Deposed? I couldn't be happier! I wouldn't even be a dog to the crown prince.

Accompanied by a dazzling light effect update, the first batch of limited-edition virtual items were launched in the Datang Yuan Universe's shopping mall.

It was a multi-dimensional particle effect that was dazzling enough to blind even a titanium alloy dog, which exploded with a bang at the top of the holographic projection.

Colorful light spots, like rain, sprinkled across every corner of the virtual Vermilion Bird Avenue.

Li Shimin, who was secretly studying the land's layout while hunched over his desk, had his eyes instantly drawn to the huge banner on the system's homepage in that split second.

He subconsciously swallowed, feeling his digital wallet groaning under the strain.

"Hurry up! Take those 'Nine Heavens Thunder Supreme Wings' instantly for me!"

Budget? Budget is bullshit! My dad just sold off the coal mine in Taiyuan, and I'm so poor now all I have left are credit points in my digital wallet!

Inside the outlying residence of the Wang family in Taiyuan, the eldest son of the Wang family, with red eyes, was excitedly cursing at the virtual recharge interface.

His fingers trembled wildly with excitement, nearly knocking over the wine from the Western Regions on the table.

This distorted vanity has been suppressed for far too long in the real world where the imperial court is vigorously promoting anti-corruption and anti-gang campaigns.

Nowadays, scions of wealthy families dare not wear gold and silver when walking the streets, for fear of being caught and questioned by the police on the roadside. Even driving a heavy-duty hovercar will result in their accounts being checked.

Having been cooped up for so long, they turned around and ran to this metaverse world, which had no physical laws to restrict them.

That long-accumulated desire for extravagance finally found the perfect outlet, and they began to spend money like crazy.

"Buy, buy, buy! Anyone who doesn't buy is a coward!"

"If I can't ride my cybernetic tiger around Suzaku Street today, how will I be able to hold my head up in the brothels tomorrow?"

The young duke of the Lu family even pledged several of his family's empty workshops to the central bank of the Tang Dynasty on the spot.

The millions of credits earned were transformed into a string of glowing data symbols within the first microsecond of the mall refreshing.

For a time, the streets of the entire virtual Chang'an city were filled with a breathtakingly extravagant and absurd scene.

Those ordinary people went online wearing holographic helmets.

To my astonishment, the once quaint and elegant Vermilion Bird Street was now filled with young masters riding rare cyber mechanical tigers, their wings shimmering with iridescent colors, soaring through the air.

Those wings were a full three zhang wide, and with each flap, a dense shower of golden particles would fall down as a special effect.

"Get out of the way! Don't block my trail of light!"

Cheng Yaojin's eldest son, Cheng Chumo, was wearing the "Flowing Light Armor," one of only ninety-nine available online.

He was riding on a rare, limited-edition mechanical white tiger that was sizzling with eerie blue plasma sparks.

A deafening metallic whistle echoed through the virtual gravity-sensing grid.

The exhilarating feeling of having the privilege of freely flying through the void and trampling everyone under one's feet.

Through neuronal touch, the vanity of these young nobles was pushed to its absolute limit.

Using such extravagant methods—methods that would absolutely have led to Wei Zheng impeaching them to death in reality—they brazenly displayed their class presence in the virtual Tang Dynasty.

Even if it's just a string of empty code, as long as it can make people kneel down and shout "Master!", it's worth a fortune.

"Sir, this siphon effect is too amazing. Our back-end water supply has already burned through the third cooling pipe."

Inside the Cyberspace Administration of China's central computer room, an operator wiped the sweat from his brow, his eyes filled with terror caused by the surge in data.

Wu Meiniang stood in front of the giant screen, her phoenix eyes slightly narrowed as she looked at the capital inflow curve that was almost piercing the top of the market index, a cold smile on her lips.

"Not just aristocratic families."

"Check the accounts of the commoner network segment. I want to see how much those peasants contributed tonight."

"Sir, civilians' money is starting to flow into these virtual skins and mounts in large quantities."

Another manager handed over a time-sharing financial report with a strange expression.

"The craftsmen who worked in the West Market wanted to hang a golden title, 'Citizen of the Glorious Tang Dynasty,' on their characters on their bracelets."

They actually used all the New Year's Eve red envelopes they had just grabbed tonight to top up their accounts without touching the contents.

This siphoning magic, like a mental anesthetic, demonstrates Li Chengqian's absolute, dimensional mastery over the psychology of mortals.

The rich buy privileges, while the poor buy a vague sense of belonging.

The social wealth that the Tang Dynasty had painstakingly distributed through various macroeconomic controls was being used in this metaverse marketplace.

In just half an hour, the money swirled back into the digital fund pool opened up by the imperial court.

This can no longer be called exploiting others; it's clearly like using a pump to drain the marrow from a powerful family.

"Your Highness, Cheng Yaojin just got into a fight with Yuchi Gong in the side hall over the mechanical tiger numbered 001."

Wu Zetian sent a secret telegram to the island via holographic waveband.

"Let them hit it; if they break the table, they'll have to pay for it."

Li Chengqian's voice sounded languid in the sea breeze.

"Once they've squandered all their spare cash, I'll release a few new expansion packs for them."

"However, Wang De just came to deliver a message that His Majesty spent all of the Imperial Treasury's private funds tonight on those Nine Heavens Supreme Wings."

Wu Zetian couldn't help but chuckle, her tone carrying a subtle hint of teasing.

"The old man is a vain fellow too."

Tell Tian Shu to secretly give His Majesty's account a unique lighting effect.

"His wings in the game must be two sizes bigger than Cheng Yaojin's; it has to satisfy our chairman's imperial status."

Li Chengqian took a sip of his cola, rolled over, and continued to enjoy the tropical sunshine.

In a side hall of the Taiji Hall, Li Shimin finally managed to forcibly and instantly destroy the pair of supreme wings amidst the siege of the entire internet.

He couldn't wait to put the holographic helmet on his head tightly.

When you see the pair of digital wings behind your holographic projection, bursting with golden lightning and a thousand times more magnificent than a real phoenix.

The old man laughed so hard his mustache stood on end.

"Haha! Wang De! Come and see my divine might!"

"Cheng Yaojin's wings look like those of a plucked, bald dove in front of me!"

"Your Majesty's divine might! The divine light emanating from this box is truly blinding to this old servant's eyes."

Wang De busied himself with flattery, but inwardly he was sighing.

These emperor and his ministers, who usually argue heatedly over a few hundred miles of actual territory, can get into heated debates.

Now, he's sitting in his room, laughing like a fool over a bunch of cybernetic shells that he can't even touch.

This kind of technology-driven, low-dimensional entertainment is quickly eroding all the solemnity of the old Tang Dynasty into an absurd digital carnival.

The holographic light streams on the long street were still intertwining wildly, and the exchange of money and code had entered its final, heated stage.

Those scions of wealthy families are constantly upgrading the memory of their smart bracelets, trying to win the top spot in this competition of ostentatious displays of wealth.

The world's logic of wealth, in the aftermath of this New Year's Eve, has completely embarked on a cyber-path of no return that is incomprehensible to ordinary people.

"Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! A major crisis has struck the underlying infrastructure of the North American public internet!"

Just when everyone thought this was just a game for the rich, a shocking message broke out from the bottom of the virtual world, shattering the barriers of class.