24: Avatar

The flying boat sped across the North Barren Continent, the two of them unaware of what had just transpired at the Nine Classics Pavilion.

“Ding~ The VIP exclusive mall has been updated. Note: Only one item can be purchased per update.”

“Oh.”

Su Chen’s fingertip swiped through the void, bringing up the exclusive mall interface that only VIPs could unlock.

The pale golden light screen flowed with a luxurious sheen, and the interface scrolled down with Su Chen’s gesture.

Every item was something that would make countless players fight tooth and nail for outside, such as the “Nine Revolutions Dragon Blood Pill” which could instantly break through a cultivation realm, or the “Spirit Gathering Array Plate” which could greatly increase the spiritual energy concentration of a territory.

The downside was that each item was marked with a jaw-dropping price, all above 100,000 yuan.

The interface scrolled to the very bottom, and just then, Su Chen saw an item that made his remnant soul tremble.

Su Chen’s trembling fingertip clicked on it, and the ethereal blue potion suspended in the center of the light screen instantly came into his “view”—the bottle was carved like glazed glass, but the liquid inside resembled a flowing nebula, and the description on the label made him hold his breath:

“Lesser Remnant Soul Restoration Fluid: Contains the primordial soul power from the dawn of chaos, capable of slowly repairing all non-destructive soul injuries, with special efficacy for remnant soul states. Price: 9.99 million Blue Star Coins.”

9.99 million yuan?

If it were any other player, they would probably be scared away from the interface on the spot by this price.

But for Su Chen, who had invested billions at the start and still held a massive amount of funds, this number was just a slightly larger string of digits.

His mind was currently filled with the potion’s effect—restoring his remnant soul! Wasn’t this a divine item tailor-made for him?

“Purchase!” Su Chen didn’t hesitate at all, pressing his fingertip firmly on the confirmation button.

“Ding! 9.99 million Huaxia coins deducted. Lesser Remnant Soul Restoration Fluid has been stored in your Soul Space.”

As the system prompt faded, the ethereal blue potion appeared out of thin air in Su Chen’s remnant soul’s hand.

Without any extra movements, Su Chen directly poured the potion into his soul body.

In an instant, an indescribable warm current burst forth from the depths of his soul!

The feeling was like a riverbed that had been dry for a thousand years suddenly being filled with a surging river. Countless tiny soul fragments began to frantically coalesce under the embrace of the primordial soul power. The stinging pain previously caused by his incomplete soul receded like a tide, and his spiritual body gradually solidified from transparent, with a pale golden soul light circulating on its surface.

Su Chen slowly stretched his soul body, feeling a long-lost sense of completeness—a feeling of comfort emanated from the depths of his soul.

“This is the state an Ancestor should be in!” Su Chen’s soul body let out a joyful low laugh, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.

“Ding, your soul restoration progress has reached 50%, allowing you to briefly manifest a soul clone to move about.”

With a thought, Su Chen detached himself from the scroll’s confinement. His soul body, like an immortal descended to the mortal realm, stood steadily atop the dragon head of the dragon boat. His green robes and wide sleeves flapped in the strong winds. Aside from lacking a physical body and being unable to touch external objects, he was no different from an ordinary person.

Tantai Qinghuang, who had been meditating with her eyes closed, abruptly opened them when she sensed a change in aura. As a reborn Empress, she instantly mobilized the spiritual energy around her and adopted a defensive stance. But when she saw the young man who had suddenly appeared, her tense body relaxed, and an incredible glint flashed in her eyes.

The young man wore a faint smile, his green robes unstained by dust, possessing an unparalleled demeanor. It was Su Chen in his soul form.

“Ancestor! How did you come out?”

“Haha, it’s just my soul form.” Su Chen’s smile deepened. With the shackles of his remnant soul finally broken, he could not only plan the Tantai Family’s path to resurgence more precisely, but his power feedback in reality would also experience an explosive surge.

However, amidst his excitement, he looked at the vast, desolate North Barren land outside the boat, and his brows furrowed slightly—the Tantai Family’s current foundation was simply too weak.

Let alone establishing a foothold on the entire Nine Provinces Continent, even within the Great Xia Immortal Dynasty where they resided, they were merely a lower-grade imperial dynasty in the cultivation world. And the Tantai Family was only an eighth-rank impoverished family in a remote county of the Great Xia Immortal Dynasty, even a seventh-rank noble family could lord over them.

