Chapter 152: Identity Jade Token

Entering through the South Heavenly Gate and walking more than two li towards the southeast, Hu Li indeed saw a ferry landing ahead.

Lazily docked at the edge of the landing were a dozen or so luminous spheres, similar in style to number 1034.

Because a senior immortal had provided a warning many years ago, Hu Li, mindful of his identity as an immortal beast, walked over very low-key to the nearest luminous sphere.

"Please present your identity jade token and press it against my body," the sphere flashed.

This should be the jade slip just obtained from the man in the red robe. Hu Li secretly took out the jade slip and did as instructed.

The jade slip lit up.

"Ah, newly ascended," the sphere quickly transformed into a disc shape while asking, "Where are you heading?"

Hu Li gritted his teeth and asked softly, completely off topic, "How did you know I just ascended?"

The luminous sphere chuckled, "If you weren't newly ascended, why would you ask such a foolish question? Alright, I won't laugh at you anymore. Your identity jade token is completely blank, with no record of merits whatsoever. If you aren't a newly ascended newcomer, what else could you be?" With that, it finished its transformation.

So that was it. Hu Li jumped up, sat cross-legged in the center of the disc, and still quietly inquired, "What are merits? What are they used for?"

The sphere didn't mind his annoyance and answered every question: "You go to the Alliance to take on tasks. Once a task is completed, the Alliance will record the corresponding merit points on your identity jade token. Merits are extremely useful; they cover your lodging, your clothing, and all your expenses. For example, if you have a single merit point, you can charter me without spending any spirit stones. Within a month, I will be at your beck and call and take you anywhere in the Spirit Realm. But since you currently have no merits, you must pay me one spirit stone."

Tch, isn't that just exchangeable experience points? Feng Ke'er understood and poked the fox's sea of consciousness: "Your luck isn't bad. You finally ran into someone enthusiastic. You might as well ask it more about the situation in the Spirit Realm."

Hu Li thought the same. Just as he was about to ask something else, the sphere asked again, "I say, where on earth are you going?"

Having gained experience dealing with number 1034, Hu Li appeared much more composed. He took out a top-grade spirit stone, placed it beside him, and smiled, "I'm a newcomer here. Take me around to see the sights first."

Unexpectedly, the luminous sphere let out a weird, cackling laugh: "Take you around to see the sights? You certainly dare to dream!"

"What do you mean by that?" Hu Li pressed on.

A flash of white light. The sphere collected the spirit stone, stopped laughing, and hummed, "Very well. Seeing that you're a newcomer, I'll waste a few words and explain things to you."

"Thank you, Esteemed Envoy." Hu Li learned from number 1034 that the luminous spheres had a pleasant title: Guide Envoys.

The luminous sphere then began to explain. As it turned out, the Spirit Realm was not a single unified entity, but rather five spirit continents surrounded by a sea of clouds. They were respectively the East, South, West, North, and Central Spirit Continents. At the edges of the sea of clouds were four heavenly gates: East, South, West, and North. Every spirit continent and every heavenly gate had a ferry landing. This place was precisely the South Heavenly Gate Ferry Landing.

All five spirit continents had continental lords, and their duties varied. For instance, the South Heavenly Gate was the portal leading down to the lower realms, while the South Spirit Continent was closest to the South Heavenly Gate and had the sparsest spiritual energy. Therefore, it was designated as the settlement area for newly ascended pseudo-immortals.

Among the five continents, the East Spirit Continent possessed the best cultivation resources and terrain. That was where the Spirit Realm Alliance was located, as well as the stronghold of major cultivation clans.

Meanwhile, although the West Spirit Continent also possessed relatively dense spiritual energy, it bordered the West Heavenly Gate leading to the Demon Realm. Consequently, it was sparsely populated, with very few permanent residents, making it the largest public trial ground in the Spirit Realm.

The Central Spirit Continent was teeming with merchants and served as the material trading hub of the Spirit Realm.

The North Spirit Continent's various conditions were neither exceptional nor subpar; those living there were small households, making it a mixed place of dragons and serpents.

In short, to sum it all up, a newcomer like Hu Li currently had only one destination—the South Spirit Continent.

Feng Ke'er, however, took a strong interest in the West Spirit Continent. She couldn't help poking the fox's sea of consciousness again: "Ask it, isn't the Demon Realm completely sealed? How could the West Heavenly Gate lead to the Demon Realm?" Could the seal be unilateral?

Hu Li had zero interest in matters concerning the Demon Realm, but he was also quite interested in the sparsely populated yet resource-rich West Spirit Continent, so he did as she asked.

The luminous sphere sighed, "That's right. Legend has it that the Demon Realm was sealed by the Primordial God Pangu. However, the center of the seal is in the God Realm. Our Spirit Realm is merely at the edge of the seal. Many years ago, the seal in the Spirit Realm loosened somewhat. Coupled with the fact that our Spirit Realm lacks boundary rivers like those in the God Realm, demonic energy is said to escape from time to time. It was precisely out of fear that demonic energy would leak into the lower realms that the God Realm Alliance ordered the passage to be closed."

He hadn't expected the reason for the passage's closure to involve such a story. Cherish life, stay away from demonic energy. Feng Ke'er crossed her arms and made a cross over her chest, deciding to give the West Spirit Continent a wide berth.

"Let's go to the South Spirit Continent." Hu Li was also startled and instantly snuffed out that tiny, budding little thought.

The luminous sphere flashed and crisply laughed, "One spirit stone."

Hu Li was stunned, "Didn't I just give you one?"

