Volume 1, Chapter 2: Return on Investment, The Heavenly Roc’s Dragon-Slaying Art!

What? How could such a priceless treasure be in the hands of a child like Wang Mu?

It is quite simple. As the only descendant of the third generation of the Wang family, Wang Mu was born with a curse that could not be broken. Feeling a deep sense of guilt, the elders began to spoil him from his very first birthday banquet. Every year, the Wang family would throw a lavish celebration for his birthday, and every guest invited would present him with extravagant gifts.

What? These treasures are useless to Wang Mu and would go to waste?

It does not matter! As long as the child is happy, the elders would gladly let him use a Sea-Calming Dragon Pearl as a ball to kick around!

Moreover, everyone in the Wang family, starting from his grandfather down, is a ruthless character. Even if the family did not invite you to the banquet, would you dare not send a gift to offer your congratulations? Perhaps the Wang family might not remember what specific gifts others gave, but what if they remembered that you did not send one at all? Wouldn't that be inviting disaster upon yourself, effectively courting death? No one dared to gamble their life on that.

Thus, for over a decade, the Wang family has been flooded with gifts every year. Thanks to these birthday presents that were not "temporarily confiscated" by the elders, the original owner of this body had accumulated a massive fortune. It is no exaggeration to say that even many Earth Immortals at the Tribulation Stage could not guarantee their own wealth was more substantial than Wang Mu’s.

...

"Come on, open up."

Seeing the dragon pearl Wang Mu produced, the golden bird’s eyes widened.

*Cheep! Cheep!*

It hopped with excitement, its eyes filled with longing and desire. Not wanting to keep the little thing in suspense, Wang Mu shot a Sea-Calming Dragon Pearl directly into the bird's beak.

*BOOM!*

As the dragon pearl entered its belly, golden light erupted from the bird’s feathers. It soared into the sky, revealing its true form.

*SCREECH!*

A sharp, piercing cry echoed for thousands of miles. The surrounding sea began to boil and churn, and countless fish were rendered unconscious by the sheer force of the pressure, floating belly-up with the waves.

The golden light grew increasingly intense, more and more radiant! It became so dazzling that one could hardly look at it, appearing like a golden sun, brilliant and blinding.

[Congratulations on successfully investing in the Divine Beast—Wang Fugui.]
[Congratulations, you have invested 1 Sea-Calming Dragon Pearl in Wang Fugui. Investment progress: 10%.]
[You will receive a 10% return on all of Wang Fugui’s future cultivation achievements.]
[Congratulations, you have received a cultivation achievement return from Wang Fugui.]
[Please keep up the good work.]

...

As the notification sounded, strings of milky-white spiritual energy began to rapidly manifest in Wang Mu's previously empty dantian. Simultaneously, an unprecedented sense of comfort flooded his entire body, causing him to groan.

*Ah~ Ah~~ Ah~~~*

"Well done, Wang Fugui!"

Wang Mu smiled and tossed the remaining nine Sea-Calming Dragon Pearls into the air.

*Whoosh!*

With a flash of golden light, the nine pearls were swallowed by the golden bird. Its wings grew even more brilliant, appearing as if they were burning under the sunlight. An extreme, overwhelming pressure poured out in all directions, kicking up monstrous waves.

Golden Core Mid-Stage!
Golden Core Late-Stage!
Golden Core Peak!
Nascent Soul Initial-Stage!
...

[Congratulations, you have invested 1 Sea-Calming Dragon Pearl in Wang Fugui. Investment progress: 20%.]
[You will receive a 20% return on all of Wang Fugui’s future cultivation achievements.]
[Congratulations, you have received a cultivation achievement return from Wang Fugui.]
[Congratulations, you have invested 1 Sea-Calming Dragon Pearl in Wang Fugui. Investment progress: 30%.]
[You will receive a 30% return on all of Wang Fugui’s future cultivation achievements.]
[Congratulations, you have received a cultivation achievement return from Wang Fugui.]
[...]
[Congratulations, you have invested 1 Sea-Calming Dragon Pearl in Wang Fugui. Investment progress: 100%.]
[You will receive a 100% return on all of Wang Fugui’s future cultivation achievements.]
[Congratulations, you have completed the absolute investment in Wang Fugui!]
[Please keep up the good work and continue to achieve brilliance.]

