136: Chapter 136 Journey to the Starfield, Technological Shock

Deep in Chaos Valley, the light of the inter-Star Domain teleportation array gradually faded.

This was the largest, longest-distance, and most resource-consuming teleportation the Heavenly Court had ever initiated since its establishment. At the core of the Formation, a full 3,600 Mid-Grade Spirit Stones had turned to ash in a mere thirty seconds, piling up into a pale mound. The rune circuits at the edge of the Formation base, having withstood an energy flow far exceeding their design load, were still emitting a scorching heat, and the air was filled with a peculiar charred smell, a mixture of ozone and Spirit Stone powder.

Lin Ye stood in the center of the teleportation array, enduring the intense dizziness brought on by the spatial displacement.

Inter-Star Domain teleportation was vastly different from the spatial jumps within the Big Dipper Star Field. It was not just a movement of position, but a complete subversion of perception—the familiar stellar coordinates, Spiritual Qi pulses, and Heavenly Dao Law fluctuations of the Big Dipper Star Field all vanished in an instant, replaced by a kind of unfamiliar, cold, and seemingly precision-calibrated sense of order.

He opened his eyes.

And then, he saw the Eternal Star Domain.

—No, it was the capital city of the Eternal Star Domain, Star Ring City.

This legendary city of technology, suspended in the center of the ring-shaped nebula belt of a gas giant, was declaring its existence to every visitor who arrived here for the first time in the most direct, overbearing, and unquestionable way.

Lin Ye's pupils contracted slightly.

He had seen the magnificence of the Big Dipper Divine City. During the Myriad Races Council, that giant city suspended above the sea of clouds had already left him shocked. But what Star Ring City brought him was a shock of another dimension.

It was not "size."

It was "order."

The entire city had a silver-white metal main sphere with a diameter of over 300 kilometers as its core, with seven equidistant ring-shaped orbits rotating around the main sphere at different angles and speeds. Each ring-shaped orbit was densely packed with tens of thousands of architectural modules—residential areas, commercial zones, research centers, docks, energy stations, defense platforms... They were like precise gear sets, maintaining millisecond-level synchronized operation under the dispatch of some invisible central System.

Between the orbits, countless aircraft shuttled back and forth. There were cargo spaceships over a hundred meters long, dragging arrays of dozens of containers, sliding slowly along fixed routes; there were palm-sized micro-drones, moving agilely through the gaps between buildings like a swarm of bees; and there were streamlined single-person aircraft carrying players or NPCs speeding between orbits, their exhaust trails leaving colorful streaks in the vacuum.

On the surface of the main sphere, there was an outward-extending landing platform every 500 meters. On the platforms, the maintenance stations for mechas and mechanical exoskeletons were brightly lit, and robotic arms, under the remote control of engineers, were replacing armor modules and energy cores with millimeter-level precision.

Further away was the ring-shaped nebula for which the Eternal Star Domain was named.

It was the star ring of "Titan," the gas giant that was the mother planet of Star Ring City. It was over 100,000 kilometers wide, composed of countless ice crystals and dust particles, refracting a dreamlike pale purple halo under the illumination of the star. Star Ring City hung at the Lagrange point between the ring belt and the planet, bathing in the glow of the star ring while maintaining a safe distance.

Lin Ye took a deep breath.

The air did not have the abundant, seemingly tangible Spiritual Qi of the Big Dipper Star Field; instead, it was replaced by a kind of filtered, pressurized, constant temperature and humidity circulating airflow. It was unnaturally clean, unrealistically stable, and with every breath, one could feel the technological civilization's thorough taming of nature.

[System Prompt: You have entered the Eternal Star Domain · Star Ring City]

[Current Area Rank: Level 60-80 (Dynamic Adaptation)]

[Area Characteristics:]

[1. Ultra-low Spiritual Energy Environment: Local Spiritual Qi concentration is only 12% of the Big Dipper Star Field average, speed of recovering Spiritual Power using traditional Cultivation Technique is -80%]

[2. High-Energy Technology Environment: Technological equipment performance +30%, technological skill consumption -25%]

[3. Global Network Security: Star Ring City is fully covered by a seventh-generation quantum encrypted communication network, public channel latency ≤ 0.01 seconds]

[4. Strict Security Management: Any form of combat is prohibited in the safe zone. Violators will be executed on the spot by the Star Domain guard fleet and permanently blacklisted from the Eternal Star Domain]

[5. Gravity Adaptation: Current area gravity is 0.85 G, requires 30 minutes for full adaptation]

"Bo-boss..."

