Return to Mist Sea City, an Unexpected Windfall

Lin Yi simply scanned the box with his senses, and he already understood.

No more, no less, exactly 100,000.

He sat cross-legged in the center of the cultivation room, the dark silver metal box in front of him open. The Silverblue light emanating from the box coated the surface of his Black Mystic Armor with a faint halo. The sealed Chaos Power within each crystal was slowly flowing, like a galaxy solidified in Amber.

Eternal Cosmos Crystal is not an ordinary currency.

The three official commodities within the empire are essentially high-energy crystals of different grades.

A single Eternal Cosmos Crystal requires True Source Realm expert to condense for an enormous amount of time, and it contains Chaos Power that has been repeatedly compressed and purified.

Because the Eternal Cosmos Crystal itself is a high-density energy carrier, its uses extend far beyond serving as a medium of exchange.

Within the Empire, furnaces that directly use Source Essence Crystal as fuel are usually only found on large-scale devices, which are so large that they have enough space to accommodate the complex structure of Source Essence Crystal furnaces.

However, for high-end personal airships, small spaceships, and various small and medium-sized devices, the limitations of size and weight mean that they cannot carry a complete Source Essence Crystal furnace system.

Most of these devices use Eternal Cosmos Crystal as their power source.

It is said that because of this, some gangs have sprung up in Mist Sea City that specialize in stealing the driving Eternal Judgment Crystal of the floating shuttles.

Those guys specifically targeted high-end airships docked in civilian ports, using specially made hacking devices to pry open the energy shields in the engine compartments and extract the Eternal Cosmos Crystal embedded in the drive cores to resell on the black market.

He had heard about this when he first entered Mist Sea City; it was said that those people would only steal half a coin or a whole coin each time they took the risk.

And now, he has 100,000 coins in front of him.

If those petty thieves saw this number, their eyes would probably pop out.

Lin Yi let out a long sigh of relief and gently closed the lid of the box.

The gift from the Rui Family was far more significant than he had anticipated.

He knew that Ruituan's earlier statement that "it's nothing valuable" was just polite talk, but now that he had seen the actual amount, he truly understood how much determination the Rui Family had put into this matter.

One hundred thousand Eternal Cosmos Crystal is definitely not a small amount.

I've incurred quite a few favors again.

However, Lin Yi did not feel burdened by this; the saying "more debts are not a burden" probably applies here.

However, with this unexpected funding, many of his plans had to be changed.

He had been exchanging military merits for Eternal Cosmos Crystal, which was the least cost-effective of all the channels.

Military merit is far more valuable than Eternal Judgment Crystal. Exchanging military merit for Eternal Judgment Crystal is like exchanging a piece of good steel for a bag of crude iron.

But in order to raise enough funds to buy the Cosmic Source Soul Crystal, he had no other choice.

Now it's all right.

With 100,000 Eternal Cosmos Crystal in hand, he no longer needed to exchange military merits for Eternal Cosmos Crystal. Instead, he used them to exchange for things that were truly worth exchanging military merits for.

In an instant, all the problems were solved.

But before that, he had to take care of the important business first.

He needed to contact Ruituan via the mothership's AI as soon as possible to see if he could hitch a ride back on Ruituan's spaceship.

Otherwise, he would have to wait for over two hundred more Epoch until the next supply fleet arrived before he could return with it.

Of course, he didn't plan to go back with his Main Body. Anyway, he still had two clones that weren't very useful. Although these ordinary clones weren't good at fighting, they were still capable of handling this kind of matter. Therefore, he planned to send one of the clones back for a trip.

With that thought in mind, Lin Yi stored the dark silver metal box into his inner Divine Kingdom, and sent a request to the mothership's AI through the badge, requesting to make contact with the visiting Ruituan.

The communication request was responded to quickly.

The mothership's AI replied, "The visiting Ruituan is currently making final preparations for their spaceship's departure in the visitor berth area. You have been transferred."

A moment later, Ruituan's voice came through the badge, "Commander Lin? Is there anything else?"

"Elder of the Ruituan," Lin Yi said, getting straight to the point, "I'd like to ask if you could give my clone a ride on your spaceship's return journey?"

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the badge.

Ruituan clearly hadn't expected Lin Yi to suddenly make this request.

He had just finished giving the gift and said goodbye when Lin Yi said he wanted to take his spaceship back. The turn of events was a bit too fast.

He didn't ask any further questions, but immediately replied, "Of course. I'm in the visitor berth area; the spaceship can depart at any time."

