[Cyber-cultivation + hard work pays off + humorous survivalist tactics + decisive in killing]
Welcome to the cultivation era of “financialization across the entire industry chain”!
Here, spiritual energy is monopolized by the financial conglomerates. Poor people have to watch a 30-second ad before they can breathe it in. Cultivation techniques come with anti-piracy protection, spells stop working if you don't renew your subscription, and a pop-up offering “Recharge 648 for double power” appears right in the middle of a duel.
Chu Feng transmigrates into this world saddled from the start with a cultivation loan at a predatory rate of “borrow nine, repay thirteen.” If he can't pay, they'll rip out his spiritual root. Just as all hope seems lost, the [Hard Work Pays Off System] activates! Every bit of effort yields tenfold rewards, and it can bypass every paywall!
Can't afford the VIP Breath Cultivation Art? Chu Feng does ten thousand push-ups. [Basic Breathing Technique Lv. 999! Special effect activated: Spiritual Energy Black Hole!]
Can't afford high-tier magical treasures? Chu Feng clutches a rusty iron sword and painstakingly masters the basic moves. [Ninth Set of Radio Calisthenics Sword Art Lv. 100! Back to basics: one sword breaks all techniques!]
When a pay-to-win genius struts up in the latest generation of spiritual-energy armor to provoke him, Chu Feng's basic attack cleaves both man and machine into scrap. “Sorry, I'm free-to-play. I just grind hard.”
On the surface, Chu Feng is an ordinary student who meekly studies for the high school entrance exams. In secret, when loan sharks come calling, he calmly pulls out his max-level Concealment Art and corpse-dissolving water, then takes care of everything from grinding the bones to scattering the ashes, casually dumping the remains into the sewer.
Years later, Chu Feng cleaves the cultivation world's Wall Street in two. Looking down at the financial tycoons beneath him, he shrugs helplessly. “You have to pay to get stronger? You can fool me, buddy, but don't fool yourself.”
