Chapter 388: Whitewashing Identity, Thirty Thousand Spirit Stones

The town wasn't large, but it had everything one could need.

Inns, restaurants, pawnshops, pharmacies, weapon workshops… it had it all.

This place was the only way into Qingfeng City and served as the first stop for many visiting Cultivators.

Zhou Chen and his two companions walked into the town, travel-worn, and immediately attracted the attention of quite a few people.

It wasn't because of their cultivation—in the Spirit Realm, Venerable Realm Cultivators weren't weak, but they couldn't be considered experts either.

Rather, it was because their attire was significantly different from that of the locals in the Spirit Realm.

"Look, more stowaways."

"Tsk tsk, look at them; they must have escaped from the mines."

"Being able to escape the mines alive is a feat in itself."

"What feat? Without an identity token, it's impossible to move an inch in the Spirit Realm; they'll just be dragged back sooner or later."

The Cultivators by the roadside pointed and whispered.

Zhou Chen remained calm, as if he hadn't heard the gossip.

Han Li and Old Zhang, however, looked somewhat unsightly.

Having just escaped the mines, the fear of that place still lingered in their hearts.

Now, hearing these words made them even more uneasy.

"Brother Zhou…"

Han Li lowered his voice: "Can we really gain a foothold here?"

Zhou Chen said indifferently: "Don't worry. Since we're here, there must be a way."

He led the two of them into the largest inn in town—the Qingyun Inn.

The inn's lobby was bustling with noise, with Cultivators from all walks of life gathered there, exchanging various pieces of information about the Spirit Realm.

The three of them walked up to the counter.

"Three guests, are you staying the night or dining?"

The innkeeper was a round-faced middle-aged man with a kindly smile, though his eyes were extremely shrewd.

He saw through the origins of Zhou Chen and his companions at a glance but didn't show any strangeness.

Doing business in Qingshi Town, he had seen all kinds of people and had long since honed his Wisdom Eye.

"Three superior rooms."

Zhou Chen said directly: "Also, I would like to ask about some things."

"Please go ahead, guest."

The innkeeper said with a smile.

Zhou Chen took out ten Low Grade immortal crystals and placed them on the counter.

"I want to know, in the Spirit Realm, how can one obtain an official identity token?"

The innkeeper glanced at the immortal crystals, a glint of light flashing in his eyes.

This was someone who knew the ropes.

"The guest is indeed an understanding person."

The innkeeper lowered his voice: "In the Spirit Realm, identity tokens are divided into two types—temporary tokens and official tokens."

"A temporary token only allows movement within one city, is valid for three months, and costs one thousand Low Grade immortal crystals."

"An official token allows free movement throughout the entire Spirit Realm and is valid permanently, but the price…"

He paused: "It requires at least ten thousand Low Grade immortal crystals."

"Moreover, one must pass the review of the City Lord's Mansion to prove that one is not a wanted criminal, not a stowaway, and not an escaped slave from the mines."

"This review process…"

He looked at Zhou Chen meaningfully: "Often requires some additional fees."

Zhou Chen understood.

The so-called additional fees were actually bribes for the officials at the City Lord's Mansion so they would turn a blind eye.

"Then what if it's a stowaway?"

Zhou Chen asked directly.

The innkeeper was stunned, then laughed.

"The guest is indeed straightforward."

"There is indeed a way for stowaways to whitewash their identities."

"But it requires more than just immortal crystals; it also requires some… connections."

"As it happens, my little shop has some connections at the City Lord's Mansion and can help introduce you."

"However…"

He held up three fingers: "The price for one permanent identity token is thirty thousand Low Grade immortal crystals, flat rate."

"Cash only, no other items accepted as payment."

Thirty thousand Low Grade immortal crystals.

For an ordinary Cultivator, this price was simply an astronomical figure.

Even for a Venerable Realm Cultivator, saving up thirty thousand Low Grade immortal crystals would take decades or even a century.

