……

While the Wang Clan's "international trade" was flourishing, on the other side, Wang Lici, who had followed her master to the Primordial Dao Palace, was finally nearing the end of her long journey.

On the deck at the top of the Heavenly Saint Cloud Boat, Wang Lici sat in front of her beloved barbecue grill, happily roasting the leg of a Void Floating Dragon that her master had caught for her during their passage through the void last month.

As the dragon leg gradually cooked, its overpowering aroma began to spread across the deck.

Sima Wuchou and the Demonic Realm Burrowing Rat squatted on either side of Wang Lici, diligently controlling the heat for her, their eyes fixed intently on the massive dragon leg on the grill, drooling with anticipation.

Having followed Wang Lici for some time, Sima Wuchou had long since abandoned his initial reluctance.

There was no helping it; following Wang Lici, if nothing else, was a culinary delight. Whenever Wang Lici obtained something good, he always managed to get a taste. Although it wasn't much, the quality was high.

Back in the Sima Clan, he never enjoyed such treatment.

Not to mention whether the elders of the Sima Clan would spoil a disciple as the Yunhai Holy Sovereign did, feeding them all sorts of precious spiritual foods. Even if the Sima Clan acquired some rare spiritual food ingredients, they would prioritize the clan's Holy Seed, and he, a True Immortal Seed, would have to wait.

Over time, he gradually came to enjoy this simple, carefree life without scheming and worries.

Thinking about it, the name Sima Wuchou truly suited him; being Wang Lici's follower meant having no worries.

In a daze, Sima Wuchou thought of his cousin Sima Wuyou, who, like him, was a True Immortal Seed. Sima Wuyou seemed to have been traveling for a long time, and the clan was searching for his whereabouts.

He hoped his cousin could also turn misfortune into fortune and live without worries.

Soon, the Void Floating Dragon leg was ready, and Sima Wuchou quickly put thoughts of his cousin aside, eagerly watching Wang Lici distribute the meat.

Wang Lici divided the entire leg into several pieces, casually handing one to Sima Wuchou and the Demonic Realm Burrowing Rat, before picking up a piece herself and digging in.

As she was eating, Lan Wan'er came running excitedly, "We've arrived, we've arrived~ I just asked the senior brother steering the boat. After passing this floating cloud mountain, we'll reach the East Heavenly Gate of the Small World where the Primordial Dao Palace is located."

With that, Lan Wan'er plopped down beside the Demonic Realm Burrowing Rat, and Wang Lici handed her a piece of leg meat, her face also filled with joy.

"Finally, we're here~"

Although she had passed through many Immortal Dynasties and a few Holy Dynasties along the way, occasionally disembarking to explore, most of her time was spent on the Heavenly Saint Cloud Boat. After a while, it inevitably became a bit monotonous.

Before setting off, she hadn't expected the Primordial Dao Palace to be so far away, almost absurdly so.

Fortunately, they were finally about to arrive.

Sure enough, before they finished gnawing on the leg meat, the Heavenly Saint Cloud Boat, which had been speeding through the high-altitude wind layer, began to slow down.

Ahead in the sky.

A spatial portal seemed to sense the approach of the Heavenly Saint Cloud Boat and appeared out of thin air.

It was a massive jade-white gate tower.

It floated in the sky like a mirage, faintly visible, with intricate and exquisite patterns on its thick pillars.

Golden spiritual light flowed through those patterns, and the central part of the gate tower emitted a faint halo, rippling with space waves like water.

The Heavenly Saint Cloud Boat passed through the gate tower, instantly entering another space.

"Gasp~! So this is the Primordial Dao Palace…"

Wang Lici and the others widened their eyes.

Before them lay a place filled with immortal energy, resembling a paradise on earth.

Throughout the Small World, floating immortal islands were scattered, arranged in a harmonious and orderly manner.

Though distant and unclear, it was evident that these islands were vast, each resembling a massive island.

Some floating islands were even connected by corridors and bridges, appearing from afar like a single continent.

Others stood independently, forming their own entities.

But without exception, every island was vibrant with spiritual energy, shrouded in mist, with immortal beasts strolling, cranes calling, and exotic flowers and grasses everywhere.

