Chapter 562 - 332: A Godly Scheme, Jointly Forged: The Buddha’s Bones as Fuel

But when Han Feng considered the number of Sword Seeds required to replace the Divine Soul Crystals, his skin crawled.

The assembly line beneath Broken Star Reef was churning out Divine Soul Crystals day and night.

With the explosion of interest in exploring Dragon Abyss, this "Hard Currency"—which could directly enhance Spiritual Power and even aid in becoming a God—was permeating every corner at an astonishing rate.

Whether they were Lone Rangers or the elites of major factions, no one could resist the temptation of surviving the night and growing stronger.

The "one-year death limit" rule, in particular, was like a Sword of Damocles hanging over everyone’s head.

It forced everyone who wanted to become a God to frantically consume this "Divine Medicine."

Han Feng could almost see it: in six months, probably eighty percent of the High-Tier combatants in all of Dragon Abyss would be dependent on these crystals.

That was the net cast by the "Weaver."

Once that net was drawn, the consequences would be unimaginable.

’Even if I worked myself to death, it’s impossible for me to run to every single mine and swap them out.’

Han Feng was well aware of his own limitations.

He still had to focus on his Cultivation, explore ruins, and live comfortably in these chaotic times. He absolutely couldn’t waste all his time playing "delivery boy."

The only way to counter this level of market dumping was to become the largest distributor himself.

He had to find a partner who was powerful enough and trustworthy.

Han Feng’s gaze pierced through the stone wall, landing on the most conspicuous tent in the center of the camp.

There was no one else but Ye Jinghong.

Having made up his mind, Han Feng stood up, straightened his collar, and pushed the door open.

...

「Inside the Central Army Tent.」

Ye Jinghong was standing before a massive holographic map.

It had only been two days, but his entire demeanor had changed drastically.

He just stood there quietly, yet a faint, imposing pressure radiated from his entire being.

It was the product of his Divine nature fusing with his military authority.

He was originally just a Tier Three Peak Martial Artist, but now, under the round-the-clock worship of over twenty thousand Snake Lizard People followers, his Divine Soul Strength had already broken through the five-thousand-hertz mark.

Although he was still suppressing his physical realm, in a contest of the spiritual plane, he was now strong enough to crush an average Tier Four Early Stage practitioner.

"Advisor Han."

Seeing Han Feng enter, Ye Jinghong turned around, a rare hint of a smile appearing on his cold, stern face.

"It seems your seclusion was quite fruitful."

He could sense that the aura around Han Feng had become even more unfathomable.

He was standing right there, but when Ye Jinghong swept his Divine Thought over him, it was like probing a dense fog—impossible to fathom its depths.

"So-so. I’ve managed to recover what I lost before."

Han Feng casually pulled up a chair and sat down, skipping the pleasantries and getting straight to the point.

"Major General Ye, the camp has gotten quite lively these past few days."

"All in the name of survival."

Ye Jinghong walked over to the tea table and personally poured a cup of tea for Han Feng.

"You must have heard the rumors about the ’Divine Soul Crystals’ over the last few days, right?"

Han Feng nodded.

"I have. The hype outside is insane. The price of a single crystal has been driven up to two thousand Spirit Coins, and even then, you can’t find any for sale."

Seeing that Han Feng was aware of the situation, Ye Jinghong didn’t beat around the bush and voiced his concerns:

"This thing... it’s like a Treasure tailor-made for Dragon Abyss.

The more astounding its effects, the more uneasy I feel.

I suspect there’s a massive conspiracy behind it that we haven’t yet uncovered."

A flicker of approval flashed in Han Feng’s eyes. ’Working with smart people is so much easier.’

He calmly replied:

"Major General Ye’s intuition is correct.

It’s more than just a conspiracy; it’s an inescapable trap that has already been sprung on everyone."

Han Feng set down his teacup and lightly drew a circle on the tabletop with his finger.

"The Child of the Mist suddenly came up with such a wonderful item right on the eve of Dragon Abyss’s opening.

And this very item just so happens to become the Hard Currency within Dragon Abyss. How could there be such a coincidence?

Furthermore, from what I know...

When Dragon Abyss first appeared, members of the Child of the Mist were already active around its periphery.

If you connect all these dots, how can you not suspect there’s something wrong with this stuff?"

Han Feng didn’t reveal the existence of the "Weaver." Bringing up something of that magnitude would only cause unnecessary panic.

"If I were the mastermind behind this, and I could turn this thing into Hard Currency, I would definitely plant a few landmines inside.

Then, when the time is right, all I’d have to do is push a button..."

He made an exploding gesture with his hands.

Ye Jinghong’s expression immediately darkened.

The feeling of having his lifeline in someone else’s hands made him, a man with an extremely strong need for control, deeply uncomfortable.

"Do you have a solution?"

Ye Jinghong stared at Han Feng.

"A complete solution is difficult, since they control the source."

Han Feng shrugged. "However, I can add a ’safety lock’ to these crystals."

"A safety lock?"

"Yes.

I have a special method that can purify the impurities within the Divine Soul Crystals and place my own unique spiritual imprint on them."

Han Feng recited the explanation he had prepared. "This imprint is normally inconspicuous.

But if some hidden control mechanism within the crystal were to activate...

My imprint would immediately issue a warning, and could even sever that connection."

Of course, this was only half-true.

The warning was real, and so was the ability to sever the connection.

But more importantly, the imprint itself was the "Borrowed Path Sword Seed" that Han Feng planted.

Ye Jinghong gave Han Feng a long, deep look.

He understood the unspoken implication in Han Feng’s words.

This method was equivalent to installing a "backdoor" on the Divine Soul Crystals that only Han Feng could access.

If Han Feng had ulterior motives, the consequences would be just as unimaginable.