The moment Lu Yu stepped out of the Soul Fighting Arena's office building, the tense muscles in his back finally relaxed. He let out a long, turbid breath.
He didn't know the exact level of the Soul Power pressure Manager Huang had released, but if they had truly fallen out, Lu Yu wouldn't have had even a chance to escape.
"The Soul Fighting Arena does have some magnanimity. I'm just a little level 17 Soul Master, but they didn't bully me. They even gave me Gold Soul Coins!"
Lu Yu weighed the cool, exquisite purple soul coin card in his hand, a flicker of delight in his eyes.
Three hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins, securely in his hands.
He had gambled right this time. He'd kept his steady money-making avenue and gotten a huge sum for free. It was an absolute windfall.
Without lingering, Lu Yu slung the pitch-black iron staff over his shoulder and headed for the busiest central district of Suotuo City.
The largest, most reputable shop in Suotuo City, with the finest stock, was none other than the Seven Treasure Chamber of Commerce, established by the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
After passing through streets bustling with carriages and people, he caught sight of a magnificent pavilion built entirely from white jade stone.
The pavilion towered overhead. Its gold-trimmed signboard bore four large characters in an elegant, archaic style: Seven Treasure Chamber of Commerce.
Lu Yu took the iron staff off his shoulder, held it casually in one hand, and strode straight into the chamber of commerce.
The hall was spacious and bright, furnished with exquisite glazed display cases containing all manner of rare cultivation resources.
The customers coming and going were either rich or noble, mostly scions of noble families and seasoned Soul Masters. No one made a commotion; an air of refinement and order pervaded the place.
Seeing that Lu Yu was young but carried himself with composure, the greeter at the entrance hurried forward and bowed respectfully:
"Lord Soul Master, what resources would you like to purchase? I can guide you through the entire process."
The familiar webnovel scene of a servant looking down on a customer never happened. Lu Yu nodded in satisfaction.
"I want Whale Rubber, body-tempering spirit medicines, and a storage-type Soul Tool."
"Right this way, my lord!"
The attendant didn't dare delay and immediately led Lu Yu to the special VIP display area on the second floor. Something like Whale Rubber certainly couldn't be sold openly, and since Lu Yu also wanted a Storage Soul Tool, he was more than qualified to go upstairs.
The second-floor room was elegantly furnished and quiet, shut off from all the noise below. A dedicated sales attendant was already waiting there.
"What grade of Whale Rubber would you like, sir? Our chamber has plenty in stock. We have ten-year, hundred-year, and thousand-year Whale Rubber."
Lu Yu considered it, then looked at the attendant. "Do you have Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Glue?"
"Sir, ordinary hundred-year Whale Rubber is already very effective. As for ten-thousand-year Whale Rubber..."
The attendant quietly trailed off. Though her manner remained respectful, there was a strange look in her eyes. Clearly, she had misunderstood something.
Everyone on the continent knew Whale Rubber was used as an aphrodisiac. The medicinal effect of ordinary hundred-year Whale Rubber was more than sufficient, yet the child before her wanted to buy the ten-thousand-year kind.
"Two pieces of thousand-year Whale Rubber and one piece of hundred-year Whale Rubber," Lu Yu said calmly, paying no attention to the attendant's odd look. He was the only person on the entire continent who knew the true use of Whale Rubber; a few dirty looks were unavoidable.
The attendant was delighted. The three pieces of Whale Rubber would earn her another sizeable commission. She quickly fetched three exquisite jade boxes and gently opened them.
Looking at the quality of the three pieces, Lu Yu nodded in satisfaction. They were far better than the piece of hundred-year Whale Rubber he had bought in Nuoding City.
"And bring me a hundred-year Fire Ganoderma," Lu Yu continued.
The Fire Ganoderma and hundred-year Whale Rubber were naturally for Lu Fei. Once he had paid, he could simply have the Seven Treasure Chamber of Commerce's caravan deliver them. Lu Yu had no plans to return yet.
The attendant soon brought back a ganoderma that was crimson all over and gave off a faint warmth. Its markings were distinct, and its age was unmistakable: it was a genuine hundred-year spirit medicine.
"Also, bring me a Storage Soul Tool. Make it a ring!"
Storage Soul Tools were expensive and usually came in the form of cloth pouches or storage belts. A small storage ring was more refined and portable, as well as more discreet.