Zhao Wuji's voice came from his side, having lost its usual composure, carrying a near-devout tremor.

Lin Ye turned his head.

He saw Zhao Wuji looking up, his eyes widened so much they seemed about to fall out of their sockets, his mouth slightly agape, the whole person frozen in place as if struck by lightning. Those eyes, which were usually sharp as an eagle's when analyzing markets, evaluating assets, or negotiating, were now left with only pure, unadulterated—shock.

"This is... this is..." Zhao Wuji muttered, his voice dry, "Is this something humans can build?"

Lin Ye did not answer.

Because he knew that at this moment, any language was pale.

In the distance, a giant mecha, fully thirty stories tall, was slowly moving out of the dock. Its paint job was the standard silver-blue color scheme of the Seventh Fleet of the Eternal Star Domain, the twin particle cannon barrels on its shoulders were over eight meters long, the antimatter reactor shield on its chest was undergoing a boost test, and blue arcs of electricity were jumping and flickering on the armor surface. Each time the mecha took a step, the alloy floor of the landing platform would sink three millimeters, then be instantly reset by the hydraulic System.

[Eternal Star Domain Seventh Fleet · Garrison-Type Mecha (Mass-Produced)]

[Rank: Level 65 (Four Extremities Peak)]

[Height: 28.7 meters]

[Weight: 213 tons]

[Power Core: Antimatter-Assisted Fusion Reactor (Continuous operation duration: 720 hours)]

[Weapon System: Shoulder Particle Cannon x2, Wrist Rapid-Fire Machine Cannon x2, Leg Missile Nest x4]

[Armor Material: Star Brilliance Alloy II Type (Can withstand Spell attacks below Level 65)]

[Pilot: AI-assisted, minimum Level 45 player neural connection accepted]

[Cost: Approximately 1.8 million technology resource vouchers]

[Remarks: Eternal Star Domain standard equipment, not for sale]

"One point eight million..." Zhao Wuji's pupils instantly focused, his professional instinct overriding pure shock, "One mecha, 1.8 million vouchers. Converted to Spirit Stone, it's also about 1.8 million. Epic-level sets of the same level in the Big Dipper Star Field are also in this price range."

"But this is a mass-produced model." His speaking speed became faster and faster, his eyes brighter and brighter, "Assembly line production, standardized parts, modular upgrades, no need to grind dungeons for luck, no need to fight for first kills of wild BOSSes, no need to gamble on forging success rates—as long as you have money, you can replicate it infinitely!"

"This isn't equipment; this is industry! This is a System! This is..."

He turned his head sharply, staring fixedly at Lin Ye: "Boss, we must get the Star Domain Trade License!"

Lin Ye looked at Zhao Wuji's eyes, which were burning with intense flames, and suddenly remembered the evaluation of this Heavenly Court business manager on the forums in his previous life—"He isn't making money; he is using resources to build the skeleton of a civilization."

"Reason." Lin Ye said.

"First, price difference." Zhao Wuji took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, but his speaking speed was still twice as fast as usual, "The specialties of the Big Dipper Star Field—star iron, Sun God Iron, Taiyin Profound Jade, various Spirit Medicine, Yao Beast Materials—the prices in the Eternal Star Domain are, on average, three to five times those in the Big Dipper Star Field."

He tapped on a public information light screen floating on the roadside and quickly searched for a few keywords:

[star iron · Produced in Big Dipper Star Field]

Current Yan State market price: 780-850 Spirit Stone/kg

Eternal Star Domain Star Ring City import price: 3200-3600 vouchers/kg (approximately 3400-3800 Spirit Stone)

Price difference: 4.5 times

[Taiyin Profound Jade · Produced in Big Dipper Star Field]

Current Yan State market price: 1200-1500 Spirit Stone/piece (standard unit)

Eternal Star Domain Star Ring City import price: 5500-6000 vouchers/piece

Price difference: 4.2 times

[Level 5 Yao Beast Inner Core · Fire Attribute]

Current Yan State market price: 8000-12000 Spirit Stone/piece

Eternal Star Domain Star Ring City import price: 35000-40000 vouchers/piece

Price difference: 4.0 times

"Conversely," Zhao Wuji swiped his finger to switch pages, "the specialties of the Eternal Star Domain—Star Brilliance Alloy, energy cores, optical sensors, micro-transmission motors—the prices in the Big Dipper Star Field are also three to five times what they are here."

