Chapter 230: A New Future (Part 2)

Chapter 230: A New Future (Part 2)



Storage Artifacts and Spatial Artifacts; Li Yuan had seen some descriptions of them in the Starfire Palace's database.

However, the information was scarce, with only a brief mention—extremely precious! Rarely seen!

This touched upon the manipulation of space, far beyond current technological concepts.

Naturally, it was incredibly valuable.

At least, among Origin Source Warriors.

Even among the top-tier Origin Source Warriors, Li Yuan had never heard of anyone possessing a Spatial Artifact, let alone seeing one in person.

But Li Yuan never expected this.

This mysterious Star Master, Dantu Lie, would directly gift him a Spatial Artifact.

"Governor Yang, isn't this too precious?" Li Yuan couldn't help but ask.

"Indeed, it's precious, and not every Skysoar Warrior possesses one," Governor Yang smiled. "But in reality, most Origin Source Warriors can't even use it."

"Can't use it?" Li Yuan was taken aback.

"This Storage Artifact, whether it's recognizing its owner or moving items in and out after recognition, the primary foundation is Divine Perception," Governor Yang explained with a smile. "Before, I was a bit puzzled as to why Star Master Dantu Lie would give you this artifact... but now I understand that you're a Flying Heaven Soul."

"Then it's not strange for Star Master Dantu Lie to give you this artifact." Governor Yang laughed.

Li Yuan understood.

So, this type of artifact required a Flying Heaven Soul to use.

Without Divine Perception, even having the artifact would be useless.

"Governor Yang, how much is this Storage Artifact worth?" Li Yuan asked, unable to contain his curiosity.

He was quite intrigued! After all, according to Governor Yang, even some Skysoar Warriors didn't possess such artifacts.

"In your perception, how big is the internal space of this Spatial Artifact?" Governor Yang smiled, not directly answering Li Yuan's question.

"How big?" Li Yuan sensed the thin silver slice the size of a thumb in Governor Yang's palm.

But he couldn't discern its size.

"The fact that you can sense it means you've recognized it as your own and can manipulate it," Governor Yang patiently explained. "Just hold the Storage Artifact and touch any item, and you can try to place it inside."

"Remember, you can't put living things inside, only inanimate objects," Governor Yang said, raising her hand. "Take good care of it; Star Master Dantu Lie gave it to you purely because he believes in you, not for any other reason."

"Okay," Li Yuan nodded, no longer hesitating.

Just like how Bai Shan, the Demigod, had given him the Earth's Divine Crystal, perhaps Star Master Dantu Lie had similar thoughts and intentions.

As he reached out to take it.

Buzz!

The silver slice seemed to flow like water, instantly merging into Li Yuan's skin and disappearing.

"What?" Li Yuan's pupils constricted slightly.

"Haha, I had the same reaction as you when I first received a Storage Artifact," Governor Yang laughed. "Don't worry, you'll get used to it. Focus your mind, and you'll be able to sense its presence... it will move to any part of your body according to your will."

"I see," Li Yuan said, using his powerful willpower.

He quickly sensed the presence of the Storage Artifact.

It seemed to be fully integrated into his body, able to move to any part of his body.

"Why is this Storage Artifact designed like this?" Li Yuan asked, unable to contain his curiosity.

"What do you think it should be like?" Governor Yang smiled.

"A belt? A bracelet?" Li Yuan shared his thoughts.

"Foolish," Governor Yang shook her head. "No one is stupid enough to expose their Storage Artifact. If a powerful being sees it, they might use their strong willpower to break through your mental imprint and directly perceive the contents of your Storage Artifact."

"Hiding it within your body makes it at least ten times harder for other powerful beings to perceive it," Governor Yang laughed. "Even ordinary people know not to flash their wallets around, so why wouldn't super-powerful beings understand this?"

"Storage Artifacts are like the wallets of martial arts experts, so they are designed to be very discreet, and you can't tell at a glance." Governor Yang explained.

Li Yuan was speechless.

It made a lot of sense.

"Internal space," Li Yuan's mind moved, and his palm unconsciously touched the sofa beneath him.

Whoosh!

The sofa disappeared into thin air, leaving Li Yuan and Governor Yang sitting in mid-air.

The atmosphere in the living room instantly became solemn.

Fortunately!

Both being martial arts experts, they remained steady, floating in the air.

"My mistake, it was an accident," Li Yuan smiled awkwardly, and with a thought, the sofa reappeared beneath them.

