Forging Immortality through the Dao Seed

In the Immortal City, the most abundant structures are houses prepared for the various foreign creatures. Besides these, there are all kinds of special buildings, such as banks, beast-fighting arenas, the Star-picking Tower, the God-Demon Tower, and the Beauty District, among others.

Each place is overseen by humanoid creatures, whose strengths Zhang Jing could not ascertain.

Though the city had just opened, it was already bustling with numerous lifeforms, be they of the Human Race or other species, adding a vibrant atmosphere to the vast Immortal City.

At the entrance of a nine-story pavilion.

Zhang Jing slightly lifted his head, glancing over the treasure sign hung directly above the main gate.

Bliss Money Bank!

"Welcome esteemed guest, may I ask if you are here to exchange for Copper Coins?"

As he barely stepped into the bank's grand entrance, an elderly man with white whiskers quickly came up to greet him, eagerly inquiring.

Zhang Jing smiled noncommittally in response and asked warmly,

"I'm just here to take a look. May I ask, Shopkeeper, what do you exchange for Copper Coins here?"

"It seems to be the guest's first time entering our Bliss Immortal City."

Instead of answering, the old man led Zhang Jing straight to a wooden table in the room, poured him some tea, and returned Zhang Jing's question with a smile.

Zhang Jing nodded.

"All the banks within Bliss Immortal City only accept one type of item for exchange, and that is the time from the lives of our esteemed guests."

"Time?"

"Indeed," the old man said with a smile, gently stroking his white whiskers, and patiently explained, "Every creature has its own life-span, which you could somewhat equate to longevity, although they are not quite the same thing."

Time? Longevity?

Zhang Jing felt a shiver in his heart.

As he had anticipated, this bank, as well as the Immortal City behind it, was indeed extraordinary.

He raised his eyelids slightly and asked calmly, "And the exchange rate?"

"One month of time can be exchanged for one white Copper Coin, and a hundred years of time for one green Copper Coin. Additionally, esteemed guests can exchange white Copper Coins for green ones in the bank, at the rate of one hundred and twenty to one."

"Of course, this is just the exchange rate for the Bliss Money Banks outside the inner city. Within the Inner City, it's eighty years of time for one green Copper Coin," said the old man leisurely.

Upon hearing this,

Zhang Jing couldn't help but show a trace of bemusement on his face.

For now, setting aside how it is inside the Inner City, since he is currently in the outer city.

A hundred years of time could only be exchanged for one green Copper Coin, and yet one green Copper Coin could only secure one year of residence in the outer city. With an exchange rate of a hundred to one, Bliss Immortal City indeed seemed excessively steep.

Thinking back on his previous cries of 'what a bargain',

he couldn't help but smile wryly at himself, for it was not as painful since the time was not his own.

No wonder that Wang Zizai had looked at him so strangely before.

"Shopkeeper, I've heard the entry voucher for Bliss Ghost Market is purchased from your establishment?" Zhang Jing quickly asked, remembering his main purpose for the visit.

Seeing a potential sale,

The old man with white whiskers pushed up the wrinkles on his face into a 'kind' smile and answered like an old hand, "A voucher is respectfully priced at ten green Copper Coins."

"Ten coins? That's expensive!"

After hearing the price, Zhang Jing's breath hitched, and his calm demeanor faltered.

Had it been before, he certainly wouldn't have reacted this way. But now, understanding the significance of the green Copper Coins, he was naturally aware of how exorbitant the price of the voucher truly was.

A thousand years of time merely for a small Ghost Market voucher!

...

That night.

In his room.

Zhang Jing roused from his slumber, glancing out the window. The night was in full swing, and all was silent.

"It's about to be midnight."

Extending one hand, a dark-golden voucher three inches square materialized in his palm, its surface traced with blood-red Dao Patterns spelling out "Bliss Ghost Market," giving off a sinister vibe that seemed to capture one's soul.

Indeed, Zhang Jing had gone ahead and purchased the Bliss Ghost Market voucher.

Although it was expensive, the green Copper Coins he used were, after all, contributions from the winged three-tailed behemoth he had encountered earlier, thus he felt surprisingly little pain spending them.

In any case, if he ran out of Copper Coins, he could simply leave the city to hunt another monster to replenish his funds.

Hunting monsters, though a risky task for other creatures combining their Dao in the Immortal City, was relatively safe for Zhang Jing, who possessed the Xucang Immortal Robe.

In his eyes, dealing with those beasts was somewhat easier than facing the real creatures combining their Dao.

He rose,

Opened the door,

"Best wishes to the master for eternal life, imposing vigor, surrounded by beauty, a house full of children and grandchildren," amidst a series of endless flattery that seemed to cost nothing at the entrance, Zhang Jing promptly activated the Bliss Ghost Market voucher in his hand.

In an instant,

The heavy night was pushed aside.

A stone archway towering more than ten meters appeared silently before Zhang Jing, adorned with big red lanterns of various shapes. Inside the lanterns, distorted faces filled with greed were vaguely visible.

Behind the gate stretched a broad stone path, lined with red lanterns one after another, extending to the end of his sight.

A bone-chilling coldness spread from the opposite side of the archway, rapidly dropping the temperature around him as frost instantly covered the ground.

Whoosh—

Zhang Jing exhaled a puff of white mist through his mouth and nose, which instantly turned to ice pellets that fell to the ground, shattering into a sprinkle of sparkling fragments.

"My, this really is a 'Ghost' Market," he said with a smile, without a trace of hesitation stepping boldly forward.

Since he had come, he would be at ease. Having already made it to Bliss Immortal City, why would he be afraid of a mere Ghost Market?

Tap, tap—

His gentle footsteps echoed suddenly on the stone path, growing fainter and fainter, until Zhang Jing's figure completely vanished.