[Star Brilliance Alloy I Type · Produced in Eternal Star Domain]

Star Ring City ex-factory price: 2200 vouchers/kg

Big Dipper Star Field import price: 9000-10000 Spirit Stone/kg

Price difference: 4.3 times

[Micro-Fusion Battery · Civilian Grade]

Star Ring City retail price: 800 vouchers/piece

Big Dipper Star Field import price: 3500-4000 Spirit Stone/piece

Price difference: 4.5 times

"What is this?" Zhao Wuji's voice carried irrepressible excitement, "This is a natural, systematic arbitrage space spanning two civilization Systems with a profit margin as high as 400%!"

"As long as we have a Star Domain Trade License, allowing us to legally, massively, and with low tariffs transport goods between the two Star Domains—"

He paused and took a deep breath:

"The monthly turnover of the Heavenly Court Chamber of Commerce can increase tenfold within three months."

Lin Ye did not speak.

He knew Zhao Wuji was not exaggerating.

In his previous life, it wasn't until a year after the game launched that the first batch of inter-Star Domain traders truly rose to prominence. The small and medium-sized forces that obtained the Star Domain Trade License earliest accumulated more wealth in just half a year than they had in two years of deep cultivation in the Big Dipper Star Field.

And the issuance of trade licenses was strictly controlled by the Eternal Star Domain authorities. Only thirty were issued each natural month, and applicants needed to pass three rounds of screening: asset audit, credit evaluation, and business plan defense.

In this life, he arrived at Star Ring City seven months earlier than in his previous life.

This time window was a dividend brought by Rebirth, even more precious than the star token.

"How do we get the license?" Lin Ye asked.

Zhao Wuji had already opened three parallel information retrieval light curtains, his fingers swiping rapidly in the void:

"Application location: Star Ring City District 7 · Interstellar Trade Bureau. There are three application conditions—first, the applicant's faction must have at least one permanent office or commercial liaison point in the Eternal Star Domain; second, the applicant's declared assets must not be less than 5 million vouchers or equivalent hard currency; third, the applicant must submit a complete inter-Star Domain trade business plan for review by the Trade Bureau's expert committee."

"After passing the review, pay a 200,000 voucher deposit to obtain a one-year 'Temporary Trade License.' During the temporary license period, if you cumulatively complete compliant trade worth more than 10 million vouchers, you can convert it to 'Permanent Trade Qualification.'"

His speaking speed was extremely fast, his eyes scanning the dense terms and clauses:

"For the first condition, we can temporarily rent an office in Star Ring City, with a monthly rent of about 50,000 vouchers. For the second condition, if the pre-evaluation of the star brilliance type i blueprint can reach 900,000 vouchers, plus the 1.5 million in working capital we brought, plus some short-term loans, we can barely scrape together 5 million in asset proof—although it's paper assets, the Trade Bureau recognizes intellectual property mortgages."

"For the third condition..." He paused, looked up, his eyes startlingly bright, "I will write the business plan."

Lin Ye looked at Zhao Wuji.

This man, who had followed him since the server opened and walked all the way from a small city in the Yan State to the Myriad Races Council, was now standing in the center of this technological capital of the Eternal Star Domain, which was so dazzling it felt almost unreal, surrounded by shuttling mechas, spaceships, and data streams, with the cold light reflected from the alloy floor beneath his feet.

But there was no awe in his eyes, no stage fright, only a kind of near-instinctive excitement of a hunter discovering a new hunting ground.

"Three days." Zhao Wuji said, "Give me three days, and I can write a business plan that the Trade Bureau's expert committee cannot find fault with."

