112: Chapter 112: The Neighboring Peak's "Resource Stacking Strategy"

If Hengchuan Peak was putting on a performance of "Slumdog Millionaire," then the neighboring Xuanyu Peak (one of the main peaks) was demonstrating what it meant to "crush people with money."

Just as Shen Xingzhou was leading his fellow Senior Sister and Junior Brother, hands covered in dust, to stuff waste Spirit Stone powder into the eye of the Formation, a series of roars caused by Spiritual Qi turbulence erupted from the assessment area of Xuanyu Peak.

It was the distinct sound of high-grade Materials resonating with each other; it sounded golden, glittering, and oppressively wealthy.

"Bring that crate of High-Grade Spirit Stones over! Don't skimp on it. The goal of this assessment is 'defensive power.' As long as the hardness is enough, who cares how you pile it up!"

The captain of Xuanyu Peak, a Personal Disciple dressed in brocade, was spiritedly directing his subordinates.

He didn't need to bend down to pick up anything at all; a row of Utility Disciples responsible for carrying Storage Pouches followed behind him, each one exhausted and flushed red.

With a "clatter," a dozen High-Grade Spirit Stones emitting rich blue light were spread directly onto the ground.

Some of the Spirit Stones even produced a sizzling electric sound due to the repulsive reaction caused by their overly abundant spiritual power.

"What about the Formation Flags? Use the third-tier 'Dragon-Trapping Flag'! Plant them in a 'product' shape for me and seal the middle!"

"Senior Brother, wouldn't that be too wasteful? A set of these flags costs enough to buy a small mountain, and the defensive overlap is too high. The cost-performance ratio—"

"What cost-performance ratio?" The captain glared at him and interrupted, "What we want is absolute defense! We want the judges to look at it and immediately think 'impregnable'! This is called Aura, understand? Pile it up for me! Pile it up until you die!"

Consequently, within the area of Xuanyu Peak, a golden, resplendent defensive fortress surrounded by spiritual light was rising from the ground at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Intact Formation Flags formed the outer walls, rare ironwood served as the frame, and countless High-Grade Spirit Stones were laid into the walls like bricks that did not cost a thing.

The effect was truly shocking.

Even from far away, one could feel the "being rich means being willful" Aura rushing towards them.

Su Ciyao was holding the flowing light mirror to scan the entire venue.

When the lens swept over Xuanyu Peak, her eyes rolled, and a mischievous smile curled the corners of her lips.

"Dear viewers, today's live broadcast content is very exciting. Now, let us do a very interesting 'side-by-side comparison'."

She lightly swiped her finger across the light screen, and the screen split into two.

On the left side of the screen was the golden, glittering Spirit Stone wall of Xuanyu Peak, where Utility Disciples were carefully holding expensive Materials, as if they were worshiping their ancestors with every piece they placed down.

On the right side of the screen was the dusty "junkyard" of Hengchuan Peak, where Shen Xingzhou was directing Senior Sister Xie Handeng to nail a rusted iron nail into the dirt, while Wen Xi was mixing waste stone powder as if she were doing a chemistry experiment.

This visual impact was simply incredible.

The barrage on the flowing light mirror exploded instantly.

"Holy crap! Isn't this comparison too cruel? On the left is the cultivator version of Versailles, and on the right is the cultivator version of survival in the wilderness."

"Xuanyu Peak is truly rich! Using High-Grade Spirit Stones as padding? How much Karma must that burn?"

"But then again, Hengchuan Peak on the right... why does it seem more and more badass the more I watch it? That pile of junk actually took shape in their hands."

"Is this the legendary 'poor people have poor ways of playing'? On the left is 'losing with dignity,' and on the right is 'winning while pinching pennies until it hurts.'"

"LOL, I look at that wall on the left; although it looks gorgeous, I feel like if you just pull out one Spirit Stone from the bottom, the whole thing will collapse."

Watching the barrage, Su Ciyao added a timely remark: "Everyone, look, this method on the left is what we call in the trade a 'resource piling strategy.' The advantage is that it's fast, fierce, and looks intimidating; the disadvantage... well, it's probably that you wouldn't dare look at the ledger after returning home."

Shen Xingzhou did not pay attention to the live broadcast, but he could feel the gazes cast from around him changing.

From the initial mockery and curiosity, it had turned into a complex, probing flavor.

He glanced at the System panel, where the external public opinion analysis was being updated in real-time.

[Current Environmental Public Opinion Analysis]

Sample A: Xuanyu Peak (Traditional powerhouse)

External tags: #InhumanlyRich #ViolentAesthetics #BurningMoneyToCultivate

Evaluation: Looks satisfying, gives people a sense of security, but lacks technical content.

Favorability: Polarized. The upper echelons think it's stable, while the lower echelons think "why not eat minced meat?"

