"Lower-tier Realm Star Dao Weapons, a total of 345 pieces, with a recycling price of 4.12 billion yuanhai coins."
"Mid-tier Realm Star Dao Weapons, five paired sets, recycling price 6.55 billion."
"High-tier Realm Star Dao Weapons, two pieces, recycling price 4.23 billion."
"Seven-Star Ancient Coins, including star, moon, and sun denominations, various currencies from the Moonfall Ancient Kingdom, totaling 38,532 coins, recycling price 30.33 billion."
"There are 3,200 poison sacs from the guardian beasts? No wonder they required Realm Star-level inspection space. However, the current recycling price has dropped to 50,000 per piece, totaling only 1.6 billion, and they no longer offer merit points."
"In total, all these items yield 46.83 billion yuanhai coins and 46,830 merit points."
The artifact spirit Cang Yu nodded slightly. "Not bad at all. Your harvest is quite impressive."
A four-person team, all at the First Stage of the Origin Realm, had managed to earn 46 billion over 208 years—an astonishing profit. Even a ten-thousand-man military force might not have been able to accumulate this much wealth over two centuries.
"46 billion!" All four of them smiled. Their original estimation had been around 40 billion.
Now, they had 46.83 billion, surpassing their expectations.
It was evident that some items had appreciated in value over the two centuries, while others had depreciated significantly.
The most devalued item was the guardian beasts' poison sacs. Since cultivators had hunted them in excess, their supply had skyrocketed, causing their price to plummet. 208 years ago, they were worth 80,000 each, but now, they had dropped to 50,000 and no longer provided merit points.
On the other hand, Seven-Star Ancient Coins and certain rare Dao weapons had increased in value.
"The total valuation of your assets has been calculated," Cang Yu continued. "Now, how do you want to divide them?"
"A reminder—he cannot receive merit points."
Cang Yu gestured toward Yu Tianqing.
Since Yu Tianqing was a wandering cultivator and lacked official citizenship in the Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom, he could only earn money, not merit points, from any missions.
Unless he agreed to serve in one of Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom's four foreign military corps for 10,000 years, he would never obtain citizenship.
For Second Stage cultivators, the requirement was only 1,000 years.
For Third Stage cultivators, they could join immediately, with no service term required.
In the Ancient Kingdom's eyes, First and Second Stage cultivators were abundant within their own population, while only Third Stage cultivators were worth recruiting. Anyone below that was considered insignificant.
Across the entire Great Zhou, out of billions of people, only two individuals had successfully obtained Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom citizenship—Zhao Xing and Yun Tiandao.
Even Liu Tianning, Xia Jing, Luo Wang, Long Xiao, and Ye Yukong, despite joining Purple Moon Mansion and Tianxing Martial Academy, were still low-ranking members with only temporary residency status, not full citizenship.
Yu Tianqing remained silent.
He had known this long ago.
The Ancient Kingdom was nearly impossible to access, and its strict population control made things even worse.
His experiences adventuring through the Phantom God Star System had already exposed him to numerous forms of discrimination.
Sometimes, as a Second Stage cultivator, he would still be forced to back down when facing a First Stage citizen of the Ancient Kingdom—because if they reported him to Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom's law enforcement, the authorities would always side with their own people.
As a foreigner, the best outcome for him would be a fine. If he couldn't pay? Then he would be thrown into prison.
Back when he had been rescued by the Tianmen Military Guard, they had mistakenly thought he was a citizen. If they had known he was not a Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom citizen and lacked the funds to pay, they would have never saved him.
Currently, only Zhao Xing, Fairy Leyao, and Cen Qionghua could receive merit points.
Compared to money, merit points were far harder to obtain.
During missions, 50 million yuanhai coins would only convert to one merit point—and some missions offered only money, no merit points at all.
Merit points also could not be exchanged for money directly.
Additionally, non-Moonfall Mausoleum treasures could not be traded for merit points either.
Merit points were directly tied to titles, government positions, and privileges granted by the Yuanhai royal family.
If people could buy merit points using money and non-Moonfall treasures, then it would essentially become a system of purchasing official ranks—which the Ancient Kingdom strictly forbade.
Of course, there were still loopholes.
Some wealthy powerhouses who desired official ranks, noble titles, or territorial privileges within Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom would pay extra to purchase other people's mission materials and treasures from the official rewards list.
By doing so, they could turn in those items to the government themselves, appearing as if they had completed the mission, though they wouldn't receive merit points this way.
At the moment, Zhao Xing and his group had to decide—should they pool their merit points together under one person's name, or should they divide them equally?
This was something they had already discussed beforehand.
"Lord Cang Yu, all merit-related mission materials and treasures belong to me," Zhao Xing declared.
"In addition, 27.03 billion of the earnings come from my personal spoils of war, while Fairy Leyao and Cen Qionghua each have 9.9 billion in personal spoils."
