Chapter 24: First Arrival in the Imperial Capital? I've Become a Person with Connections!

The Four Seas Trading Company caravan, surrounded by elite guards, traveled all the way north, crossing mountains and rivers.

With the banner of the trading company, the checkpoints along the way were unobstructed; even some of the bandits who occupied the mountains as kings would steer clear when they saw the Four Seas Trading Company flag, which showed the vastness of its power.

Lin Xuan spent most of his time in his own spacious carriage, consolidating his Golden Core cultivation base and familiarizing himself with the newly acquired divine ability "Earth-Shrinking" and his luck-disguising ability. Occasionally, he would converse with Qian Duoduo, probing to understand the distribution of power in the Imperial Capital and the internal situation of the Four Seas Trading Company.

This Qian Duoduo, while appearing to be a playboy, was actually sharp-minded and spoke without a single slip. Aside from confirming that the forces in the Imperial Capital were intertwined and filled with experts, and that the Four Seas Trading Company was not of one mind and had factional infighting, he remained tight-lipped regarding the specific details of the "special help."

Lin Xuan was not in a hurry; since he was here, he would settle in. With the trading company as his backing, his primary goal was to obtain the Core-Condensing Jade Liquid to further improve his strength. As for the rest, he would cross that bridge when he came to it.

Half a month later, the caravan finally reached its destination—the capital of the Tianyuan Dynasty, Tianyuan City!

Looking from afar, a majestic, incomparable giant city sprawled across the vast plains. The city walls towered into the clouds, their surfaces shimmering with the luster of metal and runes, exuding an ancient and imposing aura. The city gate was like the mouth of a giant beast, swallowing and spitting out the bustling flow of people, with all kinds of magnificent carriages, fierce mounts, and powerful cultivators passing through incessantly.

Compared to Qingyun City, Tianyuan City was like the bright moon to a firefly!

"Elder Lin, we have arrived." Qian Duoduo rode his horse to Lin Xuan's carriage window and pointed at the giant city ahead with his folding fan, his tone carrying a trace of imperceptible awe, "This is the heart of the Tianyuan Dynasty, a place where hidden dragons and crouching tigers reside."

The caravan passed through a dedicated VIP lane and, without undergoing inspection, drove directly into the city.

Once inside the city, the deafening noise of the crowd, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth that was several times denser, and the magnificent buildings of various styles lining the streets rushed toward him.

The main street, wide enough to accommodate ten carriages side-by-side, was paved with bluestone that was clear enough to reflect a person's image. Shops lined both sides, selling all kinds of elixirs, magic treasures, cultivation techniques, and exotic beasts; they were dazzling and filled with the aura of treasures. The passersby generally had strong auras; Foundation Establishment cultivators could be seen everywhere, and even the aura of Golden Core cultivators could be sensed occasionally.

"It truly lives up to its name as the Imperial Capital." Lin Xuan praised inwardly, while also becoming more vigilant. Here, being in the Golden Core realm counted for something, but it was by no means the peak; he needed to be more careful in his actions.

The caravan did not stop on the bustling main street but instead took several turns, entering an area that was relatively quiet but more elegant in its environment. Finally, it stopped in front of a magnificent building that occupied a vast area, was bustling with activity, and hung a gilded plaque reading "Four Seas Pavilion."

This was the headquarters of the Four Seas Trading Company in the Imperial Capital!

A steward had long since brought attendants out to welcome them, respectfully leading the caravan into the backyard.

Qian Duoduo jumped off his horse and said to Lin Xuan, "Elder Lin, I will first take you to meet an Elder to handle the guest procedures and arrange your accommodation. The auction is still more than two months away; during this time, you can move freely and familiarize yourself with the Imperial Capital's environment. The cultivation resources you need can be withdrawn within the trading company according to your authority using your guest token."

"I trouble you, Young Master Qian." Lin Xuan nodded.

The two passed through layers of corridors and arrived at a secluded courtyard. Inside the courtyard, ancient trees towered, and spiritual energy condensed into mist, several times denser than the outside; clearly, a sophisticated spirit-gathering array had been set up.

An old man wearing a simple gray robe, with a gaunt face but eyes as deep as an abyss, was sitting at a stone table in the courtyard, sipping tea alone. His aura was restrained, but Lin Xuan's Golden Core spiritual sense could vaguely feel the unfathomable, ocean-like fluctuations of spiritual power within him!

A Nascent Soul old monster! At least the Nascent Soul realm!

Lin Xuan's heart tightened, and his attitude became even more respectful.

"Ninth Elder, this is Lin Xuan, Fellow Daoist Lin." Qian Duoduo stepped forward and bowed respectfully.

The gray-robed old man put down his teacup, his gaze falling calmly on Lin Xuan. That gaze seemed to be able to pierce through his skin and look directly at the origin of his soul.

Lin Xuan immediately activated his luck-disguising ability, and at the same time, the system sent a notification: [Deep scan initiated, 1% energy consumed, analyzing target... Analysis failed! Target's cultivation is too high, powerful restrictions exist!]

