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……

Before Wang Shouzhe could speak, Yun Tiange's eyelids twitched a few times, and her expression changed instantly.

I haven't even dared to sit in his lap like that, and you, little girl, dare to jump the queue!

In a flash, Yun Tiange appeared beside Wang Shouzhe and grabbed Jiang Yuling by the neck, tossing her out the window.

With a "whoosh," Jiang Yuling was thrown several streets away.

Unfortunately, Jiang Yuling was in the Void Realm, so while the insult was strong, the damage was minimal.

Moments later, she tore through space and returned to the private room, sitting down as if nothing had happened. She grabbed a piece of meat and began eating, grumbling at Yun Tiange, "Don't think just because you're in the mid-True Immortal Realm, you can do whatever you want... Hmph, I'm younger, I can outlast you~ Once I outlast you, I'll go bully Suiyun~"

Yun Tiange's mouth twitched, and just as she was about to throw her out again, Wang Shouzhe stopped her.

"Tiange, let it go. You know True Lord Yuling's temper, don't bother with her."

"Shouzhe understands how to care for people," Jiang Yuling winked at Wang Shouzhe, not stopping her eating, "To repay your kindness, I'm willing to make a concession. Fifty top-grade spiritual stones a year, and you can do whatever you want with me."

"Could you at least wipe your mouth when you wink?" Wang Shouzhe glared at her.

"Exactly, exactly. You're so young, how can you be so shameless?" Cai Youdao also squinted his eyes in criticism, "Fifty top-grade spiritual stones a year, how can you say that? I guarantee, if the young master dared to offer that price, even the Saintess of Shuiyue would come running for support~ Do you think it would be your turn?"

"And who are you?" Jiang Yuling looked at Cai Youdao with disdain, "What do you know about the old feelings between Shouzhe and me, you sneaky old fellow!"

"Sneaky? Ha~ I am a True Immortal Realm enshrined by Young Master Shouzhe himself! Alchemy, crafting, formations, talismans, fighting, flattery, I can do it all~" Cai Youdao puffed out his chest, "Most importantly, I only need 1.8 million immortal crystals a year for basic support, it's a great value."

"Oh, so you're here to steal my job." Jiang Yuling's alarm bells rang, and she immediately stopped eating, putting her foot on the stool and rolling up her sleeves, "I, Jiang Yuling, a True Immortal reincarnation, young and beautiful, with a great figure, can fight and bear children, can act cute without being clingy, only need 1.5 million immortal crystals a year for basic support, and I'll love Shouzhe forever."

Wang Shouzhe was speechless.

You sure lowered your price quickly~

True Immortal reincarnation?

Cai Youdao's eyes widened as he looked Jiang Yuling up and down, "You're a True Immortal reincarnation?"

A sense of absurdity hit him.

He's been searching for a disciple for so long without a clue, could it be that he's found one now?

"What are you looking at? Look again and I'll dig your eyes out." Jiang Yuling glared at him fiercely.

No, no, no!

Cai Youdao quickly shook his head, dismissing the absurd thought.

It couldn't be. There's no way this shameless little girl could be his disciple.

"1.3 million immortal crystals a year!" Cai Youdao patted his chest, "You won't find another True Immortal with such value in the entire Holy Domain."

"1 million!"

"800,000!"

"I'll even pay!"

"I'll pay too! And I can sign a long-term contract~"

Wang Shouzhe saw them getting more and more ridiculous and rubbed his temples, "Alright, alright, you two want to work, right? I'll give you a chance."

The two brightened up, immediately stopped arguing, and with a smug smile, bowed to Wang Shouzhe, "Thank you, my lord."

Their synchronized bowing was quite in sync.

Wang Shouzhe blinked.

So you two were putting on a show, huh? Quite in sync~

However, since Wang Shouzhe agreed, he wouldn't go back on his word.

He said, "As enshrined of the Wang Clan, you must sign a contract, but as long as you are loyal and work hard for the Wang Clan, the clan will not treat you poorly."

"True Lord Yuling, I understand your eagerness to earn money for advancement, but I can't break the clan's rules." Wang Shouzhe pondered, "Considering you're in the mid-Void Realm, your base annual salary will be set at 400,000 immortal crystals, the same as Ji's."

