In a hundred years, the Midgod who have independently broken through in the Rhine Clan has increased to more than a dozen. The Rhine Clan is no longer the family with extremely uneven strength among its members, and can now demonstrate its existence to the outside world.
Kasabu flew Jason and Landon toward the nearest Falling Rain City.
Kasabu, who has refined the divine essence of High Godhead, has absorbed a considerable amount of Soul Gold Bead in recent years, and his soul has been replenished to a certain extent. His current strength is stable at the threshold of Four Star Fiend.
Most importantly, Kasabu has now stabilized his aura to a certain extent, so that the fact that he is Refine Divine Spark cannot be easily seen through.
That's why the three of them weren't bothered by bandits along the way.
The three of them were sent to Falling Rain City on Delisha's orders to gather information and prepare for future family transactions.
"The three of us should have no problem getting a Fiend title, but I've heard that real estate in the Netherworld cities is very expensive. I wonder if we have enough Nether Stone," Kasabu chatted casually as they flew.
Jason was the one who proposed purchasing the property. Having a foothold in Falling Rain City would be convenient for both himself and future family members when they went out to gain experience.
"That should be enough. We brought half of the Nether Stone the family had. After arriving in the Netherworld, the patriarch killed four Highgod. Half of what those four Highgod had accumulated shouldn't be enough to not even afford a house." Landon was quite confident.
Jason wasn't sure either. He couldn't remember the prices of real estate in the city in the original story, especially since those were prices in the Infernal Realm. Now, the three of them were carrying 60 million Nether Stone and two High Godhead. Delisha still trusted Jason and Landon. As for Kasabu, he had made a very thorough oath before refining the High Godhead.
The two Highgod bandits they had previously killed were only Four Star Fiend. Delisha estimated that even if her people refined them, they would only be able to unleash the power of Three-Star Fiend. It would be better to have the three of them take them to the city and sell them directly.
(In the original novel, the cheapest house in the Infernal Realm costs 60 million Inkstone, a top-grade Highgod Artifact costs 750,000, and a regular High Godhead costs 7 million Inkstone.)
Jason figured 60 million Nether Stone should be enough. After all, the two Highgod who initially hunted down the Rhine Clan upon arriving in the Netherworld were both Five-Star Fiend. For powerhouses of that level, buying a house shouldn't be difficult, right?
Falling Rain City is the city at the farthest northwest of the Northern Northbone Prefecture; further north lies the Undead Realm.
As its name suggests, the city has been known for its continuous rain throughout its trillions of years of history, with few torrential downpours but rather a constant drizzle.
As for the reason, it is said that the water vapor from the Gray Serpent River in the south clashed with the death wind from the Undead Realm in the north, causing the water vapor to easily condense into raindrops, resulting in abundant rainfall.
Jason initially didn't believe the theory, but after thinking about it, he realized that perhaps the situation in a world of swords and magic fit the mysticism.
For many Deity-level in the Netherworld, especially aquatic races, Falling Rain City is a very good place to settle down.
If Falling Rain City weren't so remote, this place would definitely be much more prosperous.
Falling Rain City covers an area of only about a thousand miles in circumference, roughly the size of a province in the Material Plane.
A Highgod leading two Midgod is a combination that would usually intimidate most bandits, who would not dare to attack rashly without being certain that the other party possesses valuable treasures.
Jason and his two companions arrived at the gates of Falling Rain City without any trouble.
The city wall, which is two hundred meters high, is made of common Black Yu mixed with some unique materials from the Netherworld. The originally black wall is covered with a layer of green moss due to excessive rain, making the whole city look ancient and mysterious.
The city gate, which was over a hundred meters wide and high, was slowly entered by the three of them.
A Highgod city guard, hovering to the side and above, opened his eyes and looked at the three of them.
Landon took out three Nether Stone and threw them over, while Kasabu, a Highgod, pretended to be the leader.
The city guards stopped them, and the three entered the city.
Falling Rain City is meticulously planned, with each road as wide as the main thoroughfare of Material Plane plane's royal city, lined with various shops on both sides and mansions on the inner side.
Every room was incredibly tall, as if designed for giants; all sorts of precious magic crystals and gems, extremely rare in the Material Plane, were inlaid on the side walls and pillars as if they were free; even a very inconspicuous little tavern had a Deity-level chef who had studied culinary arts for tens of thousands of years.
Finally, the three arrived at the city center.
From east to west, the three castles are arranged as follows: the one with a one-eyed statue wreathed in green flames and entirely black is the "Fiend Castle"; the one with a white skull and a grayish-white color scheme is the "North Skeleton Castle"; and the one built from countless pale white bones is the Netherworld's underground black market, the "Specter Castle".
The Netherworld has seven Sovereign. The Sovereign of the Dead occupies the center of the Netherworld, four Lower Sovereign divide the continents around it, and two Mid-level Sovereign control the ocean.
Each Sovereign's army does not interfere with the operation of the Netherworld cities. The Prefecture Army of each prefecture is under the command of the prefecture lord to maintain the city's security, and the prefecture lord is directly subordinate to the Sovereign.