Zhao Xing's statement was deliberate and precise—mainly to optimize tax efficiency.
The Ancient Kingdom's tax system operated on a tiered structure, with increasing tax rates at thresholds of 1 billion, 10 billion, 100 billion, and 1 trillion.
The Phantom God Star System's exploration earnings were subject to a special tax policy.
For commercial activities within the kingdom, any income above 10 billion was taxed at 30%, while income exceeding 100 billion was taxed at 45%.
However, Phantom God Star System exploration was classified as a military operation, meaning its tax rate was significantly lower.
Additionally, those holding official military ranks in Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom were completely exempt from taxes, since taxation was meant to fund the military itself.
This also affected the calculation of merit points.
As official members of Purple Moon Mansion, Zhao Xing and his team fell under a different tax bracket.
Furthermore, certain rare occupations received partial tax exemptions.
By splitting their earnings this way:
Zhao Xing's 27.03 billion was taxed at 18.8%, meaning he had to pay 5.08 billion.
Fairy Leyao and Cen Qionghua's 9.9 billion each fell under the under-10 billion category, taxed at 15%, resulting in a deduction of 1.485 billion each.
Why not submit multiple transactions over time to reduce taxes?
Because the system calculated based on a period of time, so splitting transactions wouldn't make a difference.
Why not use Yu Tianqing's account to distribute tax liability?
Because Yu Tianqing had no account. Even if he did, as a foreigner, his tax rate was fixed at 45%, no matter how much he earned—even if it was just a single coin.
It sounded harsh, but compared to other Ancient Kingdoms, Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom was already quite lenient.
Some other Ancient Kingdoms outright banned foreigners from entering the Phantom God Star System, while others imposed even heavier taxes.
There were even Ancient Kingdoms that sold entrance tickets to the Phantom God Star System, designating resource-depleted exploration zones to specifically scam large dynasties looking to make a profit.
Exploitation was everywhere. To Yu Tianqing, Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom was already one of the more reasonable ones.
"Alright." Cang Yu nodded, a glimmer of light flashing through his eyes. The complex calculation and transactions were completed in an instant.
With a wave of Cang Yu's hand, all the materials vanished into thin air.
After receiving the money and merit points, the four of them immediately thanked Cang Yu and returned to the place they had rented inside Star Fortress No. 20.
"46.83 billion, after an 8.05 billion tax deduction, our final balance is 38.78 billion."
"As per our agreement, I take 19.39 billion, but since I'm keeping all the merit points, I'll give up 3 billion to split between you two. So, I end up with 16.39 billion."
"Yu Tianqing gets 10.695 billion, while Fairy Leyao and Cen Qionghua each receive 5.8475 billion."
After confirming there were no issues, Fairy Leyao spent three days pulling some strings to secure an Ancient Kingdom bank account for Yu Tianqing, with Purple Moon Mansion as his financial guarantor.
After that, the four of them transferred funds to each other, successfully completing the distribution.
The moment the money safely landed in their accounts, they all breathed a sigh of relief.
Over 200 years of struggle, they had managed to avoid internal conflicts, evade deadly dangers, and each made a fortune—this was already an extremely rare achievement.
After splitting the profits, they felt their bonds had deepened.
"Let's all take some time off, enjoy ourselves, and spend a little," Zhao Xing said with a smile. "I don't plan on taking on any more missions for now. At least not for another 50 years."
"Only 50 years?" Cen Qionghua shouted, "I was planning to relax for a whole century!"
"Then go play all you want!" Fairy Leyao pushed Cen Qionghua aside. "I still have to make money. One less person means more profits for me."
"Wait, don't kick me out just yet, Fairy Leyao!" Cen Qionghua quickly backtracked. "I was just kidding! I'll listen to Zhao Xing!"
"Look at you!"
"Haha."
The three of them laughed, even Yu Tianqing couldn't help but smile slightly.
"Meeting adjourned!"
After Zhao Xing spoke, Fairy Leyao and Cen Qionghua left quickly.
Only Yu Tianqing remained, standing still as if lost in thought.
"Why aren't you leaving?" Zhao Xing asked with a grin. "My Spirit Gathering Formation is only for one person, you know. There's no room for you here."
"I..." Yu Tianqing opened his mouth.
"Feeling a bit unreal?" Zhao Xing smiled knowingly.
Yu Tianqing nodded, his voice deep, "208 years ago, I was rotting in a prison cell, my life hanging by a thread. And now... I have 10 billion yuanhai coins in my account."
"Brother, fate is funny like that. Who knows? Maybe one day you'll even lead the Pangze Dynasty to become a dominant power in the Xuanling Star Domain."
"Me?" Yu Tianqing chuckled.
Zhao Xing patted Yu Tianqing's metal shoulder twice, but the texture felt stiff and unnatural. "Your Metallic Combat Body Type C doesn't seem to suit you."