"Only 400,000 immortal crystals? Not even half a top-grade spiritual stone..." Jiang Yuling's face fell, "That's not enough..."

"It's not little!" Ji Yue'er quickly pulled Jiang Yuling aside, whispering, "Do you think money is easy to earn? Many Void Realm ancestors of first-grade clans, if they don't advance, their family's annual support costs are only about 100,000 immortal crystals. If the young master is willing to hire you for 400,000 immortal crystals a year, many in the Void Realm would cry and beg for the job."

"Think about it, even if they spend 150,000 on themselves, they'd still have 250,000 left, plus meal subsidies, travel allowances, and training supplements, that's at least another 50,000. If the family has a big event, there are extra bonuses... And this is just the base. Do more for the family, and there are extra contribution rewards, with no upper limit."

"Also, if you can get a job protecting important family members, you'll make a fortune. Those young masters are generous, and any reward or gift is a windfall."

Jiang Yuling listened to her analysis and felt the job seemed pretty good, but still sighed, "I just want to speed up my cultivation, and using two or three top-grade spiritual stones a year feels far from enough. Cultivation is so expensive."

"Then work hard to earn more contributions. The family is growing, and you have opportunities. If you can get a job protecting the young master, make him happy, you might get a big reward." Ji Yue'er advised with experience, "But take it step by step, you can't rush it. I want to become a True Immortal too, but it's not something that happens overnight."

"Alright!" Jiang Yuling gritted her teeth, "I'll settle down and work hard, serve Shouzhe, and fight for my True Immortal path!"

"Serving is unnecessary." Wang Shouzhe waved his hand, having clearly heard their conversation, "Since you're an enshrined of the Wang Clan, you must follow the clan's rules. Stay with Ji and learn the rules and how to work, aim to take on more responsibility... That's how you earn more."

"Got it, got it."

Jiang Yuling sat down again and began to eat and drink heartily.

Now that she was an enshrined of the Wang Clan, she felt no guilt eating Shouzhe's food.

In fact, as a Void True Lord of the Immortal Palace, Jiang Yuling wasn't supposed to switch allegiances, but her situation was special. With great potential but limited resources, she missed the Immortal Scripture inheritance period, making her True Immortal prospects slim.

Because of this, the Immortal Sovereign felt some guilt towards her and had always been lenient.

If she could join the Wang Clan, with their opportunities and current growth, Jiang Yuling might truly achieve the True Immortal path.

The Immortal Sovereign wouldn't block her opportunity.

"Young Master, what about me?" Cai Youdao squinted excitedly.

"Since Senior Cai Youdao sincerely joined the Wang Clan, I won't mistreat you." Wang Shouzhe pondered, "According to the rules, your annual salary will be set at 3 million immortal crystals, with travel, meal, and training allowances. But to earn more, you'll need to complete tasks for extra contributions."

The price Wang Shouzhe offered was actually quite high.

A True Immortal Realm practitioner, if frugal and diligent, could save two top-grade spiritual stones a year, twenty in a thousand years!

In the Holy Domain, that's enough to buy a decent Immortal Artifact.

Yun Tiange, as an Immortal Emperor for so many years, hadn't saved much, even with ancestral gifts.

Of course, she had been striving for the mid-True Immortal Realm, consuming a lot!

Cai Youdao was all smiles, "Alright, alright, this job's benefits are good. This way, I won't have to wander around."

Though gambling stalls sometimes earned a lot, they also often lost money. Over time, it was far less than working for the Wang Clan, not to mention the stability of income.

Even in the marriage market, an unstable small business owner was far less appealing than a stable, though lower-paid, civil servant.

Next, like Jiang Yuling, Cai Youdao began to eat and drink heartily, calling out when he needed more, "Waiter, more wine, the good stuff."

"Waiter, more food, the good stuff!"

……

Cloud Sea Cave Heaven.

Cloud Viewing Platform.

The Cloud Viewing Platform is located at the highest point of Cloud Sea Cave Heaven, offering the most beautiful scenery. At the edge of the platform is a pavilion extending outward, called [Cloud Rest Pavilion].

