The Nine Star Elders sent by Nine Heavens Continent—eight critically injured and captured, one killed—lost utterly and completely.

The planar martial artists watching the excitement all fled in terror, scared out of their wits.

Nine Earth-rank powerhouses actually ended up in such a state—whoever the hell provoked Xingyun Continent was brainlessly courting death!

Critically injuring Kindly Brows and Good Purpose had already established dominance.

Now having dealt with the Nine Star Elders, they only needed to wait for the news to spread through the planes, causing even greater shock and astonishment!

“The stronghold area has also grown by over twenty square meters compared to before.”

Jun Changxiao stroked his chin and said: “Looks like defeating high-level powerhouses not only gives double merit points but also double area.”

Initially the territory only had one great hall occupying most of the area. Now that it had expanded, they could barely build a few small side rooms inside.

Of course, matters of construction and layout still had to be left to Li Qingyang—Jun Changxiao didn’t consider it too much.

“Sect Master.”

Jiang Xie handed over a spatial ring and said: “These nine people had quite valuable goods in their spatial rings!”

“Oh, really?”

After Jun Changxiao received them and examined them one by one, a smile immediately appeared on his face.

The spatial rings of nine Earth-rank powerhouses indeed had quite valuable goods. Just various quality crystal cores, medicinal materials, and ores added up to several million, plus many martial arts secret manuals from different cultivation systems.

Due to planar environmental reasons, Nine Heavens Continent’s martial arts might not necessarily suit Xingyun Continent martial artists.

However, Jun Changxiao collected all the secret manuals into his own spatial ring, pulled up the Technique Pavilion, and discovered that many manuals’ exchange amounts had increased considerably.

This indicated that although martial arts from various planes weren’t universally applicable, they could be used to fill quotas and exchange for secret manuals in the Technique Pavilion.

“Now this is very interesting.” Jun Gou Sheng grinned widely.

Shangguan Xinyao had always been creating secret manuals, but the speed was ultimately still a bit slow. Being on a battlefield with hundreds of planes, as long as he snatched their secret manuals, any martial arts in the Technique Pavilion could definitely be exchanged at will!

“Hm?”

Jun Changxiao discovered dozens of crystal-clear hexagonal-shaped stones in the spatial rings.

Holding them in hand and releasing spiritual intent to fuse into them, he discovered extremely pure spiritual energy stored inside, so he said in surprise: “They carry more energy than natural spirit stones!”

The system said: “Ten times stronger.”

“Ten times?”

Jun Changxiao’s eyes widened. This meant that one was worth ten natural spirit stones!

“Looks like this Nine Heavens Continent’s overall strength is much higher than Xingyun Continent, so it nurtured even stronger spirit stones.”

“In that world they might not be called spirit stones.”

Correct.

This type of hexagonal spirit stone was called Six-Star Stone in Nine Heavens Continent—one of the extremely rare and important resources martial artists used for cultivation.

“As long as they can provide spiritual energy to accelerate cultivation speed, what they’re called isn’t important.”

Jun Changxiao didn’t dwell on the name, his eyes glowing as he said: “I can extort some of these things to let myself and the disciples raise their cultivation faster.”

Six-Star Stones contained abundant and pure energy. Using them for cultivation would definitely speed up realm advancement.

“Sect Master.”

Ding Xingwang said: “With eight Earth-rank captured and one killed, Nine Heavens Continent definitely won’t let this go—they’ll send powerhouses to attack again.”

When first entering the battlefield, he felt it was just so-so.

After experiencing several exchanges and seeing Emperor-level everywhere and Saint-level as common as dogs, he truly recognized that this place was definitely not simple!

“So we must make complete preparations.”

Jun Changxiao walked out of the stronghold, offering up small flags one after another, saying: “When they come, they must obediently pay ransom rather than brazenly snatching people again.”

“Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!”

Flowing light danced and scattered all around.

“Buzz! Buzz!”

Shortly after, ten Heaven-Shaking Thunder Gathering Formations were set up.

Some existed within the ground, some suspended in mid-air, enveloping Kindly Brows and Angry Eyes and the others within them.

This formation evolved from the Thirty-Two Extraordinary Gates was truly strong. Earlier when Purple Scale Demon King and multiple Earth-rank powerhouses fought until space collapsed, it didn’t shake the foundation or fail—it could still produce powerful explosions.

