[If you plan to purchase the Dwelling next, I guess we need to head towards the Administration's headquarters next.](Wu Xinyan)

"'Administration'? What's that?"

[I will explain. It's a huge organization that nobody even remembers anymore when it was founded. It had deep ties and direct links to the System, having even the authority to remove Inspector or Censor titles if the cultivator in-cause has breached their rules. They are pretty much the law-keepers.](Ling Ye)

"I see. That's kind of amazing."

[It is! I also know some things, big brother! For example, I know that each branch in every city across the Immortal World only has one actual member of the Taoist Administration, while the rest are regular cultivators. Apparently, they are also incredibly powerful.](Lan Yue)

"That is very useful information. Thank you miss Yue!"

[Hehe!](Lan Yue)

Of course, Herman was just acting dumb. Having that much knowledge was good and all, but people might come after him if he was to reveal too much. As for the Administration... these girls had no idea just how scary it actually was. He heard some theories in his past life that in order to even be accepted as a member of their organization, one needed to be at least at the late stages of the Immortal Venerable realm. Not only that, but only those cultivators aligned neutrally would be able to join.

Being too good or too evil would imply that the said person has biases and these 'admins' needed to stay on the fence at all times to be able to judge the situation with a clear head. Not only that but only in extreme cases would they participate in an event. Once that happened, their power frightened the entire Immortal World time and time again in the past.

"And the 'admin' I'm about to meet is one with quite a bit of notoriety. Should be Jason, if I'm not wrong."

Jason or 'Jason-against-the-world' as people dubbed him before is the current administrator in charge of the Mt. Taihang territory. A very pleasant, charismatic, and jovial person that you couldn't see even hurting a fly. That... until a world under the influence of the System committed a great taboo. There weren't that many laws imposed by the Taoist Administration, but those that were were enforced in blood and fire if needed be.

One such instance happened with an evil-aligned world where a guild sacrificed everybody else but themselves in an attempt to grow stronger in one go, breaching the Administration's rules about planetary genocide. Jason was the one that got the short straw and was deployed to deal with them. The problem only got worse as he found out that the souls of the sacrifices were enslaved and their fleshy bodies turned into a prison of sorts, making them nothing more but zombies under the command of the evil guild.

"Zombies or not, due to the evil sacrifice ritual formed, every dead person was at least at the Immortal King level and the guild members themselves were at realms higher than that..."

The result? Fighting alone against an entire world of horrifyingly strong cultivators, Jason wiped out the entire world and disintegrated every human being on the said planet back into Primordial Qi. That way, the planet could be inhabited again in the future, yet an entire civilization disappeared in less than a day. The rumors were hard to believe at first, but when cultivators went to check on the said world, the discovery made them all shudder. Even when Nascent Soul cultivators fought, the land would suffer damage, and traces of their squabble would be somewhere to be found, even more so cultivators at a realm of Immortal King or above.

"However, the cultivators found nothing. No signs of a struggle or a fight. If Qi would've been used to repair the damage done, they would've been able to tell. There was only one answer in that case: Jason was so strong, that the poor bastards died before being able to tell what hit them."

Strength as such a stupidly high level makes one wonder how stupid were the rule-breakers to ignore the previous rumors. I mean, I guess every generation there's someone that doesn't believe them and tries to act out, ending up being the example to enforce their grip on the Immortal World. It's strange how they are not interested in power struggles or leading cultivation advancement. Instead, they just watch over the rest and make sure that the System doesn't get breached or malfunctions.

Some theories from Herman's past life explained how the System was a set of Laws made by a person or a group of people that reached the apex of cultivation. Those Laws ensured that future generations have some guiding lines to live by, making their advancement faster. It's understandable why a group of 'admins' would be placed to watch over it, in case someone tries to hack into its network or tries to alter the main purpose of those Laws.

[Herman, are you okay? We're here already.](Wu Xinyan)

[Big brother, why did you blank out like that?](Lan Yue)

"Apologies ladies! I was thinking of something and got caught up in it. So this is the headquarters of the 'administration' you mentioned..."

Taking a deep breath, he convinced himself that he was way too weak to bother about such important matters and focused on the building in front of him. 'Building'... was overstating the purpose of the four walls and two-meter high ceiling this 'room' had. Herman knew that it was merely a Travel House to a specific destination, but still acted the part and sent inquisitive looks towards the trio. Seeing them snicker, pleased with themselves, and thinking of how they were going to surprise him next, he played along and asked some questions about what sort of approach should he take once inside.

