"Brother Yu, aren't you exploring a plane? How do you still have time to come here and shop? Time flows much faster in the City of Gods compared to the planes. If something really goes wrong, you might not make it back in time to fix it."
Wang Dong still remembered that Su Xingyu had asked him about plane exploration not long ago. It had only been a short while—why was he suddenly back in the City of Gods?
Could the exploration have failed?
For a player's first exploration, walking away with minimal losses is already considered a success. The creatures inhabiting those fragmented planes are anything but easy to handle. With the current strength of most players, even surviving a battle is a struggle. Retreat and regroup—those are the norms.
So when Wang Dong saw Su Xingyu appear in the City of Gods, his first instinct was that the mission had collapsed and Su had withdrawn early.
And if the others didn't follow him back?
It didn't matter. This was their first time exploring a plane. As the team leader, Su Xingyu had to be present. Not going in would have been unthinkable.
"The main force has already crushed the enemy. What's left are stragglers—nothing that needs constant supervision," Su Xingyu replied casually, but his voice held a quiet authority that hinted at absolute confidence.
"Impressive." Wang Dong gave him a thumbs up, clearly impressed. "Thanks again for this time."
Su Xingyu tapped Wang Dong's avatar and initiated a trade, transferring three hundred Divine Sources.
Despite the heavy consumption of divine power and blood crystals during the expedition, he was satisfied with the gains. The items retrieved from the goblin plane were enough to train a new group of magicians for the Night Tribe.
While the Night Tribe had been focusing on developing its warrior class, he knew full well the dangers of neglecting the magician route. Without balanced development, they would eventually fall behind.
"No need to be so formal," Wang Dong said, smiling as he declined the trade request. Rubbing his hands together, he added, "Brother Yu, I don't want the divine source this time. But can you tell me about your plane exploration? You know our business depends heavily on information. Right now, not many players dare to venture into the planes, and even fewer make it out successfully…"
When Su Xingyu didn't respond immediately, Wang Dong chuckled awkwardly and added, "Of course, if it's inconvenient, just forget I asked."
"It's nothing confidential," Su Xingyu said after a pause. "Since you're curious, I'll share. But take the Divine Source—it's a return gift for the intel I'm about to give."
Seeing that Wang Dong had misunderstood his silence, Su Xingyu clarified and began explaining.
He gave a concise overview of the goblin plane fragments: their size, environmental hazards, the strength and behavior of the monsters, and the various goblin species they encountered. The only details he withheld were those related to the Hidden Night Tribe and the exact goblin count.
Wang Dong listened intently, occasionally asking questions. Su Xingyu answered as best as he could, but didn't fabricate answers for things he wasn't sure about.
"Brother Yu, I really appreciate this," Wang Dong said sincerely after Su Xingyu finished.
Su Xingyu gave a small nod, then warned him, "The monsters in those fragments are vicious. Without absolute certainty, I advise you not to charge in. If you lose a batch of troops, it's not worth it. Honestly, the resources near the starting area are more than enough for long-term development. There's no need to compete so soon."
He remembered how Ye Zhan had led tens of thousands to easily sweep through the goblin forces—but that was only possible because the Ye Tribe was overwhelmingly powerful.
Wang Dong was a trader, not a frontline commander. Su Xingyu doubted he had the strength to take on the plane's challenges directly.
If Wang Dong misjudged the threat level based on what he'd just shared and launched an impulsive expedition, the outcome could be catastrophic.
Su Xingyu didn't want to see that happen. Wang Dong's presence as a reliable merchant saved him significant time and effort.
"Brother Yu, you've become more cautious than me now?" Wang Dong joked. "You used to be the bold one. But don't worry, I'm naturally timid and value my life. I wouldn't dare go in unless I was completely sure."
"Whatever you say."
Su Xingyu gave him a sidelong glance. Whether Wang Dong took his advice seriously or not, he'd said what needed to be said.
Just then, Huang Duoduo came rushing in.
"Sorry! Something came up suddenly. I hurried over as soon as I dealt with it. Hope I didn't keep you waiting too long."
"It's fine. I just got here myself."
Su Xingyu shook his head, brushing it off.
As he tucked away the scroll containing divine arts, he glanced at Huang Duoduo and raised an eyebrow. The man's aura had changed—stronger, more solid. His power had grown noticeably in a short time.
Huang Duoduo, however, looked at the towering figure before him and nearly cursed aloud.
Seriously? How was Su Xingyu growing so fast?
He grumbled inwardly, but his face remained all smiles as he asked, "How much do you need this time?"
"Two million to start with."
Huang Duoduo froze for a second.
"…You know food prices have gone up lately," he said carefully, trying to gauge whether Su Xingyu had been keeping up with market news.
Food prices had indeed surged, with a 30% increase since Su Xingyu's last large purchase. The influx of players into the Primary Realm had driven demand through the roof.
"Don't worry. You'll get your payment," Su Xingyu said with a confident smile. "After so many trades, you should know the kind of person I am by now."
"My bad," Huang Duoduo said, a little embarrassed. He quickly adjusted his tone. "I happen to have a batch of food on hand. Let's trade directly. Blood crystals or Divine Source? If you use blood crystals, I'll give you a 5% discount."
At the moment, blood crystals were the most desirable currency among players. Divine Source could be replenished with enough believers, but blood crystals were scarce and difficult to come by.
"We'll go with blood crystals then," Su Xingyu said, though he winced slightly at the thought. He had brought a million, thinking it would last—but it had nearly vanished in no time.
"Also, I'll take ten thousand units of forage seeds, and fifty thousand units of those grain seeds you gave me last time."
Huang Duoduo did the math and grinned. "That's a small order compared to the bulk. I'll throw them in as a bonus."
Compared to the two million-unit food deal, the seeds were nothing. He was happy to include them to keep a VIP customer satisfied.
More than half of Huang Duoduo's food stock had already been sold to Su Xingyu over the past few months. This was no ordinary client—he was a gold mine.
Su Xingyu didn't bother refusing. "Thanks," he said with a smile.
He didn't care much about the small stuff, but saving where he could never hurt.
Soon, the transaction was completed. Both parties looked visibly satisfied with the outcome.
After finishing the food trade, Su Xingyu remained in the City of Gods for another two hours. He bought up a vast amount of supplies, making sure every last crystal and Divine Source was spent wisely.
Only after exhausting all his resources did he finally leave the City of Gods and return to the plane.