I fabricated myths to guide the revival of spiritual energy.

[Time: Ten days after the launch of the Lingjing APP]

Location: Various parts of China

Lei Jun once famously said, "If you stand in the right place at the right time, even a pig can fly."

In this early autumn, this hurricane called "cultivation of immortality" is ten thousand times more powerful than the most fervent wave of the internet age. It is not just a wind, it is a tsunami, a nuclear explosion capable of reshaping the underlying logic of human society.

In just ten days.

That app, once considered the ramblings of a madman, has utterly shattered the arrogance of modern civilization.

When the first batch of lucky individuals like Fatty Wang and Liu Dazhu posted videos online showing them crushing red bricks with their bare hands and sucking up tissues from a distance, the world was abuzz.

People finally realized it.

Cultivating immortality is real.

Immortality is a possibility.

Power is within reach.

As a result, the social machine, which was originally operating in an orderly manner, paused for a moment, and then began to roar at full speed in a crazy and distorted manner.

……

[28th floor of a high-end office building in Shanghai]

Wang Jinbao stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, looking down at the ant-like stream of cars below, his chubby face trembling with excitement.

Just two weeks ago, he was the owner of a training institution on the verge of bankruptcy. He had tried "quantum speed reading," "whole brain development," and "pineal gland activation," each time recklessly testing the limits of the law to make a quick buck and run. But in the past two years, parents have become more savvy, and no one believes in those pseudoscientific claims anymore. His company now has less than 50,000 yuan left in its accounts, not even enough to pay the rent.

But now, he feels like he's been kissed by Lady Luck.

"Boss, the signboard is new!"

Secretary Xiaoli rushed in, panting, holding a price list that had just been printed out.

Wang Jinbao turned around, looked at the newly hung gold signboard at the company's front desk that still smelled of paint, and nodded in satisfaction.

The original "Jinbao Whole Brain Education" has been transformed into several bold and powerful characters (although they were found in a computer font library).

Kunlun Wudao Education Group

"Boss, is what we're doing... really not illegal?" Xiaoli asked nervously. "Won't Kunlun sue us for copyright infringement? Besides, we don't know anything about cultivation."

"What infringement? Has Kunlun registered its trademark? Would such a powerful figure care about small fry like us?"

Wang Jinbao curled his lip in disdain, then straightened his custom-made silk Taoist robe, embroidered with Bagua diagrams and costing three thousand yuan, and said with an upright expression, "Besides, who says we don't understand? Didn't you watch the videos on that app? As long as you practice according to those, you can improve your health. We're just providing... cough cough, a more atmospheric cultivation environment."

"But isn't the price too high?" Xiaoli glanced at the price list in her hand, her hands trembling.

[Ordinary Person's Transformation Course (7 days): 38,888 yuan]

[Foundation Building Intensive Course (15 days): 88,888 yuan]

[VIP Class for Direct Disciples (Guaranteed Learning, Money Back Guarantee): 288,888 RMB]

"High?" Wang Jinbao sneered, pointing downstairs. "Xiao Li, you're still too young. Do you know how many people outside are desperate for that elusive 'qi sensation'?"

"In the past, parents would buy hundreds of thousands of yuan worth of school district housing without hesitation just to get their children into a good university. Now, this is like cultivating immortality! It's about achieving eternal life! It's about flying on a sword! Forget hundreds of thousands, they'd kneel down and offer up half their entire fortune!"

As if to prove his words, the company door was suddenly pushed open.

Dozens of parents, dressed smartly but looking extremely anxious, poured in like a zombie apocalypse.

"Who is Principal Wang? I want to register!"

"I have money! I'll enroll my child in that premium class! I want one-on-one tutoring!"

"I heard you have 'Qi-Boosting Soup' here? Give me ten cases!"

Wang Jinbao instantly adopted the expression of a reclusive sage, put his hands behind his back, and slowly walked out of the office.

He watched as these usually shrewd and capable elites waved banknotes like lambs to the slaughter, and a bizarre sense of pleasure welled up inside him.

"Dear lay Buddhists, please be patient."