Jun Changxiao didn’t hide the thunder formations in space but openly erected them all around. The formation barriers linked together, forming seemingly real yet illusory scenes.

The meaning was very simple.

I’ve placed the hostages inside the thunder formations. If you don’t pay ransom, they’ll all be blown to nothing.

This was very particular!

Jun Changxiao had just finished setting up when, just as he returned to the stronghold with his front foot, with his back foot he saw space slightly distort above the outside sky as dozens of powerfully imposing martial artists appeared out of thin air.

Leading them was a dignified middle-aged man wearing a leather outfit with a gem-encrusted sword hanging at his waist, emanating majestic authority all around his body.

As for the twenty-plus martial artists standing behind him, their strength was all at Earth-rank level.

“Whoosh whoosh!”

Dozens of people suspended in the sky formed an extremely explosive aura.

Ding Xingwang transmitted: “Sect Master, the guy standing at the very front has probably already reached peak Wusheng level!”

Jun Changxiao had also sensed it.

He sat on the chair in front of the great hall, crossed one leg over, and called out loudly: “From Nine Heavens Continent?”

The dignified middle-aged man looked at Kindly Brows and Angry Eyes and others trapped in the formation’s interstices, then looked at the eliminated Earth-rank powerhouse, his brow slightly furrowing: “Your Excellency’s courage is not small, daring to kill my Nine Heavens Continent’s people.”

Jun Changxiao shrugged and said: “This seat was also helpless.”

“City Lord!”

An elder standing behind the dignified middle-aged man said in a low voice: “I’ll go rescue Kindly Brows and Angry Eyes and the others.”

The middle-aged man blocked him: “The formations arranged all around are extraordinary—don’t act rashly!”

“This friend.”

Jun Changxiao said: “I can tell at a glance that you’re a reasonable person. I also like being reasonable, so why don’t we talk it over calmly?”

“How shall we talk?” the middle-aged man said.

Jun Changxiao clasped his ten fingers together and said: “Your people wanted to capture wanted criminals to earn money and merit points—this is natural and right. If they couldn’t beat us and were captured by me, that’s also natural and right, isn’t it?”

The middle-aged man remained silent.

Failing to capture wanted criminals and instead becoming prisoners themselves—Kindly Brows and Good Purpose had completely lost face for Nine Heavens Continent.

And the Nine Star Elders! Swearing confidently at the stronghold that they could rescue people, but eight got captured and one got killed.

A bunch of people who accomplished nothing but ruined everything!

Jun Changxiao said: “These ten are all Earth-rank powerhouses. Being able to achieve today’s accomplishments wasn’t easy. This seat, mindful that heaven cherishes life, didn’t harm their lives.”

“So.”

The middle-aged man said coldly: “Should this City Lord also thank you?”

“Thanks aren’t necessary.” Jun Changxiao waved his hand and produced Six-Star Stones, saying: “Just use these things to ransom them.”

“…”

The middle-aged man’s face immediately darkened.

This kid said he was being reasonable, but after all this he was extorting him!

Jun Changxiao said: “If Your Excellency cherishes these things and is unwilling to take them out for ransom, they’ll die immediately.”

This was definitely not a joke. As long as he had one thought, the thunder formations would explode, and given Kindly Brows and Angry Eyes and others’ critically injured and unconscious state, they’d definitely be blown into meat paste.

“You’re threatening this City Lord?” Anger emerged in the middle-aged man’s eyes.

Jun Changxiao spread his hands and said: “The opportunity has been given. You decide their life and death.”

“Of course.”

“If you think your strength is formidable and you can snatch people from the thunder formations, feel free to try.”

“Buzz! Buzz!”

Just as Jun Changxiao finished speaking, the thunder formations arranged around Kindly Brows and Angry Eyes and others immediately flashed with light. Powerful thunder-element attributes spread wantonly, as if they could produce massive explosions at any moment.

The Nine Heavens Continent martial artists’ faces changed drastically.

They had also seen that the formations openly presented all around were somewhat strong, but they hadn’t expected the aura they emitted to be this strong!

The middle-aged man’s brow furrowed tightly. After brief consideration, he said: “How many Six-Star Stones can ransom them back?”