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

Chapter 210: Seven Star Tower Raises Prices Tenfold

“Fellow Daoist Xing Yuanzi, did I mishear you? A sudden tenfold increase across your entire catalog?” Patriarch Qingxuan’s brow furrowed, his voice dropping into a dangerous register.

Xing Yuanzi maintained his grandfatherly smile, utterly unfazed by the Nascent Soul pressure. “Our hands are tied, Fellow Daoist. The market conditions surrounding body-tempering resources have experienced severe volatility. While the Seven Star Tower does control the lion’s share of the supply chain, we are still bound by market forces. If we undercut the newly established baseline, the other merchant alliances would sanction us.”

“I merely came to provide you with an updated prospectus,” Xing Yuanzi continued smoothly, spreading his hands. “If the Qingyun Sect finds the new pricing model disagreeable, we will not force a transaction. The free market dictates itself. Wouldn’t you agree, Fellow Daoist Qingxuan?”

Patriarch Qingxuan’s jaw tightened. “I see. We will require time to review our capital expenditures before committing.”

“Of course. I eagerly await your purchase orders. Rest assured, while the unit price has increased, our supply volume remains entirely unrestricted,” Xing Yuanzi smiled.

“Let us conclude today’s current invoice,” Patriarch Qingxuan said, his face dark. He was furious at the blatant corporate extortion, but he kept his temper in check.

Sun Yi, meanwhile, remained utterly silent, his eyes darting between Xing Yuanzi and Mo Wen. A cold sense of foreboding settled in his gut.

He authorized the transfer of funds. Even though the invoice bled tens of millions of Spirit Stones from their treasury, Sun Yi knew the Qingyun Sect was actually walking away with a massive ROI. The 66 Purple Extreme Berserk Flames alone were practically priceless strategic assets.

With the transaction finalized, Xing Yuanzi stood up, smoothing his robes. “The hour grows late. We must return to our headquarters.”

“I will escort you out,” Patriarch Qingxuan offered stiffly. Despite his anger, diplomatic protocols had to be observed. He and Sun Yi led the Seven Star Tower delegation out of the Sect’s airspace.

Watching the sleek flying boat burn into the horizon, Patriarch Qingxuan finally let out a cold, furious snort. “Hmph! A sudden tenfold markup? Utter delusion! Do they take the Qingyun Sect for a collective of naive fools with deep pockets?”

Standing beside him, Sun Yi let out a heavy sigh. “Patriarch, I’m afraid we’ve already walked straight into a Seven Star Tower trap.”

“What trap?” Patriarch Qingxuan snapped his head toward Sun Yi.

“I was watching Xing Yuanzi and Mo Wen closely during the negotiation,” Sun Yi explained, his tone analytical. “They didn’t care about our reaction to the price hike. They weren’t negotiating; they were dictating. They acted as if they possessed absolute certainty that we must purchase body-tempering resources from them, regardless of the markup.”

“If they are that confident we have zero market alternatives, it implies a fundamental dependency. While I lack the concrete data, I hypothesize this extortion is directly linked to the Myriad Spirit Body Tempering Art we procured from them.”

Patriarch Qingxuan frowned deeply. “But I personally audited the Myriad Spirit Body Tempering Art manual. The Cultivation logic is sound. There are no corrupted pathways or hidden backdoors.”

Sun Yi shook his head. “Your audit proves the technique isn’t an outright sabotage attempt, Patriarch, but it doesn’t prove it isn’t a long-term economic snare.”

“Think back. The last time Mo Wen was here, he specifically pivoted the conversation to check on our progress with the Myriad Spirit Body Tempering Art. This isn’t a coincidence. The situation is far more insidious than we realized.”

“Then I will tear that manual apart rune by rune,” Patriarch Qingxuan’s eyes glinted with murderous intent. “If they engineered a dependency into our Cultivation foundation, I will personally ensure the Seven Star Tower burns for it!”

“I leave the technical audit to you, Patriarch. However, I highly recommend consulting with Elder Ouyang Zhong and Elder Xia Xing once they arrive. As former executives from the Heavenly Saint Commandery, they might possess actionable intelligence regarding the Seven Star Tower’s business practices.”

“Agreed. I will brief them immediately upon their arrival,” Patriarch Qingxuan nodded sharply.

“I need to return to the Miscellaneous Arts Hall,” Sun Yi said, pivoting his mindset back to logistics. “We need to weaponize these Purple Extreme Berserk Flames immediately. Honestly? Despite the extortion attempt, I’m thrilled with the Seven Star Tower. 66 flames, plus our original prototype, brings us to 67. Once the Golden Core executives finish transitioning to the Five Elements Art and integrate these flames into their new Qingyun Battle Armor… I can’t even calculate the kinetic output.”

