125: Sorry, the rent is due.

"I'm rich! I'm rich! I've really hit the jackpot this time!"

"Hahaha! I'm going to be the richest man in the Immortal Realm!"

He rushed over to a pile of Low-Grade Spirit Stones and gave them a disdainful kick.

"Trash! All of it is trash!"

"In the future, even the floors of our Sect will be paved with immortal jade! Anyone who dares to use Spirit Stones is picking a fight with our Myriad Dao Divine Sect!"

As he roared, he pulled out his command token.

"Hey! Ergou!"

"Drop everything you're doing! Gather all the branch managers of our Myriad Dao Merchant Guild! Call a meeting immediately, the highest level kind!"

"Yes! It's a huge deal! Even if the sky falls, it's not as big as this!"

"I'm telling you, our Myriad Dao Merchant Guild is about to undergo an industrial upgrade!"

"From today on, our target is the sea of stars!"

Hanging up the transmission, Wang Duojin stood with hands on his hips, looking at the dazzling array of "mortal goods" in the treasury with the purest smile of a capitalist.

He had already thought it through.

Once Revered Master sends those treasures from the Immortal Realm down through "internal channels."

The first thing he would do is create a monopoly!

A total monopoly on the entire high-end market of the Azure Cloud Continent!

What Holy Lands, what Imperial Dynasties, what Hidden Families?

Before an Immortal Artifact, all living beings are equal!

"Hehehe..."

Bursts of wretched laughter echoed in the empty treasury, making the two Inner Sect Disciples guarding the door feel their skin crawl... Xuantian Immortal Domain, Qingming Mountain Range.

Inside the valley, Immortal Qi swirled. Fat from a Seven-Colored Immortal Pheasant dripped onto the campfire, making a "sizzling" sound as a rich aroma of meat drifted through the air.

Chu Xuanjin lazily rolled over on his rocking chair.

"Revered Master, it's roasted."

Zhao Wuyou tore off a succulent pheasant leg and handed it over respectfully.

Chu Xuanjin took it and took a bite; the meat was tender and melted in his mouth, the pure immortal essence within bursting forth.

"Mm, tastes good."

He finished off the leg in a few bites and clapped his hands.

"Alright, everyone eat."

"Once we're full, it's time to inspect our first industry in the Immortal Realm."

But Chu Xuanjin still didn't move.

He just yawned, and another identical Clone stepped out from his body.

"Sigh, truly a life of hard labor."

The Clone complained and waved toward Ye Chenfeng and the others.

"Let's go, children."

"Daddy's taking you to collect rent."

Ye Chenfeng and the others: "..."

Although it wasn't the first time they'd seen it, they still felt a daze in their Souls every time they witnessed Revered Master's miraculous "One Qi Transforms into Three Pure Ones."

This was a legendary supreme Divine Ability of the Daoist gates!

How was it that in Revered Master's hands, it was as simple as eating or drinking water?

And it was used specifically for running errands and slacking off?

The group followed the Clone, turning into several streaks of light as they flew toward the Qingmu Sect.

Back at the original spot, only Chu Xuanjin's main body and the five newly summoned True Immortal Realm Mysterious Wardens remained.

"Xuan Yi."

"Present."

"I'll leave this place to you." Chu Xuanjin pointed at the jade marrow ginseng.

"Keep a good eye on it; don't let any random cats or dogs snatch it away."

"Yes, Sect Master!" Xuan Yi bowed and accepted the order, his voice steady.

"Also, while you're at it, fence off everything within a hundred-mile radius."

Chu Xuanjin thought for a moment and added.

"Put up a sign."

"Write: Private Territory, Trespassers Will Die."

"Make the handwriting look a bit more domineering."

"As you command!"

Chu Xuanjin closed his eyes in satisfaction.

Done.

He could go back to sleep now... The Qingmu Sect should now be called the "Myriad Dao Divine Sect Qingmu Branch."

The entire Sect was shrouded in an atmosphere of oppression and despair.

The mountain gate was shattered, the halls collapsed, and ruins were everywhere.

Several thousand surviving Disciples were clearing the debris with numb expressions under the direction of some managers.

They didn't dare to flee.

Because deep within all of their Divine Souls, a Restriction had been planted by that devil with a casual wave of his hand.

If even a single thought of escaping or betrayal arose, their Divine Souls would instantly detonate.

