I had no idea they offer loans with such a scary interest rate… Ye Guan was at a loss for words. He truly had no idea that Immortal Treasures Pavilion was also a lending institution.

Nalan Jia grinned and asked, “Are we going to get a loan? 

“It’s daylight robbery, so there’s no way we’ll get a loan!” Ye Guan shook his head, but he seemed to have come up with something as he fell into deep contemplation. 

He emerged from his thoughts moments later and continued. “Do they buy treasures?”

Nalan Jia asked, “Are you going to sell that pill?” 

Ye Guan nodded. Right now, he had an Earth-rank and a Sky-rank demonic beast internal pill. They weren’t useful to him anymore, so he could sell them in exchange for gold spiritual crystals. He still had an earth vein, but there was no way he would sell that to the Immortal Treasures Pavilion. 

The earth vein is going to the Ye Clan! 

Ye Guan was only going to give the Ye Clan the earth vein once they became one of the strongest clans of Nanzhou. After all, an earth vein would bring disaster to a clan if they weren’t strong enough to protect it.

“Since you’re going to go down that route, then you can also sell the pills you gave me back then,” said Nalan Jia. She still hadn’t used the two demonic beast internal pills that she had received from Ye Guan.

Ye Guan nodded. “Let’s go.” 

With that, the pair left the Siao Residence and headed for the Immortal Treasures Pavilion. 

The Immortal Treasures Pavilion’s branch in this city was located on the busiest street at the heart of the city, and the branch was so large that it took up two hundred hectares of land. Ye Guan and Nalan Jia were stunned upon arriving at the Immortal Treasures Pavilion branch.

How luxurious… 

They were standing in front of an Immortal Treasures Pavilion branch, but the building in front of them wasn’t like any other building. It was nine stories high, and its doors were wide open. 

There was a constant stream of people entering and exiting the building. 

Ye Guan and Nalan Jia entered, and a well-dressed woman walked toward them. 

“How may I help you?” the well-dressed woman asked with a smile.

Nalan Jia replied, “We’re here to sell treasures.” 

“Please follow me.” The well-dressed woman led Ye Guan and Nalan Jia somewhere. 

Soon, Ye Guan and Nalan Jia found themselves in a hall filled with people. The people were standing in a queue in front of twelve counters.

Ye Guan was surprised, and he asked, “Are they here to sell as well?”

The well-dressed woman confirmed. “Yes, they’re here to sell treasures.”

Ye Guan nodded. He seemed to be hesitating as he took out a Sky-rank demonic beast internal pill and said, “Can you take a look at this?” 

The well-dressed woman’s eyes brightened, and she smiled brightly as well.

“I see. Please follow me!” she said and led the pair over to a private room. 

An old man was in the private room, and he was currently examining what looked like a fragment of a scale.

The well-dressed woman called out, “Elder Fu, we got something good!”

The old man looked up and glanced at Ye Guan and Nalan Jia.

“Let me see,” he said.

Ye Guan opened his palm and showed the Sky-rank demonic beast internal pill.

“It’s just a Sky-rank demonic beast internal pill. Why did you bring that here?” the old man said while shaking his head. Afterward, he looked away and continued examining the fragment of a scale in front of him.

The well-dressed woman exclaimed, “Elder Fu, take a closer look!”

The old man frowned. He looked at the demonic beast internal pill with narrowed eyes. He finally noticed something, and his eyes shone sharply before he gasped and exclaimed, “It’s the internal pill of a Lightning Engulfing Beast!”

He snatched the pill from Ye Guan’s hand.

Ye Guan and Nalan Jia glanced at each other, looking puzzled. They weren’t that knowledgeable about demonic beasts, so they couldn’t understand why the old man was so excited. 

The old man looked at Ye Guan and asked, “How much are you going to sell this?”

Ye Guan replied, “Shouldn’t you make an offer first?”

Elder Fu stared deeply at Ye Guan and asked, “Where did you come from?”

Ye Guan’s expression darkened. 

Damn it, it’s this trick again! Ye Guan could already deduce that the old man would lowball him once the latter discovered that he had come from Nanzhou. After all, Ye Guan was well aware that one’s background was everything in this day and age.

Swoosh!

Nalan Jia suddenly emitted a special aura.

The old man gasped, startled.

“The legendary Holy Spirit Physique! My goodness…” the old man stammered as he stared at Nalan Jia with wide eyes. Moments later, he composed himself and hurriedly instructed the well-dressed woman. “Little Xiu, hurry up and serve tea to our esteemed guests!”

The well-dressed woman scrambled away. 

Meanwhile, Elder Fu smiled and gestured. “Miss, please take a seat!”

