After being brought into the cultivational path by Zhen Chanzi, Wang Qi always got one question that he very confused about—this kind of thing like spiritual stone, really can use as currency meh?
Actually ah, in one society right, the amount of money in circulation must match with the total price of goods, also must balance with the speed money can move around. If got too much money or too little money, sure will mess up the economy one.
But spiritual stone leh, how to control how many got on the market?
Some more, each spiritual stone inside got different amount of spiritual energy one. If don't have the cultivation people agree on one price, right, then very hard to do any trading lor. This problem only got better after the "spiritual pool" invention came out lah.
So if suddenly a lot of spiritual stones come out, then the value sure drop. Imagine a cultivator close-door training ten years, come out only to find that got people discover big spiritual stone mine again, and now all his savings not even worth toilet paper liao.
Oppositely, if one big spiritual stone mine empty already, then the price will go up. Got people will hoard the stones, wait to sell at high price to make big money.
All these things ah, will mess up the whole market badly.
If cannot make sure the reward fair and stable, then alchemist also won't help people make pill. Same for blacksmith also won't help make magic treasure. Then cultivators all must DIY, waste time study other skills, and use less time to practice main path. This is called vicious cycle lah.
In the end ah, too many cultivators stuck at one level, cannot go forward, all no more hope liao. Then they become desperate, start to attack other people, rob each other, everything become "survival of the fittest" lor, from "resource-based cultivation"变成"eat people cultivation" already.
In the 80,000 years of cultivational history, got five times already where spiritual stone economy collapse until become cultivation apocalypse.
Zhen Chanzi got explain before one. Most big spiritual stone mines is controlled by big sects. Then these sects will control how much they release into market. Only core disciples can use freely.
But also cannot really control the market leh. Because those practicing old methods always need a lot of spiritual stone suddenly one, so not predictable. Unlike Earth, people there won't suddenly take out stack of money and burn for workout fun mah.
Because this kind of weak monetary system, cultivators still use barter trade until today.
In the past also got people try to fix this problem lah.
Like the time when all sects go into hiding, whole world only less than one hundred cultivators. That time, each person got a lot of resources, everything very peaceful, but also boring. Normal people only hear got immortal, but never see before.
But then hor, less humans means less talented cultivators also. Some sects cannot find any good disciple, their legacy gone like that. In the end, they only can go back to recruit many people, "spread big net" style to train new cultivators.
Another method is cultivation empire lor. One ruling family run whole thing. Only nobles and army can cultivate. Other people, even got talent also cannot practice. If caught secretly cultivating, then execute on the spot.
This method can stabilize price, and still keep enough people to fight monster tribes. Two birds with one stone.
But hor, this system very scare one type of people—those "eat people to grow" type genius. Last time got three cultivation empire, two of them die because too many genius from poor people rise up and use mass killing method to become great power. Empire collapse just like that.
Also got one time whole cultivation world enter dark era. Everyone eat people to gain power. That time, mortal people's body become new currency liao. Very efficient one leh. This method actually let some sects become very strong again.
But hor, all these kind of sects all eventually die out, because eat too much own people, cut off own future also.
Then come to today's cultivation alliance. They already got method to take spiritual energy from outer space directly. But never use too much. Why leh? Because scare repeat history mah. Too much spiritual energy = inflation = collapse again.
That's why they create this "Contribution Points" system lor. At first only use inside army to encourage soldiers. But after got new energy mining technology, they expand the system. Now ah, almost everything also can buy using contribution points. Spiritual energy still can trade, but just for show already.
Contribution points can earn by do task for the alliance. All items got clear price in the exchange list. Members can trade points among themselves also. Those big sects that in charge of alliance, they can control the total amount of points in the market by issuing more or less points.
Because got alliance to guarantee value, in future, contribution points will become number one currency in whole cultivational world.
After Wang Qi understand all this ah, he just sigh: "My side this alliance hor, they want stability, peace, and everyone become immortal. This of course is good thing lah. But it also mean, I got no more shortcut to make fast money lor."
Xiang Qi laugh and say: "Want get more points also not impossible one. You go West Sea fight sea monster, or go East Sea hunt those old method cultivators—points sure fly up like rocket."
Wang Qi twitch mouth: "Senior sister, you think I really so free ah? That kind of thing, I one small foundation-level guy how go do?"
She nod nod: "Then maybe you go join one Grandmaster's research team, help them do experiment. Points also come very fast. Cultivation alliance very value this kind of project. Since even the Calculator Lord also notice you, maybe you can enter Wanfa Sect as core member leh."
Wang Qi shake head. He know his own level lah. That bigshot maybe just find him interesting because practice many arts, not because math really super. If go show off, maybe kena hate instead.
Also ah, his own body got too many secret. Pretend to be school-topper is okay, but if become shining star, too dangerous.
Xiang Qi think more and say: "Or maybe ah, you write down your understanding of Dao and techniques, send to alliance as research result. They got big reward for that."
This time Wang Qi a bit tempted. After all, he got Not-Allowed Daoist's notes, sure valuable. And his Earth physics knowledge also maybe can use. But then again, that Daoist still wanted criminal. Submit his stuff, maybe die faster.
Also, Earth physics not sure can apply here completely. Here got spiritual energy, change all the base rules already.
After say no to so many ideas, Xiang Qi suddenly smack forehead: "Aiyo! I forget liao! You still new student in the academy!"