Below Cloud Rest Pavilion is the vast sea of clouds. Sitting there, drinking tea or wine, feels like being amidst the clouds, offering a unique charm.

At this moment.

In Cloud Rest Pavilion, two elders sat across a stone table, drinking tea and playing chess.

One elder wore a green robe, the other a black robe. Both appeared quite old, with calm and serene expressions, exuding a sense of time's tranquility.

However, upon closer inspection, there were notable differences between them.

The green-robed elder's demeanor was clearly more composed and authoritative. The black-robed elder looked at him with evident respect.

Clearly, the other had higher status and strength.

"Holy Sovereign, if you want to wait for Little Immortal Lord Lici, just wait. Why drag me to accompany you in chess?" The black-robed elder looked a bit helpless, "We've been playing for half a month~ If Little Immortal Lord doesn't return for years, will you play chess here for years?"

It turns out the green-robed elder was the master of Cloud Sea Cave Heaven, Yunhai Holy Sovereign.

"What's a few years?" Yunhai Holy Sovereign glanced at him, "You're a True Immortal Realm, sitting here for years, even a hundred years, is no big deal, right?"

Sitting for years isn't a problem, but your chess skills...

"Sigh~ Fine, I'll accompany you." The black-robed elder sighed.

Just then, both seemed to sense something and looked up at the sky.

At that moment, the portal to Cloud Sea Cave Heaven opened from the outside.

A massive cloud ferry, like a painting boat, sailed in from outside, flying closer and closer, finally stopping at the edge of the Cloud Viewing Platform.

Soon, groups of people began disembarking from the cloud ferry.

Qingyuan Holy Son and Wang Lici were among them.

Sensing the aura released by Yunhai Holy Sovereign, Qingyuan Holy Son led Wang Lici towards Cloud Rest Pavilion.

Seeing this, the black-robed elder stood up and excused himself, "Little Immortal Lord is back, I'll take my leave."

"Go on, go on~"

Yunhai Holy Sovereign waved him off, his mind no longer on chess.

The black-robed elder breathed a sigh of relief, quickly tearing through space and teleporting away.

At this time, Qingyuan Holy Son and Wang Lici spotted Yunhai Holy Sovereign in Cloud Rest Pavilion from afar.

"Master." Wang Lici happily ran over, "Master, when did you come out of seclusion?"

"Not long ago, less than half a month." Yunhai Holy Sovereign smiled, looking Wang Lici over with satisfaction, "Not bad, you haven't lost weight. Looks like your senior brother didn't let you go hungry. How was the Grand Gathering of Myriad Laws?"

"Pretty good~" Wang Lici proudly showed her notebook, "I made lots of friends, met Sister Shuiyue, tried many new snacks, and learned new recipes~"

"Good, good~ You're indeed my good disciple, so capable."

Yunhai Holy Sovereign looked at Wang Lici like a treasured gem, his face full of joy.

As they spoke, he didn't forget to chide Qingyuan Holy Son, "Look at you, taking Lici out for a break, and you were gone so long? I've been out for half a month and haven't seen my precious disciple."

Qingyuan Holy Son smiled helplessly.

"By the way, Master." Wang Lici suddenly remembered something, taking out a stone slab from her storage ring and handing it to Yunhai Holy Sovereign, "I got this from Guiling Cave Void. I feel a connection between its power and my bloodline, but it's faint. Do you know what it is? What's it for?"

"Hmm?" Yunhai Holy Sovereign hadn't paid much attention at first, but sensing the aura within the slab, he paused, "This aura... feels familiar, like I've sensed it somewhere before?"

Wang Lici's eyes lit up, "Master, have you seen this before?"

"Wait a moment, let me think... I've lived too long, my memories are cluttered, I can't recall immediately~" Yunhai Holy Sovereign pondered for a while before his eyes brightened, "Oh right, I remember. I saw something similar at the Primordial Dao Palace."

"Primordial Dao Palace?"

Wang Lici and Qingyuan Holy Son exchanged glances, both surprised.

Who would've thought this slab would be connected to the Primordial Dao Palace.

"I remember seeing a similar slab in the Primordial Dao Palace's storeroom, also from some ruins, but to confirm if it's the same, Lici would need to sense it herself." Yunhai Holy Sovereign said.

