Why is my Hundred Lifetimes Book different?

"Master!"

Amid the commotion in the front yard, a tall, blue-robed cultivator stepped out from behind the round archway. He appeared to be around thirty years old, with a fair complexion, no beard, and an air of refined elegance. His eyes held a commanding presence, making him seem unlike any ordinary person.

Liu Yunsong, the guardian immortal master of Shanyang County!

Liu Yunsong looked at the intruding child, his eyes brightening slightly.

Good blood circulation!

This child's vital energy is so abundant, it's like a furnace, almost like a dragon and a tiger!

Truly a wonderful seedling!

"Whose child are you?"

Seeing that the immortal master was not angry but only questioned his origins, Ren Qingshan quickly replied, "Immortal master, I have admired the immortal path since childhood and have been single-mindedly seeking the Dharma. I only wish to become your disciple. Today, you must either accept me or kill me!"

Death is like the wind, always by my side!

"It's rare to find such a steadfast heart in seeking the Dao. However, to truly seek the Dao, a steadfast heart alone is not enough. Whose child are you?"

Liu Yunsong only asked about his family background.

Ren Qingshan noticed this and was slightly surprised. He replied, "Children from the mountains are extremely poor."

Upon hearing this, Liu Yunsong immediately frowned slightly.

How can a child from an ordinary family be so full of energy and have such a humble yet dignified character?

perhaps……

Which great being graced the mountains and wilderness with his presence, and whose offspring were born?

"Come with me."

This kind of topic couldn't be asked in front of his disciples, so Liu Yunsong nodded and smiled, then turned and walked into the inner courtyard.

Ren Qingshan quickly followed, his heart filled with elation.

Is this... a possibility?

This immortal master's cultivation is truly exceptional!

He's kind!

……

The inner courtyard is even larger, with a fish pond in the middle, filled with lotus flowers and koi swaying in the water, and two spiritual fields on the left and right.

In the spirit field, two scarecrows worked diligently, looking almost like real people, extremely lifelike.

Although it's mostly just some minor puppetry tricks, it's a genuine technique from a celestial master!

Ren Qingshan was captivated by it.

Fairy!

"Master!"

Liu Yunsong continued walking without responding. After entering and sitting down, he said calmly, "What does your family do in the mountains? How many people are in your family? Go back and ask your family if they can come up with ten thousand taels of silver. If you're asking, you need at least ten thousand taels."

Ren Qingshan was bewildered.

I never imagined I would hear such words from a celestial master!

For an ordinary family, ten taels of silver a year is enough for the whole family's food, clothing, and daily necessities. Even a house in the county town would only cost around five hundred taels...

Ten thousand taels!

Immortal Master, are your hands really that ruthless?

"Why is it so expensive? Master, I am exceptionally talented and have abundant energy, could you... make an exception?"

I!

genius!

Give me a discount!

"Even if ten thousand taels of silver pass through my hands, I won't keep a single penny."

"You haven't cultivated before, so you don't understand the intricacies of this. Since the Kunlun Immortal Gathering two years ago, all the immortal sects have raised the price of Qi Refining Talismans to ten thousand taels of silver and are distributing them in fixed quantities."

"Ten thousand taels is a benefit for the most outstanding immortal seedlings. If no one recommends them and their talent is lacking, they cannot even get this price and can only go to auction."

"At last year's autumn auction of my Qinghua Immortal Sect, a single Qi Refining Talisman averaged 20,000 taels!"

That's very frank and open.

But it was like a bucket of ice water.

Having a vague idea of ​​what was going on, Ren Qingshan gritted his teeth and asked, to confirm, "What is a Qi-refining talisman?"

"With a Qi Refining Talisman, one can draw upon the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to enter the body."

"Without the Qi Refining Talisman, one will never have hope of entering the Immortal Realm."

"The Dao is the authority of Heaven and Earth. The Immortal Sect integrates the authority of Heaven and Earth into one, and it cannot be cultivated without being granted a talisman. The authority of the Qi Refining Realm lies solely in the Qi Refining Talisman."

