Chapter 606 - 559: Jackpot! Swimming in Loot

’It can’t be used until the Eye of Destiny evolves into the Eye of the Divine? That means it might be usable after the evolution is complete.’

The origin blood of an ancient evil was, of course, no ordinary thing.

Shi Ming waved his hand.

His vast Spiritual Power compressed into a solid state, wrapping the "Void" Origin, which was tainted with the power of Evil Thought Heaven, in layer after layer of seals. This prevented even a trace of its power from leaking out. Simultaneously, Shi Ming also drew upon a sliver of "Time" power, isolating this origin from the present space-time and manipulating the timeline to hide it in the past.

This made it completely secure.

Even if one day Shi Ming found himself in a dire predicament and unable to fend for himself, he wouldn’t need to worry about this power from the ancient evil escaping and being exploited by someone with ill intentions—especially not by the Colorful Insect sealed within his body.

With the threat properly dealt with, it was time to take stock of the spoils.

He had killed two pseudo-gods in this battle. Both were ancient beings of the Star Sea who stood at the apex of the universe. Their deaths, it could be said, dropped a wealth of Gold Coins—enough to be dazzling.

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The principle for dividing the spoils was simple.

Bertutan had been killed by Shi Ming, so all his Origins and Secret Treasures belonged to Shi Ming.

Herakrode, on the other hand, had been killed through their joint effort. According to the agreement previously brokered by the woman from the star cluster, Ali, Shi Ming had the right to first pick of the spoils.

Amonev had no objections to this arrangement.

Soon, Shi Ming and Amonev finished taking inventory. The spoils were primarily divided into four categories.

Nirvana Origins, Secret Treasures, Ultimate Treasures, and Other.

1. Nirvana Origins

The Nirvana Origins consisted mainly of Bertutan’s "Void" and "Perfection," and Herakrode’s "Silence" and "Creation." Among these, "Void" and "Silence" were both extremely precious, rarely seen numbered Nirvana skills, and accounted for half the total value of all the spoils. "Perfection" and "Creation" were themselves the result of these pseudo-gods’ meticulous selection, making them incredibly valuable as well.

The first three belonged to Shi Ming.

The last one, "Creation," was obtained by Amonev.

2. Secret Treasures

Bertutan’s Secret Treasure, the "Dusk Lamp of the Prosperous World," survived the battle. Like the "Wishing Star of All Worlds" that Shi Ming possessed, it was a Companion Secret Treasure of a god, making it more powerful than ordinary Ultimate Treasures.

An unused Secret Treasure from Herakrode, "Heavenly Creation," also dropped. It was a creation-type treasure capable of evolving the infinite possibilities of constructs. Its value was close to an item ranked around 15th in the Divine Treasure Vault. Amonev obtained "Heavenly Creation," and in exchange, she relinquished a portion of her share of the fourth category of spoils.

3. Ultimate Treasures

In comparison, the Ultimate Treasures owned by the two pseudo-gods were not only numerous but were also all high-tier, their value far surpassing the few items seized from Ron.

They were as follows:

Star Track Gear, Savage Cinders, Great Tombstone, Heart of Mechanical Ascension, Crystal Dawn, and Divine Blood Soil; Heart of Creation, Scythe of Death, Eternity of Annihilation, and Legacy Starlight.

The first six were from Bertutan.

The last four were from Herakrode.

The distribution of Ultimate Treasures followed the same basic principle: the treasures from Bertutan were taken exclusively by Shi Ming, while those from Herakrode were split equally between them.

4. Other Remnants.

Bertutan’s and Herakrode’s divine authority dissipated into the world upon their deaths. Their Divine Countries were extinguished along with their lives. All the steles in the Civilization Stele Forest—be they milestones or tombstones—faded into phantoms. The Dream Core Kingdom, however, curled up into a core of light, becoming the "Dream Core Intellect."

Since Shi Ming had conceded "Heavenly Creation" to Amonev, he, in turn, took exclusive possession of the "Dream Core Intellect."

As for the other, less significant remnants and Holy Hall Origins, most had been turned to ash by the power of the Apocalypse Divine Artifact. Even if they could be recovered, the cost in time and energy would outweigh their value. The few items that remained were far less valuable than the ones listed above and were also split equally between the two of them.

And so, cold enemies were transformed into a warm harvest.

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"What are your plans now?"

The Ten Thousand People Square was serene and beautiful under the starlight. Amonev looked up at the sky and asked Shi Ming, who was beside her. His injuries from overloading the Apocalypse Divine Artifact had mostly healed. He was currently lurking in the [Lost Kingdom] community forum. His second strategy guide had also brought in substantial profits, which were accumulating and replenishing his stock of Civilization Stones.

"Follow the guidance of destiny?"

He said jokingly.

He would only make use of destiny when it suited him, not blindly follow its guidance.

Amonev sighed and took the initiative to ask,

"I killed Herakrode, and you killed Bertutan and the other traitors. We’ve met the activation requirements for the Heart of Chaos. If you’re interested, I can let you have it. After all, you’re a better fit for it."

"Oh?"

"As for me, I want to leave this Star Domain. I don’t want to remain in hiding anymore. I want to see the vast Star Sea, to see different civilizations and different paths."

Shi Ming hadn’t expected Amonev to be willing to give up such power.

But now that he had the Eye of the Divine, he no longer needed it.

’Fusing with one set of Divine Remains was just the right amount. Any more would be overdoing it, merely repeating the old path of the gods. He now understood better than any other being that power itself is a kind of shackles. Only by forging one’s own path could one climb a new Ascension Ladder, free from the constraints of the past.’

He already had the beginnings of his own path.

"I understand. The burden carried by the Friend of the Secret and the Lantern Bearer for over a hundred thousand years is indeed a heavy one. Compared to accepting that kind of power, freedom is far more precious."

"There is someone else who is an even better fit for the Heart of Chaos."

Shi Ming began to recommend another candidate.

"Oh?"

"The nascent will of the Cosmic Country. It also participated in the battle to slay the traitors. The will of the First Civilization Cosmic Country is the activated consciousness of a god’s former Divine Country. It is a more suitable heir to this divine heart than either of us. At the very least, this vast Cosmic Country will be able to manage itself and continue its glorious civilization."

’Entrusting the Heart of Chaos to the will of the Cosmic Country would kill three birds with one stone.’

First, Shi Ming already had a 100% resonance with the will of the Cosmic Country, so its power would also become his own.

Second, the vast Cosmic Country needed a ruler, and Shi Ming had no intention of taking on such a troublesome task. Becoming its true regent would bind him to this nation, which was out of the question for now.

Third, this region of space was in ruins and in desperate need of rebuilding. With the Heart of Chaos, the will of the Cosmic Country could...