"Yes, the heaven grade cultivation sanctum at the Spirit Lake Palace — it's truly comparable to the one at the Star Soul Palace. Which Emperor Realm master wouldn't want to experience it? If they could achieve even a breakthrough, any price would be worth it." Ye Qinghan nodded enthusiastically in agreement, then added, "However, the number of heaven grade cultivation chambers is quite limited — only thirty."
"Those thirty chambers… I'm afraid the big shots will be fighting tooth and nail over them," Yang Kai snorted.
Thirty sounded like a decent number, but in reality, it was nowhere near enough.
Although Emperor Realm masters weren't exactly common, across the entire Southern Domain there were easily eight hundred to a thousand of them. Aside from the Emperor Realm experts of the Star Soul Palace, who probably had no interest in those heaven grade chambers, which Emperor Realm master wouldn't want to seclude themselves inside one to cultivate and comprehend profound techniques?
Once word spread, thirty chambers would be laughably insufficient.
"That's a matter for the big shots to worry about, not someone insignificant like me." Ye Qinghan covered her lips and giggled.
Ever since Yang Kai had given her his promise, her mood seemed to have been consistently cheerful.
"How about the earth grade chambers? And the human grade ones?" Yang Kai asked.
"There seem to be about five hundred earth grade chambers, and three thousand human grade ones…"
Yang Kai nodded. Though the numbers still sounded rather small — almost like supply couldn't possibly meet demand — not every martial artist had the financial means to cultivate in the Spirit Lake Palace chambers. Those who couldn't afford the cultivation fees would naturally have no choice but to sigh and look on from afar.
Still, with the three tiers of heaven, earth, and human grade chambers, the revenue flowing into Maple Forest City would surely make people green with envy. That income would inevitably be divided among the major sects, and Maple Forest City might get to skim a little off the top. Even so, that would be more than enough to make the likes of Duan Yuanshan fabulously wealthy overnight.
"Supposedly…" Ye Qinghan's voice suddenly dropped low, taking on a mysterious air. "Of course, this is only hearsay, but the Spirit Lake Palace has set aside some extra, undisclosed chambers for the major sects. As long as you're a disciple of one of those sects, you can enter them for free and cultivate for as long as you like."
"Oh?" Yang Kai raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?"
Ye Qinghan said, "The source isn't entirely certain, but it seems quite reliable. After all, the Spirit Lake Palace was established under the leadership of the major sects. It's only natural they'd reserve a little something for themselves."
"That does make sense." Yang Kai nodded slightly.
He was now technically a disciple of the Azure Sun Divine Temple and carried a disciple identity token. If this information proved reliable, he should be able to use that token to enter the chambers and cultivate without paying a single coin.
"Additionally, the major powers have set up formations that channel the spiritual energy dissipating from the Spirit Lake Palace into Maple Forest City. That's why the spiritual energy density here is so much higher than before."
"So that's what happened… No wonder something felt off." Yang Kai suddenly realized why the ambient spiritual energy in Maple Forest City had actually increased rather than decreased — it was because the formations were drawing in the Spirit Lake's spiritual energy.
With this arrangement, Maple Forest City itself would become quite suitable for martial artists to cultivate in. It couldn't compare to the Spirit Lake Palace, of course, but for the martial artists living in Maple Forest City, it was nothing short of a blessing.
"In less than two years, Maple Forest City will surely become one of the major cities of the Southern Domain. I hear the two great merchant guilds are both planning to set up branches here."
Yang Kai smiled. "Where there's money to be made, you'll never be without the two great merchant guilds."
As they talked, the two of them arrived at the Alchemy Pavilion.
The Alchemy Pavilion looked the same as ever — a modest little storefront with hardly any customers inside, only a shop assistant busily attending to matters. The shopkeeper was nowhere to be seen.
Ever since Kang Siran had been transferred away, Yang Kai hadn't set foot in the Alchemy Pavilion. Returning now stirred a wave of sentimentality.
The very first time he had come to Maple Forest City, it was here at the Alchemy Pavilion that he had forged some of his earliest connections.
"You're… Master Yang!" A sudden cry of surprise reached Yang Kai's ears, snapping him out of his memories. He looked up to see the shop assistant staring at him with an expression of barely contained excitement.
"Hello there, Brother Shopkeeper," Yang Kai greeted with a grin.
When he had been refining pills at the Alchemy Pavilion, he had interacted with this shop assistant numerous times, so they were hardly strangers — though he had never learned the man's name.
"Good, good, good!" The shop assistant was so excited he could barely form coherent words, looking thoroughly flattered. "It's an honor that Master Yang remembers me."
Having said that, he actually turned and dashed toward the back, shouting as he ran: "Master Yang is back! Shopkeeper, Master Yang is back!"
"What's his deal?" Ye Qinghan looked at Yang Kai blankly, having no idea what had gotten into the shop assistant.
Yang Kai explained, "I used to refine pills here at the Alchemy Pavilion for a few months."
"Ah, I see."
"Let's go in." Yang Kai gestured ahead. He noticed that after the shop assistant's outburst, the few customers still browsing the pill shop were all casting curious glances his way. He nodded to Ye Qinghan and strode straight inside.
They passed through the main hall and hadn't yet reached the inner section when a portly, round-faced man with a greasy sheen and richly embroidered robes came waddling toward them. He looked to be around forty, with an impressive belly jutting proudly forward — the very picture of prosperity.
This was clearly the Alchemy Pavilion's new shopkeeper. Like the former Kang Siran, he was only at the third-grade Void King Realm.
Wiping sweat from his forehead, the portly man asked eagerly, "Where is Master Yang?"