……

Compared to the Han Yue Immortal Dynasty, the New Luo Immortal Dynasty seemed even more prosperous, with customs and habits vastly different from those of the Han Yue Immortal Dynasty.

The buildings here were mostly a mix of jade and spiritual wood, reminiscent of certain architectural styles from the Shenwu World, yet upon closer inspection, they bore many differences. The buildings weren't particularly tall, with only a few reaching a hundred feet, but they were all exquisitely detailed, possessing a delicate, luxurious, and intricate beauty.

The eaves and the decorative patterns on the door pillars exuded a unique and profound historical essence. When asked casually, one would often find that these had special meanings.

The clothing was also distinct.

Most people here wore robes, some with wide sleeves and others with narrow sleeves, but the style was entirely different from that of the Shenwu Royal Dynasty. Without needing a closer look, one could tell at a glance that the aura was entirely different.

Their language also differed significantly from that of the Shenwu World. It couldn't be said to be an entirely different language, as one could discern that it belonged to the same language system as the Shenwu World, but the pronunciation, intonation, and phrasing were entirely different.

Wang Shouzhe found himself in this immortal capital, strolling in the rain, observing and exploring the various aspects of this foreign land, finding it quite intriguing.

Here, no one knew them, and they knew no one, giving Wang Shouzhe a sense of unfamiliarity and freshness that made his long-dormant heart come alive.

However, this sense of unfamiliarity and freshness quickly vanished.

Turning a street corner, Wang Shouzhe and Immortal Emperor Yun Tiange suddenly stopped in their tracks, both wearing strange expressions as they looked ahead.

In front of them was a newly opened large restaurant.

The entrance of the restaurant was festively decorated, bustling with people, and quite lively. The decorations were lavish, with many prominent families coming to present congratulatory gifts. Baskets of exotic flowers lined the street, adorned with flowing ribbons, each inscribed with the names of various families and marquis residences.

Clearly, the person opening this restaurant had some significant background; otherwise, it would be impossible to set up such a grand display in the prime location of the New Luo Immortal Capital.

All this was quite normal. After all, in any world, there would always be people with connections to the heavens.

However, above the entrance of the restaurant named [Yikang Dining Palace], there hung a large banner that read, "Little Immortal Lord Lici's Heartfelt Three-Star Food Recommendation."

Lici? Little Immortal Lord? Three-star?

For a moment, Wang Shouzhe's expression became somewhat indescribable.

He was quite familiar with "Lici" and well aware of "three-star food," but what on earth was "Little Immortal Lord"?

Wang Shouzhe had some understanding of the various titles in the Holy Domain. A Little Immortal Lord referred to someone who had inherited the Immortal Scripture but had not yet cultivated to the True Immortal Realm.

Someone like Wang Shouzhe, according to the customs here, could be called a "Little Immortal Lord." If he reached the Void Realm and inherited the Holy Diagram, he would be rightfully addressed as "His Highness the Holy Son."

"Congratulations, Young Master. I didn't expect that girl Lici to do so well in the Holy Domain, already becoming a Little Immortal Lord." Yun Tiange chuckled, "And it seems her influence in the New Luo Immortal Dynasty is quite significant. Her invention of the three-star food recommendation has been used as a promotional gimmick, indicating that it has been well-received."

"Hmph! To think I worried about her for nearly two centuries. When I see her, I'll definitely give her a good scolding." Wang Shouzhe's words were proud, but in his heart, he was relieved. He lifted his leg and headed towards the [Yikang Dining Palace], "Let's go, let's find out more about her."

Immortal Emperor Yun Tiange smiled and followed him inside.

Being able to travel with Shouzhe and act independently was a delightful experience for her.

The dining palace had just opened and was bustling with activity. There weren't many vacant seats left.

However, Wang Shouzhe and Yun Tiange's extraordinary aura made it clear they weren't ordinary people. The manager, skilled at reading people, immediately approached them personally, smiling as he introduced the restaurant's specialty dishes and quickly arranged a window seat for them through some connections.