"Please wait a moment, I'll be right there." After saying that, Lin Yi cut off the communication, got up and left the Fierce Blood Assault Ship.

The visitor berth area is located on the southern perimeter of the Black Rock Mothership, separated from the military berth area by a long inspection corridor.

As Lin Yi passed through the passage, the sentry on duty saw the black-patterned hundred-foot badge on his chest and immediately saluted to let him pass.

He walked without stopping and soon entered the parking platform of the visitor berth area.

The Ruituan's spacecraft is ready to depart.

It was a small spaceship, entirely silver-gray, with no superfluous decorations on its hull except for the Rui Family family crest engraved on each side of the bow—a dark red shield-shaped emblem with a star surrounded by three arcs in the center.

The spaceship's hatch was open, and Ruituan was standing on the platform next to it.

Seeing Lin Yi approaching, he greeted him with a smile.

"Thank you again, Elder Ruituan." Lin Yi stepped forward and thanked him first. "I'm truly sorry to have troubled you to make a special trip to the Frontline mothership and then to take my clone back with you."

"No need for such formalities among family." Ruituan waved his hand. "Are you going back this time? Is there some urgent matter that needs to be taken care of?"

"I'd like to buy some things to send back to the Cosmic Clam," Lin Yi replied with a smile, without elaborating.

He wasn't entirely lying; his trip back this time wasn't just about buying Cosmic Source Soul Crystal, but also about purchasing some other items to send back to the Cosmic Clam.

Ruituan nodded slightly upon hearing this.

It's a good thing that Lin Yi cares about his people. He hasn't forgotten his roots after receiving the favors, and his first thought upon receiving resources is for his people. Such a person is worth investing in.

"Then let's get going." Ruituan stepped aside and gestured for them to proceed.

Lin Yi nodded and summoned his clone and the Divine Kingdom within his body.

The clone bowed slightly to Ruituan, then followed Ruituan onto the spaceship's gangway.

Ruituan glanced back before entering the cabin.

His gaze pierced through the energy membrane of the visitor berth area, and he seemed to see something. He nodded slightly, then turned and entered the spaceship.

The hatch slowly closed.

Lin Yi's Main Body stood on the platform of the visitor berth area, watching as the protective shield of the berth area briefly opened a window. The silver-gray spaceship silently glided out of the berth, then transformed into a shooting star flying in reverse and out of the mothership.

He withdrew his gaze, turned around, and walked back.

He wasn't going to just wait around.

He still has plenty of Spiritual Enlightenment Qi reserves, and he will continue to burn Spiritual Enlightenment Qi to assist his cultivation during this period, increasing his cultivation level as much as possible.

The tenth Epoch passed in the blink of an eye.

As Ruituan's silver-gray spaceship slowly entered Mist Sea City, Lin Yi saw the familiar city through the porthole.

Mist Sea City remains as magnificent as I remember, with countless floating islands suspended in the pale purple atmosphere, and rows of buildings resembling a crystal jungle growing from the clouds.

The spaceship did not fly directly to the floating island belonging to the Rui Family.

After entering the airspace of Mist Sea City, Ruituan got up and went to the passenger cabin, saying to Lin Yi, "Commander Lin, we've arrived in Mist Sea City. If you're not in a hurry, why don't you go and sit at the Rui Family for a while?"

Lin Yi smiled and shook his head, "Thank you for your kindness, Elder Ruituan. However, I am currently only an avatar, and it is impolite to visit in an avatar. When visiting the Rui Family, Main Body must be present in person."

Ruituan didn't press the matter and smiled, "Since you need to purchase supplies, I'll take you to Myriad Crystal Hub. Our Rui Family happens to have some businesses nearby, so it's on the way."

The spaceship circled halfway over Mist Sea City, passed through the intersection of several air routes, and finally landed at the berth outside Myriad Crystal Hub.

Lin Yi got up to disembark.

When Ruituan escorted him to the cabin door, he suddenly took out a box and shoved it into his hand without saying a word.

"This is Rui Family new high-end, true-source hover shuttle, which hasn't been officially launched yet."

Ruituan smiled broadly, "You'll be running around a lot while on business in Mist Sea City, and it'll be inconvenient without a means of transportation. Please use this for now, and while you're at it, give us your feedback and see if there's anything that needs improvement."

Lin Yi knew exactly what this meant.

Do you have any suggestions?

Rui Family doesn't need his opinions.

