I'm in the world of cultivation, and I get a system for becoming a wealthy urban tycoon?

The couple stood frozen at the shop entrance for a few moments before finally snapping out of their daze.

The bewilderment on their faces was quickly replaced by vigilance. In the cultivation world, how could there be such a thing as spirit stones falling from the sky?

Is this some kind of new scam?

The male cultivator quickly waved his hand, his tone urgent: "No need, thank you for your kindness, we appreciate it!"

Wan'er nodded vigorously: "That's right, that's right. We can't accept this without doing anything in return."

Seeing this, the shop assistant was so anxious that a thin layer of sweat appeared on her forehead. The young man behind the counter was still waiting for her reply.

She didn't care about any rules anymore, so she simply shoved the jade bracelet into Wan'er's hand, said "Fellow Daoists, please don't make things difficult for me," and turned to run away as fast as if she were running for her life.

When she rushed back into the shop, the couple at the door were still standing there, looking at the lustrous white jade bracelet in their hand, and then at the direction where the shop assistant had disappeared. They seemed to be frozen in place.

Wan'er's lips moved several times before she finally managed to squeeze out, "...What does this mean?"

The male cultivator scratched his head, his expression slowly shifting from wariness to a mixture of gratitude and confusion that was hard to define: "I don't know either... but it seems like it really was just wishing us a Happy New Year?"

The two stood on the bustling street on the eve of the Lunar New Year, each holding a heavy white jade bracelet, feeling a sense of unreality.

…………

At this moment, Lu Yang had already put the matter of the Daoist couple out of his mind.

He led Lin Ying around the shop at a leisurely pace, in a very good mood. Whenever he saw a piece of jewelry that caught his eye, he would pick it up and hold it up against Lin Ying.

"Senior Sister Lin, would you like to try this?"

"This color seems to suit my senior sister quite well."

"Hey, this hair ornament is nice, it jingles when you walk."

Lin Ying was initially at a loss, not knowing what to do with her hands and feet as Lu Yang tried on her one item after another.

But what girl doesn't love to look beautiful?

Before long, she couldn't help but be attracted by those exquisite and beautiful trinkets. Gradually, she relaxed and took the initiative to pick up a light blue jade hairpin and examine it closely with her eyes sparkling.

Just then, the semi-transparent panel in front of Lu Yang silently appeared, and a line of text slowly emerged.

[Host can do as they please and pay for their emotions. Feeling happy? Reward: 1000 low-grade spirit stones, 1 low-level investment contract]

Lu Yang was slightly taken aback, then a look of surprise appeared in his eyes.

I was in a good mood and gave some gifts to others, and I actually got a system reward?

A thousand low-grade spirit stones... that white jade bracelet only cost five hundred.

This is equivalent to getting a bracelet for free, and the system even gives him 500 back.

This deal is incredibly lucrative.

What caught his eye even more was the new reward: an investment agreement.

He clicked on the detailed introduction with great curiosity.

[Low-level Investment Contract: Designate a cultivator to invest spirit stones. If the cultivator's cultivation level breaks through to a certain realm, a corresponding multiple of return will be returned (Foundation Establishment stage - 3 times, Golden Core stage - 10 times, Nascent Soul stage - 50 times). If the investment fails (the cultivator dies or loses the ability to cultivate), 50% of the investment principal will be returned. (Note: Beauties cannot be used as investment targets.)]

Lu Yang stared at those lines of text several times, a series of question marks slowly forming in his mind: "????"

Holy crap, a venture capitalist in the cultivation world!

Isn't this the same principle as finding projects and doing venture capital in the city in my previous life?

Choose a promising entrepreneur, invest money, wait for growth, and reap the rewards.

As expected of the Urban Tycoon System, this idiot system really treats the cultivation world like a modern city?

However, in the cultivation world, people are spending spirit stones in anticipation of breaking through to a higher realm.

The path of cultivation for cultivators is always filled with various obstacles.

If you're unlucky and things fall apart halfway through, you'll lose half of your initial investment.

However, if you successfully reach your target level, the minimum return will be three times, and the maximum will be fifty times.

Fifty times!

Lu Yang leaned against the counter, casually helping Lin Ying try on a jade bracelet while his mind raced.

The conservative approach is simple: pick a rogue cultivator stuck at the peak of Qi Refining, buy him several Foundation Establishment Pills, and help him break through in one go. If he succeeds, you'll get a triple reward.

Moreover, the success rate is very high.

If you want to go all out, find a cultivator in the early stage of Qi Refining and train them from scratch all the way to the Nascent Soul stage.

He silently did the math: the spirit stones invested in this process must have been at least several million. But if he could really get to that point, at fifty times that, it would be hundreds of millions.

hiss.

That's hundreds of millions of low-grade spirit stones!

Just thinking about it makes my head buzz.

Of course, Lu Yang was also aware that this kind of approach was basically doing charity.

