Cultivation : I'm an Ancient Giant Bear-Chapter 373 - 352: Immortals Never Ascend

"A world with immortals is undoubtedly a tragedy for ordinary beings."

This is Wang Wu’s understanding, and it’s the conclusion he can currently offer.

Putting aside the parts he doesn’t understand, it’s clear the Spirit Net is indeed turning the lower-class cultivators into mages.

At this moment, Wang Wu continued attempting to connect to the Spirit Net. Now that he has an identity, it’s equivalent to opening an account in the Spirit Net, and the first step is to verify the golden seal behind him, which is akin to facial recognition.

And that small gray seal is equivalent to a receiving terminal.

But this receiving terminal can still be shared with five other beings.

So that’s why Yu Ermu can have thousands of big fish simultaneously master the Wave-Treading Dao Skill, because its permissions are higher, allowing the receiving terminal to be shared with more beings.

However, Wang Wu’s permissions as a Ninth-Grade Vassal still seem quite low; when he tried to access the Spirit Net using the gray seal, he realized that he could actually only activate three Dao Spell slots.

Hmm, in other words, spell slots.

Look, great minds think alike, don’t they?

It even has such a setup.

Wang Wu then applied to activate the Daoist Techniques; at that moment, the golden seal behind him became hot once again — it was the Spirit Net performing facial recognition and identity verification once more.

Once it passed, he saw a golden Spirit Mist Zone about ten square kilometers centered around him appear before his eyes.

This golden Spirit Mist Zone is the maximum range to which his gray seal can be extended.

Beyond this area, there’s no signal.

And the beings he shared with can’t leave this area; if they do, they can’t activate the Daoist Techniques, and can’t surf the net...

It’s somewhat like the effective range of wireless WiFi.

At this time, Wang Wu moved slightly and found that this golden Spirit Mist Zone would move with him.

Quite convenient.

In this golden Spirit Mist Zone, there were also ten brighter golden light clusters fluctuating indistinctly.

It was easy to sense that these were ten kinds of Daoist Techniques.

They were divided into three types.

The first type is Earth Escape, Water Escape, Fire Escape, Wood Escape — the Four Escapes.

The second type is Earth Control, Water Control, Fire Control, Wood Control — the Four Controls.

The third type is Body-Fixing Dao Skill and Microscopic Dao Technique.

There was not even Wave-Treading Dao Skill or Wind Riding Dao Skill.

At this time, Wang Wu tried a bit, silently reciting the four syllables of the Wave-Treading Technique, and as expected, the spell key matched, but it didn’t match the receiving terminal, and without permission, the Spirit Net completely ignored him.

It was so interesting; he became a banned, useless mage, hahaha!

"It seems my permission is still too low, but for me, this is actually a good thing."

Wang Wu smiled slightly. He noticed that, although he could only activate three of the ten techniques at a time, he could switch them anytime depending on the situation, and each switch only required a small fee.

Hmm, only 100 Spiritual Qi points each time...

Right now, Wang Wu didn’t make any choices; he simply activated the three basic Dao Techniques: Earth Escape, Water Escape, and Fire Escape. Although he had mastered them, considering this was likely a condescending way invented by immortals to exploit the underclass, to him, it was no less than apprenticing under an immortal.

Condescending yet profound meaning.

Thinking about his great gains from the Wind Riding Dao Skill.

Hmm? Wait, why is there an additional charge each time he activates? Activating once costs 10 Spiritual Qi points, free for three minutes, and after three minutes, each second incurs an additional charge of one Spiritual Qi point?

There’s also the initial activation fee and the network entry fee?

Shit!

Wang Wu was dumbfounded, especially when he saw his account balance was zero, and now he couldn’t even recharge his own Spiritual Qi because it might trigger the Anti-Money Laundering Act for Spiritual Qi, which could accuse him of unexplained major asset origins — wouldn’t he die wronged?

Thinking of how Old Zhou struggled to demand his Spiritual Qi salary from the Big Macaque, Wang Wu’s expression gradually turned ugly.

