"And one more thing, Demon Sovereign. Be ready to catch it!"
Jiang Ling wasted no words. With a flick of his fingertip, an inconspicuous speck of starlight shot silently towards the Blackstone Demon Sovereign.
The speck was no larger than a thumb, its surface flowing with faint starlight, its speed not particularly fast.
"Another one?"
The Blackstone Demon Sovereign was momentarily stunned, somewhat surprised.
It hadn't expected to receive the same treatment as the Crimson Sun Demon Saint—additional treasures bestowed.
After all, it was different from the Crimson Sun Demon Saint. Between it and Jiang Ling lay the enmity of a slain child. Though neither spoke of it, how could such a grudge vanish so easily?
But thinking of the Solar Immortal Crystal the Crimson Sun Demon Saint had received, Blackstone couldn't help but feel a surge of anticipation.
As this thought arose, the object arrived before it.
Blackstone subconsciously raised a hand to catch it.
Its heart held little turbulence, assuming it was just an earth-element spiritual material slightly better than the Loess Essence Stone.
As a Body Unity great demon, its physical body rivaled divine mountains, its strength sufficient to shake earth veins. A mere stone, even if it were ten-thousand-catty dark iron, it could play with like a pellet.
However, the moment that speck of starlight was about to land in its palm—
A terrifying gravitational force, as if the entire vault of heaven had collapsed, abruptly descended!
"Hmm?!"
The Blackstone Demon Sovereign's pupils contracted sharply. It finally sensed the terrifying nature of that object.
This was no earth-element spiritual material. This was a star compressed to its absolute limit!
The muscles in its extended arm instantly bulged and knotted like ancient ten-thousand-year vines. Vast demonic power surged frantically, instinctively towards its palm.
But it was too late!
BOOM!
A dull thunderclap, so heavy it made the entire mountain peak tremble, exploded!
The Blackstone Demon Sovereign's colossal arm, capable of propping up mountains, emitted a hair-raising "CRACK!" of splintering bone the instant it contacted the Stellar Core.
Its massive, mountain-like body was uncontrollably hurled backwards!
RUMBLE—!
Like a meteor striking earth!
Its enormous form slammed violently into a sheer cliff face dozens of zhang high on the rear mountain of the Primordial Sect.
Hard rock crumbled and collapsed like tofu. Dust billowed. Shattered stones shot out like rain.
"ROAR!"
A roar of utter disbelief erupted from the dust-choked ruins, causing ripples in the surrounding space.
Everyone was stunned.
"Cheep?! What was that?!"
Jin Cancan's wing-flapping froze mid-air. His glass-like eyes bulged almost out of their sockets, staring fixedly at the center of the dust cloud.
Given his knowledge, it wasn't hard to see that what Jiang Ling had bestowed upon the Blackstone Demon Sovereign was absolutely no ordinary object.
Considering the earlier situation, it was very likely also an Immortal-grade divine material!
For the first time, a crack appeared on Hua Yuntian's perpetually gloomy face. Deep within his pupils was unconcealed shock.
His thoughts aligned with Jin Cancan's, perhaps even delving deeper.
That old rogue Jiang is so generous even to the Blackstone Demon Sovereign, with whom he shares the enmity of a slain child. Would he really deliberately give me, Hua Yuntian, the most ordinary 'Basic Breath Absorption Technique' just to make things difficult?
This thought swirled in his mind, lingering persistently.
"Hisss!"
The Crimson Sun Demon Saint sucked in a sharp breath, instinctively tightening his grip on the Solar Immortal Crystal. His gaze towards the ruins was filled with unprecedented gravity.
The Blackstone Demon Sovereign was only one major realm below him, yet it couldn't even catch something Jiang Ling casually tossed.
Clearly, this thing was even rarer than the Solar Immortal Crystal in his hand!
So... what exactly was that thing?
The dust slowly settled.
The Blackstone Demon Sovereign struggled to its feet from the pile of rubble.
Its right arm—from shoulder blade to finger bones—was fractured inch by inch. Flesh split open, revealing bones riddled with cracks. Crimson lifeblood gushed out, staining the stones beneath.
Intense pain made the muscles on its face twitch. But the vitality of a Body Unity great demon was terrifying.
Driven by rampant demonic power, the broken bones emitted a teeth-grating "crack-crack" as they reset. The torn flesh also writhed and healed at a visible rate.
Within mere breaths, that nearly ruined arm had regained its basic shape, though its aura was noticeably much weaker.
And now, in its intact left palm, it tightly clutched that thumb-sized Stellar Core, flowing with sand-like starlight.
Only now did it truly sense the terrifying power contained within.
This was star essence refined to ultimate purity, containing an earth will of unimaginable heaviness!
It was absolutely not something that could exist in the Canglan Realm!
At this moment, the venomous hatred for its slain child, the humiliation of being crippled in one move and sent flying like an ant, the wild joy and shock of obtaining a heaven-defying treasure...
And a trace—one it was unwilling to admit even to itself—of apprehension towards Jiang Ling's unfathomable methods.
All these extreme emotions churned and collided like molten magma within the Blackstone Demon Sovereign's heart.
It took a deep look at Jiang Ling, who still stood with hands behind his back as if he had merely tossed an ordinary pebble, and silently stored away the Stellar Core.
"Thank you... Sect Master."
The Blackstone Demon Sovereign's face shifted through several expressions before it finally spoke thus.
"Congratulations, Demon Sovereign."
The Crimson Sun Demon Saint's expression was rather complex.
To casually bestow upon Blackstone a peerless immortal material like the Stellar Core, unheard of before... this Sect Master Jiang's breadth of mind was beyond what ordinary people could match!
Jiang Ling nodded淡然ly, as if it were all nothing noteworthy.
Seeing the setting sun had already sunk behind the mountains, Jiang Ling's gaze shifted. He declared sternly: "Regarding sect matters, keep them in your hearts. Do not spread them abroad. Anyone who violates this will be considered a traitor to the sect!"
All the disciples shuddered inwardly. They understood that everything witnessed today was too astonishing. If word spread, it would inevitably invite catastrophic disaster.
And the fate of a traitor to the sect...
Remembering the terrifying nature of the Sect Command Tokens, everyone involuntarily shivered. However, Jiang Ling soon gave them a sweetener.
"Bestowals like today's will happen again in the future. The prerequisite is that you all cultivate diligently and do not disappoint this master's expectations!"
As his words fell, the disciples erupted.
"What? More bestowals in the future? Did I hear that right?"
"Is this really the treatment outer sect disciples should have?It feels better than the treatment core disciples get in other sects!"
"Other sects?Don't even mention distributing rewards. They practically strip their disciples bare to feed themselves!"
"Exactly!I was expelled from the Black Feather Sect because I couldn't afford the 'tributes.' Luckily, I was just an outer sect disciple and hadn't learned any proper techniques, otherwise my dantian would have been crippled," said one weathered outer sect disciple.
"Hisss!Other sects are that terrifying?" a newbie asked in disbelief.
"So we must cherish everything about our sect!Where else can you find such a good Sect Master?"
"What are we waiting for then?Hurry up and cultivate to repay the Sect Master!"
With that, the disciples bid farewell to Jiang Ling and quickly scattered like a swarm.
Ye Qingshuang pursed her lips and was about to return to the Immortals' Abode to cultivate.
"You three, wait."
Jiang Ling stopped her, then looked at Jin Cancan and Hua Yuntian.
"You three will accompany your master down the mountain. The two Demon Saints will come as well."
He stood with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing towards the distant horizon. His voice carried a trace of undisguised killing intent.