save you.” Want Taiyi’s killing intent seemed capable of piercing through the void. The moment Ye Chen disappeared, a faintly discernible voice entered Ye Chen’s ears.
“I’ll await you.” Ye Chen’s voice could be heard from the void.
Hmph!
Hearing Ye Chen’s voice, Wang Taiyi tightly clenched his fists. The ground underneath him cracked open.
“Crown Prince, that b*stard took away two million crystals! He can’t be allowed to escape!” Sima Zonguan was almost going insane from anger. Although Ye Chen’s strength was too high and the storehouse’s defense had nothing to do with him, Blackwater Alliance surely wouldn’t let him off.
Wang Taiyi said coldly, “Anybody not belonging to my Blackwater Alliance will be transported to only one place, the Chaotic Demon Ocean. I’ll lead a group of people to find and kill him. As for you, personally go to the alliance headquarters and apologize!”
Saying these words, Wang Taiyi took out the already prepared Zhen Yuan crystals and directly threw them into the air. With a swish, the Zhen Yuan crystals disappeared, and Wang Taiyi’s figure also gradually dimmed.
The Devouring Islands had six islands in total. The first island had the largest population, at least eighty thousand strong. The second island was a bit smaller, with fifty-sixty thousand people; the third island had around thirty thousand, and the fourth also had more or less the same. The fifth had fifteen thousand residents, and the sixth had three to four thousand. The total population of the six islands combined was more than two hundred thousand. Although the greater majority were Astral Reaching experts and Sea of Soul realm experts didn’t even make one-tenth of the population, everybody had to act according to the rules established by the Blackwater Alliance. An Astral Reaching expert had to hand over three Zhen Yuan crystals, and Sea of Soul realm experts had to hand over fifteen Zhen Yuan crystals. The monthly accumulation of Zhen Yuan crystals was frightening.
Moreover, it should not be forgotten that Black Powers also handed over the greater half of their Zhen Yuan crystals to Blackwater Alliance. In other words, Blackwater Alliance had two sources of monthly revenue—the crystals handed over by the cultivators and those handed over by the Black Powers.
To settle his debts and leave the island, Ye Chen could only go against the Blackwater Alliance.
“Who is it?”
On this enormous summit, experts were like clouds in the air. One figure after another rushed out.
“Ha!”
Without slowing his speed at all, Ye Chen let out a boundless wave of Destruction Sword Intent, carrying an aura as if it would annihilate everything in its wake. Such a frantic and pure aura made the numerous experts who had rushed out feel their blood running cold and their soul plunge into chaos. Unwittingly, all the plants and trees instantly died, completely devoid of vitality.
At this moment, anybody who didn’t have a grade five martial will or hadn’t become a half-step King had no courage to battle.
“Let’s go in.”
In a flash, Ye Chen and Murong Qingcheng arrived before the palace at the summit.
“Halt your steps!”
Suddenly, four half-step Kings that were not any weaker than the Fierce King closed in from four directions, trying to intercept Ye Chen and Murong Qingcheng.
Ye Chen smiled indifferently as he pulled out the Thunder Disaster Sword and slashed in every direction once. Four black colored sword Qi slashed forth almost simultaneously. With that, the four flew off as fast they came, spurting out huge streams of blood on top.
Kacha!
While the four flew away, Ye Chen’s Thunder Disaster Sword rose high in the air and chopped down. The magnificent and dazzling palace was instantly cleaved into two like a fruit.
“Not here!”
Ye Chen swept his glance but didn’t discover any stored Zhen Yuan crystals. However, he was in no hurry. With another chop, he cleaved the left section into further two.
In this manner, Ye Chen chopped left, right, and center, turning the magnificent and beautiful palace into a a sliced fruit.
“Found the storehouse!”
When he chopped the eighteenth time, his sword aura met some resistance. A cold light flickered in his eyes before he held the sword with both hands and vigorously chopped down.
Bang!
A huge burst of light exploded and everything across split open.
This was a storehouse made completely of water crystals. These were not Zhen Yuan crystals, but a kind of special energy crystals used to make arrays. Therefore, the resistance just now was from the power of an array, which had now been cut apart by a full power blow from Ye Chen.
At the center of the cleaved storehouse was a stone platform, above which hovered a light sphere. Inside the light sphere was a storage ring.
Striding forward, Ye Chen arrived before the light sphere and reached out.
Buzz!
The light sphere suddenly trembled, bouncing Ye Chen’s palm back.
“The power of space!”
Ye Chen could feel a kind of unique spatial power on the light sphere. Ordinary attacks would have no effects on this sphere, and if one tried to forcefully destroy it, the light sphere would pierce the space and enter the void. In other words, if one didn’t understand the method to resolve the light sphere, nobody under Life and Death King realm could take the storage ring inside.
Letting out a breath of turbid air slowly, Ye Chen’s pointed with his index finger. The void by his finger’s edges gradually warped, emitting a ripple which seemed virtually the same as light sphere. It was precisely the power of space!
“Open!”
Ye Chen’s finger slashed at light sphere.
Pop!
Like a bubble popping, the light sphere popped out, and the storage ring fell down into the waiting arms of Ye Chen. Obtaining the storage ring, he instantly poured his soul power inside.
The spirit ring had no soul imprint. Thus, Ye Chen’s soul power charged straight in, entering the space inside.
“How big!”
The space inside the storage ring was much bigger than Ye Chen had expected, more than twenty folds that of mid grade storage rings. It was like a huge plaza, which had numerous chests stacked together, half the size of a person. These chests were opened wide, and one could clearly see the crystalline glow coming from within.