"If you don't know what to do next, now that you have money, go buy yourself a proper set of equipment."
Yu Tianqing nodded and stood up.
"Remember, you can browse first, but don't rush into buying anything. Ask me, Fairy Leyao, or Cen Qionghua to make the purchase for you—you'll spend less that way."
"Got it." Yu Tianqing walked to the door but stopped before leaving. "Thank you, Zhao Xing."
"You're welcome."
The first thing Zhao Xing did after getting his money was pay off his debt!
There was a Yuanhai Hall branch on Tiger Head Star Continent, of course.
The very same day he received his money, he immediately went there.
"The 1 billion I borrowed 210 years ago has now accumulated to 3.1 billion in debt, principal plus interest."
"I told you, borrowing money from the Ancient Kingdom isn't easy."
If not for his mission, he never would have taken out a loan.
The Yuanhai Hall had excellent timing when offering loans—right when Zhao Xing had just entered the Origin Stage and was eager to make his mark.
The Ancient Kingdom also had a special type of loan called 'War Loans', specifically targeted at large dynasties engaged in war.
The interest rates were even more terrifying!
At one point in Xia Dynasty's history, when they were stationed in the Falan Dynasty's Yuan Cavern Star System, they were wiped out by the Yate Dynasty.
And the Yate Dynasty had funded its war by taking out a war loan from an Ancient Kingdom.
In the end, after all the bloodshed and conquest, 90% of the profits ended up in the hands of the Ancient Kingdom.
They had no choice.
After wiping out the Falan Dynasty, they had to immediately halt their invasion, issue a policy of leniency, and even recruit Falan Dynasty citizens to join them in farming.
The Ancient Kingdom had done nothing at all—yet still squeezed two dynasties dry.
"They could easily seize everything by force, yet they lend money to dynasties first just so they can claim they're following the Ancient Kingdom Alliance Treaty and not directly attacking large dynasties."
Watching his account balance drop by 3.1 billion, Zhao Xing couldn't help but ridicule the system in his mind.
"That leaves me with 13.39 billion." Zhao Xing looked at his remaining funds. "Might as well pay off part of my debt to the Great Zhou National Treasury while I'm at it."
Previously, Zhao Xing had withdrawn 50 million from the Great Zhou National Treasury, and he had always kept it in mind.
The development of his homeland was still important. Even if he didn't consider it from a strategic perspective, that place was home to his friends and family.
"Let's check the situation first."
The Great Zhou National Treasury account was also registered under Zhao Xing's name.
However, after he left, he had entrusted it to Meng Kun for management.
When Zhao Xing reviewed the account's expenses and income, he was a bit surprised.
"Hmm? Great Zhou has already achieved financial balance?"
"Oh, it's because Yun Tiandao and Liu Tianning made deposits."
The Great Zhou Treasury balance had now returned to over 200 million.
Among them, Yun Tiandao had transferred money four times over the past 269 years. The earliest deposit was made 200 years ago, which was 69 years after he had left Qixing Pass to take on a frontline mission.
"The first transfer was only 3 million, but the second was 8 million."
"The third transfer took a long time to arrive, but it was 30 million, and after another century, the fourth transfer was another 30 million."
"Looks like Old Yun has been doing quite well on the foreign battlefield." Zhao Xing thought to himself.
Old Yun had borrowed 30 million from him before, and one of the notes even marked a repayment to Zhao Xing.
After paying off his debt, Yun Tiandao even donated 41 million to Great Zhou.
Although he wasn't officially part of Great Zhou, he had still contributed to his homeland's dynasty.
Meanwhile, Liu Tianning's transfers were even more frequent—over 600 times!
Since he had left earliest, Liu Tianning had departed in the Shixin Era's first year, and now it was already Shixin Era Year 559.
Throughout the 559 years of the Tianxing Trials, Liu Tianning had transferred money 556 times.
Only the first three years had no deposits, but after that, he sent money back every single year.
"Old Liu, huh…" Zhao Xing sighed with emotion.
The amount Liu Tianning sent wasn't large—his first 500 transfers were mostly small amounts, sometimes just thousands or tens of thousands.
Only in the last few decades did Liu Tianning begin transferring hundreds of thousands at a time.
Even with all his transfers combined, his total contribution wasn't even a fraction of Yun Tiandao's, yet seeing all those numbers, Zhao Xing felt a deep sense of Liu Tianning's loyalty to his homeland.
"The Treasury account had also attempted to transfer funds to these two, but they both refused the money." Zhao Xing noted as he looked at the expense records.
"Ji Che even left me a message, asking if I needed money in the Phantom God Star System. There were 207 messages in total, practically one per year."
Looking at these messages, Zhao Xing felt a warmth in his heart.
