Amid the silence, Zhang Wen's voice suddenly echoed out. The eyes hidden beneath the black mask fixed themselves upon Gui Ying.
"How did the Rat Association respond to the false memories I gave you?"
Gui Ying's body had already stiffened, but the moment Zhang Wen spoke, it felt as if icy water had been poured over her entire body. A chilling sensation rushed from the back of her neck down to her fingertips. She hurriedly regained her composure and bowed respectfully.
"At first, the main branch had doubts, my lord. But after I revealed the memories you created, all suspicion disappeared immediately. They have already issued warnings to other branches regarding the Heavenly Spirit Grass and advised caution in its usage. Everything has been settled smoothly. They even provided compensation to me as well."
After finishing her report, Gui Ying did not hesitate. She raised her hand, her slender fingers touching the air before her. She clearly understood that mere words would never be enough for the man standing before her.
In the next instant, memories unfolded into projections of light.
Scenes of her discussion with members of the Rat Association's main branch appeared before everyone. The atmosphere within the conversation had been tense. Representatives of the Association stared at her coldly through the projection, questioning her relentlessly.
But once the fabricated memories surfaced to prove her innocence, everything changed.
Their expressions softened. Suspicion turned into belief. Vigilance turned into apology. Every answer Gui Ying gave covered countless logical angles, and every piece of evidence aligned perfectly, leaving not even the smallest flaw for doubt to exist.
Zhang Wen examined the memory projection carefully, confirming that the falsification remained flawless, before giving a slight nod.
Afterward, he summoned the Heaven-Severing Umbrella. His fingertip flicked lightly.
Within a single breath, a terrifying suction distorted the surrounding air. Everyone present was instantly dragged into the umbrella. Their bodies felt compressed into streams of light before being hurled across an endless distance.
In the blink of an eye, their feet touched down upon violet grass.
The scenery was unreal in its beauty. Endless purple fields swayed like ocean waves. Silver motes of light floated above the ground, while a faint floral fragrance unlike anything from the mortal world filled their lungs, bringing an inexplicable sense of clarity.
Gui Ying inhaled deeply and froze.
Her cultivation began to advance on its own, as though gently nourished by warm flowing water. The spiritual energy here forced meridians to circulate smoothly, leaving no resistance whatsoever.
Lin Taiji glanced around cautiously. Her eyes trembled with vigilance. The beauty of this place brought unease rather than comfort, like a perfectly cultivated garden hiding something terrifying beneath its surface.
Zhang Wen stood calmly at the center of the grassland. He slightly raised his head and spoke.
"How is the situation with the White Dragon Commerce?"
Ming Yuan stepped forward, bowed, and reported fluently.
"We have absorbed all available resources from the remaining commerce factions and successfully recruited high-quality personnel."
"We have also taken control of every commerce organization and converted them into subsidiary branches under the White Dragon Commerce. After the previous incident, the reputation of the White Dragon Commerce within Heaven Sword City has reached its peak. Within a few days, its influence should spread rapidly to neighboring cities as well."
Zhang Wen opened the Heaven-Severing Umbrella halfway, lowering its tip toward the violet grass as if sketching a map upon the ground before speaking calmly.
"Heaven Sword City is only the beginning. We will make the White Dragon Commerce the standard of this entire region, then the standard of the entire continent. From now on, I want people to buy because they must, not because of admiration."
He paused briefly before continuing in an unhurried tone.
"How much total resources were collected from Heaven Sword City?"
Ming Yuan stepped forward, inhaled deeply, and began reporting in an orderly manner.
"As for spirit stones, all assets belonging to the Gu Family, the Mu Family, and the various major families within the city have already been seized by the Black Crow Secret Unit. The surviving members of both families remain under City Lord Kang Hao's custody. Combined with the nine highest-ranked commerce houses, excluding the Seven-Colored Peacock Commerce…"
He paused momentarily to organize his thoughts.
"Three hundred million mid-grade spirit stones."
"Eighty million high-grade spirit stones."
"Eight million peak-grade spirit stones."
At the very first figure, Kang Hao's eyes widened in shock.
Ming Yuan continued steadily.
"Earth-grade weapons: 8,252 pieces."
"Heaven-grade weapons: 642 pieces."
"Saint-grade weapons: 14 pieces."
"Earth-grade herbs: 35,258 plants."
"Heaven-grade herbs: 4,311 plants."
"Saint-grade herbs: 21 plants."
"Next, medicinal pills."
"Earth-grade pills: 24,981."
"Heaven-grade pills: 9,648."
"Saint-grade pills: 27."
"As for cultivation and combat manuals…"
"Earth-grade manuals: 2,409 volumes."
"Heaven-grade manuals: 522 volumes."
"Saint-grade manuals: 11 volumes."
"All of this excludes resources below Earth-grade, as well as special items such as teleport talismans, explosive talismans, and numerous rare spirit beasts."
When Ming Yuan finished speaking, silence immediately descended upon the violet grassland.
Kang Hao stood frozen, mouth slightly open. He had never imagined Heaven Sword City possessed such terrifying wealth, nor had he ever witnessed resources on this scale.
