Qi Tian raised a hand, interrupting Mikita, who was about to say something.
"Take it. I need you to help me with a few things. This is just the first installment."
Hearing this, Mikita said no more. Since the money was for carrying out tasks for him, he would simply accept it and get to work.
"What does the Buddha Lord need me to do? Acquire more cultivation resources?"
Qi Tian nodded. "That's one part of it. In addition to the supplies we originally agreed on, buy some more precious treasures as well. They should still be suitable for Planetary and Star Levels."
"We also need to buy supplies for those below the Apprentice Level. For now, we'll focus on meeting the needs of the humans on Gold Soul Planet."
Mikita nodded. As Qi Tian listed his requests, Mikita had already begun forming a preliminary plan.
"What else do you need? There are only ten million people on Gold Soul Planet, and the Gold Soul Clan has no more than ten thousand. They won't need nearly this much money."
Qi Tian was very satisfied with Mikita's work style. His talent and strength were nothing special, but he was efficient and had ideas of his own.
After giving his plan some thought, Qi Tian spoke.
"Buy planets—large numbers of habitable planets. Of course, you don't need to buy too many at once. Take your time acquiring them."
"The planets don't need to have good environments. They only need to support human life. Slave planets would be ideal."
Mikita didn't quite understand. People usually prioritized scenic, pleasant planets when buying habitable worlds; one like Gold Soul Planet would be ideal. Why was the Buddha Lord asking for the opposite?
Still, he understood that knowing certain things could help him do his job better, but knowing too much could also bring him closer to death.
So he didn't ask why. Instead, he asked about the other details.
"How many do you need for now? How soon do you need them? Should I buy them nearby, in the same star system?"
Qi Tian thought for a moment. "There are currently eleven members of the Gold Soul Clan at Planetary Level Seven or above. But once the cultivation resources arrive, a number of people will soon grow stronger."
"For now, buy ten. They don't need to be nearby. They just need to be within the Beihua Empire."
Mikita nodded and did a quick calculation. "Buddha Lord, I used to have eleven habitable planets under my control. I've sold ten of them."
"They all meet your requirements. I sold them to planetary merchants, so they probably haven't been resold yet. I can buy them back from those merchants, though the price will be twenty percent higher than what I sold them for."
Qi Tian hadn't expected such good news.
Mikita had ruled those planets and knew their circumstances best, which would make things easier to arrange later. Qi Tian agreed at once.
"Take care of the planets and supplies for now. Also, buy ten C1-grade spacecraft equipped with detectors and B9-grade weapons."
After laying out his plans and requirements, Qi Tian patted Mikita on the shoulder and smiled.
"You should upgrade your weapons and ship, too. That way, when you head back in a few days, you'll be able to fly faster."
Mikita understood what Qi Tian meant. Grateful, he smiled and replied, "Don't worry, Buddha Lord. With money in hand, I can get a better ship on Mengyu Planet today. I guarantee it won't slow down my return trip."
"Good. Go take care of things."
After Mikita left the hotel, only the four of them remained in the room. The atmosphere had changed a little.
"Buddha Lord, earlier today a man claiming to be an external executive of the Virtual Universe Company came looking for the three of us. His name was Weitz, and he was a Domain Lord. He wanted to recruit us into the Virtual Universe Company."
Qi Jingshi explained what had happened that day. Qi Shangye added, "He was very courteous to us. The first thing he asked was whether we were brothers, since we all shared the surname Qi."
Hearing this, Qi Tian immediately understood. It seemed Weitz had reached out to Qi Jingshi and the others to win favor with him.
But then again, all three of them had comprehended a domain while still at Planetary Level Nine. They were considered geniuses even in the Beihua Empire.
They could distinguish themselves even within the Virtual Universe Company, so it was only natural that Weitz wanted to recruit them.
"I met him earlier today, too. I've joined the Virtual Universe Company's inner circle, so he was probably a little more courteous to you because we all share the surname Qi."
"You don't need to worry. The Virtual Universe Company is a colossal organization with unfathomable resources. It won't do anything to you."
"If you want to join the Virtual Universe Company, I'll support you."
Qi Jingshi and the other two felt relieved by Qi Tian's words. They exchanged glances, then made it clear they wouldn't join the Virtual Universe Company's inner circle.
"If we joined the inner circle of the Virtual Universe Company, we'd lose our freedom. We're only at Planetary Level, so we wouldn't be able to act on our own at all."
"Besides, Buddha Lord has already joined the Virtual Universe Company and will be exploring the universe. Gold Soul Planet needs us to watch over it."
Qi Tian considered their words. His later plans would indeed need them to oversee things. After all, they held positions in the Gold Soul Clan second only to his own.
"Since you've made your choice, I won't say anything more. I need you to help the clan members grow stronger, but I won't force you."
Hearing this, Qi Tianshou hurriedly said, "Buddha Lord, we're happy to work for you. I'd like to explore the universe, too, but I can't just abandon our people."
"That's right. I like watching the younger members of the clan grow stronger and seeing the Gold Soul Clan flourish." Qi Jingshi looked at Qi Tian with earnest eyes.
Hearing how heartfelt they were, Qi Tian was also a little moved.
"In that case, I need you to take on an important task in the days ahead."
"Please give us your orders, Buddha Lord." Hearing that Qi Tian had an important task for them, the three grew serious.
"As you heard just now, I asked Mikita to buy habitable planets. Most of them are slave planets, or planets where the inhabitants are treated as laborers to earn money for the Planet Lords."
"Once you return, first organize the clan members into teams, then send them to different planets in batches to manage the slaves there."
Qi Tian laid out his plan piece by piece.
What was the fastest way to gather believers?
Of course, it was to free those slaves.
After Qi Jingshi and the others returned to Gold Soul Planet, Qi Tian wanted them to put steady, reliable people in charge and work with the others to act in his name.
They didn't need to truly free the slaves from their plight. They only needed to give them hope.
The Gold Soul Clan members would lead them in becoming self-sufficient and spread the story of how Qi Tian had led the Gold Soul Clan through hardship to save themselves, and how he had freed everyone on Gold Soul Planet from the threat of wild beasts.
Once the story of Qi Tian, the "Buddha Lord," had spread, they could teach the slaves how to grow stronger, give them cultivation resources, and even offer them the chance to leave their planets and see the vast universe.
Little by little, they would build the glorious image of the "Buddha Lord" as the savior of all.
Before you continue