The night on Desolate Cloud Peak was quiet, save for the snoring of Ye Kai and the occasional wail of Bob the Ghost.
Jiang Chen sat alone in the Hall of Forgotten Truths on his new throne.
He wasn't sleeping. He was staring at the progress bar in his mind with a mix of excitement and anxiety.
The truth was, Jiang Chen was walking a tightrope.
He had only advanced to the Nascent Soul Realm a few days ago. His foundation hadn't even fully settled yet. In the cultivation world, trying to break through to the next major realm so quickly was suicide. It was like trying to build a skyscraper on wet cement.
But he had no choice. The "Old Monsters" were waking up. The Sect Leader was watching. And his "Emperor Aura" bluff had a fatal weakness—the time limit.
Ding!
"System Update Complete."
"Version 2.0: The Investor's Golden Finger is Online."
"Scanning Host History... Detected 'Selfless' Gifts to Disciples: 4. Triggering Retroactive Cashback..."
A massive roulette wheel appeared in Jiang Chen's vision. It spun so fast it caught fire.
"Item 1: Titan's Gauntlets (Earth Tier) invested in Ye Kai. Crit Multiplier: 50x! Reward: The Hands of the Star Crusher (Heaven Tier)."
A pair of silky, silver gloves appeared.
"Classy," Jiang Chen grinned.
"Item 2: Heart-Severing Scripture invested in Wei Wu. Crit Multiplier: 100x! Reward: The Sword Intent of the Formless Ruler (Divine Fragment)."
A small grey stone appeared.
"Perfect for intimidation," Jiang Chen noted.
"Item 3: Tortoise Shell Array invested in Su Ling. Crit Multiplier: 10x! Reward: The Void-Lock Domain Flags (Earth Tier - Peak)."
"The ultimate 'Go Away' button."
"Item 4: Five-Elements Pill Set invested in All Disciples. Crit Multiplier: 1,000x (SUPER JACKPOT)! Reward: One Drop of True Dragon Marrow."
The room suddenly turned red. A single, ruby-like drop of blood hovered in the air. The energy radiating from it was wild, ancient, and tyrannical.
Description: Pure, concentrated essence of an Ancient Dragon. Effect: Capable of shattering the 'Mortal Bottleneck' and forcing a Realm Breakthrough, regardless of foundation stability.
Jiang Chen stared at the drop.
"I just reached Nascent Soul three days ago," he whispered to himself. "If I take this now, I'm skipping decades of meditation. It's madness."
He thought about the Grand Elder. He thought about the looming threat of the merged worlds.
"Madness is just another word for efficiency."
He opened his mouth and swallowed the drop.
Boom.
It didn't feel like he swallowed liquid. It felt like he swallowed a star.
Jiang Chen's body floated into the air. His clothes shredded, revealing skin that was rapidly turning gold.
His Nascent Soul—which had barely formed days ago—suddenly opened its eyes. It didn't have time to grow slowly. The Dragon Marrow force-fed it pure power, causing it to expand violently.
The "Iron Wall" blocking the path to the Spirit Severing Realm shattered instantly.
"System Alert: High Energy Detected. Processing Forced Breakthrough..."
"Realm Advancement: Spirit Severing Level 1. Physique Evolved: Hidden Dragon Body."
Jiang Chen landed on the floor. The golden scales faded, leaving his skin looking like polished jade.
He squeezed his fist. The space around his hand cracked.
He checked his new Status Panel.
Host: Jiang Chen.
Real Cultivation: Spirit Severing Level 1 (Early Stage).
Bluff Ability: Emperor Level 9 Aura (20 Seconds).
Note: You are now a legitimate powerhouse. Also, your bluff lasts twice as long.
Jiang Chen exhaled a puff of golden steam.
"20 seconds," he grinned. "That's double the time. And with Spirit Severing as my base, I don't even need to bluff for the small fries anymore."
Dawn broke.
The paper crane from the Sect Leader began to glow.
"Meeting in 10 minutes. Don't be late."
Jiang Chen adjusted his new silver gloves.
He stepped into the air. He didn't use a flying sword. He simply walked on the void.
This was the signature move of a Spirit Severing expert.
Jiang Chen landed at the gates of the Main Peak.
The Core Formation guards trembled. Yesterday, this man felt mysterious. Today? He felt heavy. Real. Solid.
"Guest Elder Jiang," the guards bowed so low their noses touched the floor.
Jiang Chen walked into the hall.
At the far end sat Sect Leader Liu Cang.
Jiang Chen walked to the center of the room. He didn't activate his "Emperor Bluff." He simply released his natural, newly achieved Spirit Severing pressure.
Liu Cang looked up. His eyes, usually calm, widened slightly.
"You..." Liu Cang stood up. "I heard you only broke through to the Nascent Soul Realm a few days ago. And today... you have already Severed the Spirit?"
"I am a fast learner," Jiang Chen smiled, radiating a terrifyingly solid pressure that clashed against the Sect Leader's aura without flinching.
Liu Cang's expression changed from suspicion to respect.
"To break through two major realms in a week... You are either a monster or a madman. But the Mystic Cloud Sect needs monsters right now."
"I am a businessman," Jiang Chen corrected. He pulled out a bottle of glowing water and slid it across the floor. "And I have a product to sell."
"The Dragon Vein leaked," Jiang Chen said calmly. "I'm here to offer the Mystic Cloud Sect a monopoly on the Holy Dragon Nectar."
Liu Cang looked at the bottle, then at the young monster standing before him.
"Fine," Liu Cang laughed. "I will accept your offer. But I have a condition."
Liu Cang threw a purple token. Command Token: Sect Leader's Proxy.
"In three months," Liu Cang said seriously. "There will be an Internal Sect Competition. We need to select the disciples who will represent us at the Five Sect Alliance Summit."
Liu Cang leaned forward, his eyes sharp.
"The other Peaks have been preparing their elites for years. Your disciples have been... digging toilets."
"If your disciples can defeat the elites of the other peaks and win the spots to represent the Sect..."
Liu Cang pointed at the bottle.
"I will buy your Dragon Water at double the price. And I will give you full autonomy over the 12th Peak."
"But if they lose..." Liu Cang's eyes turned cold. "I will shut down your shop and seize the Dragon Vein."
Jiang Chen caught the token.
"Three months?" Jiang Chen grinned. "That's plenty of time."
He bowed slightly, his confidence overflowing.
"Sect Leader, start saving your money. Because my disciples... don't know how to lose."