Cultivation: I Have Studied Abroad in the Modern World-Chapter 1260 - 559: Shopping Frenzy, Heaven and Earth Bank (Part 2)

Chapter 1260: Chapter 559: Shopping Frenzy, Heaven and Earth Bank (Part 2)

"Immortal, what would you like to see?"

The female cultivator attending her asked.

"Nothing in particular, just show me around."

Lady Qian Ji said indifferently. Her purpose in coming to the Nine Mountains Department Store was to see what the emissaries of the Jiushan Sect were up to.

But to be honest, she was an independent immortal; what kind of good stuff hadn’t she seen?

Could the magical treasures sold by the Jiushan Sect even catch her eye?

She thought this way and strolled around casually. The first floor after entering was the area where attack magic artifacts were sold, showcasing over a dozen unique magical treasures of the Jiushan Sect, mostly flying swords.

After browsing for a while, she had to admit that the artifact crafting level of the Jiushan Sect was very high. Almost every kind of magic artifact could be considered a supreme treasure, enough to serve as the foundation of a small sect’s legacy. Yet, within the Nine Mountains Department Store, they appeared as ordinary items — and they seemed to have an endless supply.

After a while, she concluded that a single Nine Mountains Department Store could completely change the artifact dao dynamics of the Northern Continent.

Normally, such competitiveness would be dangerous, but the existence of the Jiushan Sect meant no one dared to provoke the Nine Mountains Department Store.

Thinking of this, Lady Qian Ji couldn’t help but shake her head slightly, feeling somewhat uninterested.

While other cultivators were busy buying items one by one, she turned her attention elsewhere, pointing to the stairs leading upstairs, and asked the attending female cultivator: "What’s over there?"

"That’s where the accessories are sold."

"Accessories?"

Lady Qian Ji walked over there and saw the lights suddenly brighten. Beneath large glass cabinets lay all kinds of spiritual artifact accessories.

Under the lighting, the gems and jewelry reflected a dazzling brilliance, making the glass cabinets shine like flowing galaxies, radiant and eye-catching.

Even Lady Qian Ji was momentarily stunned.

"Madam, please look at this necklace, strung with deep sea mermaid’s tears. Such a complete set of mermaid’s tears can only be found because of the close cooperation between Jiushan Sect and the maritime territories. Elsewhere, you won’t find such a complete set."

"It’s also your good fortune, Madam, even in the Jiushan Sect, such a complete mermaid’s tears necklace is extremely rare."

The attending female cultivator approached with a string of necklaces.

"Given Madam’s status, you must understand that mermaid’s tears of this grade best nourish the Dharma body, and more importantly, they naturally have a charming power, making a woman who wears them incredibly captivating."

Lady Qian Ji pursed her lips, took the necklace, and hung it around her neck.

"It truly complements Madam perfectly!" The attending female cultivator conjured a water mirror, allowing Lady Qian Ji to see her current appearance.

She always felt she appeared too charming before, but wearing this necklace, she seemed to possess an added layer of innocence and purity. The City Lord would probably enjoy this new look...

Upon thinking of this, she no longer hesitated. As the Grand Steward of No Struggle City, money was not an issue for her.

"How many spirit stones? I’ll take it."

...

"Madam, look here, this pure heart bamboo hairpin is made from a spirit bamboo cultivated by the Jiushan Sect. Wearing it can restore divine sense, relieve fatigue, and even make the divine sense more nimble and responsive. Madam, you work tirelessly for No Struggle City day and night, you should treat yourself better..."

"... Buy!"

"This Immortal Clothes is not only beautiful but also possesses strong protective capabilities. Madam, don’t you need this? Indeed, other female cultivators in No Struggle City have bought quite a few, but with your status, there’s no need to compete with them in showing off." 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

"... Buy!"

...

After leaving the Treasure Tower, Lady Qian Ji looked at the bulging storage bag in her hand, marked with the Jiushan Sect emblem, and fell into deep thought.

She pondered for a long time before slowly turning back to gaze at the seven-story building behind her, with an inexplicable hint of awe in her eyes.

"Does Madam wish to continue shopping?"

The attending female cultivator asked.

"Let me continue to take a look."

Luckily, she had no need for spirit talismans and pills, so she just browsed casually without purchasing a thing.

The group finally arrived at the fourth building, the Heaven and Earth Bank.

