My Crazy Upgrade System

Upon entering, Yi Tianyun was greeted by the sight of bustling streets. Cultivators came and went in an endless stream, many of them with cultivation levels that weren’t particularly high. For them, this place was practically a paradise.

Compared to the outside world, this place was far safer. However, without money, one couldn’t hope to stay here for long. If one wished to enter and exit freely without paying any fees, the method was actually quite simple: become a resident of Celestial Heart City.

To do so, one only needed to join Celestial Heart City. The conditions were relatively simple: complete tasks for Celestial Heart City. For example, picking Spirit Medicines, hunting certain Demon Beasts, or tracking down a wanted criminal. By completing these many tasks, one could earn Contribution Points.

Once a certain amount was accumulated, one could exchange them for permanent residency or even other items. They were essentially a form of currency that could be traded for anything on offer. As long as one had enough Contribution Points, even exchanging for Earth Level Martial Arts wouldn’t be a problem, though the required amount would be quite high.

However, Yi Tianyun didn’t need to worry about any of that. What he needed was information about the surrounding area.

He walked straight up to a shop, tossed out a gold ingot, and said coolly, "Bring me all the detailed information you have on the Celestial Realm Continent."

When the Shopkeeper saw the gold ingot, his eyes lit up. "Right away! Please wait a moment, valued customer!"

With that, he immediately turned and went back into his shop, hauling out a miscellaneous pile of books. They contained the most detailed information available on the Celestial Realm Continent.

Yi Tianyun took them and flipped through the pages. There was indeed a lot of content. All the general aspects were noted, such as the various powers and the surrounding perilous lands—everything was marked out. The price was also quite reasonable, suitable for Cultivators who were new to the area.

After reading for a moment, Yi Tianyun frowned. The books did indeed mark out the general perilous lands, but the detailed content was sparse, almost mentioned in passing.

It was like being told a knife was sharp without being told who forged it, what materials were used, or what its price was; the details were just too few. If he went all the way out there only to find that, while dangerous, there were no Demon Beasts suited to his cultivation level, it would be a completely wasted trip.

"Shopkeeper, do you have anything more detailed regarding the perilous lands?" Yi Tianyun asked.

"I’m afraid not. For detailed information, you’ll have to go to the Star Pavilion. You can buy any information you need there." The Shopkeeper rubbed his hands together, his face a mask of reverence. The items Yi Tianyun wanted were only worth a few silver, yet he had paid with a gold ingot. How could the Shopkeeper not be respectful? The one with the money calls the shots.

’Star Pavilion, is it? Looks like I’ll have to go there.’

Yi Tianyun hadn’t known about it before, but he understood the situation now. The Star Pavilion’s status here was similar to that of the Rainy Day Tower; they both sold all sorts of items, including information. There, you could buy any news about the Celestial Realm Continent, even information about a specific Cultivator.

Of course, that Cultivator had to be of some value—someone on a wanted list, for example—for the Star Pavilion to pay any attention. As long as one paid a high enough price, they would provide accurate information. They never swindled their customers.

The Star Pavilion had branches all over the Celestial Realm Continent. Unlike the Celestial Rain Tower, which only had branches in a few cities, the Star Pavilion was on another level. It was practically a power in its own right, ranking in the upper echelons of third-grade factions. No one dared to provoke them.

It was precisely because of this strength that they dared to open these Treasure Pavilions. Otherwise, in the more remote locations, they would have been robbed blind.

He immediately turned and made his way to the Star Pavilion. Before him stood a towering pagoda that exuded a palpable pressure. From its decorations to its materials, everything about it was wildly extravagant—it was made of Profound Iron!

A material that could be used for Forging high-grade Spiritual Artifacts had been used to construct an entire pagoda. Their wealth was truly staggering. This wasn’t just the case in Celestial Heart City; it was the same in other cities, serving as a trademark of the Star Pavilion.

The pagoda could also function as a fortress. As long as the doors were shut, no one without an exceptionally high cultivation level could hope to break in.

’So this is the Star Pavilion? Why not call it the Star Tower?’

Yi Tianyun smiled and strode inside. Just as he entered, the guards fixed their eyes on him. Their cultivation was all at the seventh or eighth level of the Spirit Refining Stage. However, after sizing him up for a moment, they paid him no more mind.

Upon entering, he could see a Core Formation Stage expert walking around on the first floor, serving as one of the managers and protecting the premises. Yi Tianyun couldn’t help but sigh in admiration. In this region, where the overall cultivation level was so much higher, it was indeed easy to encounter powerful experts.

"How may I help you?" A female Cultivator from nearby came up to greet him, her face wreathed in smiles. Whenever a customer entered, they were required to welcome them with their best smile.

Their cultivation levels weren’t high, only at the first or second level of the Spirit Refining Stage. In a first-grade faction, they would have been considered disciples worth cultivating, but here, they could only work as hostesses. This was the disparity between regions. When the average cultivation level was high, the standards for everything else rose a notch.

Yi Tianyun swept his gaze around. There were quite a few good materials on the first floor, but he wasn’t particularly interested in them at the moment.

"I want to purchase information," Yi Tianyun said directly.

"Certainly. Please follow me." The female Cultivator led him upstairs. After reaching the third floor, she brought him to the innermost area, where an old man sat with his eyes closed, meditating. He didn’t stir, even as they walked right up to him.

"Steward Huang, a customer has arrived," the female Cultivator called out softly.

Steward Huang finally woke up. The moment he opened his eyes, a sharp glint shot out from them, landing on Yi Tianyun and sizing him up. After a moment, he smiled. "Good lad. So young, yet you hide your power well. You look unfamiliar. Is this your first time at the Star Pavilion?"

"And what makes you say that?" Yi Tianyun said, narrowing his eyes.

This Steward Huang’s cultivation was also quite high, reaching the fifth level of the Core Formation Stage, which was considered rather advanced.

"Although I can’t see the full extent of your cultivation, I can vaguely sense an oppressive aura from you. Your presence is faint, but I can still feel it. A young man like you with such impressive cultivation should definitely be on the rankings. It’s a pity I have no memory of you, so you must not be from the Celestial Realm Continent." Steward Huang smiled. "Am I right about that?"

’To figure that much out in such a short time... It seems this Star Pavilion really is the real deal.’

"Does it matter if you’re right or not?" Yi Tianyun smiled coolly, not answering the question. "I came here to buy one piece of information: which perilous land has the most Demon Beasts, with cultivation levels that aren’t too low—at least at the Core Formation Stage!"

He stated his purpose directly, without any concealment. ’To get information, you have to reveal some of your own.’ As for what the other party thought of it, that was their business.