High Martial: I Grind Professions

Chapter 451: Chapter 289: Virtual Cosmos

Li Wen didn’t give the small interlude a second thought.

At that moment, it was finally Li Wen’s turn.

The staff member in charge of reception was at the Peak of Marquis realm, and he had witnessed the entire dramatic scene just moments ago.

Now, facing Li Wen, he adopted an extremely humble posture. His tone was filled with the utmost respect as he bowed slightly and said,

”Respected sir, what can I help you with today?”

”I need to verify my identity, apply for citizenship in the Lain Empire, and obtain civil rights,” Li Wen stated concisely, his voice calm and steady.

A flash of surprise flickered in the staff member’s eyes.

’An expert so unfathomably powerful that even a Venerable Peak would give him a wide berth doesn’t even have official citizenship in the Lain Empire?’

But he was clearly experienced. His thoughts raced, and he immediately thought of the massive, ancient families or reclusive sects scattered across the cosmos.

These factions often ”free-range” their young disciples on some remote planet to temper their character before they’ve fully matured.

Only when they reached the clan’s recognized standard of ”adulthood” would they be allowed to officially step onto the cosmic stage and receive their identity.

The staff member quickly filled in the blanks, categorizing Li Wen as a disciple from one of these major factions with a profound background and limitless potential.

”Understood. Please wait a moment.” The staff member’s attitude became even more reverent, his fingers dancing swiftly across the smooth Crystal Stone console before him.

The verification process was exceptionally smooth. The necessary steps, such as information entry and source energy imprint binding, were completed efficiently.

Finally, Li Wen paid a few Primordial Stones as the basic registration fee.

A moment later, an identity Crystal Card—gleaming with a faint golden light and engraved with the Lain Empire’s star emblem and intricate patterns—was placed in Li Wen’s hand.

The Crystal Card was slightly warm to the touch and contained a peculiar energy fluctuation. It was the credential that represented legal citizenship in the primary-level Lain Empire.

Li Wen put away the identity Crystal Card and turned to leave the counter.

Just as he expected, he hadn’t gone far before he saw a separate office area in a conspicuous spot in the same hall, marked ”Virtual Cosmos Network Access Services.”

In front of several shimmering light-screen windows, Cultivators were conducting business.

Li Wen walked straight to an empty window.

The staff member inside was an attractive woman with a professional smile.

Sensing Li Wen’s approach, she immediately began her enthusiastic introduction:

”Hello, valued customer. Welcome to Virtual Cosmos Access Services. We offer several account tiers,

from the basic civilian tier and Elite Level, all the way to the top-tier Star River Privilege. The functional permissions and access experience are worlds apart.

A basic account has an annual fee of 10 Primordial Stones and only allows you to browse some public information and use low-latency text communication.

The Elite Level account has an annual fee of 50 Primordial Stones, granting access to most public virtual communities and primary-level virtual combat.

And the Star River Privilege tier, with an annual fee of 500 Primordial Stones, will unlock almost all permissions within the Virtual Cosmos for you.

This includes 100% realistic virtual combat arenas, ultra-high-privilege information retrieval, a dedicated smart AI butler, cross-galaxy instant communication, eligibility for top-tier virtual auctions, and more, ensuring you receive the most perfect, immersive cosmic network experience...”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Li Wen said directly, ”I’ll take the Star River Privilege account.”

With a flick of his finger, a small pile of Primordial Stones, exuding pure energy, appeared on the counter—exactly five hundred, no more, no less.

”Of course! Please wait a moment while I process your highest-privilege account right away!” A hint of pleasant surprise flashed in the staff member’s eyes, and her movements became even quicker.

Soon, a wafer-thin, almost transparent chip was presented to Li Wen.

”This is your Star River Privilege smart access terminal. It uses the latest bio-fusion technology and will automatically bind with your life’s magnetic field once worn.

It remains invisible during normal use and can be awakened and operated directly with your thoughts. It comes pre-equipped with the highest-level smart AI assistance program.”

When he left Blue Star, Li Wen had already put away the smart bracelet made there.

At this moment, his wrist was bare.

He took the chip, which was as light as air, and gently pressed it against the inside of his left wrist.

A miraculous scene unfolded. The chip instantly softened, merging beneath his skin like liquid mercury and disappearing completely.

But Li Wen’s powerful consciousness could clearly perceive its existence.

A gentle and clear synthesized electronic voice sounded directly in his mind:

”Star River Privilege Smart AI at your service. Master, please give me a name.”

Li Wen’s thoughts stirred. ”’Star Pivot.’”

”Name successfully assigned. Star Pivot is ready for your command, Master,” the smart AI, Star Pivot, responded.

With that, the two core objectives Li Wen had set for himself upon leaving Blue Star—

obtaining a legal identity and accessing the Virtual Cosmos—were mostly accomplished.

He didn’t linger in the certification center and turned to leave the bustling building.

Hovering high above Dubhe City, he looked down at the flow of vehicles and pedestrians below, which resembled a Star River.

Li Wen’s thoughts shifted, and he issued a command via his consciousness to the newly bound smart AI, Star Pivot:

”Star Pivot, search for rental information on independent villas within Dubhe City suitable for long-term residence. They should have a quiet environment and a basic cultivation chamber. Budget... within two thousand Primordial Stones.”

