Floor 26 of Star Tower 79

More than twenty days slipped by in the blink of an eye. Due to a few unexpected hitches along the way, the spaceship arrived at Crescent Bay three days later than projected. When the ship completed its final spatial jump, Crescent Bay loomed in the distance. It was a colossal rift, yet its shape bore not the slightest resemblance to a crescent moon; instead, it looked like a gargantuan black maw. Countless spaceships and warships hovered around this maw. Inside the "mouth" lay planet after planet that had been remodeled according to the concept of a spherical heaven and flat earth. Reshaped from spheres into squares, these planets were stacked atop one another layer upon layer, forming tower after tower of "Star Towers." Every star tier of these Star Towers had an owner. Some were developed into residential areas, others into commercial districts, and each tier differed from the next. The densely packed Star Towers encircled a massive star, forming concentric stellar rings. Before these stellar rings, even the most gigantic warships appeared utterly minuscule. Yu Xian's spaceship soon merged into the endless stream of vessels, entering Crescent Bay in an orderly fashion. The moment they crossed into Crescent Bay, the ship's various defensive measures automatically shut down one after another. At the same time, the display screens went dark one by one, and the protective barriers opened layer by layer, leaving only a single energy shield to keep the air inside the spaceship from escaping into space. "Hahahaha! I'm back! I knew I'd make it back alive! Yahoooo!" Just then, on a neighboring spaceship, a man caught sight of the Star Towers in the distance and began screaming and shouting in sheer excitement. After venting his emotions, he even broke down in tears. "Hey, kid, are there only three of you?" Aboard a spaceship ahead of Yu Xian, an elderly man with ox horns on his head sat at the stern. Holding a glass of blue beverage, he called out to Yu Xian and the two little ones. In truth, entering Crescent Bay was no different from entering open space, where theoretically sound could not travel. But the old man clearly possessed a special technique that allowed him to converse across space. "Old sir, what can I do for you?" Yu Xian looked toward the old man and asked with a smile. He transmitted the vibrations of his voice directly in front of the old man, giving him the sensation of having a face-to-face conversation with Yu Xian. The old man showed a hint of surprise, then chuckled. "Seems I was being presumptuous. You're not like that foolish pup." As he spoke, he pointed toward the ecstatic man nearby. "Every year, a bunch of arrogant, ignorant pups arrive in Crescent Bay, thinking that with enough courage, they can carve out a name for themselves in the Abyss and become Star-rank powerhouses revered by all. But in reality, out of ten million people who venture into the Abyss, it's considered good if even half make it back alive." The old man sighed with emotion as he looked at the dented impact marks on the adjacent ship. Curious, Yu Xian asked, "Then what did you seek to gain by going into the Abyss, old sir?" "Why should I tell you? Kid, knowing too much won't do you any good. If you want to survive in the Abyss, the most important thing is to rein in your curiosity." The old man rolled his eyes at Yu Xian, then rose and returned to his cabin. His spaceship had a unique build, looking like an ornate traditional pleasure barge. Elegant and ancient in design, it stood out distinctively amid the wildly diverse fleet of vessels. Watching the old man retreat into the cabin, Yu Xian shook his head with a smile. "Xiaodu, set navigation for Xingkun Port on Floor 26 of Star Tower 79." Floor 26 of Star Tower 79 was, in fact, where Feiliqi and his group had lived. Since Yu Xian possessed their memories, he was most familiar with Floor 26 of Star Tower 79 out of all Crescent Bay. He decided to settle down there first, and only consider other matters after establishing a firm foothold. Moreover, after entering Crescent Bay, he had actually sensed the presence of numerous bubble coordinates. Those bubble coordinates were extraordinarily far from him, yet they all pointed in the exact same direction—deep into the vast starry sky, at least seventy million light-years away. While observing Crescent Bay, Yu Xian's mind was also pondering a question: could Crescent Bay actually share the same universe as Earth? Verifying this wouldn't be difficult. All he needed to do was place a spatial bubble in Crescent Bay and test making a round trip to find out. However, now was not the time for tests. The spaceship was surrounded by other craft, and Transcendent abilities here were chaotic and varied; it would be a disaster if he accidentally exposed Earth's coordinates. "Big Brother, are we going to live here from now on?" Little Nora looked at the enormous Star Towers, asking with eyes full of wonder and longing. Yu Xian nodded. "Mm. If