Most of the floating islands also housed exquisite palaces, which, from a distance, appeared truly magnificent, like the residences of immortals.

If there truly was a paradise on earth, it would likely look like this.

"Isn't this just like the Heavenly Court in Journey to the West?" Wang Lici exclaimed, almost blurting out. She had listened in when Fourth Uncle told Yaoyao and An'an stories from Journey to the West.

The resemblance between the Primordial Dao Palace and the Heavenly Court described by Fourth Uncle left her in a daze. Could it be that Fourth Uncle had been to the Primordial Dao Palace?

……

At the same time.

In the Tianrui Holy Dynasty.

Recently, a series of conflicts and frictions had arisen between the Tianrui Holy Dynasty and the Tianxing Holy Dynasty, with whom they had never been on good terms, and the situation seemed to be escalating.

The cause was simple.

The declining Tianrui Immortal Clan Jiang and Tianrui Sima Clan made a deal. They used the key to a secret Small World as a bargaining chip, entrusting the Sima Clan to look after the Jiang Clan in the future. The resources of a Small World were enticing to the Holy Clan Sima, offering the potential for Immortal Scriptures, Immortal Artifacts, and a range of other valuable resources.

Moreover, the long-unopened Small World might contain numerous spiritual herbs, serving as a future base for cultivating spiritual farmland and herbs. All in all, it was a considerable fortune.

The only minor issue was that the Immortal Clan Wu of the Tianxing Holy Dynasty also had their eyes on this Small World.

However, the Tianrui Sima Clan didn't consider the Tianxing Wu Clan a threat. Although the Wu Clan had two True Immortals, they were just two True Immortals. The Sima Clan's elders could easily seize the Small World relic.

But the ousted Wu Clan was not content and immediately contacted the Tianxing Holy Clan Guimei. The Guimei Clan, on one hand, sought the Small World's benefits, and on the other, didn't want to see their old rival, the Tianrui Sima Clan, grow stronger.

The two sides engaged in a series of disputes over the Small World relic, escalating from verbal spats to frictions, and recently, a major conflict erupted, resulting in the deaths of several Void Realm elders on both sides.

As a result, the conflict flared up like a fire doused with oil, directly alarming the Da Luo Holy Sovereigns of both sides, who engaged in a remote confrontation, but neither emerged victorious.

The struggle over the Small World relic served as a catalyst, causing the long-standing tensions between the Tianrui and Tianxing Holy Dynasties to spiral out of control, with the situation becoming increasingly tense, and war seemed imminent.

At the same time.

The Tianrui Jiang Clan, the catalyst of the conflict, faced a calamity.

Their gamble on nurturing Jiang Yunxuan had failed.

The eleventh-grade Manifestation Pill not only failed to assist Jiang Yunxuan in breaking through his bloodline but also caused a backlash, leaving him severely injured and half-dead in bed.

The Tianrui Holy Emperor expressed helplessness. He had long advised the Jiang Clan against such a risky move, but they insisted, and the Tianrui Holy Emperor, in repaying a debt owed by his ancestors, had already expended considerable resources.

Moreover, the Tianrui Holy Emperor was quite displeased with the Jiang Clan.

The recent friction and conflict between the two Holy Dynasties were, after all, initiated by the Jiang Clan.

Thus, the Tianrui Holy Emperor's lineage no longer owed the Jiang Clan anything. Whether the Jiang Clan thrived or declined in the future was entirely up to them.

These various shifts in the situation weren't necessarily bad for the Wang Clan. At the very least, due to the increasing pressure of war and conflict, prices in the Tianrui and Tianxing Dynasties, as well as surrounding Immortal Dynasties, were rising, especially for strategic resources like food and weaponry, which saw significant price hikes.

Just from the increase in spiritual rice and grains, the Holy Domain Development Corporation was making a fortune. Additionally, the corporation had opened up new revenue streams by selling low-grade black armor and weapons.

The mineral resources of the New Luo Immortal Dynasty were cheap, with the price of black iron ingots being less than forty percent of that in the Shenwu World. These iron ingots were transported back to the Shenwu World, where they underwent a series of high-furnace forging and precise assembly line production, resulting in a total production cost of only 260 Immortal Crystals for a set of the latest improved black armor.

