High Martial: I Grind Professions

Leo heard his whisper and grinned, taking the initiative to explain, "This is perfectly normal. As the heart of the empire, Alka Star gathers the finest from the entire empire and even the surrounding Star Domains.

The resource supply and cultivation environment here are all top-tier. Coupled with the empire's own screening and migration policies, the baseline for long-term residency is the Venerable Realm.

Anyone below the Venerable Realm? They'd struggle just to survive—this planet's gravity and omnipresent energy radiation are fatal to Low Tier Cultivators.

Even if they managed to sneak in, they'd just be considered illegal residents, unrecognized and unprotected by imperial law."

Li Wen nodded silently, gaining a deeper appreciation for the brutal rules governing this heart of the universe.

'Here, power is the only pass.'

Soon, under Leo's guidance, the two flew through the bustling urban airspace, heading toward a core region of the imperial star.

Eventually, a magnificent complex of buildings shrouded by a massive light curtain appeared before their eyes.

The Source Net branch!

Its location was prime, situated in one of Alka Star's most prosperous core regions.

It was surrounded by the empire's most elite merchant guilds, auction houses, ancestral family manors, and grand imperial halls.

Yet, the sprawling black-metal complex of the Source Net branch was in no way inferior in height or scale to any of the surrounding landmarks.

It even seemed to dominate them, showcasing its transcendent status.

The most striking feature was a colossal, semi-transparent light curtain.

Like a giant inverted bowl, it seamlessly enveloped the entire Source Net branch.

The light curtain blocked all forms of external probing, from spiritual sense to energy fluctuations.

All were completely shielded, creating an aura of unfathomable mystery.

The light curtain had only one opening at its front: a diamond-shaped portal about a hundred meters high.

Leo led Li Wen to land on the massive platform before the portal.

A steady stream of people flowed through the portal—young figures with powerful auras, constantly coming and going.

Most of them wore cold expressions or carried a sharp edge, their strides hurried. They rarely interacted with one another.

Yet every gesture exuded immense confidence and a sense of power.

The proportion of Star Lord Level individuals was quite high; he could even spot a few whose auras suggested they were High Tier Star Lords.

"These are all internal members of the Source Net, or external administrators handling business at the branch," Leo explained to Li Wen in a low voice.

He walked to the access point, took out a black token emblazoned with the Source Net insignia, and swiped it against the light curtain.

The light curtain rippled like water, parting to form an entrance.

"Let's go," Leo said, leading Li Wen through.

Once inside the light curtain, Li Wen immediately felt a strange sense of tranquility. The clamor and energy fluctuations of the outside world were completely cut off.

The interior space was far vaster than it appeared from the outside, seemingly employing spatial folding technology.

The internal architecture was complex yet efficient, filled with a cold, technological aesthetic intertwined with the mysterious glow of runes.

Leo was clearly very familiar with the place, expertly guiding Li Wen through magnificent halls and corridors.

They went through all the necessary procedures: identity verification, clearance binding, and supply requisition.

The entire process was efficient and quiet. The staff who assisted them were stern-faced and meticulously professional.

In the end, Li Wen received a brand-new Source Net internal member insignia.

The insignia integrated functions like identity recognition, communications, and internal network access. After receiving it, along with a detailed new member guide, Li Wen followed Leo to his assigned residence.

The residential area for the Source Net branch's internal members was a separate district, serene and with an extremely high concentration of energy.

As far as the eye could see, there were rows of detached villas in a uniform style, each covering a plot of land several kilometers in radius.

They were spaced a considerable distance apart, separated by meticulously landscaped gardens.

Leo led Li Wen to a stop before one of the villas.

The villa was constructed entirely from a black stone as smooth and lustrous as jade, and an unknown silver metal.

Its lines were sleek yet powerful, and a holographic projection of the Source Net insignia hovered at the door.

"Well, this is all yours now," Leo said, gesturing to the building. "It might not look that big, but you have to remember, this is in the very core region of Alka Star!

