"Father," Shui Wuhen called to Nan Chengtong again.
"Congratulations, my lord, and congratulations to the young master," the people behind Nan Chengtong imdiately offered their congratulations.
"Let's go inside for registration. Once I report to the court, your official positions will be confird," Nan Chengtong said with a smile.
"Much appreciated," Zhong Shan and Nan Batian replied promptly.
Upon entering the grand hall, they found it filled with bookshelves and nurous desks, clearly an office for many officials. Inside, there was a private office, belonging to Nan Chengtong.
Nan Chengtong promptly registered Zhong Shan and Nan Batian. As for Shui Wuhen, he had already been registered.
Finally, Nan Chengtong asked, "Recomnded by the Seven Stars Hall, you have one choice to make: military or civil service? Your decision will be recorded and reported to the court."
"I choose the military," Nan Batian replied imdiately.
"I choose civil service," Zhong Shan said after so thought. Understanding the Heavenly Court's system would be easier through civil service.
"Good," Nan Chengtong marked their choices on the docunts.
After securing the docunts, Nan Chengtong smiled at Zhong Shan and Nan Batian. "I am Shui Tianya. We are colleagues now. For the ti being, let Wuhen show you to your accommodations. Once the court issues your appointnt letters, you can assu your duties accordingly," he said.
"Thank you!" Zhong Shan replied.
"It's my duty. Wuhen, take good care of your junior brothers," Shui Tianya instructed.
"Alright, father," Shui Wuhen nodded.
"Goodbye," Zhong Shan said.
Led by Shui Wuhen, they left the valley and proceeded to tour Wushuang City.
"Senior Brother, what kind of official is Nan Chengtong?" Zhong Shan asked with a frown.
"Do you an my father?" Shui Wuhen asked in confusion as they walked.
"Yes," Zhong Shan nodded.
"Wushuang City has one city lord and four district lords for the east, south, west, and north. My father is the South District Lord, a fifth-rank official in the Da Luo Heavenly Court, assisting the city lord," Shui Wuhen explained.
"Fifth rank?" Zhong Shan said in surprise.
"Yes, we are just entering the Da Luo Heavenly Court as sixth-rank officials, slightly lower than the fifth rank, but it's still quite impressive. My father worked his way up to this position over a long ti. For us to reach the sixth rank so easily is the fastest way in the Da Luo Heavenly Court," Shui Wuhen said with a smile.
"Understood," Zhong Shan nodded.
"Let's go. There is a comrcial district nearby. I'll show you around," Shui Wuhen suggested with a smile.
"Good," Nan Batian laughed, and Zhong Shan nodded.
Comrcial district? What could it be like in this heavenly court? Zhong Shan, originally a shrewd businessman, was very interested.
Led by Shui Wuhen, they soon arrived at a massive blue light curtain area in the north. Many people were coming and going, and Zhong Shan even saw so riding fierce beasts such as tigers, leopards, and boars.
Seeing people riding these beasts, Zhong Shan surmised that they were tad, similar to the wolf cavalry of the Great Yin Dynasty. Tad beasts could integrate into human society, and humans could utilize their power for cultivation and combat, complenting each other for faster progress in cultivation.
With Shui Wuhen leading the way, the three of them stepped into the blue light curtain. Inside, there were no mountains or rivers but a vast square filled with nurous buildings. These buildings were clearly different shops, and along the edges of the blue light curtain were sections divided into many areas, each housing a large beast.
So staff-like individuals were feeding these beasts, and soon, soone walked out from within the comrcial district, mounted a beast, and left. Others ca in from outside, paid so spirit stones, and left their beasts there.
"Beasts are not allowed inside the comrcial district due to their large size, so they usually wait on the outskirts, with designated staff to look after and protect them," Shui Wuhen explained.
"Understood," Zhong Shan nodded.
The three of them stepped further inside. The streets here were about a hundred ters wide, with each shop separated from the others. Small flags were placed around the shops, which Zhong Shan guessed were for protection, possibly forming small defensive arrays in case of ergencies.
The first shop they encountered was a pill store, with a serial number "142806" displayed. Clearly, shops here were numbered and taxed by the court, a common practice everywhere.
Shui Wuhen's main purpose was to show them around, without any specific agenda, so they wandered casually.
Inside the shop, it looked much like a mundane store, but each item was protected under an ice crystal glass cover, similar to a glass display but much sturdier.
Each ice crystal glass cover contained a single pill, with a label underneath:
Grade: Third Rank Effect: Aids in breaking through the peak of the innate stage, 90% success rate. Price: 100 high-grade spirit stones. Buyback: 95 high-grade spirit stones.
Reading the label, Zhong Shan smiled wryly. A 90% success rate? He had consud hundreds of these without breaking through. The price was ticulous: 100 high-grade spirit stones equaled 1,000 mid-grade spirit stones, which equaled 10,000 low-grade spirit stones.
