[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-no-money-what-cultivation":3,"chapter-no-money-what-cultivation-no-money-what-cultivation-chapter-4":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","No Money, What Cultivation?",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},163353,323,"Chapter 4: Invoking the Gods","no-money-what-cultivation-chapter-4",4,"\u003Cp>Seeing the change in his palm, Zhang Yu couldn't help but think, \"What does this mean?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Once it's full, I'm not going to kick the bucket, am I?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unfortunately, no one could answer the unease in Zhang Yu's heart at that moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After finishing the morning physical education class, Zhang Yu dragged his half-dead body to have lunch with Bai Zhenzhen and Zhou Tianyi, then after a short rest, he faced the afternoon classes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first class in the afternoon was history, taught by an old man with a full head of white hair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After entering the classroom, the old man sat down behind the podium on his own, opened the textbook, and began to lecture casually.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the students below, whether they were catching up on rest, breathing exercises, cultivation, or even leaving the classroom to train their bodies, he didn't seem to care.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Yu had no interest in listening to what the history teacher had to say; he just quickly flipped through the textbook, letting the content replay in his mind and combining it with his own memories to understand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Kunxu has no countries; everything is monopolized and controlled by the ten great sects. Kunxu has thirty-six layers above ground. The first layer is about the size of two Chinas, made up of cities of various sizes, each managed by a city government set up by a major sect.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Apart from matters related to the immortal path, the technology level of the first layer seems about the same as in my previous life, but it looks like ordinary people have a much harder time.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The first layer of Kunxu has always been where Zhang Yu lived; as for going higher... he had only ever seen that in TV shows and movies.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to what Zhang Yu knew from his memories, only by getting into university could one enter the second layer of Kunxu, and only by graduating from university and joining a major sect could one go even higher.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It could be said that in Kunxu, only by mastering greater immortal path power and having higher authority could one climb up step by step.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the higher the layer, the denser the spiritual qi was said to be, the more advanced the immortal path technology, and the more abundant the resources.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking back to this point, Zhang Yu couldn't help turning to look out the window, feeling the sunlight pouring down from the sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Such a real sky and sunlight... Is this really inside some super-huge building?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If the first layer is the size of two Chinas, how much space does the entire Kunxu take up? It must not be on Earth anymore, right?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How exactly did I come to this world?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unconsciously, the scene of just arriving in this world came back to his mind, he recalled the strange ritual, and then his head felt dizzy again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Yu quickly shook his head; for him at this moment, compared to these big matters, high school grades, living expenses, making money, PE class... these immediate issues needed his attention more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And thinking about grades and cultivation gave Zhang Yu another headache.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides the morning PE class, the immortal path grades also included four subjects: Dao Heart, Mana, Martial Arts, and Dao Arts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among them, Dao Heart was worth 150 points, Mana 150 points, Martial Arts 100 points, and Dao Arts 100 points.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to Zhang Yu's memories, his recent grades had been declining across the board; there wasn't a single subject that wasn't slipping.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If things continued this way, it seemed only a matter of time before he was expelled from Songyang High School.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another question popped into Zhang Yu's mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"From the looks of it now, Zhang Yu's family isn't rich, and he doesn't have any outstanding immortal path talent. His interviews for both the first and second years didn't seem to go well. How did he even get into Songyang High School?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Yu racked his memory but only remembered that the original body had entered Songyang High School despite less-than-ideal interview results.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking about the original body's family, his eyes flickered slightly, and he took out his phone to open the contacts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Right, should I get in touch with Zhang Yu's parents and sister after school?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During the afternoon classes, Zhang Yu spent his time reviewing and sorting through the memories in his mind, which deepened his understanding of the knowledge, this world, and Zhang Yu's identity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the blink of an eye, it was time for school to let out at six.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The school's classes for the day were all over, but for the vast majority of Songyang High School students, the school day was only half over. Next, they had to attend their respective cram sessions and then self-study until the early hours of the morning before they could rest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike his classmates who rushed off to their cram schools, Zhang Yu was sitting in the empty cafeteria.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With no savings and no credit limit left, he hadn't attended cram school for two weeks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So after finishing dinner, he thought it over and still opened his phone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Might as well give it a try.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, he called Zhang Yu's mother, then his father, but both went unanswered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recalling the memories of Zhang Yu's parents and sister, he finally called his sister reluctantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Zhang Yu?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing the slightly cold voice on the other end of the phone, Zhang Yu braced himself and said, \"Sis, could you lend me some money?