"For the first transfer to Great Zhou, I'll send 150 million for now." Zhao Xing decided, "As the Grand Shennong, I can't let Yun Tiandao and Liu Tianning outdo me."
After completing the transfer, Zhao Xing activated long-distance communication.
"Brother! Brother, how have you been?"
A projection of Ji Che appeared quickly, his excited voice ringing out.
"Ji Che, I'm doing fine." Zhao Xing smiled. "I've made my first fortune—check the Treasury account."
"150 million?!" Ji Che was stunned. "Brother, where did you get so much money? Didn't you still have debts? How did you—"
He had been planning to help Zhao Xing pay off his debt, but instead, Zhao Xing had just sent back a massive sum.
"I told you, I've done pretty well." Zhao Xing laughed. "You don't have to worry about me anymore. My debts are cleared, and now I have a huge surplus!"
"Hahaha! That's great! Now I don't have to worry anymore!" Ji Che laughed heartily. "I knew you'd pull it off, brother."
"How's Great Zhou doing in Qinglian Realm Star? And what about Chen Shijie, Xia Jing, Long Xiao, and Ji Si?"
"Great Zhou is—"
The two of them started chatting.
For the next several days, Zhao Xing did nothing but catch up with his friends and family back home.
It wasn't until seven days later that he finally calmed his emotions and began planning the remaining 1.2 billion in his account.
"Leaving money unused is pointless. I need to turn it into strength as soon as possible."
"But for now, I have nearly 50,000 merit points—I should first check what I can do with them."
Zhao Xing sat in a VIP lounge inside Yuanhai Hall, one of the privileges granted by his merit points.
"With 46,000 merit points, I've automatically gained the status of a First-Class Baron in Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom."
Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom had three tiers of citizenship: Third-Class, Second-Class, and First-Class. Above that, titles of nobility began, ranked from Baron, Viscount, Count, Marquis, Duke, to King.
In terms of difficulty, without a family background, achieving First-Class Citizenship was only easy for First Rank cultivators.
Starting from Baron, even a First Rank cultivator would have to work hard, since noble titles could only be earned through merit points.
Merit points were primarily granted to those who contributed to Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom.
Even as a low-ranked Baron, it meant entry into the aristocracy. It was an important threshold for status.
If a Baron from Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom traveled to a small dynasty like Great Zhou for business, even Ji Che would personally welcome him.
"With 50,000 merit points, I'll be promoted to Viscount. That would mean having multiple mid-tier realm stars, stable wealthy territories, and at least 10 billion in liquid assets. A family member must also be at least Second Rank, or else they'd be considered a fallen noble, looked down upon by others."
"As for Count and Marquis, that's Third Rank, the realm of minor divine abilities."
"By the time one reaches Dao Domain Realm, securing a Duke or King title in an Ancient Kingdom is almost guaranteed." Zhao Xing thought.
The Dao Domain Realm played a crucial role in resisting the influence of the Barren Domain, something that couldn't be replaced by mechanical constructs. That's why Dao Domain Realm cultivators held high-ranking positions in Ancient Kingdoms.
If an unknown Dao Domain cultivator was willing to join an Ancient Kingdom, even the ruler of the kingdom would personally greet them. If they offered their strength, such as guarding the Barren Domain, they'd immediately be granted the rank of Duke or King.
"With my current merit points, I've automatically become a First-Class Baron. Just 3,000 more points, and I'll be a Viscount."
"In terms of taxation, I will receive noble tax benefits, and I will also have access to high-profit industries, such as the exclusive rights to certain seeds."
"The seeds I can purchase will no longer have locked genetic structures, and by entering these high-profit industries, I won't be targeted by other nobles."
The noble class recognized each other, and commoners who dared to enter high-profit industries would be crushed without mercy, leaving nothing behind.
"Tax reduction is a benefit, business qualifications are a benefit."
"The option for a military position is another benefit." Zhao Xing read through the detailed regulations sent by the artifact spirit, Cang Yu. Once he had automatically become a First-Class Baron, he had gained access to these explanations.
"Before obtaining a noble title, if I joined the military, I could only follow orders, and as a First Rank cultivator, I would start as the lowest-ranking soldier."
"Now that I have a noble title, I can at least secure a patrol captain position and won't have to start from the bottom."
"If I don't want to engage in combat, I can join the industries controlled by the ancient kingdom as a mid-level manager, such as overseeing royal territories on certain realm stars."
"It's stable, easy, and comes with good benefits."
"The fourth benefit—permissions."
"The explorable zones in Moonfall Mausoleum have been greatly expanded for me." Zhao Xing opened his Star Mirror. "Take the Southfall region as an example. Previously, I was prohibited from entering any realm stars numbered below Southfall-200, and the void routes leading to the first two hundred were not open to me."
"But now, I have access to the Southfall-100 to Southfall-200 realm stars."