"But the premise is that we must gain a foothold in Star Ring City, find local partners, and—"

He looked at the skyscraper in the distance hanging the Star Ring Financial Group logo:

"Before the auction starts, get the pre-evaluation of the star brilliance type i blueprint done."

Lin Ye nodded.

He looked around, his eyes sweeping over the technological creations he had never seen before—holographic billboards floating in the air, self-driving public transport pods, energy transmission pipelines marked with "Danger - High Voltage" warning signs, and those Eternal Star Domain players wearing mechanical exoskeletons and walking in a hurry.

All of this was unfamiliar.

But he didn't have time to adapt slowly.

"Rent the office first." Lin Ye said, "Then split into two groups. You go to the Trade Bureau to inquire about the details of the license application, and I will go to the Star Ring Financial Group building to handle the blueprint pre-evaluation."

"What about Dr. Ailin?" Zhao Wuji asked.

"She had a slight spatial adaptation reaction after the teleportation, so I let her rest in the teleportation station's lounge. Once her condition recovers, she will go directly to the financial group building to meet up with me."

"Understood."

The two did not say any more useless words.

The moment he walked out of the teleportation station, Lin Ye truly stepped onto the streets of Star Ring City.

The street—if this could be called a "street"—was about thirty meters wide, and the ground was some kind of translucent composite material, below which one could see complex pipeline Systems arranged with centimeter-level precision. There were no traffic lights because there were no vehicles that needed traffic lights. All transportation tools operated in layers on aerial tracks at different heights, while pedestrians used the automatic conveyor belts on both sides.

Thirty meters above his head, there was a slowly rotating ring-shaped track, and every fifteen seconds, a maglev train glided by silently. The train shell was transparent, and one could see the passengers sitting inside; some were operating data panels floating in front of them, some were leaning on their seats with their eyes closed to rest, and others were conducting holographic meetings.

Further away were those suspended building complexes.

They were truly "suspended"—no pillars, no slings, only the pale blue anti-gravity exhaust continuously spraying from the bottom. The buildings were connected by transparent closed corridors, and one could even see moving figures inside the corridors.

Lin Ye took a deep breath.

The air did not have that moist, grassy, mountain-wild atmosphere of the Big Dipper Star Field; instead, it was replaced by a kind of "cleanliness" that was almost sterile, filtered repeatedly by the air circulation System. Clean to the point of making one feel a bit uneasy.

He walked forward along the automatic conveyor belt.

Ten minutes later, he stood at the entrance of the Star Ring Financial Group building.

This was a conical building over four hundred meters tall, covered entirely in alloy panels interwoven with silver and deep blue.

There were no windows on the surface; instead, there were tens of thousands of miniature sensor arrays, like the scales of some giant beast.

At the top of the building, the emblem of the Star Ring Financial Group—three intersecting silver rings circling a blue star—was rotating slowly, casting a visible energy beam into the sky with every turn.

There was no door at the entrance.

As Lin Ye approached, a transparent barrier, almost invisible to the naked eye, scanned his entire body.

Three seconds later, a neutral, synthesized voice sounded in his ear:

[Identity Verification Complete]

[Visitor: Lin Ye (Night Emperor)]

[Affiliated Faction: Heavenly Court]

[Access Target: Technical Asset Valuation Center - Chief Appraiser's Office]

[Appointment Status: Confirmed (Recommended by Dr. Ailin)]

[Please enter through Channel 7; your receptionist will be waiting on floor A3]

The moment the voice finished, a pillar of silver light rose from the ground, enveloping Lin Ye's entire body.

The next moment, the alloy floor beneath his feet began to sink slowly.

This was not an elevator.

This was some kind of vertical transport System, with no cabin, no tracks, only millisecond-precision gravity control and spatial positioning.

Lin Ye's body rapidly switched between weightlessness and hypergravity, and the floor indicators in his field of vision jumped at an incredible speed.

A1, A2, A3...

When the light pillar dissipated, he was already standing in the center of a spacious reception room.

"Leader Lin, I have heard much about you."

A middle-aged man wearing a dark gray uniform and a single-sided data analysis monocle walked over from the other end of the reception room.

His pace was precise; the distance of every step was almost perfectly equal, and the angle at which he extended his right hand seemed measured by calipers.

