Huang Yaying is treating him like a black slave, not adding any money, and although food and lodging are included, why would a Celestial Immortal need to eat or drink? One Spirit Crystal a day, it's obvious this woman has muscles on her chest and not a hint of a broad and magnanimous heart.

As for the Middle-Tier Refining Technique he got from Huang Yaying, Lu Ren feels a bit more balanced in his heart; it's the most valuable thing he's obtained in nearly six months.

As long as he masters this Middle-Tier Refining Technique, he will not worry about having a skill to rely on in this Border City.

Suddenly, he stopped and turned to look at the bookstore next to him. On the sign at the bookstore entrance that could bear Divine Text, it was boldly written.

Friday Special Sale, Low-Tier Refining Technique for one hundred Spirit Crystals, Middle-Tier Refining Technique for three hundred Spirit Crystals!

Lu Ren couldn't help but feel blocked in his heart, and his face was quite expressive, with an urge that he could hardly suppress to go back and give Huang Yaying a good beating.

"Swindler!"

Lu Ren couldn't help but curse in a low voice, grumbling as he took a stroll around the bookstore.

He spent nearly six hundred Spirit Crystals, bought more than a dozen books about the origins of Border City, the detailed explanation of Profound Immortals, the path of Celestial Immortals, the four methods of attaining Golden Immortality, and some Taoism Scriptures that seemed eye-catching. Most importantly, he purchased a book on Basic Divine Text Entry Level.

Just this one book, Basic Divine Text Entry Level, cost Lu Ren three hundred Spirit Crystals, and its overall price was more precious than the remaining dozen books combined.

However, Lu Ren didn't feel any heartache. This book, Basic Divine Text Entry Level, was definitely worth the price, even if it cost a billion, Lu Ren felt it was extremely worth it in his heart.

With his wealth, spending a billion Spirit Crystals was nothing to blink at, considering he spent a hundred years as a miner on Xuankong Mountain, going tens of thousands of meters underground in the Deep Sea Area, compiling the Spirit Crystal stars in the Inner Heaven and Earth Cosmos, was just a drop in the ocean.

During checkout, the slightly trendy-dressed shopkeeper looked at the books Lu Ren purchased and couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, "Daoist friend, are you new to Border City?"

Lu Ren was not surprised, after all, most of the books he purchased were about understanding Border City and an introduction to the cultivation system. Generally, those who have been living in Border City for many years wouldn't buy these books to let them gather dust on the bookshelf.

Seeing Lu Ren nodding, the shopkeeper smiled and said, "Pardon me for asking, but does Daoist friend have a place to stay and a way to make a living?"

Upon hearing the shopkeeper's words, Lu Ren's face showed a slightly peculiar expression. The shopkeeper noticed the subtle change in Lu Ren's expression and couldn't help but smile, "Daoist friend, don't misunderstand, because if you just arrived in Border City, your identity is still in a newcomer state. If we recommend you to do work, there will be a Spirit Crystal commission.

Although Border City is home to tens of billions of Celestial Immortals, almost sixty percent are in the military. You must have seen that although the streets are bustling, many focus on military strategies, talismans, armors, and all kinds of one-time-use items, making it a dazzling array and hard to choose from."

Lu Ren was slightly shocked, "Shopkeeper, are you saying that in Border City, out of tens of billions of Celestial Immortals, more than half are in the military?!"

The shopkeeper squinted his eyes, chuckled, and said, "Border City, Border City, city of the frontier, here, of course, is the place of siege and warfare. Though it seems crowded, the majority are serving the Border Army. I suppose you've walked around a bit, while there's a heavy flow of people, overwhelmingly it's the armored warriors."

Lu Ren was curious, "What exactly is the Border City garrison, which numbers in the billions, defending against?"

The bookstore owner chuckled, pulling out a jade token from his pocket, and handed it to Lu Ren with a warm face, saying, "Daoist friend, you might as well take a look at these recruitment notices. If you go inside, you will know crystal clear."

Lu Ren took a look, and the first column of the recruitment notice was to join the Border City - Border Army and become an armored warrior, not only with good benefits and high annual pay but also various preferential policies for military personnel.

Further down, it was about making offensive Taoist Artifacts, defensive armors, or making various types of large-scale weapons of destruction, predominantly related to military matters.

Lu Ren maintained his usual expression, "Thank you for the information, shopkeeper, but I just arrived in Border City and want to look around more before making a decision."

The bookstore owner was not discouraged, chuckling, "Whenever you need anything, feel free to come visit. With my recommendation, if you enter the Border Army, I guarantee you'll be placed in a good legion. If you want to refine artifacts or make armor, even if you start as an apprentice, spending tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of years, you'd still be able to craft independently, establishing a foothold here in Border City."

Lu Ren didn't immediately agree, needing to observe for some time before considering. With his wealth, he had the capital to temporarily settle down in Border City.

After leaving the bookstore, Lu Ren checked the rental information on the convenience information mirror next door and added a housing agent using the communication spirit talisman he just purchased. Following the directional signs, he reached Celestial Immortals' designated flight area and was surprised to find the oppression within Border City had slightly eased.

Unlike before, walking on the street, the entire space-time was filled with infinite oppression, so much so that even Celestial Immortals in Border City had their True Power and Physique tremendously suppressed, and if casting some Divine Power Techniques alone, having one ten-thousandth of the original power was already quite good.

Only on this specialized flight path did Lu Ren suddenly feel he was indeed a Celestial Immortal.

"Mad, is this map upgrade a bit too suppressive!"

Lu Ren muttered a low curse but didn't hesitate further, turning into Escape Light, merging with the Celestial Immortal cultivators coming and going around him.

Fifteen minutes later, Lu Ren stopped in an area called Changqing Square.

After getting off the high-speed flying path, he looked up and was filled with amazement.

What lay before him was not some ethereal Immortal Realm or floating peaks but countless high-rise buildings. Some even reached thousands, tens of thousands of meters high, like heavenly swords piercing below.

These buildings had bizarre architectural styles, such as spiral, suspended, or cubic. Some buildings' surfaces were covered with metal presenting a streamlined appearance, like meteors cutting through the sky.

Other structures revealed a sense of mystery and power through conical shapes or steel frames amid the complexity.

Light shone in from all directions, creating strange and diverse light and shadow effects with various colors. The illuminated scenes, soaring vehicles, and various energy collection means, formed by combining Immortal Taoism Arrays, supplied the gigantic futuristic city with energy.

He even saw massive tree roots like vast mountains, dipping into the void, and absorbing energy from unknown places, which opened his eyes wide.

Such means could only be arranged by a Celestial Immortal who has ascended by the path of mechanical transcendence.