”Command received. Filtering... Filter complete.”

Star Pivot’s efficiency was extremely high. It organized the information almost instantly and transmitted a detailed file into Li Wen’s mind via a stream of consciousness.

”Based on your requirements, there are three properties that meet the criteria. After a comprehensive comparison of location, environment, facility completeness, and cost-effectiveness,

the optimal choice is: ’Jinglan Villa,’ located on Lot 77 in the ’Yunxi District.’ The villa covers an area of approximately forty-five star-li (equivalent to about 90 square kilometers on Earth),

and includes a main courtyard, an auxiliary cultivation ground, a small garden, and a basic Defensive Array. The rental price is 100 Primordial Stones per year, with a minimum ten-year lease, for a total price of 1,000 Primordial Stones. Shall I plan a route for you?”

”Confirm optimal choice. Plan the route,” Li Wen replied decisively.

”Route planning complete. Please follow the guidance cursor.”

A faint blue line of light, visible only to Li Wen, traced a path toward Yunxi District in his field of vision.

Li Wen’s figure flashed, transforming into a streak of light. Under Star Pivot’s precise guidance, he traversed the bustling yet orderly airspace of Dubhe City.

A short while later, he arrived at a relatively secluded area where the concentration of Spiritual Qi was noticeably higher than in the city center—Yunxi District.

He stopped in front of a large villa with an elegant environment, enveloped by some kind of energy light-screen.

Through Star Pivot’s remote communication and identity verification, Li Wen quickly finalized the lease agreement with the property management’s smart system.

He paid the total rent for ten years: one thousand Primordial Stones.

As the energy light-screen registered Li Wen’s identity information and granted him access,

the lush, sprawling Jinglan Villa, covering dozens of li, officially became Li Wen’s first foothold in the vast Star Sea, on the core planet of the Lain Empire.

The villa gate slid open silently before him, revealing a tranquil and elegant scene within.

Li Wen stepped inside. Behind him, the villa’s energy light-screen slowly closed, shutting out the clamor of the outside world.

Standing in the center of the courtyard, he surveyed his surroundings.

Pavilions and gazebos were nestled among exotic flowers and strange grasses. In the distance, a wide field specifically for cultivation was faintly visible.

The Spiritual Energy here was several times denser than in the public areas of Dubhe City; a Spirit Gathering Array had clearly been set up.

More importantly, this vast expanse of space finally gave him a long-lost sense of stability.

’The first step is finally on solid ground,’ Li Wen thought to himself.

He looked up at Dubhe City’s ”sky”—an eternal daylight simulated by an energy barrier—with sharp, profound eyes.

’Next... it’s time to test the Virtual Cosmos and accelerate my journey on the Martial Dao.’

Inside a quiet room in Jinglan Villa, Li Wen sat cross-legged, his mind clear and serene.

On his wrist, the smart terminal fused with his skin—Star Pivot—seemed to sense its master’s intent and emitted a faint, warm pulse.

’Star Pivot, connect to the Virtual Cosmos.’

”As you command, Master,” Star Pivot’s calm and respectful voice echoed directly in Li Wen’s mind.

The moment the voice faded, Li Wen’s consciousness felt as if it were swept away by an irresistible torrent.

There was no dizziness, no tearing sensation, only a wondrous feeling of weightlessness and fulfillment, as if crossing infinite dimensions.

It was as if he had leaped from a small puddle into a boundless, vast ocean teeming with currents of real energy.

The light and shadows before his eyes shifted rapidly before finally stabilizing.

Li Wen found himself not in any specific location, but floating in an indescribable ”initialization space.”

This space had no boundaries. In all directions was a cosmic backdrop so deep it seemed capable of swallowing souls, dotted with countless access points of light that shone as brilliantly as supernovae.

Each point of light represented a consciousness currently logging in from some corner of the universe.

They were as numerous as the sands of the Ganges. The streams of light converged into rivers, rushing like a sea, surging mightily in all directions.

A strange sense of ”realism” permeated the air, more authentic than any virtual world he had experienced on Blue Star.

He could clearly ”feel” the pure, simulated energy particles that were everywhere.

He could even simulate drawing upon the power of his Primordial Spirit. If not for his resolute will, he might have mistaken this place for reality itself.

”Master, welcome to the Virtual Cosmos.” Star Pivot’s avatar, a hazy humanoid figure formed from soft starlight, appeared beside Li Wen, its voice tinged with the excitement of a first-time guide.

”You are currently in the initial access space. The Virtual Cosmos is supported by the supreme rules, with a simulation fidelity approaching 100%. Your sensory experiences, energy manipulation, and Law comprehension here are all synchronized with reality.”

”Basic functions have been activated for you, including: universe-wide instant communication, information retrieval, a monetary system (linked to your real-world Cosmic Bank account, allowing for free exchange of Primordial Stones),

realistic combat simulation, cultivation space rental, paid knowledge-based learning, commercial trade, social entertainment, and more. You can call up the main menu or issue commands to me with a thought at any time.”

”Please set your Virtual Cosmos ID and basic avatar. The avatar can be slightly adjusted from your real-world appearance. The ID is unique, so please choose carefully,” Star Pivot prompted.