“Rumble—”
A tsunami composed of Magic Crystals whipped up a towering wave, surging outward from the central clearing in all directions!
Wu Xun was stunned senseless by the direct impact.
The expressions of the other two Honored Ones changed drastically as they hurriedly unleashed their full power to block the Magic Crystal tsunami from smashing into the surrounding collection cabinets!
Just as Jiang Ke’er had predicted, the impact force brought by the volume and weight of 5.6 billion Magic Crystals was far beyond what this small clearing could contain.
Even more terrifying was the vast Spiritual Power contained within the crystals!
The Spiritual Power stored in 5.6 billion Magic Crystals far exceeded the total spiritual energy of a hundred Honored Ones.
Even if only the surface portion transformed into a giant wave crashing outward, the two Honored Ones present could not hope to stop such an instantaneous explosion!
The power unleashed by the simultaneous appearance of 5.6 billion Magic Crystals was comparable to several Honored Ones striking with their full strength.
Those crystal-clear, precious display stands were instantly overwhelmed like frail boats in a tsunami, submerged beneath the countless Magic Crystals.
The two Honored Ones fought like madmen to block the momentum of the crystal tide, trying to save the treasures about to be torn apart within the giant waves.
At this moment, they had completely forgotten about Wu Xun, who had been washed over head-first by the 5.6 billion Magic Crystals.
They cared only about rescuing the treasures, but even with their best efforts… they still couldn’t save everything.
The stands were crushed with a series of loud cracks.
Some fragile treasures were ground back into raw materials on the spot.
The two Honored Ones could only pick the most expensive items to rescue, forced to abandon many that weren’t quite as precious.
Fortunately, the anomaly in the Supreme Treasure Vault triggered an alarm. Experts from the entire Nine Palaces Chamber of Commerce Headquarters rushed to support, working together to combat this terrifying “money power.”
Jiang Ke’er felt a sudden urge to stand aside and watch the fun while picking her nose, but she realized that such behavior would be detrimental to her image—after all, she was a cute girl now.
Thus, she only executed the latter half of her plan, leisurely enjoying the spectacle.
“What on earth happened?” A white-bearded man, who appeared to be a high-ranking official of the Nine Palaces Chamber of Commerce, wore a complex expression.
Staring at the scene in the Supreme Treasure Vault, he felt both blessed by the wealth and heartbroken by the destruction.
“Aren’t you going to save him?” Jiang Ke’er pointed toward the center of the sea of Magic Crystals, reminding them, “He’s the one who told me to settle the bill here. If he dies, I’m afraid there won’t be a witness left to prove I paid…”
Only then did the two Honored One guards remember Wu Xun, who was buried under the Magic Crystals.
They hurriedly rushed in, digging through the piles with frantic clattering sounds.
When they pulled him out, Wu Xun was covered in blood.
He had used his full strength for defense just to ensure the vast Spiritual Power didn’t crush him to death, though sustaining injuries was unavoidable.
Later, he had been swept to the edge by the giant wave.
He felt as if he were inside a winnowing basket filled with spikes, being tossed and turned over and over…
“Is this… is this the power of money!” After emerging, Wu Xun seemed to have developed some mental issues, muttering incessantly, “Magic Crystals! So many Magic Crystals! Hahaha! Magic Crystals…”
“Wake up, it’s time to help me collect my goods,” Jiang Ke’er said with a frown.
“You can’t go back on your word. I’ve already paid. Give me the power-enhancing artifacts!”
“Artifacts?” The white-bearded man asked in confusion. He stepped forward and gave Wu Xun a harsh slap. “What’s going on? Stop dazing around!”
Wu Xun was finally slapped awake.
He jolted and said, “Distinguished Ultimate Member of our Chamber! This humble servant will fetch your goods immediately and process an unprecedented Supreme Member VIP Card for you! From now on, you will enjoy the right to enter and leave the courtyard at will and cultivate in the Yin-Yang Dragon Vein once a month!”
As arrogant as Wu Xun had been before, that was how eagerly his tongue wagged now.
“Mm,” Jiang Ke’er waved her hand dismissively, feeling a sense of boredom. “Hurry up. I’m in a rush.”
‘So this is money power? Not bad, I guess.’
Wu Xun’s work efficiency had never been higher.
He quickly determined the number of Magic Crystals through weighing and used Divine Sense scanning to verify their authenticity.
After confirming that all the Magic Crystals were genuine and the amount was exact to the last decimal, Wu Xun opened the safes containing the five Grade 8 Artifacts with a special key without a moment’s hesitation.
From the moment Jiang Ke’er poured out the Magic Crystals to the moment she took the five Grade 8 Artifacts, the mouths of the minor demons never closed.
Their worldview was clearly insufficient for this.
‘This god-tier tycoon… is Qing Yi?’
Wu Xun rubbed his hands together, bowed flatteringly, and whispered, “This humble servant dares to ask, why does your Excellency…”
Jiang Ke’er raised her hand to interrupt him and spoke calmly:
“My family owns a mine.”
“…”
No one knew what kind of terrifying background the seemingly unremarkable person beside them actually possessed.
“Then we shall process your Ultimate Member Card for you. Since this card is unique and requires time for refinement, could you please wait a moment? We will immediately commission the God of Artifact Refining to forge it for you…”
“No need,” Jiang Ke’er pouted. “I said I’m in a rush. No more chatting, I’m leaving.”
“But this VIP card is extremely precious! It can provide you with many conveniences in the future. Moreover, after spending such a massive amount at once, don’t you want a souvenir?” Wu Xun urged hurriedly.
Jiang Ke’er gave him a contemptuous roll of her eyes, casually brushed back her bangs, and countered, “Do you ask for a souvenir when you buy a cup of soy milk on the street?”
“Uh…”
Wu Xun wanted to say it was completely different—how could a cheap thing like soy milk be compared to Grade 8 Artifacts—but looking at the sea of Magic Crystals before him, he fell silent.
‘Perhaps, to her, Grade 8 Artifacts and soy milk really are the same?’
‘Just how terrifying are you…’
“I’ll be back. Next time I come, I’m going to empty this place out,” Jiang Ke’er said calmly.
Wu Xun was dumbfounded.
How brazen did someone have to be to claim they could buy out the Nine Palaces Chamber of Commerce’s Supreme Treasure Vault?
‘Was this person from another planet? Like, the richest person in the galaxy?’
Wu Xun, who was born into a wealthy family and had served as a high-ranking official in the Nine Palaces Chamber of Commerce his entire life, felt for the first time—poverty had limited his imagination.
Usually, he was the one who used those words to mock others.
“Then this lowly one shall request several Honored Ones to escort you all to a safe place. After all, these treasures are precious, and I fear they might attract unwanted attention…” Wu Xun said in a low, humble voice, bowing deeply.
“That works.”
She understood the principle that possessing a jade ring invites misfortune.
Thus, Jiang Ke’er had the guards of the Nine Palaces Chamber of Commerce escort them to a “Black Inn” that didn’t require identification. She took the minor demons inside, pretending to check in.
She did this because she knew the guards from the Chamber weren’t to be trusted either, so she naturally wouldn’t let the Nine Palaces people know her true identity for now.
Although she would inevitably be exposed during the competition, it wouldn’t matter by then.
After getting the room, the minor demons managed to temporarily shake off the guards’ surveillance.
They gathered together, activated the Underworld Province Cauldron, and quietly slipped back to the Shenzhou Cup Player Rest Area right under their noses.
With a wave of her hand, she set up a formation to block sound and surveillance. Jiang Ke’er then casually tossed the five artifacts onto the bed.
“Pick them. Take whichever one you like.”