Yun Tiange casually ordered a few extremely expensive dishes and asked the manager to recommend some classic dishes and wines, all made from top-quality spiritual fish and meat. This meal would likely cost more than a top-grade spiritual stone.

What is the concept and value of a top-grade spiritual stone?

It could be exchanged for tens of thousands of immortal crystals or millions of Top Gold. The daily profit of the massive [Chunnan Restaurant] was about the same!

To be more specific, a Divine Realm Old Ancestor from a third-grade family, if not striving for advancement and merely maintaining their cultivation, could sustain themselves for a whole year with a bit of frugality.

Of course, if that Divine Realm Old Ancestor wanted to advance further, the annual consumption would be bottomless.

This is why the vast majority of Divine Realm Old Ancestors from third-grade families remain at the initial stage. Beyond the issues of aptitude and bloodline, their financial resources simply can't support further cultivation.

If they had that kind of money, it would be better spent accumulating family heritage and nurturing the younger generation, striving to achieve dual or triple Divine Realm inheritance as soon as possible!

The manager smiled like a Maitreya Buddha, secretly marveling at his keen eye.

These two were indeed top-tier guests, and he immediately began serving them with extra care.

"Manager, who exactly is this Little Immortal Lord Lici?" Wang Shouzhe asked nonchalantly, taking a sip of spiritual tea, only to frown slightly and put the cup down.

There was no helping it; Wang Shouzhe was used to drinking the finest immortal teas from the Shenwu World. It's easy to go from frugality to luxury, but difficult to go back. His palate had long been spoiled.

The manager, noticing his expression, became even more respectful and attentive to this young master of noble bearing: "To answer your question, Young Master, the background of Little Immortal Lord Lici is quite significant."

"I heard she is a noble bloodline left outside by the Tianrui Holy Clan Sima. When she was down and out, she even changed her surname to Wang and couldn't afford to eat. Our Young Master Situ Xuejia once helped her with a meal, so she has always taken special care of him."

Tianrui Holy Clan Sima bloodline? Changed her surname to Wang? Wang Shouzhe frowned even more deeply. What kind of nonsense was this?

"With the care of Little Immortal Lord Lici, our Young Master Xuejia dropped out of the Flowing Sword Sect of Yikang Academy and devoted himself to collecting recipes and delicacies from all over the world, opening the [Yikang Dining Palace] specifically for Little Immortal Lord Lici to taste and evaluate. Gradually, the business became increasingly prosperous, and many chain stores were opened. Our Yikang third-grade Situ Clan also rose because of this, developing rapidly."

"But the good times didn't last…" The manager sighed as he recounted the subsequent events.

Later, Little Immortal Lord Lici was accused of impersonating the Sima bloodline and was expelled from her home. Many of her friends who were on good terms with her suffered as well, with many distancing themselves from her.

However, their Young Master Xuejia remained loyal to Little Immortal Lord Lici, resulting in various forms of suppression and exclusion. Eventually, the Yikang Dining Palace faced widespread closures, nearly dragging down the entire Situ Clan.

But at the most critical moment for the Situ Clan, Little Immortal Lord Lici was noticed by the Holy Venerable of Cloud Sea Cave Heaven, who took her in as a final disciple and passed on the Immortal Scripture to her. From then on, Little Immortal Lord Lici soared once again. The Tianrui Sima Clan not only personally apologized but also granted her the status of a direct descendant, even assigning a direct descendant Immortal Seed to follow her.

Upon hearing this, the Divine Realm Old Ancestor of the Situ Clan and Situ Xuejia immediately made the decisive move to sell off their assets and raise funds, spending several years to reach Cloud Sea Cave Heaven to visit Little Immortal Lord Lici. While congratulating her, they also recounted the hardships and tears of these years.

Little Immortal Lord Lici, grateful for old times, gave Situ Xuejia's [Yikang Dining Palace] a three-star rating with a generous stroke of her pen.