However, these black armors were now being sold to the neighboring Yajiao Immortal Dynasty near the Tianxing Holy Dynasty, where they were willing to pay 1,400 Immortal Crystals per set. This was partly due to the rising pressure of war, but it also demonstrated the Wang's Refining Headquarters' strong craftsmanship and mass production capabilities in low-grade equipment.

As a result, the Holy Domain Development Corporation decided to allocate seventy percent of the improved black armor production to sell in the Holy Domain for profit, while the remaining thirty percent would be used to upgrade the Shenwu Army's equipment.

However, the Wang's Refining Headquarters operated as an independent accounting unit, separate from the Holy Domain Development Corporation, and couldn't engage in unprofitable transactions or work for free.

Prices had to be negotiated, and profits had to be made.

……

Meanwhile.

In the New Luo Immortal Dynasty.

Inside the New Luo branch of the Divine Treasure Hall.

The Divine Treasure Hall dealt in a wide variety of goods, some extremely precious. For security reasons, each branch of the Divine Treasure Hall had many secret vaults, and only the branch manager had access to them.

At this moment.

In the depths of the underground corridors of the New Luo branch of the Divine Treasure Hall, Yao Yumei, the branch manager, was navigating through a series of dense restrictions.

The dim lighting cast a glow on her, giving her light purple gauze dress a halo, adding a mysterious atmosphere to the corridor.

Before long, she stopped at the entrance of a secret vault at the end of the corridor.

The sign at the entrance of this vault bore the character "Heaven," indicating it was the branch's highest-level vault. The vault's walls could block the prying of a Holy Sovereign and had extremely high defenses, capable of withstanding a Holy Sovereign for an hour or two.

She skillfully pushed the door open and entered.

Inside the brightly lit vault, the Saintess of Shuiyue lay on a bed, her hair disheveled.

Compared to her once vibrant and spirited self, she now appeared desolate, as if she had lost the will to live. When she saw Yao Yumei enter, she didn't react at all.

"Ancestor Anqing!"

Seeing her in such a state, Yao Yumei couldn't help but show a look of helplessness.

She tidied up the table and casually took out a large assortment of delicacies from her storage ring, including a fragrant box of sixth-grade spiritual rice.

"This is the meal I ordered for you from Yikang Dining Palace. You should at least eat something. Here, this is the latest sixth-grade Qingyuan spiritual rice, fragrant and delicious, and it can help restore your body."

For ordinary True Immortals, having sixth-grade spiritual rice was already a delight. Some impoverished True Immortals could only afford fifth-grade spiritual rice most of the time, treating themselves to sixth-grade rice only on special occasions.

But the Saintess of Shuiyue was different. When she was in Shuiyue Cave Heaven, her resource supply was top-notch, with sixty percent of her rice being sixth-grade and forty percent being seventh-grade.

"Yumei, I have no appetite. You eat it yourself. I feel like I've failed as a Saintess, drowning in debt and unable to return to my cave heaven."

"Indeed, it's a bit of a failure." Yao Yumei readily agreed, picking up a bowl and starting to eat the sixth-grade spiritual rice. "The Sacred Sovereign sent a message saying someone went to Shuiyue Cave Heaven with a banner demanding repayment. However, this time, the Sacred Sovereign said that debts must be repaid, and until you clear your debts, you're not allowed to step back into Shuiyue Cave Heaven. Ancestor Anqing, you… sigh~"

The Saintess of Shuiyue's real name was Yao Anqing, and she hailed from the Tianrui Immortal Clan Yao. Due to her exceptional talent from a young age, she was taken as a disciple by the Shuiyue Sacred Diagram, eventually becoming a Saintess.

The Tianrui Yao Clan naturally took pride in her, but now…

Because she hadn't shown herself, people were even blocking the gates of the Tianrui Yao Clan. The clan's ancestors were struggling to cope and sighed in resignation every day.

"Yumei, you're not comforting me? You're really enjoying the food…" The Saintess of Shuiyue looked at Yao Yumei incredulously, then sat up and joined in eating, puffing her cheeks. "Don't worry, I'll repay my debts myself."