"It's okay, it's your first time using it, so it's understandable if you're not familiar with it," Governor Yang smiled, her face showing no displeasure. "But I'm surprised that the internal space of your Storage Artifact is so large; it can even fit a sofa?"

"Yes," Li Yuan nodded. "The internal space is approximately 3 meters long, 1 meter wide, and 1 meter high."

It was a rectangular space.

About 6 cubic meters of space!

"Not bad, it's very large," Governor Yang smiled. "It's already twice the size of the standard Storage Artifact used by Skysoar Warriors in the Starfire Palace."

"Standard Storage Artifact?" Li Yuan was curious.

"Yes," Governor Yang smiled. "Like the Skysoar Warriors in the Starfire Palace, after reaching that level, they can purchase a 3-meter long, 1-meter wide and high Storage Artifact for 1 billion Bluesphere Credits. The internal space is the same for all of them."

"1 billion?" Li Yuan was secretly surprised; this price was much lower than he had imagined.

"You think the price is low?" Governor Yang smiled enigmatically.

Li Yuan nodded.

"This is a unique benefit for Skysoar Warriors of the Starfire Palace," Governor Yang explained. "If you want to purchase a second artifact of the same size from the Palace, it would cost 30 billion Bluesphere Credits, and you can only purchase it once... for a space as large as yours."

"Sure, if you were to sell it, its value would definitely exceed your imagination," Yang Xian said with a smile.

Li Yuan was surprised upon hearing this.

A three-cubic-meter storage artifact, costing three hundred billion Bluesphere Credits to buy? For Li Yuan, this was a truly astonishing sum of wealth.

What about a storage artifact with double the space? Its value would certainly be more than just double.

But Li Yuan definitely wouldn’t sell it.

He also understood Yang Xian’s meaning; such a large storage artifact was extremely rare... it might be easy to sell, but it would be hard to buy one back in the future.

Some treasures couldn’t be measured by Bluesphere Credits.

Moreover.

Having such a storage artifact at hand, it could play an incredibly astonishing role in critical moments.

For example—the Black Heaven Spear.

When not in battle, Li Yuan could completely hide the long spear in the storage artifact, making the enemy think he had no weapon... then take it out at a crucial moment.

It would definitely give the enemy a huge surprise.

...

"Take good care of the storage artifact," Yang Xian said with a smile. "The third matter concerns the reward for your significant contributions in the Dark Ruins Star Realm... the war in the Dark Ruins Star Realm is coming to an end."

"Dark Ruins Star Realm?" Li Yuan instantly thought of Senior Liu Jing.

He also understood the reward Yang Xian was talking about—himself being the first discoverer of the minor source crystal deposit.

"After a comprehensive exploration and statistical analysis, your contributions have been calculated," Yang Xian said. "You have two options. The first is to receive five billion Bluesphere Credits annually, over a period of twenty years, totaling one hundred billion Bluesphere Credits."

"The second option is a one-time reward of fifty billion Bluesphere Credits," Yang Xian added.

"One hundred billion? Fifty billion?" Li Yuan was surprised; the value was so high? He remembered Liu Jing mentioning that the minimum reward should be ten billion Bluesphere Credits.

The difference was huge.

"Senior Liu Jing is unreliable," Li Yuan muttered to himself, but he was also quite pleased.

The reward was indeed generous.

One had to know that even if Li Yuan won the virtual battle championship, the reward would only be twenty billion Bluesphere Credits.

"I choose the fifty billion Bluesphere Credits," Li Yuan said directly.

"Not the first option?" Yang Xian's face showed a hint of a mysterious smile.

"Twenty years is too long," Li Yuan shook his head.

A lot could happen in a long time.

Moreover, in twenty years, if he were still alive, he would likely have already become a Skysoar Warrior, and he wouldn’t care about five billion Bluesphere Credits per year... on the contrary, the immediate fifty billion Bluesphere Credits would be more beneficial to his cultivation.

"Alright," Yang Xian didn’t persuade him; as long as Li Yuan had thought it through, they wouldn’t try to change his mind.

Everyone makes their own choices and bears the consequences.

Shortly after.

Li Yuan received a fifty billion Bluesphere Credits reward, just like the twenty billion Bluesphere Credits tournament reward, which was tax-free as it was a state (alliance) reward.

Thus.

The balance in Li Yuan’s bank account had soared to approximately eighty-four billion Bluesphere Credits.

...

"Alright, I’ve transferred the money and given you the storage artifact," Yang Xian continued. "Next, I have the third order, which also comes from the Flying Star Headquarters."

