Chapter 116 Forced Borrowing
Fang Zhuo had read about the technique used by Jin Qi in the original text.
Previously, the Diamond Sutra's power was extremely excessive. Users could remotely control the mobile phone screens of everyone within a 100-meter radius, automatically transferring all the money these people had extracted from microloan platforms into their own accounts, which was equivalent to forced borrowing.
The Diamond Sutra's strength lies in the fact that users can temporarily enhance their power with this forcibly collected money, and after the competition ends, they can go to the innocent masses whose rice was taken away and get promissory notes.
However, as the practice gradually spread, more and more people discovered that users of the practice simply couldn't repay the money, and the Diamond Sutra became an interest-free loan with no time limit.
Just last year, this technique underwent an online OTA update, patching the system to extend the remote control range from a radius of 100 meters to within the team, effectively mitigating the risk of losing money.
Although the Diamond Sutra has been significantly weakened, it is still the current T0 level cultivation method of Huangqiu.
At this moment, the golden light behind Jin Qi surged inch by inch, and the numbers above his head displayed the price of the Dharma Image.
From 100,000 to 500,000, this number briefly stopped at 8 million.
Jin Qi's teammates in the audience all looked ashen-faced, and one of them shouted:
"Brother, please stop lending me money. I'm just here to work. If I keep borrowing like this, I'll really have to pay my own way to work."
"Ah Qi, take it easy a little, think about the Beast Sect for once..."
"Dude, don't mess around. Didn't you say before the competition that you would never use the Diamond Sutra? Damn, I myself am reluctant to give up my small loan from MiTuan. Overdue payments on such a legitimate platform will go to the credit bureau."
Jin Qi's eyes were bloodshot, like a gambler who had lost everything, and he ignored his teammates' requests.
The amount on the Vajra Shield grew larger and larger until it reached an astonishing 26 million spirit stones.
Once the Dharma Form is formally formed, as long as you use a weapon within five levels of the level difference to strike it, the opponent will automatically pay double the amount of spirit stones to the user of the technique with each strike. Only by paying ten times the price can you successfully cause real damage to the original owner's body.
This thing is just like the savory pancakes sold at street stalls; they charge you for it if you just pass by.
Jin Qi raised the corners of his mouth and smiled.
He wanted to see if the renowned leader of the Giants Sect would be willing to spend over two hundred million to break the shield.
Since the Dharma form has already taken shape, whatever the other party does will benefit him.
He calmly clenched his fist and swung his right fist at the attacker.
The towering, illusory image behind him mirrored his movements, swiftly throwing a punch forward.
Fang Zhuo took a step back, his figure barely brushing past the illusory image's fist wind, the edges of his hair slightly scorched by the illusory image's burning fist wind.
Before Jin Qi could make a second move, Fang Zhuo's fingertip traced a line across the spiked broadsword—
Blood gushed out, and a monetary value appeared in mid-air as well.
With the addition of the precious pearl, this broadsword is level eighteen, exactly four levels lower than the weapon Jin Qi used before activating the Diamond Sutra. Logically, he should have to pay over a hundred million to break through this barrier no matter what.
However, the system had previously given him a book on the art of turning stones into gold, which allowed him to spend excessive amounts of spirit stones to forcibly upgrade the level of magical artifacts.
As long as he upgrades his weapon by one level on the arena, he can break through the shield with a single click by taking advantage of the huge level difference between the magical artifacts.
As for spirit stones? Those are the last thing he lacks.
Blood slid down the sword's edge, and the values on the broadsword were rapidly increasing, first reaching 35 million, and then soaring to 110 million.
When the amount finally jumped to 150 million, the amount on it suddenly dropped to zero, and at the same time, a dazzling white light burst forth between heaven and earth.
Jin Qi recalled that number in disbelief, his pupils dilating slightly.
While weapon level measurement methods typically remain at level 15, the opponent actually managed to create the first divine weapon of level 19 or higher in the entire Wasteland by simply spending money.