Patriarch Qingxuan’s dark mood lifted slightly, replaced by a surge of anticipation. He, too, was desperate to see the maximum combat metrics of his fully kitted Golden Core enforcers.

Leaving the Patriarch, Sun Yi flew directly back to the Refining Hall. He bypassed the guards at the entrance and strode onto the bustling factory floor.

At the far end, Elder Yan was hyper-focused on a runic matrix, while Gu Qingcheng was manically directing his research team.

“Elder Yan. Elder Tong. Gu Qingcheng. Front and center,” Sun Yi barked, his voice cutting through the industrial noise.

Gu Qingcheng looked up, wiping soot from his face. “Headmaster? You’re back already? I thought you were conducting a Sect-wide audit.”

“What? Not happy to see me? Should I take my investments elsewhere?” Sun Yi raised an eyebrow, a vicious smirk playing on his lips.

Gu Qingcheng, possessing the survival instincts of a rat in a corporate boardroom, instantly recognized the ‘CEO-bearing-bonuses’ look. His attitude did a complete 180. He plastered on a blinding smile and scrambled over. “Headmaster! Perish the thought! The Refining Hall is perpetually starved for your visionary guidance!”

“Hehe, that’s what I thought,” Sun Yi chuckled. “I came bearing massive incentives. If you don’t want them, I’m sure the Alchemy Hall would gladly take the budget.”

“Incentives? What kind of incentives?” Gu Qingcheng’s eyes practically turned into Spirit Stones.

The rest of the engineers paused their work, their curiosity piqued. Sun Yi was notoriously generous with his R&D budget. Everyone wanted to know what kind of bonus structure he was rolling out.

“It is, without a doubt, the exact asset you desire most,” Sun Yi teased.

The asset we desire most? The engineers exchanged bewildered, excited glances.

“Alright, enough suspense. I’ll cut to the chase,” Sun Yi said, his tone turning official. “Effective immediately, every engineer who achieves certification as a third-rank refiner will be rewarded with one Purple Extreme Berserk Flame.”

“WHAT?! PURPLE EXTREME BERSERK FLAME?!” Gu Qingcheng shrieked, his eyes bulging as he practically teleported to Sun Yi’s side.

Elder Yan and Elder Tong dropped their tools and sprinted over, their faces flushed with absolute, undisguised fanaticism.

Sun Yi casually pulled ten crystalline jade boxes from his Storage Ring, the violent purple fire churning visibly within the seals.

“These ten units will be held in escrow by the Refining Hall,” Sun Yi announced, projecting his voice across the floor. “Whoever clears the third-rank certification first, gets one.”

“For an orthodox Cultivator, refining a Purple Extreme Berserk Flame is a lethal gamble. But since every single one of you has unlocked your internal Fire Gate, integrating this flame into your True Qi will be a seamless upgrade.”

“With a Purple Extreme Berserk Flame acting as your primary smelting catalyst, your forging efficiency and maximum heat output will skyrocket. This is the ultimate tool for an artifact refiner. But inventory is strictly limited to ten units. First to certify, first to claim.”

“Heavens above! It really is the Purple Extreme Berserk Flame! And he has ten of them?!”

“A genuine Spirit Fire! The Headmaster is handing out Spirit Fire as a performance bonus?!”

“This is madness! That asset is priceless!”

The entire factory floor descended into absolute chaos. Hundreds of bloodshot eyes locked onto the ten glowing jade boxes, burning with rabid corporate ambition.

“Headmaster, I’m cashing in my chips right now!” Gu Qingcheng didn’t hesitate. He lunged forward, snatching one of the jade boxes. “With this Spirit Fire, my research cycle is going to get cut in half!”

“Hehe, rank has its privileges,” Elder Yan chuckled, stepping up to claim a box of his own.

“To think… I would actually lay hands on a Spirit Fire before I died,” Elder Tong whispered, his hands trembling as he gently cradled a jade box, treating it like a fragile newborn. “Thank you, Headmaster. Truly.”

“Alright, stow the sentimentality and get to work,” Sun Yi ordered briskly. “I’m staying right here to monitor your biometrics. I want you three to immediately channel your Fire Gate True Qi and begin the refinement process. I need to verify if your integration is as smooth as mine was.”

Sun Yi’s own refinement of the Purple Extreme Berserk Flame had been incredibly straightforward, but he needed empirical data to ensure his top engineers wouldn’t accidentally incinerate themselves in the lab.