Wang Jinbao lowered his voice, feigning profundity, "Cultivation is all about 'fate.' Of course, it also depends on 'wealth, companions, methods, and location.' Although I, Wang, am not talented, I did encounter several reclusive masters in famous mountains and rivers in my early years..."

He pointed to the several burly, muscular men behind him—they were originally personal trainers from the gym downstairs who were about to lose their jobs, but now he had dressed them in Taoist robes and turned them into so-called "Guardian Vajras."

"These individuals are all inner disciples who have cultivated Qi perception. With their Qi guiding their movements, coupled with our sect's specially crafted 'Spirit Gathering Array' (which is essentially just a few humidifiers), your cultivation speed will definitely advance by leaps and bounds!"

"Swipe your card! Swipe it now!"

A middle-aged man wearing a Patek Philippe slammed his card on the front desk, declaring, "As long as my son gets into Kunlun, this 300,000 is nothing!"

……

[At the entrance of a key middle school in Haidian District, Beijing]

This trend is not only blowing through wealthy neighborhoods, but also touching the hearts of every ordinary family.

The school bell rang.

In the past, the school gate was full of middle-aged women handing out flyers for various tutoring classes, promoting English, math olympiad, and programming.

But today, the style has changed drastically.

"Parents, take a look at this! 'Three Years of Cultivation, Five Years of Simulation,' Kunlun's internal question bank has leaked!"

"Don't let your child lose at the starting line! The kid in the next class is already feeling the pressure, and your child is still memorizing vocabulary? The college entrance exam will test swordplay!"

"Breaking news! The 'Qi Sensing Enhancement Class' is now open! The first ten registrants will receive a consecrated peach wood sword!"

Li Guoqiang held his newly received payslip in his hand, standing in the cold wind at the school gate, looking at those GG orders that cost tens of thousands of yuan, his eyes filled with struggle and pain.

He was just an ordinary wage earner, and his family had already emptied their savings to send their son to this prestigious middle school.

I was hoping my son would get into a top university (like a 985 university) and find a good job in the future.

But overnight, the world changed.

A degree from Tsinghua or Peking University seems to have become worthless these days.

"dad."

The son came out carrying a heavy schoolbag, his face somewhat pale.

These past few days, although academic classes are still in session, everyone's mind is elsewhere. The morning exercises have been changed to the "Eighteen Basic Body-Strengthening Exercises," and whoever does it best is the class leader.

"How is it? Do you feel anything today?" Li Guoqiang asked eagerly, his voice carrying a hint of humble expectation.

The son lowered his head, bit his lip, and shook his head: "Still no... My dantian isn't warm at all. But the class monitor said he enrolled in that 'Enlightenment Class' outside and drank that special medicine. Now he can feel the energy flowing in his stomach."

Li Guoqiang's heart sank.

Medicine.

That so-called medicine costs two thousand yuan a bottle. It's said to be made from mutated ginseng dug up from Changbai Mountain.

"Dad, am I... not talented?" The son's voice was trembling with tears. "My classmates all say that if you don't have a sense of qi, you're a useless person and can only sweep the streets in the future."

Li Guoqiang looked at his son's red eyes and at the parents around him who had come in luxury cars to pick up their children to go to the "Cultivation Hall".

A deep sense of powerlessness welled up inside me.

In this new era, the class divide has not disappeared; instead, it has become an insurmountable barrier.

The wealthy can buy "miracle drugs" and hire "famous teachers," using the best resources to accelerate their cultivation progress.

The poor can't even afford the entrance ticket.

"Don't talk nonsense!"

Li Guoqiang gritted his teeth suddenly, as if he had made a momentous decision. A fierce determination appeared on his face, which had been bent over by the burdens of life for many years.

"Report it! Let's report it too!"

"Dad still has some money in his housing provident fund card, which was originally intended to buy you a house in the future... I'm not buying it anymore! As long as I can cultivate immortality, what does a house matter!"

"Let's go to that 'Enlightenment Class'! Dad can't let you be looked down upon!"

Under the shadow of opportunity, all beings suffer.

For that one in ten thousand chance to leap over the dragon gate, countless families like Li Guoqiang's are taking a desperate gamble.

