0.1 Discount Welfare Version Cultivation

0.1 Discount Welfare Version Cultivation

Jiang Liu stood frozen for several seconds before coming back to his senses, a surge of joy rising from the depths of his heart.

No matter how he looked at it, he couldn't connect a cultivation game meant to help all humanity ascend with some shoddily made 0.1-discount game designed purely to milk players for money.

Were these gods making both an Official Version and a Welfare Version now?

But no matter what, he was the one benefiting.

What did a 0.1 Discount Welfare Version mean?

A hundredfold discount!

A gift pack that originally cost 648 yuan could be bought for 6.48 yuan. That was the Welfare Version!

Jiang Liu forcibly suppressed his excitement and eagerly entered the game.

After a dazzling series of flashes, a clean and neatly arranged game interface with a pale blue background appeared before his eyes.

A row of function icons filled the top of the screen: [Exciting Events] [Mall] [First Recharge] [Leaderboard].

At the bottom were [Character] [Equipment] [Backpack] [Draw] [Sect] [Social].

On the left was the [Chat Box].

On the right were [Story] [Arena] [Heaven-Piercing Tower] [Forging] [Alchemy].

At the very center was a cartoon character portrait that resembled him.

Those function icons occupied more than half the interface. The layout was exceptionally neat, yet it still gave Jiang Liu an inexplicably familiar feeling.

Oh my god.

If it hadn't been projected directly into his vision and capable of Synchronization with reality, he would have thought this was just another ordinary pay-to-win cultivation mobile game.

These functions, this UI, this character art... were they copied?

Jiang Liu held back a bellyful of complaints and opened [Character] first.

Character Name: Jiang Liu
Server: Celestial Dynasty Zone 4
VIP Level: 0
Title: None
Aptitude: Gold, Wood, Fire Mixed Spirit Root
Realm: Qi Condensation Layer 0 (0/1000)
Sect: None
Synchronization: Not synchronized

It was a very simple Character Panel. Other than the aptitude making Jiang Liu feel a little sour, everything else was perfectly normal.

Perhaps because he had already seen the function icons covering most of the screen, he wasn't too surprised by the VIP Level. Instead, he focused on the [Synchronization Function] at the bottom.

Did this Synchronization mean synchronizing the game character with his real body?

Understanding dawned on Jiang Liu. He had thought that when his game character broke through, his real body would break through as well. He hadn't expected there to be an additional [Synchronization] step.

Only after pressing [Synchronization] would everything about the game character be synchronized to his real body.

If he didn't press [Synchronization], nothing would be synchronized.

How should he put it? It did save him some trouble. At least he wouldn't cause too much commotion in public.

He didn't pay much attention to the [Synchronization] function. After glancing over the Character Panel, he closed it and opened [Exciting Events] next.

There was currently only one event under Exciting Events: [Daily Sign-in].

After claiming 5 Spirit Stones from the Daily Sign-in, Jiang Liu hurriedly opened [First Recharge].

Anyone who had played games knew that the First Recharge was the most cost-effective starter pack when a server opened. No exceptions.

[First Recharge Stage 1]: One random low-grade magical artifact, 5 Qi Refining Pills, title "Newcomer."

Total Value: 328 Spirit Stones. First Recharge Price: 6 Spirit Stones (Shocking)!

Good, good, good. They hadn't directly marked it as 0.06 Spirit Stones. They even knew to keep up appearances.

Jiang Liu's breathing quickened slightly as he tapped the purchase button, both expectant and exhilarated.

When he saw the words "Purchase Successful," he almost shouted out loud. The heart that had been lodged in his throat finally settled back down.

He had been worried—worried that the 0.1 Discount Welfare Version was only in the game's name and didn't actually offer any discounts in-game.

But now, the boulder weighing on his heart had been removed. The clouds had cleared, revealing endless blue skies.

This was a bug he had stumbled upon!

The 0.1 Discount Welfare Version had enormous potential!

Jiang Liu's grin was so wide it nearly twisted his face. He kept holding back his laughter. This was a classroom, after all. He couldn't let his classmates or the Head Teacher notice anything unusual. The Welfare Version was far too terrifying. Quietly getting rich was the only sensible move.

After taking several deep breaths, he finally recovered from his uncontrollable excitement and turned his attention to the second First Recharge gift pack.

[First Recharge Stage 2]: One random mid-grade magical artifact, 10 Qi Refining Pills, title "Making a Name."

Total Value: 1288 Spirit Stones. Current Price: 68 Spirit Stones (Shocking)!

