"Such a high reward?"
Shi Feng was stunned for a moment, unable to believe that simply walking the Path of the Spirit had earned him a reward fifty times that of others.
"It's not that high, but it's the maximum reward I can give within my authority. If you were an internal member of our Green God Group, the reward would be far more generous—your authority might even be directly promoted to a High-Level Authority." Xia Qingying looked at Shi Feng and asked with a smile, "I wonder if you'd be interested in joining our Green God Group?"
"Thank you, Director Xia, but I'm used to being on my own." Shi Feng shook his head. "I really don't want to be tied down."
Perhaps joining the Green God Group was many people's dream, let alone obtaining a High-Level Authority in the Upper District. But he also knew that the Green God Group had many restrictions—which was precisely why Mu Xin and the others hadn't joined directly.
"What a pity." Upon hearing this, Xia Qingying let out a soft sigh.
If someone like Shi Feng could join the Green God Group, it was almost certain that his status in the Upper District would not be below hers. After all, a Spirit Master was far too important to the Upper District.
The Green God Group had spent untold resources trying to cultivate Spirit Masters, yet to this day had produced very few. Most Spirit Masters remained like drifting clouds and wild cranes, having gone off to wherever they pleased.
"Shi Feng, this is a great opportunity. If you choose fifty bottles of Illusion Heart Potion equal in value to the Life Potion, it might just push your spirit even further." Ke Rui's eyes lit up as she couldn't help but speak up.
Although potions like the Life Potion could be exchanged—one bottle was worth five thousand points—there were exchange quotas. Those without authority could only exchange one bottle per year. Those with Third-Level Authority could only exchange two bottles per year. Second-Level Authority allowed a few more, but only five per year—no more. The only option was to buy from others.
But the cost of doing so was steep.
The Illusion Heart Potion was a spirit-forging potion developed by the Green God Group. It could temper the spirit and elevate it—a truly miraculous substance. Anyone in the Upper District with even a shred of ambition would exchange for Illusion Heart Potion to raise their spiritual level.
Fifty bottles of Illusion Heart Potion!
She had never seen so many in her entire life.
If she could use them, she could absolutely break through within a year and directly obtain Second-Level Authority.
"Director Xia, does the Green God Group have any potions that can heal spiritual trauma?" Shi Feng couldn't help but look at Xia Qingying and ask.
For now, the Water of Life was out of the question, so he could only settle for the next best thing—first stabilize the spiritual states of Bai Qingxue and Shui Se Qiangwei, then plan further down the line.
"There are, but the value of those potions is far higher than that of the Life Potion." Xia Qingying looked at Shi Feng curiously, not understanding why he wanted these things, but she explained anyway. "Spiritual trauma is the hardest of all injuries to heal. If you want to purchase them, you can only exchange for them after entering the Middle District. But you can't enter the Middle District yet."
"Only by entering the Middle District?" Shi Feng's brow furrowed slightly. Then he said, "Director Xia, I've made my decision. I'll choose a standard residence."
Hong Xinyuan's jaw dropped in disbelief as he stared at Shi Feng, hurriedly trying to dissuade him. "Are you insane, kid?! Fifty bottles of Illusion Heart Potion are not that easy to obtain. Even if you had First-Level Authority, it would take five years to exchange for fifty bottles. Getting a High-Level Authority before twenty-five versus after twenty-five—the evaluation the Green God Group gives is completely different."
Before twenty-five, one was still in the growth phase, which meant there was still potential. Even for outsiders, the Green God Group would provide key support and allocate various resources—just as Xia Qingying was doing for Shi Feng now.
But after twenty-five, the evaluation would drop significantly.
Before Hong Xinyuan could say a few more words of protest, Xia Qingying beside him reached out to stop him, studying Shi Feng with great curiosity.
"It seems you're quite determined about healing spiritual trauma—to give up the possibility of advancing further in the short term and choose a residence that can barely maintain and restore spiritual condition." Xia Qingying seemed to see through Shi Feng's intentions, smiling faintly. "Fine. Since it's your decision, I won't interfere. But I will give you one reminder."
"Life in the Upper District is not as simple as you think. It's not comfortable here, and it never will be. If you truly want to help someone, the fastest shortcut is to advance and raise your authority. Everything else is futile."
"I understand. Thank you for the reminder, Director Xia." Shi Feng expressed his gratitude sincerely. "Also, I'd like to participate in the Contribution Tournament. Can I register now?"
People like Xia Qingying would normally not even bother with someone like him. It was only because of his considerable potential that she showed such appreciation.
But he knew his own situation well enough. In terms of spiritual level, he was still far from being a Spirit Master. Even with the help of the Illusion Heart Potion, he would only reach the Special Grade at best—which was of no help to him whatsoever right now.
It was better to use the Upper District's environment to stabilize the spiritual states of Bai Qingxue and Shui Se Qiangwei. After all, he had already learned from Ke Rui that for someone without authority who had merely entered the Upper District, staying there was nearly impossible—unless someone could provide a residence.
But how much did a standard residence in the Upper District cost?
One million points!
That was ten billion Credit Points in the outside world. And even with the money, exchanging for one million points would take a very long time. Most importantly, residences had occupancy limits—a standard residence could hold at most five people, and not one more.
Only independent villas could accommodate more people, but even they couldn't exceed twenty.
For the major financial groups, families were enormous. Forget twenty—even a hundred spots wouldn't be enough. After all, who didn't have relatives, friends, and children? Every one of them dreamed of living in the Upper District permanently.