The Qingyun Sect’s Scripture Library sat on the waist of the main peak. Geographically, it wasn’t far from the Vault, but on foot, the commute was a solid hour.

Sun Yi checked his internal clock and grimaced. Inefficient.

In the corporate world, time was the only asset you couldn’t leverage. Walking was a bandwidth bottleneck. He needed to unlock the ‘Aerial Flight’ perk immediately. Not only was flying faster—solving his logistics problem—but it was also a massive status symbol. The CEO shouldn’t be walking like a junior intern.

The problem? Flight required Qi Refining Level 5. He was currently stuck at Level 3.

I need a hardware upgrade, Sun Yi thought. And for that, I need a better operating system. A top-tier cultivation manual.

“Greetings, Sect Leader!”

Two young cultivators, walking in tandem, spotted him and hurriedly bowed. They were Level 4 staff—junior disciples—unable to fly yet. Their respect, however, felt genuine, lacking the terrified trembling of the previous administration.

Sun Yi paused. This was a perfect opportunity for a ‘Gemba Walk’—getting out of the office to see the actual workflow.

“At ease,” Sun Yi smiled, adopting his approachable manager persona. “Hold on a second. I want some user feedback. How are the new reforms treating you? Be honest. What are the current pain points in your cultivation?”

The disciple on the left beamed. “We support your decrees 100%, Sect Leader! You have no idea. Before, Inner and Outer disciples treated us like burdens—expendable trash. Now? The hierarchy is fair. No one dares look down on us ‘Miscellaneous’ staff anymore.”

The disciple on the right nodded vigorously. “It’s true! An Outer Disciple who used to bully me actually came by to apologize and offered Spirit Stones as restitution. You gave us dignity, Sect Leader. You gave us a future.”

Sun Yi waved a hand dismissively. “We’re all disciples of Qingyun. There shouldn’t be a divide. But a sect doesn’t run on one man’s vision alone; I need the sect aligned. Now, what about the difficulties?”

“Resources,” the left disciple sighed. “The Spiritual Qi on the secondary peaks is thin as silk. It is hard to gather. Plus, we lack pills and our standard-issue cultivation manuals are incomplete. Our progress is crawling.”

“But with the new reward structure,” the other added, “we can earn better manuals. We believe in the path ahead!”

“Good,” Sun Yi nodded. “Listen to me. As long as I’m Sect Leader, equal opportunity is the policy. I don’t care about ‘Trash Spirit Roots’ or limited talent. Diligence and optimization beat raw talent every time. You can become experts.”

The two disciples clenched their fists, eyes burning with motivation. They were ready to die for this man.

“One last thing,” Sun Yi said, his eyes narrowing slightly as he tested a new product idea. “Hypothetically… if the sect offered a ‘Spirit Advance’ system—you get Points now to buy resources, but you pay it back later with a ‘return gift’—would you take it?”

The disciples blinked. “Advance points?”

“Yes. Say I grant you 100 Points today. Next year, you return 110. A standard karmic interest. Would you swear that oath?”

“If we can get resources now?” The disciple didn’t hesitate. “Absolutely! I’d accept the debt instantly.”

“I’d take it too,” the other agreed. “But… could we extend the repayment term?”

Market validation complete, Sun Yi thought, hiding a predatory grin. The sub-prime lending market is wide open.

“Understood. Prepare yourselves. The Scripture Library reopens in a few days.”

After the disciples left, bowing profusely, Sun Yi resumed his slow trudge up the mountain, deep in thought about interest rates and debt traps.

Suddenly, he stopped. He turned to look at Luo An, his silent bodyguard.

“Luo An. You’re a Foundation Establishment cultivator. You can fly on your sword, correct?”

“Yes,” Luo An replied stoically.

“Damn it!” Sun Yi slapped his forehead. “Why didn’t you say so? I’ve been wasting time walking up this hill!”

“You didn’t issue the command,” Luo An answered, his face blank.

“Corporate efficiency, Luo An! Proactive solutions!” Sun Yi groaned. “Just grab me. We’re taking the express route. And none of that ‘fighting energy turning into horses’ nonsense. Just fly.”

Luo An nodded. He waved a hand, and a stream of True Qi wrapped around Sun Yi.

Whoosh.

They shot into the sky. The wind whipped past Sun Yi’s face as the landscape blurred below. It was exhilarating, but also humiliating. He was being carried like a sack of grain.

I’m a liability, Sun Yi realized, watching the ground recede. A passenger. I need to reach the Foundation Establishment stage ASAP.

In less than twenty seconds, they touched down in front of the Scripture Library. The massive doors were open, and a team of disciples was busy dusting shelves and organizing jade slips—clerks preparing for the grand reopening.

Sun Yi’s arrival caused a stir. The staff immediately dropped their work to bow. “Greetings, Sect Leader!”

“As you were,” Sun Yi waved them off. “Just doing some personal research. Keep working.”

As the disciples scattered, the air beside him shimmered. Elder Han Yun materialized out of nowhere, utilizing a stealth technique that would have been terrifying if Sun Yi wasn’t already numb to cultivation magic.

“Sect Leader?” Han Yun asked, surprised. “I thought you were overseeing the point conversion?”

“Elder Qin has the logistics handled. I’m just the visionary; I don’t need to count spirit stones all day,” Sun Yi quipped. “I’m here to upgrade my cultivation method. I need a new manual. What do you recommend?”

Han Yun’s face scrunched up in awkward hesitation. He knew the Sect Leader’s secret: Sun Yi’s spirit root aptitude was… mediocre at best.

“It is… difficult,” Han Yun admitted diplomatically. “Profound manuals require profound talent. If the technique is too complex, you risk Qi deviation. If it’s too simple, it is beneath your station.”

“Cut the chase,” Sun Yi said. “I have Metal, Wood, and Fire roots. What is the absolute highest-potential manual compatible with that configuration?”

Han Yun sighed. “Technically, the Five Elements Art. It is the most comprehensive foundation we have. However… it is notoriously difficult to master. It is designed for geniuses with Top-Grade Spirit Roots. For someone with your… aptitude…”

“I’ll take it,” Sun Yi interrupted. “We’ll A/B test it. If it doesn’t work, I’ll pivot to a different method. Get me the jade slip and a private meditation room. Now.”

“As you wish.” Han Yun didn’t argue. If the Sect Leader wanted to bang his head against a wall, that was his prerogative.

Moments later, Sun Yi sat cross-legged in a spacious, soundproofed meditation chamber.

He held the jade slip for the Five Elements Art in his hand. He took a deep breath. In every web novel he’d ever read, the ‘Five Elements’ build was the meta. It was the overpowered, do-it-all strategy.

Time to install the new OS, he thought confidently.

He pressed the jade slip to his forehead and began to read the spiritual script.

His eyes snapped open. He stared at the wall, stunned.

What the hell is this?