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

Stepping onto the Battle Tower plaza, Sun Yi immediately noticed the uptick in user engagement. The daily active users (DAU) had skyrocketed.

For the past two weeks, Sun Yi had been in ‘Do Not Disturb’ mode, focusing entirely on his personal hardware upgrades in the cultivation chamber. He had delegated all day-to-day operations to Er Gouzi and the executive team.

The results were visible. The Qingyun Sect was undergoing a massive vertical scaling event.

Thanks to the aggressive stimulus package—the Points Loan initiative—the average cultivation level of the disciples was trending sharply upward.

“Look! The Chairman is here!”

A shout pierced the noise, acting like a spotlight. Instantly, the bustle ceased. Hundreds of eyes locked onto Sun Yi.

Like iron filings to a magnet, the crowd surged forward, forming a respectful semi-circle.

“Greetings, Sect Leader!”

From lowly Qi Refining interns to Foundation Establishment middle managers, the respect was palpable. There was no forced politeness here; this was genuine brand loyalty.

Sun Yi scanned the crowd, satisfied.

This adoration was purchased, of course. He had bought their loyalty with high-yield loans and resource subsidies, but in the corporate world, transactional loyalty was the most stable kind.

All under heaven hustle for profit.

Sun Yi knew that binding a workforce with shared economic interests was far more effective than empty ideology. If he hadn’t improved their bottom line, would they be looking at him like a savior? Unlikely.

But the arrangement was symbiotic. The stronger the workforce, the safer his position as CEO.

Moreover, he was the biggest beneficiary of this corporate restructuring. How else could someone with his trash-tier ‘spirit root’ achieve Qi Refining Great Perfection in six months?

He was a ‘Pay-to-Win’ player. Essence Fruits, Blood Spirit Ginseng, Thunder Spirit Grass—he had burned through enough company assets to bankrupt a small sect. He was leveling up by swiping the corporate credit card.

Sun Yi smiled, raising a hand in a casual, approachable wave.

“Good afternoon, everyone. How are the Q3 cultivation metrics looking?”

“Thanks to the Sect Leader, our numbers are up across the board!”

“That Points Loan policy is a game-changer!” a disciple shouted, his face flushed with excitement. “I’m just a Qi Refining junior, but I secured a 50,000-point advance! I never dared to dream of such liquidity before.”

“You’re the best boss we’ve ever had!”

“A true philanthropist!”

The plaza dissolved into a chaotic chorus of praise. Sun Yi felt a bit like a tech CEO at a product launch, basking in the applause of the superfans.

“I’m glad to hear the capital injection is working,” Sun Yi said, his voice projecting clearly. “But regarding those advances… don’t forget the repayment terms. You have a five-year grace period. If you default, I will send the collections department.”

He delivered the threat with a charismatic grin, and the crowd laughed.

“Interest? Small change!” one disciple yelled back. “With this power boost, I’ll earn back ten times the principal!”

“Exactly! No other sect invests in its employees like this. I’m proud to wear the Qingyun badge.”

“In other sects, people with my potential are treated like overhead costs,” another said, visibly emotional. “Here, the Sect Leader actually gives us a career path. There’s no glass ceiling anymore!”

Sun Yi felt the cohesive energy in the air. This was corporate culture at its peak.

He raised his hands, palms down, signaling for quiet. The noise cut out instantly.

“Fellow colleagues,” Sun Yi began, his tone shifting from casual to visionary. “Do you like the new Qingyun Sect?”

“YES!” The roar shook the plaza.

“Are you willing to protect our market share?”

“YES!”

“Good!” Sun Yi punched the air. “Then let us build this corporation into the dominant monopoly of the Tianyuan Continent! Let us make ourselves too big to fail, so that no rival firm dares to attempt a hostile takeover! Can we do that?”

“WE CAN!”

The response was deafening. Disciples in distant courtyards poked their heads out, wondering what kind of riot was starting at the Battle Tower.

The crowd in front of Sun Yi was vibrating with adrenaline. They were hyped. They had drunk the ‘chicken soup’—the motivational Kool-Aid—and were ready to run through walls for him.

Sun Yi mentally noted the efficacy of modern populist rhetoric. It was remarkably easy to hack the morale of a group that had been historically undervalued.

“Excellent energy,” Sun Yi nodded. “Maintain that momentum. I can leak a bit of alpha to you now: soon, we will be launching a major external operation. You will have a chance to prove your ROI. Until then, train hard. I will be doing the same. I expect peak performance from everyone, myself included.”

“Understood!”

“We won’t let the company down!”

“I’m going to train until I drop!”

Sun Yi waved one last time and walked toward the tower entrance. The crowd parted like the Red Sea, bowing as he passed.

As the heavy doors closed behind him, he could still hear the buzz outside.

“Let’s go! Grind time!” “I’m hitting the simulator again!”

Mission accomplished. Morale was through the roof.

Sun Yi didn’t waste time. He teleported directly to the 75th Floor, the checkpoint where his previous run had stalled.

Meanwhile, in the central control room, the atmosphere was electric.

Three Foundation Establishment staff members were glued to the monitors, watching the telemetry data feed.

“The CEO is back on the server,” one observer said, leaning in. “I wonder what his high score will be today.”

“His progress curve is statistically impossible,” another muttered, shaking his head in awe. “Six months ago, he was level three. Now he’s maxed out at Qi Refining. That growth rate outperforms even the so-called ‘heavenly geniuses’ of the big clans.”

“It’s inspiring,” the third cultivator said, eyes shining with admiration. “Everyone says aptitude is everything, but the Sect Leader proves them wrong. He is the living embodiment of the phrase: ‘My fate is determined by me, not the Heavens.'”

“Truly an extraordinary figure.”

The three staff members watched the screen with hero-worship in their eyes.

They had no idea that Sun Yi’s “defiance of the heavens” was actually just “defiance of the budget.” If they knew how many priceless resources he had burned to achieve mediocre results, their admiration might have turned to heart attacks.

But in the business of leadership, perception was reality. And right now, the reality was that Sun Yi was a god.