GDK 671: Elysium, The Plane of Gods
The distance of an interplanar transmission directly correlated with the amount of energy crystal ores the transmission would consume.
The distance between Profound Continent and Elysium must have been unthinkably far. Compared to transmitting from the Abyss realm to Profound Continent, this journey took a much longer time.
Finally, when Han Shuo was about to feel nauseated, he sensed the constant distortion of spacetime around him had ceased.
The next instant, Han Shuo sensed extremely intense elemental energy of death around him – even more intense than what was found in the Netherworld that his consciousness had visited. Han Shuo was greatly surprised and immediately expanded his consciousness. After carefully sensing with his eyes closed, he discovered that the atmosphere wasn’t just rich with the element of death, but the seven other elements were just as intense.
Before venturing to this world, Han Shuo had learned from Donna and her experts that among the numerous material planes found in this universe, Elysium was most suitable for gods to cultivate. Han Shuo wasn’t completely convinced when he first heard that claim. But now that he had personally sensed the richness and intensity of the elements that filled this world, he couldn’t agree more with that statement. His heart was overwhelmed with astonishment.
“Oi! Don’t hold up the line, hurry up and move!” a boorish shout assaulted Han Shuo’s ears.
Han Shuo was jolted. When he opened his eyes, he discovered that underneath his feet was an interplanar transportation matrix. This interplanar transportation matrix was even more enormous than the one inside the Cemetery of Death. It seemed to be divided into multiple smaller sections, like the one he was standing on.
Not far ahead of him was a three-storey-high observation deck. There were three persons wearing pitch-black armor atop the deck. They each wielded an ink-black pike decorated with an intricate design. When Han Shuo probed with his consciousness, he discovered that all three of them were cultivators of the element of darkness with approximately early-mid stage lowgod strengths.
When he looked to the side, he discovered that this facility was in a valley filled will all kinds of grass-like, alien plants. At the center of the valley was the interplanar transportation matrix he was standing on.
“Move! Don’t hinder others from using the transportation matrix!” One of the lowgods in black armor on the platform pointed his pike at Han Shuo and scowled.
Han Shuo put on a smile and leapt into the air. His body swayed before he could float into the air in a rather awkward manner.
After almost stumbling, Han Shuo immediately realized that the gravitational acceleration in this material plane was different from that of Profound Continent. Gravity there was, in fact, twenty-seven times greater than on Profound Continent!
Due to the disparity in gravitational acceleration, Han Shuo had to exhaust more energy than usual when deploying levitational spells using the elemental energy of death. He almost stumbled because he wasn’t adapted to the new gravity.
But soon enough, Han Shuo managed to adapt to it. He flew from the interplanar transportation matrix at a speed slower than usual.
Anyone’s flying speed would be affected in such an enormous gravitational field. Han Shuo may have been able to fly around like a fighter jet on Profound Continent. But on Elysium, he would face difficulty taking into the air.
“He’s a lowgod of death. Seems to be a newcomer as well. Otherwise, he probably wouldn’t be using the interplanar transportation matrix over here!” that lowgod of darkness that berated Han Shuo whispered to the other two beside him.
After Han Shuo exited from the interplanar transportation matrix, the person shouted with a lower voice, “Head outside and you will find the immigration officer!”
When Han Shuo gradually expanded his consciousness, he came to discover the incredible vastness of the valley. There were gods of varied strengths distributed in different regions.
Following that lowgod’s instructions, Han Shuo walked straight to the exit. It didn’t take long before he found several large and tall structures around him.
In front of one of the buildings was an old man sitting behind a black wooden desk. He seemed to be preoccupied as he asked without even raising his head, “New here?”
“Yes.”
The old man raised his pallid face topped with messy hair to take a quick glance at Han Shuo before he indifferently asked, “Do you have a divine tablet?”
“No, I don’t. I intend to get one,” Han Shuo smiled. He could tell that this old man was a late-stage lowgod cultivating in the elemental energy of death.
The divine tablet was like a passport on Elysium. Every being on Elysium, as long as they were gods, would have a divine tablet. If one were to venture through Elysium without a divine tablet, not only would they be denied entry to most regions – if one unfortunately perished, there would be no easy way to identify one’s body.
Before coming to the Elysium, Han Shuo had learned general knowledge of this aspect from Donna and the others. He knew that those who first came to Elysium could get their divine tablets on-site. However, this service was not complimentary – crystal coins were the only acceptable currency!
“Oh? You are aware of the procedure. Well, eighty blue crystal coins then. I will handle it for you!” the old man smiled sinisterly and extended his hand to demand from Han Shuo.
As with Elysium, in most high-level material planes and places where gods were commonly found, the currency in circulation was not gold coins, but crystal coins! For gods, gold was just a common metal. It didn’t contain any energy and wasn’t all that valuable.
