Jia Ren looked at the speaker with surprise; in his memory... this person should have died.

"Wang Fugui, you're still alive?!"

Wang Fugui was the neighbor of Jia Ren's alter ego, Zhen Yi, in the Inner City's Heavenly Arts Lane of the Great Wilderness Market. It was thanks to Wang Fugui's information that he knew Talisman Master Zhang was taking disciples, which led to his connection with the Zhang Household. After changing his disguise, Wang Fugui brought him to a secret store, where he purchased a large quantity of Spiritual Medicine. He'd helped him out enormously on two separate occasions. Following the battle between the Five Elements Sect and several others, Jia Ren had not seen him again and assumed the man had died...

"COUGH. I did die once... Lingyuan City brought me back to life."

Wang Fugui's appearance had little difference from what Jia Ren remembered, his chubby face adorned with the joy of seeing an old friend again. In his right hand, he toyed with a golden coin inscribed with the words "Money can summon the divine."

Resurrected with the help of Lingyuan City?

Not only that, but his cultivation level had also reached the Foundation Establishment Stage after resurrection.

"We haven't met in many years, and you've already become a Golden Core Cultivator..." Wang Fugui said, his face full of astonishment, as if he were looking at a monster. In such a short time, achieving the Golden Core Stage certainly made one monstrous!

"After you disappeared, Talisman Master Zhang lost contact with you. He lost his Essence, Energy, and Spirit, and his teaching of talismans became half-hearted."

Meeting an old friend again, Wang Fugui couldn't help but reminisce about the past, remembering the old Talisman Master Zhang.

Thinking of Talisman Master Zhang, Jia Ren couldn't help feeling waves of sorrow. His master had died early, and his senior sister had also been refined into a Demon Corpse.

He had let down his late Master Zhang...

"You don't have to address me as your senior; just use the old address."

"On the contrary, it's you who has a not-so-simple status."

Jia Ren looked back towards the money house and could distinctly feel the gazes of the employees. He definitely sensed the reverence in their eyes when they looked at Wang Fugui. Wang Fugui was different from Yun Niang. He wasn't one to come here just to work; he seemed more like... part of the management.

Jia Ren had previously found Wang Fugui out of the ordinary. He had no particular skill, yet he resided in the costliest Heavenly Arts Lane within the Great Wilderness' Inner City. Now, the mystery surrounding his resurrection in Lingyuan City and his breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment Stage provided strong evidence.

"Daoist Zhen has keen insight. Wang Tong Money House is my family's foundation. I was unwilling to inherit the family business in the past and sneaked out to make my way in the world..."

"After the rise of Bizarre Demons, the Wang Family moved out of the Great Wilderness and settled in Lingyuan City..."

Unwilling to inherit the family business? Not knowing the blessing of what one has.

Risking one's life for adventures only to lose it...

If not for Lingyuan City, the city of miracles, grass would have been seven feet high on his grave by now.

"Wang Tong Money House is under my control. It's a decent business even here in Lingyuan City. May I ask what brings you to Wang Tong Money House? Are you looking to borrow money?"

Those who come to money houses are typically, eight out of ten times, looking to borrow money. Otherwise, not many cultivators wish to deal with money houses.

"I want to exchange Spirit Stones for Abyss Coins," Jia Ren said, not hiding his intention.

Wang Fugui furrowed his brows and shook his head. "It's easy to change Spirit Stones into Abyss Coins, but hard to change them back."

"If Daoist Zhen plans to settle in Lingyuan City for good, I can offer the highest exchange rate: ten Abyss Coins for one Spirit Stone."

"That's the lowest price, with no profit margin."

"If Daoist Zhen doesn't plan to stay long-term and only needs the Abyss Coins for short-term turnover, I can lend you up to a million Abyss Coins for a year."

