"Is there truly no other way to obtain spiritual roots?"
Is this Cultivation War Order absolutely necessary?
Is Chen Ping An's money just windfall cash?
In response to Chen Ping An's indignation and confusion, the system's e-girlfriend shop popped up on the screen.
The first item displayed was the resplendent Water Spiritual Root, priced at a staggering 19.99 million¥. This top-tier elemental spiritual root was merely the most affordable option, with other roots listed at even more exorbitant prices, their zeros stretching longer than his lifespan.
There were no ordinary spiritual roots available.
This shop dealt exclusively in exceptional items.
To add insult to injury, the Water Spiritual Root was locked, with purchase rights only unlocking once Fang Qingzhi reached the Nascent Soul realm.
This was sheer madness.
Wouldn't it be wiser to use 19.99 million to treat his cancer? If cured, he could live a life of leisure for a lifetime.
Thus, this game never intended for him to acquire spiritual roots through purchases!
"Ha, what else is there to say?"
Chen Ping An let out a bitter chuckle.
Considering that this wretched game had, by some twist of fate, unlocked his genetic potential,
he supposed he could just... recharge!
Another substantial sum vanished from his Yi Payment account.
Chen Ping An collapsed onto the sofa, the intense sense of emptiness surpassing even the aftermath of an intimate encounter, and with a history far more profound.
"Meow..."
A feeble mewl reached his ears.
Chen Ping An shot up like a carp breaking the surface, rushing to the shoebox.
"Hey, little guy, you're pretty tough!"
Compared to its earlier miserable state, the little black kitten had visibly improved. It could now move within the shoebox, though its wounds still looked severe. Upon closer inspection, they seemed to have healed somewhat since his bath.
"I, Chen Ping An, am truly a genius."
This time, Chen Ping An made a definitive statement.
But he immediately shook his head and gave a self-mocking smile: "Unfortunately, my days are numbered."
Unnoticed by him, the black kitten was intently staring at his neck, its pitch-black pupils flickering with a crimson glow of murderous intent.
"Eat... eat him..."
"If I eat him again, my injuries will heal..."
"A mere bird isn't enough to satisfy my hunger..."
"What are you staring at?"
Chen Ping An and the black kitten locked eyes.
Noticing Chen Ping An's gaze, the kitten's fierce expression softened. Its originally slit pupils rounded, and it let out a muffled "meow."
"Still not feeling well?" Chen Ping An stroked his chin. "How about this..."
He turned his back, leaving it completely exposed.
[Opportunity!]
The black cat arched its back, poised to pounce.
Its fur bristled, and its eyes blazed with murderous intent.
But in the next moment, the man abruptly turned around,
his left hand clutching a set of silver needles,
his right hand gripping the back of its neck.
The black cat's eyes widened in shock!
*Dammit... What did this wretched human do? Why can't I move... This frail body of mine, just move already!*
"Just reinforced the acupuncture once more!" Chen Ping An lifted the little black cat onto the sofa, hastily wrapped it in a towel, and continued the treatment.
No telling if this cat had rabies.
Now that it could move, better to be cautious.
No need to get scratched and end up at the hospital for rabies shots.
Too costly.
*Dammit... How dare this lowly human wrap me in a towel...*
The black cat writhed and snarled.
Chen Ping An was prepared. He swiftly inserted needles into two acupoints.
The black cat's eyes bulged again.
What kind of technique was this?!
Once again, it couldn't move.
"Remarkable," Chen Ping An mused as he continued needling. "Even if I can't use this on humans in the future, I could fake a vet license and open a pet clinic. I might make a fortune, and those pet owners would even send me thank-you banners."
"Speaking of which, is this a male or female cat?"
Chen Ping An lifted the tail for a look.
"Oh, it's a male... Grow up strong, and I'll personally perform your neutering. No need to hassle other female cats..."
Black Cat: ???
*What did this human say? He's going to neuter me?*
*Unacceptable... Unacceptable!*
*Eat him, must eat him!!!*
As Chen Ping An kept treating it,
the black cat suddenly realized its wounds were healing rapidly, and the pain within was fading. The silver needles didn't cause agony but instead channeled a warm current into its body, lulling it into a drowsy comfort.
*This human... seems to have uses beyond being eaten... This acupuncture might actually heal injuries? So this era still has practitioners of golden needle secrets? Interesting...*
*Then I'll wait until he finishes healing me before devouring him!
Once the golden needle secret technique is mine～
Roar roar roar roar...*
...
[Your electronic girlfriend has fully absorbed the Immortal-grade · Primeval Mending Pill]
A window popped up in the game.
Out of the corner of his eye, Chen Ping An caught sight of it and his heart instantly leaped with joy.
In a few quick motions, he removed the silver needles from the black cat, flipped them into the shoebox with a precise toss. The box bounced on the sofa, its lid snapping shut with a click.