With her strong support, Situ Xuejia returned to the New Luo Immortal Dynasty, and the Yikang Dining Palace rose again, opening its main store in the most prosperous location with the support of Crown Prince Yuan Zheng.

As the manager recounted the story.

Wang Shouzhe was left in a daze. The big girl had indeed experienced some ups and downs over the past two centuries, but she had also thrived, even managing to latch onto the thick thigh of a Holy Venerable…

As for the [Cloud Sea Cave Heaven], Wang Shouzhe had heard about it from [Sima Wuyou]. It was a transcendent force within the Tianrui Holy Dynasty, boasting at least a dozen True Immortal Realm experts, with the master of the cave being comparable to a Holy Emperor-level existence.

The big girl truly had a deep fortune, managing to achieve such a status.

"Young Master…" The manager pointed outside the window, "That is our Young Master Situ Xuejia. Hmm, he seems to be welcoming Crown Prince Yuan Zheng… Please excuse me for a moment…"

With that, the manager hurriedly excused himself.

Wang Shouzhe casually glanced at Situ Xuejia and roughly understood his background.

Back when the Holy Emperor established the Immortal Palace system, it was likely modeled after the Holy Domain academy system. The academy system of the New Luo Immortal Dynasty was not much different from that of the Han Yue Immortal Dynasty, and Yikang Academy was merely a commandery-level academy.

Since Situ Xuejia was once just a student of a commandery academy, at most, he was an ordinary prodigy. Now, he appeared somewhat middle-aged and prosperous, with his cultivation at the second or third level of the Purple Mansion Realm, likely having elevated his bloodline to a great prodigy.

However, this person was quite adept at maneuvering. Merely by latching onto Lici's thigh, he managed to thrive so well, which was no small feat.

As for the other young man beside Situ Xuejia, he was probably the "Crown Prince Yuan Zheng." He looked decent, and his cultivation seemed deep, but under Wang Shouzhe's divine sense, it was clear he was at the first or second level of the Void Realm.

However, as a successor to the Immortal Emperor, this crown prince's demeanor was not even comparable to Princess Suiyun, let alone the Demon Emperor's successor, Crown Prince Jingming. After all, Shentu Jingming, though usually carefree, had been on the battlefield and achieved various great feats, never hesitating when it came to serious matters.

Suiyun was even more exceptional, excelling in both warfare and governance. Her diligence was such that even Wang's Clan's new generation "King of Hard Work," Wang Baosheng, greatly respected her, seeing her as an idol and role model.

However, this situation was normal.

Nowadays, the Tianrui Holy Dynasty was relatively peaceful overall, with only minor skirmishes between the surrounding immortal dynasties, unlike the Shenwu World, which was constantly in crisis.

Suiyun and Shentu Jingming had been tempered in the fires of war, and their demeanor was naturally incomparable to that of a crown prince born in a peaceful world.

This meal turned out to be quite unexpected for Wang Shouzhe.

Although the ingredients were far from "top-notch," the craftsmanship and taste were excellent, likely due to Lici's genuine guidance.

During the meal, the smooth-talking Situ Xuejia, upon hearing from the manager that there was a distinguished young master present, came over to "toast and make connections." However, Wang Shouzhe remained indifferent, not intending to interact with him even for Lici's sake, merely hinting that he was traveling to broaden his horizons.

As a result, Situ Xuejia became even more cautious and respectful, even giving Wang Shouzhe an invitation to an auction hosted by the "Divine Treasure Hall" branch in the New Luo Immortal Dynasty.

This branch held auctions only once every ten years or so, and the items auctioned were usually ordinary. However, this time, Situ Xuejia mentioned that there would be some good items up for auction, which might interest the young master.

Wang Shouzhe's main purpose in coming to the Holy Domain was indeed to "broaden his horizons." As for gathering intelligence, comparing prices, and other trivial matters, those were naturally handled by his subordinates.

He only needed to wait for the information.

Since he had nothing else to do after the meal, he decided to take a look.

