After getting off the ferry, Qu Jianlei's mouth twitched, "Why... does it feel like I've been robbed?"

"This is just the beginning," Bentley shook his head, "Next, I'll show you what real robbery feels like."

They were about to enter the Celestial District, which had a separate border checkpoint.

Bentley had Celestial District residency documents, a decent status, and only needed to pay fifty silver coins as a clearance fee.

The vehicle and goods passing through were charged a clearance fee of two hundred silver coins.

Qu Jianlei and Flower Scorpion didn't have documents, but since Bentley vouched for them, they got temporary permits.

The temporary permits cost fifty each, valid for a year and need renewal upon expiration. Each permit had a deposit of... five hundred silver coins!

Qu Jianlei felt like his head was about to explode, "This really makes my already poor situation... even worse."

They hadn't encountered any formidable opponents in the Yellow Character District and the Profound Character District, making it relatively safe, but they were continuously spending money.

The feeling of one's savings depleting was unbearable for anyone.

"Don't be dissatisfied," Bentley commented leisurely while driving, "Without my guarantee, you wouldn't even get in by spending money."

Flower Scorpion also felt the pain in her wallet and earnestly suggested, "We could consider smuggling."

"Forget it," Qu Jianlei took a deep breath, "If money can solve the problem, then it's not a problem... why take the risk."

Bentley glanced at him, commenting mildly, "Your mindset isn't bad, unlike other young people who've experienced poverty."

Actually, I used to not be short on money... Qu Jianlei silently mused to himself.

"Forget it, I have some gold left; selling it might fetch some money."

He only brought eight kilograms of gold over, leaving the rest in various secret camps, originally thinking it was enough.

Who knew the Celestial District was so extraordinary? With entry, almost two thousand silver coins disappeared.

"The cost of living in the Celestial District isn't particularly high," Bentley responded casually, "it's just that the entry fee is a bit steep."

"Of course, if you intend to cultivate... you'll have to work hard to earn money."

Qu Jianlei couldn't help but glance at him, "Old Ben, there will be times when I'll have to borrow money from you."

"Is there any point in talking about borrowing?" Bentley replied lightly.

Yet the next moment, he couldn't help but emphasize, "Being with me is already saving a lot."

"I know," Qu Jianlei nodded, "I'm not idle either, I've been working on deducing a cultivation method for you."

Bentley took a deep breath, "I'm almost at my limit, it's time to head to Houjing."

Before this idea, it wouldn't have mattered. He had planned to muddle through life.

But since the thought occurred, the past half a year felt extremely long.

Fortunately, he's at a ripe age with considerable self-control, and besides, those places... were indeed unsuitable for cultivation.

Once stepping onto the Celestial District's soil, he couldn't suppress the longing anymore; he wished he could fly there immediately.

There are fourteen settlements in the Celestial District.

In addition to numbers one through nine, there are four named after the cardinal directions—Qianjing, Houjing, Zuoji, and Youjing.

The remaining one is called "Taikoo," the true primary settlement of the Celestial District.

However, Qianjing and Houjing are not much inferior to Taikoo, with Houjing's capabilities closest to Taikoo.

Simply put, Houjing is the second-largest settlement in the Celestial District.

As the top settlement, Taikoo has more high-end resources.

However, even Bentley thinks it's quite dangerous there—though he has a false identity, a wanted criminal is still a wanted criminal.

So everyone agreed that Houjing is a good choice, you can still get cultivation resources if you're willing to spend money.

Upon hearing this, Qu Jianlei couldn't help but chuckle, "Then why don't we go to Taikoo?"

"I can still keep my wits about me," Bentley replied nonchalantly.

Then he couldn't resist asking, "How's your deduction coming along?"

On this journey, he and Flower Scorpion were busy, while Qu Jianlei either read or cultivated without delay.

However, Bentley saw with his own eyes that Qu Jianlei's long-term cultivation consumed a B-level Crystal.

This situation left him no choice but to believe.

"It's still not quite perfect," Qu Jianlei replied, rubbing his temples in frustration.

"Frankly speaking, it definitely requires feedback through practice, and only then can we find the right cultivation method for you."

Bentley understood this but couldn't help asking, "How long will it take?"

"How can I guarantee that?" Qu Jianlei responded helplessly, "I can only promise... as soon as possible!"

"You don't need to rush me. The key is still getting the cultivation resources; that's what you should be concerned about."

Bentley's brows furrowed slightly... there was no helping it; it was hard to remain calm.

The next moment, a series of loud noises erupted, followed by a muffled sound from outside the heavy truck.

—

The weather hadn't warmed yet, and they were back in the Celestial District. All three were currently inside the vehicle.

Flower Scorpion, on guard duty, exclaimed, "Someone's strafing us with a machine gun!"

A cold light flashed in Bentley's eyes, "Open fire, destroy them directly!"

Flower Scorpion quickly tried to move toward the back, but Qu Jianlei beat her to it and dashed to the truck bed.

"I'll man the cannon, suppress them first, then you use the machine gun to strafe."

The next moment, he shouted in surprise, "Wow, aren't they going all out? They actually have an armored vehicle?"

The attack came from the side. Qu Jianlei immediately spotted an armored car, two trucks, and an off-road vehicle.

The shooting wasn't from the armored car, but from a truck. The machine cannon on the armored car was tracking the heavy truck's movement.

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