How many Nascent Soul stage cultivators are there in the entire Qin Prefecture?

Climbing from Qi Refining to Nascent Soul is no longer just a matter of spending money; it's about defying fate!

The success rate is probably less than one in a million!

Moreover, this thing cannot be used on women.

If you can cast your vote for a beautiful woman and raise her favorability to 100 points, you can unlock the beautiful woman cultivation module. This two-pronged approach ensures both a stable investment and a stable return.

That's what you call making a fortune with a small investment.

Unfortunately, the system blocked this path directly.

Lu Yang's thoughts raced for a while, but he still couldn't decide on whom to apply the investment contract to.

Never mind, I'll just leave it for now.

There will be plenty of time to figure it out later.

He casually turned off the panel and refocused his attention on Lin Ying. He saw her looking down at the light pink jade ring that Lu Yang had just helped her try on, with a slight upturn at the corners of her mouth, clearly quite fond of it.

Just then, the shop assistant returned.

She stopped in front of Lu Yang and bowed deeply: "Young master, the jade bracelet has been delivered to that fairy."

Lu Yang nodded slightly and chuckled, "Well done."

The shop assistant quickly replied, "Not at all, it's just part of my job."

Lu Yang didn't waste any time on pleasantries and went straight to the point: "Do you have any top-grade magical artifacts here?"

The shop assistant's expression froze for a moment, then she gave a wry smile and shook her head repeatedly: "Young master, you think too highly of our shop... This shop is run by a powerful family; we can't possibly display top-grade magical artifacts here."

"What about high-grade magical artifacts?"

The shop assistant's eyes lit up. She glanced nervously at Lu Yang and quickly said, "I...I'll go get the manager! Please wait a moment, young master!"

After saying that, she disappeared like a gust of wind.

Lin Ying, who had been standing quietly to the side, gently pursed her red lips, looked up at Lu Yang, and asked softly, "Junior Brother Lu... are you going to buy it for me?"

Her pretty face showed no expectation or joy, but rather a faint sense of entanglement. She didn't want Lu Yang to spend any more money on her, yet she also harbored a subtle, indescribable sweetness.

Lu Yang glanced at her, smiled slightly, and said in a relaxed tone, "This is a New Year's gift for Senior Sister Lin. I've given gifts to even complete strangers, so I can't leave out my Senior Sister Lin, can I?"

Lin Ying's heart skipped a beat.

My senior sister Lin...?

Junior Brother Lu said she belonged to his family...?

She felt as if she had been given half a jar of spiritual wine, her head was spinning, but she couldn't suppress the sweetness in her mouth. The sweetness in her heart was like an overturned honey pot, and she couldn't stop it.

My initial intention to decline has completely vanished.

She lowered her head slightly, her fingers unconsciously touching the bracelet, her voice soft: "Then... then okay."

Hearing Lin Ying say this, Lu Yang's eyes lit up.

As expected, the goodwill rating wasn't fake.

This is practically equivalent to Senior Sister Lin tacitly acknowledging that they are one of her people?

He glanced at the panel discreetly and saw that Lin Ying's favorability rating had quietly risen to 90 points.

Only ten points remain to reach the maximum value.

It should be soon.

I wonder what the reward will be if I reach the maximum value?

Just as I was pondering this, a series of hurried footsteps approached from afar.

The shop assistant who had just left trotted back and bowed, saying, "Young master, fairy, my shop manager would like to invite you both to the inner room for a detailed discussion."

Lu Yang nodded, took Lin Ying's hand, and followed the shop assistant through the back door of the shop. They walked along a quiet corridor for a short distance and soon arrived at an elegant room.

The room was small, but it was decorated quite elegantly.

Several light ink landscape paintings hang on the wall, a burner of elegant sandalwood incense burns on a wooden shelf in the corner, and a set of fine purple clay teaware sits on a spirit wood tea table.

A beautiful woman in a white palace dress stood beside the coffee table, smiling broadly.

Upon seeing the two enter, she quickly stepped forward, her smile warm yet measured: "Young friends, my name is Liang Shuangshuang, and I am the manager of this shop. Please, have a seat."

"Lu Yang has met Manager Liang."

"Lin Ying greets Manager Liang."

After the two sat down, Liang Shuangshuang personally poured tea for them.

As the tea leaves were poured into the cup, a refreshing and sweet aroma filled the room, with wisps of steam rising gently, swirling softly in the light streaming in through the window.

Liang Shuangshuang's gaze fell on Lu Yang, a shrewd glint in her eyes.

Having run a shop in the market for so many years, she has a keen eye for people.

The young man before them, from his overall demeanor to his composure in every gesture, clearly did not seem to lack spirit stones.

Suppressing her excitement, she asked with a smile, "Young Master Lu, I heard you're interested in buying a high-grade magic artifact?"

Lu Yang nodded: "Yes, does Manager Liang have any?"