Nalan Jia nodded and sat next to Ye Guan. 

The well-dressed woman returned with two cups of tea.

Nalan Jia gracefully sipped on her tea and casually asked, “I heard that the Immortal Treasures Pavilion conducts their business fairly. That’s why I came here. What is your offer?”

Elder Fu hesitated, but he soon raised his hand and spread out five fingers.

Nalan Jia asked, “Five million gold spiritual crystals?”

Elder Fu stiffened, and he chuckled awkwardly. “Miss, you’re scaring me here. My offer is fifty thousand gold spiritual crystals.”

Nalan Jia snapped. “Can you be more sincere?”

The old man was at a loss for words. He was convinced that Nalan Jia knew why he had to beat around the bush, so why was she getting mad?

Nalan Jia slammed her cup on the table and demanded. “Go higher!”

The old man was silent for quite a while before he said, “I can’t go any higher.”

Nalan Jia opened her palm, and the Sky-rank demonic beast internal pill flew into her hand. She looked at Ye Guan and said, “Let’s go.”

Ye Guan nodded obediently, and they stood up to leave. 

“Wait!” the old man urgently cried out, “Hang on, we can still talk about it!”

Nalan Jia whipped, looking annoyed. “No, I have nothing to discuss with a devious old man!”

The old man was stunned speechless, but he didn’t dare to show his anger. 

Nalan Jia not only had the legendary Holy Spirit Physique, but she was also arrogant. The old man deduced that she had a strong backer. 

The Immortal Treasures Pavilion was strong, but the power belonged to the Immortal Treasures Pavilion rather than to him. I might lose my life If I carelessly offend her…

Nalan Jia and Ye Guan turned around and were about to leave. 

Elder Fu cried out, “Eighty thousand! Eighty thousand gold spiritual crystals!”

Nalan Jia frowned. 

Elder Fu chuckled bitterly in resignation. “Miss, that’s the best price I can offer you…”

Nalan Jia stared deeply at Elder Fu and said, “Ninety thousand!”

“All right!” Elder Fu said, “Deal!”

He immediately took out a storage ring and handed it over to Nalan Jia. There were ninety thousand gold spiritual crystals in the storage ring. Nalan Jia and Ye Guan were speechless.

Damn, I had no idea that the Immortal Treasures Pavilion could concede…

Nalan Jia put away the storage ring and presented two more Sky-rank demonic beast internal pills to Elder Fu. 

“How much are these?”

Elder Fu stiffened and could only make another offer. 

Soon, Ye Guan and Nalan Jia emerged victorious from the Immortal Treasures Pavilion with three hundred thousand gold spiritual crystals on hand. 

Nalan Jia extended over the storage ring containing the gold spiritual crystals to Ye Guan. 

Ye Guan was about to object, but Nalan Jia glared at him.

“Don’t say anything!” she said.

He couldn’t argue with her at all.

“I know you need them as well, Little Jia,” Ye Guan said with a sigh.

Nalan Jia shook her head and said, “I don’t need them anymore.”

“I—” Ye Guan started.

Nalan Jia calmly interrupted. “I’m going to get angry.”

Ye Guan helplessly put away the storage ring. 

Nalan Jia grinned upon seeing that. However, she suddenly recalled something and glared at him. 

“Don’t even think about selling your Imperial-rank demonic beast internal pill...”

Ye Guan nodded. “I know!”

Obviously, an Imperial-rank demonic beast internal pill was more valuable than a Sky-rank demonic beast internal pill. Ye Guan would never sell it unless he was truly desperate.

Nalan Jia said, “Let’s go!”

Ye Guan glanced at the Immortal Treasures Pavilion behind. 

“Businessmen really are clever,” he muttered.

Nalan Jia agreed. “They really are clever. In fact, I heard that the founder of the Immortal Treasures Pavilion came from a place called Milky Way. It’s a place filled with cunning and devious people, and hierarchy there is strongly enforced.”

Ye Guan asked, “Milky Way?”

Nalan Jia nodded and added, “Yes, and it’s very far from where we are right now. While I was researching the founder of the Immortal Treasures Pavilion, I stumbled upon some notes about how the founder came from Milky Way. All sorts of people are apparently living in Milky Way; it’s a pity that it’s too far for us to visit.”

Ye Guan nodded, and the pair continued on their journey to the Siao Residence. Upon arriving, they returned to their rooms to cultivate. Ye Guan sighed while staring at the three hundred thousand gold spiritual crystals in front of him. I’m so poor…

Little Pagoda asked, “Are you trying to make a breakthrough into the Spacetime Realm?”

Ye Guan nodded and said, “The martial contest is nigh, and I want to reach the Spacetime Realm by then.”

