Chapter 186

Chapter 186: Distribution

The light point in the darkness became the last hope for the desperate people.

All people, like moths to a flame, rushed madly towards that place.

The light point grew larger and larger, and the scene in front became clearer and clearer.

Finally, the five escaped from the darkness and landed on the ground.

Stepping on the solid ground, the five felt an indescribable sense of stability and security.

Zhou Luo stood silently aside; Little White had already been put into his pet bag.

Because the backpack would freeze everything, in order for Little White to absorb those Illusionary Powers more quickly, he chose to place it in the pet bag.

The so-called pet bag is actually similar to a storage bag, but with a smaller space; however, it can hold living things.

Generally, people who possess Spirit Beasts would carry a pet bag for greater convenience.

The five who had narrowly escaped death stood where they were, gasping for breath.

Wei Qingtao looked at his sister with the severed arm, greatly shocked, and quickly inquired about the reason.

Wu Gang, with a complicated expression, looked towards his brother Liu Tie.

His other brother, Sixth Son, hadn’t come out yet; it was estimated that he was in critical danger, likely fatal.

This time, he had brought four brothers, intending to make a big effort, but unexpectedly, only one was left in the end.

This greatly exceeded his expectations.

Especially since those who died on the journey were all people close to him.

Shangguan Qianxue’s small face was pale; she calmed her mind, her beautiful eyes staring at Zhou Luo, her thoughts unknown.

The small island was unaffected by the illusion realm and had no Illusionary Power, so everyone could act so relaxedly.

After a while, they turned their attention to this small island.

The small island was not large; on this flower-filled island, only various colorful plants could be seen, seeming to have no heavenly treasures.

Wu Gang scanned around with his mental strength and immediately noticed a pile of broken stones at the center of the island, inside which an object was placed.

That object looked like a bell, placed randomly there, seemingly waiting for someone to take it.

Wu Gang’s eyes gleamed with heat, but he restrained himself from stepping forward.

He looked at the remaining few: "Everyone, presumably you have all noticed; that bell should be a high-grade magical artifact."

The crowd was silent.

Any discerning person knew that the bell was at least a top-grade magical artifact.

Otherwise, it would be unfair to the sufferings they endured.

Wu Gang said in a low voice, "Then, let’s discuss the matter of distribution next."

As he spoke, Liu Tie silently stood beside him.

The Wei family siblings stood together; Shangguan Qianxue stood aside; Zhou Luo was closer to the shore and farther from the others.

Wei Qingtao spoke out, "How do you propose to distribute it?"

"We lost three brothers this time; this magical artifact should rightfully be ours," declared Liu Tie loudly.

Throughout the journey, their group had indeed suffered the heaviest losses.

The faces of the Wei Family siblings instantly darkened.

Wu Gang, maintaining his smile, continued, "You’ve all seen it. I’m the captain of this squad. Without me, none of you would’ve reached this place. What’s more, my losses are the greatest."

"So, I see no issue with this artifact belonging to me."

"After all, there are still two islands left. We only want this artifact; the rest can be yours."

It was a fairly reasonable demand.

But Wei Qingtao sneered coldly, "Heh. That’s easy for you to say. You think crossing to those islands is simple?"

The previous formation had almost cost them their lives. Trying it again would likely mean not even making it back.

Although Wu Gang spoke of fairness, he completely overlooked the sheer difficulty of reaching the islands.

Therefore, they absolutely could not agree.

"Exactly. Even if we agreed, they wouldn’t," Wei Qinghong added pointedly.

She was referring to Zhou Luo and Shangguan Qianxue.

Wu Gang narrowed his eyes; the siblings were clearly trying to tie the other two into their camp.

Back when his four brothers were still alive and by his side, together with himself, perhaps he could have forced them to yield.

Now, confronting all four of them head-on would bring more loss than gain.

He turned his smile towards Shangguan Qianxue. "What do you think?"

"For fairness, split it equally. I don’t need the artifact, just give me equivalent compensation," Shangguan Qianxue stated calmly.

"I feel the same way," added Zhou Luo, standing by the shore.

The Wei siblings exchanged a glance then nodded their agreement.

Wu Gang’s eyes flickered as he began calculating silently.

After a long pause, he slowly spoke, "If this truly is a top-grade magical artifact, its value is immense. I simply cannot afford to compensate for it."

"Either we wait until we leave, sell this artifact, and then distribute the proceeds."

"Or we continue onward. Let’s find the treasures on the remaining two islands first, then divide everything together."

"Stay or go, the choice is yours."

The Wei siblings immediately declared, "We choose to leave."

This expedition into the Illusionary Forest had already cost them too much, with Wei Qinghong even losing an arm. Their sole focus now was cutting their losses.

"I think we should continue," Zhou Luo suddenly chimed in, having usually kept to the sidelines until now.

If this group dispersed, he’d lose his chance to ‘test the waters’ with others. Who knew how formidable the formations on the other islands might be?

His words drew the attention of everyone present.

Zhou Luo explained unhurriedly, "Actually, from breaking the last formation, I’ve begun to grasp some methodologies. It might be easier going forward."

"If that’s the case, then I agree we should continue," Wu Gang promptly agreed.

The price he’d paid was steep too. If he didn’t recoup the losses, it would all have been for nothing.

With Wu Gang in agreement, Liu Tie naturally followed suit.

All eyes inevitably turned toward Shangguan Qianxue.

"We continue."

Shangguan Qianxue had come for training after all. The previous formation had intensely tempered her spirit; facing life-or-death situations might actually help her achieve a breakthrough.

Seeing this, the Wei siblings saw no way out but reluctantly agree.

"Then who inherits the artifact for safekeeping?" Wei Qingtao questioned again.

Wu Gang originally intended to claim it for himself.

But the look in the Wei siblings’ eyes made it clear that wouldn’t fly.

So he compromised, "Let’s have Dao Friend Qianxue hold it. I trust no one objects?"

Shangguan Qianxue was a Qinyuan Sect disciple—though she hadn’t announced it, everyone knew. Entrusting such an item to an Immortal Sect disciple offered far more security than anyone else could provide.

Zhou Luo, standing at the shore, briefly entertained the thought that they might entrust it to him, the lone cultivator only at the fifth layer of Qi Refinement. But he quickly realized his miscalculation.

Of course not. He was the only formation master present.

If given the artifact, he might simply disable the formation and flee?

Overall, Shangguan Qianxue truly was the best choice.

No one else voiced any objection.

Finally, Shangguan Qianxue walked alone towards the bell. Ultimately, it was confirmed to be a top-grade magical artifact.

The others sat cross-legged on the ground, taking the chance to swiftly replenish their spiritual energy.

Seizing this opportunity, Zhou Luo pretended to meditate and regulate his breathing briefly before getting up. He walked over to the multicolored, luminous plants covering part of the island.

To others, these plants might hold no apparent value.

But Zhou Luo, a Spiritual Planter, sensed the Illusionary Power swirling within them.

If he could transplant them back to Zhou Garden… wouldn’t they serve as a perfect natural barrier?