nothing unexpected happens, we'll make our home here. But we'll still have to visit the Abyss from time to time. Scared?" "It's just the Abyss, why would I be scared? Besides, with Big Brother around, nothing can go wrong." Little Nora glanced sideways at Little Huangquan beside it, immediately putting on a brave front. The little fellow had already developed the pride of an older brother, determined not to lose face in front of Little Huangquan. While Yu Xian chatted with the two little ones, the spaceship shifted and weaved through various flight lanes, heading toward Floor 26 of Star Tower 79. Every one of these Star Towers had its own designation number. Floor 26 of Star Tower 79 was a mixed residential district where various races could settle down. According to Feiliqi's memories, Crescent Bay was ruled by Seven Great Races. These Seven Great Races were humans, elementals, gods, barbarians, mechanical lifeforms, plants, and beasts. The Three Great Rules of Crescent Bay had been jointly established by the leaders of the Seven Great Races. These three rules were straightforward: unifying the currency of Crescent Bay, confirming the lawful ownership of Star Towers, and recognizing the status of Star-rank powerhouses. The currency used in Crescent Bay was called the "Star Energy Coin," abbreviated simply as "Star Coin." Star Coins were minted jointly by the Seven Races and existed in two states. Before being infused with energy, they were called Gray Star Coins; only once filled with energy could they be called true Star Coins. The Seven Races supplied Gray Star Coins across all star tiers. One Star Coin could purchase 100,000 Gray Star Coins, but Gray Star Coins possessed no purchasing power on their own. Only when filled with energy could they become valid currency. Crescent Bay harbored a vast number of "battery people." Every month, they cultivated desperately for the sole purpose of charging Gray Star Coins with energy in order to earn Star Coins. They used Star Coins to buy daily necessities. Eventually, the Star Coins circulated into the hands of various powerhouses, who absorbed all their energy, turning them back into Gray Star Coins to be reclaimed by official authorities. Of course, on the whole, the Star Coin system was relatively stable. Its value fluctuated very little. Unless someone absorbed massive amounts of energy from Star Coins all at once and caused a temporary currency deficit, it was difficult to destabilize the value of the coins. Xingkun Port. Yu Xian's spaceship slowly docked onto a square platform. Three staff members wearing Haolidu Company uniforms had already noticed the spaceship the moment it entered the harbor, waiting ahead of time on the platform. When the hatch opened and Yu Xian stepped out with the two little ones, the three staff members frowned slightly. One of them, a woman, raised her arm. The bracelet on her wrist glowed with blue light, projecting the likenesses of Feiliqi and his companions onto a blue light screen. "Captain, they aren't the original renters," the woman murmured. The man leading them nodded slightly, then stepped forward with a smile. "Greetings. I am a recovery agent under Haolidu. Here is my identification. This spaceship is a rental vessel belonging to our company. May I ask what your relation is to our original clients?" "None whatsoever. But the renters you mentioned are already dead." Yu Xian glanced at the man's credentials and replied. The man tucked away his smile and said, "According to company regulations, since you have taken the place of our original clients in using this company's rental ship, you must bear all associated fees. Will you be paying with Star Coins or via Qixin?" Qixin was essentially Crescent Bay's equivalent of Earth's WeChat, officially named Seven Races Credit Pay. Transcendents who did not heavily rely on the energy stored within Star Coins could deposit them into the service in exchange for credit points, making daily transactions convenient. "My apologies, but I currently have neither," Yu Xian replied with a faint smile, then drew out a mask. In an instant, a terrifying aura enveloped the three recovery agents. The leading man shuddered, breaking into a cold sweat all over as he stared at Yu Xian in shock. His originally straight posture bowed immediately. Pulling out a handkerchief to wipe away his sweat, he said with utmost deference, "My lord, Haolidu Company has always held goodwill and respect toward all powerhouses. Since this ship is fated to cross paths with you, my lord, our company is naturally glad to oblige and present you with full ownership of the vessel. "Please be patient, my lord, I will process the transfer procedures for you right away." Watching the man's hands fly across the light screen, Yu Xian finally gained a tangible sense of the status held by Star-rank powerhouses in Crescent Bay. This was not Huaxia, but a world where the strong preyed on the weak and might was revered above all. Only the strong could command respect here.