"The fifth benefit—the Yuanhai Hall discount. As a First-Class Baron, most items now cost only 97% of the original price."
Merit points were hard to acquire, but once obtained, they offered countless advantages.
So, what role did the Purple Divine Mansion play in all this?
"A middleman." Zhao Xing concluded. "If a mission is submitted to the Purple Divine Mansion, they collect the materials and sell them to the royal family of the ancient kingdom—or, possibly, to other major factions."
"The Purple Divine Mansion also has its own promotion system within its territory."
"In certain aspects, major factions hold an advantage over the Yuanhai Royal Family—for instance, they pay more and offer easier managerial positions."
"Better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix. Whether one submits missions to the Purple Divine Mansion or competes for status in the Yuanhai Royal Family depends on whether they want to climb within the mansion or fight for a noble position in the kingdom."
"Neither is an ideal future." Zhao Xing closed the merit point details and began planning how to use his funds.
"First, I'll advance my Origin Dao Body."
"This time, I'll push it to at least 90% of the Second Layer, which means reaching the late First Rank."
"For Seventh-Tier Origin-Level Spells, the matching requirement for the Origin Dao Body should be at least late First Rank or complete mastery."
"This way, casting spells will place less strain on my Origin Dao Body, and my Dao Field will be much more stable."
"Cultivation without a foundation is meaningless. Foundation is the basis of spells."
"Cultivation techniques come in two parts—foundation first, techniques second. The First Rank's accumulation of origin power can be accelerated using resources, much like how fertilizers accelerate the growth of plants."
"Relying on meditative absorption of spirit energy is, of course, the slowest method."
"Yuan-46." Zhao Xing called out, and immediately, a beautiful woman entered from outside.
Having cleared his debts and received a massive influx of funds, Yuan-46 had now become his exclusive service assistant.
Through the Boundless Transmission System, the artifact spirit had established a connection, allowing Yuan-46 to operate a physical body here.
"Honorable Baron, what are your orders?" Yuan-46 kneeled beside Zhao Xing, her posture half-bowed.
She wore loose clothing, allowing Zhao Xing to catch a glimpse of her snow-white skin through her collar.
In high-end establishments, exclusive mechanical constructs often came with special services, provided for free.
"Fix your attire, sit across from me, and talk properly." Zhao Xing frowned—he wasn't interested in such things.
"Baron, this body is brand new." Yuan-46 explained.
"Do I have to repeat myself?"
"As you wish." Yuan-46 stood up, and her clothing instantly changed, covering her entire body tightly. Her expression became sacred and solemn, resembling a chaste goddess.
Zhao Xing couldn't help but be speechless—this was somehow even more tempting.
Whoever designed the Yuan-46 series of constructs must have been some old pervert!
"I called you here to recommend useful items, not for pointless nonsense." Zhao Xing said. "It will be the same in the future."
"I understand." Yuan-46 sat upright, her expression serious.
"I want to advance my cultivation technique. What methods does Yuanhai Hall offer?" Zhao Xing asked.
"For the First Rank of the Origin Dao Body, there are three options," Yuan-46 responded.
"First, the High-Level Origin Spirit Gathering Array. This array increases the rate at which spirit energy converts into origin energy within the Dao Body."
"It's the cheapest option, usually boosting cultivation speed by 10 to 20 times. The better one's natural talent, the greater the effect of using this array."
"The rental cost is 1 million per year."
"Next." Zhao Xing said. He wasn't interested in low-tier options.
A 20x cultivation speed increase was still too slow for him.
"Second, the Twin Star Origin Method," Yuan-46 continued. "All Origin Realm techniques fundamentally revolve around absorbing the power of the Sun and Moon."
"Yuanhai Hall provides exclusive cultivation spaces, each containing fragments of a Sun or Moon, which were cut out by Dao Domain Realm cultivators."
"They are stable and controllable, allowing cultivators to train at close range without harm."
"This method boosts cultivation speed by 50 to 100 times."
"The cost is 8 million per year."
Zhao Xing nodded. "What's the third option?"
Yuan-46 answered, "Invite a Dao Scholar for direct enlightenment."
"Dao Scholars are experts who possess divine abilities. Their Dao and divine techniques are all supportive in nature."
"This method requires the least time and guarantees that the user will break through to the Second Rank."
"There are currently sixteen Dao Scholars on Tiger Head Star Land, with three of them available for hire."
"The lowest price among the sixteen Dao Scholars is at least 2 billion."
"Sixteen? That's quite a number. Looks like they've all come here to make money!" Zhao Xing chuckled.
Dao Scholars were a type of support-oriented profession in the universe. Their combat ability wasn't particularly high, but their support capabilities were immense, making them an extremely rare profession.
Similar rare professions included Star Historians, which were equally obscure. They lacked combat prowess, but through excavating historical relics, they could trace corresponding information from the past.
