A Loan-Funded Prodigy, a Lower-Grade Law Sword

Opening his mouth, blinking, nodding, shaking his head-repeating this mysterious little ritual was what punk Lü Yuan was doing.

Two months had slipped by since he signed that wager contract with Lin Qi.

Lü Yuan had not been idle during that time. He had been using his Spirit Root to cheat, improving his Spirit Root aptitude and sensing his inner breath ahead of time.

After two months of getting used to it,

there was no doubt that he was already assured of victory in the Spiritual Qi aptitude test.

Better yet, the two months he had spent on Breath Sensitivity should be enough for Lü Yuan to enter Embryonic Breathing on the spot once he opened his Spirit Aperture.

After enrolling, he should be able to join the Dark Air Realm seamlessly with ancient cultivator Lü Yuan's cooperation, and set his plan to smuggle air for Immortal Dao potential in motion.

That day was not far off. After all, the Spiritual Qi aptitude test began tomorrow.

And right after the Spiritual Qi aptitude test, he would open his first Spirit Aperture and get ready for school.

That was also why, given his status and promising future, the small-loan services on various platforms across Mingyang City had all extended him some credit.

And holding to the belief that Immortal Dao potential was only his once he borrowed it,

Lü Yuan took out every one of those loans today, now that he finally had some free time.

They included, but were not limited to, Spirit Root Treasure, Dao Heart Credit, Law Power Loan, Spiritual Qi Loan, and Life Extension 356-

Altogether, these platforms had provided Lü Yuan with five thousand Spirit Stone Vouchers' worth of Immortal Dao potential, nearly equal to five years of his savings.

Sure enough, only by setting foot on the path of immortal cultivation could one have value in this Capitalist Immortal Cultivation Realm.

Before this, there was no way in hell he could have borrowed so many Spirit Stone Vouchers.

Still, although Lü Yuan was now a loan-funded prodigy burdened with twenty thousand in debt, he was not the least bit worried.

Once the Spiritual Qi aptitude test was over tomorrow, he would receive enough Spirit Stone Vouchers to pay n months of interest.

Of course, using those Spirit Stone Vouchers to pay back the principal was out of the question.

That was how a good-for-nothing thought.

Their only use was to show the lenders his potential to pay the interest, so they would lend him even more principal.

A loan, a loan—I already borrowed it. If I hurry to pay it back, wouldn't I have borrowed it for nothing?

What was the mindset of a loan-funded prodigy?

This was it!

"Five thousand Spirit Stone Vouchers..."

"There's no need to hold on to any of this loan. I should follow the guide to cultivating immortality as livestock as closely as I can and spend it all on drugs and the copyrights for the required Law Techniques."

Lü Yuan had a clear plan. "Only then will the loan platforms and the school see my wholehearted devotion to the Dao. The guide says there's a good chance that'll raise my credit limit."

As he spoke, he opened several different platforms on his Extreme Fox brand phone.

There was Rejuvenation Express, a platform run by a subsidiary of a pharmaceutical mega-corporation.

There was also Spirit Treasure Duoduo, a shopping platform a mega-corporation had set up especially for poor bastards like them.

And then there was Idle Fish Dao, a purely secondhand trading platform.

As the saying went, compare goods at three shops. Although Lü Yuan had already found the best deals in the guide, he would feel more at ease checking them himself.

Who knew whether those online marketing accounts were running ads for the drug companies?

"Hmm, not bad. This price is even a little lower than the guide said."

"What? This platform is a whole Spirit Stone Voucher cheaper than the one in the guide? Trash marketing account, setting me up like that."

"Ooh, what a bargain, what a bargain."

"Huh? Damn hand, I almost lost out."

After picking and choosing and haggling over every last cent, Lü Yuan finally bought the drug package he needed for the start of school and the copyrights for the Law Techniques every primary school student needed.

A string of notifications followed.