Most money houses operated on the principle of 'Nine out, Thirteen Return.' However, to show respect to a Golden Core Cultivator, the best they would offer was 'Nine out, Eleven Return.' Wang Fugui wasn't asking for a cent of interest, offering the loan for free circulation, which was indeed astonishing. This loaned money could earn a significant sum of Abyss Coins in a year.

With the initial capital, Jia Ren would be able to get things rolling; a million Abyss Coins was more than enough.

"A million Abyss Coins is not a small sum. Aren't you afraid I will take it and never return it?" Jia Ren asked, looking at Wang Fugui with surprise.

Wang Fugui was not as close to him as Yang Shengwu and Yang Bingzhi were. Offering a million Abyss Coins for free was indeed surprising.

"I trust my own judgment of character," Wang Fugui said with a smile, his chubby cheeks bunching up until his eyes were almost slits. "If I lose, the million Abyss Coins can be seen as a lesson for a wrong judgment."

Jia Ren didn't refuse and signed a contract; a million Abyss Coins were proactively offered.

The two sat and drank tea, reminiscing about old times. Seizing the opportunity, Jia Ren asked Wang Fugui for information about Lingyuan City. Wang Fugui held a higher status than Yang Shengwu and had arrived in the city earlier, possessing more information.

"Most cultivators are unclear on the rules of making wishes with the Wish Bizarre during their first encounter."

"No matter what wish is made, successful or not, the Wish Bizarre will take its price immediately. If you can't pay it, you'll be sacrificed to the Wish Bizarre."

"The Wish Bizarre's transactions are never fair. It will not inform you in advance if your wish can be granted, nor the price you'll have to pay."

"Regardless of whether the wish is successful or not, you must pay the corresponding price!"

"That is the most terrifying part!"

"Lingyuan City deliberately restricts information to avoid scaring people away."

"The item of the price is not fixed. If you have something favored by the Wish Bizarre, it will take it first."

Wang Fugui extended his hand, passing over a Jade Slip filled with dense records of wishes.

Li Pan wished for a Spiritual Root, at the cost of thirty years of his life.

Wu Sanyuan wished for a breakthrough to the Golden Core Stage. The cost was his soul being taken by the Wish Bizarre after death.

Qi Mo wished to transform into a Medicine Spirit Body, at the cost of three years of life.

Qian Jianghai wished for two hundred years of lifespan. The cost was a failed wish and his disappearance without a trace.

Wu Sanjia wished to extend Ma Liu's life by ten years. The cost was a failed wish and his own disappearance without a trace.

...

What was inconceivable was that making the same wish could result in different costs; they were not fixed. The dense records of 'transactions' were startling to behold. These were the wishing items and their costs collected by the Wang Family.

Under normal circumstances, a cultivator who saw the so-called wishes and the prices paid would definitely keep their distance unless they were 'at their wit's end'. None had succeeded in making wishes for others to gain longevity or increase their cultivation levels. It seemed there were also unknown restrictions.

This was a city of sin, nurturing a man-eating Wish Bizarre. Cultivators kept coming one after another, feeding themselves into the maw of the Wish Bizarre. Unlike other Bizarre Demons, which cultivators would only flee from in terror, the Wish Bizarre made people willingly leap into the tiger's mouth.

Jia Ren took a deep breath and remained silent for a long time. He handed back the Jade Slip.

"Thank you, Wang Daoyou, I've benefited greatly."

"There's no need to trouble another host. It just so happens I have another question. Would you enlighten me, Wang Daoyou?"

The influence of the Wang Family was still considerable, and Wang Fugui knew many secrets; perhaps Jia Ren could gather more intelligence. He didn't want to trouble others or pay for information, as its accuracy couldn't be guaranteed.

"Daoist Zhen, don't hesitate to ask." Wang Fugui smiled brilliantly, playing with the golden coin in his hand.

"I would like to know the use of the Profound Realm Key."

The smile on Wang Fugui's face froze, and the golden coin disappeared into his sleeve, nowhere to be seen.