This is prime real estate, worth its weight in gold! If this little house in front of you went up for auction, you couldn't even dream of touching it for less than a few hundred million Primordial Stones."

"Hundreds of millions of Primordial Stones?!" Even though Li Wen had braced himself, he couldn't help but be stunned all over again.

To put that in perspective, an ordinary Tier Five Star Lord probably couldn't scrape together such a colossal sum even if they liquidated all their assets.

Its value was enough to buy several remote star systems, like the one Blue Star is in!

"Think that's expensive?" Leo seemed quite pleased with Li Wen's reaction and let out a laugh.

"And it comes with a perpetual title. Think about it. Even if you don't live here, you could rent it out long-term. Given its prime location, the rental income would be astronomical.

Collect rent for a hundred or two hundred thousand years, and you'll make back the principal."

Li Wen muttered, "Over a hundred thousand years..."

He quickly did the math on a Cultivator's lifespan.

'A Venerable lives for two thousand years, a Saint Realm for five thousand.

A Tier One Star Lord lives for ten thousand years, and their lifespan doubles with each subsequent tier.

A Tier Five Star Lord's lifespan is only one hundred and sixty thousand years.

In other words, if a Tier Five Star Lord bankrupted themselves to buy a villa like this, by the time they earned back the cost just from rent, their life would be nearly over.'

"Surprised?" Leo watched Li Wen's expression shift, a mischievous smile tugging at his lips.

"What if I told you that the perpetual title to this villa was automatically registered under your name—Li Wen—the moment you signed that soul contract scroll?"

"It's already in my name?!" Li Wen was stunned by this sudden, extravagant gift.

'This was a piece of Alka Star real estate worth hundreds of millions of Primordial Stones, if not more!'

"Yes. It's the 'settling-in gift' the Source Net gives to every new internal member. But," Leo's tone shifted as he added,

"The Source Net has a rule that core residences assigned to internal members are forbidden from being sold or transferred. They can only be used personally or rented out according to specific regulations."

"Can't sell it?" Hearing those three words, most of the excitement that had just swelled within Li Wen instantly vanished.

'But on second thought, that makes sense.

This area is a core asset of the Source Net. Of course they need to maintain its stability and integrity. They couldn't possibly allow members to freely trade property rights.'

"Alright, my job as your guide is officially complete," Leo said, patting Li Wen on the shoulder and pointing to the villa's main entrance.

"Your new insignia will unlock all the permissions. From now on, if there's anything you don't understand, whether on Alka Star or within the Source Net, feel free to contact me anytime.

Of course, for cultivation-related questions, your best bet is to consult the internal database or seek guidance from a dedicated mentor. That's the proper way to go."

Clearly, this Tier Five Centurion had other duties to attend to.

Li Wen once again sincerely thanked Leo, especially for his aid during the Blue Star crisis, an act he would never forget.

After seeing Leo off, Li Wen took a deep breath and turned to face his priceless new home.

He took out the internal insignia and scanned it at the entrance panel.

A soft blue light swept over him, followed by a faint electronic voice:

"Identity confirmed: Internal Member, Li Wen. All permissions unlocked."

The heavy doors slid silently apart.

Stepping inside, he found himself in an extremely spacious foyer with a ceiling dozens of meters high.

The floor was made of a warm, gentle-hued jade, and the walls were a special material that seemed to flow with a faint inner light.

The interior design was minimalist and grand, balancing a technological feel with the spiritual ambiance necessary for cultivation.

A smart lighting system automatically adjusted the brightness and color temperature as he entered.

The air was fresh, carrying the faint, spiritual scent of herbs and wood. It clearly had a top-of-the-line air circulation and Spiritual Qi generation system.

"Star Pivot, take control of all the villa's smart systems," Li Wen commanded with a thought.

"Command received. Star Pivot initiating takeover... Takeover complete. Master, welcome home." Star Pivot's cold and efficient voice echoed throughout the space, seemingly coming from everywhere at once.

"I have connected you to the Source Net branch's internal network and secured maximum residential clearance."