"Elder Ruidan," Lin Yi could only thank him again, "Then I'll accept it. Thank you."

"Don't mention it," Ruituan said with a smile, waving his hand. "I guess you have a lot to buy, so I won't keep you company. Come visit sometime."

After speaking, he took a step back, and the hatch slowly closed in front of Lin Yi.

The silver-gray spaceship took off again and quickly merged into the busy airspace above Mist Sea City, heading towards the Rui Family's floating island.

Lin Yi watched the spaceship disappear into the distance, secretly admiring the Rui Family Ruituan elder's impeccable manners.

After entering Myriad Crystal Hub, he paused for a moment at the entrance of the first-floor hall, his face expressionless, but his mind racing with calculations.

He carried 100,000 Eternal Cosmos Crystal in his pocket, which sounded like a huge sum of money. However, in a place like Myriad Crystal Hub, although 100,000 Eternal Cosmos Crystal could buy quite a lot of things, it was far from enough to allow him to squander them at will.

More importantly, he didn't want anyone to know that he had bought the Cosmic Source Soul Crystal.

Therefore, the first thing to do is not to buy things, but to hide the people who are buying them.

Therefore, he planned to buy a treasure that could conceal his identity.

After browsing around, he settled on a shop and spent 2,500 Eternal Judgment Crystal to buy a one-time hidden treasure. According to the shopkeeper, this treasure was enough to shield him from the Soul Power detection of a mid-stage Eternal Source Realm cultivator.

Of course, there are even more expensive ones, but in Lin Yi's opinion, it's not worth it. After all, there are only a handful of people at the High Order of the Eternal Source Realm in the entire Mist Sea City, so there's no need to worry.

After acquiring the hidden treasure, Lin Yi didn't linger. He headed straight for the exit of Myriad Crystal Hub and walked for quite a distance along the streets outside Myriad Crystal Hub.

The streets of Mist Sea City are intricate and complex. Lin Yi wandered around for quite a while before finally stopping deep in a secluded alleyway.

There was no one around.

He took out a velvet box from his Divine Kingdom, opened it, picked up a transparent bead from inside, pressed it into his palm, and infused it with Chaos Power.

The pale golden patterns on the surface of the bead lit up in an instant, and the triple-layered law patterns peeled away like a lit fuse. A gentle, distorting force field spread out from the bead, enveloping Lin Yi from head to toe.

A few breaths later, the force field dissipated.

The bead shattered into a handful of useless powder in his palm, which drifted away in the wind.

The one standing still is now a completely different person.

The new face looked much older than the original Lin Yi. He had an ordinary appearance, ordinary temperament, and ordinary clothes. His aura had also been compressed to the level of the initial stage of the True Source Realm.

He was like a drop of water falling into the ocean, no different from the ordinary True Source Realm on the streets of Mist Sea City.

Even a mid-stage Eternal Source Realm expert scanning with their Soul Power could only see what this disguise was trying to present.

An ordinary True Source Realm, not worth a second glance.

Lin Yi nodded in satisfaction.

After changing his appearance, Lin Yi did not go to Myriad Crystal Hub, but instead went to another large commercial complex, Heaven Inscription Pavilion.

The main hall of the Heaven Inscription Pavilion is a dazzling building.

Calling it a "hall" isn't quite accurate; it's more like a small city encased under a transparent dome.

The moment Lin Yi stepped into the main hall, the dome above his head unfolded into his vision, with intricate patterns of laws flowing across its curved crystal surface, like a giant net of light covering the entire building.

A soft beam of light shone through the dome, refracted by the patterns of laws into countless tiny beams, scattering across the densely packed trading areas, shops, and exhibition halls below, illuminating the entire Heaven Inscription Pavilion like a dazzling crystal palace.

He had visited Heaven Inscription Pavilion once before when he was broadening his horizons, and its style was completely different from Myriad Crystal Hub's.

The ground floor of the hall is an open-air bulk trading area, with countless stalls arranged along both sides of a wide passageway. The stall owners are either sitting or standing, some are adjusting the display screens, and some are bargaining with customers. The place is bustling with noise.

The bulk goods area mainly sells daily necessities and various low-end materials, with prices ranging from a few Eternal Cosmos Coin to tens or hundreds of coins, targeting people at the bottom of society.

The fifth floor is where mid-range shops gather, mainly selling materials and treasures at the True Source Realm level. The area is noticeably less noisy than the ground floor.

