The cultivation paradigm of Zhetian operated on different core principles than the traditional systems Li Yao had conceptualized. He analyzed the divergence:
Traditional systems often developed extensive auxiliary arts—talismancy, complex formations—to compensate for limited energy reserves at lower levels. A Qi Refining cultivator's reserves might be exhausted by a handful of spells.
The Human Body Secret Realm system, derived from the ancient Chaotic Methods, solved this at a foundational level. Realms like the Life Spring provided a near-continuous conduit to heaven and earth's essence, making divine power depletion a secondary concern in most engagements. The primary constraints were physical endurance and the limits of one's foundational scriptures. This led to a combat culture prioritizing direct, overwhelming force and transcendent will—an environment where auxiliary arts were niche, not essential.
Conclusion: The market for traditional "crafting" methods (talismans, complex commercial pill refining) was limited. The core economy of cultivation revolved around foundational scriptures and the raw resources to fuel them.
His previous bottleneck analysis had identified a need for additional catalytic energy to optimize his growth algorithm. Standard resource acquisition methods were too slow. He required a unique, high-efficiency vector.
His focus shifted to his primary asset: the Heavenly Book.
Until now, his usage pattern had been linear: Charge → Inscribe → Receive Perfected Scripture. This required significant accumulated energy/comprehension for each major upgrade.
A new operational hypothesis formed: Could the process be reversed? Inscribe → Apply Variable Charge → Receive Variable Upgrade?
If possible, he could input a low-value scripture, apply a small, controlled amount of catalytic energy, and output a moderately improved version. This would create a value-generation loop. He could take common or low-tier scriptures from the sect's vast library, refine them slightly using minimal energy, and trade them for resources. The profit margin would be the difference between the input energy cost and the market value of the improved output.
This was not about "amassing a fortune." It was about establishing a sustainable, efficient resource acquisition subroutine to fuel his primary mission: evolving his core Yao Guang Scripture.
He initiated a test. The Heavenly Book turned to its third, blank page. He selected a known, low-value data set: the Blazing Sun Divine Radiance technique. With a thought, its cultivation method was inscribed onto the page.
Step one is successful. The Book could accept scripture data without being pre-charged for a full "Emperor-level" deduction.
He introduced a small, controlled catalyst: approximately ten jin of Pure Source's essence. The page glowed uniformly, not with the intense brilliance of a full deduction, but with a steady light.
The process is completed. The output was analyzed: the Blazing Sun Divine Radiance technique had been optimized. Its energy pathways were slightly more efficient, its activation time marginally reduced. The improvement was minor—perhaps a 5-10% increase in overall efficiency—but measurable and achieved with minimal input.
The hypothesis was confirmed. A new function was unlocked: Controlled, Graded Scripture Refinement.
This created a viable economic engine. The required input was now trivial for him. The challenge shifted to input acquisition and output distribution.
He needed source scriptures. The Yao Guang Holy Land's library was the logical repository.
Li Yao left his residence for the first time in months, his movement purposeful. The mountain peaks of Rising Sun Island were modules in a larger structure; he navigated them with efficient disinterest.
At the library, his elite disciple token granted unrestricted access—a privilege based on the assumption that no scripture here surpassed his core Yao Guang Scripture. He was expected to focus on cultivation, not research. He would use this institutional oversight to his advantage.
The interior defied external dimensions. It was a simulated cosmos of information, each twinkling light a stored scripture or technique. Thousands of them.
Li Yao did not feel awe. He conducted a resource audit. Each light represented a potential data input for his refinement process. The variety was vast: offensive techniques, defensive methods, movement arts, obscure foundational treatises for long-abandoned paths.
His goal was not to learn them, but to scan and catalog. He needed to identify scripts that were:
Common enough that their disappearance or his knowledge of them wouldn't raise suspicion.
Technically flawed or inefficient enough that even a minor refinement would create noticeable market value.
Useful to a broad demographic of low-to-mid level disciples, ensuring a ready buyer pool.
He began a systematic survey, extracting the basic metadata of numerous light-points. The plan was taking shape:
Acquire 3-5 suitable low-tier scriptures from the library (memorization, not physical removal).
Refine them using minimal catalytic energy from his monthly stipend.
Distribute the improved versions through a controlled, indirect channel in the Holy City. A blind drop to a reputable auction house or a discreet intermediary. The risk of tracing them back to him was negligible—who would suspect an elite disciple cultivating the supreme scripture of wasting time on minor technique trades?
The profit, in the form of Pure Source or other useful materials, would be funneled back into his core cultivation loop, accelerating the accumulation for his next major scripture deduction.
It was a closed, efficient system: Sect's Redundant Data (Library) → Heavenly Book Refinement → External Capital (Holy City Market) → Catalytic Energy for Core Evolution.
He felt no excitement, only the satisfaction of a functional solution being implemented. The path was clear. The Holy City trip had just evolved from a generic observation mission into a targeted field test of a new operational subroutine.