"Flying Star Headquarters?" Li Yuan was even more surprised.

The Starfire Palace had headquarters on seven planets, but the headquarters on Earth and the other six planets were essentially only 'Second Star Realm Palaces,' serving as the main headquarters for their respective planets.

Only the Flying Star Headquarters was the highest headquarters of the Starfire Palace, and the founder of the palace, Dongfang Ji, was the 'Grand Palace Master' of the Flying Star Headquarters.

"Given your outstanding performance in the Global University Martial Arts Tournament, your rank within the palace is being upgraded to L9 Rank," Yang Xian smiled. "L9 Rank is the standard permission level for ordinary Skysoar Warriors, and I am also at the L9 Rank permission level."

"L9 Rank? Skysoar Warrior permission!" Li Yuan’s eyes lit up; this was a good thing.

Not to mention the significant enhancement in the 'database' content due to the permission upgrade, which would be a great help.

"Wait, once you confirm the contract agreement in the 'Starfire Space,' your rank will be upgraded directly."

"Your Starfire Space will also be upgraded," Yang Xian smiled. "Now, I will introduce you to the two most important things of the Skysoar Warrior permission—Starfire Treasury! Starfire Auction!"

"Alright," Li Yuan listened attentively.

Time passed.

After about thirty minutes of detailed explanation by Yang Xian.

Li Yuan finally had a fairly complete understanding of the Skysoar Warrior permission he now possessed.

...

Standing up.

Li Yuan escorted Yang Xian out of the villa and onto the lawn outside.

"Alright, no need to see me off."

Yang Xian smiled. "Li Yuan, after the Bluesphere Tournament Virtual Battle, you have become famous across the Bluesphere, and many Skysoar Warriors are paying attention to you... both the higher-ups in the Summer Country and the Starfire Palace are looking forward to your growth."

"Don’t let them down."

"Although you now report directly to Grand Palace Master Fang, if you have any issues within the Jiangbei region, you can directly contact me," Yang Xian smiled. "I may not be able to help you much in cultivation, but I can handle minor matters easily."

As an L9 Rank member, Li Yuan’s permission had been significantly upgraded, and he had already been removed from the Starfire Jiangbei Branch Palace’s jurisdiction... he now reported directly to the Bluesphere Grand Palace Master 'Fang Hai.'

If he had any issues, he could directly report to Fang Hai.

"Alright, if I need anything, I’ll definitely let you know," Li Yuan smiled.

Li Yuan understood Yang Xian’s meaning.

Although his strength hadn’t yet reached the Skysoar level... within the Starfire Palace and the Seven Stars Alliance, his status was already on par with many Skysoar Warriors.

As Yang Xian, the Palace Master of a province, she couldn't intimidate Li Yuan with her status.

In a way, Li Yuan had learned to treat all Skysoar Warriors with equality.

Of course, despite their nominal equality, Li Yuan would still subconsciously lower himself... True confidence came from strength.

Li Yuan watched Yang Xian leave.

"When I have Yu Jinghe's strength, then I can truly chat and laugh with these Skysoar Warriors," Li Yuan thought to himself. "For now, I must keep a low profile."

...

High in the sky, Dean Hai was startled for a moment. "You're going to see the Grand Palace Master?"

Yang Xian smiled. "Of course. It's not easy to come to Kunlun Martial University, so I should pay a visit to the Grand Palace Master."

There was something Yang Xian didn't say.

Originally, it wasn't her turn to deliver the treasure; Dantu Lie, the Demigod, had other arrangements. She had fought for this opportunity.

On one hand, she wanted to deepen her relationship with Li Yuan. On the other, she wanted an excuse to meet Fang Hai. There were over a hundred Skysoar Warriors who held the position of Third Star Realm Palace Masters on Bluesphere, and the number of Skysoar Warriors without this position was more than ten times that. There were many Skysoar Warriors.

Of course, while the number seemed considerable, they were scattered across various Star Realms and regions of Bluesphere, and each Skysoar Warrior still held significant influence.

But!

There was only one Grand Palace Master on Bluesphere, and all Skysoar Warriors on the planet had to follow the Grand Palace Master's orders.

So, occasionally appearing before Fang Hai was crucial.

"Alright, go ahead," Dean Hai said, understanding Yang Xian's intentions.

...

After seeing Yang Xian off, Li Yuan didn't hesitate. He quickly returned to the underground martial arts room and entered the rest area.

Logging into the virtual network, he entered the Starfire Space.

"Master," the young girl exclaimed excitedly. "There's a new agreement. Once you sign it, you'll be upgraded to an L9-rank member of the Starfire Palace!"