Sample B: Hengchuan Peak (Emerging anomaly)

External tags: #GoodAtManagingLife #ExtremeOperations #SeemsMiserableButInexplicablyStrong

Evaluation: This technical style that struggled out of the mud gives people an inexplicable sense of empathy and admiration.

Favorability: Continuously rising. Especially among small and medium Sects and Loose Cultivator groups, the resonance is strong.

Shen Xingzhou's mouth twitched slightly.

He did not want to elicit "admiration" right now, he only wanted to elicit "investment desire."

However, rising favorability was a good thing regardless; it meant that "market reputation" was being established.

At this moment, in the observation room on the high platform of the Martial Arts Arena.

The Central Region Rating Envoy put down his teacup.

The light screen in front of him was showing the comparison screen that Su Ciyao had just cut to.

The old man's brows were slightly furrowed, and the pen in his hand tapped lightly on the paper.

On his desk, a temporarily generated internal briefing was taking shape.

[Central Region Rating Office · Assessment Site Briefing No. 03]

Observation object: Typical samples of this resource assessment

Case A: High-consumption defense scheme (Xuanyu Peak)

Core strategy: Utilize the high Spiritual Qi density and strength of high-grade Materials to achieve defense through physical stacking.

Data performance: Defensive power extremely high (S-level), resource cost extremely high (SSS-level), resource utilization rate extremely low (D-level).

Review: A typical "capital-driven" scheme. Applicable to scenarios with unlimited resources and a pursuit of short-term combat power, but lacks promotion value, and is extremely prone to failure due to logistical collapse in long-term wars of attrition.

Case B: Resource-optimized defense scheme (Hengchuan Peak)

Core strategy: Structural reorganization + waste material activation. Utilize precise structural mechanics to channel Spiritual Qi, pushing the efficiency of low-grade Materials to the limit.

Data performance: Defensive power medium-high (A-level), resource cost extremely low (F-level), resource utilization rate extremely high (S+-level).

Review: A highly groundbreaking "efficiency-driven" scheme. It proves that without relying on top-tier resources, one can compensate for the gap in hard power through algorithms and logic. Suggest internal filing, and name it the "Hengchuan Peak Model."

When the old man wrote the words "Hengchuan Peak Model," he paused, his eyes becoming profound.

"Hengchuan Peak Model..."

He muttered to himself, "If this model were to be promoted, those Families and merchant firms that rely on monopolizing high-grade resources would probably be unable to sit still."

Just then, in Shen Xingzhou's mind, the System popped up a notification again.

This time, the edge of the notification box was glowing with a faint red light, appearing somewhat harsh.

[System Monitoring Alert]

Event: Your intuitive comparison with the "traditional money-burning strategy" is being treated as a typical case study by an external party (Central Region Rating Agency).

Impact assessment:

Positive effect: Model influence significantly increased, host's "reformer" persona more solidified.

Negative effect (triggered): Your approach is challenging the "unspoken rules" of the existing Immortal Realm—namely "strength = resource investment."

Risk warning: When you prove that "you can win without spending so much money," you are telling those who have made spending money a habit—they were wasting it before, and even... their profit margins can be compressed.

Shen Xingzhou looked at that line of text, and the feeling of having thorns on his back struck him again.

He raised his head and looked at the golden, glittering Xuanyu Peak fortress in the distance.

The captain was standing on high, looking arrogant, enjoying the admiration of those around him.

He probably did not know at all that his mountain, piled up with money, had just become "Case A," a negative example in someone else's report.

This was not just a matter of winning or losing an exam.

Shen Xingzhou knew very well that the economic chain of the Immortal Realm was: big Sects controlled mines and Spiritual Veins, sold resources to small Sects, and small Sects sold to Loose Cultivators.

If small Sects discovered that they could cultivate combat power even by buying trash using the "Hengchuan Peak Model," then to whom would the big Sects sell their high-grade resources?

If he took first place in this assessment, it would be equivalent to announcing to the entire Nine Provinces Union: high-grade resources are severely overpriced, everyone, stop being suckers.

This was cutting off people's financial path.

"Cutting off someone's financial path is like killing their parents," Shen Xingzhou smiled bitterly in his heart, but his eyes became increasingly firm.

He turned his head to look at Senior Sister Xie Handeng, who was patching the last gap: "Senior Sister, give it your all. This Formation not only needs to defend against attacks, but also needs to defend against others crashing the venue."

"Crashing the venue?" Senior Sister Xie Handeng tightened her grip on the broken sword, Killing Intent flashing in her eyes, "Who is coming?"

"Maybe people, maybe money," Shen Xingzhou said softly.

On the bottom bar of the panel, that line of translucent small text emerged like a ghost, revealing a cold sense of reality:

"When you prove 'you can win without spending so much money,'

it is equivalent to telling those who have made spending money a habit—they were wasting it before."