I fabricated myths to guide the revival of spiritual energy.

Chapter 119: A Single Hair from a "Kunlun Disciple"

Time: 06:30 AM

[Location: Kunlun University, Wendao Square]

As the sun rises above the sea of clouds, the first wisp of purple aura appears in the east.

In the square, three thousand students dressed in gray-blue Taoist robes opened their eyes at the same time.

There were no earth-shattering explosions like in special effects blockbusters, nor were there beams of light shooting into the sky.

But in that instant, the air on the entire Kunlun Mountain seemed to thicken for a moment. Three thousand breaths formed a perfect resonant frequency, like a giant heart beating in the clouds.

"call--"

Three thousand white streams of air shot out from the students' mouths and noses, condensing and not dissipating in the cold air, like three thousand sharp swords piercing the sky.

[System notification: The first phase of teaching tasks has been completed.]

[Overall Status: Completely transformed. Physical fitness, perception, and vitality have all experienced a significant, step-by-step improvement.]

[Comment: They have all completely shed their mortal forms and stepped into the threshold of cultivation.]

Gu Qing stood on the high lectern, his gaze sweeping across the crowd below.

In his view, these three thousand originally dull carbon-based life forms were now emitting a clear and stable life magnetic field.

Although small, their inexhaustible rhythm has proven that they are no longer mortals.

But this is just average data.

Gu Qing's gaze lingered on the figure in the very front row, right in the center.

[Special Entity Scan: Chu Tian]

[Status: Sharpness fully revealed, sword intent beginning to take shape.]

While those around him were still struggling to maintain their breathing rhythm, the air around Chu Tian was already slightly distorted due to the high-density spiritual pressure. He didn't make any deliberate movements, but even the occasional wisp of his aura could put pressure on those around him. This was a natural reaction caused by his spiritual power increasing too rapidly and not yet being fully contained.

Not far from Chu Tian, Zhao Feng was also attracting attention.

This former king of soldiers now wears a disciple's robe. Although he doesn't possess the same sharp edge as Chu Tian, which seems to pierce the sky, he is steady and composed. His aura is as solid as a rock, and each breath is like the rise and fall of a mountain.

"Is this the power of cultivation...?"

A student in the back row stared in disbelief at his palm.

Even without consciously circulating his cultivation technique, he felt his body was filled with inexhaustible energy. He casually picked up a solid granite pebble next to him and suddenly exerted force with his five fingers.

Click.

The hard stone was crushed into pieces by a few fingers without any tools, and stone dust fell down in a flurry.

A collective gasp filled the square, followed by uncontrollable elation and commotion.

Not long ago, they were just students, nerds, and office workers with no strength to even kill a chicken. But now, this kind of power that they used to only see in movies is actually theirs.

"quiet."

Gu Qing's voice wasn't loud, but it exploded directly in everyone's eardrums through spiritual power, instantly suppressing all the restlessness.

"You're smug about crushing a stone?"

Gu Qing coldly looked at everyone, "This is merely a basic change brought about by spiritual energy nourishing the body. Compared to when you first entered, you have indeed made great progress, but in the world of cultivation, this level of power is barely enough to protect yourself."

He pointed to Chu Tian at the very front:

"Look at your senior brother. While you are still excited about your increasing power, he has already begun to comprehend the existence of 'intention'."

"Cultivation is like rowing against the current; you have only obtained the tickets to board the ship."

After being doused with cold water, the students' fervor subsided, replaced by a sense of sobriety and awe.

"However, the mortal body has its limits. Constantly keeping your nerves taut can easily breed inner demons."

With a wave of his sleeve, Gu Qing sent a visible ripple across the entire main peak.

"Effective immediately, the 'communication shielding array' covering the residential area is temporarily shut down."

"I'm giving you a holiday. Take time to settle your worldly affairs and reconnect with your families."

The students were stunned for a full three seconds.

Then, suppressed cheers erupted. For these young people from modern society, this kind of isolated life, while fulfilling, was also truly maddening.

Gu Qing looked at the group of excited young people, a meaningful smile curving his lips.

Don't get too excited yet.

"Take a look at your phone. The world today might be quite different from what you imagine."

"Remember, guard your heart on the path. The outside world is noisy; don't lose yourself."

……

Location: Student dormitory area

As the blockade was lifted, three thousand mobile phones "exploded" almost simultaneously.

The backlog of information over such a long period of time is enough to cause a mobile phone to lag for a short period of time.

Li Qiang, an ordinary student from a third-tier city, is usually a nobody in his class.

With trembling hands, he restarted his phone and finally managed to open WeChat.

Missed calls: 142.

WeChat messages: 999+.

