271: Chapter 271 Moving into Wanbaolou: This Chamber of Commerce is really rich.

At the absolute center of Tianyin City lay a vast, undulating complex of magnificent architecture.

Here, there was none of the quiet purple bamboo favored by ordinary Music Cultivators, nor were there elegant wooden buildings with trickling streams. What met the eye were expansive plazas paved with ten-thousand-year-old Warm Jade, and towering pavilions cast from pure gold and rare Spirit Stones.

This was the headquarters of the Myriad Treasures Tower, famous throughout the Eastern Wilderness and backed by ancient powers from the Central Continent.

When Xu Chen led Gong Yu to the white jade archway dozens of zhang high, the sky had already completely darkened. Inside the Myriad Treasures Tower, however, the lights were blazing; thousands of Night-Luminous Pearls were embedded in the flying eaves and upturned corners, illuminating the entire area as if it were daylight.

The welcoming maids at the entrance were uniformly female cultivators at the Wheel-Turning Sea Realm. They were beautiful, dressed in matching pink Flowing Immortal Skirts, their sweet smiles tinged with the shrewdness unique to a merchant guild.

"Esteemed guests, are you here for tomorrow's top-tier auction?"

A sharp-eyed welcoming maid hurried forward.

Her gaze lingered on Xu Chen for a moment. Based on her years of experience in judging people, she could not discern the depth of the white-robed youth's cultivation at all.

When she then looked at the masked woman in the purple dress following behind Xu Chen, the faint Saint Realm pressure emanating from her caused her heart to skip a beat.

This was absolutely a top-tier, major client who could not be offended.

"Not only are we attending the auction, but we also need lodging here. Clear out one of your Myriad Treasures Tower's best and quietest VIP villas for us."

Xu Chen's tone was flat, his gaze casually sweeping over the surrounding opulent architecture, as if he were merely instructing his own servants at home.

With such an arrogant attitude, if these were Loose Cultivators without any backing, the guards of the Myriad Treasures Tower would have long since stepped forward to drive them away. But this maid was an astute and clever person; not only did she not become angry, but she bent her waist even lower.

"Esteemed guest, please calm your anger. These days coincide with the once-a-decade Grand Auction Ceremony. Sect Masters and Saint Sons from various Holy Lands across the Eastern Wilderness have already booked all the Heaven-ranked VIP rooms. Currently, only a few Earth-ranked courtyards are available for selection. What do you think..."

Before the maid could finish speaking, Xu Chen impatiently waved his hand.

He casually pulled out a palm-sized jade tablet from his storage ring, which was entirely purplish-gold and carved on the front with a lifelike True Dragon totem, and tossed it directly into the maid's arms.

"Take this, and go summon the person in charge of your Myriad Treasures Tower to come see me. I only stay in the best places. Whoever has occupied my spot, tell them to scram immediately."

The maid fumbled to catch the jade tablet.

When she clearly saw the True Dragon totem on the tablet and sensed the terrifying Imperial Might contained within it—might enough to suppress an entire region—her beautiful face instantly lost all color, her legs went weak, and she nearly collapsed onto the ground.

The Imperial Clan Purple Gold Token.

As a welcoming maid at the headquarters of the Myriad Treasures Tower, she had memorized the charts of all top-tier forces in the Eastern Wilderness and even the Central Continent. This Purple Gold Token represented the Xu Family, that supreme hegemon from the Central Continent which had been passed down for countless years.

Whoever possessed this token was equivalent to the Young Master of the Imperial Clan himself appearing in person. Let alone asking for a VIP room, even if he demanded to empty this entire Myriad Treasures Tower right now, no one present would dare utter a sound of protest.

"This servant deserves death. This servant was blind. Esteemed guest, please wait a moment, this servant will immediately go invite the Grand Manager."

The maid scrambled and rushed towards the interior of the Myriad Treasures Tower, her speed three parts faster than when she was being pursued by enemies.

Not long after.

A portly old man wearing a brocade robe rushed out from the main entrance, surrounded by a group of sword-bearing guards, his forehead covered in sweat.

This old man was Qian Tong, the Grand Manager of the Myriad Treasures Tower in Tianyin City, whose cultivation had already reached the Half-step Saint Realm.

He immediately spotted Xu Chen standing beneath the white jade archway, and the slightly constrained Gong Yu whom Xu Chen was holding tightly by the hand.

The Grand Manager's heart sank, realizing things were bad.

He naturally recognized Gong Yu. This blind girl was the prey that their Young Master Jin Buhuan had specifically demanded to forcibly keep. Now, how could she be standing hand-in-hand with this living ancestor holding the Imperial Clan Purple Gold Token? Looking at the living ancestor's icy expression, it was clear the visitor meant trouble.

"This old man, Qian Tong, the Grand Manager of the Myriad Treasures Tower, pays respects to the Xu Family Young Master."