...

Wang Mu grinned. "As expected, pay-to-win is the true path to power!"

Wait!!!

Suddenly, the smile on Wang Mu’s face froze. Something was wrong. He realized the issue: "System, I invested all 10 Sea-Calming Dragon Pearls and reached 100% investment progress. I should be receiving the exact same cultivation results as it, right?"

[Yes.]

Wang Mu’s face darkened. "Then explain to me why it broke through from the Golden Core Mid-Stage to the Nascent Soul Initial-Stage in one go, while the spiritual energy in my body is only equivalent to the seventh level of the Qi Refining Stage?"

"You rascal! You didn't take a kickback from the returns that were supposed to be mine, did you?!"

[The system did not.]
[The system would not.]
[The system is not that kind of system.]
[Please do not slander the system’s integrity without cause.]

Listening to the system’s triple denial, Wang Mu’s mouth twitched. "Then explain it. Where are my dividends? Where did they go?"

[Host, do not misunderstand.]
[The system’s return process is flawless. All returned spiritual energy and mana are purified by the system and converted into the most refined Origin Spiritual Power before being returned to the host.]
[During the purification process, the energy is compressed to the limit. Its quality is vastly improved, which leads to a reduction in quantity.]
[However, the quality of this spiritual power is purer than the mana of an Earth Immortal at the Tribulation Stage.]

So that was it. The spiritual energy and mana gained from different races, physiques, and cultivation techniques cannot be mindlessly fed to Wang Mu. Otherwise, the moment they conflicted, he would be blown to pieces in an instant.

Moreover, although Wang Mu is only at the seventh level of Qi Refining, the spiritual power within him is purer than the mana of a Tribulation Stage Earth Immortal. This means that unless he chooses to reveal it, not even a Tribulation Stage Earth Immortal could see through his true cultivation level.

Furthermore, if a fight were to break out, relying on this refined spiritual power, cultivators of the same rank would never be his match. Dealing with hundreds or thousands of them would be as easy as slaughtering chickens. He could even crush and sweep through cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Stage without breaking a sweat.

This is the treatment of a cheater!

Just as Wang Mu was carefully sensing the changes within his body, the Golden-Winged Great Peng in the sky underwent another transformation. Its eyes bloomed with an incomparably brilliant holy light, and a majestic vision of a Heavenly Peng, hundreds of feet tall, materialized behind it.

[Congratulations, Host. Your investment, Wang Fugui, has consumed the dragon pearls, successfully refined their essence, awakened its bloodline, and elevated its aptitude to Immortal-Grade.]
[Congratulations, you have received a cultivation achievement return from Wang Fugui.]
[Congratulations, you have obtained the Golden-Winged Great Peng bloodline. It has perfectly integrated with your own, enhancing your speed, strength, and all-around physical attributes.]
[Congratulations, you have obtained the Golden-Winged Great Peng heritage skill—Heavenly Peng Breathing Technique.]
[Congratulations, you have obtained the Golden-Winged Great Peng heritage skill—Golden Light Afterimage Escape.]
[Congratulations, you have obtained the Golden-Winged Great Peng heritage skill—Heavenly Peng Dragon-Grappling Art.]
[Congratulations, your proficiency in the breathing technique has improved.]
[Congratulations, your proficiency in movement and escape techniques has improved.]
[Congratulations, your proficiency in close-quarters combat has improved.]
[Congratulations, your affinity for spiritual energy has improved.]
[Congratulations, your comprehension has improved.]
[Congratulations, your cultivation speed has improved.]