Chapter 395: New Residence

*A Record of a Mortal's Journey to Immortality*, Volume 4: The Wind Rises Overseas

Lu Er was momentarily taken aback by Han Li's words, his eyes involuntarily glancing at their hands. It was only when he saw the red rings that a look of understanding dawned on him, and he said:

"Ah, so Master Immortal plans to reside in our city for a long time! This is easily arranged. Have both Masters seen the residences constructed on the Sacred Mountain? You can cultivate by simply renting any of them. I've heard other Master Immortals say that the entire Sacred Mountain is a natural spiritual vein. The higher the location of your rented dwelling on the mountain, the more abundant the spiritual energy will be, though naturally, the price will also be higher."

"Alternatively, if you prefer to cultivate in solitude rather than renting a house, you can lease an existing cave abode, providing you with a private space. However, I've heard these are significantly more expensive than houses! Both houses and cave abodes are leased on a centennial basis. The fee must be paid again every hundred years. If you're unable to pay for the next century, the Star Palace Immortals will reclaim the property."

Lu Er explained everything to Han Li with exceptional clarity and efficiency.

"Oh, so if I have enough spirit stones, can I also rent a cultivation spot on the highest level?" Han Li asked, a look of keen interest on his face.

"Master Immortal must be jesting; that's certainly not allowed," Lu Er replied, shaking his head vigorously. "The Sacred Mountain is divided into eighty-one levels, with each spiral pathway upwards constituting a new level. The first fifty levels are accessible to visiting Immortals, and you can rent a cultivation residence there as long as you possess spirit stones. However, the subsequent thirty levels are exclusively for the lords of the Star Palace. The highest level, the Sacred Palace, serves as the abode of the two Sacred Lords, and entry is forbidden to all others," Lu Er explained apologetically.

After a moment's thought, Han Li stated decisively:

"Alright, lead the way. Let's secure a residence first."

"Yes, I'll lead the way now. Master Immortal can simply fly towards the Sacred Mountain; there's a pavilion at its base specifically for these arrangements."

No sooner had he spoken than the Divine Wind Boat transformed into a streak of white light, soaring towards the distant colossal mountain. Although the colossal mountain didn't appear distant, Han Li flew for a full fifteen minutes before truly approaching its base. Guided by Lu Er, the Divine Wind Boat descended before an impressive pavilion.

Aside from Han Li, a considerable number of cultivators were coming and going, with streaks of light frequently ascending or descending. Han Li surveyed his surroundings, then led Qu Hun and Lu Er up the grand steps and into the pavilion.

Upon entering, they saw over a dozen individuals, appearing to be cultivators, engaged in conversations with white-robed cultivators at five or six isolated stone tables. Some of these individuals appeared overjoyed, others wore worried expressions, and two were even desperately pleading with the white-robed cultivator opposite them. Their varied emotions were quite striking.

Han Li silently observed the scene before him for a short while.

"Master Immortal, that table is free now. Shall we go over?" Lu Er cautiously prompted Han Li a moment later.

Han Li had, of course, already noticed the newly vacated stone table, and he nodded in agreement. However, this time Qu Hun took the lead, with Han Li following close behind. This change caused Lu Er, who had always assumed Han Li was the one in charge, to pause in slight surprise before following them.

"Senior, do you wish to rent a residence on the Sacred Mountain? May I inquire which level you're considering? The higher levels are, of course, more expensive," the Star Palace cultivator said respectfully after his gaze lingered on Qu Hun.

It seemed that cultivators who had achieved Core Formation were indeed respected everywhere. This was precisely why Han Li had allowed Qu Hun to step forward.

"A cave abode," Qu Hun stated emotionlessly. "Are there any available? The higher the level, the better."

"A cave abode? Senior, please wait a moment while I check!" Hearing Qu Hun's bold request, the white-robed cultivator's spirits lifted, and he swiftly produced a jade slip to begin his search.

"Found them! There are three on the thirty-first level, four on the thirty-ninth, and two on the forty-seventh. Here are the prices, as well as the layout and functions of each cave abode," the white-robed cultivator announced, placing several jade slips onto the stone table.

Upon hearing this, Qu Hun unceremoniously picked up each jade slip and examined them with his spiritual sense.

Han Li had always considered himself well-off in terms of spirit stones, even among Core Formation cultivators. However, after seeing the rental fees for these cave abodes, he was still greatly astonished. Setting aside the cave abodes on the forty-seventh level, even those on the thirty-odd levels caused Han Li extreme heartache. For a mere hundred years of use, the fee amounted to two or three thousand spirit stones, which was truly exorbitant!