The Divine Treasure Hall branch was also located in the most prosperous area of the immortal capital, not far from the [Yikang Dining Palace].

After Wang Shouzhe and Immortal Emperor Yun Tiange finished their meal, they strolled leisurely to the Divine Treasure Hall branch and entered the venue with the invitation.

The interior of the Divine Treasure Hall branch was clearly a level above the Yikang Dining Palace, more grand and luxurious, with even the patterns on the beams and ceilings more magnificent and splendid, fully showcasing the foundation of the Divine Treasure Hall.

The auction was about to begin, and the venue was already filled with people. Most of the special private rooms above the venue were already lit, indicating that they were occupied.

However, Situ Xuejia's invitation was just an ordinary one, without the privilege of a private room. Wang Shouzhe and Yun Tiange were assigned to a scattered table in the auction hall. After the attendants served fresh spiritual fruits and tea, they withdrew.

It had been many, many years since Wang Shouzhe last attended an auction. Nowadays, such matters were handled by his descendants. As for Yun Tiange, being an Immortal Emperor, it was even less likely for her to participate in auctions. The last time she attended an auction was probably several thousand years ago, when she was still a princess or crown princess.

Both of them found themselves unexpectedly interested and took the opportunity to observe their surroundings.

The auction was of a decent standard, with at least one Divine Realm cultivator leading each scattered table. As for those entering and exiting the VIP rooms, they were led by at least a Void Realm cultivator.

Clearly, everyone had received "inside information" about good items being auctioned, resulting in a grand scene.

Before long, the auction began under the direction of a veiled Void Realm female cultivator.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries and warming up, she officially started the auction: "Next, we present our first auction item, the Divine Spirit Artifact—[Purple Jade Flute], a rare sound domain Divine Spirit Artifact, with a starting bid of one top-grade spiritual stone, with each increment not less than one high-grade spiritual stone."

This price…

Wang Shouzhe and Yun Tiange exchanged glances.

The prices here seemed significantly lower than in the Shenwu World, where Divine Spirit Artifacts would never start below three top-grade spiritual stones.

At this point, the attendees began bidding.

In just a short time, the price of the Purple Jade Flute had risen from one top-grade spiritual stone to one top-grade spiritual stone and twenty-one high-grade spiritual stones. However, beyond that, the bidding slowed down.

"One top-grade spiritual stone and thirty high-grade spiritual stones."

Seeing this, Yun Tiange directly raised her paddle to bid.

The previous bidder glanced at Wang Shouzhe's table, hesitated for a moment, and then gave up. One top-grade spiritual stone and thirty high-grade spiritual stones was indeed a high price, not worth competing over a Divine Spirit Artifact.

Thus, Yun Tiange acquired the [Purple Jade Flute] at a very reasonable price.

She smiled and transmitted her voice, "Young Master, don't laugh at me. Although our Yun's Clan has many Divine Spirit Artifacts, the demand is even greater. Moreover, the more Divine Spirit Artifacts we have, the stronger the overall strength of the human race becomes."

"Your Majesty, when transmitting your voice, don't keep calling me Young Master." Wang Shouzhe replied, "I understand your actions. Facing the threat of the demon race, the human race's physical strength is far inferior to that of the demons. The stronger the weapons, the stronger we become."

"Young Master, even when transmitting our voices, we must adhere to established protocols." Yun Tiange playfully glanced at him and continued, "This Holy Domain has Holy Venerables. What if one is eavesdropping on our transmissions? Young Master, don't be careless."

"Understood, Tiange."

Wang Shouzhe nodded slightly, maintaining the demeanor of a mysterious young master, leisurely sipping tea, showing no desire to raise his paddle to bid.

As the auction continued, Yun Tiange gradually revealed her shopping enthusiasm, bidding on almost any reasonably priced Divine Spirit Artifact, as well as pills, talismans, secret treasures, and more, all of which she acquired without exception.

In a word, extravagant!