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment of silence, just as Zhang Yu thought she was about to hang up, a voice came from the phone: \"When you were in first grade, I already told Mom and Dad that you have no talent for the Immortal Path, and that going down this road is a complete waste of time and money.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"After we separated, Mom believed in your delusions and stubbornly tried to support you through high school all by herself. Not long ago, she even came to us asking for money, wanting to use my tutoring fees.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ha, and now this reckless fool wants to take out loans to cultivate immortality. For the sake of studying in high school, you’re already drowning in debt, aren’t you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Faced with her accusations, Zhang Yu had nothing to say, because based on the memories sorted out in his mind, what she said was not wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After their parents separated, each taking one child, the original Zhang Yu knew his mother’s income was insufficient and the family had no money, yet he was too arrogant, stubbornly taking out small loans to cultivate immortality, rolling over debts until now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And his mother, after repeatedly lending him money, paying off his debts, and discovering the hole growing bigger each time, finally left him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The voice on the other end of the phone continued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is our last contact. You’ll have to repay the debts you owe yourself.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"One more piece of advice: drop out of school and go work to pay off your debts.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Considering we were once family, I’ll send you 500 in a bit. That should be enough for you to find a job before you starve to death.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing the hang-up tone, Zhang Yu sighed helplessly: \"Oh well, at least I got 500.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Adding the 500 from Bai Zhenzhen, Zhang Yu’s savings finally broke 1000.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But walking home, the words of advice kept echoing in his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Drop out and work?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lying back on the bed in his rented room, Zhang Yu stared blankly at the slightly moldy ceiling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grades dropping, penniless, burdened with huge debt, his body on the verge of collapse… he had to admit that dropping out early to work seemed like a rational decision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just then, a sharp pain came from his palm. The symbol only he could see was finally filled with black.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, a crisp female voice sounded from beside him: \"Kid, the summoning ritual is complete. Time to fulfill three wishes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Yu jerked his head around and saw a rag doll sitting on the edge of his bed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at the rag doll with faded, yellowed fabric and crooked stitches, as if it might split open at any moment, he suddenly realized—wasn’t this the doll he’d seen yesterday at the strange ritual on the rooftop after arriving in this world?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rag doll: \"Hey, did you hear me? Three wishes, not one less.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Faced with this bizarre scene, Zhang Yu only wanted to leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this point, he was no longer the naive fool who knew nothing about this world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After sorting through the memories in his mind, he knew that gods in this world were not vague, ethereal beliefs, but administrators managing countless affairs large and small throughout Kunxu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But these orthodox gods were definitely not something a waste like Zhang Yu could casually summon. The deity that could be summoned by his so-called ritual must be a chaotic, murderous evil god strictly suppressed by the Ten Great Sects and various orthodox gods.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Those stories of mortals striking deals with evil gods, ending up dead and their souls scattered—those are the tales commoners in Kunxu Layer One have grown up hearing. Zhang Yu, desperate, actually went to an evil god?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No wonder thinking about those memories makes me dizzy. Is this also the evil god’s doing?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Yu felt the danger immediately and wanted to leave, but on second thought, he stopped his trembling body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason the original Zhang Yu had sought out the evil god was simply because he was truly at his wit’s end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was it better to spend a lifetime as a beast of burden at the very bottom repaying debt, or risk his life for a chance to continue cultivating immortality?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Evil god! My first wish is for you to help me fulfill 100 wishes!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After saying this, Zhang Yu swallowed nervously and asked, staring at it: \"Can you do it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Heh, such a simple thing, of course I can.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the smile on Zhang Yu’s face, the rag doll let out a sneer: \"But my choice is… not to do it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Because after the summoning ritual is complete, it is you who will fulfill my three wishes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>!?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If you choose to refuse to fulfill my wishes, or deliberately delay or fail during the process, you will suffer the backlash of the ritual—your flesh will explode and your soul will scatter.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alright, my first wish is for you to help me fulfill 1000 wishes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Zhang Yu was momentarily stunned, cursing inwardly: \"Wait… I went through all this summoning ritual just to fulfill your wishes? Was Zhang Yu an idiot? And a thousand wishes? That works too?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After stating her first wish, the doll gave a faint smile, her hollow eyes made of black buttons continuing to stare straight at Zhang Yu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Are you ready? I'm about to tell you the next wish.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Zhang Yu's heart suddenly tightened: \"What damn wish is this creepy thing going to make now?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If I really have to fulfill a thousand wishes for her, wouldn't I become her slave?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Or else... if she makes a wish I simply can't fulfill... wouldn't I be as good as dead?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The doll said slowly, \"I've thought it over. My next wish is... for you to help me collect a batch of antiques.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Yu swallowed hard: \"Antiques?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The doll chuckled and said, \"Don't worry, I've already picked them out for you. Just buy everything in your shopping cart.