139: Chapter 139 Central Plains Pill Domain: I've heard it's incredibly wealthy?

Starlight flowed as space folded.

After several days of tedious and oppressive void transport, a sudden, violent sense of weightlessness struck.

Immediately following that, a solid sensation returned beneath his feet. The originally pitch-black and deathly silent void scenery vanished instantly, replaced by a wave of bustling voices and a medicinal fragrance so rich it felt inseparable from the air.

Xu Chen slowly opened his eyes and exhaled a breath of turbid air that had accumulated in his chest.

What met his eyes was a magnificent giant city floating above the clouds.

The city walls were built entirely from spirit stones as white as jade, shimmering with a warm luster under the sunlight. Countless spirit boats and flying carriages shuttled through the sky above the city like schools of fish, each marked with the insignia of various factions from across the Archaic Realm.

This was the heart of the Central Continent, the holy land of alchemists—the Dan Domain.

Compared to his own family's solemn and domineering war fortress style, this place exuded an air of 'overwhelming opulence' everywhere.

The concentration of spiritual energy flowing in the air was extremely high, even transforming into a faint five-colored mist visible to the naked eye. Taking a deep breath, it felt as if every cell in his body was cheering with joy.

Truly a paradise on earth.

Xu Chen stood at the exit of the teleportation array, slightly tidying his somewhat messy robes. He was in no hurry to move; instead, he first used his divine sense to look inward, confirming several key items he carried with him.

The jade box sealing the source of the 'Nirvana Golden Flame' lay safely in a corner of the system space. The remnant scroll of the 'Supreme Forgotten Emotion Pill' he had spent a fortune to exchange for also quietly emitted an ancient Daoist charm.

These two items were his greatest sources of confidence for this trip.

As long as he had bargaining chips, even if the other party was a cold and aloof Tower Master who refused both soft and hard approaches, he was confident he could pry that door open.

Thinking of Jiang Liuli, who was still back home sealed by Divine Source and facing a life-threatening crisis at any moment, a trace of imperceptible anxiety flashed in the depths of Xu Chen's eyes, but he quickly suppressed it.

The more critical the moment, the more one must not lose their composure.

Old Yao had said that Liu Hanyan had an eccentric personality and hated it most when others tried to use their influence to pressure her.

If he rushed directly to the Dan Tower's entrance like a brute shouting 'Hand over the medicine,' there would be no outcome other than being blasted out.

When asking for a favor, one must pay attention to strategy.

He had to let her see his sincerity while also making her understand his strength; ideally, he wanted her to take the initiative to become interested in him.

Having made up his mind, Xu Chen stepped down from the teleportation platform and followed the bustling crowd, merging into the prosperous Dan City.

The streets were incredibly wide, enough for sixteen beast-drawn carriages to travel side-by-side. Shops lined the sides like the teeth of a comb, and without exception, the signs hanging from them were all related to 'medicine.'

Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion, Hundred Herb Hall, Spirit Pill Workshop...

Even the small vendors hawking on the roadside held lingzhi mushrooms that were several centuries old, their cries rising and falling one after another.

"Take a look! Freshly unearthed five-hundred-year-old Blood Ginseng! It replenishes Qi and nourishes the skin—a gas station for men, a beauty salon for women!"

"Don't miss out as you pass by! Spirit Gathering Pills personally refined by a Dan Tower Elder, only three thousand spirit stones, fair prices for all!"

Listening to these noisy cries, the corners of Xu Chen's mouth curled up slightly.

This was the Dan Domain, the most prosperous place in the Archaic Realm. Here, as long as you had money, you could even buy the life of a Saint.

Fortunately, he was now so poor that all he had left was money.

After emptying the treasuries of both the Dragon and Phoenix clans, combined with the bottomless foundation of the Xu Family, his current net worth was probably more substantial than the inventory of some first-rate sects.

Since he wanted to catch a big fish, he naturally had to prepare some decent bait first.

Xu Chen's gaze shifted, finally locking onto a magnificent nine-story building at the end of the street that was resplendent in gold and jade.

"Heavenly Treasure Chamber of Commerce."

These four words were written in bold, gold-leafed calligraphy, exuding an aura of immense wealth. This was one of the largest chambers of commerce in the Central Continent, and it was said to have the shadow of the Dan Tower behind it.

This would be the one.

Xu Chen walked in with his hands behind his back, strolling leisurely.

As soon as he entered, an air of luxury rushed toward him. The floor was paved with Deep Sea Warm Jade, and the walls were embedded with luminous pearls for lighting, each the size of a fist.

There were many guests in the hall, most of them dressed in expensive clothing with arrogant expressions.

"Young Master, I wonder how I may be of service to you?"

A sharp-eyed maid immediately came forward to greet him.

Having stayed at the chamber of commerce for a long time, she had developed a pair of discerning eyes.

Although the young master before her wore seemingly simple clothing, the spiritual rhythm faintly flowing through the fabric was clearly the legendary Sky Silk blended with Star Sand. Not to mention that noble temperament emanating from his very bones, which was by no means comparable to an ordinary scion of a noble family.

This was a big fish.

Xu Chen gave her a faint glance and casually tossed out a purple-gold token.

That was the Tongbao Token exclusive to the Xu Family, accepted by high-end chambers of commerce throughout the Archaic Realm, representing the highest level of credit.

The maid caught the token and looked at it; her hand jerked violently, nearly dropping it.

The 'Emperor' character pattern on it almost blinded her eyes.