[You worry too much big brother! Big brother Jason is a nice person.](Lan Yue)

[Little Yue! I told you to stop calling mister Jason 'big brother'!](Wu Xinyan)

[Eh!? But why? Big brother Jason allowed me toooooo!](Lan Yue)

Hearing the little beauty say those words, Herman felt weak in the knees and had rivers of sweat pouring down his back. What 'big brother'!? Is this girl insane? If she angered that maniac, there wouldn't even be something left to remind others of her existence in this world.

[Now, now Elder Wu! It was me who asked Miss Yue to address me as such, therefore please do not chastise her.](?)

[Sir Jason... *Sigh* I understand, but please do not spoil her too much! If that happens it will be my turn to be chastised by the Sect Master.](Wu Xinyan)

[*Chuckle* That is indeed true! I will keep it in mind. Fairy Ling is here as well. To what do I owe the pleas... Huh? Now this is interesting...](Jason)

Seeing the 'admin' looking his way with a smile that wasn't a smile, Herman's saliva stopped in his throat, unable to swallow. This bastard was way too scary!

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance mister Jason. My name is Herman Roy."

[Likewise, likewise! It's not often that we get geniuses such as yourself to visit us in our humble abode.](Jason)

"..."

[Sir Jason, did you meet big brother Herman before?](Ling Ye)

[Not really, but the System has much to say about him. Mostly good stuff, of course.](Jason)

"!!!"

Herman barely resisted the impulse to flee, while the trio was looking at him with admiration. Admiration your head! This maniac had access to his personal A.I.'s database!? That was a breach of conduct, wasn't it? Not that he was about to point that out since he might disappear before being able to say the words aloud...

[Do not worry mister Herman, as I did not access your personal database. I can still check your achievements though and see a history of the Spirit Jade awarded to you by it. Using that, I can infer quite easily what sort of genius you are. It does make one curious though...](Jason)

"Ahem... If sir Jason has questions, I will answer them to the best of my abilities."

[Hahaha! No need to be so formal. I am not that nosy either. Anyway, why did the four of you decided to visit today? As you can see, I gave the rest of the staff a day off so please, go easy on me.](Jason)

[Big brother Herman wants to buy a Dwelling and we're here to give him advice!!](Lan Yue)

[Oh? Is he now...](Jason)

Herman did his best to nod calmly while trying to figure out what was going through Jason's head. He suddenly felt as if he was naked and exposed for everyone to see and frowned while looking at Jason. That bastard actually pulled his attribute panel without his permission!

The surprised look on the admin's face was worth it though.

[This is odd... Didn't mister Herman just arrive at the Immortal World?](Jason)

[Two days ago to be precise.](Wu Xinyan)

[Leaving aside your attribute panel which makes one wonder how is that even possible, how did you reach Qi Gathering V already?](Jason)

"I was lucky enough to receive some pointers from miss Xuan."

['Miss Xuan'? As in the Custodian Yi Xuan? You... You received 'pointers' from her that allowed you to increase your cultivation with four sub-realms in a day?](Jason)

"..."

[I know, I know! Big brother and big sister did a cultivation covenant!](Lan Yue)

[[[...]]]

Seeing the other two girls and Herman looking at her while face-palming, the little troublemaker realized that she misspoke. While a cultivation covenant wasn't a big deal as dual cultivation was, it still implied that the two trusted each other heavily. It could be seen from the gaping mouth of the admin in front of them, just how unexpected such a piece of news was.

We are talking about the icy wall Yi Xuan, the fantasy of every male cultivator, and she surprisingly agreed to a cultivation covenant?

"Miss Yue, if you are to say something, explain it properly else it might become a misunderstanding affecting your big sister's reputation."

[Eh? What did I say wrong, big brother?](Lan Yue)

"...*Cough**Cough* Miss Xuan was trying to guide me through my first time cultivating under the Sect Master's orders and I somehow triggered by mistake this cultivation covenant everyone is going on about."

[Hehe! I see... 'by mistake' was it... Anyway, that's quite a bit of luck on your end in that case. I take it that you are participating in the race for Heavens correct?](Jason)

"Indeed."