Crystal coins were a form of currency made by purifying energy ores. Every piece of crystal coin contained a certain amount of energy. This energy could be used for energizing interplanar transportation matrices, smelting divine weapons, and deploy all kinds of mysterious boundaries and seals. In short, they were very useful and had a vast range of practical uses.
However, the energy in crystal coins could not be absorbed by gods to form divine energy. Crystals that could be absorbed by gods were called divine essence which was far rarer. Back in the Void, Han Shuo had only come by a few pieces of them. He had long used up all the divine essence of death that he could absorb.
Although gods were unequipped to absorb the energy in crystal coins, as they had a wide range of application, it was easy to find use for them. Therefore it became the currency in circulation among the gods.
Just like the gold coin system on Profound Continent, crystal coins were divided into grades, namely, blue, purple, and black. The energy in one piece of purple crystal coin was equivalent to a hundred blue crystal coins, while one black crystal coin contained the same energy as a hundred purple crystal coins.
“Eighty pieces?” Han Shuo stared blankly for a moment before he asked in an unconvinced voice, “I remember from the rules that it’s fifty pieces!”
The old man’s eyes flickered. He coldly groaned and replied, “It used to be fifty pieces but that was long ago. Now it’s eighty pieces. If you don’t have enough crystal coins, do a few years of mining in this valley. You can get the divine tablet done and leave this valley when you have earned enough crystal coins.”
Han Shuo immediately understood when he saw that split second flickering of that old man’s eyes.
Donna and her experts were definitely not misinformed about the fee for a divine tablet. This old man only asked for eighty blue crystal coins because he was trying to defraud Han Shuo just because he was a newcomer.
Most gods who arrived at high-level material planes such as Elysium for the first time, due to lack of experience, unfamiliarity to the foreign land, or perhaps obliviousness to the existence of crystal coins, had to take out any valuables they may carry in exchange for sufficient crystal coins. If one did not carry sufficient valuables, the only option left was to stay in the valley and work as a miner to gather enough crystal coins for a divine tablet.
Certainly, this old man wouldn’t dare con gods with the backing of large family clans. He would only target newcomers such as Han Shuo.
“Are you sure it’s eighty blue crystal coins?” Han Shuo put on a faint smile and sought reconfirmation.
Han Shuo didn’t lack those thirty blue crystal coins. Before leaving, Donna and her experts had provided Han Shuo with several purple crystal coins each. Besides, after breaking into Kaiser and Eriksson’s space rings with the Cauldron Spirit, Han Shuo had obtained three divine weapons as well as several hundred purple crystal coins. Those thirty additional blue crystal coins was a negligible amount for him.
However, Han Shuo was very unhappy to find that someone would try to swindle him right after he arrived at Elysium!
“Eighty blue crystal coins. Not a piece short!” the old man got rather impatient. He thought, You are just a newcomer with no backing. You are such a fool to dawdle with me.
Karkh… Karkh… Suddenly, a young man covered in cuts and bruises staggered towards Han Shuo. He was barely conscious and would cough out a mouthful of blood every few steps. He seemed to be severely injured. There was an obvious aura of destruction on his body.
The silvery hair of the young man was scorched and his blue eyes were powerless. After limping to the table with great difficulty, he immediately murmured in his weak voice, “I want a divine tablet!”
“Eighty blue crystal coins. Not a piece short!” the old man shot a glance at the young man and said mechanically.
“Whatever that was, I’ll buy it on credit. I will come back to repay you when I have the money!” the young man said powerlessly.
“Buy on credit?” As though he had heard the joke of the year, the old man burst into laughter. “Youngster, I assume you were hunted by someone and only managed to escape to this place with great difficulty? It seems that you definitely are heavily injured. Did your brain get beaten out as well? There never was any precedent of buying on credit in this place!”
“I can buy on credit at anywhere else. Why can’t I do so here?!” although the young man was weak, he nonetheless remained overbearing in his speech. The aura of destruction on him grew more and more intense as though it would explode at any moment.
“Kid, this is Elysium. You may be a respectable individual on low-level material planes. But when you arrive at Elysium, hmph, you better know your place. I have seen people like you a lot. You are accustomed to being domineering and take offense at having to readjust your temper. But that’s okay – we specialize in wearing down bad tempers!” the old man said with an eerie smile. He shot glances at Han Shuo with his cold eyes ever so often as he spoke, as though those words were meant for Han Shuo as well.
The old man cleared his throat and suddenly made a loud and long whistle.
Ten or so gods wearing ink-black armor and wielding pikes with delicate decorative patterns suddenly stormed out from the surrounding buildings. The one taking the lead was an early-stage midgod with a grave and stern expression. Upon arriving, he shot a glance at the three and said sternly, “Who is making trouble?”
“Hehe, this one wants to buy on credit!” the old man scoffed.
Upon hearing those words, while the one leading remained grave and stern, all other divine guards began to cackle.