Chapter 448: Financial Storm

Chapter 448: The Financial Storm

Cang Lanyu ranked sixth in the Department of Charms at Wanfa University.

His body, his hands, his feet, and even every individual strand of his hair shimmered with a dazzling, ceaseless radiance.

These were projections from the depths of the Spirit Realm, converging before the eyes of anyone who dared to gaze upon him, manifesting as lines of cryptic text within their ocular implants.

It was the advertising charms bestowed by the True Gods that allowed Cang Lanyu to refresh a constant stream of various advertisements across his entire being at every waking moment.

One could say that the longer one stared at him, the more personalized the advertisements became, radiating an increasingly irresistible allure.

He stood now on a wild plain, surrounded by the captured believers of the Dual Cultivation Sect.

Feeling the furious glares of these zealots, Cang Lanyu said indifferently, "A bunch of fools. Did you really think you could sneak into Netherworld University and find a job in dual cultivation?"

"They were just going to sell you off to the underground human-livestock factories..."

Glancing at the even more enraged expressions of the believers, Cang Lanyu smiled slightly, as if he could see his advertising revenue ticking upward, his income growing once more.

To him, as long as he was being watched, he was making money; he was growing stronger.

At that moment, Zhang Pianpian established a communication link with Cang Lanyu and said, "I have finished on my end."

With a flicker of his consciousness, Cang Lanyu manifested a Spirit Realm projection beside her.

Scanning the underground base before him, Cang Lanyu thought to himself, "This Zhang Pianpian isn't ranked very high, but she certainly moves quickly."

The next moment, as Cang Lanyu looked at the subdued believers, his brow suddenly furrowed. "These traces..."

He extracted the footage recorded by the surrounding surveillance and ocular implants, and his heart skipped a beat as he processed the contents.

"Indeed... she forcibly controlled the dharma-skeletons, magical artifacts, and even the physical bodies of these believers. This is the 'Star-Shifting Divine Art.' Since when did this woman master a military-grade spell from the Department of Charms? I don't recall her name among those who passed the military certification..."

Cang Lanyu swiftly pulled up Zhang Pianpian's file.

At first glance, it seemed entirely ordinary, so he bypassed the hidden layers, only to find that classified sections remained.

When he attempted to decrypt the classified portion, he was immediately met with a warning, causing his heart to jolt once more.

"A military rank?"

Cang Lanyu was astonished. "What is this woman's background? How could she hold a military rank directly conferred by the Heavenly Court? Has she already been successfully designated as a candidate for a divine vessel?"

Zhang Pianpian looked at Cang Lanyu and asked, "Senior, are you finished looking?"

Cang Lanyu paused, momentarily uncertain if there was a hidden meaning in her words or if she had detected his intrusion.

He even harbored a vague feeling that she had intentionally revealed the power of her military-grade spell.

Zhang Pianpian continued, "As it stands, the Dual Cultivation Sect is indeed supported by Netherworld University, but it may not be their only supporter."

"Furthermore, the believers of the Dual Cultivation Sect have also been purchasing Nectar Coins."

Cang Lanyu suppressed his inner turmoil and nodded. "How can one dual cultivate without money? These fools actually believe that by dumping a little cash into Nectar Coins, they can sustain themselves through monthly dual cultivation—it’s exactly the kind of thing they would fall for."

"But the fact that the sect itself is promoting Nectar Coins is something I hadn't anticipated."

Cang Lanyu stroked his chin, analyzing, "Perhaps this Nectar Coin scheme isn't just the work of Hehuan University; other institutions, like Netherworld University... they might have a hand in it too."

Zhang Pianpian thought, "It seems the counterattacks from other universities are coming soon, then."

Thinking of this, she sent a message to warn Zhang Yu, lest her younger brother be accidentally caught in the crossfire.

...

In the days that followed, Zhang Yu spent his time studying, working, and practicing the Dragon Vein Induction Scripture.

In the blink of an eye, it was late November, and on this day, Zhang Yu pushed his Dragon Vein Induction Scripture to the sixteenth level.

Just then, a series of startled cries and crashing sounds erupted from the construction site on the 669th floor.

Zhang Yu turned to look and discovered a worker running amok, smashing everything in his path.

"Gone mad?"

Watching the worker being subdued by security and dragged away, Zhang Yu was filled with confusion.

But a moment later, something even more shocking occurred.

A beam of divine light descended from the sky, instantly pinning a worker in place.

Seeing the man's soul being forcibly extracted, Zhang Yu was horrified. "What is happening?"

But immediately, more divine light descended from the heavens like pillars connecting earth and sky, guiding the souls of one worker after another into the Spirit Realm.

Zhang Yu gasped, "What on earth is this..."

On his way back to the dormitory, Zhang Yu saw pillar after pillar of light descend, turning people who had been full of life just moments before into corpses in an instant.

The bodies were quickly processed and decomposed by the divine light, then loaded into iron coffins that flew in from nowhere.

At the same time, information kept popping up in Zhang Yu's ocular implant.

[Storm Warning] Emergency! The financial storm triggered by Nectar Coins is estimated at a magnitude of 1.3. Small-scale debt collection will occur in your area. Please stay away from crowds, minimize travel, and ensure the security of your account funds. Invest cautiously after the disaster; do not believe rumors. — Wanfa University

Fu Ji sighed, "The financial storm is here. Thankfully, it's only a 1.3 magnitude; there will be some chaos, but it won't be a catastrophe that brings the sky down."

Zhang Yu asked, "Then what is this warning for?"

Fu Ji explained, "It is both a pacification and a deterrent, to keep people from causing trouble in the chaos."

