Chapter 61: Worship God

"Huh?" Zhang Yu thought to himself, watching the scene unfold. "Is he worshipping a god remotely, through the internet?"

Just then, his phone vibrated.

The Great God of Myriad BeingsPayment: 1000

Damn!

Zhang Yu was stunned. He hadn't expected a single tap to worship the god would cost him 1000.

What was even more unbelievable was that he hadn't even set up a payment account for the Talisman Book. How had it directly deducted money from his bank card?

Previously, when he used the Detention Talisman at Songyang High School, Zhang Yu had relied on the daily free usage granted to temporary patrol team members.

He tried to find options for refunds or customer service, but he couldn't find anything anywhere. Worried about accidentally making another payment, he simply contacted Zhang Pianpian to ask about it.

Hearing Zhang Yu's explanation, Zhang Pianpian replied, "Worshipping deities works like this: one tap for one act of worship, costing a thousand each time. You can long-press for continuous worship."

Zhang Yu countered, "No... I understand now that tapping costs money. But the problem is, I haven't set up a payment account! How could it just take money from my bank card without even asking me?"

Zhang Pianpian stated matter-of-factly, "That's the divine power of the gods. They can access funds from billions of accounts every second of every day."

"If they couldn't even withdraw money directly from your account, how could they be called gods?" She added a warning, "So, no matter who you owe money to, make sure it's never the gods."

"What the..." Zhang Yu was momentarily speechless. He could only grumble, "The Eight Legions of Righteous Gods are truly something."

Zhang Pianpian reassured him, "But you don't need to be afraid. The Eight Legions of Righteous Gods have their own rules; they won't act arbitrarily."

"You initiated the worship this time, which is why you were charged 1000."

Zhang Yu sighed inwardly and asked, "Sister, could you just tell me directly about the Talisman Book's functions? I'm worried I might accidentally get charged again."

Zhang Pianpian explained, "Daily worship of deities is the most fundamental way to increase your faith level. The longer you continue daily worship, the more each act of worship contributes to your faith level."

"But if you miss even one day, you have to start over from scratch."

"For those with high faith levels or masters of talismans, daily worship of deities is a mandatory practice."

Zhang Yu understood. "It's a daily check-in, alright," he thought, "except each check-in costs at least 1000."

Zhang Pianpian continued, "As for making offerings to deities, there are various methods, such as lighting incense, displaying merit banners, establishing offering tablets, and so on. The more expensive the offering, the greater its effect on increasing your faith level. It can also have other miraculous effects, like enhancing the power of your talismans or granting special talisman privileges."

"You can tap on 'Offerings to Deities' to browse. Tapping into that section lets you select items without incurring any charge."

Zhang Yu, still unnerved by the sudden 1000 charge, carefully tapped on the 'Offerings to Deities' option after hearing her explanation.

He then saw a price list for various items: lighting incense, hanging merit banners, establishing offering tablets, chanting scriptures, and more. The costs ranged from hundreds to tens of thousands.

After reading the descriptions for a while, he suddenly realized... these seemed to be remote offerings, with the money spent taking effect in temples within the spirit realm.

"So, are these all just virtual items, then!?"

Zhang Yu finally understood why the Eight Legions of Righteous Gods were so wealthy. These gods were practically making money in their sleep!

Zhang Pianpian continued her explanation: "'Consult the Deity,' as the name implies, means seeking guidance from the gods on the path of talismans. The cost for this is very high, and your faith level is too low; there's no need for you to spend money on this yet."

"Further down, the options shrouded in mist that you can't see will only unlock when your faith level is higher. Don't worry about those for now..."

After hanging up with Zhang Pianpian, Zhang Yu looked at the Talisman Book before him with a sense of helplessness and bitter frustration.

"This talisman... it's truly too difficult."

"How much would it cost to win first place in the advanced Daoist arts competition?"

Just as Zhang Yu fell into thought, the ritual countdown in his mind wailed again, urging him not to space out and to resume his cultivation.

Zhang Yu had no choice but to temporarily set aside these thoughts. He first poured out some monster meat powder, mixed a drink for himself, and then headed to the unfinished building to begin his practice for the day.

Regardless, the Daoist arts competition was still months away. The most immediate competition was, after all, the martial arts competition. Thinking of martial arts, Zhang Yu's confidence immediately surged.

"My Unarmed Combat is currently Level 5, Wuji Cloud Hand is Level 10, and the Heavenly Martial Heart Refining Art is Level 6. If I went all out in a combat competition, I'd 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 Wuji Cloud Hand, a cultivation technique he had only acquired from the magic competition. If he were to display a Level 10 Wuji Cloud Hand in the martial arts competition, which was only a little over a month away, he was truly afraid of attracting too much attention. At that point, even Zhang Pianpian wouldn't be able to protect him.

"In the martial arts competition, I'll need to hide my higher-level cultivation techniques. So, for now, I should focus on improving my basic physical attributes."

Arriving at the unfinished building, Zhang Yu resumed his cultivation of the Heavenly Martial Heart Refining Art. As the martial arts intent within his sea of consciousness suddenly erupted, he simultaneously began performing the nine sets of martial arts from the Heavenly Martial Heart Refining Art, manifesting both internally and externally.

Under the influence of the Heavenly Martial Heart Refining Art, Zhang Yu felt his entire body surge with invigorating energy and motivation. A fierce desire to challenge the heavens and earth urged him to train with frantic intensity.

As Zhang Yu wholeheartedly devoted himself to his cultivation, relentlessly practicing the Heavenly Martial Heart Refining Art, in the shadows by the unfinished building's staircase, a figure silently observed Zhang Yu's arduous practice.

Zhou Tianyi thought to himself, "I can't let Zhang Yu have time to use the Talisman Book."

"I need to wait until he is at his weakest, most vulnerable, to ensure a successful sneak attack..."

After waiting for approximately two hours, Zhou Tianyi watched Zhang Yu's movements gradually slow. He held his breath and concentrated, slowly gathering the magical energy within his dantian. He was preparing to make his move.

The instant Zhang Yu turned his back, Zhou Tianyi struck like a gust of wind. Executing his Level 5 Gale Leg technique to its utmost, he launched a kick directly at Zhang Yu's back. A glint of triumph flashed in Zhou Tianyi's eyes as he saw himself within three meters of Zhang Yu, who had not yet fully turned around. He was confident that the power of his kick, if it connected, would be enough to bring Zhang Yu down. Zhou Tianyi had already mentally prepared a series of follow-up moves to ensure Zhang Yu would be rendered completely unconscious after the initial strike.

However, the very next moment, a white, mist-like aura suddenly surged from Zhang Yu's back. Zhou Tianyi's heart jolted. His kick felt like it had struck cotton, light and utterly without purchase. But then, an immense force violently rebounded along with the white aura, slamming heavily into the sole of his foot.