“Headmaster, state your terms. I agree to everything!” Zhang Yuan shouted, not even waiting for the fine print.
“I also accept the Headmaster’s conditions!” Zhao Lun added instantly.
“Whatever the Headmaster commands, this disciple will execute without error!” Li Yu and the others chimed in, their loyalty bordering on fanaticism.
Sun Yi raised a hand, cutting off their enthusiasm with a sharp, calculated smile.
“Do not be so quick to click ‘Accept’. You haven’t read the Terms of Service yet. My condition is something most cultivators would consider a violation of their core rights.”
The group fell silent, exchanging confused glances. What could be so severe that the Headmaster would warn them off?
Sun Yi’s gaze turned cold. “If I am to invest my capital in your development, I require collateral. I will be applying a Soul Binding Talisman to each of you.”
“What? The Soul Binding Talisman?!” Elder Jin Jue gasped, his composure shattering.
“Headmaster… surely you jest?” Elder Ye Luo’s eyes widened in horror.
The surrounding disciples froze. The air in the room temperature dropped instantly.
In the cultivation world, the Soul Binding Talisman was a taboo, a vicious script usually reserved for enslaving enemies or punishing traitors. It granted the holder absolute root access to the victim’s life. A single thought from the master could detonate the servant’s soul.
Asking a disciple to submit to this voluntarily? It was unheard of. It was madness.
Zhao Lun and the others turned pale, their earlier enthusiasm dampened by the sheer weight of the demand. They understood the mechanics. This was slavery.
Sun Yi watched their reactions, his expression unreadable.
“The architecture for opening new Dantians is proprietary technology,” Sun Yi stated calmly, his voice smooth and corporate. “It is the Sect’s most valuable Intellectual Property. I cannot distribute this tech casually. To prevent corporate espionage—to ensure I don’t raise a pack of wolves that bite the hand that feeds them—I must implement strict Digital Rights Management.”
He paused, letting the logic sink in.
“Do not think of it as cruelty. Think of it as a Non-Disclosure Agreement with lethal enforcement. As long as you do not breach contract—as long as you do not betray the Sect or myself—the talisman will remain dormant. When your tenure is up and trust is verified, I will uninstall it.”
“The human heart is a black box; we cannot see the code running inside,” Sun Yi continued. “Until the Sect constructs a ‘Heart Questioning Array’ for automated vetting, this manual override is necessary. The choice is yours.”
“Hand over access to your soul, and the Sect will open its entire database to you. We will optimize you without reservation.”
Silence hung heavy in the room.
“Headmaster…” Zhang Yuan gritted his teeth, his eyes flashing with resolve. “I consent!”
He stepped forward, the first to sign his life away.
His logic was simple. Without Sun Yi, he was deprecated hardware—a Miscellaneous Disciple destined for the scrap heap. Sun Yi offered an upgrade path.
Furthermore, Sun Yi was a monster who could crush Golden Core cultivators. If he wanted Zhang Yuan dead, he didn’t need a talisman. He could just sneeze.
“You have processed the risks?” Sun Yi asked, amused.
Zhang Yuan nodded firmly. “I have. I trust the Headmaster’s programming.”
“I am also willing!” Zhao Lun stepped up next, bowing deeply. “Please, Headmaster, grant me this opportunity!”
Following them, Li Yu, Wei Xiao, and Zhou Yibo stepped forward. They weren’t idiots. They knew how to value a venture capital opportunity.
In the Qingyun Sect, aside from the mythical Patriarch Qingxuan, Sun Yi was the thickest “thigh”—the ultimate patron. Hitching their wagon to his rising star was the only logical play for a Low Grade talent.
“Excellent,” Sun Yi said. “Since you have accepted the EULA, let us proceed.”
He flipped his hand, and a blood-colored jade talisman appeared. It was the size of a palm, pulsing with a faint, sinister crimson light. Complex, malicious code was etched into its surface.
“I’ll go first!”
Zhang Yuan took the talisman. He didn’t hesitate. He pressed it against his forehead.
With a groan of exertion, he forcibly partitioned his Sea of Consciousness, ripping away one-tenth of his soul foundation and uploading it into the talisman.
His face turned paper-white. His vitality plummeted. It was a visceral, damaging process.
One by one, the others followed suit. They handed the charged talismans back to Sun Yi, their auras visibly weakened.
Sun Yi took the talismans. He ran a quick diagnostic.
Connection established. Remote termination protocols active.
He nodded, satisfied. “As long as you remain loyal assets, these talismans are merely archived data. Now, let us begin the optimization process.”
Sun Yi turned to his assistant. “Changqing, go to the warehouse. Retrieve the items on the logistics manifest.”
“Affirmative, Headmaster.” Er Gouzi (Changqing) took the list and sprinted off.
Sun Yi then produced five jade slips, tossing them to the trembling disciples.
“These files contain my annotated source code for the Five Elements Art. Study them. If you encounter bugs or syntax errors in your understanding, query me directly.”
He pointed to a steaming pot on the side table. “Also, the Bodhi Tea is open source. Drink as much as you need.”
The five disciples stared at the pot, gulping audibly.
Bodhi Tea. A Tier-3 resource. Liquid enlightenment. Usually reserved for Golden Core executives. And Sun Yi was offering it like it was office coffee?
Seeing their hesitation, Elder Jin Jue laughed. “The Headmaster has authorized the budget. Don’t be shy. Drink! Don’t worry about the cost!”
“Your only KPI now is to cultivate. Waste as many resources as you need to get results.”
The disciples relaxed. They poured the tea, hands shaking, and drank deeply. Then, fueled by the potent spiritual buffs, they sat down and began to parse the Five Elements Art.
The effects were immediate. With the Bodhi Tea overlocking their cognitive functions, their comprehension speed skyrocketed. Smiles of pure joy broke out on their faces.
“Headmaster,” Elder Ye Luo asked, “what is your schedule? Do you need to enter secluded cultivation to stabilize your build?”
Sun Yi shook his head. “My build is stable. I need to pivot to R&D. Specifically, I need to master the crafting professions. Elders, who is the lead engineer for Miscellaneous Arts?”
Elder Jin Jue and the others simultaneously turned to look at Elder Ye Luo.
“Headmaster,” Elder Ye Luo smiled, bowing slightly. “As the Hall Master of Miscellaneous Arts, I can provide the necessary tutorials.”
“Good. I’ll be downloading your expertise then.”
For the next phase, Sun Yi dedicated himself to learning Artifact Refining. He had read the manuals—the documentation—but he had never run the practical application.
Now, with his soul upgraded to a massive multi-core processor, he was ready to compile.
The other Elders excused themselves, leaving the two alone.
A short while later, a ball of crimson flame hovered in front of Sun Yi.
It wasn’t just fire; it was True Fire, generated by burning pure Qi. Under Sun Yi’s mental command, the flame twisted, expanded, and compressed, shifting shapes with geometric precision.
Thermal regulation: Stable. Plasma containment: 100%.
“The Headmaster is truly a prodigy,” Elder Ye Luo exclaimed, watching the flame dance. “To initialize and control True Fire this quickly… your hardware acceleration is terrifying.”
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