Jin Qi's eyes were bloodshot.
Impossible. How could someone possibly come up with over 100 million yuan without borrowing any money at all?
Even though he has the backing of the Moon-Gazing Beast Sect, he can only borrow a little more money than others. Does this person have more funds than a sect with a thousand-year history?
With a crisp cracking sound, the shield shattered the instant the broadsword struck the Vajra Shield, and the illusory Dharma image transformed into a gust of wind, disappearing into the air in an instant.
The more than 20 million spirit stones he had previously spent were reduced to dust.
It felt as if a corner of his heart had collapsed along with his 20 million yuan debt.
Jin Qi maintained his punching motion, but the opponent's sword strike was already upon him, scraping from his right shoulder down to his left waist and abdomen, leaving a huge bloodstain several tens of centimeters long and five millimeters deep on his chest.
His black training uniform, already tattered from the wind from the broadsword, was now completely torn apart, leaving him with absolutely no dignity.
Jin Qi could even hear whispers coming from the audience.
"The ticket value has been recovered. These two burned through nearly 200 million in just five minutes. They're having a blast."
"The Crown Prince doesn't seem to be doing so well either. He's willing to sacrifice his teammates for just over 20 million spirit stones. I thought his father would have arranged things for him before the competition..."
"He borrowed over 20 million on one hand and spent over 100 million on the other. This game was entertaining, but there was no suspense at all. I don't know how Brother Fang will lose."
"It seems the Beast Sect is nothing special, all bark and no bite."
"The stock of the Beast Sect has been on a downward trend for almost half a year."
"Hey, I heard from their higher-ups that the Beast Sect's cash flow is not good. They have been delaying payments to the farmers. Last month, several hundred farmers even went to the Beast Sect's headquarters to arrest people."
"The Beast Sect's money didn't come from any legitimate channels. See that little girl who's over two meters tall in Brother Fang's group? She was controlled by the Crown Prince's sect for many years. That little sect has been selling magical artifacts to the Beast Sect at low prices. They're all bad news, so if they go bankrupt, they go bankrupt."
"I made a fortune! Before the match, I bet 10,000 spirit stones on the Giants to win, and I'll make over 20,000 spirit stones in return. A friend of mine who's an incredibly accurate tarot reader helped me with the calculations. Do you want me to introduce you to him?"
"This weapon is amazing! Brother Fang, could you give us this broadsword as a souvenir after the match?"
"How many dishes did you eat to get this drunk?"
Jin Qi clutched his chest and knelt on the ground, his hands trembling uncontrollably upon hearing these words.
He is not only the so-called crown prince of the Moon-Gazing Beast Sect, but also the face of the sect.
If he loses the arena match today, the news will spread throughout the entire desolate hill tomorrow. Losing face is a minor issue; more importantly, it will affect the stock price of the Beast Sect.
The Beast Sect sells a large number of spirit beasts every year, making it arguably the sect in the entire Wilderness Hill that most needs advertising. It cannot undermine the market's trust in the Beast Sect's long-term development and affect the brand's sales.
In another month, it will be time for the newly graduated cultivators to apply for positions in sects, and he doesn't want the newcomers to think that the Beast Sect has no future at this crucial juncture.
For the sake of the Beast Sect's profits, he had no choice but to make things difficult for the lower-level cultivators in the Qi Refining stage within the sect.
He believed that if his father had been there, he would have made the same decision.
Jin Qi slapped the arena with both hands and summoned a talisman of life and death from his waist.
If there were any members of the Beast Cult present, they would immediately recognize the symbols on the talisman.
This is a contract that all employees of the Beast Sect must sign when they first join the sect. According to the contract, all employees in the Qi Refining stage voluntarily abide by this pioneer's declaration and will unconditionally dedicate everything they have before reaching the Foundation Establishment stage.
