Chapter 8: The God of Wealth's Marketplace

Knock knock knock!

Just as Qin Shu was about to make his move, the sound of knocking echoed from the door.

“Xiao-Shu, come down for dinner.”

It was his mother Wang Yurou’s voice outside.

“I’m coming.”

Qin Shu had no choice but to set aside the Cyanwort Essence Gold temporarily and head out for dinner.

He knew that his mother was still worried about him advancing too quickly in cultivation, taking risks too hastily. So she tried to slightly hinder her son’s progress through her own means.

However, Wang Yurou didn’t go overboard with this approach.

She felt that doing her best was enough, considering it as a special way to protect her son.

The spiritual soul emitting green light simply couldn’t convince her completely; she thought her son’s words were just meant to comfort her.

Before they started eating, Qin Wei asked, “Xiao-Shu, what level of cultivation are you at now?”

“The eighth stage of Qi Refinement,” Qin Shu replied.

In half a month, he had broken through two more realms.

Wang Yurou paused momentarily upon hearing this.

“That fast?” Fifth Sister Qin Qing exclaimed, surprised. She was two years younger than Qin Shu, currently in middle school fourth year, and would be taking final exams in a few days.

“This time, I believe Fourth Brother’s spiritual soul is truly extraordinary.”

“What do you mean?” Wang Yurou looked at Qin Qing, who was a top student. Not only was her spiritual energy nearing perfection, but she also had a solid grasp of cultivation and abyssal theoretical knowledge.

Unlike Qin Yu, Qin Rou, and their couple, who had long forgotten what they learned in school.

Qin Qing said, “Logically speaking, if Fourth Brother only has a Bronze Spiritual Soul, breaking through realms once every half year would be commendable. But now he’s advancing one realm per week, and our family can’t afford to buy him medicinal pills.”

Upon hearing this, Qin Wei and Wang Yurou turned towards Qin Shu, “Is that really how it is?”

“Yes, I’ve been saying so all along, but none of you were willing to believe me,” Qin Shu put down his bowl and chopsticks. “So Mother, there’s no need for you to worry anymore.”

“You understand…” Wang Yurou began to protest, but after some thought, she sighed, “I suppose you’re right. You’ve grown up so much!”

Seeing this reaction, Qin Shu could only say, “Alright, alright. When the holidays come, I’ll use my true qi to nourish my younger siblings’ bodies instead of cultivating myself.”

“Really?” Wang Yurou seemed tempted by this idea and then glanced at Qin Wei.

The old father didn’t speak much at home, but ultimately, he held the authority to make decisions.

Seeing Qin Wei shake his head, Wang Yurou could only say, “Alright, don’t be too hard on yourself.”

“It’s not difficult at all,” Qin Shu said, having given it careful thought. “More people have been successfully awakening their spiritual souls these past few years. After laying a solid foundation, our younger siblings’ awakened spiritual souls will have greater potential and be safer. They’ll also be able to help me in the future.”

Qin Wei was silent for a moment before saying, “Very well. Since you’ve considered this carefully, we’ll do as you suggest.”

After dinner, Qin Shu went upstairs to refine the Cyanwort Essence Gold.

He spat out his sword pill and released its blade energy to purify the metal of impurities.

The metallic block, originally about the size of a human head, shrank smaller while its cyan hue became more intense, emitting a pure metallic sheen.

In the end, only a fist-sized piece remained.

“From second rank to third rank—now that’s how it should be.” Holding the metal chunk, Qin Shu weighed it in his hand.

Though the volume had decreased by tenfold, the weight was only half less than before.

Its value, however, had doubled.

The sole cost incurred was the expenditure of true qi.

The next day, Qin Shu set off towards the city center.

Yangzhou City boasted nine central districts, with the immortals’ quarter naturally occupying the heart of them all.

Qin Shu’s destination was the southeast district: Kangjiao District.

With a wave of his hand, he summoned an unmanned aerial car. Upon entering, it sprang into motion on its own accord.

Kangjiao District lay within the Second Ring Road, over a hundred kilometers from the Fifth Ring Road where he stood—a journey requiring a dedicated vehicle.

The airspace above Yangzhou City was meticulously planned, ensuring smooth traffic flow. Coupled with the autonomy of flying cars, congestion remained a distant concept.

In less than half an hour, the hundred-kilometer distance had been traversed.

