40: Chapter 40 A Ticket Is Hard to Come By

The night was like ink, the stars hidden behind thick clouds.

Unlike the deathly silence in the slum's rental rooms, tonight's upper class in Boulder City had long fallen into a frenzied competition without the smoke of war.

East of the city, the Wang family's main residence.

The atmosphere in the council hall was suffocatingly oppressive.

The massive crystal chandelier cast a cold light, illuminating the pale and weary faces of more than a dozen family elders on both sides of the long table.

Sitting in the master seat, Wang family head Wang Zhantian had bloodshot eyes, and his hair, which was usually meticulously groomed, looked somewhat disheveled at the moment.

In his hand, he was tightly gripping a hexagram metal token that emitted a faint dark golden glow.

In the eyes of everyone present, this palm-sized metal token felt as heavy as a mountain.

"Patriarch, is it really worth it?"

The First Elder let out a long sigh, his voice carrying an undisguised tremble.

"For this mere quota to enter the degraded Divine Kingdom, our Wang family not only sold off the control of a full thirty core commercial streets, but even mortgaged the two miniature resource realms upon which the family depended for survival! This has practically drained nearly half of the family's liquid assets!"

"Shut up!"

Wang Zhantian abruptly slammed the table, and fine cracks instantly appeared across the fine red sandalwood tabletop.

"What do you know? That is a Tier 2 Astrological Divine Kingdom left over from ancient times!"

"Although it has now degraded to the point where only Tier 1 Creators are allowed to enter, any patch of origin soil tainted with ancient laws inside, or any shattered stellar oddity, once placed on the outside black market, would be priceless treasures capable of stirring up a bloody storm throughout Boulder City!"

"In order to rank among the truly top aristocratic families, what does this little price count for?!"

The hall instantly fell into dead silence. Everyone understood that the family head was making a massive gamble. Win, and the Wang family would soar to unprecedented heights; lose, and the Wang family would completely degenerate into a second-rate power.

"Wang Han!" Wang Zhantian suddenly turned his head, his gaze locked firmly onto the young man standing off to the side.

The eldest young master of the Wang family, Wang Han.

"Father!" Wang Han stepped forward and lowered his head slightly.

"This privilege key is something the family traded half its assets to secure for you."

"After entering the ruins, be sure to seize everything you can see! The future of the Wang family is all pinned on you!"

Wang Han nodded repeatedly, his hands moving swiftly as he grabbed the dark golden metal token.

"Rest assured, Father. That core origin will undoubtedly be within our Wang family's grasp!"

The scene shifted to the top-floor revolving starlight restaurant in Boulder City's central business district.

Melodious classical music drifted through the luxurious private dining room.

Wang Han sat in a velvet-upholstered chair, gently swirling a glass of priceless scarlet spirit wine in his hand. Opposite him sat a girl of peerless beauty.

Liu Ting.

She wore a form-fitting black evening gown that vividly outlined her graceful and exquisite curves. Her waterfall-like black hair fell casually over her snow-white shoulders, and her eyes, brimming with autumn water, exuded a cool yet enchanting charm.

In this era where the Creator reigned supreme, Liu Ting not only possessed beauty that drove countless geniuses wild, but also harbored ambitions far beyond the reach of ordinary people.

"Young Master Wang is in quite high spirits tonight, specially booking out this starlight restaurant. May I ask what brings you here?" Liu Ting's red lips parted slightly, her voice crisp and melodious, yet carrying a hint of elusive aloofness.

Far from being angered by this game of playing hard to get, Wang Han felt a surge of intense desire for conquest flash through his eyes.

"Ting'er, between you and me, why be so distant."

Wang Han put down the wine glass, leaned forward slightly, with what he thought was the most charming smile on the corner of his mouth, "I heard that your recent Divine Kingdom development has encountered a little bottleneck? Your dependents seem to lack high-level dark origins to complete the advancement?"

Hearing this, Liu Ting's eyes darkened slightly.