Star Historians and Star Fate Masters were two different paths—one looked into the future, while the other explored the past. They were essentially advanced roles of Historians and Fate Officers.
Professions like these were either incredibly difficult to cultivate, or once mastered, became highly sought after.
"The third option is out of the question. I can't afford that."
"The first one wastes too much time, so I'll go with the second option."
8 million per year! With Zhao Xing's current funds, he could sustain this for over 150 years.
"I'm a Dual-Origin Dao Body cultivator, so this might actually save me some money." Zhao Xing thought to himself.
Prioritizing the advancement of his Origin Dao Body, Zhao Xing immediately spent the money to rent the Twin Star Space for cultivation.
The Second Stage of the Origin Dao Body—Void Realm was a critical threshold for him.
"Once I break through to Void Realm, the divine abilities I've learned will be usable in unstable void spaces."
"Whether it's Three Divinities Destiny Palace or Eight Epochs of Purple Light, both will greatly enhance my survivability."
"After reaching the Void Realm, I'll be able to travel within void currents without relying on a Realm Vessel."
At the First Stage, the Origin Embryo, he wouldn't dare enter void currents directly, as he had to rely on a Realm Vessel.
But once he reached Void Realm, he wouldn't need it anymore.
This was why cultivation level was more important than spells.
[You have successfully rented the Twin Star Cultivation Space. 7.76 million Yuanhai Coins have been deducted.]
[Charges are billed annually. If used for less than a year, the full year's fee still applies. Please keep track of your time.]
His account balance dropped by 7.76 million, with annual deductions.
The faster he cultivated, the less he had to pay.
"Yin-Yang Twin Stars."
Zhao Xing gazed at the Sun and Moon above him.
Two massive celestial bodies stood on either side of his field of vision, almost completely filling the sky. Their radiance sharply contrasted, yet remained harmonious.
Though they were so close, their light wasn't blinding.
The spiritual energy density had reached an astonishing 500!
The moment Zhao Xing entered, the acupoints within his body instinctively activated, his cultivation method automatically circulating, and in an instant, his progress increased by 0.1%.
"Money well spent!"
Not wanting to waste time, Zhao Xing immediately began cultivating.
After dividing the earnings among his team, Zhao Xing focused entirely on cultivating his techniques.
Meanwhile, on Tiger Head Star Land, under the command of Marquis Heyin, a subordinate named Mo Er had finally pinpointed Zhao Xing's location, exactly one year after his return.
"Sir, the target is residing in Tiger Sun City, the 20th Sky Fortress."
"Sir, the target entered Yuanhai Hall a year ago and hasn't left since."
"Sir, his merit points have granted him the title of First-Class Baron. No wonder it's been so hard to track him down."
"Sir, he has two teammates, both from Qingyu Star. One is named Cen Qionghua, and the other is called Leyao."
"That Cen Qionghua fellow has spent an entire year frequenting brothels."
"Leyao, on the other hand, often visits the prison. Quite a peculiar habit."
"And the third person?" Mo Er frowned.
"That one's a rogue cultivator, goes by the name Tian Qingzi. He also entered Yuanhai Hall and hasn't come out."
"Looks like he must have made some gains and is exchanging them for resources to cultivate."
"A First-Class Baron? That means he must have made at least 2 billion! How the hell did he earn that much on his first expedition?" Mo Er was genuinely shocked as he processed the information.
Zhao Xing's first visit to Moonfall Mausoleum had netted him at least 2 billion, far beyond Mo Er's expectations.
"Perhaps he encountered some fortunate opportunity and got lucky." The subordinate speculated.
"Moonfall Mausoleum is full of overnight fortune stories. I just never expected to witness one myself."
Mo Er shook his head.
If Zhao Xing was lucky, then Mo Er was the unlucky one.
With so much money, Zhao Xing was bound to extend his cultivation time.
All Mo Er could do was report to Marquis Heyin and request an extension on their capture mission.
"Keep a close watch." Mo Er's forehead creased with tension. "The moment he comes out, report immediately."
"Understood."
[Purple Sun, Second Layer: 95%]
[Purple Moon, Second Layer: 95%]
Zhao Xing glanced at his status panel and smiled slightly.
"Balance achieved. The flaws from Southfall-2413 have finally been completely resolved."
It was now the 30th year since he had entered the Twin Star Cultivation Space.
At 7.76 million per year, he had already spent over 230 million.
It was undeniably effective.
"The imbalance between the Sun and Moon Essence was a significant flaw. During my first ten years of cultivation, my Moon Essence progress had always outpaced my Sun Essence progress."
"This isn't a good thing at all. If the Yin-Yang balance remains off, when I break through, I'll face the same risks as my First Realm breakthrough, where I could end up as pure Yin or pure Yang. Only this year did my progress finally even out."