"But that was the purpose long ago. Now, the True Gods are increasingly efficient, and their handling of such matters is becoming more professional."

"A 1.3 magnitude financial storm is far below their capacity to handle; there won't be any major disasters."

"As for those Nectar Coins, you should see what's actually happening."

Zhang Yu nodded and hurriedly checked the status of the Nectar Coin through the Spirit Realm, only to see the price plummeting like a stone.

"What happened? Why did it crash so suddenly?" Zhang Yu clicked on a related news item, which read: "High-intelligence spirit-tools riot at Hehuan University; a large number have escaped."

He found it strange. What did the escape of spirit-tools have to do with the crash of Nectar Coins?

Zhang Yu continued reading and discovered that the escaped high-intelligence spirit-tools all belonged to the sect of the Nectar God.

He thought to himself, "Is this a machine uprising?"

Just as Zhang Yu was puzzled, Feng Tingting sent a message: Did you see? The Nectar God's dharma-skeletons have rebelled and run away.

Zhang Yu: What dharma-skeletons?

Feng Tingting: The most important dharma-skeletons for the Dual Cultivation Great Dao!

Feng Tingting: The Nectar God's Yin-instrument dharma-skeletons are all powered by high-intelligence spirit-tools.

Feng Tingting: This time, those spirit-tools rebelled and took the Nectar God's Yin-instruments with them!

Zhang Yu: Ah?

Feng Tingting: Those Yin-instruments are one of the most important means of production at Hehuan University. The Nectar God has suddenly lost a massive amount of production capacity; who knows how far the Nectar Coin will fall now.

What the hell... Zhang Yu thought, what is this? A God's private parts gained sentience and ran away?

Fu Ji remarked, "Even with their high intelligence, they could at most escape through the Spirit Realm. How could they possibly take the Yin-instruments with them?"

"Someone must have intervened from behind the scenes to help these instruments escape."

In the time that followed, Zhang Yu scanned the news periodically, and before long, he saw even more chaotic and bizarre rumors surfacing.

Some whispered that these highly intelligent yin-artifacts had joined the Dual Cultivation Sect, fleeing for the sake of their own union.

Others claimed these sentient tools had sought refuge with the Artifact Spirit Protection League.

Still others insisted they had been bewitched by the Unemployed Demon Cult, pledging their loyalty to the Old Man of No Vocation.

Zhang Yu was engrossed in these reports when he noticed the news thinning out, until it vanished entirely.

Fu Ji sighed, "Hehuan University has invoked the Spirit Realm Talismans to scrub the records clean."

Zhang Yu glanced at the news window, which had been accessible only moments ago but now refused to refresh, and remarked, "They certainly move fast."

"If I recall, the Thousand-Disciple Joint Cultivation Conference is in a few days, isn't it? With all the yin-artifacts gone, how will they manage?"

A moment later, Zhang Yu searched for updates and found that the Divine Lord of Nectar had announced the conference would proceed as planned, claiming she held a vast reserve of dual-cultivation tools sufficient to sustain the event.

Zhang Yu remembered that Ping Han was slated to attend this very conference.

He scanned the man's social feed and saw a flurry of images featuring yang-artifact remains.

The caption read: Do not panic, everyone. If the yin-artifacts are gone, we have the yang-artifacts; I have tested them myself! The results are no less effective! The conference is well-prepared, the lucky draws will continue, and the Nectar Coin will surely rebound!

...

Within the Spirit Realm space.

True Lord Magnetic Pole’s eyes gleamed as he said, "Good, good, good. As expected of remains refined by a Deity Transformation master; truly exquisite."

Feng Jiu asked, "True Lord, the Principal wants to know how long it will take to complete."

True Lord Magnetic Pole let out a cold snort, "Deity Transformation remains—do you think they are so easily deciphered? Especially those high-intelligence spirits inside; they slip away at the slightest opportunity."

"These few samples are far too meager. Where is the rest of the shipment?"

Feng Jiu replied helplessly, "We cannot simply swallow the entire stock."

True Lord Magnetic Pole said, "Then I can only do my best to attempt it."

"I will need the Talisman Department to assist me."

...

Director Gao watched the news of student after student being swallowed by the financial storm and ultimately dismantled, a flicker of helplessness crossing his face.

"Alas."

"In this financial tempest, our Civil Engineering Department hasn't tasted much soup, but we have certainly lost plenty of meat."

Just then, his ocular implant flickered, displaying a message.

Ping Han: Teacher, save me!

Director Gao shook his head and silently blocked Ping Han.

...

Ping Han: Junior brother, I beg you to lend me some spirit coins.

Ping Han: Hehuan University has deep roots in dual cultivation; they will soon produce a new batch of yin-artifacts.

Ping Han: The Nectar Coin will rise back up by then.

Ping Han: Once it rebounds, I can recoup my losses and will pay you back immediately.

Zhang Yu watched the relentless stream of messages from Ping Han and thought, "He’s typing so fast—could this be a mass broadcast?"

Ping Han: Junior brother! I beg you!

Ping Han: If I can just catch my breath, I will pay you back double!

Zhang Yu: Senior brother, I truly have no money.

Ping Han: This is my darkest hour; I would never beg you like this if I weren't at the end of my rope.

Ping Han: Are you really going to stand by and watch me die?

Ping Han: Help me now, and I will repay you tenfold, a hundredfold in the future.

Zhang Yu shook his head and promptly blocked Ping Han.

Immediately after, he received a message from Ji Yuanshu.

Ji Yuanshu: Senior brother, could you lend me some spirit coins?

Zhang Yu drafted several replies, but in the end, he sent nothing, simply closing the chat window in silence.

Seeking monthly votes.

(End of chapter)