Chapter 130
Many people came looking for Lu Chuan.
The first was a duke.
The duke was very generous, immediately trying to awe Lu Chuan.
“I have three castles and plenty of land—though I can’t give you the land, my descendants will inherit that. But I personally own a gold mine, two silver mines, and countless jewels and paintings—all worth a fortune. I also have five opera houses; if you like, I can transfer them to you…”
Lu Chuan was tempted.
Seeing Lu Chuan unmoved, the duke regretted not offering more. How could an entry to the City of Immortality compare to these things? To come here, he had already handed his title to his family; most of his estate was divided. Only these remained.
“If that seems too little, I can write you a letter,” the duke said. “Bring it to my duchy and you’ll get at least a minor title. If I enter the city, I’ll never forget your favor—but if someone else gets in, who knows?”
Lu Chuan feigned hesitation, glanced at the duke, and said, “Let me hear what the others offer first. But if you trust me, meet me tomorrow morning at nine, and we’ll discuss it.”
He said the same thing to the others:
“If you trust me, let’s talk tomorrow at ten.”
“Tomorrow at eleven—don’t be late.”
…
After sending everyone away, Lu Chuan began clearing space in his system inventory.
Better make room now, in case there wasn’t enough to store it all later.
Jackpot, jackpot—ha!
These officials and tycoons, all so lavish for a taste of eternal life.
Lu Chuan could make plenty on his own, but he still had some conscience—he wouldn’t fleece the poor.
But these high officials and wealthy tycoons were different. They all had powerful family backgrounds, and when it came to making money, they stopped at nothing—scraping away even three feet of ground if they could.
Therefore, even when they traveled lightly to the port in front of the City of Immortality, their wealth was something ordinary people couldn’t compare with.
Doing a single business deal with them was worth several dungeon runs for Lu Chuan.
Sure enough, the easiest money to earn in this world was from these capitalist nobles. Because they got their wealth so easily, they spent it just as freely—especially on themselves.
Lu Chuan figured, he might as well treat it as doing a good deed, robbing the rich to help the poor.
His smile curved his eyes into crescents.
Meanwhile, the recovery speed of his soul was also steadily increasing.
At first, #888 thought something was wrong, but gradually he understood.
Thinking it over, Lu Chuan had already developed several God of Wealth–type skills and gained who knew how many skill points. The only reason #888 hadn’t noticed before was that Lu Chuan hadn’t been here long.
In reality, Lu Chuan was already growing into a deity.
Or rather, because he was such a perfect fit for the God of Wealth’s position, even before he had fully deified, the God of Wealth’s divinity and authority were already leaning toward him. And as Lu Chuan gathered more and more wealth, his process of becoming a god only accelerated.
Even if #888 was shocked, he had to admit it—Lu Chuan truly was the chosen God of Wealth.
Normally, the immortal self-repairing nature of a god’s soul only manifested after the body had undergone divinization. But Lu Chuan was unique—his body was still human, yet his soul was already transforming into that of a god.
But when it came to Lu Chuan, anything abnormal seemed perfectly natural.
Once #888 confirmed this was beneficial and harmless for Lu Chuan, he set the matter aside.
Of course, he couldn’t tell Lu Chuan in advance.
After all, even when Lu Chuan’s soul could barely repair itself, he was already willing to sell half of it for trades. If he knew his soul could fully self-repair, wouldn’t he just tear it apart and sell it piece by piece?
[Host, the stone lion said only one person can go in at a time.] #888 focused back on the matter at hand. [If too many people are transported, problems will definitely occur.]
“I’m not going to send everyone in all at once,” Lu Chuan replied with a grin. “One per month is enough. There are still many things about City of Immortality I don’t fully understand. I can’t just shove people in recklessly. What if sending too many ends up letting the so-called God of Exchange break free of the system’s restraints and grow stronger?”
The power of a god was certainly no small thing. The Loan Shark had mentioned before that the God of Exchange was tied to at least tens of thousands of dungeons. With such a wide reach across countless worlds, would one mere City of Immortality need to restrict entry numbers?
