With these resources, his parents would no longer have to toil just to get by, and he would have unprecedented support on his own Martial Dao path.

He immediately called home.

On the other end of the line, his parents, who had already returned from the hospital, were stunned by the news of this astronomical sum. After making him confirm it several times, his mother’s voice trembled with joy as she repeated over and over:

"Good... This is wonderful... The heavens have blessed us... Our Xiaowen has made something of himself... He’s really made something of himself..."

His father, on the other hand, tried to remain calm, but he couldn’t conceal the excitement and pride in his voice:

"Xiaowen, use it well! Don’t squander it. Put it all toward the right things! Your mom and I are so happy for you! Truly happy!"

Listening to his parents’ voices, a mix of joy, shock, and deep concern, Li Wen felt his eyes begin to sting.

He solemnly promised his parents he would put every resource to good use and completely free their family from the hardships of the past.

After ending the call with his parents, Li Wen walked over to the small virtual pod.

This virtual pod was more advanced than the ones he had used at school. It had a streamlined design and shimmered with a faint, blue light.

He lay down inside with a practiced motion, and the hatch sealed shut.

WHIR... The familiar sensation of the sensory link engaging washed over him. When he opened his eyes again, he was no longer in the familiar virtual space of his school.

Before him stretched a pure white, boundless space. The platform beneath his feet glowed faintly, like the surface of still water.

What was most striking were the dozens of massive, stylistically diverse "gates" floating around the platform.

These "gates" weren’t solid objects. They were more like vortex-like portals composed of flowing data and energy. Some were archaic, others ornate; some felt icy, others scorching. Above each gate, a sign glowed with clear, luminous words.

As Li Wen surveyed his surroundings, a soft light coalesced before him, forming a virtual figure in a simple robe. Its face was indistinct, but its voice was gentle and clear.

"Greetings, Member Li Wen. I am the guide AI for this private network." The figure gave a slight bow.

"Welcome to the Fire World. Allow me to briefly introduce the functions of these ’information portals’ before you."

"The swirling gate of colorful, neon light directly in front of you connects to the ’Firewood Treasure Pavilion’..."

"The dark vortex gate to your right, which emanates the scent of ancient scrolls and has a massive, ethereal scroll floating above it, leads to the repository of our core knowledge—the ’Cultivation Technique Legacy World’..."

"The gate behind you, from which you can faintly hear the roar of a crowd and shouts of battle, is marked ’Infinite Arena’..."

"Additionally, there is..."

The AI pointed out the main portals one by one, its voice calm and steady.

"All functions are dependent on your clearance level, resource points, and personal needs. Should you require more detailed guidance, a local AI will be available to assist you after you enter any of the gates. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

You may return to this initial space at any time. Now, where would you like to go first?"

Li Wen barely hesitated. He was full of anticipation for the "Firewood Treasure Pavilion," which was reputed to have everything imaginable.

"I’ll check out the pavilion first."

"Very well. Please step into the vortex gate of colorful light directly ahead."

As he stepped into the flowing, colorful light, he felt a brief moment of vertigo. Then, the scene before him opened up spectacularly.

A vast complex of palaces, so magnificent it defied description, appeared at his feet.

The ground beneath him was as smooth as jade, stretching as far as the eye could see.

Looking up, he saw a dome that soared to an impossible height, inlaid with a simulated, brilliant Star River that cast down a bright yet gentle light.

The palace’s interior was like an infinitely sprawling superstructure.

Immense, brightly lit corridors, teeming with crowds, stretched out in all directions, while countless levels spiraled upward, stacked one on top of the other.

Each level was like an incredibly bustling commercial thoroughfare, lined on both sides with shops of varying decor.

There were classic, eastern-style pavilions with carved beams and painted rafters; there were sleek, futuristic stores with transparent display cases showcasing precision instruments;

there were gem shops, wreathed in elemental vortexes and filled with rare minerals; there were Spirit Plant nurseries, where gurgling Life Spring Water flowed and strange Spirit Medicines grew;

and even material emporiums where models of Exotic Beasts craned their necks to roar behind display windows... The air was a heady mix of strange energy fluctuations, the fragrance of herbs, and the tang of metal, creating a unique and vibrant atmosphere.

A surging tide of people moved ceaselessly through the city-sized palace. Their avatars were all different, their clothing fantastical, and their racial features just as diverse.

There were professional treasure hunters rushing past, small groups of members haggling over prices, and high-ranking members with arrogant airs, inspecting wares in front of a top-tier luxury shop.

Massive holographic billboards flickered in the air, advertising newly arrived treasures and limited-time sales.

Li Wen ambled through the crowd, feeling as if he had stepped into a fusion of a bustling marketplace from an age of gods and demons and a hyper-advanced, modern shopping mall.

He saw:

A ’Thousand-Year Blood Marrow Mushroom’ capable of instantly restoring a massive amount of vitality, priced at 3,000,000 Firewood Points.

A ’Guardian’s Heart’ necklace, inscribed with complex runes and said to accelerate Spiritual Power recovery, priced at 8,500,000 Firewood Points.

A top-of-the-line, maximum-speed, private anti-gravity shuttle, priced at 15,000,000 Firewood Points.

The dazzling array of precious items was so overwhelming it felt suffocating. Many of them were substitutes or related materials for items on the ’Foundation-Building Treasure List’ that Director Sun had mentioned.

The price tags, easily running into the hundreds of millions, made him truly understand what the top tier of the resource world looked like.

The 5,000,000 Firewood Points he had just obtained, a sum he had considered a massive fortune, wasn’t even enough to buy one of the more eye-catching treasures here.