[Harold Chen]

[Identity: Star Ring Financial Group Technical Asset Valuation Center - Senior Appraiser]

[Rank: Level 62 (Technology Side)]

[Specialty: Mecha Technology Valuation, Energy System Assessment, Patent Infringement Identification]

[Note: Old colleague of Dr. Ailin, one of the authorities in the field of technical valuation in the Eternal Star Domain]

"Dr. Ailin said in our communication that you have a complete blueprint of the star brilliance type i that requires a pre-assessment."

Harold skipped the small talk and went straight to the point. "Did you bring the blueprints?"

Lin Ye took out the data crystal containing the full set of technical documents from his Storage Ring and placed it on the table.

Harold picked up the crystal and inserted it into the reading device on the table.

Three holographic screens lit up simultaneously, and dense technical parameters, 3D models, and process workflow documents poured down like a waterfall.

He began to browse quickly.

In the first minute, he pulled up the overall 3D model of the mecha, observed it rotating from various angles, and occasionally zoomed in on specific joint details to examine the transmission structure.

In the second minute, he opened the material list, quickly scanned the names, specifications, and quantities of the one hundred and forty-seven Materials, and marked five of them.

In the third minute, he pulled up the design documents for the energy System, focusing on the efficiency curve of the anti-gravity engine and the topology of the energy transmission network.

In the fourth minute, he opened the source code framework of the control System.

He didn't read it line by line but instead directly ran a diagnostic program that Lin Ye couldn't understand.

In the fifth minute...

A full fifteen minutes passed.

Harold didn't say a word; only his fingers swiped rapidly across the holographic screens, and the data stream on his single-sided data analysis monocle refreshed constantly.

Zhao Wuji stood behind Lin Ye, not daring to even breathe loudly.

Finally, Harold took off his analysis monocle and rubbed his brow.

"star brilliance type i," he said, his voice flat. "A mature model from thirty years ago. Dr. Ailin's Seventh Fleet discontinued it five years ago, and they've already dismantled three production lines."

Lin Ye did not speak.

"However," Harold changed the subject, "this blueprint of yours is not the original version from thirty years ago."

He pulled up two side-by-side 3D models: "On the left is the original star brilliance type i design from the public archives of the Eternal Star Domain, and on the right is the version you brought."

"The energy transmission network on the right version adds a set of backup circuits, which can automatically switch within 0.3 seconds if the main circuit is damaged. The original design lacks this improvement."

"The joint servo motors on the right version have a 12% increase in torque and an 8% reduction in response latency. The original design cannot achieve these parameters."

"The armor formula on the right version adjusts the carbon doping ratio of the Star Brilliance alloy from 0.07% to 0.09%, making the balance point between hardness and toughness better than the original version."

He looked at Lin Ye, his gaze carrying a hint of scrutiny: "Did you optimize this?"

"Dr. Ailin of the Seventh Fleet of the Eternal Starfield guided us through some improvements during her stay at the Heavenly Court." Lin Ye did not hide it.

Harold was silent for a few seconds.

"...That Dr. Ailin," he murmured, his tone indecipherable between admiration and helplessness. "Still causing such a stir before retirement."

He put his analysis monocle back on and scanned the blueprints again:

"If this set of blueprints goes through the normal technology transfer process, the valuation range is..."

He paused and pulled up a calculation interface: "Eight hundred and fifty thousand to nine hundred and twenty thousand technology resource vouchers."

"Taking the median, eight hundred and eighty-five thousand."

Lin Ye's heart stirred.

This number was slightly higher than the "eight hundred thousand to one million" estimated by Dr. Ailin.

"However," Harold said, "this is the valuation for 'technology transfer,' not for 'intellectual property mortgage.' You want a pre-assessment to apply for a bidding credit line, right?"

Lin Ye nodded.

"Then the valuation must be discounted by twenty percent," Harold said calmly. "The Eternal Star Domain Financial Regulatory Bureau has mandatory regulations for the risk coefficient of mortgaged assets. For intangible technical assets, the mortgage valuation coefficient is 0.8."

"Seven hundred and eight thousand."

It was nearly one hundred thousand lower than Dr. Ailin's estimated lower limit.

Lin Ye did not respond immediately.