"The last 5% is always the hardest."
"But my speed is still pretty good. Dual-Origin cultivation has already brought me to the late stage of the First Realm." Zhao Xing thought to himself.
"I've only spent a little over 2 billion? That's nothing. Keep going!"
"If I have to spend 12 billion to break through, it's still worth it. If I manage to do it with just 8 billion, then that's an absolute profit."
Zhao Xing closed his eyes and continued cultivating.
Time passed quickly, and soon, Zhao Xing renewed his lease for another twenty years.
"Hmm? I hit a bottleneck."
He opened his status panel.
[Purple Sun: 99%]
[Purple Moon: 99%]
"The final 1%—this is where the bottleneck lies." Zhao Xing checked his account balance.
"Fifty years, and I've only spent 3.88 billion." Zhao Xing muttered. "Even if I keep cultivating for another fifty years, it won't be a problem."
"But now I'm facing the same issue I had when breaking through the First Realm."
"I should step out for a bit."
When his fifty-year lease expired, Zhao Xing exited the cultivation space.
"Old problem, old solution."
During his First Realm breakthrough, he had used the Path of the True Self to stabilize the process.
Now, he had to shift focus and work on advancing the Second Layer of Yuanhai Domain.
By using the Inner World of Yuanhai Domain—his Origin Space—as the point of Yin-Yang harmonization, he could ensure a stable breakthrough.
"The Path of the True Self is truly unbeatable." Zhao Xing thought as he left the cultivation space and went to find Yuan Forty-Six.
"Lord Mo Er, he has appeared!"
"Oh? That fast?" Mo Er smirked. "Looks like a native is still a native, clinging to his old-world habits."
"Even after suddenly becoming rich, they still carry that impatient mentality of the poor."
Among the universe's native races, the concept of time was relaxed.
Since they knew they would live for a long time, they never rushed into anything.
But Zhao Xing seemed to be in a constant state of urgency. Even after reaching the Origin Realm, knowing he had a long lifespan, he still retained his old habits—at least for now.
"Lord, he's gone back inside." A second subordinate reported.
Mo Er was speechless.
Zhao Xing kept going in and out. What the hell was he doing?
For the first time, Mo Er felt obsessed with another person's movements.
"Keep watching him."
The cultivation resources package for Yuanhai Domain…
"Alright, just tell me the price." Zhao Xing said. "I don't have time to waste."
"The original price is 5.5 billion, but after discounts, it's 5.335 billion." Yuan Forty-Six had long been accustomed to Zhao Xing's straightforward attitude.
"Buy it!" Zhao Xing didn't hesitate.
The Yuanhai Domain techniques, developed by the imperial research division, followed just one principle—spend money.
His previous progress had already increased significantly, and now, to reach 100% on the Second Layer, he only needed a bit over 5 billion.
Three months later…
BOOM—
A massive portion of chaotic mist within the Origin Space dissipated.
Pure energy ascended, transforming into a bright sky.
Turbid energy sank, solidifying into sturdy earth.
Five radiant colors shimmered in the sky.
The proto-form of the Five Elements Heavenly Dao had emerged!
"At least for the Path of the True Self, I've already reached the Void Realm." Zhao Xing thought to himself.
"But the Path of the True Self doesn't impact the Dao Body as much. It specializes in refining the Inner World, using the projection of the Origin Space to wrap around the Dao Body for Void Traversal. In essence, it's different from the Heavenly Timing Techniques and the Earthly Advantage Techniques."
The Path of the True Self followed an extreme approach.
Among Heavenly Timing Shennongs and Earthly Advantage Shennongs, Void Realm cultivation under the Path of the True Self was incomplete because, even at the Second Stage, the Dao Body remained unchanged.
Just like in the First Stage, their physical form was still fragile, far from meeting the Heavenly Timing and Earthly Advantage standards for Dao Body cultivation.
The Path of the True Self was undoubtedly powerful, but in terms of cultivation principles, it didn't align with traditional Daoist theories!
To that, Path of the True Self practitioners would usually just scoff and say, "Heh, scholars."
"Now that Yuanhai Domain has reached the Third Layer, any further progress will require at least 10 billion." Zhao Xing sighed. "The Yuanhai Imperial Techniques are good, but damn, they're expensive."
"I should use Yuanhai Domain to balance out the Purple Sun and Purple Moon, pushing them both to the Second Layer."
Twenty years later, Zhao Xing finally walked out of Yuanhai Hall.
But just half an hour before he stepped out…
On Tiger Head Star Land, in the Yellow Sand Manor.
This estate belonged to Du Yun, the chief disciple of the Lord of Purple Moon Mansion.
Du Yun was the only person in Purple Moon Mansion who had established his own manor despite only being at the Divine Ability Realm. His status was on par with the other Lords of the Mansion.