"Okay, show me the agreement," Li Yuan said.

A light screen projected in front of Li Yuan, displaying a vast amount of text and video. He quickly scanned through the content.

Most of it was similar to previous agreements.

The core was threefold! First, as an L9-rank member, the Starfire Palace would provide an annual subsidy of 100 million Bluesphere Credits.

Second, he would gain access to the Starfire Treasury and the Bluesphere Starfire Auction.

Third, he must unconditionally obey orders when summoned by the Starfire Palace or the Alliance.

"Three clauses, two benefits, and one obligation," Li Yuan thought.

With great benefits came great responsibilities.

Skysoar Warriors were the backbone of humanity, playing a crucial role in the defense of Second Tier Star Realms and the wars in Third Tier Star Realms.

The entire Seven Star Human Civilization had thrived and developed safely until now, thanks not only to the Demigods at the top... but also to the numerous Skysoar Warriors.

After all, no matter how powerful the Demigods were, they couldn't guard every entrance to the Star Realms, nor could they protect every corner of Bluesphere.

Nor could they go to each Star Realm to acquire vast amounts of treasures."

"The key is the second clause—the Starfire Treasury and the Bluesphere Starfire Auction," Li Yuan thought.

Without hesitation, Li Yuan completed the electronic signing.

The entire space became more luxurious, and new options appeared: direct communication with the Grand Palace Master, global Skysoar Warrior connections, a new database, the Starfire Treasury, and more.

With the upgrade in permissions, a world of possibilities opened up.

"Xiao Yu, I want to browse the Starfire Treasury." Li Yuan spoke up in unison) "Join the Starfire Treasury."

"Okay, Master." Xiao Yu responded.

A light gathered, forming a huge screen that radiated with flowing light. It displayed numerous texts, videos, and detailed classifications.

"So many treasures," Li Yuan breathed.

The screen categorized the items: Essence Power Weapons, Star Techniques, Secret Scrolls, Spiritual Enhancements, Physical Enhancements, Understanding Enhancements, Recovery items, and more.

Each main category was further divided into subcategories.

For example, Star Techniques were classified into First Star, Second Star, Third Star... up to Ninth Star Techniques.

Essence Power Weapons were categorized into Fourth Stage, Third Stage Superior, Third Stage Middle, Third Stage Inferior, Second Stage Superior, and so on.

The classifications were comprehensive.

"This is indeed the treasury that Senior Yang Xian mentioned," Li Yuan thought, impressed.

Li Yuan began browsing.

Soon, he found several treasures.

"Source Warrior Longevity Pill, Second Stage, 5 billion Bluesphere Credits, 999 remaining (Contribution Balance: 10 billion)"

"Dragon Spirit Fruit, Third Stage, 2 billion Bluesphere Credits, 2 remaining (Contribution Balance: 10 billion)"

"Ancient Soul Fruit, Third Stage, 3 billion Bluesphere Credits, 0 remaining (Contribution Balance: 10 billion)"

"Storage Artifact, Third Stage (3 cubic meters), 100 million Bluesphere Credits, limited to 1 purchase (Contribution Balance: 10 billion)"

"Storage Artifact, Third Stage (3 cubic meters), 3 billion Bluesphere Credits, limited to 1 purchase (Contribution Balance: 10 billion)"

...

Li Yuan continued browsing through the numerous treasures.

He soon realized that the Starfire Treasury listed an abundance of Second Stage treasures, which were essentially unlimited.

Third-Stage Artifacts? Most of them are in limited quantities or even out of stock.

Following that, Li Yuan opened the 'Star Technique' category and discovered that most of the Star Techniques below the third level were free to learn... Starting from the fourth level, they required payment, and the prices were extremely high.

"Blood Shadow Incarnation, Fourth Level Star Technique (first three stages), requires 10 billion Bluesphere Credits for learning (no contribution balance required, please try the free introductory chapter first, if you can't grasp it, don't purchase the full book)."

"Earth's Stellar Vein True Essentials, Unknown Star Technique (first two stages), requires 20 billion Bluesphere Credits for learning (no...)"

"Ten Thousand Gold Divine Body, Seventh Level Star Technique, insufficient permissions, please apply."

...

Countless Star Techniques.

As far as the eye could see, there were thousands of Star Techniques displayed on the light screen.

Most of them were first to third level Star Techniques, and only one-tenth were fourth level and above.

