Hong Suan Heavenly Emperor extended a finger: "One hundred million spirit stones."
"One hundred million?!" Qian Chen Ru Yi was terrified. It would be better to just take his life. His life had been lonely, and his only concern was those spirit stones.
One hundred million spirit stones, that was the money he had saved for most of his life.
Hong Suan Heavenly Emperor saw him hesitate: "What? Is your life not worth this price? A mere hundred million spirit stones, as the lord of the Six Realms and Eight Desolations, can you not afford it? Hmm?"
Qian Chen Ru Yi trembled: "Uh... of course, I can. Then... can I leave my disciple Yan Luo here as collateral? I'll be right back, is that okay?"
Hong Suan Heavenly Emperor glanced at him: "Your disciple? Worthless."
Qian Chen Ru Yi felt ashamed: "Then I'll leave the two disciples, is that acceptable?"
Hong Suan Heavenly Emperor flatly refused: "No."
Helpless, he had to give Yan Luo the key and tell him to go get the money: "Yan Luo, go to my vault and get one hundred million spirit stones. No more, no less. Do you understand?"
Yan Luo tentatively asked: "Master, where is your vault?"
Qian Chen Ru Yi endured the heartache: "It's under the secret compartment beneath my bed. Go quickly."
"Yes!"
Hong Suan Heavenly Emperor said: "Aren't you afraid your precious disciple will run off with the money?"
Qian Chen Ru Yi clenched his fists. He hadn't thought of this. He forced himself to remain calm: "He wouldn't dare."
He secretly thought: "Yan Luo, I hope you're clean-handed. Otherwise, if I discover you've run off with the money, I will kill you no matter where you go."
Yan Luo returned to the Stone Ink Celestial Domain Holy Lord's room and opened the safe. He finally understood what Qian Chen Ru Yi meant by "no more, no less." It turned out that for the ninety-five million spirit stones, he had to chip in five million himself?
Helpless, he tearfully drank his "treasured coffin savings" and added five million.
As they spoke, Yan Luo had already returned and handed the one hundred million spirit stones to Hong Suan Heavenly Emperor. Qian Chen Ru Yi's heart was bleeding...
He watched as Hong Suan Heavenly Emperor pocketed it: "You may leave."
"Thank you, Heavenly Emperor, for your guidance. We shall depart!"
They left Cloud's End and gathered three thousand disciples to return.
Yan Luo was confused: "Master, why didn't we mobilize the eight thousand troops to take Cloud's End in one fell swoop?"
Qian Chen Ru Yi reprimanded him: "Idiot! How did I end up with two fools like you under me? That Hong Suan Heavenly Emperor let us go, and we should be grateful. You still want to fight back? Do you know his true strength? Let alone eight thousand people, even eighty thousand wouldn't be enough for him to even nibble on."
"Moreover, his interconnected Three Divine Mansions and Ten Immortal Mansions, do you think they are mere decorations?"
Qiu He said: "Master, Eldest Senior Brother's point is not without merit. Are we just going to let two God Catchers take the ancient spirit stones of our Stone Ink Celestial Domain and disappear into obscurity?"
Qian Chen Ru Yi was also helpless: "What else can we do? Otherwise, I'll appoint you as the vanguard and send two thousand disciples to fight our way back?"
"......" Kuai Shu Ge
"One day... this Holy Lord will make him repay a hundredfold."
This time, it was a complete loss, both in terms of people and assets. He truly regretted coming to Cloud's End!
...
A month later, Ming Zhi Tian advanced to the fifth level of the God Emperor realm! Blood Demon broke through to the first level of the Minor Accomplishment Great Wheel King realm!
He clutched his Immortal Emperor eyes, which were beginning to glow golden: "Do you need cultivation experience too, you fellow?"
The last trace of the ancient spirit stone dissipated. Yun Yan broke through from the Great Perfection of the Unlimited Emperor Realm tenth level to the second level of the Great Accomplishment Great Wheel King realm!
Yun Yan looked at Ming Zhi Tian in confusion: "This shouldn't be. I've casually broken through two major realms, and you, a mere God Emperor, are still stuck at the God Emperor realm, and at the fifth level? Are you a monkey sent here to amuse us?"