Black Cat: "..."
My injuries aren't fully healed yet!
"Meow—!!!"
[Human, I will have you die!!!]
Ignoring the black cat's furious scratching and ranting inside the shoebox, Chen Ping An focused entirely on Fang Qingzhi.
[Status: Meditating, Dantian generation in progress]
[Cultivation Progress: 3679/5999 (Level 6)]
[Remaining Lifespan: 273 years]
[Likability: 50 (Admiration)]
"Whoa, this status is on fire!"
Seeing Fang Qingzhi's lifespan extended to 273 years, Chen Ping An felt a mix of relief and envy. At twelve o'clock, the game prompt had refreshed again, predicting his remaining lifespan at 129 days.
Chen Ping An didn't believe it, but he was indeed a short-lived individual and naturally envied those with longevity. However, he soon came to terms with it.
The game's time aligned with real time.
That meant, as long as he spent generously and ensured no accidents befell Fang Qingzhi, even after his death, as long as the game company didn't delete the account, Fang Qingzhi would continue to exist with his traces for over two hundred years.
He suddenly felt that his previous spending wasn't such a big deal. Of course, this was predicated on the game company playing fair.
He had heard of games shutting down abruptly, with players' hard-earned characters vanishing into thin air. The compensation offered was often worthless items from other games under the same company.
What was the difference between this and destroying someone's property?
Fortunately, upon entering the game, he hadn't encountered the notorious disclaimer: "The game company reserves the right to final interpretation."
Meanwhile, on his phone, a change occurred around Fang Qingzhi.
The curtains ceased their swaying, the dust storms around the hut gradually subsided, and the spiritual energy fluctuations stabilized. Chen Ping An observed golden, plant-like sprouts emerging beside the girl. Their growth spanned wider and wider, eventually covering the entire room. Buds began to form on the sprouts—something extraordinary was about to come into being!
[Fang Qingzhi is entering the final stage of her new Dantian formation. A First-Rank Dantian is likely to attract covetous attention. Would you like to recharge 88¥ to protect Fang Qingzhi?]
"Another money-making scheme?" Chen Ping An's lips curled into a disdainful smile.
Here, failing to protect Fang Qingzhi during her Dantian recovery would surely lead to failure, and who knew what ancient monster might emerge to snatch her Dantian away... As for whether it could be snatched? The game was developed by them; hadn't accidents always been a matter of a single program's design?
Fortunately, 88¥ wasn't much, and Chen Ping An recharged directly.
[Please select your protection method:
After scanning the list of packages, Chen Ping An's lips twitched.
He had been too naive.
The 88¥ was merely the key to unlock the spending spree.
Without paying the 88¥, one wasn't even eligible to spend more!
Now that he had paid the 88¥, the question was whether to spend more or not!
However, the add-on options weren't too unreasonable. The packages provided were undoubtedly standard protections to help Fang Qingzhi through this tribulation. Opting for the more expensive ones was merely for show-offs. He could even predict that once the game officially launched, when players reached this stage, the big spenders would enjoy full-screen special effects, visible to other players and their electronic girlfriends, leaving them drooling with envy. Most regular players would likely choose the low-tier protection package with minimal effects.
Selecting such a package wouldn't hinder game progress.
Chen Ping An, not one to be a sucker, naturally chose the low-tier protection package.
Strangely enough, he, who usually found 15¥ delivery too expensive, now considered the 188¥ package somewhat reasonable.
This was just the limited-time promotional price; how much would it originally cost? Deceptive money-sucking games were truly terrifying!
[Low-tier Protection Package activated!]
Chen Ping An watched as a lightning-flashing formation quickly formed around Fang Qingzhi's hut, covering a radius of one hundred meters before vanishing.
Simultaneously, ten Immortal-grade Thunderfire talismans were pasted around the hut. Inside the room, on the table in front of Fang Qingzhi, a massive talisman—nine yang purple thunder talisman—flashed with purple lightning. Adorned with intricate, mysterious symbols, it was as long as an adult's arm.
"The next step is surely a monster siege, right?"
Chen Ping An folded his arms, already well-versed in the game's progression.
At this moment, Fang Qingzhi's Dantian reconstruction had entered its final stage, with the progress bar reaching 90%.
...
Cangyun Realm, Wan Qing Mountain.
A lifeless, rocky ridge.
Concealed beneath towering peaks lay a pitch-black pool,
where a pair of sinister eyes suddenly snapped open.
"Delicious! What a divine aroma!"
"This... this scent is of a Dantian, an exceptional Dantian! Unbelievable, in this era there's still a peerless talent capable of condensing an exceptional Dantian!"
"Kkkkk! The heavens favor me! Truly, the heavens favor me!!!"