Life Gold! Seeking Additional Investment from Boss Di Tian!

Wukong had not forgotten that a massive chunk of Life Gold was hidden within the Lake of Life.

Life Gold was also one of the foremost treasures of heaven and earth, containing an immensely vast amount of life energy.

Not only could it heal injuries and strengthen the Sea of Spirit, it could also cleanse the meridians and marrow, tempering the body.

This piece of Life Gold had likely originally been intended to heal the Silver Dragon King. But the Silver Dragon King's origin injury was far too severe; the Life Gold was simply unable to do much.

So it had been temporarily left at the bottom of the lake.

If my physical strength really falls just a little short...

I'll make a trip back and ask Boss Di Tian for some additional investment.

After all, Di Tian had invested so much in the early stages, and his initial results had been quite remarkable. There was a high chance he would agree to invest more.

It was the same principle as seeking sponsorship. As long as a project had promising prospects, investors would certainly be willing to put money into it.

Having sorted out his upcoming cultivation plans, Wukong immediately felt a weight lift from his heart. He quickly calmed his mind and entered a state of deep meditation.

While Wukong immersed himself in cultivation...

Li Shoumin also took the imprinted manuscript and hired a fast carriage overnight.

He traveled without rest, racing through day and night.

Several days later, he finally arrived at Heaven Dou City, the capital of the Heaven Dou Empire.

Heaven Dou City was the empire's political and cultural hub, as well as the bellwether of the times.

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had established its publishing house headquarters here, a clear testament to both its ambition and foundation.

It had been three years since Li Shoumin had last come to Heaven Dou City.

But at this moment, he had no mood to admire the city's prosperity.

He directly had the carriage driven to the publishing house headquarters established by the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect in the eastern part of the city.

Li Shoumin was a distributor from Dragon Rising City.

His bookstore primarily sold books abroad to the Star Luo Empire, and its sales had always been quite good.

Thus, at headquarters, he was also recognized as a high-quality distribution partner.

After the guards announced his arrival, Li Shoumin smoothly entered the inner hall and met the publishing house's deputy chief editor—Ning Jincheng.

"Mr. Ning, please take the trouble to look over this manuscript."

Li Shoumin respectfully handed over the manuscript.

Ning Jincheng was already over fifty, with graying hair at his temples.

Though he had been born into the direct line of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, his Innate Soul Power had been low, a mere Rank Three. With no hope of ever breaking through, he had been assigned by the sect to manage this worldly publishing business.

Ning Jincheng adjusted the reading glasses on his nose and casually opened to the first page.

Yet after reading only a few lines, his expression instantly grew solemn.

The more he read, the more engrossed he became. At times he furrowed his brow in thought; at others, he slapped the table and cried out in admiration.

Only after devouring all fifty thousand words in one go, his eyes aching unbearably, did he reluctantly raise his head. His voice was filled with unconcealed excitement. "Which reclusive master penned this work? Its setting is so novel that it is simply unheard of! Its ideas are extraordinarily bold, yet its writing is so mature and steady. It truly is a rare and remarkable book!"

Li Shoumin gave a wry smile. "Mr. Ning, you may not believe me when I say it, but this book... was written by a child."

"A child?"

Ning Jincheng raised his brows, his face full of astonishment.

"Absolutely true. He looked to be around eight or nine. He has often come to my shop to buy books these past few months. The other day, he suddenly pulled out this stack of manuscripts. When I read it, I was so shocked that I could not recover for quite some time."

"How could a child of eight or nine possess such earth-shattering breadth of mind?" Ning Jincheng repeatedly shook his head.

"That was my thought as well."

Li Shoumin agreed. "I secretly guessed that it must have been written by some elder in his family, which he copied down and brought to exchange for money. But when I questioned him a little, he refused to say anything. He even made as if to leave, unwilling to publish the book through my shop."

"Hehe, interesting."

Ning Jincheng smiled elegantly. "Regardless of who truly wrote this book, its market potential is beyond question. Did you sign a contract with him?"

"Of course I did. Please have a look."

Li Shoumin hurriedly presented the contract.

"Sun Wukong?"

Ning Jincheng looked at the three characters, deep in thought.

"That's right. Judging by his clothes and bearing, he is definitely not an ordinary commoner's child. Just buying books at my shop, he casually spends several Gold Soul Coins every month without batting an eye. Oh, right, the boy's Soul Master talent is decent as well. His martial soul is a staff, and he has Rank Five Innate Soul Power. He is nearly Rank Ten already."

Ning Jincheng nodded slightly, his expression calm. "Someone capable of constructing such a grand and profound worldview must come from a family of deep roots and abundant means. Still, since the contract has been made and his fingerprint stamped in black and white, even if an elder from his family comes seeking to go back on it later, our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect has justice on its side and need not fear any dispute."

As expected, Ning Jincheng did not dwell much on Wukong's Soul Master talent.

In the eyes of the wealthy and powerful Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Rank Five Innate Soul Power was common as dirt and not worth mentioning.

His own bloodline aptitude might have been somewhat lacking, but it was good to have a great tree to lean against. After all, his surname was Ning.

Before absolute power, the level of one's talent sometimes seemed far less important.

As long as it was not like that mutated martial soul from the neighboring sect with half-rank Innate Soul Power, which drew so much criticism.

Ning Jincheng gave a light cough and brought the conversation back on track.

"How did you settle the manuscript fee with him?"

Li Shoumin reported honestly.

"At the time, I quoted a retail price of five Silver Soul Coins, with twenty percent for him."

Ning Jincheng pondered for a moment, then shook his head. "Broaden your perspective. Such an extraordinary book, of such high quality, is enough to establish an entire genre. How can it be judged by ordinary standards? Price it at six Silver Soul Coins, and give him thirty percent! If this little fellow can produce works of such astonishing brilliance in the future, he will surely appreciate our sincerity and continue working with us."

Li Shoumin clicked his tongue, then asked, "What about the advance? I previously promised him only one hundred Gold Soul Coins."

Ning Jincheng waved a hand grandly. "One hundred is far too stingy. Advance him five hundred Gold Soul Coins!"

"Five hundred?!"

Li Shoumin cried out in shock.

One had to know that advances for ordinary novels were at most one or two hundred Gold Soul Coins.

Even those renowned bestselling authors could only receive five or six hundred at the very most.

It seemed that Mr. Ning truly thought highly of this God Realm Legend.

After the two discussed the details and finalized everything, Ning Jincheng immediately ordered someone to bring five hundred Gold Soul Coin notes and hand them to Li Shoumin.

Li Shoumin was not in a hurry to return.

It was rare for him to visit the flourishing Heaven Dou City, and besides, he still needed to stock up once the books had been printed.

Since he had already made the trip, he might as well wait here and return home with the first batch of new books.

Thus, Li Shoumin spent several carefree days in Heaven Dou City.

Once the first batch of sample books came off the press, he directly ordered five hundred copies. Only then, thoroughly satisfied, did he hire a spacious carriage and head for Dragon Rising City.

And during that journey there and back, more than half a month quietly slipped away.

When Li Shoumin's carriage entered the gates of Dragon Rising City...

In Heaven Dou City, thousands of miles away, the most prominent displays of every major bookstore were already filled with God Realm Legend, its cover simple yet imposing.