Floors six through ten are the boutique areas of the True Source Realm. Each shop has its own private cubicle and privacy restrictions, and sells treasures that cost tens of thousands of Eternal Cosmos Yuan. Most of those entering and leaving are well-dressed family members and representatives of merchant guilds with profound auras.

On the eleventh floor, in the area known as "Eternal Source Pavilion," truly top-tier treasures are sold, including the Cosmic Source Soul Crystal.

This time, Lin Yi didn't linger on any floor and stepped directly into the crystal elevator leading to the upper floors.

The eleven-story Eternal Source Pavilion no longer resembles a commercial building, but rather a palace suspended in the clouds.

The corridor was wide and quiet, and the floor was paved with some kind of translucent energy jade. With each step, a very faint ripple would appear underfoot.

Instead of dense shops on both sides of the corridor, there are rows of large, carved doors, each engraved with a different family crest or chamber of commerce logo.

Lin Yi stopped in front of a large door engraved with intricate patterns.

The Cosmic Source Soul Crystal is right here.

The guard at the door glanced at him, and seeing his composed demeanor, he stepped aside and pushed open the door.

Those who can open a shop here naturally won't judge customers based on their cultivation level. As long as the shop isn't deliberately dilapidated and unsightly, they usually won't turn away customers.

Upon entering, a middle-aged salesperson dressed in a standard long robe and exuding a reserved air greeted me.

"What would you like to see, esteemed guest?" The middle-aged salesperson bowed slightly.

"Cosmic Source Soul Crystal," Lin Yi said succinctly.

The middle-aged salesperson's smile remained unchanged, but a subtle glint flashed in his eyes.

He raised his hand in a gesture of invitation, leading Lin Yi through the display stand and toward a separate display wall on the left.

There were only three boxes displayed on that wall, each shrouded in an independent, high-intensity law-based restriction. The lid of the third box was already open when they approached, and he confirmed it with just one glance.

It was a silver-gray crystal, with a very thin layer of gray mist slowly churning inside. The gray mist seemed to contain some kind of extremely profound primordial power, and just one glance was enough to stir one's consciousness.

This is the Cosmic Source Soul Crystal.

"Cosmic Source Soul Crystal." The middle-aged salesman pointed to the silver-gray crystal. "Price: 15,000 Eternal Cosmos Crystal."

Lin Yi nodded slightly.

This price was within his estimated range.

He was about to say "buy it" when the middle-aged salesman spoke up again, unhurriedly.

"However..." the middle-aged man drawled, his gaze shifting from the Cosmic Source Soul Crystal to Lin Yi's face, "If you, esteemed guest, wish to purchase this type of treasure... I have another one here. I wonder if you would be interested?"

Lin Yi's eyebrows twitched slightly, but he didn't speak. He simply gestured for the other person to continue.

The middle-aged salesman raised his hand and grabbed another box from the side.

Then he slowly lifted the lid of the box.

The inside of the box was shrouded by a more sophisticated high-level law restriction, and beneath the restriction lay a crystal whose color was somewhat similar to the Cosmic Source Soul Crystal.

This crystal was slightly larger than the Cosmic Source Soul Crystal, and its overall appearance was a dark silver-gray. Even with the high-level restrictions in between, Lin Yi could still feel a soul fluctuation that was far more profound than that of the Cosmic Source Soul Crystal.

Lin Yi narrowed his eyes slightly, focusing his gaze on the crystal.

The middle-aged salesman observed Lin Yi's expression, a meaningful smile appearing on his lips.

"Distinguished guest," he said in a low voice, "This is a partially failed attempt at refining True Source Soul Crystal. Seventy thousand Eternal Cosmos Crystal. Would you like to consider it?"

"Although the core law patterns of this flawed True Source Soul Crystal went wrong during its refining process, it was only a mistake in the final step. Cosmic Source Soul Crystal can elevate the user's soul comprehension to the initial stage of the Cosmic Source Realm. While this flawed one cannot achieve the same level as a standard True Source Soul Crystal, it is still sufficient to push the user's soul comprehension all the way to the peak of the Cosmic Source Realm."

"Distinguished guest, the soul comprehension of a perfected Cosmic Source Realm is not the same as that of a beginner Cosmic Source Realm."

"Let's talk about the price. A standard True Source Soul Crystal has a market price of 500,000 Eternal Cosmos Crystal. This flawed item, although it doesn't look good, has undeniable power. This is a calculation... Your Excellency should understand it better than I do."