"That was the fee for inquiring about information," the sphere sighed. "Brother, low-level artifact spirits like us cannot undertake Alliance tasks, so we have no way to earn merits. In the Spirit Realm, food, clothing, housing, and travel all rely on merits. If you can't earn merits, you must buy them with spirit stones. Merits are very expensive; one crystal stone can only be exchanged for ten merit points. And one crystal stone is equivalent to one thousand spirit stones. Brother, one spirit stone can't accomplish anything at all. In the East Spirit Continent, when those aristocratic scions tip their servants, they'd be embarrassed to hand over anything less than a hundred spirit stones."

Hu Li caught on; the spirit stones it referred to specifically meant top-grade spirit stones. As for crystal stones, they were presumably of a higher grade than top-grade spirit stones, something non-existent in the lower realms. No doubt, he hadn't laid eyes on them yet. However, he was in no rush to inquire. Since they served as a medium of exchange, they were bound to be found everywhere. Still, that remark about being "embarrassed to hand over anything less than a hundred spirit stones" genuinely stung his lungs.

"Then why doesn't the Esteemed Envoy go to the East Spirit Continent?" Suppressing his displeasure, he chuckled lightly.

The sphere hummed, "We have rules. Every hundred days is a rotation, and every ferry landing must be served." Whenever it brought this matter up, it felt heartbroken. Long ago, word spread across the Spirit Realm that the passage opened every five hundred years, and the number of pseudo-immortals ascending from the lower realms must be countless. This time, the South Spirit Continent was bound to be lively.

It calculated the dates and discovered that during the period when the passage opened, it happened to be assigned to the South Heavenly Gate Ferry Landing. For the past five hundred years, because the passage was sealed, the South Heavenly Gate Ferry Landing had been so desolate it was practically growing weeds. During its hundred-day shift here, it often didn't get a single transaction. Now that the passage was about to open, business was sure to come. For this reason, it had rejoiced for quite a while—though it didn't have a hundred spirit stones to buy the lucrative job of greeting ascending pseudo-immortals at the landing, running diligently and making a few more trips was still better than not earning a single spirit stone.

Unexpectedly, the South Heavenly Gate Ferry Landing remained desolate as hell. After everyone waited for half a day, its luck turned out to be the best, landing the very first customer.

Of course, as a guide envoy, it was well aware of the shady dealings within the Reception Department. Which newly ascended newcomer wouldn't be fleeced of several layers of skin? Thus, it hadn't expected to earn many spirit stones from this transaction. But artifact spirits expended spiritual power when speaking; it couldn't possibly waste its spiritual power for nothing!

Hu Li naturally saw through its thoughts, cheerfully paid another spirit stone, and thought to himself: This method is quite good. Otherwise, all the guide envoys would rush over to the East Spirit Continent to hustle for work.

Seeing that he was a straightforward person, the luminous sphere was quite pleased: "Brother, sit tight. We are setting off." With that, its entire body burst with dazzling bright light, and amidst a chorus of envious little glances, it roared out of the ferry landing.

In truth, the distance from the South Heavenly Gate Ferry Landing to the Jia-glyph Ferry Landing on the South Spirit Continent wasn't far. Feng Ke'er estimated that after about five minutes, a ferry landing would appear not far ahead. With her cultivation level, she could easily fly across on her own.

Hu Li glanced at the landing ahead and thought the same. He also asked the luminous sphere about it.

The luminous sphere told him: The Spirit Realm had regulations forbidding any private flying across the spirit sea. Every time one crossed the spirit sea, not only did one have to rely on the transport of a guide envoy, but one also had to present an identity jade token for registration every single time.

"Therefore, every single sea crossing is recorded on file," the luminous sphere boasted proudly, leaking details. "When, who, from where, by which guide envoy number they were sent to where—every single stroke is recorded clearly. During rotations, we report to the ferry landing, and there are absolutely no mistakes."

Hu Li clicked his tongue in wonder: Going anywhere required specialized registration! The Spirit Realm had far more complicated tricks up its sleeve than the lower realms.

So this was immigration and customs control. Feng Ke'er rolled her eyes while simultaneously feeling deep sorrow: She was a stowaway without an identity jade token, so what should she do? Was she just going to hole up in the space sphere forever, never seeing the light of day?

Just as she was fretting, the luminous sphere announced, "The Jia-glyph Ferry Landing has arrived."

Hu Li leapt onto the landing and bid farewell to the luminous sphere.

The landing here, much like the South Heavenly Gate Ferry Landing, had dozens of luminous spheres lined up in a row along the edge.

The luminous sphere chuckled, resumed its spherical shape, and zipped over to the back of the queue to wait in line.

No wonder there wasn't any chaotic scrambling like the kind seen in Happy Valley. Hu Li nodded repeatedly in understanding. The Spirit Realm was indeed the Spirit Realm; it was far more sophisticated.

Lifting his gaze, a few feet ahead stood a memorial archway almost identical to the South Heavenly Gate. However, this archway wasn't as towering and magnificent, and the materials were much inferior, made merely of evergreen stone. Inscribed on the archway were five large red characters. Unfortunately, he still couldn't recognize a single one.

Feng Ke'er used her spiritual sense to tell him, "It says 'Blessed Land of the South Spirit Continent'."

"Master, there's no one around here, why don't you come out and get some fresh air?" It was so stifling inside the ear hole.

Feng Ke'er, however, replied with a bitter face, "Fox, I'm an undocumented person without an identity jade token, so I can't come out. Also, the heavenly tribulation... I don't know when it will strike." The heavenly tribulation was terrifying, but triggering the heavenly tribulation and exposing her smuggling act was a ten thousand times more terrifying than the tribulation itself. Therefore, the legendary heavenly tribulation felt like a second shoe that was reluctant to drop, keeping her on tenterhooks.

"Then what should we do?" Hu Li was out of ideas. Accustomed to the freedom of the lower realms, he was utterly unfamiliar with strict population management.