He looked at Harold, whose expression was calm, revealing no emotion.

"Mr. Harold," Lin Ye said, "I understand the regulations regarding the mortgage valuation coefficient. But the Star Ring Financial Group has its own risk assessment model and doesn't necessarily have to apply the Regulatory Bureau's mandatory coefficient entirely, right?"

Harold did not deny it.

"What if we can provide additional credit enhancement measures?"

Harold raised his eyes: "What kind of credit enhancement measures?"

"Dr. Ailin herself," Lin Ye said. "As the lead technical person responsible for the optimization of these blueprints, she is willing to issue a technical guarantee letter in her personal capacity, confirming the integrity and feasibility of the blueprints, as well as—the Heavenly Court's possession of complete, undisputed intellectual property rights."

"Additionally, we can accept the inclusion of a 'Technical Guidance Obligation Clause' in the mortgage agreement: if the Star Ring Financial Group has any questions about the technical details of these blueprints in the future, the Heavenly Court can coordinate with Dr. Ailin to provide no more than 40 hours of remote technical consultation."

Harold was silent for a few seconds.

His fingers swiped rapidly across several interfaces on the holographic screen, seemingly conducting some internal assessment.

"...That Dr. Ailin," he said that phrase again. This time, there was a hint of helpless amusement in his tone.

"0.85," he said. "A mortgage valuation coefficient of 0.85. Seven hundred and fifty-two thousand." This was the highest price he could offer.

Lin Ye did not haggle further.

"Deal."

Harold nodded, took out a holographic agreement from under the table, quickly filled in the parameters, and pushed the light screen over:

"This is the pre-assessment letter of intent. After signing, a credit line of seven hundred and fifty-two thousand vouchers will be frozen under your Heavenly Court, valid for 72 hours. After the auction ends, regardless of whether you use this credit line, the letter of intent will automatically expire."

"If you want to formally transfer the blueprints, you will need to go through the complete technical valuation process again. At that time, I might adjust the price up a bit."

Lin Ye signed his name.

Harold put away the agreement, stood up, and for the first time showed a professional smile:

"Welcome to the Eternal Star Domain, Leader Lin."

"It's very different here from the Big Dipper Star Field."

"I wish you success in the auction."

...

When Lin Ye walked out of the Star Ring Financial Group building, Zhao Wuji had been waiting at the entrance for twenty minutes.

His face wore an irrepressible excitement, and he clutched a data card that had just been processed, shimmering with a pale blue luster:

[Star Domain Trade License - Temporary Application Acceptance Receipt]

[Applicant: Heavenly Court Chamber of Commerce]

[Acceptance Number: ETC-20241007 - 0327]

[Current Status: Initial Review Passed, Entering Business Plan Review Phase]

[Review Cycle: 3-5 working days]

[Note: Please submit the complete business plan within 72 hours of acceptance; failure to do so will be considered an automatic waiver]

"Boss!" Zhao Wuji hurried up, speaking as fast as a machine gun. "I consulted the Trade Bureau. They looked at the Heavenly Court's basic information and said our faction scale, credit rating, and liquidity all meet the initial review threshold! Now the only thing missing is the business plan!"

"I've already outlined it: market analysis, supply and demand gap calculation, logistics plan, capital turnover model, risk control, three-year development plan..."

He took a scroll of blank Jade Slip from his Storage Ring—in the Eternal Star Domain, this thing was already an antique-level storage medium—and it was densely covered with notes.

Lin Ye looked at Zhao Wuji's eyes, which were slightly reddened from staying up late (although sleep wasn't needed in the game) but burning with a fervent flame, and did not interrupt him.

He knew that at this moment, Zhao Wuji's business talent had finally found the stage most suitable for it to bloom.

The market of the Big Dipper Star Field was too small for Zhao Wuji.

The price difference of Spirit Stones in the Yan State, the output allocation of resource points, the trade agreements between factions... those were all games in a pond.

But the trade route between the Eternal Star Domain and the Big Dipper Star Field—spanning tens of thousands of light-years, involving two civilization Systems, and with a profit margin as high as 400%—this was the ocean.

