Su Yu was slightly stunned.
Wasn’t that exactly what money was?
In his previous life, wasn’t currency essentially just a string of numbers backed by the credit of a nation?
Noticing the trace of confusion in Su Yu’s eyes, Huo Zhenshan gently shook his head and spoke in a deep voice, shattering Su Yu’s ingrained understanding.
“In this age, with the Abyss surrounding us on all sides, only power can serve as the foundation of a nation. Meaningless numbers have no value whatsoever.”
“The Dragon Coins of Great Xia are absolutely hard currency.”
“Every Dragon Coin is a crystal forged from genuine cultivation resources after undergoing millions of purification processes.”
Huo Zhenshan explained solemnly.
“In this perilous world, ordinary paper money lost its credibility and value long ago.”
“The raw material for Dragon Coins is a special associated ore known as ‘Astral Magnetite.’”
“This ore can only be found on the edges of Abyssal rifts, where mining it is extraordinarily difficult.”
“Once extracted…”
“It must be processed in the military’s specialized ultra-high-temperature spiritual-energy casting machines and purified millions of times.”
“All impurities within the ore are completely removed, leaving behind an astral crystal film as thin as a cicada’s wing.”
“Finally…”
“Military formation masters imprint a miniature spirit-gathering anti-counterfeiting formation onto each sheet of film using their spiritual power!”
Huo Zhenshan looked at Su Yu and enunciated every word.
“Every Dragon Coin contains an extremely faint yet absolutely stable energy fluctuation!”
“It is, in itself, a miniature energy carrier!”
“That is the fundamental reason Dragon Coins can circulate throughout Great Xia—and even in the underground black market!”
“Money is resources!”
After hearing this, Su Yu’s eyes flashed with sudden understanding.
So that was how it worked!
“Therefore…”
Huo Zhenshan looked at Su Yu and revealed his final trump card.
“If you want several hundred billion, or even trillions, in cash…”
“The military treasury cannot possibly transfer that many physical Dragon Coins to you all at once.”
“That would directly cause violent disruptions to Great Xia’s economic system and resource reserves!”
Su Yu frowned slightly.
“Then what do we do?”
“Can’t you pay me in installments?”
“No installments necessary.”
Huo Zhenshan waved his hand grandly, displaying the absolute decisiveness of a Nation-Guarding Martial Saint.
He looked at Su Yu and made a proposal that nearly stopped Su Yu’s heart.
“Since you like money so much…”
“The military can allocate a small- or medium-sized Astral Magnetite mine exclusively to you!”
“The mining rights to that mine will belong entirely to you personally!”
Huo Zhenshan paused, then dropped an even more explosive bomb.
“Not only that…”
“The military will also build a top-level currency mint for you!”
“All the ultra-high-temperature spiritual-energy casting machines and formation-inscription production lines inside it will be provided in full!”
Huo Zhenshan stared at Su Yu.
“You mine the ore yourself!”
“You print the money yourself!”
“How much you print is how much you get!”
“The production capacity of this mint will be the military’s final reward to you!”
Boom!
It was as if ten thousand suns had exploded simultaneously inside Su Yu’s mind!
A currency mint?!
He could print money himself?!
Su Yu’s mind began racing at extraordinary speed.
Once the production line started up, Dragon Coins would pour out endlessly like a waterfall!
How much money could one spiritual-energy casting machine print in a day?
What if he got ten thousand machines, all running around the clock?
What if he used his martial cultivation at the Great Perfection realm to optimize that formation-inscription production line?
The amount of money printed in a single day would be astronomical!
Hundreds of billions a day!
Perhaps even trillions a day!
What the hell would be the point of fighting and risking his life anymore?!
This was the ultimate path to becoming a cash-fueled powerhouse!
With a currency mint, he could simply lie on a mountain of banknotes, recharge without limit, and conduct unlimited deductions!
Martial Saint?
Martial Emperor?
As long as the money-printing machines kept running, he could push his qi and blood to the level of a cosmic explosion!
Su Yu’s breathing grew completely ragged.
He looked at Huo Zhenshan, his gaze so feverish it seemed capable of melting even deep-sea meteorite iron.