"How come Daoist Zhen is interested in the Profound Realm Key?" Jia Ren's words were unexpected, and Wang Fugui's attitude seemed to subtly change.

"The Profound Realm Key is dangerous. Even Nascent Soul Cultivators who possess it attract deadly disasters. Are you sure you want to know?"

Seeing that Jia Ren did not respond, Wang Fugui understood his attitude.

"In my early years, I saw a record about the Profound Realm Key in an ancient book."

"This object can open the door to another cultivation world, which the ancients called the Mysterious Realm. In the Mysterious Realm, the spiritual energy far surpasses that of the Barren Extreme Land, and the world is much broader."

"Our current world is restricted. Divinity Transformation Stage experts are extremely rare, to say nothing of existences Above the Deity Transformation Stage."

"Entering the Mysterious Realm will offer a broader future."

"The most crucial point is... the Mysterious Realm has no Bizarre Demons."

The Mysterious Realm has no Bizarre Demons?!

Jia Ren was stunned for a moment, then his eyes burst with bright light.

For a cultivator, this was a pure land.

No wonder Nascent Soul Cultivators were so frantic, willing to pay any price to get their hands on the Profound Realm Key. Other Nascent Soul Cultivators from the Four Great Desolate Domains would also flock to it.

If he could snatch the Profound Realm Key, he would have a broader future, and most importantly... the Mysterious Realm has no Bizarre Demons.

Nascent Soul Cultivators were already considered top-tier cultivators. Yet, against Bizarre Demons, they could only achieve a seal, not eradication. Facing an almost endless tide of Bizarre Demons, without a way to eliminate them completely, anyone would feel desperate. Knowing there was a place where they could cultivate in peace and seek eternal life, they would definitely pay any price to obtain the Profound Realm Key. The attraction of the Profound Realm Key to so many Nascent Soul Cultivators was therefore understandable.

Jia Ren's mood was foul. A treasure that could take him away from Bizarre Demons and to the Mysterious Realm was gone just like that.

Without finding and killing the person who stole the Profound Realm Key, he couldn't quell the rage in his heart.

"I've heard there's talk of ascension. Does reaching the Divinity Transformation Stage allow for ascension? Does it lead to the Mysterious Realm?"

Jia Ren had sought this information for a long time without success; he was surprised Wang Fugui knew about it.

Perhaps he wasn't as simple as the foolish son of a landlord.

This was a rare opportunity to gather information, and he couldn't afford to miss it.

"The ancient books don't have much information on this, and that's where it ends," Wang Daoyou said, picking up the tea in front of him and gulping it down.

"Besides that, I have one last question."

"Have you heard of the World-Devouring Sentinel?"

As soon as Jia Ren finished speaking, he stared at Wang Fugui, observing the changes in his expression.

"COUGH!" Wang Fugui finished his tea before responding.

"Daoist Zhen seems to know of many treasures."

"The Profound Realm Key has always been sought after by countless people. Sadly, they are finite; each one used is one less available."

"The cultivators who obtained the Profound Realm Key managed to replicate the World-Devouring Sentinel, which opens a door to the Mysterious Realm."

"Blowing the World-Devouring Sentinel opens a portal to the Mysterious Realm somewhere in the world."

"The World-Devouring Sentinel differed from the Profound Realm Key in that using it was not a conventional method of entry."

"It is said to be guarded by a beast, and those without the power of the Divinity Transformation Stage who rashly seek entrance are undoubtedly seeking death."

Wang Fugui was well-informed, elaborating in detail on the World-Devouring Sentinel.

The Profound Realm Key and the World-Devouring Sentinel were similar. Indeed, as he had guessed, both had the same effect and originated from the same source.

The only difference was that the Profound Realm Key was an official channel. The World-Devouring Sentinel, on the other hand, was akin to smuggling and had restrictions on strength, requiring the defeat of a Divinity Transformation Stage guardian beast to enter.

Comparatively, the Profound Realm Key was more precious.

He must find a way to take it back!

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