Chapter 23: Settling in Jiuyong City

Qin Shu produced the green spiritual soul card and handed it over.

Two hundred thousand spiritual soul coins immediately appeared in his account.

At the Money God Shopping Mall, spiritual soul coins were universally accepted, as were spiritual soul cards.

After leaving the Authentication Center, Qin Shu said to He Zhiwei, “Take me to the office. I have matters that need consultation and commissioning.”

“Please follow me.”

More business! The delight of this prospect was unimaginable for He Zhiwei.

Based on the profit from each transaction, she could earn a fee ranging from one-thousandth to one-hundredth.

This time, with a profit of fifty thousand spiritual soul coins, her cut would be around two million regular currency units—equivalent to two hundred spiritual soul coins.

In an instant, she felt enveloped by happiness, her attitude toward Qin Shu growing even more deferential.

On the fourth floor at the office, a chubby staff member approached them. “My name is Zhao Gongqian. What can I assist you with?”

Qin Shu got straight to the point. “I’m here to inquire about something and also request some services.”

“Please take a seat.”

After they sat down, Zhao Gongqian poured a cup of tea. “Please go ahead!”

Qin Shu had no mood for tea, but he still took a sip before saying, “What I want to ask is how one can travel to the Nine Provinces Holy Court.”

Zhao Gongqian asked, “Is the honored guest not from the Donghua Immortal Court?”

Qin Shu shook his head and replied, “No, I was accidentally teleported here from the Abyss.”

“I see.” Zhao Gongqian sighed. “The Nine Provinces Holy Court and the Donghua Immortal Court are separated by hundreds of millions of light-years. Even using a cross-realm teleportation array would require nine separate transmissions. The honored guest likely doesn’t have such financial means.”

“Hundreds of millions of light-years?” Qin Shu was greatly surprised. No wonder he hadn’t heard of the Donghua Immortal Court when he was in Yangzhou City, nor had he been able to find information on how to reach the Nine Provinces Holy Court when he previously connected to their network.

The distance was truly too vast.

Curious, Zhao Gongqian asked, “Logically speaking, even if there was an error with the transmission, it shouldn’t have sent you so far away. May I ask under what circumstances did the honored guest enter the Abyss?”

Qin Shu sighed. “At the time, the Abyss invaded, enveloping a mountain range spanning tens of thousands of kilometers. I didn’t have time to retreat, so I could only enter the Infinite Abyss as temporary refuge.”

“Another region has fallen,” Zhao Gongqian sighed sympathetically. “It must be difficult for you as well. Let me explain: each use of the Domain Teleportation Array costs one hundred million spiritual soul coins. Nine uses would total nine hundred million. What do you think?”

Qin Shu spread his hands wide. “Do I look like someone with over a hundred million spiritual soul coins?”

“No matter!” Zhao Gongqian laughed. “Since you’ve safely returned from the Abyss to the God Soul Continent, your potential must be extraordinary. If that’s the case, accumulating nine hundred million spiritual soul coins is merely a matter of time. Why don’t you settle in Nine Yong City first and gradually build up your wealth?”

“I suppose I have no choice,” Qin Shu said with another sigh. “Could you help me establish residency here? And while you’re at it, find me some property.”

“That’s easily arranged,” Zhao Gongqian replied. “I’ll have my people take care of it; it should be done within half a day. What specific requirements do you have for the property?”

“A location rich in spiritual energy is essential,” Qin Shu stated. “And please keep the total cost for establishing residency and purchasing the property below two hundred thousand spiritual soul coins.”

Zhao Gongqian’s eyes flashed with golden light—this was potentially a huge deal! He hadn’t expected this newcomer to be so incredibly generous.

“Excellent! I’ll arrange for this immediately. Please make yourself comfortable here.”

With that, he hastily ordered some spirit fruits and tea to be served, then set about delegating the tasks at hand.

Before long, he returned, his demeanor now exceedingly solicitous towards Qin Shu.

As a mid-level employee, his commission rate was significantly higher than that of low-tier service staff like He Zhiwei.

A flat ten percent of pure profit.

On a two-hundred-thousand deal—especially one involving real estate, which typically yielded substantial profits—his cut would amount to at least two thousand spiritual soul coins.