Had he wasted millions of low-grade spirit stones on a single breakthrough?
Moreover, the store not only sold but also bought back pills.
Apart from the Ascending Pill, there were various other pills, but since Zhong Shan had all of these in his storage bracelet, he wasn't very interested. However, he did take note of the prices, likely due to his background in business.
The highest grade of pills in this shop was fifth grade, with nothing higher. It seed their inventory wasn't as extensive as his own.
The shop was divided into two sections, with the other side selling dicinal herbs, also labeled:
Fla Fruit Grade: Fifth Rank Price: 3,500 spirit stones. Buyback: 3,200 spirit stones.
Nan Batian's eyes widened in amazent, filled with envy. The shop attendant watched the three respectfully, waiting for their decision, but they turned and left.
Nan Batian didn't have the money or spirit stones, Shui Wuhen was rely showing them around, and Zhong Shan didn't need to spend money here.
"Senior Brother, the highest grade pills here are only fifth grade," Zhong Shan remarked with a frown.
"This is just a small shop. Fifth-grade pills are its limit. Anything higher would be a treasured item of the store. To find better ones, we need to go further in. However, sotis you can find pills in small shops that big shops don't have," Shui Wuhen explained with a smile.
Then, they entered the second shop, which was a flag store.
The inside of the shop was filled with various small flags, and it seed even quieter than the pill shop they had just visited.
"Welco, welco!" A chubby shopkeeper imdiately ca forward with a smile.
Perhaps due to the rarity of custors, the arrival of three people was a chance not to be missed.
"No need to be so polite, boss. We're just looking around," Shui Wuhen smiled.
"That's no problem. I'm just sitting around anyway. Let introduce you to so of the items we have here," the chubby shopkeeper said cheerfully.
"Alright, let's hear it," Shui Wuhen replied with a smile.
"This is a flag shop. The store is filled with sets of flag formations and flag-type magical tools, mostly used for defense. Depending on their grade, they can block different levels of enemies and various types of energy. For example, this Flaming Flag Formation, although it's only third grade, can withstand a full-power attack from a fourth-grade fire-type magical tool," the chubby shopkeeper said, pointing to sixteen small flags within an ice crystal glass cover.
"Aren't magical tools all made using spirit pearls? They are personal tools and difficult for others to use, right?" Zhong Shan asked imdiately.
"Uh, are you a guest who has just co from a remote immortal sect?" the shopkeeper asked, puzzled.
"First ti out, there are many things I don't know," Zhong Shan nodded, acknowledging the question.
"Haha, it seems your immortal sect specializes in alchemy or martial cultivation, not in crafting tools," the shopkeeper laughed.
"Uh?" Zhong Shan responded along the lines.
"Yes, crafting tools is divided into two types: 'human crafting' and 'furnace crafting.' Tools crafted by one's heart, spirit, will, mind, and spirit pearl are called 'human crafting.' These tools are infused with one's effort and are refined over ti, becoming more and more suitable for their owner. They can also be upgraded through continuous refinent by the owner and are sothing everyone in the Divine Land learns to make. As for the tools we sell here and in most of the shops in this comrcial district, they are 'furnace crafted' tools," the shopkeeper explained.
"Furnace crafted?" Zhong Shan absorbed the knowledge like a sponge.
"Yes, indeed. Furnace crafting refers to tool-making experts collecting various materials and using a furnace to fuse them, inscribing the appropriate formations to imbue the tool with different abilities. The materials are one aspect, and inscribing the formations is another. The more formations a tool has, the harder it is to inscribe them because they tend to repel each other. Perfectly rging and stacking these formations is a skill that a master toolmaker must possess. The requirents are no less stringent than those for alchemy," the shopkeeper said.
"Oh, so what are the differences between furnace crafted tools and human crafted tools?" Zhong Shan asked curiously.
"Furnace crafted tools have three main advantages: First, you can buy them with money and use high-grade tools without long-term refinent. Second, they can be used in batches, as long as you have enough mana to support them. Third, even if the tool is destroyed, the owner won't suffer any ntal backlash. There are also three minor disadvantages: First, they cannot be upgraded; whatever grade they are when crafted, they will remain that grade forever. Second, they cannot be mind-linked with the owner; you must use specific techniques to operate them. Third, the highest grade is sixth grade. Of course, there are tools above the sixth grade, but those are no longer considered tools but treasures, as they possess a treasure spirit akin to a human's soul. However, such items are only found in legends, so it's best not to think about them," the shopkeeper said with a smile.
"The best flag formations here are only fifth grade," Shui Wuhen remarked after looking around at the various flag formations.
"Hehe, our shop does have a prized possession: a sixth-grade flag formation," the shopkeeper said with a smile.
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