Chapter 234 The Abnormal Prosperity of the Cyber Cultivation Society
In just three months, the social structure of Earth underwent an extremely violent reshaping under the frenzied catalysis of capital and the laws of cultivation.
If we were to look down on Earth from space right now, we would see that those fortified cities, surrounded by towering walls, have been completely divided into two distinct worlds. Taking Shanghai Fortified City as an example, this extreme class division is vividly portrayed.
The upper level is the "inner city," suspended in mid-air by a large-scale levitation array. Here, spiritual energy abounds, cranes soar, and classical eaves and corners complement holographic projections, making it a paradise for powerful clans and orthodox high-level cultivators.
The lower level is the "outer city," which is perpetually shrouded in darkness, heavy industrial fumes, and neon lights.
This is the largest and most fanatical gear assembly in the cyber cultivation era.
……
"boom--"
A heavy off-road armored vehicle, reeking of gunpowder and blood, screeched to a halt in front of the most luxurious "Spring Breeze Pavilion" in the seventh block of the outer city.
The car door was kicked open.
Just over a month ago, Old Li was so worried about his son's dowry of 1,000 spirit crystals that he was even rejected by the military. Now, he was walking down the street with big strides, wearing a set of [Thunder II - Exploration Exoskeleton] painted with black battle patterns.
His originally gray hair had been shaved into an extremely neat buzz cut, and he wore a tactical detector over his left eye. The civilian-grade pseudo-spiritual root implanted in his spine emitted a powerful dark red light with his breathing.
"Master Li! You're back alive! How was the harvest this time?"
The sharp-eyed restaurant owner immediately rushed over as if he were welcoming a living god of wealth, personally using a towel to wipe away the monster slime splattered on Old Li's armor.
"We were lucky. Our team encountered a lone, peak-level Tier 1 'Crimson Flame Tiger'. It took a bit of effort, but we managed to decapitate it with a high-frequency vibration blade."
Old Li let out a hearty laugh and casually tossed a heavy hazmat bag onto the ground. The bag opened, revealing a crimson demon core radiating intense fire-elemental spiritual energy, and a perfectly intact tiger skin!
The ordinary people passing by, still earning meager monthly wages in the arsenal, instantly turned red in the eyes and swallowed hard.
A demon core at the peak of the first tier!
"Go, notify the acquisition agent of Thunder Mercenary Company to come and inspect the goods!"
Old Li walked to the leather sofa in the center of the hall and sat down. He waved his hand and said, "Boss, bring me your best mutated lizard beef! And two bottles of high-purity synthetic spirit wine! The whole bill is on me today!"
"Great! Mr. Li is so generous!" The entire restaurant erupted in thunderous cheers.
Half an hour later, the agent from Thunder Company arrived in a hurry with a briefcase.
"Brother Li, you know the rules. This demon core plus the tiger skin has a black market price of 10,000 spirit crystals. According to the contract we signed, the company, as the angel investor, takes 50% as equipment depreciation and pseudo-spiritual root patent fees."
The agent, all smiles, opened his briefcase and pushed a thick stack of glowing crystal vouchers in front of Old Li. "The remaining five thousand are your hard-earned money. Please count them."
Old Li didn't even look at it before sweeping the money into his storage bag.
Five thousand spirit crystal vouchers!
He used to work at a screw factory in the downtown area, operating a sewing machine. He worked himself to the bone for a month, barely making ends meet. But now, after risking his life in the wilderness for seven days, even if the conglomerate takes half of it, the portion he receives is still a huge sum that he might not be able to save up even after working hard for more than ten years.
This is the most deadly poison that the "God-Making Project" has brought to all ordinary people at the bottom of society after it was extended to the common people—a real and readily accessible myth of getting rich overnight.
With this money, Lao Li not only easily paid his son's bride price, but also bought a large apartment with an air purification array in a high-end security community in the outer city.
As he walked down the street, gang members who used to ignore him would now respectfully call him "Master Li".
Because he was implanted with a pseudo-spiritual root, he is an extraordinary hunter with destructive power comparable to that of a Qi Refining Stage Great Perfection cultivator!
Power, wealth, and dignity. These three things, like the most potent aphrodisiac, have driven these four billion mortals into utter madness.
But behind this bloody revelry, fate had already secretly marked the price.
"Cough cough..."
After a few rounds of drinks, Old Li suddenly coughed violently. He quickly covered his mouth, but a few streaks of dark red blood still trickled out between his fingers.
His face, illuminated by the holographic neon lights, appeared extremely unhealthy and ashen.
"Master Li, you're coughing up blood again? Is the rejection reaction from your pseudo-spiritual root getting worse?" a young hunter next to him asked worriedly.
Old Li wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, a hint of barely concealed fear flashing in his eyes.
The conglomerate hadn't lied to him; implanting this thing did indeed shorten his lifespan. Every time he activated his overclocking mode to fight monsters in the wilderness, the violent spiritual pressure irreversibly tore apart his internal organs. His current physical age was at least ten years older than he actually was.
Of the five thousand spirit crystals he earned, a portion had to be used to purchase the extremely expensive [Life-Sustaining Nutrient Solution] and the spiritual energy maintenance package for the exoskeleton mecha; otherwise, he wouldn't even survive the next month.
This is a perfectly closed-loop exploitation trap.
The tycoons gave them power to kill monsters. They made a fortune and lived a life of luxury, but to maintain this life and repair their broken bodies, they had to hand over their earnings back to the tycoons to buy supplies before venturing back into the wilderness to fight again.
Can't stop.
Looking at his slightly trembling steel right arm, Old Li had only one extremely strong conviction in his mind:
A breakthrough! We must break through!
"As long as I can find enough high-level demonic beast blood essence in the wilderness, as long as I can nourish and upgrade this inferior pseudo-spiritual root, allowing me to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage... my lifespan will be restored! I can truly win back my life!"
Old Li gulped down a mouthful of strong liquor, suppressing his fear of death deep in his heart.
He is not an isolated case. At this moment, there are tens of millions of people like Lao Li on Earth, caught in this crazy "game between lifespan and resources." They enjoy a brief peak, rushing headlong into the depths of the wilderness like moths to a flame.
……