Although Lin Yi's heart was pounding, his expression remained calm and composed, without even a twitch of his eyebrows.

Not only that, he lowered his eyes, his gaze fixed on the cracked crystal. After a few moments of silence, he raised his eyes and slowly said, "Do you think I'm stupid?"

The middle-aged salesperson's smile froze for a moment.

Lin Yi pointed to the Cosmic Source Soul Crystal and continued unhurriedly, "Those who buy Cosmic Source Soul Crystal usually have only one purpose: to free their juniors from the constraints of the Cosmic Clam. And as long as they are not at the True Source Realm, what difference does it make whether they are at the peak of the Cosmic Source Realm or not?"

This statement precisely hit the biggest weakness of the damaged True Source Soul Crystal.

The middle-aged salesperson's smile finally turned slightly awkward.

He certainly knew this product would be difficult to sell.

Indeed, this damaged True Source Soul Crystal has been sitting in inventory for many years.

It's not that the product is bad, but rather that its positioning is too awkward.

Those who can afford it don't like it, and those who like it can't afford it.

For wealthy and powerful families, if they need it, why not just go straight for a standard True Source Soul Crystal? Nobody would choose a mediocre, inferior product.

But this middle-aged salesman was a seasoned businessman. Despite his embarrassment, he quickly regained his composure and adopted a more pragmatic tone, saying, "What you say makes sense, esteemed guest. However, on the other hand, once I've cultivated to the peak of the Cosmic Source Realm, with the aid of other treasures, I might be able to cross that threshold and successfully break through to the True Source Realm."

After hearing this, Lin Yi's lips curled slightly, and he said sarcastically, "You're relying on Soul Crystals for cultivation, and you still expect to break through on your own?"

The middle-aged salesperson remained silent for a moment, opened his mouth as if to speak, but ultimately did not refute.

Because he had never seen it before.

Seeing that the time was right, Lin Yi waved his hand and said, "Alright, alright. What you said isn't entirely unreasonable. Fifty thousand. Fifty thousand Eternal Cosmos Crystal, I'll consider it a gamble. If you agree, the deal is done now. If not, I'll take that Cosmic Source Soul Crystal and leave."

fifty thousand.

The middle-aged salesperson's expression changed several times in just a few breaths.

At first, there was an instinctive resistance. The price of 50,000 Eternal Judgment Crystal was a full 20,000 lower than his asking price. This bargaining margin was neither too big nor too small, just right on the line where it hurt him but wouldn't cause him to immediately turn against the company.

Then came the rapid mental arithmetic.

What was the cost of this damaged True Source Soul Crystal? How many people had inquired about its price over the years? If it were to be held back any longer, how long would it take to sell it? Finally, he gave a helpless, bitter smile.

This is a niche product.

Countless Epoch have passed, and the number of people who come to inquire about prices can be counted on two hands, with even fewer actually engaging in price negotiations.

If you miss this chance, no one can say for sure when the next one will come.

Moreover, although the 50,000 Eternal Cosmos Crystal were much lower than expected, it was still not a loss.

The cost price for acquiring this damaged item was 40,000. 50,000 would have been enough to break even, and we could have made a little profit. It was better than letting it sit in the warehouse gathering dust.

"Fine, fine." The middle-aged salesman sighed, mimicking Lin Yi's tone. "Fifty thousand Eternal Cosmos Crystal, sold."

Lin Yi's heart skipped a beat in his chest, and he struggled with all his might to prevent the corners of his mouth from turning up.

To be honest, he was just gambling.

Even if the middle-aged salesperson disagrees with his bargaining, he will still shamelessly buy it.

However, that would mean you could only buy it at the original price, and you wouldn't be able to get a single penny off.

Now that the gamble has paid off, I've saved a whopping 20,000 Eternal Cosmos Crystal.

However, Lin Yi's expression remained calm, with a hint of perfunctory "reluctant acceptance."

With a slight thought, he took out 50,000 Eternal Cosmos Crystal from within his Divine Kingdom and placed them into a small storage device. Then, with a wave of his hand, the storage device appeared in front of the middle-aged salesman.

The middle-aged salesperson quickly counted the items and then pushed the box in front of Lin Yi.

Lin Yi nodded slightly, put the box away, and then turned and left. His steps remained steady and composed, revealing no trace of the ecstatic joy in his heart.

Only after leaving Heaven Inscription Pavilion, circling around the area several times, and repeatedly using his Soul Power to confirm that no one was around, did Lin Yi finally grin and laugh silently.