Atop the ruins of the Discussion Hall, a temporary house had been constructed.

Mu Changqing, the former Sect Master of the Qingmu Sect and now the Qingmu Branch Head, was pale-faced as he calculated the Sect's losses against a pile of Jade Slips.

Beside him, the Elders who had also had their cultivation bases crippled were all despondent, their eyes hollow like walking corpses with their Souls sucked out.

"Branch... Branch Head..."

Elder Sun's lips were parched and his voice was hoarse.

"Are we... are we really going to hand over the Sect's ten-thousand-year foundation to someone else?"

Mu Changqing didn't look up, only giving him a cold glance.

That look was icy and filled with venomous resentment.

"Otherwise?"

"Do you want to die?"

Elder Sun's body trembled, and he didn't dare speak again.

A flash of deep, powerless sorrow crossed Mu Changqing's eyes.

How could he not want to resist?

But how could he?

The opponent hadn't even descended in his true body.

Just a single Clone had played their entire Qingmu Sect in the palm of his hand, treading their tens of thousands of years of pride and heritage underfoot, crushing it to dust.

That was a crushing blow from a different dimension.

It was the despair of an ant looking up at a dragon, not even possessing the qualification to gaze upon it.

Just then.

Several streaks of light descended from the sky, landing outside the house.

The leader was none other than Chu Xuanjin's Clone.

"Branch Head Mu."

Chu Xuanjin's Clone walked in leisurely with his hands behind his back, a warm smile on his face.

"How is the accounting going?"

"I have always been very rigorous when it comes to numbers."

"If even a single cent is missing, I will get angry."

Mu Changqing's body stiffened abruptly.

He looked up at the face that would wake him from his dreams in a cold sweat and forced out a few words through his teeth.

"Still... still calculating..."

"Oh? Such low efficiency?" Chu Xuanjin frowned.

"It seems Branch Head Mu's professional ability needs improvement."

No sooner had he spoken.

"Sect Master!"

Wang Tianlong came running in on all fours, his face covered in a fawning smile.

"Sect Master! You're here!"

He ran up to Chu Xuanjin, bowing and scraping like a lapdog seeing its Revered Master.

"This old waste Mu Changqing is just inefficient! Don't worry, with me watching, I guarantee he won't dare embezzle a single cent of your assets!"

Looking at Wang Tianlong's face, Mu Changqing trembled with rage, nearly spitting out a mouthful of blood.

Traitor!

Shameless traitor!

"Mm, Little Wang, you have a high level of ideological awareness."

Chu Xuanjin patted Wang Tianlong's shoulder, looking quite pleased.

"Work hard, and I won't mistreat you in the future."

"Thank you for your cultivation, Sect Master!" Wang Tianlong's face flushed with excitement.

Chu Xuanjin ignored the two and began inspecting the house on his own.

He picked up a Jade Slip, looked at it, and shook his head.

"Tsk tsk, these accounts are a mess."

"It seems you are in dire need of a professional Chief Financial Officer."

As he spoke, he looked toward the distant horizon.

The corners of his mouth curled up slightly.

"Speak of the devil, and he shall appear."

"Huh?"

Both Mu Changqing and Wang Tianlong were stunned.

Just then.

A terrifying pressure, several times stronger than that of Mu Changqing and the others, swept in from the horizon!

That pressure was sharp, overbearing, and full of aggression!

It was as if a peerless Heavenly Saber had been unsheathed!

"Rumble—!"

A massive flying vessel forged entirely of black profound iron, thousands of feet long and carved with countless ferocious saber scars, tore through the clouds and appeared above the Qingmu Sect!

At the bow of the vessel hung a large black flag fluttering in the wind!

On the flag, three grand characters were embroidered in gold thread.

Heavenly Saber Pavilion!

"It's... it's the Heavenly Saber Pavilion!"

The blood instantly drained from Mu Changqing's face as he cried out in alarm.

"The Heavenly Saber Pavilion's [Heaven-Patrolling Warship]! Why... why would they come here!"

Wang Tianlong's expression also became incredibly ugly.

Heavenly Saber Pavilion!

In these Hundred Thousand Barren Mountains, these three words were the heavens! They were the law!

They were the true rulers of this vast territory!

