Chapter 55 - Ha, So Tempting

After a long while, the WeChat group became lively again.

Actually, "alive" doesn't quite cut it—the group was boiling over!

Outraged students were all criticizing the Pay-to-Ascend Immortal Shop with righteous indignation.

"What am I seeing? Is this online shop really selling runes, alchemical pills, and Magical Tools? This is exactly like a money-grabbing mobile game scam!"

"Single purchases might bring surprises, tenfold buys come with a guarantee? Yeah right, you crafty old man, you're up to no good!"

"It's one thing to rely on luck in games, but now we need luck to buy a rune? Give me a break!"

"Is the owner of this Online Shop a former scheming planner who's changed professions? Take up a blade and follow me, let's rid the world of all scheming planners!"

It seems that even students of cultivation had their share of being duped by mobile games and scheming planners...

Scheming planners are indeed awesome!

In fact, even the lowest quality goods sold in Su Mu's shop were much better than similar products on the market.

From this perspective, Su Mu didn't seem to have anything in common with a profiteer and could even be considered a conscientious seller.

But the students didn't see it that way.

They did some serious calculations.

Take the Spirit-Channeling Runes, for instance. Even the ones with a 75% utilization rate were better than the best ones available on the market, but in the rune pool of the Pay-to-Ascend Immortal Shop, they were the worst.

Without comparison, there would be no disappointment.

When you see those runes with 80%, 85% utilization rates, would you be satisfied with just 75%? Wouldn't you want a better one?

It's like playing a game, when you see SR, SSR cards laid out, could you resist the urge to draw cards? Will you just settle for the free N or R cards?

Moreover, Spirit-Channeling Runes are different from in-game Waifus. They exist in reality and play a significant role.

Higher utilization rate Spirit-Channeling Runes not only enhance the power of runic formations and Magical Tools but also reduce the consumption of spiritual power.

Making the same Magical Tool with a 75% rune versus an 85% rune would have vastly different outcomes.

Put yourself in that position—could you resist the pursuit of better Spirit-Channeling Runes?

Especially when people around you have obtained 85% runes and flaunt them daily, could you really hold back your envy?

And the only way to get better Spirit-Channeling Runes is one—spend a fortune on card drawing!

A Magical Tool that originally needed just two Spirit-Channeling Runes might end up triggering a twentyfold draw just to get two guaranteed 85% runes. And before you know it, you've spent tens of thousands more.

Isn't this luring you to spend real money?

Isn't this a Scam Shop?

Perhaps some would argue that although more money was spent, they did get more runes, and even if not 85%, they were better than the standard ones and perfectly usable.

In theory, that's true.

But in reality, once you've used the best Spirit-Channeling Runes and tasted the benefits, who would settle for less when money isn't an issue?

So, the next time people need Spirit-Channeling Runes, they will most likely still spend money to chase after the 85% utilization runes, rather than making do with 80% or 75%.

And that means the expenses can really add up!

Of course, you could take those unused 75% and 80% Spirit-Channeling Runes and sell them on Xianyu to recoup some funds from people who are unaware of the Pay-to-Ascend Immortal Shop.

But that's still falling for the lure to spend real money!

In the midst of the outcry, someone stood up and called out, "We can't let profiteers like this get away with it. Let's all boycott this shop so they get no business and have to shut down!"

This quickly received unanimous support.

"Exactly, that's what we should do!"

"Don't buy from this shop, don't spend money there, starve those scheming planners and unscrupulous businessmen to death!"

"If you don't spend, and I don't spend, the unscrupulous businessman will crash and burn tomorrow!"

Students were pledging in the WeChat group, swearing they wouldn't spend a penny in the Pay-to-Ascend Immortal Shop.

They were resolute and convincing, as if taking an oath.

However, after making these vows, they couldn't help but sneakily open up the Pay-to-Ascend Immortal Shop again.

This was especially true for those who recently needed Spirit-Channeling Runes and were caught in a dilemma.

Wu Jian's student, Xu Lin, was one such person.

She held her phone, biting her finger, her brows slightly furrowed, muttering to herself in a low voice:

"No, I can't buy, I can't let that unscrupulous businessman make money off of me!"

"But the Spirit-Channeling Runes they sell here really are good value for money. Even the 75% ones are better than the best ones on the market, far surpassing the ones I can draw myself. Not buying a few feels like a loss."

"No, no, I can't look anymore, if I keep looking I won't be able to resist..."

"Maybe just buy one? I need to make a complex runic formation when school starts, and it's critical for my grades next semester. If it's poorly done, I might have to repeat the year. If I could get a 75% utilization rune, no, even an 85% one, the success rate would greatly increase."

"I don't want to repeat the year. Maybe just get one? Buying just one doesn't count as pay-to-win, right?"

"Ah, since I have to spend money anyway, why not just go for a tenfold buy and get a guaranteed 85% utilization Spirit-Channeling Rune? With that rune, I'm sure to succeed and get good grades!"

"I'll purchase anonymously, then no one will know it was me. And a tenfold buy is just light spending at most, which won't make the unscrupulous businessman any richer, and he'll still have to close up shop. Haha, perfect plan, let's do it!"

Xu Lin patted herself on the back for her cleverness and then anonymously placed an order for ten Spirit-Channeling Runes in the Pay-to-Ascend Immortal Shop.

After paying, she started to regret not washing her hands and lighting incense to pray to the koi for luck before ordering—maybe then she could have gotten two 85% runes.

What's done is done, and regret was useless. At least before opening the package, she could still perform all these metaphysical rituals to enhance her fortune.

Unbeknownst to Xu Lin, as she anonymously made her tenfold purchase of Spirit-Channeling Runes, many of her peers who had also vocally supported the boycott against the profiteer in the WeChat group, were quietly and anonymously buying Spirit-Channeling Runes as well.

Some opted for single purchases, while others went for tenfold buys.

At that moment, the boycott seemingly transformed into an irresistible temptation.

In Dujiangyan, at a hotel, Su Mu was struggling to wake up at five in the morning. He performed his Qi Cultivation Technique, only to collapse back into bed and sleep soundly until ten.

After freshening up, he picked up his phone and was greeted with the notification that his online shop had passed its review. He immediately sent messages of gratitude to each of his teachers.

Their responses came quickly, not only dispensing with the need for thanks but also expressing a desire to set a time for a proper conversation.

Su Mu diligently phoned each teacher individually, thanking them for their kindness and explaining that he would arrange a face-to-face meeting once he returned home.

The teachers were all pleased with Su Mu’s polite demeanor.

After the calls, Su Mu eagerly opened the seller's app on his phone.

Though he didn’t expect much business since his online shop had just opened, he couldn't help but check.

The moment the app launched, a barrage of notification sounds, almost too much for his older model phone, signaled incoming orders non-stop.

After the phone finally caught up, Su Mu was shocked.

"What's going on with all these orders? Have I been targeted for order brushing?"

As he scrolled through a long list of order notifications, Su Mu was completely bewildered and confused.