But for Zhou Chen…

He currently had one hundred thousand supreme grade immortal crystals on him.

One supreme grade immortal crystal was equivalent to one million Low Grade immortal crystals.

Thirty thousand Low Grade immortal crystals were simply not worth mentioning to him.

However, he owed it to Old Zhang for leading the way to the underground black market to exchange for a supreme grade immortal crystal.

Although he only got eight hundred thousand Low Grade immortal crystals back, and the commission was a bit steep, it was safe and risk-free.

"Deal, I need three tokens."

Zhou Chen didn't hesitate at all.

The innkeeper's eyes lit up.

This guest was so generous; it seemed he had significant wealth.

"The guest is indeed straightforward!"

The innkeeper's smile became even brighter: "In that case, I will make arrangements for you immediately."

"However, whitewashing an identity takes some time, about three days."

"During these three days, please stay in my shop with peace of mind."

"Although my shop is humble, it is absolutely safe, and no one will come to disturb you."

Zhou Chen nodded: "Then I will trouble you."

The innkeeper beamed with joy and hurriedly ordered the waiter to take Zhou Chen and his companions to their rooms.

Superior room, Heaven Grade Room Number One.

Zhou Chen sat alone in the room, crossing his legs in meditation.

On the surface, he was Cultivating, but in reality, he was thinking about his next plan.

"Three days should be enough to get the identity tokens. Although the three of us have disguised ourselves, we still need to be vigilant."

"Next…"

A sharp glint flashed in his eyes: "The top priority is to find a way to improve our strength and seek greater Opportunities."

No matter how many supreme grade immortal crystals he had, if his Realm wasn't high enough, it would only invite disaster.

Zhou Chen's mind stirred, and the opportunity panel System activated.

Hum—

Invisible fluctuations of Divine Thought radiated from his body, sweeping across the entire Qingshi Town.

The next second, countless translucent panels appeared before Zhou Chen's eyes.

Each panel displayed the information of a Cultivator.

Zhou Chen browsed quickly, looking for valuable targets.

Soon, he locked onto a few interesting subjects.

[Name: Li Hanyan]

[Realm: Venerable Realm Third Layer]

[fate: Die Without Illness (Blue)]

[Destiny: An assassin from the Blood Shadow Tower, skilled in assassination, ruthless. Three months later, will encounter an ambush while executing a mission, suffer heavy injuries, and ultimately be killed by an enemy, leaving no corpse behind.]

[Recent Opportunity: Seven days later, will kill a Fifth Layer of the Venerable Realm Yao Beast in the forest outside Qingfeng City, obtaining a Yao Beast core and a Venerable Rank Medium Grade Breakthrough Spirit Pill.]

Zhou Chen's eyes brightened.

Li Hanyan's Opportunity was average.

However, the Venerable Rank Medium Grade Breakthrough Spirit Pill was exactly what he needed right now.

Suddenly, one panel caught his attention.

[Name: Murong Fei]

[Realm: Venerable Realm Ninth Layer]

[fate: Heaven's Pride (Seven-Colored)]

[Destiny: Young Lord of the Zixia Sect, possessing exceptional talent, with astonishing Cultivation speed. To prove himself, he will participate in the Zixia Sect Outer Sect selection three months later, winning first place and successfully joining the Sect. Within five years, he will Breakthrough to the Quasi-Immortal Realm and become a True Disciple of the Sect, with a promising future.]

[Recent Opportunity: Ten days later, he will discover an ancient Immortal Cave deep in the Zixia Mountain Range and obtain the Immortal Rank Low Grade Cultivation Technique "Zixia Immortal Art", and his Realm will Breakthrough to the Tenth Layer of the Venerable Realm.]

Seven-Colored fate!

Zhou Chen felt a shock in his heart.

This was the first time he had seen a Cultivator with a Seven-Colored fate in the Spirit Realm.

Moreover, this Murong Fei's Opportunity was simply too tempting.