If numbers were restricted, it wasn’t the God of Exchange doing it—it had to be the Main God System.
Perhaps this was directly connected to the eventual battle between the God of Exchange and the players.
Until he understood, Lu Chuan wasn’t about to do something that would empower his enemy and weaken himself.
[And what about the others—are they willing to wait?]
“Of course they are. Little System, you don’t understand. These nobles and bigwigs are the most suspicious people of all. If I gave them what they wanted too easily, they wouldn’t even believe it. In their minds, only what they obtain after constant threats and bargaining is truly real.”
#888 couldn’t agree more.
The first person Lu Chuan chose to bring into the City of Immortality was, naturally, that duke.
In the dead of night, Lu Chuan led the duke to the stone lion, chattering away and showing some strange token.
At first, the duke worried he might be getting tricked. But when he saw how warmly Lu Chuan and the lion conversed, half his anxiety eased.
“In a moment, the stone lion will hide you in its belly and smuggle you into the city. If you’re scared, you can still back out,” Lu Chuan said seriously.
“At this point, how could I be afraid? To seek eternal life, one must be willing to risk everything.” The duke was afraid, of course, but if he backed down now, he would never again have the chance to enter the City of Immortality.
“Good, worthy of being a duke,” Lu Chuan said with a thumbs-up. “Please, go ahead.”
Clenching his teeth, the duke shut his eyes and let the stone lion swallow him.
Inside City of Immortality…
The customers waiting for Lu Chuan’s bank to open weren’t just one or two.
They had all heard that as long as they conducted a lending business there, they could use installment payments to buy an outsider. But supposedly the bank’s director had gone outside to restock, and still hadn’t returned.
Some customers even suspected Lu Chuan had absconded with their money, hiding among the crowd to watch. If he really had run off, they planned to trade with the gods and have this swindler dragged back!
“Look, he’s here!”
Someone shouted.
Lu Chuan appeared at the bank’s entrance, dragging along a man who was nervously peeking about.
As if afraid the customers wouldn’t see clearly, Lu Chuan deliberately paraded the duke around in a big circle so everyone could get a good look.
“…Those clothes are definitely different from ours.”
“He’s practically radiating the aura of an outsider.”
“He really is from outside. The director really brought someone in.”
“So, can we still apply for this installment-buying service?”
…
The crowd outside the bank lit up with excitement.
There were so few ways to increase their own value.
But as long as they bought a person, that person’s life and worth became theirs to trade with the gods.
Even if the bank demanded part of their value for installments, it was still far better than paying all at once.
Being stared at by so many people made the duke’s scalp tingle.
Still, he saw clearly that in this city, there wasn’t a single elderly person—only youths.
This had to be the City of Immortality.
“Welcome to City of Immortality,” Lu Chuan said to the duke with a smile. “I’ll find you a legal resident here to adopt you.”
News that a bank could bring outsiders into the city spread like wildfire.
Starry Ming heard it too.
For the moment, though, he didn’t connect the bank with Lu Chuan. Instead, he was busy gathering underlings in the City of Immortality, forcing people into trades with gods to probe the city’s rules.
Since Starry Ming’s path was completely different from Lu Chuan’s, the clues he uncovered were also very different.
As a master-ranked player, Starry Ming certainly had skills.
“So that’s how it works. Exchange can be used this way.” Once he grasped one of the rules, he pretty much understood how this dungeon was meant to be played.
Now, it was time to hunt down Lu Chuan.
He knew Lu Chuan had likely disguised himself.
Hidden somewhere in the city, gathering information bit by bit—finding him among so many people was like finding a needle in a haystack.
The fastest way was, of course, to use the gods.
Starry Ming resolved to act decisively: locate Lu Chuan, crush him, and then negotiate surrender. Otherwise, Lu Chuan would never submit willingly.
He had his men capture several valuable individuals, forcing them to trade with gods to discover Lu Chuan’s whereabouts.
Naturally, the captives weren’t eager, but Starry Ming had plenty of methods to compel them.