Although her talent was outstanding, the Liu family's foundation was after all not as deep as the Wang family's. At the critical moment of sprinting for a tier breakthrough, the lack of resources became her biggest constraint.

"There's no need to trouble Young Master Wang with that; I will naturally find a way." Liu Ting said indifferently.

"Your business is my business."

Wang Han chuckled lightly, and then like magic, slowly opened his right hand.

A hexagram metal plaque exuding a mysterious dark golden halo quietly lay in his palm.

The moment she laid eyes on the metal token, Liu Ting's face, which had always maintained an aloof expression, finally registered a drastic change. Her pupils abruptly constricted, her breathing grew hurried, and her full chest heaved violently.

"Th-This is..."

"That's right, this is the entry key to that ancient Tier 2 degraded Divine Kingdom that has been spreading like wildfire in the top-tier circles recently."

Wang Han was thoroughly satisfied with Liu Ting's shocked expression at the moment. He casually pushed that priceless treasure—one capable of driving countless noble families mad and severely straining the Wang family's resources—gently in front of Liu Ting as if tossing away an ordinary piece of chocolate.

"I know you have always been proud and arrogant, eager to shine brilliantly during the school-wide selections. Consider this quota a small gift from me."

"Gi... Given to me?"

Liu Ting stared fixedly at the token on the table, which radiated an alluring halo, her heart pounding wildly in her chest.

"My taste really is quite good after all. To have previously taken a liking to that trash Lin Yunfei was simply being blind!"

"Wang Han... You, you are too good to me. Ting'er really doesn't know how to repay this affection."

Wang Han brushed it off indifferently, saying, "Speaking of repayment, that would make us strangers. You understand my feelings!"

Meanwhile.

West District of Boulder City, the Zhang family's private martial arts arena.

Zhang Hao was shirtless, sitting cross-legged on the warm jade platform in the center of the martial arts arena.

"Hao'er, let's call it a day for today's practice."

A warm, steady voice came from the edge of the arena.

Patriarch Zhang Wanlin walked slowly into the area with his hands behind his back. In his hand, he held a metal token radiating a dark golden light.

"Father." Zhang Hao slowly opened his eyes, the fire light around his body completely converging. He stood up, walked forward unhurriedly, and respectfully saluted, his eyes clear and gentle.

"Your temperament is always so unhurried and focused on harmony." Patriarch Zhang Wanlin looked at his most valued son, his eyes holding both gratification and a complex emotion regarding the family's future.

To secure the quota in his hand, the price paid by the Zhang family was by no means less than that of the Wang family. They had ceded immense profits just to barely trade for the qualification to enter the ancient ruins from those greedy corporate giants.

"Take a look at this." Patriarch Zhang Wanlin handed the token to Zhang Hao.

Zhang Hao solemnly took it with both hands. When he felt the ancient and boundless spatial fluctuation on it, ripples of surprise finally appeared in his usually calm eyes.

"Hao'er, our Zhang family has always been reluctant to get embroiled in meaningless disputes, but in this era of fierce contention, if one does not advance, one falls behind! This is your opportunity, and also the family's chance to soar to unprecedented heights!"

"Rest assured, Father. I won't let you down." Zhang Hao smiled slightly, steadily slipping the token into his palm.

Meanwhile, in another remote corner of Boulder City.

Inside the dim rental room.

Lin Yunfei was standing quietly in front of the full-length mirror.

The person in the mirror was draped in a pitch-black hooded cloak large enough to conceal his figure, wearing a pure white faceless mask with no facial features save for two pitch-black eye sockets.

"A tree that stands out in a forest will be toppled by the wind."

Under the mask, the young man's voice was low and hoarse.

"To avoid causing unnecessary trouble."

"From now on, within these ruins..."

"My name is Su Feng!"

The night breeze blew through the half-open window into the room, causing his black cloak to flap noisily.

Morning arrived swiftly, and the spatial node was about to open!