Hearing what Han Li had said, Lu II paused, and involuntarily glanced at the hands of the two. Only upon seeing the red ring on their fingers did he suddenly brighten and say, "Ah, so the Master intends to stay in our city permanently! That's quite manageable. Have either of you seen the buildings constructed on the Sacred Mountain? As other Master-level officials have explained, the entire mountain is naturally endowed with a vital spiritual energy flow. The higher the buildings are situated on the mountain, the richer the spiritual energy they receive—though naturally, the price is also higher. If you prefer to live independently and not rent houses, you may instead rent a ready-made cave residence with your own private space, though it's reportedly much more expensive. Furthermore, whether it's a house or a cave residence, the rental is charged on a century-long basis. Every century, you must renew the payment. Should you fail to pay the next installment, the celestial officials from the Star Palace will reclaim your residence." Lu II swiftly explained all this to Han Li. "Oh, is it really possible to rent a place for cultivation at the top level as long as there are enough spiritual stones?" Hearing this, Han Li showed a notably interested expression. "The Master is being playful—of course not," Lu Er shook his head vigorously. "The Sacred Mountain is divided into eight十一 layers, each completed circle of rotation forming one layer. The first fifty layers are open to visiting immortals; as long as one has sufficient spiritual stones, they can rent a dwelling for cultivation. The last thirty layers are reserved exclusively for the senior officials of the Star Palace. The very highest layer is the Sacred Palace itself, the residence of the two Grand Masters. Anyone is strictly prohibited from entering." Lu Er said with some embarrassment. After thinking for a moment, Han Li decisively stated, "Very well—then, please show me the way. We'll find a place to settle first." "Yes, I shall lead the way. The Master simply needs to fly toward the Sacred Mountain. At the foot of the mountain, there is a pavilion specifically designated for handling such matters." As soon as the words were finished, the Divine Wind Boat transformed into a streak of white light and sped toward the distant giant mountain. Though the mountain appeared close, Han Li had to fly for a full minute before truly reaching the foot of the mountain. Under Lu Er's guidance, the Divine Wind Boat landed before a grand pavilion. Aside from Han Li, there were numerous cultivators coming and going, with occasional bursts of light rising or descending. Han Li glanced around, then led Qu Hun and Lu Er into the pavilion, which featured a tall stone staircase. Upon entering, he noticed several cultivators gathered at five or six isolated stone tables, conversing with individual white-robed cultivators. Some were beaming with joy, others looked deeply troubled, and even two of them were pleading earnestly with their counterparts in white robes—each expression distinct. Han Li silently observed the scene, watching for a while. "Master, the group over there has moved on. Shall we go over there?" A moment later, Lu Er gently reminded Han Li. Han Li, of course, had noticed the now-empty stone table, and nodded in acknowledgment. This time, however, it was Qu Hun who took the lead and walked forward, with Han Li following closely behind. This shift in dynamics left Lu Er, who had always believed Han Li to be the one in charge, momentarily stunned and slightly surprised, as he followed along. On the 31st floor, there are three pavilions; on the 39th, four; and on the 47th, two. Here are the prices, as well as the structures and functions of the pavilions." The white-robed cultivator successively placed several jade scrolls on the stone table. Upon hearing this, Qu Hun, without hesitation, picked up each one and examined them with his spiritual awareness. Han Li had always believed himself to be well-off in spirit stones, even considering himself a modest wealthy cultivator among those at the Condensation stage. Yet, after reviewing the rental fees for these pavilions, he was utterly astonished. "As for the pavilions on the 47th floor, let's set them aside for now—just the pavilions on the 30s and 40s floors alone have left Han Li deeply distressed. With only a century of usage, the rental fees amount to two or three thousand spirit stones—truly exorbitant! Seeing Qu Hun's slightly pale, thoughtful expression, the fellow across from him seemed to have already guessed his thoughts and smiled to explain: "Esteemed master! While our mountain's spirit veins may not claim the top spot The cultivation speed here, right at the foot of the sacred mountain, is far superior to that of the prime locations along ordinary spiritual veins. After surpassing the thirtieth level, the cultivation pace accelerates by an additional quarter or more. That's precisely why the cost for the dwelling is so high—yet absolutely worth it! Hearing this, Han Li furrowed his brow. At that moment, Qu Hun had reviewed all the jade scrolls. "Then, this one!" Under Han Li's instruction, Qu Hun picked up one scroll and handed it over. It was a dwelling on the thirty-ninth floor, featuring a well-rounded set of facilities. "Excellent! The rental fee is 2,700 mid-tier spiritual stones!" The white-robed cultivator, delighted that Qu Hun was genuinely committing to renting such a premium dwelling, quickly announced. This time, Han Li did not ask Qu Hun to handle the matter—he himself reached into his storage bag, pulled out twenty-some mid-tier spiritual stones, and presented them. "Here is the dwelling's seal token. With this, you may freely enter and exit the dwelling at will. However, after a century, the token will be reclaimed." "I hope you'll keep them safe," the cultivator said, smiling as he received the spiritual stones. With a bright smile, he produced a yellow plaque and handed it to Qu Hun. Qu Hun took the plaque, nodded briefly, and turned to leave without a word. Han Li and Lu Er, who had been hesitant to speak up all along, followed closely behind. "It's truly astonishingly expensive! Just to find a place for cultivation, they're charging so many spiritual stones," Han Li sighed as they stepped out of the pavilion, his expression somewhat frustrated. His assets had just taken a significant hit! "I wonder," Lu Er whispered, glancing at Han Li, "if the two senior cultivators have any other destinations planned?" He had been deeply impressed by Han Li's generous outlay. Though he had previously guided other cultivators, those had typically spent only a few or several dozen spiritual stones. To see someone spend two or three hundred stones in one go—something he had only heard about before—was truly a first-hand experience now. Immediately, Lu Er became even more respectful toward Han Li, and his confidence in receiving his agreed compensation grew significantly. After all, the host had made such a generous offer—once Han Li pleased him, he would surely not hesitate to keep the small amount of spiritual stones. "Take me to the marketplace of this city and introduce me to some of the larger shops," Han Li said casually, glancing at Lu Er. Then, he accompanied Qu Hun and Lu Er once again aboard the Shenfeng Boat, which lifted into the air. But what pleased Han Li even more was that the spiritual energy here was incredibly abundant—truly far surpassing ordinary spiritual veins. Even his old dwelling in the southern heavens, compared to this one, fell short in significant ways. This made Han Li feel it was well worth it! The array and seals accompanying this dwelling were also quite impressive, not falling far short of his simplified version of the "Five Elements Reversal Array." Nevertheless, Han Li didn't feel fully secure relying solely on the existing array of the dwelling. He intended to rest briefly before, tomorrow, laying out his several major arrays outside the current one. Only then would he truly feel at ease, giving himself the time to revise his cultivation plan. As he thought about it, Han Li gradually drifted off into a sweet sleep. Over the past few months, he had been constantly bouncing and flying around on his magical artifacts, truly exhausted! The next morning, as soon as he woke up, Han Li was already busy with a flurry of activities. He immediately set up three major arrays outside the abode, then planted various medicinal herbs and rare plants throughout the otherwise empty medicinal garden for future use in ripening the elixirs. Finally, he purchased numerous high-grade fine jades at the market, and upon returning to the abode, carefully embedded these jades into a compact chamber measuring over fifteen zhang, utilizing every inch of space. Only after transforming the stone walls of the chamber into jade panels did he gently introduce the golden-devouring insects into the chamber. He held high hopes for these exceptionally rare and esteemed insects, intending to carefully nurture them so that they could later serve as valuable allies.