As for handling the identity registration, it merely involved entering Qin Shu’s information from the Donghua Immortal Court into their system. For the Money God Shopping Mall, it was a matter of lifting a finger.

At most, a hundred spiritual soul coins—all inclusive, no hidden fees.

In other words, the cost of purchasing the property alone was two hundred thousand spiritual soul coins; the identity registration was just a minor add-on. Zhao Gongqian hadn’t even considered charging extra for it.

“May I ask if you’ve given any thought to what line of work you might pursue in Nine Yong City?” he inquired. “Whether it’s pill concocting, artificing, talisman drawing, or venturing tens of thousands of kilometers away to hunt in the Lian Mountain Range—we have connections across these industries, with transparent pricing throughout.”

Qin Shu pondered for a moment. He didn’t know how to concoct pills, but he could learn.

He also didn’t know how to craft magical devices, but that too was something he could master.

Drawing talismans seemed even more feasible.

So he asked, “Among pill concoction, device crafting, and talisman drawing, which is the most profitable?”

Zhao Gongqian was taken aback by this question. Do you think these skills are so easy to acquire?

Nevertheless, he answered truthfully, “In terms of profit, device crafting yields the highest returns, but it also requires the most time to create a single magical item. Pill concoction comes second, with talisman drawing being the least lucrative. However, if one can guarantee both success rates and quality, there’s no significant difference between them. Comparatively, talisman drawing has the lowest costs involved, while medicinal pills are the most popular, especially those of perfect grade.”

If that’s the case, Qin Shu thought, talisman drawing seems like it wouldn’t require much effort.

But upon considering his true essence’s nature, Qin Shu felt that pill concoction would be best suited for him.

Using his fortune power to enhance the efficacy of medicinal pills couldn’t have been more appropriate. It ensured both high-quality results and increased success rates.

As for whether he could actually learn these skills… well, that wasn’t really a concern, was it?

With two great divine abilities—Circulating Karma and Five Elements Great Escape—in his arsenal, failing to learn such crafts would truly necessitate a return to the drawing board.

“I’ll give it careful consideration,” Qin Shu said. “I’ll come back after I’ve decided.”

“Excellent,” Zhao Gongqian thought, envisioning this as a long-term business opportunity. He already had plans forming in his mind.

After consuming several third-order spirit fruits, the person sent to handle matters returned.

“Manager Zhao, I’ve found three suitable properties. Should we take our guest to see them?”

“Yes, let’s go. You come along too; thank you for your hard work.”

“Not at all, not at all.” The agent bowed deferentially, exuding humility.

Moments later, Qin Shu found himself being shown around the three properties by Zhao Gongqian.

All were villas nestled amidst mountains and water, with spirit-gathering arrays in place. The surrounding spiritual energy concentration was fifth-order—so potent that even Primordial Infants could cultivate here without issue, let alone Foundation Establishment cultivators.

The three villas were largely similar, save for their locations and corresponding price tags.

Qin Shu opted for the one closest to the Money God Shopping Mall. “Let’s go with Yanghe Villa,” he said.

“Splendid! The total comes to 189,070 spiritual soul coins. Let’s round it off—a mere 189,000 spiritual soul coins will suffice.”

After the transaction was completed, Zhao Gongqian instructed his staff to record the room key and detailed information about the property into Qin Shu’s profile.

From then on, the property at Yanghe Villa belonged to Qin Shu.

But the matter wasn’t over yet. After leaving the office, Qin Shu turned to He Zhiwei and said, “Take me to the cultivation techniques area.”

“Yes sir! Please follow me.” This time, He Zhiwei’s attitude had become even more deferential; any unrealistic thoughts she’d harbored earlier had fizzled out completely.

Upon reaching the cultivation techniques area, Qin Shu selected a basic pill-concocting manual along with several second-tier medicinal formulas before departing from the Money God Shopping Mall for his new home.

Although both the Nine Provinces Divine Court and Donghua Immortal Court were located within the God Soul Continent, to Qin Shu in his current situation, the distance between these two places felt greater than that between two separate worlds.

At least he could visit the Infinite Abyss anytime he wished, but returning to the Nine Provinces Divine Court would be extremely difficult.

How long would it take to accumulate nine hundred million spiritual soul coins?