Chapter 142: Making a Fortune

Gu Qingfeng basked in the astonished gazes of the crowd. Under their watchful eyes, he rode atop a molten lava dragon and, within moments, surpassed everyone, arriving at the volcano.

In truth, relying solely on his innate fire manipulation ability, it would have been nearly impossible to drain the sea of magma to such an extent. But one must not forget that Gu Qingfeng also possessed a divine, indestructible soul!

With the support of his powerful soul force, which surpassed even the peak of the Dragon Transformation Realm, his fire manipulation ability erupted with unprecedented intensity!

Gu Qingfeng gazed at the towering volcano, and with a single thought, the dragon beneath him straightened its body, lifting its head high into the air and carrying him to a position level with the volcano's crater.

There, a radiant gate stood, clearly marking the entrance to the next level of the secret realm. However, Gu Qingfeng did not proceed. Instead, he calmly positioned himself at the gate, effectively blocking the way.

Having come all this way, how could he simply take the Ageless Pill and the Divine Refinement Technique, mere inanimate treasures?

After all, people themselves were the greatest wealth.

These well-prepared prodigies from prestigious families were undoubtedly rolling in riches. It would be a waste not to extort some wealth from them.

Waste is shameful, after all!

Wait, no—how could this be called extortion?

He had kindly nearly drained the sea of magma for them, significantly reducing the difficulty of passing through. He had ensured that everyone could effortlessly clear this stage. Shouldn’t they show some gratitude?

Hiring a professional to carry you through a game costs money, let alone carrying you through a secret realm.

As for whether this act would offend the major powers, Gu Qingfeng couldn’t care less. Setting aside his own strength, once he obtained the Ageless Pill and the Divine Refinement Technique, he would become a Peerless King, a title so prestigious that even the most powerful would grovel before him.

Of course, there might be those with ill intentions who would secretly plot against him, but one must not forget the groundwork Gu Qingfeng had laid in the imperial capital.

At the “appropriate” moment, he would “accidentally” reveal his identity as a disciple of the gods. With that dual identity, even the emperor himself would beg for his favor.

He would then rise to become the most revered figure in the Great Yan Dynasty!

By that time, those he had extorted today would not feel ashamed. On the contrary, they would boast about it, proudly telling others, “I once had dealings with that great man.”

With this thought in mind, Gu Qingfeng calmly stood guard at the gate. However, after waiting for a while, he realized that no one was coming.

It turned out that the others were still in a state of shock, frozen like statues, their eyes unblinking as they stared at Gu Qingfeng standing atop the giant dragon. Clearly, they had not yet recovered from their astonishment.

“Such poor mental fortitude, and they call themselves prodigies?”

Gu Qingfeng muttered in dissatisfaction.

When they finally approached, Gu Qingfeng decided to take the initiative. “I have cleared the path for you. Why do you hesitate to proceed?”

His commanding voice snapped the crowd out of their stupor, and they finally reacted, their expressions a mix of awe, confusion, and delight.

At last, they stopped hesitating and began climbing the volcano, traversing the magma.

The first to reach the summit was naturally the prodigy from the Spirit Herb Mountain, who had been leading the pack. He climbed to the top and gave Gu Qingfeng a complicated look, hesitating for a moment.

“Thank you,” he said.

His gratitude was not for Gu Qingfeng clearing the path, as he didn’t need it.

He was thanking Gu Qingfeng for his strength, believing that Gu Qingfeng was likely a powerful expert who had concealed his true cultivation level. In the secret realm, far from the outside world, disrespecting a strong figure could cost you dearly.

After expressing his thanks, the Spirit Herb Mountain prodigy prepared to enter the radiant gate.

At that moment, Gu Qingfeng smiled and said, “You’re welcome. That’ll be one thousand taels of silver.”

The Spirit Herb Mountain prodigy was stunned. “Elder, what did you say?”

Gu Qingfeng’s smile remained unchanged as he repeated, “I said, one thousand taels of silver, please.”

The prodigy was completely dumbfounded, his mouth agape as he stared at Gu Qingfeng, who stood majestically atop the colossal dragon. His mind struggled to process what was happening.

Where was the demeanor of a lofty expert???

“What? You’re unwilling? Does the prestigious Spirit Herb Mountain lack the virtue of repaying kindness?”

Gu Qingfeng’s smile turned cold, his tone laced with threat. At the same time, the dragon beside him let out a deafening roar, molten lava dripping from its jaws.

The moment the dragon’s gaze fell on him, the Spirit Herb Mountain prodigy felt his hair stand on end. He quickly snapped out of his daze and handed over one thousand taels of silver.

Gu Qingfeng’s expression darkened. “Are you insulting me? I said gold.”

The prodigy’s breath hitched. Under Gu Qingfeng’s threatening gaze, he reluctantly exchanged the silver for gold.

“Good, you’re teachable. You may proceed,” Gu Qingfeng said approvingly, patting the young man on the shoulder before gesturing for him to enter the gate.

What else could the prodigy do? When under someone else’s roof, you have no choice but to lower your head. Just wait until we’re out of the secret realm.

The Spirit Herb Mountain prodigy swallowed his pride and entered the gate.

By then, prodigies from other factions had also arrived. To save time, Gu Qingfeng had the dragon greet them first before demanding payment.

These individuals were more compliant, handing over the required sum without a word of protest.

Those further back watched the scene unfold with strange expressions. No one dared to resist, and they all willingly paid the toll.

For those who couldn’t afford the fee, Gu Qingfeng simply sent them packing.

This was for their own good. If they couldn’t even scrape together one thousand taels of gold, their strength must be pitiful. If not for Gu Qingfeng draining the magma, these people would have perished in the fiery sea. Now, they dared to dream of advancing to the next level? They were practically courting death.

Soon, Li Xiaocui arrived.

The girl’s usually expressionless face now showed a mix of emotions—surprise, confusion, and even a hint of joy.

Who knew what was going through her mind?

Gu Qingfeng smiled and extended his hand. “Since we’re acquainted, I’ll give you a discount. Five hundred taels of gold will do. Of course, if you’re short on cash, you can pay in other ways, like a ki—”

“Here,” Li Xiaocui cut him off, handing over one thousand taels of gold before walking straight into the gate without looking back.

“Hey, I wasn’t finished! I was going to say a simple ‘thank you’ would suffice.”

But Li Xiaocui had already stepped through the gate and didn’t hear the rest.

Gu Qingfeng felt a bit frustrated. Li Xiaocui had definitely misunderstood him.

“Hey, you lot! If you’ve got one thousand taels of gold, you can pass. If not, scram! Don’t waste my time!”

…

With Gu Qingfeng’s one-thousand-tael gold toll in place, the number of people entering the secret realm was reduced by ninety percent, surpassing even the elimination rate of the magma sea.

It couldn’t be helped. One thousand taels of gold was no small sum for those in the Internal Qi Realm, especially since many had spent nearly all their wealth on pills, talismans, and spiritual weapons to prepare for the secret realm. With no funds left, they had no choice but to withdraw.

In a way, Gu Qingfeng was saving them. The Jade Dragon Secret Realm claimed many lives with each opening, and the majority of the casualties were these weaker individuals who stood no chance. With the Ageless Pill and the Divine Refinement Technique as his goals, these people were essentially risking their lives for nothing. It was better for them to leave now.