Spend 0.68 Spirit Stones. Buy it!

[First Recharge Stage 3]: One random high-grade magical artifact, 20 Qi Refining Pills, title "Modest Accomplishment."

Total Value: 1888 Spirit Stones. Current Price: 188 Spirit Stones (Shocking)!

Spend 1.88 Spirit Stones. Buy it!

Jiang Liu was overflowing with boldness. With the 0.1 discount backing him up, he bought all three First Recharge gift packs, spending 5 Spirit Stones with the swagger of spending 500!

But he couldn't afford the next stage.

The Daily Sign-in only gave him 5 Spirit Stones, while the three First Recharge gift packs had cost 2.62 Spirit Stones.

The next First Recharge gift pack required 328 Spirit Stones. Even at a 0.1 discount, it would still cost 3.28 Spirit Stones.

Damn it, he couldn't even buy all the First Recharge gift packs at a 0.1 discount. Did the Cultivation Era's operators learn their trade from dogs?

Jiang Liu grumbled to himself as he reluctantly closed the First Recharge screen and opened [Backpack].

The Backpack had 32 Slots, and the second page was actually locked!

Inside were three glittering magical artifacts, 35 Qi Refining Pills, and three usable titles.

At the bottom were two functions, [Extract] and [Store]. Their purpose was self-evident. He could extract items from the Backpack into reality or store real-world items in the Backpack. It was incredibly convenient.

It also displayed his Spirit Stone balance: 2.38, complete with decimals.

After examining every function of the Backpack, Jiang Liu finally turned to the three magical artifacts from the First Recharge gift packs and opened them one by one.

[Spirit Rhinoceros Pendant]: Low-grade magical artifact. Can block up to three attacks below Qi Refining Layer 6 each day.

[Sunrise Sword]: Mid-grade magical artifact. Extremely sharp. Comes with the spell "Morning Sun Strike." Morning Sun Strike can only be used by those with a Fire Spirit Root.

[Spirit Communication Jade]: High-grade magical artifact. Increases cultivation speed by 10%.

The three magical artifacts offered offense, defense, and support. Jiang Liu couldn't help sighing that although the First Recharge gift packs were a scam, they had scammed him right where it counted.

Was it worth it?

It was absolutely worth it. Even at full price, the three magical artifacts were worth far more than several hundred Spirit Stones.

Not to mention the three titles and 35 Qi Refining Pills.

Jiang Liu casually equipped all three magical artifacts, then opened the three titles one after another.

There wasn't much to say about the titles. Even the highest-ranked one, "Modest Accomplishment," only increased cultivation speed by 3%. He used them all directly, then equipped "Modest Accomplishment."

After equipping the artifacts and title, he finally looked at the Qi Refining Pills.

[Qi Refining Pill]: Low-grade Magic Pill. Using one grants 100 Cultivation Points.

Thirty-five Qi Refining Pills. Use them all!

His Backpack instantly emptied. When he opened the Character Panel again, the realm field had changed to Qi Refining Second Layer (500/4000)!

Jiang Liu stared fixedly at the realm field, looking somewhat dazed, as though he still found it hard to believe.

He was already at Qi Refining Second Layer?

This was cultivation?

Why did it feel so absurdly easy?

Jiang Liu's heart pounded. He felt as though he were dreaming, and instinctively exited Cultivation Era to return to reality.

He lowered his head and looked at his body sitting cross-legged on the desk, feeling himself over from top to bottom. There was no change at all.

Right, he hadn't synchronized yet. In reality, he was still a Mortal Body.

Should he synchronize now?

Jiang Liu hesitated inwardly. He glanced at Li Dongze, who was only a meter away, then looked at the other classmates before suppressing the urge to synchronize immediately.

Others might not notice his Qi Refining Second Layer realm, but he had three magical artifacts on him, including a longsword. Once he synchronized, they would appear on his body. There was no way to explain that, and it would definitely cause a commotion.

Cultivation Era Zone 4 had been open for less than an hour, yet he already had three magical artifacts. Where had they come from?

Bought from the First Recharge?

And where had the Spirit Stones for the First Recharge come from?

If people found out that he was playing the 0.1 Discount Welfare Version of Cultivation Era, things would be bad. Malice would come flooding in.

When he played mobile games, he had been jealous of those rich players who threw money around like crazy. Now that this was real-life cultivation, it would be even worse.

People feared inequality less than unfairness. That was the truth.

After the initial unrest, many students in the classroom had quieted down. One by one, they sat with their eyes closed and miserable expressions, clearly having encountered enormous difficulties.