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Yu paused for a moment, then took out his phone and opened his shopping cart from memory, finding it filled with various Buddha statues, offering tables, incense burners, wooden swords... all expensive, each costing at least tens of thousands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And if he couldn't afford these antiques, he wouldn't be able to fulfill the wish. Failing to fulfill the evil god's wish would mean dying a violent death under the ritual's effect, wouldn't it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking this, Zhang Yu quickly asked, \"Could you possibly change the wish?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I probably can't afford so many antiques.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Making excuses...\" The doll's gaze hardened, endless malice seeming to pour from her pitch-black eyes: \"Are you trying to welch? If you can't afford it, go borrow money. If you can't borrow, sell your heart, liver, kidneys, spleen, and lungs. There's always a way for you to scrape the cash together.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Yu looked seriously at the doll and said slowly, \"If I did that, wouldn't I die just to fulfill this one wish?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The doll let out a light laugh: \"So what?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Yu: \"You can either lose right now a person who could fulfill a thousand wishes for you in the future.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Or give me some time, let a future disciple of a major sect buy these antiques for you, and then one by one... help you fulfill those thousand wishes?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hm?\" The doll glanced at Zhang Yu with some surprise: \"Go on.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Yu: \"I've calculated. To buy all these antiques, even if I worked odd jobs in Kunxu Layer for decades, I probably couldn't scrape together that much money.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But if I could join a major sect, I could save up that money in just a few years.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The doll: \"So?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Yu: \"That is to say... as long as I study hard, cultivate diligently, keep getting stronger, get into a prestigious university, and after graduation join a major sect, then I can use the sect's salary to fulfill your wish.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After another moment of silence, the doll suddenly said, \"You mean you're going to study hard, then work to earn a salary, and that's how you'll fulfill my wish?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Are you messing with me?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Endless malice surged toward him; the doll's eyes were like two enormous black holes, about to suck all light from the surroundings in an instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Yu clenched his fists, suppressing his trembling legs as much as possible, staring at the doll and said word by word: \"Your first wish was for me to fulfill a thousand wishes for you. The second wish is to collect the antiques in the shopping cart.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If I die broke while collecting antiques for you, how can I fulfill a thousand wishes?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If I know this and still go about fulfilling the second wish in a way that will surely kill me, wouldn't that be deliberately failing to fulfill the first wish?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Deliberately making myself unable to fulfill the first wish would violate the ritual's requirements, and I'd probably die from the ritual's backlash before even completing the second wish, right?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So studying hard, getting into university, working seriously to earn money—that's the only feasible plan I can think of right now to fulfill both the first and second wishes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Zhang Yu finished speaking, the room fell into a deathly silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment, the doll's voice sounded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let me see your balance.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon seeing the balance in Zhang Yu's account and the various overdue loan messages, the doll remained silent for a long time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This kid...\" Thoughts churned wildly in the doll's mind: \"Normally, this situation shouldn't occur, because the ritual should target wealthy people. Buying that pile of antiques would just be a flick of the finger.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But this kid... he's too poor, so poor that even the first wish can't be fulfilled, and his poverty has created a loophole.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Damn it, didn't I say to find a rich person?! How did I end up with this scumbag!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a long silence, the doll looked at Zhang Yu and said, \"What you said... isn't without reason.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fine. Go study hard. I'll come find you when you've earned enough money.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that, the doll sneered again: \"But remember, all of this is to fulfill my wish.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Next, if you show any slack in the process of fulfilling my wish, you will all die from the ritual backlash.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching the cloth doll gradually vanish, Zhang Yu suddenly exhaled a breath, his body going limp as he collapsed onto the bed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, he remembered something and shouted, \"Wait, this ritual... what exactly did I gain from this ritual?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although he suspected that his transmigration might be related to this ritual, he still didn't dare to directly reveal this secret, instead choosing to probe indirectly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unless absolutely necessary, he decided to keep the secret of Earth firmly locked in his heart, never to be revealed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cloth doll disappeared without a trace, leaving only a voice lingering in Zhang Yu's ear: \"Your potential has been awakened, but everyone's potential is different. As for what yours is... go feel it for yourself.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside the room, the cloth doll thought as it walked: \"This kid's talent is terrible. Awakening his potential will just give him a little boost in mana or physical strength, right? I doubt he can even get into a university, let alone join a major sect. How can he fulfill my wish?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But his on-the-spot adaptability is quite interesting... Let me see how far you can struggle.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the room, Zhang Yu watched the black symbol in his palm gradually begin to change.\u003C\u002Fp>",2854,"2026-05-29T04:54:22.303Z","2026-06-01T04:29:11.989Z",1,"deepseek-v4-flash","20c15d679c0de703919c412b2f384d3bcf7be0132499e9de12edcfd617b395f1","no-money-what-cultivation-chapter-5","no-money-what-cultivation-chapter-3",711,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fno-money-what-cultivation-cover.jpg"]