To be honest, coming here was Lady Qian Ji’s main purpose. She knew what was sold in the other three buildings, but the Heaven and Earth Bank was a new concept at Xuanwei, which puzzled her before.

The appearance of the Heaven and Earth Bank was quite different from the other three buildings; it was peaceful and well-lit. The first floor had only one circular grand counter, behind which stood several Jiushan Sect disciples.

These were genuine Jiushan Sect disciples, whom Lady Qian Ji recognized.

It seemed the Jiushan Sect placed more importance on the Heaven and Earth Bank.

To her surprise, a number of cultivators were gathered in front of the counter.

"Greetings, Immortal Tian Ji."

Upon seeing Lady Qian Ji approach, the disciples inside immediately stood up and bowed.

"There’s no need for formalities, I just came to have a look."

Lady Qian Ji glanced at the other cultivators, who wisely stood aside, not interrupting her conversation.

"What exactly does your bank do?"

"Our Heaven and Earth Bank is for fellow Daoists to deposit Spirit Stones."

"Depositing Spirit Stones..." Lady Qian Ji raised an eyebrow, surprised. "How does it work?"

"It’s simple, if a cultivator deposits Spirit Stones into Heaven and Earth Bank, we will issue an equivalent amount in Nine Mountains Money. Nine Mountains Money can be used directly within the Jiushan Sect’s territory or at the Nine Mountains Department Store, and can be exchanged back into Spirit Stones at any city’s Heaven and Earth Bank."

"That’s it?"

Lady Qian Ji was a bit puzzled. Who would deposit their Spirit Stones without a reason?

Yet, there were quite a few people lining up here.

"We offer interest, which is publicly displayed." The Jiushan disciple pointed to a chart on the wall behind him.

Lady Qian Ji glanced at it, calculated silently, and found out it’s roughly three percent annual interest. Not high, but not too low either.

"Additionally, if you deposit more than fifty Spirit Stones now, we also give a passbook."

"A passbook?"

The Jiushan disciple handed a passbook to Lady Qian Ji, and after fiddling with it for a while, she understood — this passbook was quite a good item, akin to an inexhaustible communication talisman, and could even show some interesting news.

But what surprised Lady Qian Ji the most was its deposit, withdrawal, and transfer functions.

"Immortal, please see, when you deposit for the first time, we let you set your own secret rune. In the future, if you want to transfer or withdraw money, your secret symbol, Divine Soul, and this passbook must all align, ensuring absolute security. And as long as the other party also has an account with our Heaven and Earth Bank, the transfer can be completed in less than half an incense stick’s time."

Lady Qian Ji was greatly shocked, realizing why there was a queue at Heaven and Earth Bank.

These two aspects were indeed game-changers for Xuanwei cultivators.

One is absolute security:

For cultivators, the biggest fear is being killed and robbed, having a lifetime’s worth of accumulation snatched away, but Heaven and Earth Bank’s emergence would greatly alleviate this.

If Spirit Stones were stored in Heaven and Earth Bank, bandits would find it much harder to kill and treasure-mongers.

In fact, bandits themselves might be the ones most in need of Heaven and Earth Bank’s protection.

In theory, they should charge for guarding treasures, but Heaven and Earth Bank offers payment instead...

Jiushan Sect seems like a great benefactor.

The convenience of transfers is also crucial for cultivators, especially when Spirit Stones are insufficient, making trades cumbersome.

Now, a simple operation through the passbook suffices to complete a transaction, without even needing to meet face to face!

Others might not grasp the significance, but as the Grand Steward of No Struggle City, Lady Qian Ji isn’t so shallow.

"But what if one doesn’t have that many Spirit Stones?"

After thinking for a long time, she realized the biggest issue with Heaven and Earth Bank — many cultivators simply don’t have that many Spirit Stones.

"Our second, third, and fourth floors are resource trading centers, where we purchase raw materials from cultivators at market prices in exchange for equivalent Nine Mountains Money. Of course, people can also convert Nine Mountains Money back into Spirit Stones."

Lady Qian Ji glanced at the ceiling, thinking Jiushan Sect must have long anticipated these challenges and made thorough preparations.

If the exchange rate between Nine Mountains Money and Spirit Stones remains stable, most cultivators, drawn by safety and convenience, will likely choose Nine Mountains Money.

The only question now is, does Jiushan Sect truly have that many Spirit Stones?

Thinking of this, she glanced again at the storage bag in her hand stamped with the Jiushan Seal...