If in the future he also had to receive his salary from the Big Macaque, damn it!

And if he gained a large amount of Spiritual Qi from the battlefield, would he also have to pay the unexpected income tax for cultivators?

Damn it, in such a Cultivation Realm, whoever wants to come can come; he doesn’t want to stay!

Why don’t they drive strong immortals to the Immortal Realm, why doesn’t the Immortal Realm exist?

Why...

Wang Wu felt a bit of despair; he didn’t even dare to curse inwardly anymore.

"Maybe the stories of immortals ascending to the Immortal Realm are nothing but narratives dreamt up by desperate cultivators? Like how the poor fantasize about becoming millionaires, like how bootlickers fantasize about the goddesses suddenly opening their hearts to them, answer me!"

"Maybe, immortals will never ascend to the Immortal Realm; the poor will always be poor, and bootlickers will always be bootlickers!"

"Stop talking, stop talking..."

Wang Wu was really afraid he’d lose control as well.

After a long time, he calmed down and recalled everything in the Great Wilderness Sin Prison. Was that called a Sin Prison? It was clearly paradise.

It might even be some experiment field by an Immortal who still has some conscience, a small-scale utopia.

But in the end, it proves that the Immortals win again.

Even if someone could speak up at this moment, causing confusion and turning effect into cause, what significance would it have?

Significance only matters to the strong.

The weak, what significance do they have?

"Stop! Don’t think about it, don’t think about it!"

Wang Wu startlingly interrupted himself, seeing black Qi already emanating from around him. Though it was just a little, it was enough to prove that the Spirit Net wasn’t just there to maintain a vast network of mages; it also served a surveillance purpose.

Did his thoughts just now count as treacherous?

A bit, but it was just a thought, and yet the Spirit Net would mark it as about to cause a Qigong Deviation. If he continued, he’d probably get cut off!

So, being a beneficiary is quite nice.

Rebellion?

Rebel against what!

I, Wang Zhige, even if I jump from here, even if conscience bites me back, I will never rebel in my life!

The next moment, Wang Wu felt refreshed and energetic, continuing to pretend to circulate Blood Qi Circulation. The first step ahead, he had to get Big Macaque to pay him his salary.

By evening, Big Macaque, Old Zhou, and that Jia Ding Monkey finally finished making rain, looking exhausted, but they still came together, with Jia Ding Monkey even squeezing out a smile.

"Brother Er Gou, I’ve long admired your name, welcome to Bear Ridge. From now on, Bear Ridge is your home, and we are your family..."

"Enough of the nonsense! Er Gou, take out your Vassal’s Seal, and I’ll issue this month’s salary. Quickly record the Earth Escape Dao Skill, Water Escape Dao Skill, and Water Control Dao Skill from the Spirit Net. Starting tomorrow, I want this spring to produce a hundred vats of water every day!"

Pointing far away, Big Macaque really showed ten large vats, each capable of holding at least five cubic meters. Damn, doesn’t that mean producing five hundred cubic meters of water a day?

Damn it!

But, endure it, on the condition that you provide enough Spiritual Energy Salary.

Wang Wu directly spat out his gray mini-seal, and Big Macaque immediately took out a gourd, pouring out half a drop of Spirit Liquid, approximately 5,000 points of Spiritual Qi.

Hey, a monthly salary of 5,000, not bad.

However, Wang Wu wouldn’t speak and couldn’t express anything. Retrieving the mini-seal, he decisively recorded Earth Escape Dao Skill, Water Escape Dao Skill, Water Control Dao Skill, planning to fleece some benefits first.

As for a hundred vats of water, ha, there will only be ten vats tomorrow!

Want to squeeze out the remaining value from me... Hmm, okay, considering that 5,000-point monthly salary, fifty vats will do.

Wang Wu is still kind because he wants to grasp the subtly profound words of the Immortals.

Meanwhile, those three, Big Macaque, Old Zhou, and Jia Ding Monkey, didn’t linger at the spring but went to a mound a few miles away, where there was a crooked-neck tree and a stone table. They sat there, each with a worried look on their face.