Little Pagoda asked, “Your Royal Sword Art is already extremely fast, but do you want to know how to make it even faster?”

Ye Guan’s interest and excitement were piqued. “I want to make my sword even faster, Master Pagoda. Can you please teach me?”

Little Pagoda explained, “Obviously, you’ll be capable of manipulating space once you’ve reached the Spacetime Realm. Your sword will be able to teleport in front of your enemies, and you can do the same as well.”

Ye Guan was stunned by the revelation. He had seen Spacetime Realm cultivators in action before, but it was his first time hearing that his sword could teleport as well.

Little Pgoda continued. “That’s right. Your sword can travel through rifts in space to appear in front of your enemies. It’s like teleportation, but not quite. Anyway, I know of a sword technique that takes advantage of space to deal a lethal blow.

”It’s called Instant Death Strike, and it allows your sword to travel through space to kill your target in the proverbial blink of an eye.”

Ye Guan eagerly asked, “What rank is it?” 

Little Pagoda retorted, “Why does that matter?” 

Ye Guan was taken aback. 

Little Pagoda explained, “The destructiveness of a technique depends on the mastery of its wielder.”

Ye Guan pondered over it and admitted. “I was too shortsighted.” 

Little Pagoda didn’t mind it and said, “You’ll be able to execute the Instant Death Strike once you’ve become a Spacetime Realm cultivator. Of course, it’ll be up to you whether you’re going to master it or not.”

Ye Guan nodded. “All right!” 

Little Pagoda continued with its lecture. “The key to reaching the Spacetime Realm is the understanding of spacetime. The Spacetime Realm cultivators whom you have stumbled upon so far have only scratched the surface of spacetime.

”They’re Spacetime Realm cultivators, but it doesn’t mean that they are truly capable of controlling spacetime.”

”Once you’ve made a breakthrough into the Spacetime Realm, I want you to take a deep dive into spacetime before you attempt to make a breakthrough into the next realm!”

Ye Guan nodded once more. “I understand.” 

Little Pagoda said, “I happen to have a cultivation manual related to spacetime. It contains insights that your predecessors have recorded about spacetime. Take a look at it.”

Ye Guan was thrilled, and he hurriedly exclaimed, “Sure, I’ll take a look at it!” 

A stream of information inundated Ye Guan’s mind like a deluge. Ye Guan’s expression turned serious as he processed the knowledge that he had just received.

He sat cross-legged and focused his attention on the spacetime around him. 

Spacetime was obviously both space and time. 

Spacetime was a combination of the two, but both space and time were their own unique concept. Time was an abstract concept, and Ye Guan couldn’t quite wrap his head around it, so Little Pagoda decided to give him insights into space in the meantime.

Space was where matter took form. It sounded simple, but Ye Guan discovered that it was an endless quagmire. Ye Guan pondered deeply about it, and he slowly got engrossed in the concept of space.

The cultivation manual that Little Pagoda shared with him had many notes about spacetime. It taught him how to sense space, touch it and finally, control it. 

Ye Guan was deep in his own thoughts, but he soon detached from his train of thought and slowly raised his hand. The space in front of him distorted, and Ye Guan suddenly clenched his fist. 

Rip!

A rift in space appeared a few meters away from him, and his fist emerged from it.

He jumped for joy. I didn’t expect that manipulating space would be so easy!  

Ye Guan started performing the Royal Sword Art using what he had learned, and something strange occurred. The Path Sword blinked across the four corners of the room, and Ye Guan grinned from ear to ear at the sight. 

His sword could truly travel through tiny rifts in space; it was teleporting!

Meanwhile, Little Pagoda was stupefied upon seeing Ye Guan’s progress from inside the tiny pagoda. 

“What an unbelievable talent! Whose talent did he inherit? Did he inherit Master’s talent? No, Master’s talent isn’t as great, and his mother isn’t very big on cultivating. She’s more like an entrepreneur.” 

The mysterious voice remarked, “She’s not very big on cultivating, but she has created many worlds throughout the universe! It's true that she doesn't enjoy cultivating, but that doesn't necessarily mean that she lacks talent.”

I almost forgot about that! Little Pagoda didn’t know what to say.

Just then, Ye Guan started scribbling something on a piece of paper. 

Little Pagoda was puzzled. 

“Why are you writing down the cultivation manual that I shared with you?”

Ye Guan revealed a cheeky smile and said, “I have to share it with Little Jia.” 

“It’s an extremely valuable cultivation manual,” chided Little Pagoda. 

“She’s my wife, and I’m her—Master Pagoda, do you not have a wife?” asked Ye Guan with a smile.

Little Pagoda was rendered speechless.