Chapter 333: Spoils of War and Distribution
Ji Zhi was once a student at Myriad Laws University.
After graduating, he joined a pharmaceutical company, specializing in medicinal herb cultivation and planting.
With his outstanding professional skills and tireless work ethic, he surpassed his senior colleagues and took sole responsibility for a vast medicinal herb cultivation zone.
His salary steadily increased, allowing him to move to increasingly luxurious apartments on higher floors.
He gradually switched to branded medicinal pills and upgraded his Bionics piece by piece to high-end models.
He started eating meat monthly and occasionally attended guidance sessions led by Nascent Soul True Monarchs.
Instead of using the Primordial Magnetic Channels, he began traveling through the Anti-Gravity Passages…
Just when Ji Zhi believed he was steadily growing wealthier and his life would continue to improve, fate seemed to play a cruel joke on him.
“Severe Demonic Qi No. 18 contamination. The fiend energy has infiltrated your vital organs. Immediate surgery is required; otherwise, you’ll lose your ability to work within a month at most.”
Hearing these words from the doctor, Ji Zhi felt his mind go blank, his thoughts dissolving into emptiness.
Later, he learned that the growth hormones used by the company to cultivate medicinal herbs contained massive amounts of Demonic Qi No. 18.
While this fiend energy was a crucial element for the growth of the herbs he cultivated, prolonged exposure posed severe health risks to humans.
To cover the surgery costs, Ji Zhi burdened himself with debt. Even after the surgery, he still needed daily treatments costing Spirit Coins to purify the fiend energy, a lifelong regimen that would continue until his death.
He wanted to find a different job, but discovered that with his work experience and specialized skills, he couldn’t find any formal employment outside of medicinal herb cultivation… that could afford his medical expenses.
He tried to seek compensation from the company, but the drawn-out process, with each department passing the buck and engaging in bureaucratic red tape, drained his patience.
He understood: “They’re waiting for me to die.”
“Just like they dealt with those victimized clients.”
To sustain his medical expenses, Ji Zhi had no choice but to continue working at the company.
But to mitigate the harm from fiend energy contamination, his work efficiency inevitably declined, and his wages and performance bonuses steadily decreased.
It was then that Ji Zhi finally understood the looks in the eyes of the veterans he had once surpassed.
It wasn’t envy, nor hatred. It was seeing his former self, just as he now saw the University Student who was about to eliminate him.
To compensate for the financial shortfall caused by his declining income, Ji Zhi had to cut back on his expenses.
He moved to increasingly lower-level apartments, gradually replaced his Bionics with cheaper models, and relied primarily on the company’s defective drugs.
But this further diminished his work performance, ultimately landing him on the company’s layoff list.
Without his corporate salary, Ji Zhi could only sustain himself through temporary jobs, making it even harder to afford his medical treatment and pay off his debts.
Just when he was at his wit’s end, the Wheat Shadow Society approached him with a job cultivating Earth Qi Wheat.
This Immortal Dao wheat strain contained a rich concentration of food essence, but its cultivation was also notoriously difficult, requiring an expert like Ji Zhi to cultivate it on a large scale.
He started by simply farming the wheat, then moved into flour processing. To boost his income, he took on assignments like assassinations, cover-ups, and gang warfare.
Later, to further increase the Earth Qi Wheat yield, he initiated a project to steal humans and create Blood Pool fertilizer, turning mortals into his sustenance and prolonging his life.
“This is Kunxu. Kunxu needs to devour people to make money, to survive.”
“It’s just like how the company devours us, just like how we devour mortals.”
Thus, Ji Zhi lived a precarious existence in the Dark Seed Territory, his life hanging by a thread.
Until today…
Under the relentless assault of Zhang Yu and his companions, Ji Zhi’s rage erupted, a murderous intent boiling within him. “If I were at my peak… how could you possibly suppress me like this?”
ROAR!
With a furious roar, the built-in potion injectors in his bionic arms automatically activated. Ji Zhi’s physique swelled once more, and his violent Gang Qi surged forth, unleashing terrifying heat in all directions.
His vision obscured by advertisements and his attacks repeatedly blocked, Ji Zhi unleashed the full force of his scorching Gang Qi, creating a high-temperature field for an all-encompassing assault.
Zhang Pianpian warned, “He’s trying to destroy the goods! Don’t let him succeed!”
Zhang Yu declared, “I’ll block him head-on!”
Sensing the searing heat rushing toward him, Zhang Yu charged forward first, his Humanoid Gang Qi forming several figures to restrain the opponent.
As their Gang Qi collided and the force compressed, Zhang Yu felt as if he had caught a hundred tons of concrete in a single breath.
Yu Xinghan, using his Third Eye Mystic Power, instantly grasped the shifting techniques of everyone present. With a flash, he endured the scorching heat and unleashed a punch at the weak point behind Ji Zhi.
A thunderous explosion erupted as the Gang Qi detonated, tearing a massive hole in the protective barrier covering Ji Zhi’s back.
As the Gang Qi surged upward, threatening to reseal the breach, Zhang Pianpian swiftly marked the spot on her Bionic Eye, labeling it with two golden characters: “Strike Here!”
Empowered by the Profound Cold Meridian, Le Mulan pointed her finger, channeling Ice Magic Power infused with her medicinal power. Before the Gang Qi could close the gap, she thrust it into Ji Zhi’s back.
Already in a berserk state, Ji Zhi was further stimulated by the medicinal power. His blood vessels dilated violently, and his heart pounded even more furiously.
