By the time Yuan Lang emerged from the nearby palace and made his way to the ferry crossing, he could already see a tower ship cutting through the Void directly toward them.
Yuan Lang narrowed his eyes slightly. He had spent most of his life in the Blood Demon Cave Heaven and wasn't particularly well-versed in the Three Thousand Worlds, but after having participated in the great battle that annihilated the Hundred Sect Alliance, he had developed a decent eye for such things.
At a single glance, he could tell that this incoming tower ship belonged to a Second-Order power!
The vessel was of considerable size. An ordinary Third-Order force simply wouldn't have the financial means to possess one — only a Second-Order power had the qualifications to own such a ship.
He waited in silence for a moment. Once the tower ship drew near, disciples stepped forward to guide it into the ferry crossing. Once the ship had docked securely, a middle-aged man immediately descended from the deck, trailed by a group of warriors dressed in uniform garb, their cultivation varying from one to the next.
The middle-aged man carried himself with an air of confidence, and his cultivation was nothing to scoff at — a full Fourth-Order Open Heaven. A smile hung on his face as he walked straight toward Yuan Lang, cupping his fists from a distance. "Li Jingyuan of the Juyuan Trading House, greetings to this honored sir. May I ask how to address you?"
Yuan Lang's Fifth-Order Open Heaven aura was plainly evident, and Li Jingyuan had certainly noticed it. His heart tightened slightly as he thought to himself — the rumors weren't unfounded after all. Word had it that this suddenly ascendant Void Land was teeming with powerhouses, with Mid-Order Open Heaven cultivators practically a dime a dozen. He had been somewhat skeptical — after all, the rise of any power wasn't something that happened overnight; it required countless years of slow, steady accumulation.
But now, seeing that even the one stationed at this Void ferry crossing was a Fifth-Order Open Heaven, he couldn't help but lend the rumors more credence. If a Fifth-Order was assigned to this post, there were undoubtedly even more Open Heaven cultivators keeping the Star City running.
It had been several months since the fall of the Hundred Sect Alliance, and the news had spread far and wide. The name "Void Land" was circulating throughout the Three Thousand Worlds for the very first time. As a trading house, the Juyuan Trading House naturally kept its ear to the ground — their information channels were far from sealed off, and they had at least some awareness of the tumultuous events currently being discussed by everyone under the heavens.
Yuan Lang's expression remained calm and composed. "My surname is Jin," he said flatly.
Li Jingyuan quickly responded, "So it's Lord Jin!"
Yuan Lang raised his gaze toward the tower ship and spoke. "I have been entrusted by the Sect Master himself to oversee this location — inspecting all who pass through, maintaining order at the crossing. This is merely routine procedure, so I hope Brother Li will understand."
Li Jingyuan smiled. "Of course, of course. If there is anything Brother Jin needs us to cooperate with, please don't hesitate to say so."
Yuan Lang nodded with satisfaction, his demeanor softening somewhat. "The Sect Master has decreed that all who enter the Star City, regardless of cultivation level, must register and report their purpose of visit. Depending on whether they are transient visitors or long-term residents, different jade tokens will be issued. Tell me, Brother Li — are you here for a brief resupply, or do you intend to settle in the Star City for an extended period?"
Li Jingyuan pondered for a moment, then answered candidly, "Lord Jin, the Juyuan Trading House is, at its core, a commercial enterprise. Our guiding principle is that harmony breeds prosperity. We've never visited the Void Star City before, so whether we should establish a long-term presence here — that's something I'll need to survey for myself first. How would such a situation be handled?"
Yuan Lang replied, "That's simple enough. I'll issue you and your party temporary jade tokens, but they're only valid for one month. After that month, if you wish to remain in the Star City, you'll need to report to the Governor's Office and exchange your tokens. If you fail to do so in time and are found by the Star City's enforcement squad, you could find yourself in considerable trouble."
"That works perfectly!" Li Jingyuan nodded repeatedly. He had been dispatched here for two purposes — first, for the Heaven Origin True Seal Pill, and second, to assess the future prospects of the Void Star City. If things looked promising, the Juyuan Trading House would certainly be willing to establish a branch here. But that all depended on whether the Void Star City had genuine development potential. If it didn't, there was no need to invest the effort.
Thereupon, Yuan Lang had his subordinates register the names and stated purposes of everyone in the Juyuan Trading House delegation, and issued them their tokens.
Li Jingyuan beamed. "Lord Jin has worked hard. A small token of appreciation — please forgive the inadequacy!" As he spoke, he slipped a spatial ring into Yuan Lang's hand with practiced subtlety.
Yuan Lang raised an eyebrow, accepted the ring without missing a beat, and swept his hand in a broad gesture. "Let them through!"
The Star City's grand formation split open a narrow seam, allowing the Juyuan Trading House delegation to pass through unimpeded.
After watching the group disappear from view, Yuan Lang glanced at the spatial ring in his hand and found exactly three hundred Open Heaven Pills inside.
After being entrusted with the critical responsibility of overseeing the ferry crossing by Yang Kai, Yuan Lang had sought out Chen Tianfei for some coaching — this was, after all, his first time handling such duties, and he was entirely unfamiliar with the protocol. Although Chen Tianfei's cultivation was lower than his own, the man's experience in these matters was undoubtedly far more extensive, and Yuan Lang had received quite a few valuable pointers from him.
Chen Tianfei had indeed mentioned that manning the ferry crossing was a lucrative posting. Travelers passing through would periodically offer small tokens of goodwill — after all, many of them would need to use the crossing more than once, and building a good relationship with whoever was stationed there would make their comings and goings smoother and free of hassle.
Back when the Madam had first brought Yang Kai to Thousand Bird Star City, she had done exactly the same thing — and that was the Madam herself, to say nothing of anyone else.
Yuan Lang hadn't expected that the very first group of arrivals would actually follow through with a little something…
Three hundred Open Heaven Pills was nothing to a Fifth-Order cultivator like himself, but grains of sand could pile into a tower, and small amounts would add up over time. This revenue stream, he suspected, was only going to grow.