Meanwhile, Lin Taiji remained calm. Long Yantian showed no reaction. Liu Long did not even blink. Gui Ying merely nodded in understanding.
Although they now operated under Zhang Wen's command, their statuses as Great Emperor-level existences remained unchanged. Wealth of this level might shake ordinary cultivators, but it could not stir their hearts in the slightest.
Zhang Wen raised his hand casually and tossed out a spatial ring. Ming Yuan caught it instinctively.
"These are the resources I gathered along the way. Check them. I have not yet counted the items below Earth-grade in detail."
Zhang Wen spoke plainly.
"Inside are one billion three hundred million mid-grade spirit stones."
"Four hundred twenty million high-grade spirit stones."
"Forty-five million peak-grade spirit stones."
At the very first sentence, Kang Hao involuntarily stepped backward half a pace. Ming Yuan's hand trembled slightly as his divine sense entered the ring to verify its contents. Every gaze present fixed upon the spatial ring in stunned silence.
Zhang Wen's voice continued evenly.
"Earth-grade herbs: 114,228 plants."
"Heaven-grade herbs: 30,398 plants."
"Saint-grade herbs: 1,269 plants."
"One Emperor-grade herb."
The previously calm and refreshing atmosphere suddenly grew heavy without anyone realizing when it happened. Zhang Wen's voice continued to echo across the violet grassland.
"Earth-grade weapons: 58,228 pieces."
"Heaven-grade weapons: 12,648 pieces."
"Saint-grade weapons: 154 pieces."
"Earth-grade pills: 130,257."
"Heaven-grade pills: 28,846."
"Saint-grade pills: 1,494."
"Emperor-grade pills: 2."
"As for cultivation and combat manuals…"
"Earth-grade: 15,287 volumes."
"Heaven-grade: 1,401 volumes."
"Saint-grade: 372 volumes."
"One Emperor-grade manual."
"There are still many other treasures inside. Verify them first. As for Emperor-grade items, I will keep those for myself."
The final sentence fell slowly.
Everyone's breathing seemed to stop at the same moment. The pressure in the air became so overwhelming that no one could even speak.
Lin Taiji glanced toward Zhang Wen. She could already guess the origin of such terrifying wealth.
The Sword Mountain Sect.
She knew that sect well. It had been a Half-Emperor-level force far above the average, existing long before she herself joined the Jade Pool Holy Land. The sect once possessed four Half-Emperors capable of controlling Sword Laws.
Yet even she had never imagined they had accumulated wealth on this scale.
Long Yantian remained silent for a moment before finally breaking the suffocating stillness.
"The Sword Mountain Sect… did they surrender to you… or…"
The question caused every gaze present to shift toward Zhang Wen.
Zhang Wen remained quiet for a brief moment before answering in an ordinary tone.
"No. They have all departed."
The word departed sounded gentle, almost like a farewell or a distant journey.
But everyone present clearly understood its true meaning.
Liu Long swallowed before asking cautiously,
"All of these resources… came entirely from the Sword Mountain Sect?"
Zhang Wen replied directly.
"Mostly. About seventy percent came from the Sword Mountain Sect. The remaining thirty percent came from various other forces."
His gaze swept across everyone present, empty and unreadable.
"After I sent Mu Ling, the Sword Mountain Sect's Holy Maiden, to cleanse the entire sect, I dispatched my clones to eliminate every remaining possibility. As for the resources belonging to the sect's affiliated forces, collecting them was simply a necessary matter."
Zhang Wen did not state it directly, yet everyone present clearly understood what it meant.
Gui Ying spoke again.
"You mean… all forces affiliated with the Sword Mountain Sect's members?"
Zhang Wen answered immediately, his calm gaze sweeping across everyone.
"Everyone except Mu Ling. All of them."
The words were not loud, yet they struck like thunder within the hearts of everyone present except Zhang Wen himself.
At this moment, no one was shocked by the overwhelming number of spirit stones or the vast quantity of treasures anymore.
What truly shook them was a single thing.
The words spoken by the man in white wearing the black mask.
The once beautiful violet grassland suddenly felt cold. The refreshing atmosphere still existed, yet no one could sense its comfort any longer.
Everyone understood that this was neither exaggeration nor a fabricated display of strength.
Because the one who spoke was the masked man in white.
Some had only worked with him briefly. Others had only just met him. Yet everything they had witnessed within such a short span of time had already engraved certainty deep into their instincts.
Gui Ying felt numbness spreading through her fingertips, yet her heart burned with an excitement she had never experienced before.
Kang Hao maintained his calm smile.
Ming Yuan's expression remained indifferent, completely without reaction.
Liu Long looked toward Zhang Wen with undisguised admiration.
Lin Taiji stood silently. She already understood what the man before her intended to do.
Long Yantian remained equally composed.
Amid the suffocating tension, Zhang Wen calmly observed everyone present.
At this moment, he was watching only one thing.
Affinity.
If it decreased now, it would mean that person would no longer walk the same path as him in the future.
And to ensure that no secret would ever escape…
That person would need to fall into eternal sleep within this place forever.