A second-rate Sect like the Qingmu Sect was nothing more than a tenant who needed to pay "protection fees" on time before the Heavenly Saber Pavilion.

"Who dares to act wildly in the territory under the jurisdiction of my Heavenly Saber Pavilion!"

A thunderous roar of anger came from atop that warship!

Immediately afterward, several figures leaped down from the warship.

Leading them was a young man dressed in fine silk with an arrogant expression.

He held a long saber; though it was not yet unsheathed, it already emitted bursts of heart-palpitating Saber Intent.

His cultivation was impressively at the Great Perfection of the True Immortal Realm!

Beside him followed an old man with an aura as steady as a mountain and eyes as sharp as a hawk's.

That old man was actually a top-tier powerhouse at the Great Perfection of the Profound Immortal Realm!

“It's... it's the Young Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Saber Pavilion, Dao Wuji!”

“And the Chief Elder of the Law Enforcement Hall, Severe Punishment Heaven!”

Seeing the newcomers, Mu Changqing felt as if his Divine Soul was about to be frozen solid.

These two were truly big figures within the Heavenly Saber Pavilion!

Normally, they were as elusive as divine dragons, showing their heads but not their tails!

Why would they come together today?

Dao Wuji and his party landed on the ground, and seeing the mess that was the Qingmu Sect, his brows instantly furrowed.

“Mu Changqing.”

Dao Wuji’s gaze fell upon Mu Changqing, his eyes cold and full of questioning.

“What is going on here?”

“This Young Lord hasn't been here for a century. How did your Qingmu Sect turn into this ghostly mess?”

“Also, why has this month's tribute not been handed over yet?”

Mu Changqing's body trembled like a leaf in the wind.

He opened his mouth, but couldn't say a single word.

What was he supposed to say?

That his Sect was flattened by a single Clone of a young man who had just ascended?

Who would believe that?

He feared the Heavenly Saber Pavilion would immediately kill him on the spot for the crimes of 'ineffective management' and 'insulting the pavilion’s prestige'!

Seeing him remain silent for so long, the impatience on Dao Wuji’s face grew heavier.

His gaze swept across the scene.

Finally, it stopped on the green-robed young man who was still standing there leisurely with his hands behind his back.

He raised an eyebrow.

“And who are you?”

“An Earth Immortal?”

He couldn't sense any powerful aura from Chu Xuanjin's Clone; he felt completely ordinary.

Hearing this, Chu Xuanjin's Clone smiled.

He cupped his hands toward Dao Wuji.

“I am Chu Xuanjin.”

“You can call me... the Landlord.”

“Landlord?” Dao Wuji was stunned for a moment, then, as if he had heard the world's biggest joke, he burst into laughter.

“Hahahaha!”

“Interesting! Truly interesting!”

“A mere Earth Immortal dares to play tricks in front of this Young Lord!”

Severe Punishment Heaven, standing behind him, had his eyes narrow slightly.

Looking at Chu Xuanjin, he felt that something was not quite right.

This young man was too calm.

So calm that it was eerie.

“Kid.” Dao Wuji’s laughter stopped abruptly, replaced by a chilling killing intent.

“I don't care who you are, or what happened here.”

“Now, immediately, right this second, kneel down and kowtow!”

“Then, tell this Young Lord what you meant by those words just now!”

“Otherwise, die!”

His final word, “Die,” carried an unparalleled Saber Intent that charged straight for Chu Xuanjin's Divine Soul!

Any other Earth Immortal, or even a True Immortal, would have had their Divine Soul collapse instantly and become an idiot under this Saber Intent.

But Chu Xuanjin's Clone didn't even twitch an eyebrow.

He just picked at his ear, as if a mosquito were buzzing nearby.

“Sigh.”

He let out a sigh.

“Why are young people nowadays so impolite?”

“Resorting to killing as soon as they show up.”

He looked at Dao Wuji with a friendly smile on his face.

“I said just now that I am the Landlord.”

“What I mean is, from today onward, this Qingmu Sect, along with the surrounding hundred thousand miles of the Qingming Mountain Range, belongs to Chu.”

“Your Heavenly Saber Pavilion used to be the landlord here, right?”

“It's fine, I don't mind.”

“However, starting from next month, it's time to pay rent.”

“Pay it to me.”

The entire temporary house instantly fell into a dead silence.

