Chapter 69: Worship

“Huh?” Zhang Yu stared at the screen, muttering to himself, “Are we seriously worshipping gods over the internet now?”

Just then, his phone buzzed.

All-Born Deity of All Beings – Worship Registered

Payment: ¥1000

What the hell!?

Zhang Yu was stunned. He hadn’t expected that a single tap on the “Worship” button would cost him a thousand yuan.

What made it worse… was that he hadn’t even activated a payment account for the Talisman Book. And yet the money was just yanked straight out of his bank account?

Back when he cast a Restraint Sigil at Songyang High, he’d used the one free daily cast granted to Patrol Department temp workers.

Now he tried looking for a refund button, or at least a customer service contact. But after tapping around endlessly, he found nothing.

Worried he’d trigger another payment by accident, he finally messaged Zhang Pianpian for help.

After hearing what happened, Zhang Pianpian replied, “That’s just how worship works. Tap once, pay once. One thousand per tap. Long-press if you want to worship multiple times.”

Zhang Yu said, “Okay, sure, now I know it charges me, but how did it

take

the money? I never authorized the Talisman Book to access my account!”

Zhang Pianpian answered matter-of-factly, “That’s divine power. Gods can access billions of accounts at any given moment.”

“If a god can’t even deduct money straight from your account, how are they supposed to be considered gods?”

She added, “So, whatever else you do, just don’t owe a god money.”

Are you freaking kidding me… Zhang Yu was speechless. After a long pause, he muttered, “The Eight Divine Officials are really something.”

Zhang Pianpian continued, “But don’t be scared. The Eight Divine Officials have rules—they don’t abuse their power.”

“This time it only charged you because you initiated the worship.”

Zhang Yu sighed and asked, “Sis, can you walk me through the main features of the Talisman Book? I don’t want to get charged again by accident.”

Zhang Pianpian explained, “Daily worship is the most basic method of raising your Faith Level. The longer your worship streak, the bigger the boost per worship.”

“But if you miss even one day, you have to start all over again.”

“For anyone serious about sigils or high-level Faith cultivation, daily worship is a must.”

Zhang Yu got it now. So it’s basically a sign-in system—except each sign-in costs a thousand bucks.

Zhang Pianpian went on, “As for offerings, you can burn incense, hang Merit Banners, install Offering Plaques—each method has its own cost. The more expensive it is, the better the boost to your Faith Level. You can also enhance the power of your sigils, unlock new sigil perks, and more.”

“You can click the ‘Offerings’ tab and browse without being charged.”

Zhang Yu, still spooked from that unexpected ¥1000 loss, cautiously tapped the ‘Offerings’ menu.

There, he saw itemized lists: incense, Merit Banners, Offering Plaques, scripture recitations—each priced anywhere from hundreds to tens of thousands.

And as he skimmed through the descriptions, it finally hit him…

These were all remote offerings—virtual items whose effects were applied in a temple within the Spiritual Realm.

So basically...

they’re selling DLC for the gods!?

Zhang Yu finally understood why the Eight Divine Officials were so rich. These gods were basically making bank in their sleep.

Zhang Pianpian continued, “The ‘Consult God’ feature is for asking divine guidance on sigils. It’s expensive, and your Faith Level is too low right now, so you don’t need to bother with it.”

“As for the rest—those fogged-out options—you’ll unlock them once your Faith Level gets higher. So don’t overthink it for now…”

After ending the call, Zhang Yu stared bitterly at the Talisman Book on his screen.

“Sigils… are way too hard.”

“How much would it even cost to win first place in the Dao Techniques Tournament?”

Just then, the ritual countdown in his mind started screaming at him again, urging him to stop dawdling and get back to training.

Zhang Yu could only shelve those thoughts for now. He downed a cup of Beast Meat Powder, then made his way to the unfinished building to begin the day’s practice.

One thing was certain: the Dao Techniques Tournament was still months away. The closest competition on the horizon was the Martial Arts Combat Tournament.

And when it came to martial arts, Zhang Yu felt confident again.

“My Scattered Hand is at level 5, Limitless Cloud Hands at level 10, and the Celestial Martial Heart-Forging Technique is level 6. If I go all out in the combat tournament, I’ll definitely have a huge edge. The only problem is…”

He thought to himself, “I need to keep my trump cards hidden.”

Especially the level 10 Limitless Cloud Hands—he’d only just obtained that technique during the Law Tournament.

If he used a maxed-out Limitless Cloud Hands in a tournament barely a month later, it would draw way too much attention. Not even Zhang Pianpian would be able to protect him then.

“I need to keep my high-level techniques under wraps during the Martial Arts Combat Tournament. So for now, I’ve gotta boost my basic stats.”

Arriving at the unfinished building, Zhang Yu resumed training with the Celestial Martial Heart-Forging Technique.

With his Sea of Consciousness ablaze with Martial Intent, he activated all nine forms of the technique, body and mind in perfect sync.

As the Celestial Martial Heart-Forging Technique took effect, Zhang Yu’s blood surged with heat and vigor. A fierce, unyielding drive exploded within him, pushing him to train with wild abandon.

And as Zhang Yu immersed himself fully in the technique, pushing his limits—

A shadowy figure stood hidden on the staircase of the abandoned building, silently watching.

Zhou Tianyi narrowed his eyes.

“Can’t let Zhang Yu have time to use his Talisman Book.”

“I need to strike when he’s weakest… one clean ambush…”

After waiting over two hours, Zhou Tianyi saw Zhang Yu’s movements start to slow down. He held his breath and began circulating mana through his dantian.

Time to move.

Whoosh!

Just as Zhang Yu turned his back, Zhou Tianyi lunged forward like a whirlwind, unleashing a fully powered 5th-level

Sports Car Leg

aimed straight at Zhang Yu’s spine.

He closed the gap to within three meters. Zhang Yu hadn’t fully turned around. Zhou Tianyi’s eyes gleamed.

With the force of this kick, he was confident he could knock Zhang Yu flat.

He’d already mapped out the next few moves in his head—enough to leave Zhang Yu unconscious.

But in the very next instant—

A wave of white fog-like

Protective Qi Barrier

erupted from Zhang Yu’s back.

Boom!

Zhou Tianyi’s heart skipped a beat. His kick had landed like it hit cotton—soft, spongy, no impact.

But the very next second, a violent backlash of power exploded upward from that white Qi barrier, slamming into the sole of his foot with overwhelming force.