“However…”
Huo Zhenshan poured a bucket of cold water over him at exactly the right moment.
“Su Yuan, you need to think this through.”
“A mine and a military-grade currency mint will require an equally astronomical investment in construction and resources.”
“If you choose this…”
“Then the nation-guarding-grade battle armor and your future application slot for a divine-grade mech will be forfeited entirely.”
“You will get nothing else. All you will receive is that mine and those machines.”
Huo Zhenshan leaned forward, his tone serious.
“The choice is yours.”
Su Yu did not hesitate in the slightest.
There was not even half a second of pause.
He abruptly raised his head and looked at Huo Zhenshan.
Then he nodded heavily!
“Fine!”
Su Yu’s voice was exceptionally clear and decisive.
“Deal!”
“I want the currency mint!”
The meeting room fell silent once again.
Nie Changkong, watching from the side, rolled his eyes.
There was no saving this kid.
He had completely fallen into the money pit.
Instead of pursuing the great path of martial cultivation, he insisted on becoming a wealthy mining tycoon who dug ore and printed money.
Huo Zhenshan looked at Su Yu’s decisive expression.
He fell silent.
He neither argued nor tried to persuade Su Yu any further.
Su Yuan had displayed combat power at the peak of the Martial Spirit realm and could even slay a Demon Saint across realms.
A powerhouse of this level possessed a will as firm as a boulder and was absolutely capable of taking responsibility for his own actions and choices.
Since he felt that a currency mint was better than a mech, then so be it.
Huo Zhenshan sighed.
Then he reached out and pushed the Demon Saint-grade core, which radiated a dim, eerie glow, back across the table toward Su Yu.
“Martial Saint Huo, what are you…”
Su Yu stared at the core that had been returned to him, slightly stunned.
“This is a good thing.”
Huo Zhenshan looked at Su Yu, his eyes filled with the tolerance and concern of an elder.
“It contains Abyssal Origin energy, which will be immensely useful for your future comprehension of the martial path.”
“Keep it for yourself.”
“Don’t exchange it for money.”
Huo Zhenshan rose to his feet, his tall frame radiating an authority as profound as the abyss and as vast as the sea.
“The military will take care of the mint and the mine!”
“Consider this core an extra gift from me personally!”
Su Yu looked at Huo Zhenshan.
A trace of emotion flashed through his deep eyes.
This Nation-Guarding Martial Saint might not understand his choice, but he had shown him ample respect and protection.
Su Yu would remember this favor.
“Thank you, Martial Saint Huo.”
Su Yu did not put on any false modesty. He directly placed the core back into his storage ring.
“That’s enough.”
Huo Zhenshan waved his hand.
“The mine’s location and the construction of the currency mint will have to go through the military’s highest-level classified procedures.”
“It will probably take a few days.”
“Once I obtain approval for the mint and the applications for the equipment, I’ll notify you immediately!”
Huo Zhenshan took out a specially made black communicator and handed it to Su Yu.
“This is the military’s highest-level encrypted channel.”
“Let’s exchange contact information.”
“If anything comes up in the future, contact me directly through this.”
Su Yu accepted the communicator and saved Huo Zhenshan’s classified frequency.
“Old Nie.”
Huo Zhenshan turned to Nie Changkong, who was sitting nearby.
“Take him back to school.”
“His identity is still classified. He cannot remain exposed outside for too long.”
“Make sure his safety is protected.”
Nie Changkong immediately rose to his feet, his expression solemn.
He glanced at the peerless prodigy beside him—the one who had just killed a Demon Saint with a single thrust—and the corner of his mouth twitched uncontrollably.
Protect him?
I’m just a Martial Emperor who can’t even withstand a Demon Emperor’s pressure. What could I possibly use to protect a monster whose combat strength rivals that of a Martial Saint?
Who’s protecting whom here?!
Though he was grumbling inwardly, Nie Changkong maintained an awe-inspiring, righteous expression on the surface.
He straightened his back and gave Huo Zhenshan a solemn nod.
“Rest assured, Martial Saint Huo.”