Liu Yunsong explained calmly, a slight sigh escaping his lips.

This rule...

I was confused about the same thing back then, but rules are rules.

At that time, I also bought my Qi-refining talisman, which was cheaper then, for six thousand taels.

It is said that in ancient times, cultivators did not need to be ordained to refine their qi. As long as they had the cultivation method, they could cultivate and progress from a mortal body all the way to attaining enlightenment and ascending to immortality.

However, such stories now only exist in ancient mythological texts.

There's no need to talk to this naughty child in front of me.

Things are very different now than they used to be.

Ren Qingshan remained silent.

Having lived two lives, he could understand what the immortal master was saying, but he couldn't accept it for the time being and found it even more absurd.

—I just want to practice Qi cultivation, and I have to spend 10,000 taels of silver to buy a Qi cultivation qualification certificate?

"So, it seems there are very few Immortal Masters? Is that correct?"

Liu Yunsong sipped his tea and countered, "What's the point of having so many? Who's going to raise them?"

"Then... wouldn't there be many geniuses who could have achieved great success, but because they lacked money, they lived mediocre lives?"

Liu Yunsong's expression turned serious, and he did not answer.

genius?

What is a genius?

Even the most talented can surpass those born into wealthy and powerful families, conceived on an auspicious day, and nurtured by celestial beings from a young age, receiving ordination at one year old, establishing their foundation at ten, and achieving the Golden Core at twenty.

"Alright, enough of this small talk, this isn't something you should be worrying about."

"If you still wish to seek the Way, then think carefully about the money."

"My family was also poor, and it wasn't until I was thirty-seven that I finally saved enough money to be ordained."

"Those disciples outside the gate, even if they pool all their family's resources, might be able to scrape together ten thousand taels of silver, but it would still be a huge financial blow. Yangshan is, after all, just a poor city in Bingxia, with an annual tax revenue of only eight thousand taels."

Ren Qingshan felt a chill in his heart.

Otherwise, Yangshan County would only select its top seedlings once every seven years!

I'd like to select candidates every year, but then the leeks (resources) won't grow!

This world is probably already in the ultimate form of resource monopoly, wealth, companionship, law, and land.

Luckily, I had the Book of a Hundred Deaths.

If one is killed by a Qi Refining cultivator, it is only natural to seize their Qi Refining Scroll and enter the path of cultivation.

I just don't know if the Qi Refining Talisman is forcibly bound to an individual, or if any immortal sects have a method to identify it...

Ren Qingshan had a vague feeling that it was probably true, and he couldn't afford to be complacent.

Weighing the two options, making money was still the simplest.

Looking at Liu Yunsong's expression, Ren Qingshan pursed his lips and asked cautiously, "Master, do you have any ways to make money? With your abilities, earning a little money is extremely easy, isn't it?"

Liu Yunsong's lips twitched slightly.

How to make money?

Extremely simple?

That's just childish nonsense.

Afraid of being laughed at, he couldn't say it—to this day, he is not only penniless, but also heavily in debt!

The money owed to the sect alone exceeds 50,000 taels!

There's still something owed to my colleagues!

"Let me tell you, the Qi Refining Talisman is just the beginning. When you step into the Qi Refining stage and begin to refine the first wisp of spiritual energy from heaven and earth within your body, you will have to start paying your cultivation fee to the sect."

"This is because the spiritual energy of heaven and earth is a public resource, not a private possession, and it is decreasing year by year."

"The cultivation aptitude for the Qi Refining Realm is the lowest, only one-tenth of the aptitude. It can be paid with spirit stones or silver."

"To advance from Qi Refining to Foundation Establishment, one must purchase a Foundation Establishment Scroll from an Immortal Sect, starting at one million, with the highest bidder winning."

Ren Qingshan: ...

Paid cultivation of immortality?

No, what are you guys after?

On second thought, I understand. Despite the layers of exploitation, there's always something to look forward to in order to climb the ladder.

Climb to the top, and you'll feel free and at ease.

Similarly, the more difficult the climb, the more secure the position will be when you reach the summit.

……

……