Chapter 562 - 518: "Thanks, Big Spender.
It wasn’t that they were reluctant to part with them.
To these powerhouses who stood at the pinnacle of the Star Sea, 1,000,000 Cosmic Crystals was a hefty sum, but it was nothing they couldn’t afford. The value of the origins and bodies from just a few ordinary Nirvana Powerhouses would be enough to cover the loss.
But wasting a million Cosmic Crystals on such a thing, all to acquire a title they wouldn’t have cared about in the slightest, would make them look like complete fools.
This was Shi Ming’s blatant scheme.
If they refused to donate, they could only acquire 100 Civilization Stones per day through the exchange, which was nowhere near enough to meet the basic needs of these "New Gods." Furthermore, their existing titles would be revoked, leaving them with no other way to obtain Civilization Stones.
Even as "New Gods," their power wasn’t limitless.
A slow start would put them behind at every turn.
But if they donated, they would essentially be funding the enemy. The dazzling Cosmic Crystals would go directly into Shi Ming’s pocket, becoming stepping stones for his own empowerment! That was the last thing they wanted to see.
A gleam flickered in Huang Ji’s eyes.
She thought of a decent solution.
"Since every ’Traveler’ entering the First Civilization Cosmic Country can exchange for 100 Civilization Stones per day, we can just send in a large number of our subordinates. They can carry vast quantities of Cosmic Crystals, make the exchanges, and then pool the Civilization Stones for us. By accumulating many small amounts, won’t we be able to build up our reserves quickly?"
Candela shook his head.
"I already tested that with Uncle Tian. It’s not a viable method. While different individuals can exchange for Civilization Stones on their own, a ’Traveler’ also has a daily limit on how many they can receive as gifts. Even if our subordinates convert their Cosmic Crystals into Civilization Stones, they can’t easily consolidate them for us. Not unless we use the mercenary terminal, but that Shi Ming is an expert at finding and exploiting loopholes himself. He’s certainly prepared for that."
"Besides, in a place like the First Civilization Cosmic Country, titles are everything. They represent one’s permissions, and the hierarchy is rigid."
"A low-level title is worthless; you’re restricted at every turn."
"Shedding this ’Traveler’ title is our most urgent task. Once we’ve amassed enough Civilization Stones to use the Teleportation Vortex, Shi Ming’s doom will be sealed."
"Our ’gifts’ are never free. The price attached will be a weight he cannot possibly bear."
As he finished speaking, the Time Giant looked as if he was peering into the future.
Their current titles were no longer the "Divine Warrior," "God’s Law," or "Grand Artificer" of before. Now, they were just newbies starting from scratch. Even though they knew they were walking right into Shi Ming’s blatant scheme, they had no choice but to take the bait.
Civilization Stones were everything.
A temporary compromise didn’t mean they were admitting defeat.
Amonev was the first to act. She materialized a large amount of Cosmic Crystals out of thin air, approached the mercenary terminal, and accepted the "A-Rank Commission: Generous Spender." With a seamless motion, she donated a full 1,000,000 Cosmic Crystals to Shi Ming. She immediately completed the commission and received her reward—the title of "Pioneer."
In a way, she truly was a "Pioneer."
At the very least, she was the first being to obtain the "Pioneer" title, ranking at number 001.
This title, much like "Traveler," didn’t come with any special permissions.
It simply increased the daily exchange limit for Civilization Stones by tenfold, effectively a tenfold boost to their spending cap.
In this initial exploratory phase, these extra Civilization Stones were crucial. They would allow the New Gods to teleport multiple times in a short span, letting them delve deeper into the new First Civilization Cosmic Country in their physical forms. They could then search for treasures that had lain dormant for 120,000 years, or find Shi Ming and carry out the next phase of their plan.
After swapping the gray "Traveler" title for "Pioneer," Amonev immediately spent another large sum of Cosmic Crystals, exchanging them for 1,000 Civilization Stones.
The other New Gods followed suit.
Cosmic Crystals were spent like water.
Just as Candela had said, they didn’t need to worry about short-term gains and losses. Fate’s gifts always came with a price tag, and the five New Gods, confident in their status as masters who reigned over all Star Sea Creatures, were certain their "gift" would be anything but free.
...
...
...
[A generous traveler has donated 1,000,000 Cosmic Crystals to you, completed the A-Rank commission ’Generous Spender,’ and obtained the title ’Pioneer.’]
[A generous traveler has donated 1,000,000 Cosmic Crystals to you, completed the A-Rank commission ’Generous Spender,’ and obtained the title ’Pioneer.’]
[...]
The Sword in the Stone vibrated. A similar, resonant notification repeated five times.
’To spend such a huge amount of Cosmic Crystals so quickly... must be those five false gods.’
Because the Cosmic Crystals were transferred directly to Shi Ming’s name as a donation, and as the "Heir of the Gods," he could use all the facilities in the First Civilization Cosmic Country for free, the five million Cosmic Crystals came to him in their entirety, with no transaction fees or losses.
’Thanks for the donations.’
’Your generosity is what drives me forward.’
Shi Ming grinned, immensely pleased.
That was five million Cosmic Crystals, after all.
In the future, as more powerhouses learned of the newly emerged First Civilization Cosmic Country, the number of big spenders would only grow. Soon, they’d get caught up in a rat race, clamoring and scrambling over each other to donate even more Cosmic Crystals to Shi Ming. They’d all be terrified of losing their "Pioneer" status while exploring the lost Star Domain, falling behind, and missing out on their chance at a great opportunity.
The early bird gets the worm.
That was a well-understood principle, even in the Star Sea.
Shi Ming stood up from a stone table in a ruined palace, holding a freshly written "strategy guide" in his hand.
[Finding the Lost Treasure: A Traveler’s Guide to Exploring the First Civilization Cosmic Country (Light Spender’s Edition), Volume One]
[Author: The Great Philanthropist]
[Contents:]
[1. How to Get the Most Civilization Stones for the Fewest Cosmic Crystals.]
[2. Your Time is Extremely Valuable.]
[3. From Basic to Advanced: A Breakdown of the 10 Most Cost-Effective Uses for Civilization Stones.]
[4. Beyond Cosmic Crystal Exchange: Other Ways to Acquire Civilization Stones.]
[5. A Look at Rare ’Titles’: Make Your Treasure Hunt Stand Out.]
[6. The Gods’ Vault is Within Reach! How to Quickly Build Your Starting Capital.]
[...]
[Afterword & Invitation: Intelligence is the most valuable treasure when exploring a lost world. Join the Nirvana-rank community, the ’Lost Kingdom,’ to share the latest intel on this new world. Treasures, guides, rare encounters, trading—we have it all.]
[The Lost Kingdom has no entry requirements.]
This was the *Finding the Lost Treasure: A Traveler’s Guide to Exploring the First Civilization Cosmic Country (Light Spender’s Edition)*, which Shi Ming had written in a single day and night.
Soon, this guide would "inadvertently" spread through various channels. With its simple yet highly practical information, it would come to be treated as gospel by the outside explorers.