[Not only that, but 'big brother' Herman here actually wants the three of us, big sister Xuan and Sect Master to sign a master-servant contract with him as well.](Wu Xinyan)

[What!? For real!?](Jason)

It was Herman's turn to be surprised at how surprised this guy was. Since he saw how much SJ he took from the System, it wouldn't be far-fetched that he learned about Servants and how to gain them. So, why was he so surprised?

[Ahem! Apologies for the outburst, but it's not every day that I get to see someone with such big... guts. To think that not only does he want the three of you, but miss Xuan and fairy Qian as well. You might as well take the entire sect!](Jason)

"If I was to do that, I might be hunted down by every single male cultivator in the Immortal World..."

[Hehe! What makes you think that by taking these five beauties that won't happen?](Jason)

"Fair point... Anyway, the purpose of our visit is to purchase a space independent Dwelling."

[Oh!? Are you aware of the costs?](Jason)

"I am, however, I value my privacy more than my Spirit Jades."

[Very well. Follow me!](Jason)

The following routine was normal, making Herman sigh with relief. Seeing the admin stop with his inquiries and focus on selling him a Dwelling allowed him to breathe normally again. Jason was still ruthless with the prices he offered Herman, but the latter did have the money to pay with, making the trio quite impressed about their ongoing negotiations.

Finally, the four 'buyers' decided on a flying island. The beauty of it was quite incredible and it did come with all the required buildings and facilities.

[As you can see, this Dwelling has the Fate Pavilion which is twice the normal size and much more luxurious, a Study Room the size of a library, the Alchemy Furnace and the Equipment Room are ready to be used whenever, the Wine Cellar is stocked and we also provide a wine connoisseur that can assist with the brewing and stocking process free of charge. You will still be responsible for their monthly wages though. As for the Spiritual Mountain, it sits on a major Primordial Qi vein, therefore it has abundant resources that can be mined, immense forests where you can extract Wood Essence from, and a heavy population of wild-life, allowing the apprentices you take in to hunt for food in it. What do you think?](Jason)

"Can I use the buildings straight away?"

[Hehe! Seems like you know about the cultivation realm restrictions. Nope! Those are still in place. It's a System requirement after all and we... well, we would be the last people to break them.](Jason)

"I see. The price?"

[The normal version of this type of floating island is 500SJ. This one is the luxurious version since you are planning to steal these beautiful ladies from the rest of us. I cannot stop you from taking them, but I can make sure that they cultivate in the best of conditions. This floating island is also less affected by the Qi dispersion due to the unsealing of the new Heavenly Realm, so you should be able to cultivate with about 10% more than the usual speed. Only 600SJ!](Jason)

"Alright, alright! You convinced me, sir Jason."

[Very well!](Jason)

Would you like to confirm the following transaction:

The user will be charged with 600 Spirit Jades in exchange for the 'Floating Mirage Island' luxurious Dwelling.

Please confirm: Yes / No

Confirming the heavy transaction and feeling the coins fly away from his pockets, Herman sighed and tried to open the door to his new territory when he was abruptly stopped by a flurry of System notifications.

Congratulations!

Due to the user spending valuable currency over a certain limit, rewards have been given!

The user lacks the required spiritual cultivation realm, however, the Inspector, Censor, and Realm Oracle compensate.

The First Level of the Spirit Jade Tower has been reached!

Quest: spend 6 Spirit Jades

Reward: 5 x 1000 Spirit Stones, 5 x 1000 Wood Essence, 5 x 1000 Iron Essence, 5 x 1000 Food Rations, 2 x Marrow-Cleansing Dew, 2 Booze Gift Bags, Emptiness Heavenly Book I, and 1 x Clouding: Thundering Sword.

All items have been rewarded in the user's inventory!

The Second Level of the Spirit Jade Tower has been reached!

Quest: spend 100 Spirit Jades

Reward: 20 x 1000 Spirit Stones, 20 x 1000 Wood Essence, 20 x 1000 Iron Essence, 20 x 1000 Food Rations, 8 x Marrow-Cleansing Dew, 8 Booze Gift Bags, Anuttara Scroll I, and Anuttara Scroll II.

All items have been rewarded in the user's inventory!

The Third Level of the Spirit Jade Tower has been reached!