"Since the Primordial Dao Palace has such a slab, the Dao Master might know what it is." Qingyuan Holy Son suggested, "Master, why not take Junior Sister Lici to the Primordial Dao Palace to ask the Dao Master? I have a feeling this slab is important to her, perhaps her opportunity."

"That's a good suggestion." Yunhai Holy Sovereign looked at Wang Lici, seeking her opinion, "Dear disciple, do you want to visit the Primordial Dao Palace?"

Wang Lici blinked, "Does the Primordial Dao Palace have good food?"

Yunhai Holy Sovereign laughed.

That question was so typical of Wang Lici.

"Of course." He smiled, "The Primordial Dao Palace has the finest spirit chefs and top-grade spiritual beast meat. The food there is much more than here."

Wang Lici's eyes lit up, nodding eagerly, "Then I'll go."

"Alright, prepare yourself." Yunhai Holy Sovereign smiled, "I have some matters to discuss with your senior brother. We'll meet at the Cloud Viewing Platform later."

"Okay, Master." Wang Lici was about to leave but turned back, "Master, can I bring more people?"

"Of course." Yunhai Holy Sovereign smiled, "Who do you want to bring?"

Wang Lici began counting on her fingers, "Lan'er, Demonic Realm Burrowing Rat, Baozi, Jiaozi, and reluctantly, Sima Wuchou."

"Alright, alright, bring them all."

Yunhai Holy Sovereign always indulged Lici, naturally agreeing to such a small request.

"I'll go call them." Wang Lici said, excitedly going to find them.

Soon, Lan Wan'er, Demonic Realm Burrowing Rat, Baozi, Jiaozi, and Sima Wuchou were all gathered by Wang Lici. She also packed her luggage at her Immortal Pavilion.

The Primordial Dao Palace must be far, so she needed to bring more food and spices.

The group met again at the top of Cloud Sea Cave Heaven, on the Cloud Viewing Platform.

At the edge of the platform.

A celestial ferry was quietly docked beside the cloud ferry.

Compared to the massive cloud ferry, this ferry was much smaller, but its splendor was even greater.

It looked as if carved from white jade, with a warm luster, occasionally shimmering with light, surrounded by ethereal clouds, adding a touch of celestial aura.

"This is Master's vehicle, [Heavenly Saint Cloud Boat]." Qingyuan Holy Son introduced to Wang Lici, then reminded, "I have matters to attend to in Cloud Sea Cave Heaven, so I won't accompany you and Master. When you reach the Primordial Dao Palace, greet the Dao Master for me. Also, there are many rules there..."

"Alright, alright~ Qingyuan, since when did you become so nagging?" Yunhai Holy Sovereign interrupted Qingyuan Holy Son impatiently, "With me there, do you think anyone would dare bully your junior sister?"

Qingyuan Holy Son glanced at his master, sighing inwardly.

It's precisely because you're there that he's worried~

"Alright~ Let's go."

Yunhai Holy Sovereign said, leading Wang Lici onto the Heavenly Saint Cloud Boat, "Lici, this is your first formal visit to the Dao Master with me, you must perform well and make me proud. Try to get the Dao Master to give us the slab from the Primordial Dao Palace."

"Okay." Wang Lici nodded obediently, then felt something was off, "Master, why don't you ask the Dao Master yourself?"

Yunhai Holy Sovereign's expression paused, "Uh, well... your master is getting old, and such matters are easier for a junior to handle."

"Really?" Wang Lici looked puzzled.

Why is Master acting strange? Is there something he's not telling?

As they spoke, the group boarded the Heavenly Saint Cloud Boat.

The boat started slowly, soon leaving Cloud Sea Cave Heaven, heading towards the Primordial Dao Palace.

……

On the other side.

After a satisfying meal, Wang Shouzhe prepared to take Ji Yue'er back to the portable cave mansion at the hotel to discuss upcoming work.

Unexpectedly, the two new "enshrined" followed eagerly.

Especially Cai Youdao, who, after eating so much, had a round belly and wobbly legs.

He had eaten over ten thousand pounds of various grades of spiritual meat and fish, thousands of pounds of fourth-grade rice, and thousands of pounds of spiritual wine.

