Procurement

After ordering the Nutrition Pod and Nutrient Solution, Lin Qingyu made another trip to the Slave Market.

When he entered the Slave Market, he had been alone. When he came out, over a thousand people emerged in a mighty crowd.

He spent 5 billion Black Dragon Coins to buy a batch of slaves, including Planetary-level and Star-level ones.

This would be enough for the time being. Lin Qingyu considered the two purposes behind buying slaves: one was to capture the Golden Horn Beast later, and the other was to use them to kill the monsters on Earth.

He did not need to wipe them all out, but at the very least, humanity had to regain its position as Earth's rulers.

Lin Qingyu brought the slaves aboard the spacecraft.

Housing on Qiu Long Star was expensive, and inns and hotels were not cheap either. Since the spacecraft's living quarters were no less comfortable than an ordinary residence, Lin Qingyu had not planned to spend the night in Qiulong City.

"Bata, help me pick a planet closer to Earth. I may not be planning to buy property on Qiu Long Star, but I still need a base somewhere in the universe," Lin Qingyu said to Bata aboard the spacecraft.

He had quite a few things to buy this time, and he would probably need even more in the future, so buying a warehouse was necessary.

Very quickly, Bata selected an address online: Bailan Star, 11,800 light-years from Earth.

Lin Qingyu was not short on money now, so the deal was settled quickly. Once he signed the contract and paid, a plot of land on Bailan Star already belonged to him, even though he had not left Qiu Long Star.

The day after buying the slaves, Lin Qingyu had most of them remain aboard the spacecraft. He brought two Star-level guards into Qiulong City, intending to take a proper look around and learn more about information within the universe.

To Lin Qingyu, none of the crises Luo Feng faced in the Original work before entering the core of the Virtual Universe Company counted as real crises, because he had sufficient talent, resources, and time to resolve them.

Thus, besides cultivating, he truly had time to learn about other matters.

"Hm? This is..." Lin Qingyu, accompanied by his guards, spotted a sign on a bustling street in Qiulong City.

"Master Tutoring! Premium Cosmic Researcher Qualification Exam Training!"

"This is... an Alchemist Training Institution? There is even something like this?" Lin Qingyu had his eyes opened.

"After all, alchemists hold fairly high status in the universe. But institutions like this definitely cannot compare to internal training within major factions. At most, they are like the advanced vocational schools on your Earth," Bata said dismissively.

"But this is the first time I learned that alchemists have qualification exams. When are these exams held?" Lin Qingyu asked.

"What do you mean, when are they held? If you want certification, just pay and get certified in the Virtual Universe. You can do it anytime," Bata said.

"Ah, I had forgotten about the Virtual Universe." Lin Qingyu shook his head.

Unlike qualification exams on Earth, at lower levels, the Virtual Universe could simulate the creation of medicines and items with one hundred percent accuracy. There was no need to hold tests in reality; everything could be completed in the Virtual Universe.

"What? Are you planning to give it a try?" Bata asked.

"I do have that intention, but not now." Lin Qingyu said. He was not familiar enough with the properties of the various materials in the universe. It was impossible for him to pass certification now.

"That makes sense. Certification costs money too. I checked: one A-level Alchemist certification costs 1 million Black Dragon Coins, a B-level Alchemist certification costs 1 billion Black Dragon Coins, and C-level Alchemist certification is settled in Qianwu Coins—it costs 1 billion Qianwu Coins," Bata explained to Lin Qingyu.

"That is expensive," Lin Qingyu remarked.

"It is not expensive." Bata shook his head. "In a sense, it is a precious practice opportunity. The Virtual Universe provides you with a large quantity of materials of the same level, and you only need to complete the formulation within the time limit set by the Virtual Universe. During qualification certification, you can even come into contact with certain restricted materials. Not to mention reality—even in the Virtual Universe, those materials are extremely expensive. Without the proper authority, you cannot even look them up."

"I see." Lin Qingyu nodded. After all, the Virtual Universe Company was not a charity. Although the Virtual Universe could simulate nearly all low-level materials and medicines, it was not free.

If one bought just one or several materials separately, the cost would indeed be lower than taking the qualification exam, but a single material could not be used to formulate medicine.

If one purchased those materials separately in the Virtual Universe outside the qualification exam, it might actually be even more expensive. After all, restricted materials were usually included. As for reality? Some materials simply could not be bought in reality at all!

The Virtual Universe Company could buy and sell materials at their original prices, but alchemists without backing would certainly pay a higher price when purchasing from other training institutions or virtual marketplaces.

"Generally, items in the Virtual Universe cost anywhere from a few hundredth to a few thousandth of their real-world prices. And practicing medicine formulation is definitely not something you do only once, so it is usually completed in the Virtual Universe before taking the qualification exam. Only after obtaining the certificate do people actually buy materials in reality to formulate medicines." Bata said, then paused. "Hm? Lin Qingyu, what is wrong?"

After hearing Bata's introduction, Lin Qingyu suddenly had an idea.

"Bata, can you give me a list of the materials related to B-level Alchemist certification in the Virtual Universe?" Lin Qingyu asked.

"That is not a problem. Are you planning to familiarize yourself with them in advance? But the questions for alchemist certification change, as do the materials provided. With your current wealth, you could at most buy one of every material in the Virtual Universe, but that would not be worth it and would be difficult to use for practice," Bata said.

"It is fine. Just give me the list first," Lin Qingyu replied.

"Having alchemy as a side profession is not impossible. If you have talent, you can indeed earn a certain amount of resources. But with your talent, normal cultivation is the most important thing. Alchemy is ultimately a minor path." Bata advised him. He did not want Lin Qingyu to go astray. "The Cosmic Peak Genius Battle is about to begin as well. With your comprehension, there is a high chance that you will understand part of the Origin Law before it starts. If that happens, entering the core of the Virtual Universe Company will not be difficult. At that point, you will have whatever medicines and resources you want!"

"I know. Do not worry, it will not delay my cultivation." Lin Qingyu nodded. Naturally, he understood Bata's reasoning, but he also had great confidence in himself. "There are still nearly ten years before the Peak Genius Battle. If I have not entered the Domain 9th layer within a year, I will naturally stop doing other things and focus on cultivation."

Very soon, Bata organized the information and sent it to Lin Qingyu.

After receiving the information Bata had given him, Lin Qingyu immediately flew toward the Curio Shop he had visited earlier.

"Honored guest, what can we do for you?" At the entrance of the Curio Shop, the clerk who spotted Lin Qingyu immediately approached with a flawless smile.

This was a major client. The transaction completed yesterday had earned them quite a few benefits. If clients like this came a few more times, they might be able to retire early.

"Mm, I have a list. Help me acquire the materials on it. I do not need much; just give me the smallest sellable quantity of each material that you have." Lin Qingyu said. Then he showed the clerk a set of coordinates. "Prepare the materials on the list as quickly as possible. Besides those, prepare another one hundred thousand tons of Purple Light Dew for me and send it directly to this large warehouse on Bailan Star."

"No problem. We will prepare everything immediately." Although the attendant wondered what Lin Qingyu intended to do with so many materials, the words of a major client like him were law. There was no need to ask why; he only needed to get the job done.