These items were indeed much cheaper than in the Shenwu World. If Yun Tiange returned and sold them at Shenwu World prices, the profit could exceed double.

Some might say that Wang Shouzhe and Yun Tiange, as the top figures of the human race, should prioritize the greater good and not exploit other families by buying low and selling high.

However, the problem lies precisely here. If everything were sold at Holy Domain prices upon returning, not only would they be immediately snatched up, but it would also cause a price collapse of high-end items in the Shenwu World. The treasures and pills that families had carefully preserved would instantly depreciate significantly.

Moreover, it could directly cripple the refining, alchemy, and formation systems of various families, leaving them with no livelihood. After all, the civilization of the Holy Domain has not experienced a break in inheritance. Not only is the average level of refining, alchemy, and formations higher, but the systems are also more complete, producing a wide variety of high-quality products. If the prices are also cheaper, who would want to buy the generally lower-quality and more expensive items from the Shenwu World?

This would deal a fatal blow to the development of related industries within the Shenwu World.

In addition, what about the maintenance costs of the Great Teleportation Array Disk, the organization of personnel, the cost of opening the passage with a full twelve Immortal Spirit Stones, and other miscellaneous expenses?

Therefore, within the Holy Domain Development Alliance composed of Wang's Clan, Yun's Clan, Shentu's Clan, and Elder of Tianji's Baibao Pavilion, the goods sold upon return would be priced slightly lower than the normal prices.

This way, not only could they indirectly arm and strengthen various families, but the profits generated could also be used to acquire more resources from the Holy Domain to build and strengthen more armies, accumulating a stronger foundation.

Moreover, with abundant resources, Wang's Clan could cultivate more talents and armies, using the extra profits to vigorously promote the cultivation of high-quality spiritual rice and grains, enhancing the income of the broader families.

Various high-grade spiritual rice and grains, as well as various minerals and other basic resources, were relatively expensive in the Holy Domain, while some high-end spiritual medicines were relatively cheaper than in the Shenwu World. Clearly, the development of high-end pills in the Holy Domain was more mature, with larger-scale industries related to the cultivation of high-end spiritual medicines.

This was actually normal.

In the Shenwu World, high-end spiritual medicines, especially those above the seventh grade, had extremely high requirements for their growth environment. They were not only difficult to cultivate but also had long cultivation cycles and consumed enormous resources during cultivation. Ordinary families simply lacked the capability and financial resources to cultivate them. As a result, even today, only the royal families of major countries and first-grade families of the Immortal and Demon Dynasties specifically cultivated high-end spiritual medicines.

Even the largest spiritual medicine garden in the Shenwu World, Yun's Clan's Hundred Herb Garden, had a very limited output of high-end spiritual medicines.

This led to a long-standing situation where the demand for high-end spiritual medicines exceeded supply, keeping prices high.

In fact, not only high-end spiritual medicines but also items like manuals and Dao artifacts, which were in short supply, were priced much higher in the Shenwu World than in the Holy Domain. As for Immortal Artifacts, they were simply priceless, with no market for them.

Basic resources, on the other hand, were the opposite.

The prices of ordinary spiritual rice and other basic resources were often influenced by various factors. The more prosperous a place was, the more diverse the opportunities to make money, and the fewer people willing to cultivate ordinary spiritual rice due to its low profit. Combined with the increased labor costs, the prices naturally became higher than in the Shenwu World.

Of course, this was just a general statement, and the actual situation was much more complex.

However, resources like spiritual rice and grains were renewable and one of Wang Shouzhe's inherent advantages, so he naturally had to seize this point.

Of course, as the quantity of various treasures in the Shenwu World increased, prices would gradually decline over time, eventually reaching equilibrium. This was a normal market self-regulation mechanism, which was naturally the best outcome.

Of course, these were matters for the future and not to be discussed for now.

At the current auction, Yun Tiange's aggressive bidding, buying almost everything in sight, naturally drew the ire of many.