Liang Shuangshuang quickly replied, "Yes, yes! The shop currently has two top-grade magical artifacts: a white phoenix jade hairpin and a 'Wind-Riding Pendant of One Heart'."

As she spoke, she carefully took out two ritual implements from her storage bag and placed them on the coffee table.

A burst of light spread out, illuminating the entire table.

"The White Phoenix Jade Hairpin can condense a spiritual energy shield and also enhance the power of spells. The Heart-to-Heart Wind-Riding Pendant can activate the art of wind manipulation and enhance movement speed—both are beautiful and practical."

The White Phoenix Jade Hairpin is carved entirely from warm, lustrous white jade. The hairpin head is shaped like a phoenix with outstretched wings, its feathers exquisitely detailed. The hairpin is covered with fine and intricate runes, making it as exquisite as a work of art.

The Tongxin Yufeng Pendant is a light red jade pendant carved with a love knot pattern. It is small and exquisite, and feels slightly warm when held in the hand.

Both items do indeed look quite appealing.

Lu Yang picked up the jade hairpin and gently inserted it into Lin Ying's hair bun. He then tied the jade pendant around her waist, stepped back, examined it carefully, and nodded in satisfaction.

A white jade hairpin peeks out from among her black hair, while a pale pink jade pendant dangles gently from the edge of her plain white waistband, adding to Lin Ying's lively and noble air.

"Hmm, both are good."

He turned to Liang Shuangshuang and asked casually, "I'll take both. How many spirit stones will it cost in total?"

Liang Shuangshuang: "???"

Her eyes widened as she asked, "Young Master Lu... do you want both?"

"Um."

"A total of eight thousand four hundred low-grade spirit stones..."

With a flick of his wrist, Lu Yang sent low-grade spirit stones flying out of his storage ring, cascading onto the open ground beside the coffee table and piling up into a shimmering little mountain.

The sound of the spirit stones colliding was crisp and melodious, echoing in the quiet room for quite some time before finally subsiding.

"The money's here. We'll take our leave now."

Lu Yang took Lin Ying's hand and walked outside.

Liang Shuangshuang stood blankly by the coffee table, staring at the small mountain of spirit stones that was still radiating a soft glow, and didn't come back to her senses for a long time.

By the time she finally blinked to confirm that it was all real, the two young guests had already disappeared at the end of the corridor.

She looked down at the spirit stone, then looked up at the empty doorway, her mind racing with only one thought: Are all the younger cultivators these days so arrogant?

As a Foundation Establishment cultivator, she would feel the pinch for a long time before she had to spend more than 8,000 spirit stones!

It's true what they say, comparisons are the thief of joy.

…………

When I left the shop, it was almost noon.

Lu Yang pulled Lin Ying along as they strolled leisurely through the market.

The two bought a string of candied hawthorns to share, and each took a small sugar figurine made by Ling Tang. Lu Yang took a crooked little tiger, and Lin Ying took a round little rabbit.

Lu Yang held up the little tiger to eat the little rabbit, which made Lin Ying burst out laughing, saying that Lu Yang's tiger looked like an angry little cat.

They went to the street corner to watch a shadow puppet show, which was about a cultivator wielding a sword to slay demons, a story from a folk tale. The production was very rough, but the two of them watched it with great interest.

At a nearby storytelling stall, an old storyteller with a white beard was recounting the romantic escapades of a certain Golden Core cultivator from hundreds of years ago, his spittle flying as he spoke. At the most exciting parts, he would strike the gavel with a loud thud, startling the few rogue cultivators below.

The market town wasn't too big or too small, and cultivators only had a few entertainment options.

In just over an hour, the two of them had explored most of the places they could visit.

We had a meal at the restaurant, and it was already afternoon when we came out.

Arriving at the entrance of the market, Lu Yang turned to look at Lin Ying and smiled, "Senior Sister Lin, I'm off then. See you after the New Year."

Just as he was about to take a step, his sleeve was suddenly tightened.

Lin Ying grabbed the hem of his clothes.

She took a deep breath, then raised her head. In her gentle eyes, there was a light that Lu Yang couldn't quite understand: there was nervousness, anticipation, and a hint of resolute determination.

Her voice trembled slightly, but she spoke each word earnestly: "Junior Brother Lu, I also have a New Year's gift for you."

Lu Yang's eyes lit up, and he stopped in his tracks, curious: "Oh? What is it?"

Lin Ying quickly lowered her head, her ears turning red, and whispered, "I didn't bring it with me... it's still at the sect. If Junior Brother Lu isn't in a hurry, could you come back with me to get it?"

Lu Yang wasn't in a hurry to travel.

What's more, it's rare for Senior Sister Lin to take the initiative to say she wants to give him a New Year's gift—he couldn't possibly miss such an opportunity.

He nodded without hesitation, a smile spreading across his face in the afternoon sunlight: "Alright, let's go."