Time, health, even soul... the disciples of the Beast Sect voluntarily give up everything they possess, however insignificant, for the long-term development of the sect and their personal growth.
After all, this is a major platform, and which major sect would be willing to give lower-level cultivators such an opportunity to train themselves and improve their cultivation?
With a roar, Jin Qi prostrated himself on the talisman, letting the yellow paper draw a puff of white breath from his nostrils.
The moment the talisman took effect, all the Qi Refining stage employees of the Beast Clan throughout the desolate hills felt that something was amiss.
The food in the canteen no longer emitted a rich aroma, the stench in the toilets seemed to vanish in an instant, and even the yellow sewage that had spread to the entrance of the building had become odorless.
However, only a few people noticed the anomaly immediately. The vast majority of people around were focused on cultivating and no one paid attention to this small change. Even if you asked a senior colleague, you would only get the reply, "Nothing happened."
Someone posted a question on the internal forum, but the post quickly disappeared as if it had never existed.
Jin Qi sacrificed the sense of smell of all the Qi Refining stage disciples of the Moon-Gazing Beast Sect.
As the talisman floated into the air, white text on it lit up, displaying settlement instructions—
"The Moon-Embracing Beast Sect's Shared Life and Death Talisman has been activated a total of four times."
"The total value of this sacrifice is equivalent to 1.5 billion spirit stones."
Picking up the twin blood-stained blades again, Jin Qi wiped the talisman on the blades, and the symbols on the talisman were immediately imprinted on the blades. The entire blade gleamed with an ominous red light, even more ferocious than the virtual dharma image from before.
He roared, "Fang Zhuo, let's play another round!"
Fang Zhuo: "..."
Is this crown prince a little crazy?
Although the live stream camera didn't capture the exact details, he could see every move the other person made while on site.
In order to win a single round of the arena, the Crown Prince actually sold off almost half of his sect.
Even for an ordinary cultivator, joining the Moon-Gazing Beast Sect is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and he even wanted to stab the Crown Prince in the back for the sake of the sect's employees.
If Jin Qi isn't completely rendered incapacitated this time, he has a reasonable suspicion that the other party might do something even more heinous to raise money.
He slashed the broadsword across the back of his hand and used the Midas Touch technique again, causing the amount on the broadsword to rise rapidly once more.
After the broadsword reached level 20, Fang Zhuo did not stop, but let the amount of spirit stones continue to soar.
The amount required to go from level 20 to level 21 was even more outrageous, until the amount reached nearly 400 million before it was reset to zero.
But Fang Zhuo still didn't stop.
Looking at the official photographer's expression, he realized that the live stream had attracted far more attention than expected, making it an excellent opportunity.
The cash rebates from the previous wave of disciples' improved cultivation are more than enough, so using some spirit stones for advertising is a win-win situation.
After spending 1.2 billion to upgrade the weapon to level 24, Fang Zhuo took out the second gem given to him by the system from his storage ring. Due to time constraints, he crudely fused the gem directly into the hilt of the sword.
Level 25, a level that no artifact in the entire Wasteland has ever reached.
A surge of sword intent traveled from the tip of the sword to his fingertips. For a fleeting moment, Fang Zhuo almost felt that the sword was a part of his body.
His comprehension of swordsmanship reached its peak, and he purchased the Taixu Powang Sword Manual from Wanbaoge online for 80 million.
The top-level sword technique, which was once said to be only decipherable by genius sword cultivators in the late Nascent Soul stage, was now easily mastered after just one mental review.
He completed the entire sequence of movements in the blink of an eye, and when he opened his eyes again, Jin Qi's twin blades were almost right in front of his neck.
Using the second move of the Tai Xu Po Wang Sword Technique, "Illusion," Fang Zhuo flipped in mid-air to block the blade tip that was right in front of him.
The runes on the blade shimmered with light, and every move Jin Qi made consumed a large amount of spirit stones.
The twin blades were now stained with a deep, almost dripping, crimson blood, and the sheer amount of spirit stones had pushed their power to a terrifying level.