"Dis... Distinguished guest! Please follow me to the top floor's private room!"

The maid's attitude instantly became extremely respectful, even carrying a hint of trepidation as she hurriedly bowed to lead the way.

Many people in the hall cast curious glances, speculating about the identity of this young master, but Xu Chen did not look sideways and went straight to the top floor.

A moment later, the fat manager of the Heavenly Treasure Chamber of Commerce ran in panting, his face covered in a fawning smile, his facial fat squeezing into the shape of a flower.

"I did not know a distinguished guest was arriving; please forgive my lack of a proper welcome! My surname is Wang, and I am the manager of this branch. Whatever the young master needs, please just give the word!"

Xu Chen sat in a grand armchair and took a sip of the top-grade spiritual tea served by the maid, his fingers lightly tapping the tabletop.

"I want to refine a certain pill and need some auxiliary materials."

As he spoke, he casually threw a jade slip onto the table.

Inside were listed dozens of extremely rare high-level spiritual medicines, all used as auxiliary materials for refining the 'Nine Revolutions Replenishing Heaven Pill.' Since he was going to the Dan Tower to request medicine, he naturally couldn't go empty-handed; he had to prepare all the materials to shut the mouths of those old fogies.

Manager Wang picked up the jade slip and scanned it with his divine sense. The fat on his face quivered as he sucked in a cold breath.

"Nine-Leaf Ice Heart Grass, Ten-Thousand-Year Dragon Blood Vine, Heavenly Star Sand... Young Master, these are all rare items! Especially this Ten-Thousand-Year Dragon Blood Vine, which can only be found deep within the Dragon Clan's territory..."

"Do you have them?" Xu Chen interrupted him, his tone calm.

"Yes! Of course we do!"

Manager Wang gritted his teeth, a sharp light flashing in his eyes.

"It's just that the price..."

"Price is not an issue."

With a wave of his sleeve, a storage ring landed directly on the table with a crisp sound.

"There are one million top-grade spirit stones inside. If that's not enough, I have a few Saint weapons here as well."

He threw out two longswords emitting a piercing cold light. They were spoils of war he had conveniently taken from the Phoenix Clan's treasury, both of high-grade Saint weapon quality.

Manager Wang was truly shocked this time.

He had been in business his whole life and had seen the wealthy, but never anyone this extravagant. To throw down a million top-grade spirit stones without even blinking, and even using Saint weapons as pocket change.

Just which family's spendthrift... no, which family's God of Wealth was this!

"Enough! It's more than enough!"

Manager Wang couldn't stop grinning as he hurriedly and carefully put away the storage ring and Saint weapons, his attitude more affectionate than if he were seeing his own father.

"Young Master, please wait a moment. I will go and transfer the goods for you immediately! Within half an hour at most, I guarantee everything will be gathered!"

"Go then."

Xu Chen waved his hand, signaling him to withdraw.

Once alone in the room, Xu Chen walked to the window and pushed it open. His gaze pierced through the layers of buildings, looking toward the very center of Dan City.

There stood a giant tower reaching into the clouds, piercing the sky. The tower was surrounded by pill clouds that never dissipated, with faint flashes of lightning.

The Dan Tower.

That woman known as the 'Pill Nut' was right there.

"The materials are ready, and the bait is prepared."

Xu Chen murmured to himself, his fingertips lightly stroking the window frame, his eyes as deep as the night sky.

"Liu Hanyan, I hope your alchemy skills are truly as divine as the legends say."

"Otherwise, my trip here won't be as simple as just doing business."

Half an hour later.

Xu Chen walked out of the Heavenly Treasure Chamber of Commerce's doors. His system space was now filled with various top-tier auxiliary materials required for refining the divine pill.

Although he had spent a lot of money, he didn't feel the slightest bit of heartache.

Wealth is but an external possession. As long as he could save Liuli and the child, what did it matter even if he spent his entire fortune? Moreover, this bit of money was just a drop in the bucket for the Xu Family.

It was still early, and the streets were still bustling with people.

Xu Chen composed his emotions and walked slowly toward the Dan Tower. He didn't deliberately release his aura, looking just like an ordinary young master from a wealthy family traveling through the Dan Domain.

However, his excessively handsome face, combined with the rumors of his extravagant spending at the chamber of commerce, still caused him to attract many eyes along the way.

Many female cultivators looked back frequently, and some bold ones even wanted to approach him for a chat, but they were all deterred by the faint, cold aura about him.

The Dan Domain was indeed prosperous, but beneath that prosperity, many arrogant individuals often hid.

Just as Xu Chen turned a street corner, a commotion suddenly broke out in the crowd ahead.

A scorching wave of heat mixed with arrogant shouting rushed toward him.

"Move! Everyone, get out of this lady's way!"

"If anyone dares to block the path, don't blame me for not warning you if you get burned to death!"

Accompanying this delicate shout, pedestrians on both sides of the street scrambled to dodge, creating a chaotic and pathetic scene.

Xu Chen frowned slightly and stopped in his tracks.

He looked up and saw that the originally crowded street had instantly cleared a wide path. At the end of that path, a ball of red fire was charging toward him like a bolt of lightning.

Within that fire, an exotic beast entirely crimson and burning with flames was vaguely visible, and there seemed to be a figure riding on its back.

"The Central Continent truly is a place of crouching tigers and hidden dragons; it has people of all sorts of personalities."

Xu Chen stood in the middle of the road, not dodging in panic like the others.

He just quietly watched the charging ball of fire, his feet planted on the ground like roots, motionless.