Upon disembarking, Qin Shu found himself in a sea of skyscrapers. The streets were wide and vehicle-free, bustling solely with pedestrians.

Above, low-flying cars crisscrossed the sky, but each bore special license plates—the privilege of the elite class.

Qin Shu’s pace was unhurried yet swift.

This was indeed the location of the God of Wealth Shopping Mall.

The mall had existed for eons, being the very source of spiritual soul coins—the currency that controlled the economy across the entire God Soul Continent.

Within the God of Wealth Shopping Mall, there was no item beyond reach, provided one possessed sufficient spiritual soul coins.

This branch, however, was merely a subsidiary among many. The main shopping mall resided even higher, beyond the Holy Court, in a realm known as “Beyond the Heavens,” nestled within the boundless void itself.

The marketplace was vast. As soon as Qin Shu entered, a female attendant greeted him.

“Hello, what can I help you with?”

“I’d like to sell some artificing materials. Which area should I go to?” Qin Shu had never been to the Money God Shopping Mall before and needed guidance.

“May I ask what tier of items they are?”

Qin Shu replied, “Third-tier artificing materials suitable for flying swords.”

The attendant thought for a moment before saying, “Alright, please follow me.”

She led Qin Shu to a trading window where he sat down.

An employee behind the window said, “Go ahead and put them on the table.”

Qin Shu casually took out the Cyanwort Essence Gold from his pocket and placed it on the inspection platform.

With a ding, the projection on the platform displayed:

Cyanwort Essence Gold

Second-tier top-quality material

Third-tier high-grade purity

Overall rating: Third-tier

Suggested purchase price: 5,300 spiritual soul coins

Selling price: 6,000 spiritual soul coins

“How does that look? Are there any issues?” The staff member asked, looking at Qin Shu.

At the Money God Shopping Mall, prices were transparent, allowing customers to see everything clearly.

Qin Shu nodded. “No problem, let’s proceed with the transaction.”

“Great! Do you have a spiritual soul card?”

“No, can I get one here?”

The staff member shook their head. “I’ll give you a ticket. Little Zhang, please escort our guest to open an account.”

“Certainly.” Little Zhang responded, her spirits soaring at the prospect of earning a thirty-thousand-yuan commission.

The attendants at the Money God Shopping Mall were typically ordinary individuals, yet they all possessed striking features—fair skin, beautiful faces, and long legs.

Little Zhang’s eyes sparkled as she gazed at Qin Shu.

To ordinary people, anyone awakened with a non-Bronze spiritual soul was someone they’d desperately try to impress and befriend.

Since Qin Shu could produce Cyanwort Essence Gold, he clearly wasn’t a Bronze Awakened Being.

Following Little Zhang’s lead, Qin Shu arrived at another counter to obtain his spiritual soul card.

The process was swift; it only took about three minutes for verification of his spiritual soul, and he soon held a jade-colored card in hand.

Spiritual soul cards came in various ranks corresponding to the potential level of one’s spiritual soul:

Cyan, White, Yellow, Silver, Purple, Gold, Five-Colored, Seven-Colored, and Nine-Colored—nine levels in total.

“Is there anything else I can assist you with, sir?” Little Zhang asked eagerly.

Qin Shu nodded. “Yes, I’m looking for a space item and some basic wind magic spells. Any recommendations?”

“Of course.” Little Zhang mentally cheered and led Qin Shu to the Space Equipment Store.

“Welcome!” The store attendant approached them. “Are you looking for space items, sir?”

“That’s correct,” Qin Shu affirmed.

“What style do you prefer? And how much capacity are you looking for?” The attendant spoke with great respect. “We have space rings, bracelets, necklaces, as well as Qiankun pouches here.”

Among these four space items, the Qiankun pouch had the largest capacity, crafted from the skin of spatial monsters found in the Abyss.

The other three were made from Voidstones, similar in size and price, but their space capacity was about ten times smaller than that of the Qiankun pouch.

Qin Shu thought for a moment before saying, “I’ll go with a space ring.”

A ring was more convenient to carry; he could simply put it on his finger. A space pouch would require finding somewhere to attach it, which seemed like more trouble.

“Please take a look.” The attendant guided Qin Shu to the counter displaying space rings.

An array of men’s rings caught his eye, each one labeled with its price.