Quest: spend 500 Spirit Jades

Reward: 80 x 1000 Spirit Stones, 80 x 1000 Wood Essence, 80 x 1000 Iron Essence, 80 x 1000 Food Rations, 20 x Marrow-Cleansing Dew, 20 Booze Gift Bags, Anuttara Scroll III, and Anuttara Scroll IV.

All items have been rewarded in the user's inventory!

The Fourth Level of the Spirit Jade Tower has been reached!

Quest: spend 1000 Spirit Jades

Reward: 100 x 1000 Spirit Stones, 100 x 1000 Wood Essence, 100 x 1000 Iron Essence, 10 x 100 Reputation Tokens, 30 x Marrow-Cleansing Dew, 5 Superior Booze Gift Bags, Letter from Tian Xiaxue, and 1 x Immortal Fishing Rod.

All items have been rewarded in the user's inventory!

Herman blanked out of a minute and so did Jason, puzzling the girl-trio. Herman was obviously amazed by the bountiful rewards since he barely reached very late in his past life the Third Level of the Spirit Jade Tower, yet now he was already at the Fourth Level and almost half-way through the next one, with 1438 Spirit Jades charged after entering the Immortal World out of the 3000 needed to unlock the fifth level. Jason on the other hand was amazed by the resources the System was dumping into the newbie cultivator in front of him. He couldn't see the exact notifications, but he was able to see some details about what sort of resources was the System awarding. That way, he inferred that the amazing newbie that just bought an overpriced Dwelling from him was getting the rewards for the Spirit Jade Tower.

[I am quite impressed mister Herman. To reach the Fourth Level of the Spirit Jade Tower, you must've bought at least 300 years' worth of the Inspector title, correct?](Jason)

"Indeed. However, these rewards came just in time. Don't I require a huge amount of resources to hire Apprentices and upgrade the facilities of the Spiritual Mountain?"

[That's quite so... You will find it difficult to enter your Dwelling at the moment though, so I would advise against it for the moment.](Jason)

"Huh!? How so?"

[Amazing! There's finally something that you don't know!](Wu Xinyan)

"..."

Seeing the three girls laughing heartily and the admin was also chuckling quietly as if he was enjoying the show, Herman got more and more confused. Why couldn't he use the Dwelling he just spent 600 Spirit Jades on just yet? It wasn't ready to be visited? Did they need to clean the place or furnish it? The heck was going on!?

[Ahem! Mister Herman might not be aware of it since you have just arrived at our Immortal World, however, you aren't able to withstand long-range teleportation just yet.](Jason)

"Eh!? Didn't I just come from my world to here using the same long-range teleportation?"

[That's indeed true, but that's a one-time thing and the System helped you with it. If you've cast your Spiritual Roots and didn't get much interaction with Primordial Qi on your home planet, then it means that your roots should still be at the Damaged level, right?](Jason)

"Correct... Oh!"

[Seems like you know about the 'Qi gathering array' as well. I must admit I am impressed even if it did slip your mind initially. Don't worry, I can throw in such a device given the amount you spent already. Give me one second and I'll return with it.](Jason)

Herman almost blushed in the realization of what he forgot. It was one of the mandatory things to have since otherwise you wouldn't be able to survive long-range teleportation. This 'device' was more of a talisman with an immortal spell embedded in it. Once used, the body and the Spiritual Roots would properly synchronize and you can use Spiritual Qi to properly improve the latter. This Qi gathering array could also be upgraded 199 times, each time being able to store more and more Spiritual Qi inside it, instead of the Roots themselves.

"That way, the loss of Qi is almost null and you can have greater control over the growth of your attributes. To think that I would forget something so basic... Also, if I remember right, the Qi gathering array had to first be upgraded at least to Level 10 before being able to go through long-range teleportation. Luckily, I already have more than enough resources to bring it to at least Level 50. Seems like I might have to adjust my plans accordingly..."

Once Jason returned, he placed the talisman directly above Herman's dantian and activated the spell on it. Seconds after a slight burning sensation, a System notification appeared.

Congratulations!

The Qi gathering array has been successfully installed.

You can now access your Spiritual Roots panel.

Herman wasn't in a rush since he already needed to make big changes to his plan of action and was also certain that this Jason admin was quite curious about him. For a person with as much access to the System like that guy had, he didn't want to give him even more reasons to do research. Especially if that research would be on him.

What he needed to do now, was return to the sect, accept a mission available for him, and then go to his Dwelling to sort out the almost full Inventory he had.