In the end, they could only recite the incantations and beg the gods for an exchange.
Meanwhile, as Lu Chuan was conducting bank business, he suddenly shivered.
Something was off.
Thoughts flashed rapidly through his mind, and he decided to be extra cautious.
“Director, how much value do I need to pay you?” asked a curious customer.
“Very simple. Just help me conduct a trade with the gods and block some information.” Lu Chuan answered smoothly.
After the successful smuggling of the duke, customers came in an endless stream. Using their value, Lu Chuan had already restored his body to normal. Next came self-protection.
Whether others tried to track him through the gods or assassinate him, he could counter with the value of his customers.
In this city, gods lacked true self-awareness. They were more like a resource or a weapon. As long as you paid them what they wanted, you could wield them easily.
And the players in this dungeon had to learn how to wield this blade.
Lu Chuan and Starry Ming, though they used different approaches, were both exploiting the residents of City of Immortality to the fullest—like two armies, each raising their own soldiers.
“Boss, we failed.”
“The person you seek also conducted trades with the gods. To find him, we’d need to pay several times more in value.”
The subordinates reported honestly.
Starry Ming wasn’t angry. On the contrary, he looked pleased.
“Not finding him—I expected that. If he couldn’t even manage this much, I’d be disappointed instead.” His interest in Lu Chuan only grew.
He was fast, but Lu Chuan was no slower.
Lu Chuan had realized the dungeon’s exploitable nature too, and was already using the city’s resources to shield himself.
No wonder he had climbed the rankings so quickly.
The city’s population gradually dwindled…
Originally, entry into the City of Immortality was strictly limited — only one person could enter every five years.
Even with Lu Chuan sneaking people in, he could only manage to bring one person every month. But within the city, people were constantly trading with the gods, and their soul value was quickly consumed, leaving only lifeless husks behind.
Quietly, many rooms were already empty.
[Main Quest Three updated: Players must experience a complete cycle of the city’s rise and decline — and survive.]
The long-absent game system reappeared just to remind them of its presence.
Whether it was Lu Chuan, Starry Ming, or the other struggling players, none reacted immediately to the update.
What did that mean?
Would the city actually decline, and would their lives be endangered along with it?
When Lu Chuan saw the message, he only frowned slightly before brushing it aside.
After all, this was a god-level challenge dungeon. It couldn’t remain unchanged, nor would it allow him to recklessly build power unchecked.
This city had no births, yet people constantly traded with the gods. Population decline was inevitable. The system’s new quest only accelerated the process.
Lu Chuan guessed the city would soon face disasters.
Only then would those reluctant to trade finally be forced to exchange their remaining value with the gods — allowing the gods to reap a large harvest all at once.
“It’s fine, no rush, Little System. It’ll probably just be some natural or man-made disasters,” Lu Chuan rubbed his chin. “An earthquake, a typhoon, maybe a massive sudden fire — the usual stuff. Some can be prepared for, others can’t, and worrying won’t help.”
Starry Ming thought the same.
The city was large; bringing it down all at once would still take time.
But the player adopted by a pair of officials felt differently.
He realized his “parents” hadn’t returned home in days.
At first he was afraid, but after sneaking into their room and rifling through their documents, he noticed something strange.
Why were they compiling citywide population records?
The unease grew.
He needed to find other players and discuss this — something was wrong with this dungeon.
Lu Chuan had already made preparations, even building a fortified basement — fireproof, waterproof, bulletproof, very safe. But still, he felt uneasy, as if something in the city was stirring restlessly.
Tsk.
God-level dungeons were always a hassle.
[Host, you’ve prepared well. You should be fine.] #888 couldn’t understand why Lu Chuan still felt unsettled.
“No, Little System. It’s intuition. I don’t know this so-called [God of Exchange], but I do know the Main System — it loves to stir trouble,” Lu Chuan replied.
The last time he went through a dungeon with Shen Li, it had been the same — the moment things seemed safe, something went wrong.
“I even had clients try asking the gods whether anything major would happen in the city soon. The gods replied that everything was normal.” Lu Chuan scratched his head. “That only makes me more cautious.”