“Ten, hundred, two hundred chests…”
The chests were so numerous that they were occupying one-fourth of the plaza, numbering between two hundred to two hundred and fifty. According to the dimensions of Zhen Yuan crystals and the dimension of the chests, each could easily store ten thousand Zhen Yuan crystals. Thus, two hundred chests were equivalent of two million Zhen Yan crystals.
“Take a look.” Ye Chen passed the ring to Murong Qingcheng, who took the ring and poured her soul power in.
“So many! Blackwater Alliance could rake in two million Zhen Yuan crystals a month!” Murong Qingcheng asked skeptically.
Ye Chen shook his head, “It shouldn’t be one month, but three. This month is not over yet, so they probably only received a part. Their monthly collection should be around a million. As for how many months they transport it, that’s hard to guess.”
To transport, they would surely have half-step Kings carry out the task. A half-step King had to pay a hundred thousand Zhen Yuan crystals to leave once. Of course, one half-step King couldn’t provide full insurance, so it must be done in a group of several. Several hundred Zhen Yuan crystals was not a small amount. Thus, Blackwater Alliance most certainly didn’t carry transportation every month.
“Nobody died this time, so we’ve more than enough.” Ye Chen sucked in a deep breath, a smile appearing on his face.
Two million Zhen Yuan crystals were priceless, and an upper grade storage ring was the same. Although they were tricked by Blackwater Alliance to enter, their gains had counteracted it.
“Let’s leave then!” Ye Chen took out the stone altar.
Suddenly…
A ripple appeared in the space above the summit and two figures appeared—one was Sima Zonguan while the other was a majestic-looking young man wearing a golden crown and luxurious robes. The latter’s age looked around thirty years old while his actual age should be around forty. His long and narrow eyes were emitting a substantive killing intent. As soon he appeared, his eyes locked onto Ye Chen inside the storehouse.
“It’s the crown prince! The Crown Prince has arrived!”
Blackwater Alliance experts revealed ecstatic expressions as they saw Sima Zonguan and the Crown Prince, then stared Ye Chen as if looking at a dead man.
Ye Chen sized the young man and said inwardly, “What a profound cultivation base! Seems much higher than the Flame Burst King. A ‘Strongest’ half-step King?”
“Crown Prince, it’s him!” Sima Zonguan swept his gaze through the summit and the broken palace, then finally stared at the stone platform inside the storehouse. Once he saw that the light sphere on the platform had disappeared without a trace, his face paled as if he had seen a ghost and roared, “You dare rob my Blackwater Alliance’s storehouse!”
Blackwater Alliance transported the crystals every six months. Although it hadn’t even been three months, two million crystals was still a hefty amount.
“Consider it Blackwater Alliance’s compensation to me!”
“You!” Sima Zonguan’s face turned ashen.
“State your name!” The young man’s face remained expressionless until Sima Zonguan spoke about Ye Chen plundering the storehouse. At this moment, his face had sunk, wholly revealing his killing intent.
“Why don’t you gentleman introduce yourself first?” Ye Chen said.
“Wang Taiyi.” The majestic young man looked down from above.
“Ye Chen.” Faintly nodding, Ye Chen gave his name.
“Ye Chen…never heard of you. Take out the crystals now and I’ll leave you an intact corpse, or you and your girlfriend will fare much worse than death.” Wang Taiyi’s voice was extremely downcast, carrying a bone-piercing chill with it.
“Pardon me, but the power to give choices is in my hands right now.” Ye Chen took out a hundred and fifty thousand Zhen Yuan crystals and threw them into the altar.
“Courting death!”
Want Taiyi erupted with fury. His palms wide opened before his palm pressed towards Ye Chen and Murong Qingcheng.
Roar!
A dragon cry echoed as Wang Taiyi’s five fingers emitted five majestic Qi energies. The five energies seemed like five flood dragons, intertwining with each other and pressing down on the summit. At this moment, everything stood still, leaving behind only the echoes of the dragon roar. Even the space outside the summit had warped.
“Sure enough, one of the ‘Strongest’ half-step Kings.” Ye Chen’s pupils shrank.
Buzz!
The moment the five flood dragons arrived, Ye Chen and Murong Qingcheng disappeared. The five dragons that had lost their target immediately went berserk and destroyed the summit. Their wriggling bodies drilled into the ground and then shot toward the sky, seeming like a scene of doomsday.
“You’re dead for sure. There is no place under the heavens that can save you.” Want Taiyi’s killing intent seemed capable of piercing through the void. The moment Ye Chen disappeared, a faintly discernible voice entered Ye Chen’s ears.
“I’ll await you.” Ye Chen’s voice could be heard from the void.
Hmph!
Hearing Ye Chen’s voice, Wang Taiyi tightly clenched his fists. The ground underneath him cracked open.
“Crown Prince, that b*stard took away two million crystals! He can’t be allowed to escape!” Sima Zonguan was almost going insane from anger. Although Ye Chen’s strength was too high and the storehouse’s defense had nothing to do with him, Blackwater Alliance surely wouldn’t let him off.
Wang Taiyi said coldly, “Anybody not belonging to my Blackwater Alliance will be transported to only one place, the Chaotic Demon Ocean. I’ll lead a group of people to find and kill him. As for you, personally go to the alliance headquarters and apologize!”
Saying these words, Wang Taiyi took out the already prepared Zhen Yuan crystals and directly threw them into the air. With a swish, the Zhen Yuan crystals disappeared, and Wang Taiyi’s figure also gradually dimmed.
