"Ah?" Zhang Yu muttered to himself as he watched the scene unfold before him.
"Are they really paying homage to the gods remotely through the internet?"
Just then, he felt his phone vibrate.
"Ministry of Ten Thousand People - Great God of All Living Beings Payment: 1000"
"What the hell!"
Zhang Yu was stunned.
He hadn’t expected that a single click to pay homage to a god would cost him 1,000 yuan.
What was even more unacceptable was that he hadn’t even set up a payment account for the talisman book.
How did it just deduct money directly from his bank card?
Back when he used the detention talisman at Songyang High School, he had relied on the daily free quota provided to temporary workers of the inspection team.
Now, he frantically searched for any option to refund or contact customer service, but found nothing.
Worried that he might accidentally make another payment, he decided to contact Zhang Pianpian for advice.
After hearing Zhang Yu’s predicament, Zhang Pianpian replied, "Paying homage to the gods works like this. One click, one homage, 1,000 yuan each time. If you hold it down, you can pay homage multiple times in a row."
Zhang Yu: "No, I get that now. The problem is, I didn’t even set up a payment account. How did it just take money from my bank card without even asking?"
Zhang Pianpian said matter-of-factly, "That’s the power of the gods. They can access billions of accounts at any moment. If they couldn’t even withdraw money directly from your account, how could they be called gods?"
She added, "So, no matter whose money you owe, never owe the gods."
Zhang Yu was speechless.
After a moment of silence, he muttered, "The Eight Great Gods are really something."
Zhang Pianpian reassured him, "But don’t worry. The Eight Great Gods have their own rules. They won’t act recklessly. This time, it was you who chose to pay homage, so they charged you 1,000 yuan."
Zhang Yu sighed and asked, "Sis, can you just explain the functions of the talisman book to me? I’m afraid I’ll accidentally get charged again."
Zhang Pianpian explained, "Paying homage to the gods daily is the most basic way to increase your faith level. The longer you maintain the streak, the greater the boost to your faith level with each homage. But if you miss a day, you have to start over. For those with high faith levels or powerful talisman masters, daily homage is a must."
Zhang Yu understood now.
It was like a daily check-in, except the minimum cost was 1,000 yuan.
Zhang Pianpian continued, "As for offerings to the gods, there are different methods like lighting incense, hanging merit banners, setting up offering tablets, and so on. The more expensive the offering, the greater the boost to your faith level. It can also enhance the power of your talismans and grant you special privileges. You can check out the offerings section. Clicking into it won’t cost you anything."
Zhang Yu, still shaken by the sudden 1,000 yuan deduction, cautiously clicked on the offerings section.
He saw a price list for various offerings, ranging from hundreds to tens of thousands of yuan.
After reading the descriptions, it dawned on him—these were all remote offerings.
The money he spent would be used in the divine realm’s temples.
"Are these all virtual items?!" Zhang Yu finally realized why the Eight Great Gods were so wealthy.
These gods were literally making money while doing nothing.
Zhang Pianpian went on, "As for consulting the gods, as the name suggests, it’s about seeking guidance on talisman techniques. The cost is high, and since your faith level is too low, you don’t need to spend money here yet. The options below, shrouded in mist, require a higher faith level to unlock. Don’t think too much about them for now…"
After ending the call with Zhang Pianpian, Zhang Yu looked at the talisman book with a bitter expression.
"This talisman stuff… it’s really tough. How much money would it take to win first place in the talisman competition?"
As Zhang Yu pondered this, the countdown timer in his mind started beeping again, reminding him not to dawdle and to focus on his cultivation.
Reluctantly, he set aside his thoughts, mixed some beast meat powder into a drink, and headed to the abandoned building to begin his daily training.
After all, the talisman competition was still months away.
The most immediate challenge was the martial arts competition.
Thinking about martial arts, Zhang Yu’s confidence surged.
"Right now, my freehand combat is at level 5, Infinite Cloud Hands at level 10, and Heavenly Martial Refining Heart Technique at level 6. If I go all out in the competition, I’ll have a huge advantage. But the problem is…" Zhang Yu thought to himself, "I need to keep these trump cards hidden."
Especially the level 10 Infinite Cloud Hands, which he had only recently acquired during the talisman competition.
If he were to use it in the martial arts competition just over a month later, he feared it would draw too much attention, and even Zhang Pianpian might not be able to protect him.
"In the martial arts competition, I need to hide my high-level techniques. So for now, I should focus on improving my basic skills."
With that in mind, Zhang Yu arrived at the abandoned building and began practicing the Heavenly Martial Refining Heart Technique once more.
As the martial intent in his mind surged, he simultaneously executed the nine sets of techniques, both internally and externally.
Under the influence of the technique, Zhang Yu felt his blood boiling with energy, and a fierce fighting spirit urged him to push himself to the limit.
As Zhang Yu immersed himself in his training, a figure silently observed him from the shadows of the building’s staircase.
Zhou Tianyi thought to himself, "I can’t let Zhang Yu have the chance to use the talisman book. I need to strike when he’s at his weakest and most vulnerable…"
After waiting for over two hours, Zhou Tianyi noticed Zhang Yu’s movements slowing down.
Holding his breath, he gathered the energy in his dantian, preparing to strike.
Whoosh!
The moment Zhang Yu turned his back, Zhou Tianyi lunged forward like a gust of wind.
His level 5 Gale Leg Technique reached its peak as he aimed a powerful kick at Zhang Yu’s back.
Seeing that he was within three meters of Zhang Yu and that his target hadn’t fully turned around, a glint of triumph flashed in Zhou Tianyi’s eyes.
He was confident that this kick would be enough to knock Zhang Yu down.
In his mind, he already planned the follow-up moves to ensure Zhang Yu would be completely incapacitated.
But in the next moment, a white mist-like energy erupted from Zhang Yu’s back.
Boom!
Zhou Tianyi’s heart skipped a beat as his kick felt like it had landed on cotton, with no resistance at all.
But before he could react, a tremendous force surged through the white energy and slammed into the sole of his foot.
(End of Chapter)