Jingzhou Handong University, Sword Theory and Science freshman class.
Acting senior Qing Song spoke with impassioned fervor from the lectern:
"Juniors, your counselor is on leave. I'll be your acting senior for the time being. You can call me Qing Song. Now, let's begin your first university lesson.
"You're all favored children of heaven who passed the entrance exams from all across the Immortal Palace, and many of you were outstanding students. But cultivation and studying are two different things. You're all cultivators who received implanted spirit roots after birth, worlds apart from cultivators with innate spirit roots.
"Those with innate spirit roots began cultivating the moment they were born, so they're destined to hold a commanding lead during the early university years. Some have already opened twelve spirit veins and reached Foundation Establishment ahead of everyone else. And you? You only received your spirit roots three months ago. Even Junior Chen Fan, who's made the fastest progress so far, only has eleven spirit veins. Huh! Wait."
Senior Qing Song looked at the figures on the freshman registration form and only just registered what they meant.
What did he mean, he had opened eleven spirit veins only three months after receiving his spirit root? Was he hacking? This wasn't scientific!
Unable to believe it, Senior Qing Song rubbed his eyes. After repeatedly confirming that the figures were correct, he sucked in a cold breath and continued,
"Juniors, a grind king has already emerged in your cohort! If you don't grind now, when will you? You're all outstanding talents who fought your way through thousands of troops and horses. Why resign yourselves to trailing behind, accomplishing nothing beneath those with innate spirit roots? Before heaven and earth are settled, you and I are all dark horses!"
Once Senior Qing Song confirmed the news about Chen Fan, a dense hum of discussion rose from below.
"How's that possible? Nobody could condense that many spirit roots in such a short time!"
"Could it be..."
"I strayed into heaven's household, and they urged me to lay down the gauze in my hands..."
Chen Fan watched everything before him without much reaction.
He had condensed so many spirit roots in such a short time entirely through his own tireless efforts. It had nothing whatsoever to do with his traits.
Heh heh heh, panel, add points!
Chen Fan wholeheartedly agreed with the senior at the lectern. False spirit roots were strategic resources controlled by the Immortal Palace, and each one was incomparably precious. Thus, everyone who obtained a spirit root could be said to have defied heaven and changed their fate, with people behind them choosing to invest to some extent.
Just like Chen Fan himself: shortly after obtaining his false spirit root, he had received an invitation to collaborate from a super-corporation.
"But-"
Qing Song looked at everyone before him, now lost in thought, and nodded in satisfaction before continuing.
"You've caught a wonderful era. In this day and age, the cultivation system is constantly being perfected. As long as you have enough Spirit Coins to buy potions, you can keep progressing!
"Sword Theory and Science is currently one of the Immortal Palace's flagship majors. As long as you achieve outstanding results during university, you can receive benefits such as the following: first, scholarships; second, employment recommendations; third, opportunities to study abroad, and so on.
"Of course, all of this comes with one prerequisite: complete your graduation assessment and become a Golden Core cultivator within four years, and you can graduate smoothly. Otherwise, you'll repeat the year and retake your courses. If that still doesn't work, you'll get a certificate of completion!
"Juniors, the bugle of reform has sounded! The age of ancient cultivation methods is over. This is the age of technological cultivation! An era where efficiency is king and speed reigns supreme has arrived!
"White Cloud Pharmaceutical Group has recently developed and launched new potions, including Spiritual Qi supplements, Spiritual Qi enhancers, and other essential auxiliary potions for the Qi Refining Realm, and has begun a new round of cooperation with Handong University.
"All of you juniors here can enjoy White Cloud Pharmaceutical Group's internal discounts on top of the university student discounts. Spiritual Qi supplements originally priced at 100 Spirit Coins now cost only 55 Spirit Coins. Interested juniors, hurry and contact me to register your orders."
After Qing Song finished his sales pitch, another commotion rose from the students. Just then, a freshman raised a hand to ask a question.
"Senior, Senior, products with discounts like these are seriously overpowered! Are there any other overpowered products like these?"
Qing Song adjusted the glasses on his nose and answered with a refined smile.
"Yes, brother, yes. There are nine products in total that are both discounted and overpowered like these."
Swayed by Qing Song's patter, one student raised a little paw to ask a question.
"Senior, Senior, I've just undergone economic structural adjustment, resulting in inflation and a sharp decline in purchasing power. Is there a cost-effective way to obtain potions?"
Qing Song's eyes lit up at this, and he immediately answered,
"Yes, Junior. If your current financial situation doesn't permit it, there are other ways to obtain potions, such as taking part in events held by White Cloud Pharmaceutical Group or participating in their clinical trials for new potions.
"However!
"In my eyes, the best way is, of course, to choose a reliable channel for obtaining Spirit Coins. And naturally, I can provide a reliable lending channel right here. If you need it, Junior, you can follow me on Micro Message to receive an exclusive slogan.
"Say your senior's exclusive slogan for better loan deals and zero interest for the first month."
Chen Fan was speechless when he heard this. So he was here to sell loans. Still, that was only human nature. People like them who had clawed their way up from the mortal world couldn't possibly pass up any opportunity to earn money.
At that thought, Chen Fan couldn't help considering whether to take out a loan. Although he still owed a mountain of debt, if he could break through in a short time, wouldn't that mean he could borrow more and more?
The thought tempted Chen Fan, but he took a precaution and used his panel to inspect Qing Song's basic information.