A moment later, a plain ring of dark silver was handed to him. Its design was simple and understated.
The ring felt cool and smooth to the touch. Fine, hidden runes were carved into its surface, and its internal space could be activated with a probe of Soul Power.
"Sir, this is a basic storage soul tool ring. Its internal space is approximately ten cubic meters, enough for storing everyday supplies. It's our shop's bestselling entry-level model."
Lu Yu took the ring and injected a faint wisp of Chaos Soul Power through his fingertip.
Hum-
The ring flashed faintly, and he could clearly sense the empty storage space inside. It was just the right size, enough for his use.
With a thought, Lu Yu put the iron staff in his hand away. He used his Soul Power to take it out again, then put it back. Only after repeating this several times did he stop.
He had fulfilled every Dragon Kingdom person's dream of cultivating immortality, and his heart was filled with delight!
"So this is what using a storage ring feels like! One word: awesome!"
"That's everything. Pack it up."
Lu Yu decisively settled on all the items.
The attendant quickly sorted all the rare resources into dedicated shockproof jade boxes, her movements gentle and meticulous.
"Sir, that's two pieces of thousand-year Whale Rubber, one piece of hundred-year Whale Rubber, one hundred-year Fire Ganoderma, one storage soul tool ring, and the pills needed for cultivation. The total is 187,000 Gold Soul Coins."
Though Lu Yu knew the Seven Treasure Chamber of Commerce wouldn't resort to cheating or swindling, spending nearly 190,000 Gold Soul Coins in one go still pained him a little.
Lu Yu took out the purple soul coin card and handed it to the attendant. Wincing at the expense, he said, "Swipe it!"
The attendant took the card, placed it on a dedicated Soul Power detection device, and injected a trace of guiding Soul Power.
A balance and payment screen instantly appeared. The balance of 300,000 was clearly displayed, and after the payment went through, 113,000 Gold Soul Coins remained securely on the card.
The transaction was completed in one smooth motion, simple and convenient. Lu Yu watched in surprise.
Once the payment was complete, the attendant respectfully returned the soul coin card with both hands. Lu Yu put all the supplies he had purchased into the Storage Soul Tool, leaving out the hundred-year Whale Rubber, the Fire Ganoderma, and some cultivation pills for Su Yuntao.
Lu Yu looked up at the attendant. "Can your chamber of commerce deliver to a home address?"
"Of course we can, sir!"
Lu Yu nodded and gave her Su Yuntao's home address, including a thousand Gold Soul Coins as well. He wanted to give more, but he was afraid Su Yuntao would worry. A thousand Gold Soul Coins wasn't too much for Su Yuntao, either.
The attendant immediately recorded the delivery address and name, affixed a dedicated confidentiality label, and added it to the chamber's list of special shipments for the following day.
"Rest assured, sir. Our Seven Treasure Chamber of Commerce provides a security escort throughout the delivery. Any damaged or lost goods will be compensated in full. It will arrive within three days, and the delivery confirmation can be checked at any time."
After completing all the procedures, Lu Yu was just about to leave when he suddenly stopped and looked at the attendant. "When does the caravan leave tomorrow?"
The attendant thought for a moment before answering, "Nine tomorrow morning."
"Can I add a few things to the shipment before the caravan leaves?"
Lu Yu suddenly remembered that he had never told Lu Fei the true use of Whale Rubber. If he just sent the Whale Rubber and Lu Fei took it to Su Yuntao to ask about it, that would be terribly embarrassing. It would be better to send a letter along with it.
"Of course. You only need to pay the corresponding shipping fee."
Lu Yu walked out of the Seven Treasure Chamber of Commerce's doors into the warm afternoon sunshine.
He raised his hand and gripped the storage ring on his finger, brimming with confidence.
With the help of two pieces of thousand-year Whale Rubber, Lu Yu's body would surely undergo another qualitative transformation. Together with the cultivation resources he had purchased, breaking through to level 20 within a month would be no problem at all.
Tang San, who was the same age, should only be around level 15.
"Tang San, oh, Tang San! I'm one step ahead, and I'll stay ahead at every step. Let's see how you become a god!"
A smile rose to Lu Yu's lips.
The path to his rise was steadily unfolding, step by step.