Chapter 573: Where Is the Immortal Gate's Richest Man?

The lag lasted for over ten minutes.

It almost made Jiang Ding want to call the police.

But then he thought that, normally, the Central Array Spirit Computer handled receiving reports and took care of most matters, and he had no idea at the moment where another manual channel even was.

Fortunately, the lag gradually stopped, and the Central Array Spirit Computer finished its massive computational procedures and returned to normal.

"System error."

"Upload failed."

"This item involves knowledge above the level of Refining the Void. Without actively accepting its erosion and assimilation, recording, translation, and organization cannot be completed. The Immortal Gate Library cannot bear its existence."

"Is that so?"

Jiang Ding clicked his tongue.

"Calculating…"

The value of an immortal art clue varies in the eyes of different people.

For example, discovering new knowledge comes with related patents and rewards. If it is purely knowledge, then beyond the patent there will only be library points as a reward, rarely involving spirit stones.

Jiang Ding nodded.

"Calculating the reward for submitting immortal-grade knowledge — Jin Huangyu Beauty Painting…"

"Please note: due to the Immortal Gate's poverty — it being a Refining the Void level faction — out of the necessary demands of survival and development, it may not be able to provide a reward matching its value, and there will be a corresponding reduction."

"If not, temporarily shelve it, and wait eighty-seven years for the Citizens' Assembly to convene and discuss enacting new laws, or immediately convene an emergency temporary Citizens' Assembly to deliberate on this matter and determine new laws."

Of course, pure spirit stones have relatively little use to high-level cultivators; they can only play a role when fully relying on the Immortal Gate's immortal-Dao industry.

Many matters in the Immortal Gate have detailed legal provisions.

In the eyes of a Jin Dan cultivator, it might be comparable to one-third the value of a Nascent Soul Formation Pill; in the eyes of a Soul Transformation cultivator, if such a thing as a Void Formation Pill existed, it might be one-fifth its value.

Jiang Ding acknowledged this statement.

"Therefore, the decision is whether to donate this item, along with its medium, to the Immortal Gate Library—the Immortal Capital Library. The Immortal Gate Library will provide a reward of equal value.

"The First Law of the Immortal Gate must not be violated."

"Acknowledged. Agree to donate."

In the eyes of a cultivator above the Refining the Void stage, dozens of small realms could be given away casually; of course, it is far more likely they would casually slap them to death, seize the opportunity delivered to their doorstep, and add a layer of secrecy.

It should be noted that the Immortal Gate Library will only recognize this painting scroll as a fifth-grade superior Yuan Shen Dharma treasure with strategic value; its knowledge value will be reflected through the Immortal Gate Library points reward."

After all, no matter how good a thing is, living, living well, and living long remain the first needs.

"Calculating…"

"Do you accept this handling?"

The voice of the Central Array Spirit Computer seemed perfectly justified.

"Clearly understood."

This calculation lasted a considerable length of time.

During this period, Soul Transformation and Nascent Soul cultivators may have frequently attended large numbers of meetings, drafting related legal bills, to set a handling standard for similar occurrences in the future.

Until one year and three months later, the voice of the Central Array Spirit Computer sounded once again.

"Year, unknown citizen submitted immortal-grade · pseudo-immortal-grade knowledge, Jin Huangyu Beauty Painting. After discussion by the Immortal Gate administration and three hundred sixty Immortal Gate Seekers of the Dao, supervised by the Central Array Spirit Computer, the reward result is as follows."

Immortal Gate Seekers of the Dao,

An honorary title, with the right to participate in Immortal Gate affairs great and small, members of one of the Immortal Gate's highest committees.

"First, the reward for the Jin Huangyu Beauty Painting, the knowledge-bearing painting scroll."

"After discussion, this painting scroll medium is classified as a fifth-grade inferior Yuan Shen Dharma treasure involving immortal arts, greatly increasing its value. Reward: seventeen Soul Transformation battle merits."

Jiang Ding's heart jolted.

Seventeen Soul Transformation battle merits are enough to redeem nearly two Soul Transformation opportunities, and because of the quantity, his ranking will be very near the top.

If one or two more were added, it would be the undisputed first place, and the Immortal Gate's next Soul Transformation opportunity would be his.

Of course, the Immortal Gate's Soul Transformation opportunity may not be a very good match for him.

"Second, the library points reward for the immortal-grade · pseudo-immortal-grade knowledge, Jin Huangyu Beauty Painting."

"After discussion, deducting the Immortal Gate's necessary national defense, people's livelihood, development, and the basic needs of Immortal Gate cultivators, the reward is two trillion library points."

Two trillion library points!

Jiang Ding's breath stopped, his brain temporarily ceased operating.

The Immortal Gate's rewards for knowledge are mainly concentrated in library points.

Library points are not some kind of spirit stone currency, but a materialization of the Central Array Spirit Computer's computing power. The computing power owned each year is fixed, and library points represent a share of that computing power.

A very rough and simple analogy: one library point corresponds to twenty Shi Mei Xia Pin spirit stones.

"Wait,"

"My brain is a bit under-supplied, let me calculate…"

Jiang Ding took a deep breath, then another deep breath, then yet another deep breath, his body staggered, unable to stand steady. In his whole life he had never seen so much money: "Two trillion library points, multiplied by twenty,"

"Forty trillion inferior spirit stones!"

"Forty trillion?!"

"Ahhhhh…"

Jiang Ding's eyes went red, he screamed wildly, like he had gone mad.

Whoosh!

The Tai Qing Flying Sword flew out from between his brows.

The sword light flashed once, then again; he wanted to slash one more sword, but was a bit uncertain — unsure whether this was normal madness or abnormal madness caused by malicious influence.

"Don't move!"

Jiang Ding grabbed the Great Clarity Flying Sword, shoved it into his brow, his eyes burning with fervor: "The Immortal Sect's GDP last year was 370 trillion lower-grade spirit stones; last year's fiscal revenue was 6 trillion lower-grade spirit stones."

"That means, with the Immortal Sect's fiscal revenue, even if we do nothing, pay no wages to staff, no education funds, no research funds, no national defense military expenses, and stop living entirely, using it all for me, it would still take nearly seven years to repay."

"But how could these expenditures possibly be omitted?"

"They must be saved from the annual fiscal surplus; that would require at least a century of accumulation!"

"Rich enough to rival a nation?"

"That's child's play! A century's fiscal surplus savings of a domain hegemon power!!!"

Jiang Ding was shaken beyond measure in his heart.

Of course, this calculation was crude and held no scientific value.

The Immortal Sect's finances were not just lower-grade spirit stones; there were also second-tier spirit coins, third-tier spirit coins, fourth-tier spirit coins, fifth-tier spirit coins, and so on, currencies used to purchase corresponding-tier heavenly treasures and earthly herbs, extremely complex, not something that could be explained by such a simple conversion.

At the same time, library points and spirit stones could not be equated.

Pouring such a massive amount of library points into the market would cause a supply-demand imbalance, potentially leading to huge depreciation.

If that truly happened, the situation where one library point exchanged for twenty lower-grade spirit stones would cease to exist; it would invert, possibly requiring dozens of library points to exchange for a single lower-grade spirit stone.

"Due to computing power demands for national defense, industry, and scientific research, the Immortal Sect cannot pay such a quantity of library points at once."

The voice of the Central Array Spirit Computer continued to come through.

"After discussion, we will adopt an installment payment method, lasting a century, paying 20 billion library points annually."

"Do you confirm?"

(End of this chapter)