New contacts: 500+ (including his ex-girlfriend whom he lost contact with long ago).

He opened his WeChat Moments, and the top trending topic sent chills down his spine:

#Pentagon Spokesperson Admits: Unable to Decipher Mysterious Eastern Powers#

#Dark Web Bounty Reaches New High: Search for Kunlun Students#

#Kunlun University—The Only Ark for Human Evolution#

"Me...we're that valuable?" Li Qiang swallowed hard.

Just then, an unfamiliar overseas call came in.

"Feed?" Li Qiang answered the call instinctively.

"Is this Mr. Li Qiang?"

A very gentle, even slightly obsequious, male voice came from the other end of the line, "I am an advisor to the 'Prometheus' Life Science Foundation. Excuse me for bothering you, but we have been following you for a long time."

"Who are you? How do you have my phone number?" Li Qiang asked warily.

"That's not important, Mr. Li. What's important is that we know you're short of money right now."

The other party had clearly done their homework. "Your father's investment failed last month, and he owes the bank one million. Your mother is still borrowing money everywhere to help him with this. Are you aware of this?"

Li Qiang's face turned deathly pale, and his hand holding the phone began to tremble: "You... what do you want to do?"

"Don't be nervous, we're here to help you."

The other person's voice seemed to possess a magical quality: "We don't need you to do anything immoral. We're just very interested in the metabolic byproducts of this 'new human' group of cultivators."

"You are now a completely transformed cultivator; every part of your body is a treasure."

"For example, the stray hairs that get cut off when you get a haircut, or the clippings from your fingernails."

"Even... discarded talismans you've used, or any items that retain traces of your spiritual power."

The other party paused for a moment, then dropped the number that made Li Qiang's breath catch in his throat:

"We offer $5 for a single hair with a follicle."

"If you can provide one milliliter of venous blood: $100 million."

"If you are willing to give us a copy of your practice diary from this past month: 1000 million US dollars."

"Of course, what we most want is to meet you. As soon as you come down the mountain, our private jet is at the nearest airport. Two hundred million US dollars, plus your whole family immigrating."

"Think about it, Mr. Li."

"With just a few strands of hair, your father's debts can be paid off, and he can live a life of comfort for generations to come."

"This doesn't count as betraying our sect, does it? After all, hair always falls out, doesn't it?"

The dormitory was deathly silent.

Li Qiang looked up and found that his roommates were all sitting stiffly on their beds, each in the same posture: holding their phones, pupils dilated, and breathing rapidly.

Some people were swallowing their saliva, while others were unconsciously scratching their hair.

That was the sound of greed.

At this moment, Kunlun Mountain was no longer a peaceful place.

It became the world's most expensive gold mine. And they were the gold mine itself.

300,000 RMB for a single hair?

For students who were struggling to make ends meet just a month ago, this was a shock so profound it could shatter their worldview.

"I..." Li Qiang looked at the nail clippers on his desk, which he usually used to trim his nails, and his eyes began to struggle and become strange.

……

The wind was biting cold.

Gu Qing stood with his hands behind his back, and in the void in front of him floated a huge holographic chart.

On the chart, the dots representing the mental states of three thousand students are flashing intensely.

The once pure blue began to show mottled colors—red representing greed, gray representing fear, and black representing betrayal.

[System Warning: Large-scale monetary corruption targeting the host's disciples has been detected.]

[Source: A joint operation by global capital and intelligence agencies.]

Currently, 580 disciples have developed cracks in their mental defenses.

[Recommendation: Immediately cut off communications, or dispatch law enforcement for physical intervention.]

The system provided an absolutely rational judgment.

"No need."

Gu Qing's voice was colder than the cold wind.

"I can teach them cultivation techniques, but I can't teach them how to be a human being."

"This is a necessary 'heart-refining' process."

"If they can't even resist the temptation of these material possessions, they'll be the first to kneel down and become dogs when faced with the Void Lord's promise of 'eternal life'."

Gu Qing stretched out his hand and gently tapped the void, enlarging the coordinates of several students whose light spots turned black the fastest.

"Write it down."

Gu Qing gave the system a command.

"Those who actually dare to 'send' their hair, blood, or notes..."

"The moment their transaction is completed will be the moment they are expelled from their sect and their cultivation abolished."

"Kunlun doesn't need this kind of idiot."

"Since they think their hair is worth $50,000, let them take that money and go back to the mortal world to be rich men."

"Without the nourishment of spiritual energy, they will soon find that money cannot buy back their lives."

Gu Qing turned around, no longer looking at the disappointing data.

His gaze was fixed on the distant west, the source of greed.

"You want to steal fire?"

Gu Qing sneered.