Chapter 61: Worshipping a God

“Huh?” Zhang Yu stared at the screen.

Is this some kind of remote, online god-worshipping?

Just then, he felt his phone vibrate.

Department of the People - All-Beings Innate God

Payment: 1000

Holy hell!

Zhang Yu was stunned; he never imagined that one tap to worship a god would cost him 1000.

But what he found even more unacceptable… was that he had never even set up a payment account for the Talisman Tome. It had just debited the money directly from his bank card?

Back at Songyang High School, when he had used the Detainment Talisman, Zhang Yu had been using the single free daily use granted to temporary members of the Investigation Team.

He tried to find a refund or customer service option, but his search turned up nothing.

Worried he might accidentally make another payment, he decided to contact Zhang Pianpian to ask about it.

After hearing Zhang Yu’s story, Zhang Pianpian replied, “That’s how worshipping a god works. One tap is one prayer, and it costs one thousand. A long press lets you pray continuously.”

Zhang Yu said, “That’s not… I get that I have to pay now, but the problem is I never set up a payment account. How can it just take money from my bank card without even asking me?”

Zhang Pianpian stated matter-of-factly, “That is the might of the gods. They can move funds from billions of accounts every second of every day.”

“If they couldn’t even withdraw money directly from your account, what right would they have to be called gods?”

She added a word of caution, “So, you can owe anyone money, but you must never, ever owe money to a god.”

What the hell…

Hearing this, Zhang Yu was speechless for a moment before he could only mutter, “The Eight Ministries of Righteous Gods are really something else.”

Zhang Pianpian said, “But you don’t need to be afraid. The Eight Ministries of Righteous Gods have their own rules; they won’t act recklessly.”

“This time, it only charged you 1000 because you chose to worship a god yourself.”

Zhang Yu sighed internally and asked, “Sis, can you just walk me through the functions of the Talisman Tome? I’m afraid I’ll get charged again by accident.”

Zhang Pianpian explained, “Daily worship of a deity is the most fundamental way to raise your faith level. The longer your continuous streak of worship, the greater the increase to your faith level with each prayer.”

“But if you miss a single day, you have to start all over again.”

“For those with a high faith level or experts in the Dao of talismans, daily worship is a mandatory practice.”

Zhang Yu understood now.

So it’s a daily check-in, is that it? Except the minimum cost for checking in each day is 1000.

Zhang Pianpian continued, “As for making offerings to a god, there are different methods like lighting incense, raising merit banners, and establishing memorial tablets. The more expensive the offering, the better the effect on your faith level. It can also grant miraculous effects like increasing the power of your talismans or granting special talisman privileges.”

“You can tap on ‘Make Offering’ to take a look. It won’t charge you for just looking at the options.”

That instant 1000 charge had genuinely spooked Zhang Yu. Hearing her reassurance, he cautiously tapped on the option to make an offering.

He saw a price list for various items like lighting incense, hanging a merit banner, setting up a memorial tablet, and chanting scriptures, with costs ranging from the hundreds to the tens of thousands.

After reading through the descriptions for a moment, it suddenly dawned on him… these all seemed to be remote offerings, where paying money would manifest the effect in a temple in the Spirit Realm.

Don’t tell me these are all virtual items!?

Zhang Yu finally understood how the Eight Ministries of Righteous Gods got their money. Every single one of these gods was practically raking in cash while lying down.

Zhang Pianpian went on to explain, “Consult a God, as the name implies, is for seeking guidance on the Dao of talismans. The costs here are very high, and your faith level is too low right now, so you don’t need to spend any money here.”

“The options further down, the ones shrouded in mist that you can’t see, all require a higher faith level to unlock. Don’t even think about them for now…”

After ending the call with Zhang Pianpian, Zhang Yu stared helplessly at the Talisman Tome, a bitter feeling welling up in his heart.

“This talisman stuff… is really too difficult.”

“How much money would it cost to win first place in the Daoist art competition?”

Just as Zhang Yu was lost in thought for a moment, the ritual countdown in his mind started blaring again, reminding him not to daze off and to get back to training.

Zhang Yu had no choice but to put these thoughts aside for now. He first mixed a cup of demonic beast meat powder for himself and drank it, then headed to the abandoned building, intending to start today’s practice.

In any case, the Daoist art competition was still months away; the most immediate event was the martial arts competition.

And when he thought of martial arts, Zhang Yu’s confidence instantly returned.

I have level 5 Freehand Combat, level 10 Limitless Cloud Hand, and level 6 Heavenly Martial Heart-Tempering Art. If I go all out in a combat competition, I’ll have a huge advantage. The problem is…

Zhang Yu thought to himself, I have to keep these trump cards hidden.

Especially the level 10 Limitless Cloud Hand, which was a cultivation technique he had just obtained from the Magic Power Competition.

If he were to use a level 10 Limitless Cloud Hand in the martial arts competition just over a month later, he was afraid it would attract far too much attention, to the point where not even Zhang Pianpian could protect him.

In the martial arts competition, I have to hide my high-level cultivation techniques, so for now, I need to focus on improving my fundamental attributes.

Arriving at the abandoned building, Zhang Yu once again began practicing the Heavenly Martial Heart-Tempering Art.

As the martial will in his sea of consciousness erupted, he began performing the nine disciplines of the Heavenly Martial Heart-Tempering Art, both internally and externally.

Under the effects of the art, Zhang Yu felt his blood boil and his body surge with motivation, a will to battle heaven and earth urging him to train relentlessly.

And just as Zhang Yu was wholeheartedly immersed in his training, relentlessly practicing the Heavenly Martial Heart-Tempering Art.

In the shadows of the abandoned building’s stairwell, a figure was silently observing the ascetically training Zhang Yu.

Zhou Tianyi thought to himself, I can’t give Zhang Yu any time to use his Talisman Tome.

I have to wait until he’s at his weakest, most powerless moment, and succeed with a single sneak attack…

After waiting for about two more hours.

Watching Zhang Yu’s movements gradually slow down, Zhou Tianyi held his breath and began to draw upon the magic power in his dantian… he was preparing to strike.

Swoosh!

The instant Zhang Yu turned his back, Zhou Tianyi shot forward like a gale, pushing his level 5 Rushing Wind Leg Technique to its absolute limit as he aimed a kick at the center of Zhang Yu’s back.

Seeing that he was already within three meters of Zhang Yu and his opponent had yet to fully turn around, a glint of triumph flashed in Zhou Tianyi’s eyes.

He was confident that with the power of his kick, he could knock Zhang Yu down the moment it connected.

Zhou Tianyi had already planned out the next few moves to follow up with after knocking Zhang Yu down, ensuring his opponent would be rendered completely unconscious.

In the very next instant, however, a burst of white, misty astral qi erupted from Zhang Yu’s back.

Bang!

Zhou Tianyi’s heart lurched as he felt his kick land as if on a wad of cotton, light and completely devoid of impact.

But a moment later, an overwhelming force rebounded violently with the white astral qi, slamming heavily into the sole of his foot.