The bill for this meal made Wang Shouzhe's eyelid twitch, prompting him to consider.

If this old man eats like this again, he'll find a reason to fire him.

As for this meal, consider it a welcome to the Wang Clan's enshrined team.

In the portable cave mansion.

The same courtyard, the same stone table.

Ji Yue'er, following Shouzhe's instructions, brewed a pot of [Tranquil Heart Immortal Tea] from Di Xiu's production, using spiritual water.

Immortal tea is precious, and its effects must be fully utilized through brewing.

Before Wang Shouzhe could speak, Cai Youdao shamelessly approached, "Young Master, since I've joined you and become your man, I can't just set up stalls anymore, it would be too embarrassing for you, right?"

"And then?" Wang Shouzhe glanced at him.

"But I still have some spiritual stone raw ore left unsold..." Cai Youdao rubbed his hands with a sly smile, "How about you let a little fortune slip through your fingers and help me out?"

"Cai Youdao, you dog!" Yun Tiange couldn't stand it, pointing at him angrily, "You just became an enshrined and you're already trying to take advantage of the master? Those things Lici licked, what are they worth?"

"Alright, then I'll keep them and set up stalls when I have time." Cai Youdao chuckled.

"Alright, bring them out." Wang Shouzhe waved his hand, stopping their argument, "After this, Ji will take you for a makeover. Your sloppy appearance doesn't fit the Wang Clan's image."

"Yes, yes, Young Master is truly considerate." Cai Youdao beamed, patting his bony chest to show loyalty, "As long as Young Master speaks, whether it's a small image change or going through fire and water, I, Cai Youdao, won't frown."

With that, he set up his gambling stall in the courtyard, carefully categorizing the remaining gambling stones by quality.

He searched his storage ring with his divine sense and found a dozen leftover scraps from previous batches...

Sometimes when buying, he was semi-forced to take some junk extras, mostly stones with little chance of yielding anything. Experienced gamblers wouldn't buy them.

Over time, some leftover stones accumulated, unsellable but hard to discard.

Cai Youdao's eyes twinkled, and he casually mixed those scraps into the gambling pile, then grinned at Wang Shouzhe, "Young Master, I just inventoried, and because the quality is average, the package price for this pile is 38 million immortal crystals... Here's the purchase receipt from the Primordial Dao Palace's mining area..."

Wang Shouzhe was generous, tossing him an Immortal Spirit Stone, "The remaining 62 million immortal crystals are an advance on your annual salary."

After paying, Wang Shouzhe said to Yun Tiange, "Tiange, you've been in high positions, overlooking others, and don't understand the dangers of the lower society. It's a good opportunity to see the nine out of ten losses in gambling. Guess how much of the 38 million immortal crystals will return?"

"Uh... even if they're inferior, there should be at least 10 million?" Yun Tiange guessed.

"Ten million? If five million returns, Cai Youdao would have a conscience." Wang Shouzhe laughed.

With that, he pointed, and a stream of azure profound energy cut through dozens of spiritual stone raw ores.

Sifting through the scraps, only two contained spiritual stones, both ordinary mid-grade, worth a few thousand immortal crystals.

Wang Shouzhe didn't delay, quickly cutting through the raw ores.

Though fast, he was clearly experienced, not damaging the stones.

As expected, most were blanks, occasionally yielding high-grade stones, the most valuable being a "treasure mine" yielding three or four top-grade spiritual stones.

Even so, it was far from "breaking even."

"Black, Cai Youdao, you're really black-hearted." Yun Tiange was stunned, "Good thing I didn't fall for it, Shouzhe, you're right, it's nine out of ten losses!"

At that moment.

Wang Shouzhe's finger sliced through a black scrap ore, releasing a wisp of spiritual energy that merged with the cave mansion's aura.

This small wisp of energy slightly improved the quality of the mansion's aura.

"Chaos energy?"

Cai Youdao's expression changed, exclaiming!

But before he finished, a dense, dark golden hue seeped from the scrap ore.

Simultaneously, several thin, life-like threads emerged.

"Chaos Spirit Stone!"

"And... damn, it's Chaos Origin."

Cai Youdao gasped, clutching his chest, his mind buzzing.

Was this really from his raw ore?

……

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