“Patriarch Sun, I apologize. That was a slip of the tongue,” Tower Master Mo Wen said, bowing slightly to conceal his embarrassment. He had just inadvertently referred to the infamous “Trash Sect Master” rumors to the man’s face.

Sun Yi waved his hand, dismissing the apology like a minor bug report. “No matter. My Hardware Specs—specifically my Low-Grade Spirit Root—are public knowledge. I’m actually surprised a regional manager like yourself tracks the metrics of a small startup like the Qingyun Sect.”

Mo Wen looked deeply at Sun Yi, his expression turning serious. “Patriarch Sun, there isn’t a cultivator in the Chaos Demon Commandery who hasn’t heard the news. A Qi Refining cultivator taking the helm? With a Low-Grade Spirit Root?”

He paused, pouring more tea. “When the news broke, the market sentiment was bearish. Everyone predicted the Qingyun Sect would be delisted—liquidated. But seeing you today… I realize the market analysis was wrong.”

Mo Wen leaned forward, his eyes gleaming. “With you as CEO, I believe the Qingyun Sect isn’t facing bankruptcy. It’s poised for a massive IPO.”

Sun Yi smiled faintly. “Tower Master Mo has that much faith in me? I’m just a Qi Refining user.”

“You are different,” Mo Wen said firmly. “I have dealt with countless cultivators in this industry. None possess your… Executive Presence. Your boldness exceeds even the Golden Core veterans I know.”

“I trust my investment instincts. Patriarch Sun, you will lead your sect back to the top of the market.”

“Hehe, I’ll take that as a vote of confidence,” Sun Yi chuckled. “So, the partnership agreement is greenlit?”

“Absolutely. We can sign the contract immediately. I will contact headquarters to prioritize your account.” Mo Wen hesitated for a microsecond. “Patriarch Sun… you are aware of the hostile takeover attempt by the Black Wind Stockade, yes?”

Sun Yi nodded. “The wanted notice. I assume I am the target asset.”

Mo Wen’s eyes flickered with calculation. “Why don’t you remain at the Seven Star Tower for a few days? Let us process the logistics. When our convoy is ready, we will ‘escort’ you back to the Qingyun Sect. I believe even the Black Wind Stockade wouldn’t dare interfere with a Seven Star Tower logistics fleet.”

Sun Yi grinned internally. Smart man.

Mo Wen was offering a security detail disguised as hospitality. It was a favor, a way to build relationship capital.

“Agreed,” Sun Yi said. “How long is the lead time? Also, please expedite the query on the Mi Luo Beast. I also require a comprehensive database on the major powers of the Tianyuan Continent.”

“Rest assured. Ten days, maximum,” Mo Wen promised. “I will have someone deliver the Body Tempering assets and the intel package to your quarters immediately.”

Sun Yi pulled out his temporary visa. “My residency permit for the Red Fire Market expires in three days. Do I need to renew?”

Mo Wen shook his head, smiling like a man who owned the place. “Your VIP Token overrides local protocols. Stay as long as you like. The market authorities won’t file a ticket.”

Shortly after Mo Wen left to handle the paperwork, Xiao Yue entered the room, looking timid but holding a Storage Bag with reverence.

“Young Master… no, Patriarch Sun,” she stammered, her eyes wide. “Tower Master Mo personally ordered this delivery. Here are your acquisitions.”

“Hehe, efficient service,” Sun Yi noted.

He took the bag and scanned it with his Divine Sense. Inside were the Body Tempering medicines and several jade slips containing data. His fingers itched. It was time for a hardware upgrade.

“If there are no other requests, allow me to guide you to the VIP suite.”

“Lead the way.”

They left the tower and arrived at a secluded courtyard five hundred meters away. It was protected by a high-grade isolation formation.

“This is the executive residence,” Xiao Yue explained. “I live in the adjacent unit. If you need anything, ping me.”

Sun Yi waved her off. He didn’t care about the luxury; he cared about the System Optimization.

“Good work. You’re dismissed.”

Sun Yi entered the courtyard. It was a garden-style layout, lush with exotic flora and rich in ambient Spiritual Qi. He ignored the scenery and went straight to the reinforced cultivation chamber.

He sat cross-legged and dumped the loot from his inventory.

[Item: Red Flame Spirit Liquid]

Quantity: 10 Drops.

Tier: 3.

Properties: Extreme thermal energy.

Risk Assessment: Critical. Current hardware cannot withstand thermal load. System overheating imminent upon consumption.

Sun Yi felt the heat radiating from the red liquid and shuddered. Nope. That’s for a chassis upgrade later. He stored it away.

[Item: Tyrant Flower]

Quantity: 27 Units.

Tier: 2.

Properties: Crystalline structure, solid-state energy.

Notes: Includes readme file on refining methods.

[Item: Dragon Scale Beast Essence Blood]

Quantity: 30 Drops.

Tier: 2.

Properties: Violent, unstable energy signature. Contains trace Flood Dragon code.

Sun Yi decided to start with the Tyrant Flowers. He picked up one of the jade-like blossoms and tossed it into his mouth.

Crunch.

It had the texture of raw quartz. He chewed it into fragments and swallowed.

He activated his Dantian to process the material. The standard True Qi wrapped around the fragments, breaking them down agonizingly slowly.

Processing time estimated: 72 hours per unit.

“Too much latency,” Sun Yi grumbled. “Switching to the dedicated GPU.”

He engaged the Gold Gate.

Pure, sharp Metal Attribute True Qi surged from his lungs, replacing the standard energy. The Metal Qi acted like a high-speed industrial shredder.

Whirrrrr.

The refining speed skyrocketed. The Tyrant Flower disintegrated, turning into pure, strengthening energy that flooded his cellular structure. His muscles greedy absorbed the fuel, fibers knitting tighter, bones densifying.

Optimization complete.

Sun Yi opened his eyes half an hour later. He flexed his hand. Grip strength increased by 5%.

“Iterate,” he muttered.

He continued the loop, consuming flower after flower, using the Gold Gate to overclock his digestion. He didn’t stop until the marginal returns hit zero.

After consuming twenty flowers, his physical strength had doubled.

Hardware upgrade successful. System stability: 100%.

Sun Yi replenished his energy with a High-Grade Spirit Stone, then turned his gaze to the Dragon Scale Beast Essence Blood.

“Time to install the new drivers.”

He extracted a single drop of the blood—a ruby-red sphere vibrating with violent energy—and swallowed it.

BOOM!

The drop exploded in his stomach like a frag grenade. It felt as if a miniature beast was rampaging through his veins.

Suddenly, a system alert screamed in his mind.

A wisp of the Dragon Scale Beast’s remnant soul—a malicious Trojan Horse hidden in the blood code—charged straight into his Sea of Consciousness.

It roared, manifesting as a savage beast, aiming to devour his soul.