Simultaneously, Zhang Yu reactivated the Nine Heavens Cloud Void Force. Humanoid Gang Qi surged forward, enveloping Ji Zhi in a crushing embrace as torrents of scorching Gang Qi erupted.
“What?!”
“My scorching Gang Qi?!”
Ji Zhi’s body temperature had already been rising rapidly due to the activation of his scorching Gang Qi. Zhang Yu’s attack was like pouring oil on a fire, causing his internal temperature to skyrocket further.
This sudden surge in temperature accelerated the medicinal power within his body. Combined with his violently pounding heart, it caused Ji Zhi’s head to spin.
But the assault didn’t end there. Just as the scorching Gangq Qi unleashed by Zhang Yu’s Nine Heavens Cloud Void Force struck, Zhang Yu followed up with a palm strike, channeling a terrifying chill into Ji Zhi’s body.
Zhang Yu and Le Mulan’s Ice Magic Power converged within Ji Zhi, then erupted simultaneously.
The clash between the scorching heat and freezing cold forces within Ji Zhi’s body sent his vital energy into violent turmoil. Some parts surged wildly, while others were slowed to a crawl or even frozen solid, causing his meridians to rupture violently.
Pfft!
Ji Zhi violently spat out a mouthful of blood. His Gang Qi faltered momentarily, leaving his defenses wide open. Yu Xinghan seized the opportunity, landing several powerful punches that struck home.
Zhang Yu and Le Mulan immediately followed up, their relentless assault instantly overwhelming Ji Zhi.
Within seconds, Zhang Yu, Le Mulan, and Yu Xinghan abruptly ceased their attacks, staring at the now eerily silent hideout. They unconsciously let out a collective sigh of relief.
The three couldn’t deny their nervousness, knowing they were confronting gang members from the Dark Seed Territory.
These criminals were notoriously ruthless and bloodthirsty, engaging in fights to the death. Any slip-up could bring catastrophic consequences.
However, under Zhang Pianpian’s guidance, the operation proceeded with meticulous precision. They struck at the enemy’s weakest point and maintained the upper hand throughout.
“Don’t celebrate too soon,” Zhang Pianpian’s voice echoed in their ears. “The most crucial part is yet to come.”
She slowly entered the room, her gaze sweeping over the stacks of flour bricks.
Because combat talismans were too easily detected by the Righteous Gods, Zhang Pianpian had opted for behind-the-scenes support.
Now, surveying the floor covered in flour bricks, she declared, “We need to transport this shipment out immediately.”
Yu Xinghan asked, “What about the Earth Qi Wheat still growing in the planting room?”
In addition to the storage room they were currently in, the hideout also included a planting room where a significant quantity of Earth Qi Wheat was being cultivated.
Zhang Pianpian replied, “Leave the Earth Qi Wheat in the planting room untouched. Any tampering would be too easily detected. Let the Clean-Up Crew handle it.”
“As for these flour bricks…” Zhang Pianpian estimated, “Their market value is roughly over 100 Spirit Coins.”
Hearing this, Zhang Yu, Yu Xinghan, and Le Mulan all gasped sharply.
“This batch of bricks is worth over 100 Spirit Coins — more than enough for us to split!”
Yu Xinghan couldn’t help but exclaim, “How can something so valuable be guarded by just one Foundation Establishment cultivator? They’re being so careless!”
Zhang Pianpian said flatly, “Normally, there are two Foundation Establishment cultivators, but we chose a time when the other was absent.”
“Besides, even more Foundation Establishment cultivators wouldn’t matter against the Patrol Team. The key to the Dark Seed Territory’s operations is concealment. The secret passages here are well-hidden, and their Bionics and surveillance systems aren’t connected to external networks.”
“If Zhang Yu hadn’t stumbled upon a clue and I hadn’t forcibly hacked into their system, they could have continued operating undisturbed for much longer.”
Zhang Yu thought to himself, “If it weren’t for the Evil God’s ritual, I wouldn’t have known that Dark Seed Territory people were here.”
Yu Xinghan crouched down to examine the Bionics on the corpses and asked curiously, “They’re carrying goods worth over 100 Spirit Coins, yet their Bionics look like cheap knockoffs.”
“Those Qi Refining gang members look so thin and frail, like they haven’t eaten properly.”
Zhang Pianpian said casually, “Who told you farming guarantees a full stomach? Do you think just because they grow Earth Qi Wheat, they can afford to eat it?”
“Besides, most of the profits go to the higher-ups after the goods are sold.”
“Just look at how they managed to set up this underground farming operation in Converging Dragon Garden. Do you really think they didn’t have an inside contact in the cemetery? And that mole probably holds a high position.”
Yu Xinghan’s heart stirred slightly at this revelation. He pondered aloud, “While some superiors are cracking down hard on the Dark Seed Territory, others are secretly supporting it to profit from it?”
Zhang Pianpian said, “Alright, enough wasting time. Zhang Yu, set aside one-tenth of the harvest.”
“One-tenth?” Zhang Yu couldn’t help but protest, “That’s only about ten Spirit Coins. Are we really taking so little?”
Zhang Pianpian said calmly, “That one-tenth is to be left here for the Patrol Team.”
“We’ll keep the remaining nine-tenths for ourselves.”
Zhang Yu’s eyes widened in surprise. “How will we transport it out?”
“This is a cemetery,” Zhang Pianpian pointed out. “The simplest method, of course, is to smuggle it out as cremated remains.”