Chapter 95

"This time, we've gained a lot."

Liu Tiezhu's complexion remained extremely pale.

"145 Yin energy crystals."

"Most importantly, we killed a Mountain Ghost."

"This is something that exceeded the difficulty limit."

"Clearing such an outrageous obstacle should earn us quite a few credits."

As Liu Tiezhu spoke.

Shan Ye had already sent a communication.

Li Lu arrived quickly with the staff.

Upon arriving, her first glance was toward Yin Yin.

Seeing Yin Yin didn't speak.

Li Lu breathed a sigh of relief and said: "What were you saying in the communication you sent just now?"

"You killed a Mountain Ghost?"

Li Lu withdrew her thoughts from Yin Yin and read it again.

Only then did she react, her pupils shrinking sharply, her expression filled with extreme horror!

"What? You killed a Mountain Ghost!?"

"This is absolutely impossible!"

Li Lu's face was full of disbelief, her head shaking like a rattle.

Shan Ye was somewhat speechless; without saying much, she directly transmitted the recording.

A few minutes later.

Li Lu finished watching the video, her expression numb.

She lowered her gaze, staring at the pile of Yin energy crystals, feeling not a shred of greed in her heart.

"A Mountain Ghost is a spirit monster approaching the Spring Realm!"

She repeated this sentence in her heart over and over.

But the facts before her eyes forced her to believe it.

These few first-year students had actually killed a Mountain Ghost.

"We cleared such a major disaster for the Prefecture Office; how should we be rewarded?"

Yin Yin asked.

Li Lu still didn't dare to look at her; after a moment of hesitation, she said: "According to common practice, discovering a Mountain Ghost should be handed over to the cleanup team or third-year students from the Divine Gift University."

She turned her head and looked around: "But you actually killed it directly!"

"You wasted an extremely expensive ghost power origin that was approaching the Spring Realm!"

Li Lu gritted her teeth: "You might not know how precious that kind of thing is; even 10 million Alliance coins couldn't buy it."

Yin Yin said coldly: "If we hadn't killed it, we would have died right here."

Li Lu stood there, feeling the heartache for a long while, before saying: "Fine, I'll report this to the Prefecture Office now."

A few minutes later.

"Alright."

Li Lu moved her gaze away from her identity device and breathed a sigh of relief: "Your study mission ends here."

"Basic reward: 10,000 credits."

"Extra reward: 7,000 credits."

Li Lu paused and continued: "For clearing a Mountain Ghost, an additional 15,000 credits will be granted, allocated by the Prefecture Office."

"However..."

Liu Tiezhu asked: "However what?"

Li Lu said: "The Yin energy crystals are indeed your spoils of war."

"But the spirit ash from before must be handed over to the Prefecture Office for processing; we will provide Alliance coin compensation."

Hearing this.

Liu Tiezhu looked toward Jiang Jian.

Jiang Jian was sitting on a rock, adjusting his breathing to recover his Shenque spiritual energy.

Sensing Liu Tiezhu's gaze.

Jiang Jian nodded lightly: "The spirit ash is hard to handle, just give it all to them."

Li Lu was secretly delighted and said: "How about we exchange this spirit ash with you for 200,000 Alliance coins per person?"

Spirit ash had ordinary value.

The spirit ash on the dark river was a thick layer, its advantage being the sheer quantity.

"Fine."

Jiang Jian nodded.

As Li Lu and the staff left.

Shan Ye said: "This spirit ash is worth at least several million Alliance coins."

Liu Tiezhu waved his hand: "Looking at her attitude, if we don't agree, the credit distribution will probably get stuck."

He looked at the pile of Yin energy crystals, his gaze somewhat excited.

"Let's split these; 145 pieces, 29 per person, how about that?"

Jiang Jian nodded: "I have no objections."

Yin Yin and Shan Ye looked at each other and nodded slightly.

"I have an objection."

Shi Xuan, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly stood up: "I don't want the Yin energy crystals."

His expression was somewhat strange.

Liu Tiezhu looked up and asked: "Shi Xuan, what's wrong with you?"

Shi Xuan hesitated for a few seconds before saying: "I won't be doing the study mission anymore."

He packed his things and walked toward the outside of the grotto.

"Classmate Shi Xuan."

Yin Yin asked: "What's wrong? Aren't we a study squad?"

Shi Xuan stopped but didn't look back: "I want to cultivate on my own for a while."

The words fell.

He left the earth vein branch directly along the dark river.

Liu Tiezhu and Shan Ye looked at each other and fell silent.

A few seconds later.

Shan Ye asked: "The squad competition for the Two Prefectures Martial Arts requires squad registration; now that we're missing a person, how are we supposed to fight?"

No one spoke.

Jiang Jian was recovering his Shenque spiritual energy.

Liu Tiezhu was looking at his identity device.

Even Yin Yin had gone to the side of the plant spirits to help the brown bear monster recover from its injuries.

"He doesn't even want his rare pet anymore?"

Yin Yin sighed: "This guardian monster is quite pitiful."

Liu Tiezhu spoke up suddenly: "I'll take it back for him."

He looked at the pile of Yin energy crystals: "He doesn't want them, but we can't not give them; 29 pieces each, let's split them like that."

As he spoke.

Notification sounds came from everyone's identity devices.

Jiang Jian stopped cultivating, opened his identity device, and looked at the communication.

Two consecutive transfer messages, not long apart.

"You have received a transfer: 2,400,000 Alliance coins."

"You have received a transfer: 200,000 Alliance coins."

"Your balance: 2,987,609 Alliance coins."

Jiang Jian took a look and swiped the message away.

The 2.4 million Alliance coins were the fees for selling the 6 pieces of refined iron on Shi Xuan's behalf.

The 200,000 Alliance coins were the fees transferred by Li Lu in exchange for the spirit ash.

While pondering.

A new communication was received on the identity device.

"You have gained credits: 6,400."

"Your remaining credits: 6,450."

To the side.

Liu Tiezhu handed over a cloth bag.

"Jiang Jian, your 29 Yin energy crystals."

Jiang Jian took the cloth bag: "Good."

Shan Ye stood up, her expression filled with emotion: "A 20-day mission, and we finished it in half a day."

"Others have to go back and rest for half a day every few hundred meters, repeating the cycle, advancing slowly."

"That ensures safety and is foolproof."

"But we didn't rest from start to finish."

"In a few hours, we walked 7 kilometers."

Shan Ye packed her things and let out a long breath.

The brown bear monster had recovered quite a bit and stood in the corner, dejected.

Liu Tiezhu glanced at it: "Come back to school with us."

The brown bear monster nodded, its voice dull: "Okay."

As they spoke, the group began their return.

In less than half an hour, they walked out of the earth vein branch.

"Jiang Jian, are we still doing the squad competition?"

Liu Tiezhu walked to Jiang Jian's side and asked in a low voice.

Jiang Jian pondered for a moment: "If Shi Xuan can come back, we'll fight; if he can't, we won't."

"Squad martial arts versus individual martial arts."

"The titles are different."

"But resource rewards can only be claimed for one based on the higher ranking; they don't stack."

Jiang Jian said: "I'm participating to get resources, so either one is fine."

The cross-boundary shuttle hovered in the air, lowering its boarding ramp.

Liu Tiezhu gave a bitter smile: "Squad martial arts participation is automatic; if you decide not to go, we have to apply to the department head in advance."

Jiang Jian nodded: "Isn't there still some time until the Two Prefectures Martial Arts? It'll be in time to apply then."

Liu Tiezhu replied: "Okay."

(End of chapter)