Hundred-Billion Scale

On the outskirts of the abandoned industrial district.

Lei Qianjue was still going on and on, bragging about Shen Wudao, the new student of the Martial Arts Academy.

Nie Changkong stood to one side, the corner of his eye twitching wildly. He forcibly turned his face away, afraid that he might lose control and burst out laughing right there.

Just then, the Nation-Guarding Martial Saint Huo Zhenshan ignored Lei Qianjue’s incessant chatter.

He turned around and began walking toward Su Yu, who was slowly descending from the sky.

This old man had stood at the pinnacle of martial arts in the Great Xia Kingdom and held the Abyssal Front for decades.

Yet at this moment, there was not the slightest hint of a senior looking down on a junior in his eyes as he gazed at Su Yu.

There was only unprecedented solemnity.

It was the look one reserved for the future pillar supporting the heavens of the Great Xia Kingdom.

Su Yu’s feet touched the ground. The silver “Firmament” grade battle armor covering his body was already in tatters.

Huo Zhenshan stopped three paces in front of him.

He did not exchange any polite formalities, nor did he put on the airs of a Martial Saint.

Instead, with a solemn expression, he raised both hands and carefully straightened his plain gray robe, which had been stained with a little dust.

Then, in full view of all the Martial Emperors and Martial Kings present—

This pillar of the Great Xia Kingdom stood with his legs together and his back straight, and solemnly performed the highest-ranking ancient martial military salute before the young man who had used the alias “Su Yuan”!

His right fist clenched tightly and struck hard against the left side of his chest.

Thud!

The muffled sound echoed across the empty ruins.

Huo Zhenshan lowered his head. His voice was extremely deep, yet it carried a power that seemed to pierce straight into the soul.

“The lives of twenty million citizens in the Great Xia capital rested on your spear today, sir.”

“If you had not intervened, the Demon Saint would have descended, and the entire capital would have been destroyed, transformed into a living hell!”

“With this bow, I, Huo Zhenshan, thank you on behalf of the people of the capital for slaying the demon!”

Every word rang with power!

Each sentence struck the ground like iron!

The moment those words were spoken, the air around them seemed to freeze.

Lei Qianjue’s previously nonstop mouth snapped shut.

His one eye widened to its limit, and he stared at Huo Zhenshan in utter disbelief.

A Martial Saint…

saluting a Martial Spirit?!

And not just any salute—he was performing the highest-ranking ancient martial military salute on behalf of twenty million citizens of the capital?!

If word of this got out, the entire martial arts world of the Great Xia Kingdom would be rocked by a magnitude-ten earthquake!

But—

After being stunned for only half a second, Lei Qianjue took a deep breath and put away all his arrogance and shock.

He did not feel that Huo Zhenshan’s actions were inappropriate in the slightest, nor did he think that a Martial Saint saluting a Martial Spirit was beneath his dignity.

Because in the Great Xia Kingdom—

Whoever shed blood for the people deserved to receive a bow from the people!

Everyone present knew exactly how terrifying the Demon Saint’s destructive power was.

Once the Demon Saint’s abyssal domain had fully spread, forget twenty million ordinary citizens—even the Martial Emperors and Martial Kings among them would have been certain to die.

It was this young man before them who had braved the Demon Emperor’s pressure and shattered that apocalyptic catastrophe with a single thrust of his spear!

“Thank you for slaying the demon, sir!”

Without the slightest hesitation, Lei Qianjue dropped heavily to one knee, struck his right fist against his chest, and performed the highest military salute.

“Thank you for slaying the demon, sir!”

Nie Changkong followed close behind, kneeling on one knee with an especially solemn expression.

“Thank you for slaying the demon, sir!”

The four Martial Kings from the military whom Su Yu had rescued from the abyssal domain were even more moved. Tears glistened in their eyes as they dropped to one knee in unison, their voices booming like thunder!

For a moment—

Within the abandoned industrial district, all of the Great Xia Kingdom’s top combatants lowered their noble heads before a young man clad in battered armor.

Su Yu stood quietly where he was.

He looked at the Nation-Guarding Martial Saint bowing before him, as well as the Martial Emperors and Martial Kings kneeling all around him.

A hint of emotion flickered through his deep, translucent eyes.

He did not evade their salute.

He accepted it calmly.

Because he knew that, after the battle he had just fought, he truly deserved this bow.