"Ahem, Tiange." Wang Shouzhe couldn't help but intervene, transmitting his voice, "That's enough. We need to leave some soup for others."

The procurement and collection of valuable treasures and resources was a long-term task that required careful planning to acquire as many resources as possible at the lowest cost. Naturally, there were people specifically responsible for this, and it wasn't something Wang Shouzhe and Yun Tiange should be doing.

However, with the final auction item and the grand finale about to be presented, Wang Shouzhe couldn't resist and personally participated in the bidding.

The reason was simple: the final item was a Dao artifact, and the grand finale was a manual.

Wang's Clan had a considerable number of Dao artifacts and manuals, but they were still far from meeting the demand. After all, in Wang Anye's sword formation, many swords were still of the treasure level to conserve Dao artifacts and Divine Spirit Artifacts.

The key was that these two items were not expensive. The Dao artifact, a sword, started at only thirteen top-grade spiritual stones, and Wang Shouzhe acquired it for nineteen top-grade spiritual stones. The manual was even more impressive, starting at one Immortal Spirit Stone and sixty top-grade spiritual stones, with each increment not less than one top-grade spiritual stone.

Normally, manuals of this level wouldn't appear at such an auction.

Perhaps because of this, many first-grade and super first-grade families had been drawn in. They had received advance notice, "gathered" their Immortal Spirit Stones, and were determined to add another Void inheritance to their family.

However, the anticipated "fierce" competition never materialized.

When Wang Shouzhe casually raised his paddle and called out a price of three Immortal Spirit Stones, all the competing families fell silent.

By this point, Wang Shouzhe and Yun Tiange had become the most dazzling figures at the auction, with countless divine senses discreetly scanning them.

"Young Master, weren't we supposed to keep a low profile?" Yun Tiange couldn't help but transmit her voice, "So you stopped me from buying because you wanted to buy for yourself."

"It was too cheap, and I couldn't resist picking up a bargain. But it seems we've attracted some hostility." Wang Shouzhe chuckled.

In the Shenwu World, acquiring a manual was no easy feat, as each top family had only one or two, serving as the foundation of their existence. They would never sell their manuals.

Unless a family truly fell on hard times or committed treason and had their assets confiscated, only then would a manual be released. But even then, as soon as a manual appeared, it would be immediately divided, leaving no chance for outsiders to bid.

"Hostility?" Yun Tiange chuckled, "In that case, we can start executing the second part of our plan. Never mind, I won't exploit those families who are eager to take risks. Otherwise, they might end up in a situation of eternal damnation."

With that, Yun Tiange's smile vanished, and her aura erupted, a vast presence soaring into the sky.

The terrifying True Immortal pressure enveloped the entire venue, majestic and awe-inspiring, like the might of the heavens.

Amidst the pressure, her solemn and dignified voice echoed throughout the Divine Treasure Hall branch: "How bold! Daring to use divine sense to spy on my Young Master? Are you all tired of living?"

"True Immortal Realm!"

The veiled woman hosting the auction was so frightened that her hand trembled, and the auction hammer fell to the ground.

In an instant, everyone present fell silent, too scared to even breathe loudly.

No one had expected a True Immortal to appear at such an auction.

"Please don't blame us."

At this moment, Wang Shouzhe's gentle voice resonated throughout the Divine Treasure Hall branch.

He gracefully stood up, apologetically raised his sleeve, and cupped his hands to the four directions, "Just now, the Dao artifact and manual happened to suit a junior in my family, and I impulsively bid on them. Please don't blame me."

As he spoke, he glanced at Yun Tiange, his tone slightly displeased: "Tiange, how many times have I told you, when traveling, you must be more restrained and not act so domineering."

With this exchange, the image of a humble and well-mannered mysterious young master, along with a domineering and powerful True Immortal maid, was firmly established.

Such a combination truly left room for endless imagination.

Especially the veiled woman hosting the auction, who focused intently on Wang Shouzhe, her eyes sparkling with thought, though it was unclear what she was contemplating.

……