Chapter 556 - 331: Hundred Apertures Attain Divinity! The Conspiracy Bares Its Fangs

Ye Jinghong’s gaze was incredibly sincere, his tone carrying a solemnity that brooked no refusal.

Divine Blood War Body.

It burns one’s Divine source to baptize another, greatly strengthening their physical body.

Han Feng had to admit, he was tempted.

’The Innate Sword Body is good, but its advancement is slow. If I could use this opportunity to take a huge leap forward and raise my physical strength to another level, it would undoubtedly be of great benefit to my future cultivation path.’

But it was only temptation, nothing more.

He looked at the stern-faced Ye Jinghong, but a strange thought popped into his head.

’Isn’t the Vanguard Corps right now just like a startup that just secured its angel investment round?’

’Ye Jinghong is the CEO, the five thousand three hundred soldiers are the employees, and I’m, at best, a CTO who traded my skills for equity.’

’We all risked life and limb to conquer the Viper Tribe, our first "contract," and earned a little startup capital.’

’Logically, that money should be immediately reinvested to expand our operations, recruit more soldiers, and prepare to face the next, stronger competitor.’

’But now, the CEO just waves his hand and says he wants to take a huge sum from the company’s already-meager accounts to give the CTO an exorbitant bonus.’

’No matter how you look at it, this move seems like a sign the company is about to go belly-up.’

"I appreciate your kind offer, General."

Han Feng pondered for a moment before speaking slowly, "However, now is not the time."

Ye Jinghong raised an eyebrow, clearly not expecting Han Feng to refuse.

"Why?"

Han Feng didn’t beat around the bush and spoke bluntly.

"General, you know the situation we’re facing better than I do."

"We must advance to Tier Five within a year, or we die."

"The Black Rock Tribe has only temporarily retreated. Profound Prison, the power behind them, is the real threat, not to mention the other powers within Dragon Abyss, all watching like hungry tigers."

"Right now, every bit of strength is crucial for the Vanguard Corps."

"You are the core of the entire army, and your Divine Power is our greatest asset."

"To massively deplete your source just to strengthen me would lower the entire corps’ ability to withstand risks."

"That trade isn’t worth it."

These words stunned Gu Jian and the others inside the tent.

They had expected Han Feng to gladly accept this heaven-sent opportunity, never imagining he would refuse for the sake of the corps’ future.

Ye Jinghong fell silent. He stared intently at Han Feng, his sharp gaze seeming to pierce right through him.

Han Feng met his gaze and continued.

"Besides, to be perfectly honest, my current bottleneck isn’t my physical body."

"What I lack most right now is a higher Cultivation Realm and the ability to open more acupoints."

"For me, your Divine Blood War Body is a luxury, not a necessity."

"For the sake of that ’luxury,’ to have you, our backbone, become Severely Injured is a price not worth paying."

Han Feng spread his hands, his tone lightening a bit.

"So, I’ll just put this reward on ’layaway’ with you for now."

"In the future, when our ’company’ is bigger and stronger, and you have more Divine Power than you know what to do with, it won’t be too late to give it to me then."

"Or, perhaps, you could exchange it for something that would be of even greater help to me by then. Wouldn’t that be better?"

His words were frank and magnanimous, laying out the analysis of personal versus collective interest with perfect clarity.

Ye Jinghong suddenly smiled—a genuine, heartfelt smile.

"Excellent! Advisor Han, I, Ye Jinghong, am determined to have you as my friend!"

He had originally seen Han Feng merely as a powerful asset, a "Surprise Troop" he could cooperate with.

But now, he truly saw him as a strategic partner who could fight by his side.

He valued this long-term vision and clear-headed thinking even more than pure combat strength.

"In that case, let’s exchange this baptism for a promise from me, Ye Jinghong."

Ye Jinghong’s expression became incredibly solemn as he extended his hand.

"From now on, as long as you are in Dragon Abyss, no matter what trouble you encounter, I, Ye Jinghong, along with the entire Vanguard Corps, will intervene on your behalf once!"

"We will give it our all and stop at nothing!"

A promise from a potential future Tier Five Military God, with his entire corps as the stake.

Its weight was far greater than that of a single Divine Blood Baptism.

"Deal." Han Feng smiled and shook his hand.

...

Han Feng did not participate in the subsequent Divine Grace Festival or the conversion of the prisoners.

With the Void Ghost Crab, their "native expert," providing guidance, Ye Jinghong handled these matters with ease. As a mere "technician," Han Feng had no input to offer.

He had more important things to do now.

He took his leave from Ye Jinghong, explaining that his battle with Qing Shan had taken a huge toll and he needed to enter seclusion to recover.

Ye Jinghong immediately gave him the Quiet Chamber that housed the Cyan Crystal Bed—the item with the densest Spiritual Qi that they had confiscated from the Viper Tribe.

He also threw in a large batch of Snake Saliva Fruits, a specialty of the Viper Tribe that could aid in cultivation and Enlightenment.

Han Feng didn’t stand on ceremony and accepted everything.

After entering the Quiet Chamber, the first thing he did was flash into the Sword Tomb Space.

Gazing at the vast, churning sea of Source Material in the Guiyuan Sword Pool, Han Feng’s heart began to race.

Within the Sword Pool, the four colors of Source Material were clearly distinct.

The black Material Source Material, representing physical matter, was the most viscous, like boiling asphalt. This was mainly thanks to the dozens of Black Iron Warhammers and the large number of Demon Beast Skeletons.

The emerald green Life Essence, representing life, was the most abundant, having practically formed a vast ocean.

The Black Fierce Ape Warriors had been enormous in size with vigorous Qi Blood. The Life Force contributed by dozens of Tier Three Peak Totem Warriors was nearly equivalent to that of the Severely Injured Three-Headed Snake God.

In comparison, the grayish-white Spiritual Essence, representing spirituality, looked rather pitiful.

During the battle with Qing Shan and the advancement to the Three-Inch Heart Sword, the Spiritual Essence originating from the two Divine beings had been almost completely consumed.