Chapter 146: Splitting Up

“But we… why not give it a try?”

“Why not give it a try?”

These words were like a drop of ink falling into a water vat, spreading and dyeing the surrounding clear water the same color.

“This—”

Someone’s Adam’s apple bobbed as they uncontrollably swallowed.

Although past experience suggested it was unlikely for a powerful figure to share the Heroic Spirit Abundant Domain with them, what if?

Trying carried no risk, but missing out would be a huge loss.

Holding onto this sliver of hope, the crowd began to stir.

Suddenly, someone unable to resist the temptation raised their hand and said:

“Um… how about I go try first? If it’s real, I’ll come back and tell you.”

But then, another person stepped forward.

“I’ll go! I’ll try! I’m familiar with this area. If we really can use the Heroic Spirit Abundant Domain, I promise I’ll come back and tell you right away!”

More people’s desires were stirred, and one after another, they stepped forward, making grand promises and using lofty terms like “vanguard,” their eyes filled with palpable longing.

These Martial Artists, who lacked strength, had been struggling in the Abundant Domain for so long. Typically, they only received some usage time for precious lands as a reward from their superiors for contributing to their base’s achievements.

But now?

After just half a day of work, effortlessly swinging shovels a few times, they had the chance to enjoy such a large-scale Heroic Spirit Abundant Domain.

This kind of treatment was absolutely unprecedented. Faced with such a free and enormous temptation, the Martial Artists who had just been united in their plan to flee the Hundred Prisons Hunting Ground now found various excuses to stay.

In short, whether the Heroic Spirit Abundant Domain was real or not, they were determined to give it a try.

Among the crowd, Xue Han put down her hoe, her eyes still wide with shock.

“He actually opened the Heroic Spirit Abundant Domain to everyone!”

Having once been a base leader, Xue Han naturally understood how difficult it was to manage base resources.

Most bases typically employed a merit system, where only those who had contributed to the base or were part of its core forces had the right to use the precious lands under the base’s jurisdiction.

But conquering precious lands required war, defending the base required war, and war required manpower, which meant many people would earn military merits.

In such a situation where merit was devalued and inflated, and resources were limited, the rights and shares of lower-tier Martial Artists had to be continuously reduced.

If you tried to reduce the shares of the strong, they would certainly be unhappy and might even defect to other factions.

But reducing the shares of the weak was different…

Those who came to the Heroic Spirit Abundant Domain were either Genius Martial Artists, desperadoes, or Rogue Cultivators. Without cultivation resources, they could only join a base to obtain them.

This was true for the Wan Tao Base, the Starfall Base, and every other base.

Like those Genius Martial Artists, Xue Han was inherently selfish. So-called noble Martial Artist integrity, compassion for subordinates, and unwavering resolve… all such things were merely ornate garments used to adorn oneself.

“The so-called Prodigies are the most heartless.”

On this planet where the strong prey on the weak, such matters had no right or wrong.

Xue Han couldn’t understand what Jiang Yan was trying to do.

“If what Yang Qing said is true, recklessly consuming the Heroic Spirit Abundant Domain like this will drain it dry within a month!”

“What exactly does he want?”

Xue Han felt her worldview had been shaken.

Victors are kings, losers are bandits—she accepted that.

But shouldn’t the outcome be Jiang Yan occupying both strongholds and then monopolizing all the assets for himself?

Why share them with others?

Even if sharing was necessary, shouldn’t it be done with restraint and planning?

Just half a day of shoveling dirt and they get a share?

Since when has the Heroic Spirit Abundant Domain become so worthless?

The crowd surged, and Xue Han followed the flow of people to the rear of the stronghold, the location of that large Heroic Spirit Abundant Domain.

At the entrance to the abundant domain, that man stood guard.

“Hah, just as I thought.” Xue Han smiled lightly, as if she had already seen through Jiang Yan’s intentions.

“It’s definitely a delaying tactic. Now he’s guarding the entrance because he doesn’t want them to enter.”

She thought with certainty.

Seeing Jiang Yan act this way, the others shared the same thought as Xue Han.

“Damn it, we’ve been tricked!”

“I knew it! I knew it! No one would ever be this generous!”

“We’ve been deceived again. I, Zhang Xin, hereby swear that from now on, I will never enter the Hundred Prisons Hunting Ground again!”

“By guarding the entrance, isn’t he just trying to keep us out? Why bother sending Yang Qing over with a false message? Are we really so lowly that we deserve to be toyed with like this?”

Grief and indignation showed on everyone’s faces, as if their self-respect was being ruthlessly trampled and ground into the dirt.

Just as someone was about to erupt in anger, they thought of Jiang Yan’s terrifying strength from last night, snorted coldly, and turned to leave.

But then a male voice came from behind.

“Everyone, please proceed.”

After saying this, Jiang Yan stepped away from the entrance, making room for several people, then smiled as he looked at the crowd.

“Huh?”

“Is this… for real?”

“Is he tricking us? He must be tricking us, right? I… I…”

Someone began to stammer incoherently, pointing at the entrance to the Heroic Spirit Abundant Domain with a look of longing.

“I said last night that I would give everyone a chance to use this treasure land for free.”

“I, Jiang Yan, keep my word!”

These words seemed to carry an implicit meaning.

Among the crowd, Xue Han lowered her head in shame, her hands tightly gripping her battle attire, her face flushed red.

“He was actually telling the truth.”

She whispered softly, her tone filled with disbelief.

“Um… Bro… Bro Jiang, can I go in now?”

An older man stepped forward, his lips trembling as he cautiously inquired.

“Of course.”

Jiang Yan replied with a smile.

The man was at a loss. He patted his clothes, wiped some mud from his pant leg left over from the work, then, with an excited expression, ran toward the entrance.

Gradually, his figure disappeared from everyone’s sight.

“He really went in?”

“It’s true! What Jiang Yan said is true! He didn’t deceive us!”

Boom!

The crowd completely erupted. People excitedly threw their work shovels into the air, and in an instant, they surged toward the entrance like a rushing river.

Work shovels fell to the ground, on heads, on shoulders… No one paid any attention; joy had overwhelmed their senses.

Soon, only Jiang Yan and that half-dead Xue Han from last night remained on the spot.

She stood there dumbfounded, watching as the Heroic Spirit Abundant Domain she had worked so hard to capture was freely given away to others.

She would rather see it monopolized by Jiang Yan than simply handed out like this.

“You…”

“I’m fine.”

“You shouldn’t have done this.”

“Why not?”

Jiang Yan asked with a smile.

“If you continue like this, at most a month, or as little as half a month, this Heroic Spirit Abundant Domain will be depleted. This brings you no benefit at all.”

“He can actually hold on for another month!”

Unexpectedly, Jiang Yan seemed to have ignored the latter part of Xue Han’s words, appearing particularly delighted that the Heroic Spirit Abundant Domain could still last for a month.

Xue Han thought he had gone mad.

“Perhaps I’ve gone mad too.”