If the system had already released Main Quest Three, it was surely preparing a big move.
He had no choice but to prepare.
If the system were that easy to fool, how could a true god like Cang Jiu have ended up in such dire straits?
Lu Chuan never underestimated his opponents.
At that very moment, the city’s officials were secretly arranging a massive exchange ritual, led by none other than a godly priest they had invited.
The priest had just awakened and given them this grand formation that could allow a large-scale trade with the gods. To the officials, it was their only hope.
In the city, officials merely maintained order. Their meager rewards only barely sustained their lives.
That wasn’t the immortality they wanted.
They craved freedom — eternal life filled with luxury and indulgence. Not being trapped in the city forever, condemned to endless drudgery.
So, from top to bottom, they decided to use the city’s residents as the bargaining chips for one colossal trade with the gods.
Although the residents weren’t their property, the officials had provided them housing and collected their signatures on documents. Forcing them into the trade wouldn’t be too difficult.
As long as they staged some event and got the residents to say the words “I’m willing,” it would be done.
Chen Ji, the loan shark, watched the officials’ busyness with boredom.
He rarely entered this dungeon, but he’d heard from other senior agents at the company: this place was essentially the earthly incarnation of the [God of Exchange]. Their job was simple — just help ruin the city, feed the slumbering god’s vessel.
That was all.
But for the players, this dungeon was downright malicious.
At first they’d hunt for clues to trade with the gods. Halfway through, the table would be flipped. If they weren’t careful, they’d die without even knowing how.
This was, after all, the god’s home turf. The people might appear faithless, but in truth they were already branded as followers of the [God of Exchange]. Once they started trading, they could never escape.
For the agents, though, the job lacked challenge or opportunities to shine.
Chen Ji wondered if Lu Chuan could survive. Probably, but… this was Lu Chuan’s god-level dungeon. The system would certainly target him.
“Priest, where are you going?” The officials, frantically working overtime, paled when they saw Chen Ji leaving.
Had they angered the priest somehow?
“I’m going out to look for sacrifices the god might like.” Chen Ji waved them down, telling them not to follow.
Even if their role had little skill, he wasn’t going to slack off. His dream was to become a top agent, and he wouldn’t give up so easily.
Soon Chen Ji was strolling the streets, eavesdropping. He learned people had recently taken out loans from a bank — even to purchase people.
Huh?
If he remembered correctly, in the City of Immortality, new people should only appear after the city was destroyed and a new batch gathered for harvest. Early on, aside from players in the challenge, no one else should be able to enter.
And banks? This city shouldn’t have those.
Chen Ji perked up immediately.
Could it be another agent from the company had been assigned here too?
Excited, he thought of teaming up — together, they could squeeze every drop of value from Lu Chuan, that premium client.
He still remembered how Lu Chuan had tricked him before, and he’d long wanted revenge.
So Chen Ji happily queued at the bank. Seeing the orderly line, he was already imagining bringing the idea back and starting a similar business at his own branch.
“Hello, what loan service would you like to apply for?” Lu Chuan didn’t even raise his head, mechanically sliding over the contract. “Tick the boxes, sign, all terms are complete. Watch over there, then return it to me once signed.”
“…You’re Lu Chuan.” Chen Ji recognized him instantly, despite the disguise.
Of course. Who else but Lu Chuan would set up something like this? Though Chen Ji thought even if Lu Chuan wanted to cause trouble, he wouldn’t make it his main job.
He himself, a professional loan agent, hadn’t even started working yet. Did Lu Chuan have to be so overzealous?
“Honored guest, you’re here too.” Lu Chuan’s eyes lit up as soon as he saw him. He grabbed Chen Ji’s hand and shook it enthusiastically. “Perfect timing! I’m swamped. How about you help out part-time? You see how much business I’ve got.”
Heh.
But this was your Divine Challenge dungeon — shouldn’t you be busy with the real objective?
Author’s Note:
Loan Shark Bro: The sky’s falling, and I wake up to find my business stolen.