……

[Financial Sector: Stock Market Fluctuations]

If the frenzy in the education sector was somewhat expected, then the reaction of the capital market was pure magical realism.

The A-share market opened at 9:30 this morning.

All stocks related to "pharmaceuticals", "agriculture", and "metals" hit their daily limit.

A pig farming company that was about to be delisted saw its stock price soar to the daily limit within five minutes after issuing an announcement stating, "The company will establish a pig cultivation base at the foot of Kunlun Mountain to study the feasibility of spiritual pork." The buy orders reached billions of dollars.

Another fireworks company changed its name to "Leifa Technology" and claimed to be developing "disposable talisman bombs," causing its stock price to double.

A well-known online influencer was shouting at the top of her lungs during her live stream:

"Family! This isn't ordinary mineral water! I got it from a stream at the foot of Kunlun Mountain through connections! Although the immortals might look down on it, for us mortals, it's divine water that cleanses our marrow! Originally priced at 998, it's only 198 in today's live stream! Click the link!"

Thirty thousand cases of tap water sold out in one second.

The whole society seemed to have fallen into a collective hysteria.

People are celebrating, anxious, and gambling.

Everyone felt that as long as they seized this opportunity, they would be the next protagonist.

……

【Kunlun Mountain - Star-Picking Platform】

The clamor below the mountain, like the rolling red dust, soars straight into the sky.

Gu Qing sat cross-legged on the edge of the cliff, dressed in white, his long hair flowing in the wind. A system screen floated before him, displaying data that was rapidly increasing at an alarming rate.

[Purity of Faith: Mottled (Including Greed, Fear, Desire, and Jealousy)]

"What a show!" Gu Qing opened his eyes, his gaze as deep as the starry sky, reflecting the myriad aspects of human life. He saw Wang Jinbao's so-called "Enlightenment Class," and his so-called "Spirit Gathering Array" was nothing more than a bunch of humidifiers; he saw the absurd bubbles in the stock market; and he also saw Li Guoqiang and his son's trembling hands swiping their cards at the registration desk.

"System, there are too many impurities, which will affect the quality of the faith. Should I issue a divine decree to cleanse these parasites?" The system's cold voice sounded: [It is recommended that the host intervene to maintain the sanctity of 'cultivation'.]

Gu Qing was about to raise his hand when he suddenly stopped in mid-air. His gaze pierced through the clouds, looking towards the distant capital, and then a playful smile appeared on his lips.

"No, I don't need to intervene." Gu Qing withdrew his finger, a hint of admiration in his eyes. "It seems this country isn't as fragile as I thought. Faced with a pig in the wind, the hunter has already raised his gun."

"I'd also like to see if the laws of mortals can sever the greed of mortals."

……

[Shanghai Wudao Education Group]

Wang Jinbao was standing on the gleaming gold front desk, spitting as he delivered his final "hunger marketing" speech.

"Only three spots left! Parents, these are the last three 'personal disciple' spots! Just pay the money, and your son will be a future immortal! Think about it, while others are squeezing onto the subway, your son will be flying on a sword. Isn't this 300,000 yuan a worthwhile investment?!"

The parents below, their eyes red with rage, waved their bank cards and surged forward like zombies. "Swipe mine!" "I'll pay double!" "Principal Wang, please, please take my son!"

Watching this crazy scene, Wang Jinbao's mind raced with calculations. After tonight, he could take those tens of millions and live a life of luxury abroad. As for whether he could cultivate immortality? What did he care!

Just then—

boom!

A loud crash—the sound of a heavy glass door being violently smashed open.

The noisy hall fell silent instantly. Everyone turned around in astonishment to see dozens of fully armed SWAT officers, holding riot shields, pouring into the hall like a black torrent of steel. Following closely behind were market supervision bureau personnel in blue uniforms and drug administration experts in white coats.

"Don't move! Put your hands on your heads and squat down!" The authoritative reprimand echoed in the hall.

Wang Jinbao was so frightened that his legs went weak and he rolled off the table. Before he could get up, a pair of cold handcuffs snapped onto his wrists.

