The Arcane Palace market wasn't like other capitalist-driven marketplaces. It was solely managed by the Temple, which meant the resources available here were of the highest quality in the world. However, access to them wasn't unrestricted; permissions were required.
As Yao walked out, she noticed that her personal profile had been updated with permissions. Her current permission level was just level 1, which meant she couldn't purchase high-level items like the Light Fluid, which required level 2 access. But she wasn't too concerned—she wasn't buying the full set anyway. By purchasing items separately, she could work with her level 1 access.
Having not grown up in Jingyang, Yao wasn't entirely familiar with the Arcane Palace, especially since it was run by the Temple. Different people, different places; it was clear that the resources here were managed by specific individuals. Yao, being cautious by nature, carefully observed the market, trying to appear like a naïve country bumpkin as she strolled around. She soon realized that the Arcane Palace had seven trading counters, each corresponding to a different permission level. While anyone could enter, purchasing items required the appropriate access level.
She noticed a large mirror on one side, a massive human-shaped one, and paused in front of it. After a brief hesitation, she stepped confidently into the level 2 shop.
"Going in? A level 2 shop?"
"Impossible, he can't have level 2 access. We've been working here for years and barely have level 2."
In the world of Arcane resources, access levels were based on performance in dungeons. A low-level performance, such as deliberately feeding kills to the guard, would yield a low level of credit. The higher-level players could extract a lot more value from their credentials, thanks to more favorable contributions in the dungeons.
Yao knew this well—having been involved in such systems herself. But seeing a newcomer like her, supposedly a "bastard son" just back from a dungeon, gain level 2 access frustrated the others.
"Probably just here to sell something," one person muttered.
"What could he be selling at the Arcane Palace? Even if he's selling something valuable, he can't afford to buy anything himself."
"Maybe Xie An gave him something good. I heard his dungeon mutation turned out to be rare, like Green-level. Those who survived that dungeon got a lot of benefits."
They exchanged glances, suspecting there was more to Yao than met the eye, but none of them managed to find her right away.
Instead of engaging in the usual services, Yao chose the more private, automated transaction booths. She casually dumped a large number of items into the system, which the Arcane Spirit would then evaluate and calculate.
It took a while, as she had quite a bit of stuff, but once everything was scanned, the value was quickly calculated. "The buying price is so low," Yao muttered, but overall, the sale netted her 1.7 billion copper coins. She could've gotten more by going to the auction house, but given the sensitive nature of her identity and the fact that she was avoiding exposure, she decided this was the best course of action.
The transaction was completed, and her bank account reflected the 1.7 billion in total. Along with her previous savings, Yao now had 2.1 billion copper in her account—no small fortune. However, copper was the currency for the lower classes, and wealthier families like the Xie family dealt in green coins, so this amount wasn't as impressive as it might seem.
Afterward, Yao opened her recipe list. It wasn't a potion recipe, as she had hoped, but rather one for crafting items. She hoped to find something useful, even though her priority was still to find a potion recipe due to the large consumption required for her future battles.
As she scanned the list, she found several intriguing options, though none were exactly what she had in mind. The recipe list included:
Green-level Teleportation Scroll (Able to teleport within 1 km of a surface location, but it couldn't pass through obstacles or any conditions that involved pulling)
Green-level Watchtower (A trap mechanism)
Pet Armor Crafting Recipe
Green-level Equipment Upgrade Scroll Crafting Recipe
Meditation-Boosting Doll (Boosts meditation by 20%)
Yao mulled over the choices. Given the looming exams, which would require heightened talent and qualifications, she decided that the meditation doll would be more beneficial than the other items, which were more geared toward battle.
After finalizing the recipe choice, she reviewed the costs for the materials needed to craft it. Her total order came to 2.27 billion copper coins. As her funds were running low, Yao hesitated, considering whether she could afford it. She had planned to invest in skills like Light Fluid to help her, but the cost was simply too high.
Reluctantly, Yao decided to sell her Golden Flow skill book, bringing in an additional 200 million copper coins, leaving her with only 5 million copper remaining.
After purchasing all the materials, she hurriedly learned the skills, feeling the drain on her finances. She then realized she still needed a Reaction Furnace for some of the items she was working with.
The reaction furnaces were expensive, with some priced at tens of billions. Even the cheaper options were outside her budget. Eventually, she settled on a Beginner's Reaction Furnace, which cost 400,000 copper coins—still a substantial amount, but more manageable.
With that, her financial situation was looking grim. Her balance now stood at only 500,000 copper coins.
As she walked out of the Arcane Palace, still preoccupied with her purchases, she didn't even notice when she dropped a few items from her bag. Moving through the nearby alley, Yao attempted to contact her driver, but just as she was about to speak, she noticed a boy standing in front of her.
Before she could react, the communication device was blocked by some form of sound-blocking magic.
"Who are you?" Yao asked, feeling a slight panic as she realized the situation.
A second boy appeared, flanking her.
"What do you want?" she demanded, her voice shaky.
"Relax, no harm intended," one of them said. "I'm Lan Chengguang. You're the bastard son who just returned from Xie's family, right? It's good to finally meet you."
Yao didn't relax but remained wary. "What's your business?"
"Nothing serious. Since we're both noble families, why don't we trade some resources?" he said, a sly smile playing on his lips.
Yao's suspicion grew. "No need. I've got something else to do. Please move."
But they didn't back off. Instead, they edged closer.
"Come on, don't be so uptight. We're all nobles here, just a small exchange of resources," Lan Chengguang coaxed.
Yao stepped back, but she soon found herself cornered against the wall.
"No worries, just give us what you don't need. We're not trying to rob you. We're talking about some harmless exchanges," one of the boys said.
Lan Chengguang eyed Yao, now sensing her hesitation. "We're looking for S1 and gems, mostly green-level ones. If you have some green-level gems or skills, we'd be happy to trade."
Yao's unease only grew. "Fine. But if I had something like blue-level gems, would you call me 'father' then?"
She didn't expect her sarcasm to go unnoticed, but it seemed to have struck a nerve.
The moment she spoke, Lan Chengguang, now insulted, turned swiftly, snapping his fingers. A vine-like magic shot out, binding Yao and dragging her to the ground. As the boys closed in, one of them hissed, "Hand over the goods."
Yao panicked, "Okay, okay! I'll give it to you! Don't hurt me!"
"You're finally being sensible," one of them smirked.
They grabbed her bag, dumping the contents. There were no S1 items, but dozens of gems and skill books—far more than they expected. The boys froze in surprise. Yao's resources were far greater than they had anticipated.
"Well, well, looks like our 'bastard' is more than we thought," Lan Chengguang said, laughing.
He immediately divided the loot with his companions.
Before they could make their exit, a deep voice interrupted. "Are you saying that we at the Temple are idle and don't mind handling these matters?"
The three boys froze in place, their smiles disappearing as they slowly looked up.
On the rooftop above them, a black-and-gold armored guard stood, his gaze cold and piercing.
"Answer me," the guard commanded.
The boys stood motionless, paralyzed by the force of the voice, and the tense air seemed to freeze. Yao's senses flared as she realized just how dangerous the situation had become.