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Translator: Silavin & Danny
Translation Checker: PewPewLazerGun
Editor and Proofreader: Leo of Zion Mountain & Dhael Ligerkeys
By the time Jin Yuan Lang had walked out of the nearby palace and come to the dock, a ship could be clearly seen approaching from the void.
Jin Yuan Lang narrowed his eyes slightly. He had been living in Blood Monster Cave Heaven all this time, so he was not very familiar with the 3,000 Worlds. However, after experiencing the battle that destroyed the Hundred Sect Alliance, he had gained a little bit of insight.
He could tell at a glance that the ship belonged to a Second Class great force!
The size of this ship was not small, and was clearly not of a size an ordinary Third Class great force could afford. Only a Second Class great force was qualified to own something like this.
After a while, a disciple from Void Land’s side approached the ship to guide it towards the Void Dock. As soon as the ship was properly berthed, a middle-aged man immediately disembarked, followed by a group of uniformly dressed cultivators with varying degrees of strength.
The middle-aged man had a Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivation and wore a light smile on his face. He walked straight to greet Jin Yuan Lang with a cupped fist, “Gathering Yuan Trade Firm, Li Jing Yuan, greets Sir. May I know how we should address Sir?”
Li Jing Yuan could naturally feel Jin Yuan Lang’s Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm aura and his heart shuddered slightly. It seemed it was not just a groundless rumour after all. The sudden rapid rise in numbers of Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters in Void Land seemed quite unbelievable to him; after all, the rise of a great force was not an overnight effort, it had to be accumulated slowly over countless years.
But he was a little convinced after finding out the man who stood guard over the Void Dock here was actually a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. To have a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master guarding their entrance obviously meant there were many more Open Heaven Realm Masters maintaining the operation of this Star City.
The news of the collapse of the Hundred Sect Alliance had spread like wildfire over the past few months, and Void Land’s name had been widely circulated in the 3,000 Worlds ever since. Since Gathering Yuan Trade Firm was a mercantile force that prioritized business, it was naturally well-informed about current events in the Outer Universe.
Jin Yuan Lang’s face was calm as he replied softly, “This King’s surname is Jin.”
Li Jing Yuan quickly responded, “So it’s Sir Jin!”
Jin Yuan Lang looked up at the ship, “This Jin has been entrusted by Sir Sect Master to safe keep this place by inspecting all who pass through our Void Star City’s Void Dock. For the sake of security, I must ask you a few questions and perform some simple checks. Brother Li, please understand.”
Li Jing Yuan smiled, “As you should. We will cooperate with Brother Jin’s inspection.”
Jin Yuan Lang nodded with satisfaction, his expression softening a little, “Sir Sect Master has left an order that anyone who enters the Star City, regardless of their cultivation, must register and report their intentions. Different Jade Tokens will be distributed according to each visitor’s intended length of stay. Is Brother Li planning to just stop by here for supplies or is he planning to stay in the Star City long term?”
Li Jing Yuan pondered for a while, and replied bluntly, “Sir Jin, we, Gathering Yuan Trade Firm, are always searching for business opportunities, following the Dao of Commerce. Our Trade Firm has never been to Void Star City before, so we will need to inquire about the situation here before we decide if we want to stay. I wonder how this will be handled?”
Jin Yuan Lang answered, “That’s simple. I will give you a Jade Token for a short-term stay, valid for one month. After a month, if you wish to continue your stay in the Star City, you need only report to the Governor’s Mansion to renew or upgrade your Jade Token. If you don’t renew your token in time, you may find yourself in trouble with the Star City law enforcement team.”
“Very good!” Li Jing Yuan nodded. He was ordered to come here this time by his Headquarters to one, verify the existence of the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pills, and two, to inspect the future prospects of Void Star City. If possible, Gathering Yuan Trade Firm would definitely be willing to set up a branch here, but it also depended on whether Void Star City had the potential to develop in the future. If there was no such potential, naturally there was no reason for them to invest in this place.
Meanwhile, Jin Yuan Lang had ordered his subordinates to register the names of everyone from Gathering Yuan Trade Firm and their purpose for visiting. He then issued tokens to each of them.
Li Jing Yuan was pleased and nodded, “Many thanks Sir Jin. Please accept this small token of our respect!” While speaking, he shoved a Space Ring towards him.
Jin Yuan Lang’s brow furrowed slightly before accepting the ring and quietly waving his hand, “Let them pass!”
A crack opened in the Grand Array of the Star City, allowing everyone from Gathering Yuan Trade Firm to pass through.
Watching the group leave, Jin Yuan Lang looked at the Space Ring in his hand and found that there were 300 Open Heaven Pills inside.
After he was entrusted by Yang Kai to guard the Void Dock, Jin Yuan Lang sought out Chen Tian Fei for some advice; after all, it was the first time he had taken up a task like this, and he was really unfamiliar with it. Although Chen Tian Fei’s cultivation was lower than his, he was definitely more experienced than him in this aspect.
