"Looks like I don't need to introduce myself."
The Star God chuckled. "Don't be nervous. I'm not curious about how you know me."
"I came here for one reason: to make sure you survive tonight's trial in the Rule Vector Mirror."
"Once you've come out of the Rule Vector Mirror alive, we can talk about the rest."
With that, the Star God slowly rose to his feet. "You don't need to read that little blue booklet. It's no use to you."
"The trials for professionals whose professions have 'god' in their names are different from those of ordinary professionals."
"For example, an ordinary professional can enter the Rule Arrow Mirror, kill a few mirror creatures, and advance to the first tier, ending the trial."
"But we're different. Take me, for example. I entered the Rule Vector Mirror, slew a deputy general, and slaughtered everyone under his command. Only the tremendous energy that brought me was enough to raise me to the first tier."
"Still, I could draw the power of the stars into myself, so my life wasn't in danger."
The Star God looked at Su Wen and spoke softly. "But you're different, God of Wealth. You... what combat abilities do you have?"
"If your way of attacking is to throw money at the enemy, I can give you a sum on behalf of the nation, so you can use your abilities."
"But after you return from the trial, you'll need to cooperate with the nation on some attack experiments."
Su Wen replied, "I don't have the ability to attack with money, but..."
The Star God cut Su Wen off. "A God-Prefixed Heavenly Mandate Bearer must never tell anyone about their innate talent. Trust no one. You only need to tell me whether you have any combat abilities."
"No."
"All right, I understand."
As soon as he finished speaking, a white chess piece landed in Su Wen's hand.
"The white piece contains an attack that uses sword qi to draw on the power of the stars. Its range is a two-hundred-meter radius centered on the piece."
"Before you activate it, make sure there are enough enemies in front of you to let you advance a tier."
"When external objects interfere with a trial, the iron laws within the Rule Vector Mirror intervene. That means using the white piece will send the difficulty of the rest of your trial soaring."
"So it's best if the white piece can get you to the next tier in one go. Return quickly after you advance. Understood?"
"One more thing: the place where you stand the instant you activate the white piece will be a safe zone within the attack's range. Don't move, or the white piece might target you too."
"Another possibility is that you can't gather a large number of Arrow Realm creatures around you, but they aren't far away. In that case... wave the white piece in your hand."
"The white piece will shoot sword light forward as you wave it. As long as you finish the fight and advance within ten minutes, there shouldn't be any major problems."
"One more thing: if a celestial official is on duty in the Arrow Realm, you can relax a little. But if an earth deity is on duty, you'll need to be more careful."
"All right, that's everything. I'll come back after you return from the trial."
With that, the Star God vanished from where he stood.
Su Wen stared at the place where the Star God had disappeared, lost in thought.
To be honest, he hadn't expected the Star God to come here.
Everything he knew about the Star God came from Xu Zimin's words of thanks to him on the last page of the Body Refining Art.
Judging the Star God's character solely by those words of thanks, he was undoubtedly someone who had made a major contribution to the nation's development.
Under normal circumstances, someone like that wouldn't have a twisted personality.
But the complexity of a person's character couldn't be judged from a few simple lines.
Once Su Wen completed the trial, he would know what the Star God wanted with him.
And if he didn't complete the trial?
Then he probably wouldn't be coming back.
That was why neither the police bureau nor the Star God had finished explaining the downside of failing the trial. Once a person was dead, there wasn't much left to say.
"Name: Su Wen." "Tier: zero." "Profession: God of Wealth." "Cultivation art: Body Refining Art (+)." "Skills: none." "Divine abilities: none." "Talent: Wealth Flows In." [Absorb the power of wealth and gather it within oneself. Money breaks yin and yang; wealth disrupts space-time.] "Wealth Source Points: 0.3." [Wealth Disrupts Space-Time (activated)] [Money Breaks Yin and Yang (not activated)]
Su Wen looked at his status panel. The Body Refining Art that had appeared in the cultivation art field especially made his eyes light up.
But what truly excited him was the plus sign after the Body Refining Art.
What it represented went without saying!
As he directed his thoughts toward it, the cultivation art field and his Wealth Source Points began to change.
"Cultivation art: Body Refining Art (+)" [Entry stage: the art's effect is approximately equal to practicing the eighteen body-strengthening movements for one year.] "Wealth Source Points: 0.2."
At the same time, Su Wen felt a warm current sweep through his body.
The next moment, his qi and blood surged, and his bones rang in unison.
"Phew..."
Su Wen clenched his fist and tested it, a smile spreading across his face.
He didn't know how strong he was now, but killing his former self with a single punch wouldn't be a problem.
One million had advanced the Body Refining Art by one year.
It wasn't cheap, but it was well worth it.
Setting aside the year itself, the nutrition and medicinal ingredients he would have needed to supplement his daily training for a year would already have cost a great deal.
Although I have the Star God's means as a safety net, improving my own strength is what matters.
With that thought, Su Wen stirred his mind, and the cultivation art field changed again.
"Cultivation art: Body Refining Art." [Proficient stage: the art's effect is approximately equal to practicing the eighteen body-strengthening movements for three years.] "Wealth Source Points: 0."
Meanwhile, elsewhere.
"Looks like the God of Wealth's talent gives him immeasurable growth potential!"
The Star God sat on a stone bench in a nearby park and chuckled softly. "Spending money to increase his physical strength and the concentration of his qi and blood?"
"Interesting. If he can keep increasing them without limit, he's worthy of the name God of Wealth."
"If there are major restrictions, then that's a little interesting."
"But combat power certainly won't be the God of Wealth's greatest strength. Otherwise, he wouldn't be called the God of Wealth, but the God of War or the Martial God."
"But in the current era, the God of Wealth... does indeed have a uniquely blessed advantage."
"..."
Several passersby strolled past him as though they couldn't see the Star God.
A couple even took photos and played around right in front of the Star God, completely unaware that someone was sitting there.
The Star God watched the scene with interest, his thoughts unknown.
Eight o'clock at night.
Su Wen loosened up and familiarized himself with the Eighteen Body Tempering Forms, then made a few simple preparations based on the information in the little blue booklet.
Although the Star God had said the booklet was no use to him, doing nothing while he waited made him a little nervous, so he might as well read the information in it.
As long as the information it contained proved even the slightest bit useful during the trial, he wouldn't have wasted his time.
"Buzz!"
A spatial ripple shimmering with silvery-white light appeared directly in front of Su Wen. The blue-gold specks filling that light made the scene before him look like a wonder of the starry sky.
"Trial target: zero-tier God of Wealth."
"Please prepare. The trial is about to begin."
A cold, mechanical voice sounded in Su Wen's mind, accompanied by the echo of an equally cold countdown.
"Three."
"Two."
"One."
"Trial begins!"
In an instant, light flashed, and Su Wen vanished from where he stood.
The moment the spatial ripple disappeared, the Star God appeared in the room.
"Those systematic movements and postures just now... such a big surprise right at the start?"
The Star God looked at the spot Su Wen had left and murmured to himself.
Beside him, a purple instrument shaped like a clock spun continuously. Obscure, mysterious dao patterns flickered above it, apparently recording something without pause.