Cultivation, Inc.I Use Capitalism to Fix a Dying Sect

Chapter 129: Over Three Hundred War Hall Members

Sun Yi ran a diagnostic on his physique. He knew the truth: his current physical stats weren’t earned through legitimate cultivation. They were pay-to-win, forcibly built up by dumping astronomical amounts of resources into his system. To progress further using the Myriad Spirit Body Tempering Art, he would have to adhere to the software’s native requirements, which meant burning through a massive stockpile of high-tier tempering materials.

His inventory was empty. The Sect had tapped out of the specific spiritual medicines his body required. Without fuel, continuing the cultivation loop was a net loss in ROI.

He terminated the session. It didn’t matter. His hardware was already at Rank 3. With pure brute force alone, his physical attacks could shatter the True Qi shields of most Golden Core cultivators.

“Headmaster, the War Hall selection process has concluded.”

Er Gouzi walked in, interrupting the silence. Seeing Sun Yi had halted his cultivation, he delivered the report immediately.

“What are the final metrics?” Sun Yi asked, turning to Er Gouzi. “How many survived the Heart Questioning Array?”

“A total of 305 disciples successfully cleared the seven major illusions,” Er Gouzi answered with deep respect.

Sun Yi’s eyebrows shot up. 305? That was a staggeringly high retention rate. He had personally programmed the Array’s logic gates; the seven major illusions were designed to be ruthless. Passing meant these disciples were not just casually aligned with the Qingyun Sect—they were hardcore loyalists.

“Following your reforms, Headmaster, the atmosphere within the Sect has transformed,” Er Gouzi explained, a note of pride in his archaic tone. “The disciples now harbor a strong sense of belonging. The majority would gladly die for the Qingyun Sect.”

Sun Yi waved his hand, his mind already shifting to the next phase of the project. “Excellent. Assemble them in the Central Hall. Since they have passed the assessment, initiate their onboarding. They are now officially part of the War Hall.”

“Yes, Headmaster,” Er Gouzi cupped his hands and turned to leave.

Leaving the cultivation chamber, Sun Yi rendezvoused with the five Golden Core Elders. Launching a new military branch required board approval and oversight.

The Elders had spent the last few days grinding the Myriad Spirit Body Tempering Art. Their physical stats had received a slight boost.

“This Art is truly profound and mysterious,” Elder Jin Jue stroked his beard, his face glowing with satisfaction. “The tempering effect upon this old man’s mortal shell is miraculous.”

“If only the cost wasn’t so severe,” Elder Qin Chu sighed, shaking his head with a bitter smile. “It devours tempering resources like a bottomless pit. An ordinary cultivator could never sustain this path.”

“Heh. Resources are but a temporary obstacle,” Elder Jin Jue chuckled darkly. “Once we crush the opposition and unify the entire Chaos Demon Commandery, will resources still be a problem?”

The group flew toward the Central Hall, their robes fluttering in the wind, and descended at the grand entrance.

Inside, the 305 victors of the illusion trials stood at attention. Seeing the leadership arrive, the disciples bowed as one.

“We pay our respects to the Headmaster, and to all Elders!”

“At ease,” Sun Yi said, his voice echoing through the vaulted chamber. “No need for formalities. You are the elite of the Sect, the very future of our enterprise. It is a privilege to stand before you.”

He walked up the dais but bypassed the Headmaster’s throne. Instead, he stood directly on the steps, looking down at the crowd with a charismatic, corporate smile.

The disciples stared back, their eyes burning with fanatic admiration.

Sun Yi ran a quick scan. Thirty of them were in the Foundation Establishment stage; the rest were merely Qi Refining. Statistically, their aptitudes were abysmal. But Sun Yi didn’t care about base stats. He cared about loyalty. Talent could be bought; loyalty couldn’t.

“By standing here today, you have proven your absolute loyalty,” Sun Yi’s voice rang out, clear and resonant. “Each and every one of you is worthy of the Sect’s maximum investment.”

He paced the steps, making eye contact. “Do not worry about your poor aptitudes. I will find the exploits. I will optimize your leveling paths. You will break through.”

Sun Yi raised his hand, pointing at them. “From this day forth, you are disciples of the War Hall. You are the Sect’s shield, and you are the Sect’s sharp sword! Internally, you will maintain our stability and guard our heritage. Externally, you will terminate all threats and pulverize our enemies!”

“Will you become my shield and sword?!”

“WE ARE WILLING!”

The roar of 305 cultivators shook the rafters. The shockwave blasted out of the Central Hall, drawing the attention of the thousands of disciples still outside. Through the open doors, the peanut gallery watched with eyes green with envy. Regret gnawed at those who had failed the Heart Questioning Array, their selfish motives exposed for the world to see.

Sun Yi nodded, satisfied with the morale. He turned to Er Gouzi. “Step one of the compensation package. Wipe their debt ledgers clean. Erase all previously owed Points. Then, deposit 100,000 Points into each of their accounts.”

“Yes, Headmaster,” Er Gouzi replied without a second of hesitation.

“WOOOOO!”

The hall erupted like a boiling pot. The disciples screamed in pure ecstasy. The sign-on bonuses for the War Hall were astronomically high.

Elder Jin Jue and the others felt their eyelids twitch slightly at the sheer volume of capital being thrown around. Yet, none of them voiced an objection. Sun Yi had generated this wealth himself. Besides, these disciples had survived the Array. They were the elite; they deserved premium treatment.

“Silence,” Sun Yi commanded. The room instantly quieted. “Those who have cultivated the Five Elements Art and reached Rank 2 in physical strength, step forward.”

A wave of movement rippled through the crowd. Over fifty disciples stepped up to the front.

Sun Yi nodded. “You have all witnessed the combat data. You know that my output, and the output of Zhang Yuan’s team, far exceeds standard cultivators of the same rank. You do not know the underlying mechanics. Today, I grant you access to the source code.”

The disciples held their breath, their eyes shining with intense focus.

“This is the Qingyun Sect’s highest-level security secret. You are not to leak a single byte of this data to the outside world. Understand?”

Tears welled in the eyes of the disciples. To be trusted with the Sect’s supreme legacy was the ultimate honor. They internally swore blood oaths of silence.

Sun Yi smiled. “The reason we can crush our peers is simple. We have opened five new Dantians within our bodies. And soon, you will do the same.”

Gasps echoed through the hall.

“What? Five new Dantians?!”

“How is that even possible?”

“But the ancient texts in the Scripture Library state that a Senior from another Sect perished trying to open just one!”

As panic and awe threatened to overwhelm the crowd, Sun Yi pressed his palms down in the air, suppressing the noise. “Do not panic. This is a newly developed, proprietary secret technique. Because of the strict hardware requirements, very few can run this program.”

Sun Yi held up two fingers. “Two conditions must be met. First, your physical chassis must be strong enough to withstand the load. Second, you require a specialized catalyst. This substance is extremely rare. Therefore, only you select few are authorized for the upgrade.”

The fifty disciples trembled, feeling as if the Heavens themselves had blessed them with supreme fortune.

“Enough theory,” Sun Yi concluded. “You will now study the schematics for this secret technique. Once your comprehension hits 100%, we will manually install the new Dantians for you.”

Sun Yi turned to Er Gouzi. “Changqing, take the lead on the tutorial. Walk them through the technique. The Elders and I need to prep the operating theater.”

“Understood, Headmaster. I will handle the arrangements,” Er Gouzi bowed deeply.

Leaving the orientation to his Vice Headmaster, Sun Yi and the Golden Core Elders swept out of the hall to prepare the upgrade modules.