"With what? You've accumulated over eighty Immortal Spirit Stones in debt!" Yao Yumei said exasperatedly. "Even if the clan could gather that much liquid capital to repay the debt, the clan's financial situation would become strained."

A strong Immortal Clan's total assets certainly exceeded eighty Immortal Spirit Stones. But assets are assets, and liquid capital is liquid capital. Most clans have a natural aversion to selling family assets, seeing it as selling ancestral property, a symbol of family decline.

"Uh… actually, I still owe Young Master Shouzhe twenty Immortal Spirit Stones in principal…" The Saintess of Shuiyue blushed with embarrassment.

"Another twenty?" Yao Yumei held her forehead in exasperation. "No wonder Young Master Shouzhe sent a message saying he wanted to meet you."

"Young Master Shouzhe wants to see me?" The Saintess of Shuiyue became extremely nervous upon hearing this. "You, you, you didn't let him come, did you?"

"Yes~" Yao Yumei nodded matter-of-factly. "How could I refuse Young Master Shouzhe's request?"

"Oh no, oh no." The Saintess of Shuiyue's face fell, looking like she was about to cry without tears. "When I borrowed the money, I promised him dividends, but now I've ended up in such a miserable state. Won't he laugh at me? If he sees me like this, won't it be utterly embarrassing?"

"Ancestor Anqing, don't worry." Yao Yumei said, "Actually, Young Master Shouzhe is a good person. He said he could help you pay off your debts after hearing about your situation."

What?!

The Saintess of Shuiyue was dumbfounded, her beautiful eyes almost popping out of their sockets. "Young Master Shouzhe is willing to help me repay my debts?"

In an instant, she was so moved that tears almost fell.

"There might be some conditions." Yao Yumei said seriously, "After all, your debt amounts to a Chaos Spirit Stone."

"Conditions? What conditions?" The Saintess of Shuiyue quickly asked.

"I'm not sure, but if I put myself in Young Master's shoes, Ancestor Anqing, you really don't have much to offer him." Yao Yumei frowned.

"How can that be?" The Saintess of Shuiyue protested, puffing out her chest and pointing at herself. "I'm still a Saintess, with some beauty to offer."

"…" Yao Yumei looked at her disheveled appearance and couldn't help but shake her head. "Young Master is only four hundred years old… and you're already three thousand."

"What's wrong with being three thousand?" The Saintess of Shuiyue retorted confidently, "I'm a Saintess about to advance to the mid-stage True Immortal. Is three thousand old? If it's beauty you want, I'll give it to him."

"Alright, then Ancestor Anqing, you should freshen up and dress up." Yao Yumei sighed and left, "I'll arrange for you to meet Young Master as soon as possible."

"Yumei, are you serious?" The Saintess of Shuiyue was a bit flustered.

"What else?" Yao Yumei said helplessly, "Your master won't repay, and the clan is under pressure. This can't be delayed… Besides, Young Master Shouzhe is so handsome and has a high bloodline. You won't lose out. I wish I had such an opportunity~~"

With that, Yao Yumei gracefully left the secret vault, leaving the Saintess of Shuiyue sitting there, her eyes vacant.

……

Half a month later.

In a celestial villa under the Divine Treasure Hall's name, in the suburbs of New Luo Immortal City.

This villa was one of the many properties under the Divine Treasure Hall. Due to the presence of an immortal spring within the villa, the entire place was rich in spiritual energy and enjoyed a perpetual spring-like climate, making it an ideal spot for leisure and recuperation.

The Divine Treasure Hall had modified this villa to specifically accommodate distinguished guests.

Located in the suburbs, when not hosting guests, the villa was mostly unoccupied except for the steward and servants, ensuring a high degree of privacy.

Under Yao Yumei's arrangement, Wang Shouzhe and the Saintess of Shuiyue met secretly in this villa.

To avoid revealing the Saintess of Shuiyue's whereabouts, the villa staff had been withdrawn early on, leaving only Wang Shouzhe and the Saintess of Shuiyue in the entire villa.

For some reason, the Saintess of Shuiyue had indeed made some preparations, bathing herself in the immortal spring until she was fair and tender, and dressing up meticulously.

