Chapter 725

Chapter 725: Entering the City

The autumn sky was clear and refreshing.

Wang Chen arrived at Qianxing Immortal City for the first time.

Unlike Yongle Immortal City, Qianxing Immortal City was not banished from the sky; it allowed cultivators to use flying artifacts to enter and exit the city.

However, once inside the city, distinctions became apparent.

D-ranked citizens could only walk on the streets, C-ranked citizens were permitted to fly freely under a height of ten zhang, B-ranked citizens were restricted to fifty zhang, while A-ranked citizens faced no limitations.

Additionally, flying was confined to personal artifacts, allowing the carriage of one companion, but larger flying artifacts such as flying boats, flying ships, or similar vessels required a special pass.

Although Wang Chen had attained B-ranked citizen status, he chose not to parade through the city with Su Ziling. Instead, he walked through the marketplace to fully appreciate the allure of this City of Merchants.

Qianxing Immortal City was truly unique.

It completely shattered Wang Chen’s preconceived notions of the immortal cities within the Haotian Realm. The tall buildings that lined the streets were remarkable, each at least ten stories high, with some soaring over a hundred zhang.

Moreover, the Bixi that supported this immortal city had its turtle’s back rising steeply, transitioning from the lowest edges to the highest central point, creating a dramatic elevation change.

Qianxing Immortal City lacked city walls, allowing entry from any direction.

The city’s buildings were innumerable, resembling a vast forest, with no two structures exactly alike, each varying slightly, some distinctly unique.

Walking through it felt like navigating a forest maze.

This sensation reminded Wang Chen of a city he had visited in his past life.

The mountain city!

Though it was a completely different world, Qianxing Immortal City evoked in Wang Chen an indescribable sense of familiarity and warmth.

The city was teeming with shops, tea houses, inns, and taverns, with colorful banners advertising businesses hanging densely, and doormen using accented phrases to beckon guests from all directions.

The unique hustle and bustle of the marketplace could easily make one lose themselves in it!

Su Ziling stayed close to Wang Chen, her face reflecting nostalgia as she took in the sights of Qianxing Immortal City. “It’s been a long time since I was last here.”

The last time Su Ziling visited Qianxing Immortal City was when she was ten years old.

Back then, she was accompanied by her parents, and although life wasn’t exceedingly wealthy, it was filled with warmth and happiness.

However, her mother’s passing changed everything; her father, overwhelmed by grief, gave up on himself and eventually became a despised gambler.

Recalling the past, the girl’s eyes glistened with tears.

Wang Chen took her hand, silently offering her comfort and warmth.

Visiting Qianxing Immortal City for the first time, exploring the streets was undoubtedly an exciting experience; the sheer number of shops and workshops was astounding, showcasing a wide array of cultivation techniques that broadened Wang Chen’s horizons.

But as night fell, it was impossible to keep wandering, so Wang Chen found an inn to stay for the night.

With the Bixi dragon tortoise as a boundary, the worlds above and below were distinct, and the prices were the best proof.

The cost of a similar suite here was three times that of Yingxian Town!

What about the housing prices in Qianxing Immortal City?

Wang Chen suddenly felt less confident about his Xumi Ring.

The next morning, he inquired with the innkeeper and then found a well-known exchange office.

Wang Chen planned to open a shop in Qianxing Immortal City, so he needed to rent a storefront, preferably one that could also serve as a residence.

He casually inquired about the local housing prices, and despite being mentally prepared, he was still taken aback.

Qianxing Immortal City was truly a place where every inch of land was as precious as gold; the land on the turtle’s back had been fully developed centuries ago, so there were no "new developments," only second-hand properties available for trade.

However, the prices were so exorbitant that they defied belief!

The broker informed Wang Chen that over ninety percent of the properties in Qianxing Immortal City were controlled by merchants.

Here, "merchants" referred to the prestigious families, clans, and guilds within the trade.

Another five percent belonged to Golden Core and Yuan Ying cultivators as private property.

As for ordinary townsfolk, very few owned their own properties, and those who did were mostly A-ranked citizens.

So, where did the millions of D-ranked citizens live?

Most of them rented their homes.

Over seventy percent of the townsfolk in Qianxing Immortal City worked for merchants, often spending their entire lives, along with their families, and sometimes even for generations.

The merchants provided them with relatively affordable housing or offered rent subsidies.

This ensured that the vast majority of people would not have to sleep on the streets.

Due to the limited land available, to accommodate so many people, the buildings in the city grew taller and taller.

When older buildings could no longer hold everyone, they were demolished and replaced with new, taller structures.

Under normal circumstances, these buildings were not available for sale.

Even if they were sold, transactions would only occur among merchants.

Qianxing Immortal City was made up of thousands of merchants, who were part of an alliance called the Qianxing Merchant Alliance.

As the saying goes, scarcity breeds value; therefore, the limited number of properties in circulation led to their astronomical prices.

Fortunately, Wang Chen never intended to buy property outright, so renting was a much more feasible option.

After hearing Wang Chen’s requirements, the broker selected five storefronts from the records and sent an assistant to accompany Wang Chen for viewings.

Although Qianxing Immortal City was the territory, or rather the stronghold, of the Qianxing Merchant Alliance, they did not monopolize all the business, preventing outsiders from having any part in it.

They also leased out some of their shops for local townsfolk or traveling merchants to rent and operate.

This was likely done to promote market activity.

In any case, Wang Chen could open a store here, but whether he could sustain it would depend on his skills.

After all, over ninety-nine percent of outsiders who opened stores in Qianxing Immortal City ended up losing money.

Those rare few who managed to earn spirit stones would eventually be absorbed into one of the merchant families.

Despite the seemingly open atmosphere of Qianxing Immortal City, it was actually very challenging to establish oneself here.

Especially if one did not want to toil like a beast for the merchants, it became even more difficult!

Under the guidance of the broker’s assistant, Wang Chen visited five storefronts, but none of them felt quite right.

Either the locations were too remote, the spaces too large, or the surroundings too chaotic and unsafe.

After searching for a long time, he still couldn’t find what he was looking for.

Fortunately, the broker received a talisman from the assistant and then presented another property for the assistant to take Wang Chen to see.

As soon as Wang Chen laid eyes on this storefront, he knew it was the one.

After inquiring about the price and engaging in some negotiation, Wang Chen finally rented the property for an annual rent of five hundred thousand spirit fragments, marking his establishment in this place.

If possible, Wang Chen would have preferred to buy the property.

Unfortunately, the owner was unwilling to sell it at a discount, so he had to bury that thought deep within his heart.

He looked forward to the coming year!