Because of this, Cyber Cultivators could only rely on the Blood Spirit Technique to extract the tiny traces of spiritual energy contained within animal flesh and blood.
The consequences appeared almost immediately.
The price of meat skyrocketed.
The fresher the meat, the higher the price.
For many ordinary people, eating meat had become a luxury.
Some hadn't tasted it in months.
It was simply too expensive.
As spiritual energy continued to dwindle, the entire world seemed to fall into a state of rapid decline.
People's quality of life plummeted.
So did their sense of happiness.
Everyone dreamed of cultivation.
Many chose to stay at home, focusing entirely on their practice.
Even if they made no progress, they still persisted.
And when life became too difficult to sustain, they would sell off small amounts of their own spiritual energy just to survive.
Under such circumstances—
Who would still be willing to work?
Labor costs soared.
Factories shut down one after another.
Entire industries ground to a halt.
"We cannot let this continue!"
"If this goes on, the world will collapse!"
At the United Nations assembly, led by the five permanent members, the atmosphere was extremely tense.
Representatives of various nations, along with members of the High Table, engaged in fierce debate.
They needed a solution.
A way to reduce the number of cultivators—
But without triggering widespread unrest.
After prolonged argument, a plan was finally proposed.
First, reduce the number of cultivators as much as possible.
Second, raise the threshold of cultivation to eliminate weaker participants.
The first step was implemented immediately.
The Golden Book Jade Page was declared a banned item.
Its sale through the Continental Hotel was prohibited.
But that alone was not enough.
To further push this plan forward, the High Table proposed something far more drastic.
A global cultivation tournament.
A competition of Cyber Cultivators.
Victory… or death.
The winners would receive generous rewards.
They would also absorb fifty percent of the loser's spiritual energy.
As for the losers—
They would leave nothing behind.
Representatives from various countries quickly supported the proposal.
To prevent internal conflict, they suggested that matches should only occur between cultivators of different nations.
In other words, this so-called tournament was not only about reducing the number of cultivators.
It was also an opportunity to plunder the resources of other countries.
The High Table then announced the rewards.
The champion would receive:
Supreme honor300 gold spirit coinsAnd most importantly… a Golden Core Method recorded within a Golden Book Jade Page
The moment this was announced, the entire world erupted.
A global outcry followed.
People could hardly believe it.
Governments and the High Table were openly organizing a death match on a global scale.
And yet—
The reward was too tempting.
For Qi Refining cultivators, who were still painstakingly opening acupoints, their current strength already rivaled that of superheroes.
But the realm of Foundation Establishment was still distant.
As for the Golden Core Realm—
It was something they couldn't even begin to imagine.
Countless cultivators were instantly stirred.
They dreamed of becoming a Golden Core Ancestor.
Even powerful cultivators backed by governments were tempted.
They might not care about ordinary spirit energy rewards—
But the Golden Core Method represented a path to greater power and longer life.
Who could resist that?
Even those who had initially refused to participate began to waver.
In the end, many chose to join.
They wanted to seize this opportunity.
To rise above all others.
To dominate.
With the High Table's announcement, the competition was destined to be bloody and merciless.
But at the same time, it offered a rare chance.
A chance to break through.
A chance to transcend.
In this rising tide of cultivation—
Who would emerge victorious?
No one knew.
Anything was possible.
…
…
However, after the initial shock faded, public attention shifted.
People began to focus on something else.
The so-called "raising of the cultivation threshold."
Banning the Golden Book Jade Page—
Was that really raising the threshold?
No.
That was simply cutting off the path of cultivation entirely.
Public anger exploded.
Governments around the world were met with overwhelming backlash.
And at the center of it all—
Was the ban on the Golden Book Jade Page.
Without it, no new cultivators could emerge.
What about the countless people who had been saving money, hoping to step onto the path of cultivation?
What about families who wanted their loved ones to gain power and survive in this new world?
This policy was equivalent to telling them:
"You have no future."
Naturally, no one was willing to accept that.
The outrage was not limited to cultivators.
Ordinary people were just as furious.
Protests erupted.
Pressure mounted.
Even the authorities found it difficult to maintain control.
In the end, they were forced to compromise.
The ban was lifted.
The Continental Hotel was once again allowed to sell the Golden Book Jade Page.
However, a new restriction was introduced.
A quota system.
The jade pages would no longer be sold freely.
Their distribution would be strictly limited.
This approach satisfied both sides—at least on the surface.
People retained hope.
And the number of cultivators could still be controlled.
But many saw through it immediately.
Wasn't this just a classic trick?
First, threaten to tear down the wall—
Then graciously agree to open a window instead.
An ugly performance.
Yet no matter how dissatisfied they felt, reality left them with no choice.
If the threshold wasn't raised—
Then the already scarce spiritual energy would be completely exhausted.
So, in the end, they endured it.
Silently.
⭐ Enjoying the story?
You can read ahead and support the translations by joining my Patreon! Your support helps me update faster and take on more projects. Thank you for reading!
Read up to 50 chapters ahead!
patreon.com/AminaSim