One had to admit, when the Saintess of Shuiyue dressed up nicely and kept her mouth shut, she indeed resembled a heavenly beauty.

Especially now, with the sun shining brightly in the villa's garden, the golden sunlight fell on her red dress, making her look like a vibrant peony, radiant and captivating.

"I've heard about the Saintess's situation." Wang Shouzhe said calmly, "I'm sure Yumei has discussed it with you, so I won't waste words. I can take on your debts, but there's a condition."

"Fourth Uncle, I understand!" After half a month, the Saintess of Shuiyue had mentally prepared herself and nodded eagerly like a pecking chick. "There's no such thing as a free lunch. I'll agree to all your conditions."

"Good, the Saintess is a smart person." Wang Shouzhe nodded, "Then let's begin."

With that, he prepared to take out the contract he had already drafted.

Unexpectedly.

As soon as he took out the contract, the Saintess of Shuiyue began to undress, saying shyly, "Fourth Uncle, this must be kept secret~~ My master and others mustn't know, especially Lici…"

Wang Shouzhe's expression froze, and his face instantly darkened as he shouted angrily, "What are you doing?"

"Isn't this about repaying debts…" The Saintess of Shuiyue widened her beautiful eyes in slight confusion, "Could it be, you have some special preferences? Rest assured, given your handsome and charismatic appearance, I can…"

"Who wants you to repay debts like this?" Wang Shouzhe slapped his forehead, utterly speechless. "What are you thinking?"

He couldn't be bothered to explain further and directly took out the "Long-term Contract of Selling Oneself," slapping it in front of her. "Read the terms yourself, and sign if there's no issue."

"Contract terms?" The Saintess of Shuiyue trembled as she picked up the "Contract of Selling Oneself" and examined it closely.

The terms seemed complex, but in essence, Wang Shouzhe would assume her debt of one hundred Immortal Spirit Stones, and in return, she would work for him for five hundred years.

During these five hundred years, Wang Shouzhe would provide her with a regular salary, currently set at thirty top-grade spiritual stones per year, increasing to forty top-grade spiritual stones in the mid-term.

However, to prevent her from gambling, these top-grade spiritual stones wouldn't be given directly. Instead, they would be converted into sixth-grade spiritual rice, spiritual food, spiritual pills, and other resources.

This was already a very generous offer.

Under normal circumstances, the Saintess of Shuiyue enjoyed this level of resources in Shuiyue Cave Heaven, far beyond what an ordinary True Immortal could compare to. Moreover, she was soon to reach the mid-stage, and with her own Semi-Saint Artifact, her combat power was extraordinary.

While she might not be able to single-handedly defeat the Nine Prison Demon God, she could certainly play a crucial role. After all, the Nine Prison Demon God was a formidable opponent, aiming to become a Great Demon Lord, with a bloodline far from simple.

Additionally, if she achieved extra merits, she would receive additional contribution rewards.

"This, this, this…" The Saintess of Shuiyue was dumbfounded as she looked at Wang Shouzhe. "Fourth Uncle, are you planning to keep me? The resources you're offering are the same as what the cave heaven provides… and you don't even deduct it from the total debt."

"I can't delay your future, can I?" Wang Shouzhe said, "The next one or two thousand years are crucial for you to advance to the Holy Sovereign. The sooner, the better."

"Fourth Uncle… I finally realize who truly cares for me." The Saintess of Shuiyue looked at Wang Shouzhe with sincere eyes. "But like this, I feel indebted to you, owing you too much. How about, from today on, I call you Dad?"

"I don't have a daughter like you." Wang Shouzhe said angrily, "Sign or not?"

"I'll sign, I'll sign!"

The Saintess of Shuiyue dared not joke further and quickly signed the contract, swearing an oath to the contract's terms and leaving her soul imprint on it, as if fearing Wang Shouzhe might change his mind.

After completing this, she blinked and asked, "Fourth Uncle, what do we do next?"

Seeing the process completed, Wang Shouzhe felt a weight lifted from his heart.

With the Saintess of Shuiyue, a formidable ally, secured, many tasks in his future plans could proceed.

……