They started at Qi Condensation Layer 0, the Spirit Stones from the sign-in couldn't buy anything, and they couldn't even clear Story 1-1. How were they supposed to play this game?

"Damn it! Why isn't there a recharge function? Can't I just spend money to buy Spirit Stones?"

Li Dongze beside him shouted irritably. He opened his eyes while cursing, fixed Jiang Liu with a blazing stare, and gritted his teeth. "Good brother, sell me 1 Spirit Stone for 3,000 yuan. Help me out here!"

That price was already greatly inflated compared to the Spirit Stone market. Under normal circumstances, Jiang Liu would definitely have been tempted.

But now, he could spend 1 Spirit Stone as though it were 100. How could he possibly sell it?

Jiang Liu decisively shook his head and curled his lip. "Spirit Stone production is extremely low right after a server opens. Anyone with even a little ambition won't sell Spirit Stones."

"The hell? You can't even buy Spirit Stones with money?"

Li Dongze glared at Jiang Liu, jumped down from his desk, and shouted across the classroom, "I'm buying Spirit Stones for 3,000 yuan each! Unlimited purchases!"

His voice was so loud that it drew everyone's attention. Several classmates from poorer families showed hesitant expressions.

Cultivation could wait. Should they exchange some for money first and improve their lives?

At 3,000 yuan per Spirit Stone, and 5 Spirit Stones from the daily sign-in, that was 15,000 yuan a day!

After Cultivation Era arrived, people without dreams of cultivating and achieving immortality could truly lie around at home. The daily sign-in alone would let them earn a fortune.

Sure enough, some students were tempted.

"Brother Ze, I'll sell you 1!"

"Me too! I'll sell 1 a day!"

In the blink of an eye, several students had gathered around Li Dongze. They transferred money and traded on the spot, and he really did manage to buy several Spirit Stones.

"Li Dongze!"

The Head Teacher's voice rang out. She frowned at Li Dongze and said sharply, "Behave yourself and get back to your seat!"

Li Dongze shrank his neck and chuckled. He obediently climbed back onto his desk, shot Jiang Liu a smug look, and whispered, "What do you think? Call me Brother Ze, and after I buy the First Recharge gift pack, I'll give you 1 Qi Refining Pill."

"Heh heh."

Jiang Liu chuckled. I just ate 35 Qi Refining Pills. If you call me Daddy Jiang, I might save a few for you.

"You won't say it, huh? There'll come a day when you recognize me as your big brother."

Li Dongze didn't care about Jiang Liu's attitude. He happily returned to Cultivation Era to buy the First Recharge.

Watching him spend tens of thousands of yuan on Spirit Stones in the blink of an eye gave Jiang Liu an idea.

Didn't he say he wanted his dad to buy a few thousand Spirit Stones?

Rather than use those thousands of Spirit Stones to sweep the Mall, wouldn't it be better for them to end up in my hands?

Jiang Liu pondered it. He could buy items from the Mall gift packs, sell them to Li Dongze at a discount, then turn around and spend the Spirit Stones he received with his 0.1 discount.

A Spirit Stone was only worth one Spirit Stone in someone else's hands, but in his hands, it was worth 100 Spirit Stones!

Reselling game items... this business could work!

Just as Jiang Liu set his sights on his wealthy deskmate, the Head Teacher sitting on the podium spoke again.

"Alright, everyone, exit Cultivation Era. I have something to say!"

The Head Teacher's voice echoed through the classroom, and all the students turned confused gazes toward her.

"It's good news."

The Head Teacher said with a smile, "We just received notice that the school's teachers and administrators pooled their money to purchase the 98-Spirit-Stone Essence Gathering Art and Imprint Boards from the Mall. Thirty-three copies have already been sent to my Backpack. Everyone, line up and come collect yours!"

"With the Essence Gathering Art, you'll be able to enter Qi Refining Layer 1 faster. Only then will you truly begin cultivating!"

Essence Gathering Art!

The Essence Gathering Art in the Mall was a Low-grade Cultivation Method. It was far stronger than the Breathing Technique included in their skill slots!

Upon hearing the Head Teacher's words, the entire class couldn't help cheering. They hurriedly jumped down from their desks and lined up.

The school was really generous!

Jiang Liu silently gave them a thumbs-up as well. Just as he climbed down from his desk, he heard the Head Teacher add something else.

"Oh, right. Students coming to collect the Essence Gathering Art need to transfer me 1 Spirit Stone. This money is meant to repay the teachers and administrators."

Jiang Liu: "..."