“Even if it costs me my life, I absolutely won’t let the Abyssal Order harm a single hair on his head!”
transmigrates into the world as the sect master of the Heavenly Yan Sect, which is on the verge of being wiped out. He binds a system that grants him cultivation power based on the number of disciples he has: for each disciple, he automatically gains a year's worth of cultivation every single day! Take one disciple: every day he gains 1 year of cultivation power. While others struggle through a year of bitter training, he gets the same just by sleeping through a single night. Take ten disciples: every day he gains 10 years of cultivation power. Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul—he breezes through all bottlenecks without lifting a finger. Take one hundred disciples: every day he gains 100 years of cultivation power. Even a Soul Transformation Venerable before him can’t survive a single blow. Take ten thousand disciples: every day he gains 10,000 years of cultivation power! With a wave of his hand, he topples empires. With a single step, he crushes the sacred grounds of the universe. ... While others fight tooth and nail for secret techniques, Lin Yan casually hands out Nascent Soul-level cultivation manuals as beginner textbooks. While others strain to find talented recruits, Lin Yan opens his doors to anyone—so long as they’re human. In just three short years, the Heavenly Yan Sect went from a backwater sect made up of three crumbling huts to a sacred land that every cultivator under heaven would kill to enter. ... One day, otherworldly demon gods invade, with a million demon soldiers pressing down upon the realm. Lin Yan, yawning, rises from his lounge chair and glances at the system panel: [Current Disciples: 1.28 million] [Daily Cultivation Increase: 1.28 million years] He waves his hand casually, and the countless demon soldiers are reduced to ashes in an instant. “So noisy… interrupting my fishing.”
rowess are unmatched, commanding a million-strong army! Yet, the Emperor wants to depose him for the sake of a false prince? Hold on, are you throwing me into some female-oriented romance plot? How can I tolerate this? With a grand wave of his hand—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! Slander the Emperor? Very well, all of you shall die! ... The False Prince: "Although I am not the biological son, Father and Mother love me more. The throne should be mine!" The Female Lead: "Qin Xiao, you are the Emperor, and I am a commoner. If you wish to marry me, you must abdicate. Otherwise, you will never have me!" The Empress: "After we divorce, you must give me half the empire!" The Transmigrator Consort: "You worthless Emperor, why should I kneel to you? All men are equal—I advise you to be kind!" The Great General: "The enemy general is my childhood sweetheart. For her sake, I willingly abandon the frontier defenses!" The Retired Emperor: "Although Yu'er was adopted, I prefer him. Qin Xiao, you should abdicate and let him become Emperor!" ... Very well! So this is how you want to play? Facing this twisted world of female-oriented tropes, Qin Xiao grins and raises his hand to unleash—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! I am the Emperor. Why would I bother reasoning with you? Seal the gates! Leave none alive!
with countless casualties. As a top-tier gamer, Liu Xuan volunteered to join the fight, intending to dominate with his skills, but instead he obtained the hidden class: [Pacifist]. Unable to attack. Unable to use active skills. Fortunately, with each level gained, he acquired a new passive skill. And so, armed with a body full of passives, Liu Xuan slaughtered his way through the battlefield of ten thousand races! [You attacked Liu Xuan] [You gained the debuffs: 'Poison', 'Fear', 'Burning', 'Bleeding', 'Freeze', 'Silence', etc.] [Your attack speed has been reduced by 99%] [Your armor and magic resistance have been reduced by 99%] Warriors of the Ten Thousand Races: How the hell am I supposed to fight this?!
ing gift was a patch of barren land, and disciples were all picked up along the way. He spent fifty years diligently building three "ramshackle little sects," thinking he could finally live a carefree life relying on his disciples. But right at the fifty-year mark, he was suddenly swept away by a spatial rift and exiled to the Chaos Desolation, the Disorderly Ruins. There was no spiritual energy there, only slaughter. Relying on the cultivation feedback from his disciples, Gu Changyuan hacked his way through a sea of blood for eleven hundred years. When the system finally fished him back out, he discovered the ramshackle little sects he'd built back then had developed a rather... unusual style. Hold on... I vanished for a thousand years, so how did my ramshackle little sects become holy lands?!