"With my permissions, I can only learn up to the sixth level. For the seventh level, I must apply to higher authorities for a chance to learn it," Li Yuan thought to himself.

As for the eighth and ninth levels? According to what Bai Shan, the Demigod, and Dean Fang Hai had said, there were indeed a few incomplete ones in the Seven-Star Human Civilization.

However, Li Yuan couldn't find them.

"It's probably due to my insufficient permissions. These extremely advanced Star Techniques are kept hidden," Li Yuan pondered.

That made sense.

Even if the ninth level Star Techniques couldn't be cultivated, even if they were incomplete, they were still considered 'Ultimate Star Techniques', the foundation of a civilization... How could they be easily spread?

"The Sky Soaring Warriors' channels for purchasing artifacts are indeed far superior to those of Origin Warriors," Li Yuan sighed inwardly.

Take Li Yang, for example. He was already quite well-connected among top-tier Origin Warriors, but even he found it challenging to purchase a third-stage artifact... He had to rely on various connections.

However, for Sky Soaring Warriors, they could simply wait at the Starfire Treasury, and as soon as an artifact became available, they could acquire it directly... It was far too easy for them.

With different strengths come different statuses, and naturally, different realms.

"For learning non-tangible items like Star Techniques and secret scrolls, you can do so directly as long as you have enough money. But for purchasing heavenly materials, you'll need a contribution balance," Li Yuan muttered to himself.

What is a contribution balance?

With Sky Ascendant permissions, one can purchase a large number of artifacts in the Starfire Treasury of the Martial Hall, but it's not an unlimited amount.

There are limits.

Everyone will receive a free '10 billion contribution balance' from the Martial Hall.

This represents the ability to purchase up to 10 billion worth of artifacts. Once the contribution balance is exhausted, even with money, one cannot buy anything.

Of course, there's another way—contributions!

Contributing 10 billion worth of artifacts to the Martial Hall will earn you 9.5 billion Bluesphere Credits and a contribution balance of 9.5 billion.

"For a 10 billion worth of artifacts, the Martial Hall takes a 5% cut," Li Yuan thought to himself. "The Starfire Treasury is essentially a massive intermediary platform. Numerous Sky Soaring Warriors from the Martial Hall venture into the Star Realms, sell the artifacts they obtain, and then purchase what they need from the Treasury, creating a positive cycle that keeps the Treasury running."

This requires strong control and the trust of all warriors.

The 5% deduction is one of the sources of funding for the entire Martial Hall's operations.

For example, cultivating geniuses requires a substantial amount of funding.

Of course.

Even so, there are many rare artifacts that are in high demand, and there are also many powerful individuals who have a lot of money but no contribution balance.

Hence, the auction.

Every year.

The Starfire Martial Hall holds an auction on Bluesphere, auctioning off a large number of rare artifacts... Anyone with Sky Ascendant permissions can participate.

"The next auction is in December, right? Ten months from now?" Li Yuan muttered to himself.

Li Yuan didn't pay it much mind.

He knew in his heart that although he had obtained Sky Ascendant permissions and had over 80 billion Bluesphere Credits, it was insignificant compared to the Sky Soaring Warriors.

Moreover.

"I'm only at the 19th level now, and most artifacts aren't very useful to me," Li Yuan shook his head.

It's not that they're useless.

The cost-effectiveness is just too low.

"The Star Techniques here are the ones that truly benefit me," Li Yuan smiled slightly. "The second and third level Star Techniques, all of them are free."

Of course, there's a limit of 20.

After all, even Sky Soaring Warriors usually only cultivate two or three Star Techniques.

...

After browsing through the Starfire Treasury and reading the cultivation suggestions sent by the Starfire Martial Hall, Li Yuan had a vague idea about his future cultivation.

At this moment.

Dean Hai arrived.

"Dean," Li Yuan immediately invited him into the living room, and they both sat down.

He poured a drink for the dean.

"You should have seen the Starfire Treasury and read the cultivation suggestions sent by the Starfire Martial Hall, right?" Dean Hai asked with a smile.

"Yes, I have," Li Yuan nodded.

"You have six months before you go to Flying Star," Dean Hai smiled. "You don't need to participate in the Bluesphere Tournament in June either. So, what are your plans now?"

"I want to become an Origin Warrior first," Li Yuan replied after a moment of thought. "Then, I'll venture into the Second Tier Star Realm."

"However, I haven't decided which Star Realm to go to yet."

The Star Realms were a must-visit.

Even with his spiritual awareness awakening degree only slightly below 40%, Li Yuan felt the need to visit a Star Realm.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end