Even the deep scan failed!

"Junior Lin Xuan greets the Ninth Elder." Lin Xuan bowed neither servilely nor overbearingly.

The Ninth Elder examined him for a moment and spoke slowly, his voice peaceful yet carrying unquestionable majesty: "Your natural talent is ordinary, and you are no longer young. To have formed a core at this age, you indeed have your merits. Steward Qian and Duoduo speak very highly of you."

He changed the subject: "The position of guest Elder can be given to you by the trading company. Resources, protection, and even support for the auction are not problems. But you must understand the rules of the trading company. To enjoy rights, one must bear responsibilities. Within ten years, you and the trading company share honor and disgrace. The trading company will not force you to do anything against morality, but if the trading company has a need, you must do your best."

"This junior understands." Lin Xuan replied.

"Very good." The Ninth Elder nodded and took out a purple-gold token. The front was engraved with the two characters "Four Seas," while the back had the character "Guest," surrounded by intricate cloud patterns. "This is your guest token. With this token, you can access resources of Grade C and below, consult some confidential information, and have an independent courtyard in the Four Seas Pavilion of the Imperial Capital. Duoduo will assist you with matters regarding the auction."

"Thank you, Ninth Elder." Lin Xuan took the token; it felt warm to the touch, clearly not an ordinary item.

The procedure was simpler than he had imagined; this Ninth Elder seemed to care more about the result than the process.

"Go. The waters of the Imperial Capital are deep; take care of yourself." The Ninth Elder waved his hand, said no more, and picked up his teacup again.

Qian Duoduo and Lin Xuan bowed and exited the courtyard.

"Phew—" After leaving the courtyard, Qian Duoduo finally let out a sigh of relief and patted his chest, "The Ninth Elder is one of the law-enforcement Elders of the main branch and has always been strict. I didn't expect him to be so easy to talk to today."

Lin Xuan rubbed the guest token in his hand, feeling the authority it contained and the significance behind it. He knew that from this moment on, he had officially boarded the giant ship that was the Four Seas Trading Company.

Qian Duoduo took him to an area behind the Four Seas Pavilion specifically for high-level stewards and guests to live in and arranged an independent small courtyard for him. Although the courtyard was not large, it was fully equipped and also had a spirit-gathering array, making the environment quiet and elegant.

"Elder Lin, you should rest first. This is some basic information about the Imperial Capital and an introduction to the forces; you can take a look." Qian Duoduo handed Lin Xuan a jade slip, "If you need anything, contact me with your token at any time. I will come to find you again before the auction starts."

After seeing Qian Duoduo off, Lin Xuan closed the courtyard gate and activated the simple defensive array that came with it.

He first patrolled the courtyard to familiarize himself with the environment, then returned to the quiet room and probed his spiritual sense into the jade slip given by Qian Duoduo.

A massive amount of information flooded into his mind.

The Tianyuan Dynasty, where the Imperial family is supreme, with experts like clouds under its command.

The four great guardian families, with deep foundations, all have Nascent Soul ancestors sitting in command.

The ten great sects, entrenched in various places, have huge influence.

There are also transcendent forces such as the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion, the Alchemist Guild, and the Artifact Refiner Alliance...

Within the Imperial Capital, the forces are intricate and complex; the water is indeed bottomless.

As for the information about the "Core-Condensing Jade Liquid," the jade slip also mentioned that this item is indeed rare, and every time it appears, it causes competition from all sides. According to reliable news, this item will indeed be the finale of the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion auction.

"The competition will be fierce." Lin Xuan rubbed his brow. Relying solely on the support of the Four Seas Trading Company might not be enough to secure it. He himself must find a way to accumulate some capital.

He cast his gaze toward the system shop. It was time to use the system and his newly acquired abilities to make his first pot of gold in this huge treasure house of the Imperial Capital!

"Luck-disguising... Deep scan..." A glimmer of light flashed in Lin Xuan's eyes, "Perhaps, I should go check out the 'treasure hunting' area?"

The Imperial Capital has a dedicated free-trading area, a place where fish and dragons mix, and the true and false are hard to distinguish. It has both dust-covered treasures and carefully designed scams, known as the "Treasure Hunting Area" or "Scavenging Area."

For Lin Xuan, who possesses the deep scan ability, that place is simply a cash machine tailor-made for him!

However, before that, he needs to thoroughly familiarize himself with the environment of the Imperial Capital, especially those large and small trading markets.

He put away the jade slip, changed into a plain green robe, and used "Thousand-Face Phantom" to slightly adjust his facial features, making himself look more like an ordinary rogue cultivator, and then left the Four Seas Pavilion, blending into the vast sea of people in the Imperial Capital.

Walking on the bustling streets, feeling the prosperity and pressure of this giant city, Lin Xuan took a deep breath.

The new stage has already been set.

And he, this "connected person," is going to start using his own way to... "carve out" a piece of heaven here!

(End of Chapter 24)