Noticing the subtle change in Qu Hun's expression and his silence, the cultivator opposite seemed to guess his thoughts and explained with a smile:

"Senior! While our Sacred Vein may not be the absolute best in the Star Sea, it undoubtedly ranks among the top five. Even cultivating at the foot of the Sacred Mountain offers a much faster pace than the prime locations of ordinary spiritual veins. And beyond the thirtieth level, cultivation speed can increase by more than a quarter. That's why the cave abode fees are so high, but it's absolutely worth it!"

Han Li frowned upon hearing this. By this time, Qu Hun had already finished examining all the jade slips.

"We'll take this one," Qu Hun stated, picking up a jade slip and handing it over as per Han Li's instruction. It was for a relatively well-equipped cave abode on the thirty-ninth level.

"Excellent, the fee is two thousand seven hundred spirit stones!" The white-robed cultivator, equally delighted to see Qu Hun genuinely commit to renting such a valuable cave abode, swiftly stated.

This time, Han Li didn't let Qu Hun take action. He personally retrieved just over two dozen mid-grade spirit stones from his storage pouch and handed them to the cultivator.

"Here is the cave abode's restriction token. With it, you may freely enter and exit the abode. However, this token will be reclaimed after one hundred years. Please keep it safe, Senior." As soon as the cultivator received the spirit stones, he smilingly produced a yellow plaque and handed it to Qu Hun.

Qu Hun pocketed the token and turned to leave without a word. Han Li and Lu Er, who had refrained from speaking, followed him closely out of the building.

"That's ridiculously expensive! All this for a place to cultivate," Han Li muttered with a frustrated sigh as they exited the pavilion. This single expenditure had significantly depleted his fortune.

"May I ask, Masters, where would you like to go next?" Lu Er asked softly after a quick glance at Han Li. He was already stunned by Han Li's extravagant expenditure of spirit stones. While he had guided other cultivators in the past, those Immortals rarely spent more than a few dozen spirit stones. A sum of two or three thousand spirit stones spent in one go was something he had only heard tales of; this was his first time witnessing it firsthand. Instantly, Lu Er's respect for Han Li deepened, and his confidence in receiving his own remuneration soared. After all, with such a generous spender, he was certain they wouldn't renege on his meager spirit stone payment, provided he kept them satisfied.

"Take me to the city's market, and also point out some of the larger shops," Han Li said casually after a glance at Lu Er. Then, with Qu Hun and Lu Er, he boarded the Divine Wind Boat once more and ascended into the sky.

More than half a day later, Han Li lay on a large wooden bed, his hands clasped behind his head, lost in thought. Not long ago, with Lu Er's guidance, he had familiarized himself with all the important locations in Celestial Star City. After paying Lu Er the agreed-upon fee, they parted ways. After watching Lu Er depart in high spirits, Han Li proceeded alone to the thirty-ninth level cave abode he had rented at such a steep price.

The cave abode was indeed as described in the jade slip: not only was it quite secluded and quiet, but it also boasted a sizable, empty medicinal garden. What satisfied Han Li even more, however, was the extreme abundance of spiritual energy, truly incomparable to that of ordinary spiritual veins. Even his former cave abode in Tiannan paled significantly in comparison. This made Han Li feel it was quite worthwhile after all!

The accompanying array formations and restrictions of this cave abode were also remarkably powerful, seemingly on par with his simplified version of the "Inverted Five Elements Array." Despite this, Han Li was not comfortable relying solely on the abode's existing formations for his safety. He planned to rest briefly and then, tomorrow, outside this current array, he would deploy his own grand formations. Only then would he truly feel secure enough to re-evaluate and plan his cultivation regimen. Lost in thought, Han Li unknowingly drifted into a deep, peaceful sleep. For the past few months, he had been constantly traveling on magical artifacts, a journey that had undoubtedly taken its toll.

Early the next morning, Han Li awoke and immediately began his busy schedule. In one go, he set up three more grand arrays outside the cave abode. Then, in the empty medicinal garden, he planted various herbs and spiritual medicines, intending to use them for future accelerated maturation. Finally, he visited the market and purchased a considerable amount of high-quality jade. Upon returning to his abode, he meticulously inlaid this jade into a secret room, roughly a dozen zhang in size, covering every inch of the walls. Once the stone walls of the secret room had been transformed into jade, Han Li carefully released the Gold Devouring Beetles within. He held high expectations for these highly ranked exotic insects, intending to thoroughly train them so they could assist him in the future.