The Grand Manager was an old hand at navigating the world. He completely avoided mentioning Gong Yu's matter, rushed forward in three steps, bowed deeply, and respectfully handed the Purple Gold Token back to Xu Chen with both hands.

"My subordinates do not understand propriety and have offended the Young Master; I beg the Young Master's forgiveness. The Myriad Treasures Tower's highest-specification Hidden Dragon Courtyard has always been kept vacant, ready at all times to welcome noble figures such as the Young Master. This old man will personally guide the Young Master."

Xu Chen took back the Purple Gold Token and re-hung it at his waist.

He looked coldly at the Grand Manager whose forehead was beaded with sweat.

"Lead the way. Also, find someone to deliver a message to your Young Master surnamed Jin. This Miss Gong Yu is my Xu Chen's person. I will bring her to play the zither during tomorrow evening's auction. As for any other sordid thoughts, he had better swallow them all back down. Otherwise, there will be no need for the Myriad Treasures Tower to continue operating in the Eastern Wilderness."

This merciless warning delivered to his face was like a loud slap, fiercely striking the signboard of the Myriad Treasures Tower.

The flesh on the Grand Manager's face twitched violently a few times, but he did not dare to muster the courage to utter a single rebuttal. He could only forcefully swallow the insult and repeatedly agree.

Under Manager Qian's trembling guidance, Xu Chen and his party passed through layers of defensive Formations and arrived at the Hidden Dragon Courtyard, the deepest part of the Myriad Treasures Tower.

The Hidden Dragon Courtyard was less like a guest room and more like an independent, small palace.

As soon as the courtyard gate was pushed open, an intensely concentrated Spiritual Qi rushed out to meet them. The courtyard was equipped with a top-tier Spirit Gathering Formation, which forcibly compressed the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi into a liquid state. A natural underground spirit spring was even channeled into the center of the courtyard, and the spring's edge was planted with rare spiritual plants seldom seen in the outside world.

The ground underfoot was warm jade, the walls hung with master paintings, and even the illumination came from the inner cores of Deep Sea Flood Dragons.

The level of luxury was even more exaggerated than the Emperor's sleeping chambers in the Great Xia Imperial Palace.

Xu Chen looked at the décor, which reeked of nouveau riche extravagance, and sighed inwardly. This merchant guild certainly had a knack for amassing wealth. The cost of this single villa alone was enough to equal the entire foundation of a medium-sized Sect.

"If the Young Master has any instructions, summon this old man at any time."

After settling the three of them in, Manager Qian fled the Hidden Dragon Courtyard as if granted a great pardon. He had to immediately report this deadly news to his own profligate Young Master, lest that fool who didn't know the immensity of heaven and earth truly angered this Imperial Clan God of Slaughter.

The heavy wooden door of the Hidden Dragon Courtyard was gently closed.

Xu Chen led Gong Yu to sit down by the white jade stone table in the courtyard, just preparing to utter a few comforting words.

Ding.

The mechanical notification sound of the System rang out in Xu Chen's Sea of Consciousness without any warning.

"Detected an extreme-grade special Physique target within a hundred zhang radius."

"Target Core Judgment: Heaven-Piercing God of Wealth Physique. Naturally controls the Wealth Qi of Heaven and Earth. Cultivation speed is directly linked to accumulated wealth. It is an extremely rare Commerce Dao Divine Physique of all ages."

"Luck and Physique estimated base score: Over ninety points, belonging to a target of extremely high value."

"System Prompt: Because the target is in a state of concealment by a top-tier Formation, the System can currently only capture its Physique Origin. The target's true appearance, physical data, and final precise comprehensive score can only be fully unlocked and settled after the Host achieves visual contact or substantial engagement with the target."

Listening to this logically rigorous System broadcast in his mind, a light of excitement—like a hunter spotting top-tier prey—suddenly erupted in Xu Chen's deep eyes.

Heaven-Piercing God of Wealth Physique.

This was a genuine money tree. The competition for resources in the Cultivation World was incomparably cruel. If he could bring this Divine Physique that monopolized wealth into his possession, the Xu Family's industries could absolutely dominate the economic lifeline of the entire Cultivation World in the future.

What surprised Xu Chen the most was that behind this Myriad Treasures Tower, there was actually such a big fish hidden.

"Young Master, what is wrong?"

Although Gong Yu could not see Xu Chen's expression, her keen spiritual sense clearly detected a strange fluctuation in his emotions at that moment.

Xu Chen retracted the sharp glint in his eyes, took Gong Yu's soft and boneless jade hand in return, and patted it gently.

"Nothing. I just suddenly realized that within this Myriad Treasures Tower, besides you, this pearl hidden in the dust, there is actually a priceless treasure that greatly tempts me."