Chapter 90: The Wealthy Team Conquering the Forbidden Land

He arrived at the agreed-upon time, gathering in a small town outside the Yin Mountains. When Zhang Kai arrived, he was somewhat dumbfounded.

This little expedition party was far too extravagant.

Rows of luxury cars filled the area.

This didn’t look like a group setting out for an adventure; if anything, it resembled a gathering of wealthy vacationers.

The meeting place was a large courtyard, already surrounded by bodyguards. Entry required proof of identity.

But the credentials weren’t the usual sort—they were certificates for Warriors of the Earth Home Organization.

Zhang Kai was intensely curious about what this team was really about.

After showing his credentials and entering, he saw five people chatting and laughing together.

There were three men and two women, all varying in age. The oldest was around forty, the youngest barely in their twenties.

Zhang Kai’s arrival drew everyone’s attention. The older man among them stepped forward with a smile. “I haven’t had the pleasure of your name?”

“I am the Revered Lord of Proud Heaven,” Zhang Kai replied.

The moment they heard the name, everyone’s eyes lit up.

After all, anyone registered with Earth Home could choose an alias, but it couldn’t be changed—it was to accompany them for life.

And Zhang Kai’s alias was undeniably dramatic.

But that was fine. If Earth Home recognized it, it meant he had the strength to back it up.

And Zhang Kai was indeed a man of ability.

According to the systematic introductions on the forum, he had battled ghosts, encountered demons, and even dared to provoke Houtu.

Earth Home now held such prestige that, to speak modestly, its credibility surpassed even that of a government-issued ID.

So everyone was very curious about this new addition—Revered Lord of Proud Heaven.

And now, seeing him in person, he was surprisingly young.

But those exploits described in his profile piqued everyone’s interest—they all wanted to know more.

One of the young women among them flicked her hair and smiled. “Hello, Lord of Proud Heaven. I’m Little White Rabbit.”

Zhang Kai smiled back. “Hello.”

Including him, the team now numbered eleven.

The code names had long been established—this Little White Rabbit was one of the members.

“Lord of Proud Heaven, I’ve read your introduction. Battling ghosts and meeting demons—I can sort of understand that. But daring to provoke Houtu, that’s a top-tier deity in mythology. Most people can’t even figure out where Houtu is, let alone meet them,” Little White Rabbit said with a smile.

Zhang Kai replied, a bit sheepishly, “To be honest, it was all rather muddled. Once, by chance, my soul left my body and entered the underworld. I saw Houtu from afar, and then fled in terror. To say I provoked Houtu is a bit of an exaggeration.”

“Your soul left your body? Brother, are you truly a practitioner?” the middle-aged man asked excitedly.

Zhang Kai nodded, “Yes, by a stroke of luck I inherited the Maoshan tradition and learned a few minor arts. My abilities are still quite limited. Honestly, if three or five strong men came at me now, I’d be on my knees calling them father—I wouldn’t stand a chance.”

“Hahaha, I get it, I get it. You’ve only just begun your cultivation. But once you grow stronger, everyone will be calling you father,” the middle-aged man laughed, his eyes full of envy.

“Lord of Proud Heaven, is cultivation difficult? Do any of us stand a chance?” a young man asked, looking at Zhang Kai with anticipation.

“Cultivation requires spiritual energy. There’s very little left in the world today, which is one reason why gods, demons, and monsters are so rare. I stumbled into this path by pure chance, so I can’t really offer much advice. But if fate has brought us together and you’re interested, I can sell you a copy of the Maoshan teachings I received,” Zhang Kai said.

“You’re generous, Lord of Proud Heaven! Just for that, you have a friend in me,” the middle-aged man exclaimed with delight.

The others were equally overjoyed.

Regardless of how this adventure turned out, just gaining access to a cultivation inheritance was far more than they’d expected.

Thanks to Zhang Kai’s generosity, the group quickly warmed to each other. After introductions, Zhang Kai learned that this team all knew one another, and every one of them came from distinguished families, with fortunes starting in the billions and immense power in various fields.

Zhang Kai couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

As expected, those with power, influence, and wealth are always the quickest to seize opportunities.

Soon, the rest of the team arrived.

As word spread that Zhang Kai was offering a path to cultivation, everyone was elated, showering him with compliments and eager to befriend him.

No one was foolish; they knew that getting an early start on the path of cultivation meant a bright future, provided they survived. Making friends with the unremarkable was the surest sign of sincerity.

As for the money, it was agreed upon—each would pay fifty million.

That meant half a billion in earnings in an instant.

This windfall left Zhang Kai both amused and exasperated.

He’d once scraped together money from computers; now, suddenly, he had half a billion.

But this was just a small interlude—the main goal remained to conquer the forbidden zone.

After all, only by doing so could they gain Earth Home’s recognition, earn points, and exchange them for resources to aid them on the path of cultivation.

Before long, as they discussed their plans, Zhang Kai was surprised to discover that their methods were completely different from what he’d imagined.

The Yin Mountain forbidden zone lay in a remote valley.

Ownership of the forbidden zone had been acquired from the descendants of a fallen sect. Rumor had it that the place harbored restless ghosts, thousand-year-old zombies, and even a hidden underworld deity.

For ordinary people to handle such things, they would need equipment.

And these wealthy individuals had only one kind of equipment—money.

They had purchased several tons of rooster blood and black dog blood, crafted dog-blood leather armor, rooster-blood gloves, boots, hats, and more.

They even had rooster-blood water guns and dog-blood nets.

Beyond that, they invested heavily in setting up defenses around the forbidden zone: stringing electric wires, digging trenches, and pumping water from dozens of miles away with a plan to flood the area first, then electrify the water to filter out the ghosts and wild spirits.

They’d also hired a team of dozens, all armed, with the intent to sweep the perimeter and destroy anything out of the ordinary.

Since the forbidden zone was in a remote, uninhabited area, the authorities had actually given their blessing to this wild venture, even offering support. Clearly, some under-the-table deals were at play, but it still left Zhang Kai speechless.

So this was what it meant to do as you pleased with enough money!

Yet, could this even be called an adventure?

It was outright overwhelming force.

Could any ghost or demon withstand such an assault?

Though he sighed at their methods, Zhang Kai couldn’t blame them—ordinary people, especially those with power and wealth, cherished their lives. If money could solve a problem, why risk their necks?

Winning by lying low—now that was true wisdom.

Zhang Kai was genuinely curious to see if these mundane methods could actually deal with supernatural beings.

Perhaps this was also the government’s way of observing, using the power of the wealthy to gain experience for future large-scale operations.

The planning took a day, followed by more than ten days of preparation. Zhang Kai joined the wealthy in regularly inspecting the progress around the forbidden zone like a foreman at a construction site.

With the rich paying well, the workers were highly motivated.

So in less than half a month, the plan to flood the area was ready.

At noon on the appointed day, at a command from the middle-aged man leading the team, several pumps roared to life, pouring water into the forbidden zone.