"Wang Jinbao, you are now formally arrested on suspicion of large-scale fraud, practicing medicine without a license, false advertising, and endangering public safety!"

A police officer stared coldly at him, holding up the bottle of the so-called "Qi-boosting soup." "The drug administration just tested it; it's full of excessive levels of stimulants and industrial dyes. Giving people this? You're committing murder for profit!"

The parents who had been frantically buying things were completely dumbfounded. "Doping...?" "Fake? It's all fake?"

"This is the 'Operation Thunder' just issued by the state!" The officer looked around, his voice booming. "Just ten minutes ago, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Public Security, and the State Administration for Market Regulation jointly issued an official document to completely shut down all unofficially certified 'cultivation training institutions'!"

……

[Simultaneous Global News Push]

Whether in a noisy cram school, a crowded subway, or a glittering club, almost everyone's phone screen lights up simultaneously. It's not an app pop-up, but rather "national emergency announcements" pushed by major news apps, social media, and even mobile carriers.

[Xinhua News Agency Quick Report]

[Three national ministries jointly issued an "Emergency Notice on Regulating the 'Extraordinary Abilities' Training Market"]

The notice emphasizes that the path to immortality depends on individual will and aptitude, and there are no "shortcuts" or "paid channels." It also calls for a crackdown on all fraudulent activities using the guise of "immortality cultivation" or "spiritual energy." Currently, over 3200 illegal organizations have been shut down, and over 1.5 suspects have been arrested.

[National Statement:] [1. "The Eighteen Basic Body-Strengthening Forms" is the only officially promoted textbook by the state, completely free and transparent.] [2. Any claim that one can "buy qi sensation" or "get into Kunlun through back channels" is a scam.] [3. Starting tomorrow, public schools and gymnasiums across the country will open their facilities free of charge, with veterans and physical education teachers providing guidance; commercial charges are strictly prohibited.]

In this era of great competition, fairness is fundamental. The nation will safeguard the right of every citizen to climb the ladder of success, and will never allow the stench of capital to taint the path to spiritual growth!

……

[Beijing - Streets]

Looking at the news notification on his phone, the official announcement in red on a white background felt like a heavy hammer blow, shattering the boulder in his heart.

On the large screen beside them, a press conference was being broadcast live. The spokesperson's expression was serious: "...We will absolutely not allow cultivation of immortality to become a game for the rich. This is an evolution for all humanity, not a carnival for capital."

Li Guoqiang stood there stunned for a long time. He slowly put the bank card that he hadn't had time to swipe back into his pocket, his hand trembling slightly.

"Dad...?" The son tugged at his sleeve fearfully. "The police shut down that tutoring center...does that mean we have nowhere to practice anymore?"

Li Guoqiang suddenly squatted down and hugged his son tightly. This middle-aged man, who had spent half his life struggling at the bottom of society, was now wailing and crying in the street.

This time, it wasn't out of despair, but because... in this crazy era, there was still a pair of strong hands that shielded these poor people from the storm.

"Yes! There's a place to practice!" Li Guoqiang wiped away his tears, pointed to the message "Public schools are open for free" on his phone, and his eyes lit up again.

"Son, let's go home. No need to waste that money! The government has covered our expenses!" "Dad will train with you. We'll perfect every move, ten hours a day! Dad refuses to believe that the bones of us poor folks are no match for those rich kids who drink sugar water!"

The wind has shifted. Not because of a miracle, but because of the laws and order of the world. Those pigs blown into the sky by the wind fell in terror under the iron fist of the law, smashing to pieces. And those seeds that had been silently accumulating strength in the soil finally had their moment to sprout in fair soil.

【Kunlun Mountain - Star-Picking Platform】

As Gu Qing watched this scene, the amusement in his eyes gradually faded.

"Is this what China is like...?" he murmured to himself. "Instead of waiting for salvation, they cleared away the obstacles themselves."

On the system panel, although the surge in Faith Value has slowed somewhat due to the crackdown on commercial hype, the [Fith Value Purity] column is rapidly transforming from "mottled" to "pure." People's reverence is no longer based on money, but on the Way.