[Rejuvenation Express: Hello, Lü Yuan, prospective student of Class 2, Grade 1, Mingyang City No. 1 Technical Primary School. The "Rejuvenation No. 3 Embryonic Breathing Crash-Course Injection" and "Life-Transforming Brand Breath-Nourishing Stock Solution" you purchased are being packed and are expected to arrive within three days. We look forward to serving you again.]

[Guji Pharmaceuticals: Hello, your order for...]

[...]

[Spirit Treasure Duoduo: Your right to learn a first-grade Law Technique is under review...]

[Hundred Things Same City: Your goods have been shipped. Please remember to confirm receipt; payment will be deducted automatically after delivery...]

On the path of cultivation, money could be said to flow like water, and that was precisely why Immortal Dao potential was tied to money.

In just half an hour, Lü Yuan had spent almost the equivalent of five years' wages on drugs and Law Techniques.

But he felt no pain at all, because those Spirit Stone Vouchers had turned into genuine Immortal Dao potential and remained by his side.

"There are 305 Spirit Stone Vouchers left from this loan. Let me think, what can I buy with that-"

With that thought, Lü Yuan opened one platform after another, scanning the dazzling array of goods.

"This one, I can't afford."

"This one... doesn't seem all that useful even if I buy it."

"This one... huh?"

Finally, on Idle Fish Dao's secondhand trading page, Lü Yuan stopped and looked with interest at the item that had given him pause.

It was a secondhand lower-grade Embryonic Breathing Law Sword, eighty percent new, but the model was a little old, and the seller had listed it at the low price of 500 Spirit Stone Vouchers.

Lü Yuan checked and found that the workshop had long since gone out of business due to poor management.

The lower-grade Law Sword had no particular distinguishing features either, which was why it was so cheap secondhand.

Otherwise, a secondhand lower-grade Embryonic Breathing Law Sword in eighty-percent-new condition would have sold for at least 700 Spirit Stone Vouchers.

Lü Yuan was tempted. If he could bargain the price down a little more, it would be just right as his first Law Artifact.

He was about to start school, and one reason he wanted a Law Sword was for self-defense. After all, who could guarantee there would be no crooks preying on crooks while he joined the Dark Air Realm?

Of course, another reason was that ancient cultivator Lü Yuan had recently obtained a Sword Instruction-type Technique Method from the immortal book.

At that thought, Lü Yuan hesitated no longer and started typing.

[Mingyang City Timely Rain: Boss, are you selling this Law Sword?]

[Primary School Students Stay Away: What kind of question is that? Why would I list it if I weren't selling it?]

[Mingyang City Timely Rain: Then, boss, can you guarantee this Law Sword is eighty percent new?]

[Primary School Students Stay Away: Are you buying it or not? The platform oversees transactions. Could I really sell you a damaged Law Sword?]

[Mingyang City Timely Rain: I'm buying it, but I still need to make sure of the quality.]

[Primary School Students Stay Away: All right, all right. When you get down to it, you just want to bargain, don't you? The price I listed is already a friends-and-family price. I can knock it down one more time at most. Final price: 480.]

[Mingyang City Timely Rain: Here's my offer, boss. Will you sell it for 400?]

[Primary School Students Stay Away: That cut went straight for the main artery! Who haggles like that? 450, and not a voucher less.]

[Mingyang City Timely Rain: Deal.]

Having bought a Law Sword at a low price and saved another fifty Spirit Stone Vouchers' worth of Immortal Dao potential, Lü Yuan felt refreshed and invigorated.

It was just a shame that what remained of the loan could not cover the entire purchase, so he had to dip into his earlier savings.

"But it doesn't matter. My Immortal Dao potential hasn't gone far from me; it's turned into a Law Sword that will stay by my side forever-"

"Besides, to cultivate the sixth-grade Technique Method, [Dipper Handle Turning the Heavens, Guiding Principles and Heavenly Law Sword Instruction], this little expense is worth it!"