Therefore, the twenty cities of Northbone Prefecture are under the jurisdiction of the Northbone Prefecture lord, and the castles where the city lords reside, which also function as formal trading centers, are also called "North Skeleton Castle".
The three headed straight for the North Skeleton Castle.
Although I had never been to the city, I still knew some basic information from some Midgod who had lived in the Netherworld for a long time. Of course, those Midgod were all killed by the Rhine Clan.
The outermost three-story building of the castle leads further inside to the lord's residence.
The three entered through the main entrance, walked through the left-hand acquisition area, and headed straight for the third floor.
Because they were led by Highgod, the two guards at the entrance to the third floor did not stop the three of them at all and let them pass directly.
As they approached a trading window, the Highgod Kasabu gave Jason a wink.
Jason approached the window like a servant. "Sir, could you please check the price of this knife for us?"
A young-looking trader glanced at Jason before lowering his gaze. As a seasoned trader, he immediately recognized that Jason meant "this kind of knife," not "this particular knife." Looking at the material of the Blood Blade, he realized it was likely made from some kind of creature, indicating the trader probably had a batch of knives of the same material ready for sale.
"It possesses the hardness of Lowgod Artifact without being nurtured by Divine Power," the young trader added, activating his Divine Power power once more. "It has a certain degree of spirituality, and its overall performance is no weaker than that of a mid-level Lowgod Artifact. It also has a high affinity with the divine power of death and Destruction Divine Power."
The trader hesitated for a moment, then said, "For a single item, I'll buy it for 3,000 Nether Stone. Theoretically, we shouldn't be trading on this third level, but if it's a large quantity, we can offer a discount."
Jason had previously inquired about the price of Midgod Artifact, which ranged from five to six thousand, while Midgod Artifact cost a little over a thousand. However, the North Skeleton Castle would take a 30% cut of the profits when acquiring such artifacts, which meant that the Violet-Eyed Bladewing Fiend's Blood Blade was priced slightly lower than a Midgod Artifact.
This price met the Rhine Clan's expectations, considering it was merely a prototype equivalent to Lowgod Artifact.
It should be noted that the Violet-Eyed Bladewing Fiend can cultivate a qualified Blood Blade in five thousand years, and that's something only the demon himself can do; while a normal Divine Artifact requires at least ten thousand years of continuous tempering with Divine Power to be cultivated, and even then, the quality is very low.
(The Blood Blade conceived by the Violet-Eyed Bladewing Fiend in the Yulan arc was in an immature state and had not yet reached the level of a mid-to- Lowgod Artifact.)
Jason took out ten Blood Blade.
This was given to him by Delisha. Back in the Abyss, the Bladewing Fiend were the lowest-level creatures, and many Violet-Eyed Bladewing Fiend died in battle every thousand years. Delisha collected quite a few back then.
"Tsk, the quantity is a bit small. I can raise the price a bit: ten Blood Blade for 35,000 Nether Stone. However, you'll need to add some more goods to increase the transaction price to over 300,000." Clearly, the third floor of North Skeleton Castle has a minimum transaction amount.
"I still have some Mid Godhead, can I sell them all together?" Jason asked tentatively.
"Oh, sir, don't joke with me. This is the rule of North Skeleton Castle. How about you have the gentleman behind you bring out something?"
Kasabu coughed lightly, and Jason stepped aside to let him pass through the window.
Kasabu immediately threw out two High Godhead: "We'll be coming here often from now on."
The young-looking trader smiled and accepted the gifts, "These two Divine Spark are also discounted for you. They cost 15 million Nether Stone, and these 35,000 Nether Stone are for this Midgod."
Jason took the two Interspatial Ring, counted them, and handed them both to Kasabu.
Kasabu only took the Interspatial Ring containing fifteen million Nether Stone: "Pleasant transaction."
The clerk then produced a metal business card. "I'm Volvo. If you ever need anything to sell, feel free to contact me. I'll offer you the best price. I'll be waiting for you anytime."
"As expected," Kasabu transmitted telepathically. "Next, I need to buy a house and then obtain the Demon title."
"Don't be too optimistic, I have a feeling that houses in the Netherworld might be very expensive," Jason said.
The three went directly to the third-floor sales hall.
"The cheapest house is 80 million!!!" Kasabu and Landon wailed in telepathic communication.
The three of them currently only have a little over 75 million Nether Stone, and that's after they just sold two High Godhead!
Jason calmed himself down and stepped forward to ask, "Ma'am, are there any affordable houses available in Falling Rain City lately?"
The saleswoman was a Midgod, so she wasn't surprised. After all, it was normal for Highgod not to be able to afford houses in the city. In the Netherworld, those who could easily buy a house were either Six-Star Fiend or people who had unexpectedly struck it rich, and such people were rare in Falling Rain City.
"I'm sorry, but unfortunately, a house that cost 60 million Nether Stone was sold three days ago; now the lowest price is 80 million Nether Stone," the other party said to Jason with a smile.
Jason glanced at the price list behind him; there were quite a few houses priced at over seven thousand Nether Stone, but the names were all grayed out, indicating they were truly sold out.