About six thousand years ago, Du Yun had been assigned to Tiger Head Star Land as the leader of Purple Moon Mansion's forces in the area.
On this particular day, within Yellow Sand Manor, a figure suddenly appeared—it was Cang Yu, the artifact spirit of the twentieth star fortress on Tiger Head Star Land.
Du Yun, dressed in a tight-fitting white robe, sat cross-legged above a blue spring. His brown hair cascaded down his back. The moment Cang Yu arrived, he opened his eyes.
"Cang Yu Emissary."
"Lord Du Yun." Cang Yu greeted him respectfully. "I have something important to report to you."
"Speak." Du Yun nodded indifferently.
"For the past seventy years, three members of your estate have been under surveillance by an unknown force. The location is within my jurisdiction—the twentieth star fortress."
"If this were just a normal dispute, I wouldn't have come to report it to you."
"But the people keeping watch over them are all Second Realm cultivators, with high status and methods. Meanwhile, the three members of your estate being monitored—Zhao Xing, Cen Qionghua, and Fairy Leyao—are only First Realm cultivators and all originate from Qingyu Realm Star."
"My master is aware that Lord of Purple Moon Mansion publicly declared Qingyuzi dead a few hundred years ago and officially labeled the Dongyan Ancient Clan as a mortal enemy."
"Among the three members under surveillance, one is the legal successor of Qingyuzi."
"For these reasons, I came to inform you."
As an artifact spirit, Cang Yu processed vast amounts of information. After compiling these specific data points, it was easy to determine that something was off.
Following the 'non-stick principle', Cang Yu deliberately came to inform Du Yun.
If something serious happened in the future, Purple Moon Mansion wouldn't be able to place the blame on Cang Yu's master.
"Zhao Xing, Cen Qionghua, Fairy Leyao—" Du Yun repeated the names, realizing that he had no impression of them at all.
He did, however, know Qingyuzi, as he had been Lord of Purple Moon Mansion's beloved disciple.
Given Du Yun's status, he had only ever paid attention to figures at Qingyuzi's level.
For example, Qingyuzi had another disciple named Zhao Yuanzi, but Du Yun had never even heard of him. To him, other Lords of the Mansion taking in disciples was like distant relatives constantly having children—far too many to keep track of.
Even though they all belonged to the same faction, they were spread out across a vast territory. If someone became notable enough, he might send a gift as a formality, but he would never personally attend an event or bother remembering every name.
As for the people beneath Qingyuzi—he paid even less attention to them.
However, since Cang Yu had now mentioned this matter, Du Yun casually checked their backgrounds. That was when he noticed that one of them was indeed Qingyuzi's legal successor, and he also learned about Zhao Xing's origins.
"An ascended cultivator from the Barren Domain, who has reached Dual-Origin cultivation in just three hundred years—not bad." Du Yun nodded slightly as he reviewed the internal records of Purple Moon Mansion.
"Since this isn't just an ordinary dispute, I suppose I should intervene."
Conflicts during interstellar expeditions were common. Normally, Du Yun wouldn't get involved in such small matters. But this time was different.
"Cang Yu Emissary, do you know the identity of those spying on my people?" Du Yun asked.
The Dongyan Ancient Clan wasn't part of Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom, nor did they belong to any major kingdom.
For them to be operating in various ancient kingdoms, they must have official identities on the surface.
"I apologize, Lord Du Yun." Cang Yu bowed slightly. "I am not permitted to disclose information about another authority holder. Purple Moon Mansion will need to investigate on its own."
Du Yun nodded. He understood that such confidentiality was mutual. Since the other party's status was clearly not low, he didn't press Cang Yu any further.
"Thank you for informing me. Purple Moon Mansion will handle the rest."
Cang Yu cupped his hands and then vanished from Yellow Sand Manor.
"Zhao Xing..." Du Yun pondered for a moment before calling out, "Lei."
"Lord." A Third Realm cultivator immediately appeared in front of Du Yun.
"Lei, go to the twentieth star fortress and—"
"Understood." Lei nodded and instantly disappeared from the manor.
Meanwhile, Zhao Xing, his expression unchanged, walked out of Yuanhai Hall. The moment he exited, he headed straight for the Void Port.
He pulled out a world ship, selecting Southfall-185 for star fortress ejection.
This scene was quickly noticed by Mo Er, who was monitoring him.
"He went alone to Southfall-185?"
"Yes, my lord."
"It seems the target has improved in strength. He's now capable of acting alone." Mo Er revealed a smile. "Well, it makes sense. After dumping tens of billions into cultivation, anyone would see results."
"Target remains at the peak of the First Realm." A subordinate reported.
"Looks like he's seeking a breakthrough." Mo Er nodded, standing up. "Prepare the ship. We're heading to Southfall-185. Capture the target."
"Understood!"