Jin Qi gripped the twin swords tightly with his fingers, his gaze almost spitting fire.
The next second, two top-tier divine weapons, rarely seen even in the entire desolate hills, clashed head-on.
A thunderclap flashed across the sky, and lightning bolts shot straight down towards the arena, yet not a single person retreated an inch.
Dark clouds pressed down heavily.
Jin Qi's eyes were fixed intently on the point where the two divine weapons met, unleashing his full late-stage Golden Core cultivation. However, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that the blood on the twin blades was uncontrollably fading away.
The spirit stones on the talisman were being consumed faster than he had anticipated.
At that moment, he even thought of self-destructing his golden core, but the change came faster than expected. The blade shattered in two instantly, and the broadsword's light came straight at him.
Before he could even detonate his golden core, Jin Qi instinctively closed his eyes.
I'm not reconciled, I'm not reconciled, it's ended just like that.
How much money does the Giants Sect actually have? How could Fang Zhuo produce over a billion yuan on the spot and even inlay two high-level gems into the divine artifact?
He had just borrowed over 20 million spirit stones and sacrificed the senses of the lower-level cultivators to obtain over 1 billion spirit stones, but all of this did not bring victory. Instead, he became a control group for the other side.
He shouldn't have underestimated his opponent, nor should he have accepted the challenge. If it happened again, he would rather simply refuse the arena match due to sect affairs than admit that the Beast Sect's financial reserves were less than half that of the Giant Sect.
A metallic taste filled his throat, and he instinctively wanted to cough up blood, but then he heard his best friend urgently say beside him:
“Aqi’s physical body is gone. Quickly bring over any magic artifact that can withstand his soul, and wait for the Beast Sect Master to buy him a new physical body.”
The person next to him ran over with something in his hand and complained, "His soul has been separated from his body for a long time, which has greatly reduced his cultivation. Why don't you buy him a physical body now to help him recover?"
"Stop talking nonsense. Do you think I have the money to buy it right now? All my microloan platforms have been emptied by A Qi. I'm still waiting for the Beast Sect Master to come and pay me back."
"Damn, but this thing is ridiculous for storing souls. Why don't we let the boss stay in my Ten Thousand Soul Banner for a while?"
"Can't you spew out some useful ideas from that dog mouth of yours? Tell me the truth, do you want to refine A Qi's soul in your Ten Thousand Soul Banner?"
"Hehe, how could that be?"
Jin Qi opened his eyes. At this moment, his head was throbbing, and he was still thinking about how the Giant Sect got those billions of spirit stones.
The next second, he saw where he was in the reflection of the official camera lens—a red and pink lucky cat.
The cheers at the scene were deafening, with some audience members shouting Fang Zongzhu's name, and the official photographers' eyes were filled with overflowing excitement.
The host is loudly announcing the results of the match:
"Giant Sect challenges Moon-Embracing Beast Sect Team Two - Giant Sect wins the first round."
"The winning team member will have the first choice to challenge their opponent one-on-one in the second round."
“Song Mingsi selected Mo Mancang.”
Patting the lucky cat's head, Mo Mancang picked up the magic weapon: "Don't worry, Aqi, I will definitely avenge you. Wait here for a while."
Jin Qi's first reaction wasn't to grieve for his lost physical body, but to stop his brother: "Put your phone next to me, I want to see the comments in the live stream."
All he cared about was how much negative impact his recent defeat had had on the Beast Sect, and whether it would affect the stock price when the market opened tomorrow.
Mo Mancang hesitated for a moment: "Aqi, be prepared. You know, netizens don't always say nice things."
Hesitantly, Mo Mancang turned on his phone screen. He didn't want Jin Qi to see the comments that might affect his mindset.
But upon seeing the seven or eight newly added microloan apps on his phone, he paused for a moment, then switched the interface to the official live stream and placed his phone in front of the lucky cat emoji.
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