Twenty years ago, the Qingyun Sect’s entry into the Chaos Demon Commandery was less of a grand opening and more of a failed tribulation. The local region was dominated by two aggressive powers: the Black Wind Stockade and Evil Spirit Valley. Both had attempted to destroy Qingyun immediately upon arrival.

If not for Patriarch Qingxuan leveraging his immense cultivation base to repel the Nascent Soul experts of those rival sects, Qingyun would have been erased from history decades ago.

Even with that defense, Qingyun was forced to settle for a third-tier location. They occupied a mere Grade-3 Spirit Vein, a resource stream barely sufficient to keep the lights on. Meanwhile, the prime real estate—the two Grade-4 veins—remained firmly in the hands of the overlords.

Competition in the Commandery was cutthroat. Both Black Wind and Evil Spirit Valley maintained active spy networks, embedding agents within Qingyun to monitor for any signs of growth.

For two decades, the reports from these spies were laughably dull. But the intelligence from the last two quarters? That was trending alarmingly high.

Black Wind Stockade – Main Hall

Wen Sha, the Chieftain of the Black Wind Stockade, sat at the head of the long hall on a throne of white bone. As a cultivator at the Great Perfection of the Golden Core, he radiated the pressure of a man accustomed to absolute authority.

He crushed a jade slip in his hand, his expression darkening. When he first heard Qingyun had appointed a Qi Refining disciple as Sect Leader, he had laughed. It was like putting a sheep in charge of a wolf pack.

He wasn’t laughing now.

“You have all reviewed the intelligence,” Wen Sha said, his voice cold enough to freeze the blood in the hall. “The Qingyun Sect has changed. Thoughts?”

A square-faced Golden Core Elder leaned forward. “Chieftain, I initially dismissed the new Sect Leader as a desperate puppet. But this junior… he has methods. In six months, he has completely revitalized their sect. We cannot treat this as a joke anymore.”

Another Elder chimed in, tapping the table. “The momentum is terrifying. Their breakthrough rates have skyrocketed. Their disciples are armed to the teeth. The new Sect Leader is the source of this anomaly.”

“I concur,” a third voice added. “We cannot allow a third power to rise. This ‘Sun Yi’ must be eliminated.”

Wen Sha nodded slowly. “Agreed. We cannot afford a threat to our dominance. It is regrettable that our Ancestor is still in closed-door cultivation; otherwise, we could simply crush them by force.”

He slammed his hand onto the armrest, shattering the bone. “Activate the hidden shadows. Kill the Qingyun Sect Leader. I don’t care about the cost. He is merely a Qi Refining ant; crushing him should be effortless.”

Simultaneously, in the dark recesses of Evil Spirit Valley, a similar conclave concluded with identical orders. The overlords had reached a consensus: Sun Yi was a threat, and he had to die.

Qingyun Sect – Central Plaza

Sun Yi was blissfully unaware that he had become the Commandery’s most wanted man. He was currently engaged in a critical Public Relations event.

The Myriad Demon Forest Expedition Team was set to depart. This was the Sect’s first major external project under his administration, and optics were everything.

A massive, hundred-zhang flying vessel hovered above the plaza, gleaming in the morning sun. The “employees” selected for this high-risk venture stood on the deck, radiating smug superiority. They were the early adopters of Sun Yi’s policies, and their gear—purchased at the exclusive 90% discount—was the envy of the entire workforce.

Below them, thousands of disciples watched with hungry eyes. The envy was palpable. Everyone wanted those benefits; everyone wanted to clear Level 50 of the Battle Tower.

Patriarch Qingxuan descended from the sky in a streak of light, dropping Sun Yi onto the podium. Elder Jin Jue and the senior Elders flanked them.

Sun Yi stepped forward, adjusting his robes like a CEO adjusting his tie before a keynote. He swept his gaze over the crowd.

“Colleagues,” Sun Yi’s voice boomed, amplified by spiritual energy. “This expedition to the Myriad Demon Forest is not merely a resource run. It is a statement. It is the beginning of our aggressive expansion strategy!”

He paused for effect.

“I speak for the entire administration when I say: Thank you for your hustle. I expect results, but let me be clear about our risk management policy. Resources are assets, but you are our most valuable capital. Survival is the primary KPI. I want every single one of you to clock back in when this is over!”

The crowd erupted.

“Long live the Sect Leader!”

“Long live the Sect Leader!”

The roar was deafening. Tears streamed down the faces of hardened cultivators. To them, a leader valuing their lives over profit was revolutionary.

Sun Yi watched the emotional display with a calm, internal detachment.

God, I love this corporate culture, he thought. So pure. A few empty platitudes about ‘valuing the team,’ and they’re ready to work unpaid overtime until they die. My dividends depend on you guys. Grind on.

Patriarch Qingxuan boarded the vessel and roared, “Depart!”

The massive ship hummed with power, turning into a streak of light that tore toward the horizon. The disciples on the ground watched it go, burning with motivation to work harder.

Administrative Quarter

Once the fanfare died down, Sun Yi pivoted back to operations. He found Elder Ye Luo, the head of the Miscellaneous Arts Hall.

“Elder Ye,” Sun Yi asked, walking briskly. “Give me the headcount on the R&D departments. Alchemy, Talismans, Arrays. What are our certification numbers?”

Ye Luo bowed, pulling out a jade slip. “Reporting to the Sect Leader. The implementation of your new standards is proceeding. In the Alchemy Department, we have 533 Apprentices, 305 Tier-1 Alchemists, and 9 Tier-2 Alchemists.”

Sun Yi frowned. “Top-heavy distribution. We’re lacking senior engineers.”

He stopped walking and turned to Ye Luo. “Issue a memo. For the next thirty days, the Sect Contribution Points awarded for passing certification exams are tripled.”

Ye Luo’s jaw dropped. “Tripled? Sect Leader, the budget… the Point expenditure will be astronomical! The treasury will bleed!”

“It’s called a burn rate, Elder,” Sun Yi said dismissively. “If we’re spending Points, it means we’re acquiring talent. When the Patriarch returns with the raw materials from the forest, I need a processing pipeline ready to handle high-volume manufacturing. We need to scale, and we need to scale yesterday.”

“I… understand.” Ye Luo didn’t really understand the economics, but he understood the order. “I will execute the decree immediately.”

The moment the memo went out, the Miscellaneous Arts Hall turned into a frenzy. Disciples abandoned sleep and leisure, diving into the archives with the desperation of gold miners.

Satisfied with the productivity boost, Sun Yi summoned his flight artifact and headed toward the Scripture Library. There was a lull in his schedule, perfect for some personal skill development.

The wind whipped past his face as he cruised at a leisurely altitude. The sect was busy; the air was filled with disciples zooming back and forth on their own errands.

Ahead, a mid-stage Foundation Establishment disciple was flying toward him. It was a common sight. Traffic in the sect’s airspace was unregulated but generally polite.

Sun Yi prepared to nod—a standard CEO acknowledgement to a junior employee.

As they closed the distance, the disciple looked up. He wasn’t bowing. He was smiling. It was a distorted, eerie expression that set off every alarm bell in Sun Yi’s head.

Hostile element, Sun Yi’s mind registered instantly.

Before Sun Yi could react, the disciple raised a hand. A flying sword materialized from thin air, expanding into a ten-meter streak of lethal light.

It wasn’t a greeting. It was a termination notice.