[Ding] [Name: Qing Song] [Age: 60, cultivation: Foundation Establishment perfection, goal: break through to Golden Core, then pass the entrance exam to become Professor Li's graduate student] [Traits: diligent, greedy, persistent, etc.]
Seeing this, Chen Fan relaxed. Senior Qing Song was still trustworthy. At least his traits didn't contain anything like scamming people.
For a time, the classroom seethed with voices.
The freshmen were all newcomers who had only just stepped onto the immortal path, with shallow foundations and scarce resources. Every one of them lacked cultivation potions and the Spirit Coins to support their cultivation.
Hearing about benefits like half-price potions and interest-free loans tempted everyone. They whispered among themselves, and some already had a flicker of interest in their eyes.
People's hearts in the Immortal Palace were complicated, and schemes emerged endlessly. Greed wasn't the concern; harming others was. Qing Song merely wanted to earn some Spirit Coins for cultivation through campus resource promotions and loan commissions. These were all open, honest ways to make money, hardly underhanded plotting.
As long as he obtained Spirit Coins through a loan, purchased high-grade auxiliary potions, and broke through in a short time to pull ahead of his cohort, university rewards, secret realm resources, and opportunities to collaborate with corporations would follow one after another.
By then, a trifling loan wouldn't be worth mentioning. He could even leverage it into bigger loans, borrowing ever larger sums and more of them. The day he could short the financial markets would be just around the corner!
The more Chen Fan thought about it, the stronger the temptation in his eyes grew.
In class, Qing Song was still tirelessly promoting discounts and loan benefits, describing the effects of various potions and the advantages of loans so lavishly that flowers seemed to rain from the heavens, neatly grasping the freshmen's desire to grow stronger quickly.
The lesson passed in the blink of an eye.
When the bell rang, the other freshmen were still crowded around the lectern, chattering as they asked about potion prices and event rules. Chen Fan, however, remained unobtrusive. Taking advantage of the jostling crowd, he slowly circled to the side of the lectern, out of everyone's sight, and raised a hand slightly in a gesture.
"Senior Qing Song, a word in private."
Qing Song was busy dealing with the freshmen crowded around him. At those words, he turned his head. The instant he saw Chen Fan, his eyes lit up, and an enthusiastic smile immediately spread across his face.
If a genius like Junior Chen Fan, who was certain to rise in the future, took out loans and bought potions through him, he would not only earn generous commissions but also secure an enormous favor. Guaranteed profit, no loss!
Qing Song immediately parted the students surrounding him and hurried over to Chen Fan. Several times more attentive than he had been toward everyone else, he beamed and spoke in an exceedingly warm tone:
"Junior Chen Fan! What is it? Have our discounted potions caught your eye, or would you like to learn about our lending channels? Just say the word. I'll max out every benefit others get for you, and I'll do my best to secure exclusive discounts that others don't get!"
Chen Fan didn't beat around the bush either. "Senior, I'd like to apply for a cultivation-specific loan, with as high a limit as possible. Ideally, enough to cover cultivation expenses in the Foundation Establishment realm."
"Good, good, good! No problem!"
Qing Song nodded repeatedly and deftly took out the Spirit Messaging jade tablet he carried, without the slightest delay.
For other freshmen applying for loans, he might have asked a few basic questions about their aptitude and weighed the amount, fearing they would be unable to repay it. But with Chen Fan, he was completely at ease.
A peerless genius with eleven spirit veins would, at worst, be assured of reaching Foundation Establishment in the future and making a push for Golden Core. Such a small loan wasn't even a debt to him, merely an advance on his early cultivation expenses.
As Qing Song swiftly entered information into the jade tablet, he enthusiastically explained the terms to Chen Fan:
"Don't worry, Junior. I'll give you the highest new-student privileges! Absolutely zero interest for the first six months, no hidden charges whatsoever, and a generous repayment period suited to the pace of cultivation for freshmen like us! Besides, you're a premium client of mine, so your limit can be raised at any time as your cultivation improves."
In just a few dozen seconds, the entire loan application process was complete, efficient and swift.
[Ding! Loan approved! Spirit Coins have been disbursed to the student's campus card account!]
A system notification sounded in Chen Fan's mind at the same time.
Once all the paperwork was done, Qing Song, afraid Chen Fan might fail to find reliable channels later, hurriedly took out his personal Spirit Messaging QR code of his own accord and presented it to Chen Fan with both hands, his manner especially sincere:
"Junior, this is my Micro Message spirit code. Make sure you save it!"
"Whether you want to buy White Cloud Pharmaceutical's cultivation potions, auxiliary pills, or Qi Refinement law artifacts, apply for loans, participate in clinical trials for new medicines to get free resources, or even have scarce campus cultivation supplies purchased on your behalf, you can come straight to me!"
"I have exclusive channels for plenty of other campus resources, with the lowest prices and the most benefits. Absolutely reliable! Whenever you need cultivation resources in the future, Junior, don't bother looking for anyone else. Just stick with me!"
Chen Fan raised his hand to scan the spirit code and carefully saved the contact information, then nodded slightly. "Thank you, Senior."
"No need to stand on ceremony! You're one of our own juniors!" Qing Song grinned from ear to ear, filled with the joy of landing a major client. "Cultivate hard, Junior. When you soar to success one day, I'll be counting on basking in your reflected glory!"
Looking at the overflowing enthusiasm of Senior Qing Song, Chen Fan understood. All the world bustled for profit; all the world jostled for gain.
Qing Song was greedy, but he acted openly, used legitimate channels, and treated people sincerely. He was a good contact to work with.