Chen Tian Fei had indeed mentioned that the task of guarding the Void Dock was a very profitable one because ‘gifts’ were a normal part of the job. It was likely for visitors to enter and exit more than once, so it was better to form good relationships with the one safekeeping the Void Dock, allowing them to save some trouble in the long run.
Even when the Proprietress took Yang Kai to Thousand Birds Star City for the first time, she did the same thing, so nothing need be said about others.
Jin Yuan Lang did not expect that he would be receiving gifts from the very first visitor…
300 Open Heaven Pills was really nothing to him as a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, but many grains of sand would eventually build a tower, and this was just the beginning.
Just when he was about to distribute the 300 Open Heaven Pills to his subordinates, the lookout disciple shouted again, “Elder Jin, someone else is approaching, and there is more than one ship this time!”
Jin Yuan Lang looked up, and sure enough, he spotted five ships heading in this direction.
…..
Inside the Star City, Li Jing Yuan led a group of people around on a tour of the grounds. To be honest, the scale of Void Star City was indeed not small. If it was well managed and if the population was high enough, it would definitely become a First Class Star City, and this Star City had only just been expanded, so the majority of the shops and lots were still unowned.
For any profit-seeking businessman, this was undoubtedly a good place to flex their muscles.
After a short round of inspection, Li Jing Yuan was already confident that Void Star City had promising prospects. This could not be helped, for the news of the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill had already spread far and wide. If they had come here because of that, they certainly would not be the last ones to be attracted. Once more forces began arriving, the popularity of the Star City would not be an issue at all.
Furthermore… Li Jing Yuan could not help but turn his head to look in the direction where a great behemoth, which was Void Land’s Headquarters, was lying in the void.
Rumour had it that Void Land’s Headquarters actually rested on the back of an Ancient Divine Spirit. Many had witnessed this with their own eyes on the day it migrated here, causing a huge commotion.
Since Void Land’s Headquarters had migrated here, it showed that it was determined to build up this Star City. The sooner one grabbed hold of this kind of opportunity, the greater the rewards one could reap. As for the feud between Void Land and other great forces, Li Jing Yuan did not need to worry too much. If war really was initiated, the Star City would not be affected; after all, this was a land of gold, so anyone who planned to usurp this place would not allow it to be destroyed.
Therefore, after only three days of inspection in the Star City, Li Jing Yuan had already made up his mind to set up shop in Void Star City.
He was a Manager at Gathering Yuan Trade Firm and had some decision-making power. As long as this matter was done well, his status in the Trade Firm would also improve.
After just three days, Li Jing Yuan also noticed that a lot more people had arrived in the Star City. The inn where they had been the only occupants was now almost overcrowded.
Most of the inns that were open in the Star City were owned by Void Land. The eight rows of shops reserved by them were dispersed around the Void Auction House, and among these shops, some inns were opened, as well as a couple of restaurants.
Of course, it was not just Void Land’s property that was doing business. Many shopkeepers who had remained in the Star City from before had received new shops in their original spots as compensation and had begun operation hastily. Unfortunately, because of the Star City’s low population, the streets were still quite empty.
Nevertheless, accommodations were a necessity. One could not be expected to sleep on the street every night, which was why all inns were fully booked now. Void Land had opened five inns, but now it seemed that was far from enough.
Many cultivators were even forced to rent the empty cave mansions from the Governor’s Mansion!
A mountain range in the Star City that was no taller than three kilometres, was contributed by Golden Light Dock. Considering that many cultivators would definitely settle in the Star City in the future, it was impossible for them to live in inns every day, so Void Land opened up countless cave mansions in this mountain range. These cave mansions were divided into different categories, and also came with different prices, but all of them were managed directly by the Governor’s Mansion.
When the inns were filled, cultivators who had no place to stay could only rent the cave mansions. The cave mansions had a one-month minimum rental period, and because it was quieter and more private, many flocked to rent such places despite their higher prices.
The operation of the inns and restaurants, as well as the rental of the cave mansions, had already gained Void Land a small fortune in the Star City, and this was just the beginning!
Since the arrival of Gathering Yuan Trade Firm to the Star City, the Void Dock had not had a free moment. All the disciples on duty were exhausted, and because there was only one Void Dock in the entire Void Star City, a long line had formed outside, waiting for entry. No one dared to trespass or cut in line, so they could only wait for Jin Yuan Lang to slowly inspect and register them before allowing them to pass through one by one.
The popularity of Void Star City had soared through the roof, and showed no signs of cooling down anytime soon.
Li Jing Yuan led two attendants to the Governor’s Mansion, and after reporting his intention, was led into a certain Grand Hall.
In the Grand Hall, the Manager in charge of the Void Star City’s properties received him.
The Manager was an Open Heaven Realm Master from Abundance City and a Fourth-Order Open Heaven Master, so Li Jing Yuan dared not underestimate him.
The Manager soon activated a projection, displaying the layout of the shops in the entire Star City.
Li Jing Yuan glanced at this map and pointed to an area that was glowing in green, asking, “Manager Liu, why are these places coloured differently?”
Manager Liu replied, “The green lots represent land that is already occupied. If you wish to open a storefront, please look for the white ones.”
thanxx 👑