"How about we don't buy it for now?" Landon's personality had become increasingly stable in recent years.
Jason hesitated for a moment, then saw the container next door— the Deathgod Golem.
In the Netherworld, puppets are also called Deathgod Golem, as indicated on the shelf.
Clearly, there are people in Falling Rain City who can craft Deathgod Golem, but the number is small; there are only thirteen on the entire shelf, and only two types: the lower-priced one costs five million Nether Stone, slightly less than a High Godhead; the more expensive Deathgod Golem cost fifteen million Nether Stone.
Jason glanced at them; the more expensive ones were equivalent to the hardness of Midgod Artifact. He remembered that the hardness of the highest-level Deathgod Golem was comparable to that of Highgod Artifact, but Falling Rain City didn't have any, and he didn't know the price.
(The highest price in the original work is 150 million Nether Stone)
"Senior Landon, could you use your clone to ask if you could sell a Deathgod Golem?"
Jason and Landon both have Deathgod Golem, and each has two.
Delisha didn't tell Jason and the others what the Highgod relics she found on the Yulan Continent were, but Jason guessed that they probably didn't contain Nether Stone. Fortunately, there were many items that could be exchanged for Nether Stone.
The two Deathgod Golem that Delisha gave Jason, compared to those on the nearby shelf, should be mid-range, priced at around 15 million Nether Stone.
The medium-hardness of the Deathgod Golem is equivalent to that of Midgod Artifact, and it can hold its own against Highgod of average strength for more than a dozen moves—even a Highgod would need some time to destroy a Midgod Artifact.
Controlling the Deathgod Golem requires concentration. Jason can only control one clone at a time. He only has two clones in the Netherworld, so he might as well sell one Deathgod Golem.
"The clan chief has agreed."
Landon still retains his original body, so he left the weaker Death Clone with the family. With the original body present, the Edicts of Death can still be used, so it won't have a significant impact on the Fiend assessment.
The three of them returned to the original receiving area.
At the same window, the young man saw the three return and said, "It seems the three of you have found something you absolutely must buy."
Jason immediately pulled out a Deathgod Golem: "Volvo brothers, we should be coming here to sell things often in the future. Please give this Deathgod Golem a good price."
The receiving clerk was also taken aback; he hadn't expected Jason to have this. He glanced at the "unfathomable" Kasabu behind him and nodded. "Easy peasy. This Deathgod Golem is about 80% new. The normal purchase price is nine million, but I can give you ten million Nether Stone."
Jason could tell the other party was bluffing him. A receiving clerk could have a million-dollar markup?
However, he knew that the highest price the other party could offer was probably ten million. After all, that was the rule of North Skeleton Castle to acquire at 70% of the original price. Jason had used this Deathgod Golem quite a few times since arriving in the Netherworld, so ten million was already a very reasonable price.
"Make a deal."
The three of them left the North Skeleton Castle and headed straight for their "mansion".
The three of them had just bought the house worth 80 million Nether Stone that had been sitting on their inventory for a long time, which made the female clerk very happy, and she gave her three cases of fine wine as a gift.
The wine from the Netherworld is still quite precious.
Spanning an area of two miles, the five-story aristocratic-style mansion was as tall and magnificent as other buildings in the city. Each room could accommodate dozens of people, and the living room resembled a grand auditorium.
The courtyard was very spacious. If it weren't for the Falling Rain City, two more identical buildings could have been constructed.
"Even Deity-level being could accommodate over a hundred people," Landon commented.
He was calculating based on the minimum space required for Deity-level cultivation; in reality, there are only a dozen or so bedrooms here.
This courtyard can accommodate a maximum of five people simultaneously, and three of them have already pledged allegiance through blood donation.
Research revealed that the villas in the courtyard were very similar to the Metallic Lifeform, but with stronger defenses, possessing the hardness of a low-level Highgod Artifact, and capable of recognizing multiple owners. Correspondingly, the villas' ability to transform was inferior to that of the Metallic Lifeform.
What they have in common is that they possess a certain level of intelligence and are able to allow those recognized by the owner as "one of their own" to enter and exit the compound.
The three of them enjoyed fine wine and basked in the sun indoors.
"Many people in the family have complaints about us spending over 80 million Nether Stone to buy a house," Landon said.
Kasabu was a little nervous.
But Jason seemed indifferent. "What did the chieftain say?"
She said the three of us should make the decisions.
Jason shrugged. "If the chieftain has no objections, then it's fine."
"Elder Jason is really confident."
Kasabu shook his head and laughed. Actually, he also felt that Jason was spending money extravagantly and a bit too much, but he didn't dare to say it.
Although he, as Highgod Refine Divine Spark, appeared glamorous, his actual status was far inferior to Jason and Landon, who were the two most promising individuals in the family to break through to Highgod on their own.
Jason smiled.
Since fusing with the bloodline of the Thunderwing Angel, he is now confident of reaching the peak of Three-Star Fiend. You should know that even Kasabu, Refine Divine Spark, can barely reach the level of Four Star Fiend, and whether he can even pass the test is another matter.