“You’re all too kind.”

Su Yu spoke calmly and extended a hand, making a gesture as though to support Huo Zhenshan from afar.

“We were only doing our respective duties.”

Huo Zhenshan straightened with the motion. As he looked at Su Yu’s cold, unflinching face, the admiration in his eyes grew even stronger.

To possess such heaven-defying strength and yet remain neither arrogant nor impatient—

This young man was destined for greatness!

“That’s enough.”

Huo Zhenshan turned around and once again assumed the majesty of the Nation-Guarding Martial Saint. He waved a hand at the Martial Kings from the military behind him.

“Seal off the area immediately!”

“Clear the battlefield and eliminate every trace of lingering abyssal aura!”

“Not a single wisp of contamination can be allowed to escape!”

“Yes, sir!”

The four Martial Kings immediately accepted the order and rose to arrange the military’s cleanup operations.

Huo Zhenshan turned back to Su Yu and Nie Changkong.

“This is not the place to talk.”

“Come back to the Capital Martial Arts University with me, Young Friend Su Yuan.”

“You’ve accomplished a monumental feat. The Great Xia Kingdom will never mistreat a meritorious hero!”

…

Half an hour later.

One thousand meters beneath the Capital Martial Arts University, inside the highest-level classified conference room.

Every wall was forged from deep-sea meteorite iron, a material capable of blocking even a Martial Saint’s perception.

There were only three people in the conference room.

Huo Zhenshan, Nie Changkong, and Su Yu.

Su Yu had already removed the battered silver battle armor and changed into a clean black combat uniform.

Huo Zhenshan sat at the head of the table, his expression solemn.

With a flip of his wrist, he placed a fist-sized crystal on the table. It was completely black and radiated a heart-pounding fluctuation.

“This is the demonic core left behind after the Demon Saint’s death.”

Huo Zhenshan pushed the black crystal toward Su Yu.

“Although the Demon Saint’s physical body was completely annihilated by your spear intent, this demonic core, which contained the entirety of its abyssal origin, survived.”

Su Yu’s gaze sharpened.

He could clearly sense just how vast and pure the energy contained within the demonic core was.

“This is the spoils of war from the Demon Saint you slew with your own hands. It rightfully belongs to you.”

Huo Zhenshan’s tone was extremely serious.

“Young Friend Su Yuan, you may not understand the value of this demonic core.”

“On the underground black market, a demonic core at the Martial King level can sell for tens of billions.”

“And this one is at the Demon Saint level!”

“Its value is at least in the trillion-yuan range!”

“Furthermore, it is priceless because there is no market for it!”

A trillion!

At those four words, an intense, imperceptible light suddenly flared deep within Su Yu’s translucent eyes.

A trillion!

He had just burned through the one trillion he had extorted from the Chen family last night, and had been worrying about lacking funds to continue deducing his cultivation realm.

This was practically a pillow delivered to someone just as they grew sleepy!

If he sold this demonic core and converted the money into cash to recharge the system, that would mean another full trillion years of cultivation!

It would be enough to make his Dark Gold Divine Blood undergo another qualitative transformation!

Su Yu forcibly suppressed his delight and reached out, storing the demonic core in his storage ring.

“Thank you, Martial Saint Huo.”

Huo Zhenshan waved a hand.

“You’ve earned it.”

“Besides the demonic core, the military will be giving you an additional reward.”

Huo Zhenshan’s gaze fell on the battered silver battle armor resting to one side.

“I noticed that the ‘Firmament’ grade battle armor you were wearing earlier was completely ruined when it withstood the Demon Emperor’s pressure.”

“After all, it was merely mass-produced standard equipment. It couldn’t withstand combat at your level.”

Huo Zhenshan paused, his tone brimming with the swagger of a man backed by immense wealth.

“The military has decided to make an exception and apply for a Nation-Guarding-grade battle armor for you!”

The moment those words were spoken, Nie Changkong, who was seated nearby, drew in a sharp breath.

Nation-Guarding-grade battle armor!

That was top-tier strategic equipment reserved only for legion commanders stationed along the Abyssal Frontline—or Martial Emperors who had made extraordinary contributions to the nation!

At present, the entire Great Xia had no more than fifty Nation-Guarding-grade suits of battle armor.

Each one had been forged from the bones of countless high-level exotic beasts and rare metals, painstakingly tempered and refined by the finest master smiths.