"...So, I plan to divide the business plan into five modules." Zhao Wuji was still rambling. "The first module is supply and demand analysis, focusing on demonstrating the scarcity and high premium of star iron, Taiyin Mysterious Jade, and Yao Beast Materials from the Big Dipper Star Field in the Eternal Star Domain; the second module is the logistics plan. We can establish a cross-Star Domain storage center in Chaos Valley and then sign a long-term freight agreement with the Eternal Star Domain side..."

Lin Ye listened, nodding occasionally.

He wasn't as proficient in business as Zhao Wuji, but he could tell that the skeleton of this business plan was already very clear.

Zhao Wuji had truly grasped the underlying logic of cross-Star Domain trade within three days.

"Boss," Zhao Wuji suddenly stopped and took a deep breath. "Do you know what I was thinking when I got this acceptance receipt?"

Lin Ye looked at him.

"I was thinking," Zhao Wuji said, "when we first established the Heavenly Court, you said one sentence to me."

"'What we want to be is not just the first in the Big Dipper Star Field.'"

"At that time, I felt that this goal was already very far away."

He looked at the pale blue data card in his hand, his voice suddenly becoming very soft:

"But now..."

"I feel that the Big Dipper Star Field might just be the starting point."

Lin Ye was silent for a few seconds.

Then he reached out and patted Zhao Wuji's shoulder.

"Then let's take this planet," he said, "as the starting point."

In the distance, the ring orbits of Star Ring City were still rotating silently, and tens of thousands of aircraft were shuttling along their respective routes.

The emblem at the top of the Star Ring Financial Group building projected an energy beam into the sky every thirty seconds. That beam would go straight up, passing through the purple glow of the ring nebula, and enter the endless deep space.

And in a more distant place, beyond the reach of the naked eye—the Big Dipper Star Field, Yan State, Chaos Valley.

There, thousands of Heavenly Court members were working overnight in the Mecha Workshop to debug production lines, drilling the Four Symbols battle Formation on the Martial Arts Practice Field, and preparing for the upcoming expedition to the Eternal Star Domain.

What would they wait for? A trade license, a commercial route across the star sea, a business legend that no one in the Big Dipper Star Field had ever achieved.

Or...

Lin Ye withdrew his gaze.

"Let's go back and meet up with Qingyue and the others." He said, "The auction is still two and a half days away."

"We have too much left to do."

Zhao Wuji nodded vigorously, carefully tucking the acceptance receipt into the deepest part of his Storage Ring.

The two turned and walked along the automatic conveyor belt toward the teleportation station.

Behind them, the night lights of Star Ring City lit up one by one.

That was the light of technology, unique to the Eternal Star Domain, using stars as energy, antimatter as reserves, and quantum networks as the hub.

In the rest area of the teleportation station, Su Qingyue was standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, looking at the brilliant, unfamiliar, and cold starry sky outside.

Her ice-blue eyes reflected the never-extinguishing lights of Star Ring City.

In her communication Jade Slip lay the first piece of intelligence sent by Qin Ruoxue fifteen minutes ago:

"Initial screening of the consignor's identity is complete. There are seven suspicious targets that meet the criteria. We are investigating them one by one."

"We expect to lock onto the target within 24 hours."

At the very bottom of the list of seven people, there was a tiny line of notes specifically marked by Qin Ruoxue:

"The third person, codenamed 'Scavenger'. Last seen in the public eye: thirteen days ago, at the edge of the Meteorite Belt, Resource Collection Station No. 47."

"Collection records show that he sold a batch of 'unknown ancient artifacts' on that day, with a total valuation of 830,000 vouchers."

"In the list of ancient artifacts, one item was described as: 'Silver-white token, with star patterns on the surface, suspected to be a relic of an ancient civilization'."

Meteorite Belt.

Thirteen days ago.

Silver-white token, with star patterns on the surface.

Su Qingyue looked at this note and was silent for a long time.

Then she turned off the communication Jade Slip and turned to look at Lin Ye and Zhao Wuji, who were pushing the door open and entering.

Her voice was calm, as if she were just stating an ordinary meeting summary:

"Qin Ruoxue found him."

"That consignor."

Lin Ye stopped in his tracks.

Outside the window, the lights of Star Ring City were still brilliant.

And the gears of fate were accelerating.