Jia Ding Monkey spoke first.

"Lord, Uncle Zhou, here’s the expense record for water management. Take a look, if this continues, we’ll definitely be running a deficit."

"We’re already running a deficit." Old Zhou sighed, "Only Wild Boar Forest has been reasonable, agreeing to our water management without raising prices, but now that the Lord has offended Yu Ermu, it’s sure to cause trouble."

"Lord, do we have any plan?" Jia Ding Monkey looked at Big Macaque with anticipation, while Big Macaque gazed at the crooked-neck tree, perhaps pondering a poetic sentiment? There’s no path in this world, why not hang oneself on the southeastern branch?

"If only Master Mu could emerge from seclusion soon."

It pondered for a long time before finally saying this.

"I think it’s hard, not within three or five years. Big Macaque, I’m not blaming you for being reckless, but you must understand, according to the Jade Cauldron Immortal Alliance’s rules, my Zhouzhuang Town’s three thousand mortals must be supported. Even though they’re mortals from the Gray Mist Zone, it’s the most crucial benchmark for the Jade Cauldron Immortal Alliance’s assessment. Favorable winds and rains, no major disasters or epidemics, and no harm from Evil Demons—only by preserving Zhouzhuang Town will Bear Ridge’s yearly budget be allocated."

Old Zhou said sternly.

"I know, I know. Didn’t I divert half the rainwater to Zhouzhuang Town this time? But Bear Ridge’s plants and creatures need care too, right? Let’s see if Er Gou can surprise us tomorrow. I went as far as offending Yu Ermu to dig him back, not to laze around. If it doesn’t work, I’ll make braised carp out of it!"

Big Macaque said fiercely.

"No way, even if you make braised carp, it won’t win you back Yu Ermu’s favor. He’s already tricked back, might as well be useful, right? As long as fifty vats pour daily, this forest within ten miles can be preserved, keeping the plants alive. Sigh!"

This time, it was Old Zhou who hurried to say something good.

Wang Wu was quite curious hearing this from afar. Watering mortals made sense, but watering a small forest within ten miles was for maintaining a greenery rate?

Is water really so indispensable for cultivators?

Is it so hard to steal thousands or tens of thousands of cubic meters from the Xijiang River tributary?

Something feels off because the logic doesn’t hold.

But at this point, the Four Clowns suddenly provided a conclusion.

"Grandpa Tree’s Information Library: The reason you feel something’s off is that you’ve never considered another angle, which is maintaining stability. Some cultivators don’t want to be mages, they want to cultivate Demon Pills or Spirit Pills, what then? If you don’t offer opportunities, they’ll seek them themselves."

"Xiongpi Clan’s Information Library: Yes, you find Bear Ridge’s fiefdom absurd, but you don’t know that it’s precisely because of Bear Ridge that Big Macaque, Zhou Jun, Master Mu, and Jia Ding Monkey, four promising and qualified cultivators, can formally follow the practical cultivation path and exploit other low-tier cultivators. In a way, it’s an exchange. The Jade Cauldron Immortal Alliance uses this way to exchange—you can cultivate Demon Pills and Spirit Pills, but you must be a Sealed Lord or Vassal at Bear Ridge, and support this system’s rules."

"Peacock Clan’s Information Library: Correct, this exchange also comes with conditions, such as protecting a small town with three thousand mortals, or ensuring Bear Ridge’s ecosystem doesn’t collapse. You think these are trivial and meaningless tasks for cultivators, but they’re just conditions of exchange. The support sends you a specific Spiritual Qi salary each month, and all you need to do is some pointless chores, even if it’s urinating to mud or farting into pits. As long as it’s part of this system, it’s reasonable."

"Attribute Bar: A grain of sand in the era falls as a mountain on every cultivator. The rules established by the Jade Cauldron Immortal Alliance have their advantages, but how vast is the Jade Cauldron Immortal Alliance? Under the open and covert struggles between Mountain Master of Muyang and King of Xijiang, Bear Ridge has become a sacrifice, leading to this absurd scene you see."