Thinking of this, he suddenly asked, “Qinghuang, what are your thoughts on the family’s future development?”

Tantai Qinghuang was secretly observing Su Chen in his soul form. The young man before her looked to be of similar age to her, but his handsome brows and eyes exuded an authority that belied his age. Remembering their intimate contact during her healing last night, a faint blush crept up her ears, and a strange tingling sensation inexplicably spread through her body.

Hearing Su Chen’s question, she quickly composed herself and said seriously, “Ancestor has only recently awakened, so perhaps you are unaware of how strict the hierarchy of this Nine Provinces Continent is.”

“An eighth-rank impoverished family like ours nominally governs a hundred households of cultivators, but in reality, we also have to support tens of thousands of mortals. Yet, seventy percent of our annual income must be handed over to the seventh-rank Song Family, our direct superior.”

“This time, when the Luo Family attacked, the Song Family stood by and did nothing, and they might even have colluded with the Luo Family long ago. Qinghuang has not forgotten this debt.” The girl’s golden eyes flashed with a hint of coldness as she spoke.

“Actually, the Song Family is just a vassal of a higher-ranking sixth-rank family; they just live a bit more respectably.” Tantai Qinghuang’s words carried a bone-chilling coldness. In her previous life, she had stood at the pinnacle of a second-rank Holy Land, and she had intimately experienced the rigid class barriers of this Nine Provinces Continent. “Those in power not only exploit those below them but also ruthlessly suppress newcomers, never allowing impoverished families to rise.”

“Furthermore, even if a super expert emerges from a family, if they don’t receive an imperial decree from the Immortal Court, their status remains unrighteous and without proper backing.” She paused, her tone growing more solemn. “Therefore, for the family’s resurgence, first, it requires a powerful expert to suppress all—Qinghuang is confident in this; second, it requires an imperial decree from the Immortal Court. Once we obtain one, not only can we be exempt from annual tributes, but we can also openly develop our forces and receive the protection of the Immortal Court’s fortune.”

“Countless families are stuck at this hurdle of receiving an imperial decree, unable to advance even an inch in their entire lives.”

“For families below the seventh rank to advance, they only need to complete bounty missions issued by the yamen. But to go further up, they either have to enter officialdom through imperial examinations or the entire family must join the army and earn military merits.” Tantai Qinghuang’s eyes suddenly flickered. “Especially in the military, the status of officers and soldiers in the Immortal Court is extremely high. If any family member joins the army and is granted a rank, no one would dare to easily provoke them.”

She recalled her memories from her previous life—soon, the Great Xia Immortal Dynasty would go to war with the Great Yue Immortal Court to the south, which would be an excellent opportunity for impoverished families to rise. However, both of these paths were fraught with thorns.

Su Chen listened quietly, nodding slowly. Although he was not in the Great Xia Immortal Dynasty in his previous life, he knew that the rules of the cultivation world were largely like this—it was a naked class society, where both strength and legitimate status were indispensable.

“Qinghuang, remember this.” He suddenly spoke, his voice calm but with an undeniable power, “Our Tantai Family’s goal has never been limited to this Bei Huang County, nor even to the Great Xia Immortal Dynasty.”

“Restoring the family’s glory and returning to the pinnacle of the Thirty-Three Heavens is our true destiny. This small Nine Provinces Continent is merely a temporary stop for us.”

Hearing this, Tantai Qinghuang’s heart trembled. After her rebirth, she had only focused on protecting her family from annihilation, never daring to dream of such a distant future.

“Our stage…is above the Nine Provinces?” The girl murmured to herself. As a reborn individual who had once touched the Quasi-Emperor realm, she knew better than anyone how difficult this path was.

Seeing her reaction, Su Chen gave a self-deprecating smile: “I was too eager. For now, let’s first deal with the Luo Family.”

The artifact spirit Little Girl suddenly poked her head out from the bow of the boat, chirping, “Master, we’ll reach Shituo Mountain in an hour!”

Su Chen nodded, it was a bit faster than expected.

Just then, he narrowed his eyes, looking towards the distant horizon: “Oh, it seems there are two people ahead.”

The moment he clearly saw their attire, a look of pleasant surprise appeared on his face.