Ordinary observers in fast time travel

Chapter 1286 The Ancient Tower of Time
1:100? That's worth that much?

Shi Jia raised an eyebrow. That's right, merit points are definitely valuable! Having done so many tasks, how could Shi Jia not understand the true meaning of contribution points?

"Sir, would you like to pay with contribution points?" the little girl asked expectantly.

Shi Jia shook her head, "No."

"Oh~" The little girl was a little disappointed.

"Take me around to see the sights first," Shi Jia said.

“Okay, sir, let me introduce myself first. I am 0916, the guide of the Azure Dragon Trading Company,” said the little girl 0916.

"Azure Dragon Trading Company? What about Vermilion Bird Trading Company? White Tiger? Black Tortoise?" Shi Jia asked casually, as she was completely unfamiliar with the structure of the Dimensional Administration Bureau. She rarely went to the commercial district during missions.

"Yes, but that's not all. The headquarters has a total of twelve commercial districts, all named after mythical beasts or exotic creatures," said Little Loli 0916.

Shi Jia nodded. "Are the shops in these commercial districts all from different worlds?"

She looked at the commercial street in front of her, which was not much different from the commercial streets she had seen before. The wide streets were lined with shops close together, but the only difference was that the shops had very different styles.

“Yes, but not every world can open a shop at the Dimensional Administration Bureau. It must be a world registered with the Cosmic Alliance at the mid-dimensional level or above, and it must have a powerful being at the nebula level or above.” The little girl explained patiently. “Of course, powerful races from higher-dimensional worlds have a place in every commercial district.”

As the little girl spoke, she pointed in one direction with her tiny finger, "Sir, look at those huge buildings."

Shi Jia looked in the direction she was pointing, and several magnificent buildings came into view. For a moment, Shi Jia didn't know where to look.

In the distance, a familiar palace, shimmering with seven-colored light and adorned with countless treasures, stood, shrouded in mist, resembling a fairyland.

"That's not a dragon's shop, is it?" Shi Jia couldn't help but swallow, not out of envy, but because she felt a little too full.

“Yes, those are shops owned by the Dragon Clan. The Dragon Clan shops in the Azure Dragon Trading Company are the largest,” the little girl said. “Of course, the Dragon Clan shops also have the most treasures and are very popular with adults.”

The two walked forward while talking.

However, Shi Jia's attention had already shifted from the palace to several buildings nearby, including a nine-story ancient building with mortise and tenon joints, red walls and green tiles, which was also shrouded in colorful spiritual mist.

On the other side of the ancient building is a simple stone building, with a huge sundial on top.

"A sundial? That's a shop owned by the Time Clan?" Shi Jia pointed to the stone building.

The little girl next to him, who had been enthusiastically introducing the subject, paused for a moment, then nodded. "Yes, the Time Clan is one of the most mysterious races in the higher-dimensional universe. They only open shops in the Azure Dragon Trading Company."

"Sir, would you like to go and take a look?" The little girl asked when she saw that she was interested.

"Let's take a look." Shi Jia nodded; her impression of her clansmen was still based on inherited memories.

"Of course, but I still have to remind you, sir." Data flashed in the little girl's eyes, and the rules regarding the Time Clan's shop appeared before her. "The Time Clan masters the laws of time, so time chaos may occur within the shop. If this happens, it might affect your lifespan." Of course, you might also obtain time treasures inside and increase your lifespan.

"No problem." As members of the Time Race, they no longer have the concept of lifespan. Their lives are almost eternal. There is only one condition for their death: the destruction of the world they have recorded and its disappearance from the universe.

“Okay, then stay close to me,” the little girl said.

The little girl led Shi Jia through the somewhat crowded people to the stone building entrance.

From a distance, Shi Jia only felt that the stone building was simple and ancient. But when he got closer, he felt its majesty and solemnity. Its magnanimity, which was detached from all things yet embraced all things, shocked Shi Jia.

"Sir, we've arrived. I'll be waiting for you outside," the little girl said, looking up at Shi Jia.

"Aren't you going in?" Shi Jia smiled after speaking, and without waiting for the little girl's reply, she stepped onto the stairs. The stone building was built on a huge rock, with stairs leading to the gate. Counting from the bottom up, there were a total of twenty-four steps, and the stone building sitting on it was obviously much taller than the buildings next to it.

One step, two steps, three steps... wait a minute! Shi Jia sensed the power of time emanating from the steps. One step equals one year of lifespan! Stepping onto these twenty-four steps would mean losing twenty-four years of lifespan, wouldn't it?

Shi Jia was very puzzled. Was the Time Clan trying to attract customers or turn them away? Well, although she was also a member of the Time Clan, she couldn't empathize with them, let alone understand their actions.

Is it still profitable?

She shrugged and continued upwards. After reaching the last step, a door shaped like an hourglass came into view.

The large gate, wider at the bottom and narrower at the top, resembles an inverted funnel. Above the gate is carved a funnel of the same size. The two funnels are connected to form the sand pool of the hourglass.

The quicksand pool above occasionally flashes with golden light. Upon closer inspection, one can see that the quicksand pool actually contains sand, and that the sand is gradually decreasing.

Shi Jia rubbed her neck and stepped into the hourglass with curiosity. The moment she stepped in, the sand in the upper sand pool was cleared, and the upper and lower sand pools instantly reversed.

Shi Jia only sensed fluctuations in spatial energy before finding herself standing in a space where time was chaotic. She opened her mouth wide in surprise. Before her was a seven-colored band of light, with various colorful fragments floating on both sides. Wasn't this a spacetime tunnel?
"How did I get here? Isn't this the Time Clan shop?"

As soon as she finished speaking, a gentle voice rang in her ears, "Eh? It's actually a junior from the clan?" The next moment, a man wearing a jade crown and a light green robe appeared in front of her.

Shi Jia suddenly felt surrounded by a life force, and the chaotic time around her seemed to become orderly.

"Junior Shi Jia greets senior." Shi Jia quickly bowed, of course, this bow was the one that the juniors of the Time Clan bowed to their elders according to their inherited memories.

As she bowed, a crystal crown appeared on her head. As if by magic, it shortened her hair considerably, leaving it barely reaching her ears. Then, an hourglass-shaped pattern appeared between her brows, a single crystal pendant dangling from her delicate earlobe, and a shimmering gold and silver necklace accentuated the radiance of her neck. A pale blue gauze dress appeared on her body, its hem adorned with starlight, as if from distant celestial bodies…

Shi Jia was astonished by the changes in her body. Then, she heard the man's voice again.

"Shi Jia? Oh, you're the newly grown junior of the Gu Yu lineage? You haven't been crowned yet?" The man noticed that the crystal crown on Shi Jia's head was still an illusion.

"Grain Rain Ancestor?" Shi Jia asked in surprise. Was she a branch of the Grain Rain Ancestor?