Everyone's eyeballs were about to pop out of their sockets.

Mu Changqing, Wang Tianlong, and those Elders of the Qingmu Sect all had their mouths wide open, feeling as if their brains were failing them.

Crazy!

This man is absolutely insane!

He actually... tried to collect rent from the Heavenly Saber Pavilion?

And he's making the Young Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Saber Pavilion pay rent?

What kind of audacity is this!

What kind of madness is this!

Dao Wuji was also stunned.

He had lived for thousands of years, priding himself as a favored son of heaven, acting without restraint.

But in his entire life, he had never heard of such an absurd, such a preposterous, such a... death-seeking request!

After a brief moment of shock.

Came a sky-high fury!

“You... seek... death!”

Dao Wuji’s face instantly turned a deep purple-red, and the veins on his forehead bulged!

He felt he had suffered the greatest insult of his life!

“Clang—!”

A clear and resonant saber cry!

The long saber at his waist instantly unsheathed!

An extremely brilliant and domineering saber light, seemingly capable of cutting down the sun and moon, carried endless killing intent as it slashed down fiercely toward the top of Chu Xuanjin's head!

This strike was delivered in his rage, without holding back in the slightest!

He wanted to slash this ant who didn't know the heights of heaven, along with his Divine Soul, into the finest dust!

Facing this earth-shaking saber strike.

Chu Xuanjin's Clone finally made a third movement.

He extended two fingers.

The index and middle fingers.

Then, under everyone's horrified and ghost-seeing gazes.

He gave a gentle pinch.

That terrifying saber light, capable of splitting mountains and seas and slaying True Immortals, was just like that, caught between his two fingers with effortless ease.

The saber light vibrated and hummed frantically between his fingertips.

Yet it could no longer advance a single inch.

At this moment, time seemed to stand still once again.

The ferocity and rage on Dao Wuji’s face completely froze.

Looking at the scene of his High Grade Immortal Artifact-level precious saber being caught by two fingers, his mind went blank.

“Your... saber...”

Chu Xuanjin's Clone looked at the struggling saber light at his fingertips and commented with some disdain.

“Is too soft.”

As the words fell.

His two fingers exerted a slight force.

“Crack.”

A crisp sound rang out, one that made Dao Wuji’s heart and Soul shatter.

The peerlessly domineering saber light shattered upon the sound.

Along with it, a fine crack appeared on the blade of the High Grade Immortal Artifact saber in Dao Wuji’s hand.

“Puff—!”

Dao Wuji was struck as if by lightning, violently spitting out a mouthful of blood as his body flew backward, smashing heavily into the ruins in the distance.

The entire field was dead silent.

Everyone stood there dazed, as if a freezing spell had been cast on them.

Especially Severe Punishment Heaven, the Chief Elder at the Great Perfection of the Profound Immortal Realm, who had been standing behind Dao Wuji.

In his hawk-like sharp eyes, there was now only endless shock and horror.

He had seen it clearly just now.

When the opponent caught that saber strike, he didn't use any immortal essence at all!

That was pure Physical Body power!

Using the Physical Body to withstand a High Grade Immortal Artifact?

Is he... still fucking human?

“Sigh, I told you to speak nicely, why just won't you listen?”

Chu Xuanjin's Clone flicked his fingers, as if he had just crushed an insect.

He looked at the old man at the Great Perfection of the Profound Immortal Realm who had not made a move from beginning to end.

“You're the one in charge here, right?”

Severe Punishment Heaven's body trembled violently, as if facing a great enemy.

He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the stormy waves in his heart, and cupped his hands to Chu Xuanjin from a distance, his voice incredibly solemn.

“Heavenly Saber Pavilion, Severe Punishment Heaven.”

“May I ask Your Excellency, just who are you?”

“I said, my name is Chu Xuanjin, and I'm a landlord.” Chu Xuanjin spread his hands.

“Now, I'll ask one more time.”

His gaze swept over Severe Punishment Heaven, over the several Heavenly Saber Pavilion Disciples who were equally scared witless, and finally landed on Dao Wuji, who was struggling to crawl out of the ruins, his face covered in blood and his eyes filled with fear and malice.

“Next month's rent.”

“Are you going to pay, or not?”

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A deluxe 5000-word chapter, although the content is a bit lacking. I don't have any good ideas for now, so let's just make do.