"Huh?" Zhang Yu studied the scene and thought to himself, *So I'm worshiping the god remotely, over the internet?*
Just then, he suddenly felt his phone buzz.
Myriad-People Ministry—Myriad-Born Great God
Payment: 1000
What the hell!
Zhang Yu was stunned. He hadn't expected that a single tap on "Prostrate Worship" would cost him a thousand yuan.
And what he found even harder to accept... was that he'd never even set up a payment account for the registry book, yet the money had been deducted straight from his bank card.
Back when he'd cast the binding charm at Songyang High, Zhang Yu had used the free daily allowance that came with being a patrol-team temp worker.
He went looking for a refund option or a customer-service button, but searched high and low without finding a trace of one.
Afraid he might accidentally spend money again, he decided to call Zhang Pianpian and ask.
Hearing what Zhang Yu had to say, Zhang Pianpian replied, "That's how worshipping works. Tap once, bow once—a thousand per bow. Hold it down and it bows repeatedly."
Zhang Yu: "No, no—I understand that tapping costs money now. The problem is I never set up a payment account. How can the god take money from my bank card without so much as asking me first?"
Zhang Pianpian said it as the most natural thing in the world: "That's the power of the gods. Every second of every minute, they can mobilize funds from countless billions of accounts."
"If they couldn't even skim money straight from your account, what right would they have to call themselves gods?"
She reminded him, "So whatever you owe, never owe the gods."
I swear to god... Zhang Yu was at a loss for words at that, and could only mutter gloomily, "These orthodox gods of the Eight Offices really are something."
Zhang Pianpian said, "Still, you don't need to be afraid. The orthodox gods of the Eight Offices have their own rules—they won't act recklessly."
"This time it was your own choice to worship, so the thousand came out of you."
Zhang Yu sighed inwardly, then asked, "Sis, just tell me straight what those functions in the registry book do. I'm scared I'll get charged again by accident."
Zhang Pianpian said, "Worshipping the gods daily is the most basic way to raise your faith level. The longer your streak of worship, the more each worship raises your faith level."
"But miss a single day, and you have to start all over."
"For those at a high faith level, or the strong in the art of charms, daily worship of the gods is a required daily lesson."
Zhang Yu got it—so it was a daily check-in, then, except a single day's check-in cost at least a thousand.
Zhang Pianpian went on: "As for making offerings, that splits into different methods—lighting incense, hanging merit banners, raising support altar tablets, and so on. The more expensive the offering, the better the effect on your faith level, and it can even come with special perks like boosting charm power or unlocking extra charm privileges."
"You can tap into 'Make Offerings' to take a look. Once you're in, you still need to pick an item, but it won't charge you."
Zhang Yu had been thoroughly spooked by that thousand-yaun charge, so only now did he gingerly tap the "Make Offerings" option.
There spread before him a price list of different items—lighting incense, hanging merit banners, raising support altar tablets, chanting scriptures, and more—with prices ranging from the hundreds up to the tens of thousands.
And after reading a bit into the descriptions, it suddenly dawned on him... these were all remote offerings. Spend the money, and it takes effect back in the divine temple of the spirit world.
Then these can't possibly all be virtual items, right!?
Now Zhang Yu finally understood why the orthodox gods of the Eight Offices were so rich—each and every one of those deities practically earned money lying down.
Zhang Pianpian went on with her explanation: "'Ask for Guidance,' as the name suggests, is asking the gods for instruction in the way of charms. The costs there are very high, and since your faith level is still too low, there's no need for you to spend in that direction for now."
"And the options below, the ones shrouded in mist that you can't see, only open up at higher faith levels. Don't dwell on them for now..."
When he hung up with Zhang Pianpian, Zhang Yu stared helplessly at the registry book before him, a bitter taste filling his heart.
"These charms... are way too hard."
"Just how much would it cost to win first place in the high-level Dao-art competition?"
As Zhang Yu sank into thought for a moment, the ritual's countdown inside his mind cried out again, reminding him not to space out but to get back to serious training.
Zhang Yu had no choice but to set aside such thoughts for the time being. First he poured out some beast-essence powder and brewed himself a cup to drink, then headed to the unfinished building to begin the day's practice.
After all, the Dao-art competition was still several months off; the nearest competition on the horizon was the martial-arts contest.
And just thinking of martial arts shot Zhang Yu's confidence back up in an instant.
"My free-hand is level 5, my Eternal Cloud Hands level 10, my Heavenly Martial Heart-Tempering Art level 6. If I went all out in a real-combat competition, I'd have a huge advantage. But the problem is..."
Zhang Yu thought to himself, *These trump cards need to be hidden.*
Especially his level-10 Eternal Cloud Hands—that was a technique he'd only obtained at the magic-weapon competition.
If he were to unleash a level-10 Eternal Cloud Hands at the martial-arts contest a month and more later, he was afraid it would draw way too much attention, and even Zhang Pianpian might not be able to shield him.
"For the martial-arts contest, I have to hide my highest-level techniques, so for now I need to keep building up my fundamentals."
Arriving at the unfinished building, Zhang Yu began cultivating the Heavenly Martial Heart-Tempering Art once more.
Together with the martial intent exploding from within his sea of consciousness, both the inner and outer paths of the nine sets of martial arts under the Heavenly Martial Heart-Tempering Art began to work at once.
Under the effect of the Heavenly Martial Heart-Tempering Art, Zhang Yu felt his blood surge hot through his whole body, power brimming, a will to battle heaven and earth urging him to train with wild abandon.
And while Zhang Yu threw himself wholly into cultivation, grinding away at the Heavenly Martial Heart-Tempering Art, a figure lurked in the shadows at the stairs of the unfinished building, silently watching him train.
Zhou Tianyi thought to himself, *I can't give Zhang Yu any time to use the registry book.*
*I have to wait until he's at his most exhausted, his most defenseless, and land one single sneak attack to finish it...*
After waiting roughly two hours, Zhou Tianyi watched the movements growing steadily slower and stiffer, held his breath, his concentration sharp, and gradually gathered the spirit power in his lower dantian... It was time to strike.
Swoosh!
The instant Zhang Yu turned his back, Zhou Tianyi swept in like a gale, his level-5 Gale Leg Art pushed to its limit, a single kick already hurtling toward Zhang Yu's back.
Seeing he'd closed within three meters of Zhang Yu while the other man still hadn't fully turned around, a glint flashed in Zhou Tianyi's eyes.
He was confident that with the force of this single kick, if it landed, it would be enough to knock Zhang Yu down.
In his mind, Zhou Tianyi had already imagined which follow-up strikes he'd chain in once Zhang Yu hit the ground, to beat him into unconsciousness completely.
Yet in the next moment, a mist-like white Cloud-Mist Aegis burst violently from the small of Zhang Yu's back.
Boom!
Zhou Tianyi's heart lurched in alarm. He felt as if he'd kicked a wad of cotton—light, with no purchase at all.
But the next instant, a tremendous force rebounded off the white Formless Cloud Qi with savage power, slamming heavily into the sole of his foot.