Swish, swish, swish—
Immediately after, those spheres of light shot out beams of radiance, firing straight toward the people who had projected their consciousness.
The white beams intertwined with one another, forming a vast net of light that blanketed the sky above.
Once those pillars of light landed on everyone, a faint layer of radiance enveloped each person's body.
That was the power distributed from Lü Jie's surroundings.
Though the reward each person received was, as they had expected, exceedingly meager.
Nevertheless, the crowd was absolutely delighted.
That was because the spheres of light hovered right around their bodies—there was no need to refine anything. The light would automatically flow into their bodies and merge with them on its own.
At this moment, they could feel with far greater clarity the power contained within that radiance.
For those who cultivated Spirit World techniques, this was of tremendous help.
It would greatly strengthen the intensity of their Mental Power.
"This trip was more than worth it, more than worth it!"
"Thank you, Young Hero Lü Jie! Thank you, Young Hero Lü Jie!"
The heavens and earth erupted in jubilant cheers, though what dominated was gratitude directed at Lü Jie.
A great many people had gathered at the Ancient Spirit Domain, but the vast majority of them had merely come to spectate—to join in the excitement.
It was precisely because they understood their own limitations that they had harbored no illusions about obtaining the Ancient Spirit Domain's inheritance.
Yet now they had received this kind of power—it was an absolutely unexpected windfall.
And this surprise was all thanks to Lü Jie.
It was Lü Jie who had granted them this power and this opportunity.
Naturally, they were overflowing with gratitude toward him.
No matter how arrogant, how conceited, or how insufferable Lü Jie had been before.
At this moment, he had become the hero in the eyes of the hundreds of millions of Spirit World Masters present.
Sensing the thunderous praise and thanks pouring down from the vast heavens above,
the aloof and distant Lü Jie could not stop grinning from ear to ear.
He was utterly delighted.
Although he had long been a prodigy renowned throughout the Sacred Light Galaxy,
this was the first time he had ever experienced treatment like this.
He knew that from this day forward, his standing in the hearts of the masses would shift once more.
But amid his self-satisfaction, Lü Jie turned his gaze toward Chu Feng.
Seeing that the spheres of light surrounding Chu Feng showed absolutely no change, a gleam of schadenfreude surfaced in Lü Jie's narrowed eyes.
"Chu Feng, what's going on with you? Why is nothing happening?"
"Could it be that the light around you isn't actually a reward at all?"
Lü Jie taunted Chu Feng with mockery.
"Right, why isn't there any reaction on Chu Feng's side?"
"Hahaha, could it really be like Lü Jie said—that it's not a reward at all?"
"Very possible! Look how weak he looks. Chances are he never actually solved the chess formation."
"And besides, the red light on his body doesn't even carry the aura of barrier power. Just looking at it, you can tell it's not the kind of force that strengthens everyone's Mental Power."
"But if he didn't solve the chess formation, how did he manage to walk out of it?"
"That's simple—Lü Jie broke the chess formation, and all of us were saved. Naturally that includes Chu Feng."
"So after all that, Chu Feng never actually broke the chess formation? He only got out alive because he was riding Lü Jie's coattails?"
"That's most likely the case."
"Haha, so that's how it is."
"And those guys who actually thought they'd get to share in Chu Feng's reward—they're looking pretty stupid now, aren't they?"
"Too clever by half. Serves them right, serves them right!"
Across the heavens and earth, mockery and ridicule directed at Chu Feng echoed from every direction.
Even those who had chosen to split their reward equally with Chu Feng were caught in the crossfire.