Inside the Safe Zone Hotel, the atmosphere was a strange mix of relief and resentment.
Outside the obsidian walls, the Crimson Moon Beast Tide raged on. The sounds of claws scraping against the barrier and the distant howls of zombie wolves were a constant reminder of the hellscape they had escaped. Inside, however, it was peaceful. The air was filtered. The temperature was controlled.
But peace came with a price tag.
"50,000 Spirit Stones for a cup of water?!" Liu Yan (Violet Mist Leader) screamed, slamming her empty canteen on the counter. "This is extortion! We already paid the entry fee!"
Behind the counter, Jiang Chen sat reading a book titled 101 Ways to Launder Sect Funds. He didn't look up. "The entry fee covers 'Not Dying'," Jiang Chen said calmly. "Hydration is an add-on service. Supply chain issues, you understand. It's hard to import fresh water into a demonic apocalypse."
"You..." Liu Yan trembled. Her lips were cracked and dry. The poison in the river meant they couldn't drink from natural sources. They were entirely dependent on Jiang Chen's stock.
"Fine!" She threw a jade bracelet on the counter. "This is a defensive artifact worth 60,000. Give me water."
"Pleasure doing business," Jiang Chen slid a cup of water across the table. "Keep the change. I'm generous."
In the corner, Jian Wushuang (Sword Son) sat nursing his wounds. He looked at Jiang Chen with a mixture of hatred and awe. "He is a demon," Jian Wushuang whispered to Monk Kuhai. "He is worse than the Blood Soul Sect. At least the Demons just kill you. This guy bleeds you dry first."
"Amitabha," Monk Kuhai sighed, clutching his stomach. "I am hungry. But a bowl of rice is 100,000 stones. I will just meditate."
The Shadow in the Camp
While Jiang Chen was busy ruining the economy of the cultivation world, Su Ling was busy watching the screens.
She had set up a command center in a small tent. Twelve holographic monitors displayed feeds from her drone swarm. "Sector 4 clear," Su Ling muttered. "Sector 9... heavy scratching on the outer wall. Integrity at 98%."
Her eyes flicked to an internal camera feed. Monitor #7 showed the Array Core Room. This was the heart of the Safe Zone. It powered the obsidian walls and the air filtration. If the core went down, the barrier would fall, and the thousands of infected beasts outside would flood in.
"Movement," Su Ling narrowed her eyes.
On the screen, a figure was sneaking toward the Core Room. It was a female disciple wearing the robes of the Violet Mist Pavilion. She was limping, acting injured. She looked around nervously, then slipped a small black object out of her sleeve.
"Target identified," Su Ling tapped her headset. "Master. We have a rat."
At the counter, Jiang Chen paused mid-sip. "Which sect?"
"Violet Mist. Junior Disciple. Name: Lan Er."
"Let her proceed," Jiang Chen whispered back. "Let's see what toy she brought."
The Sabotage
Lan Er crept into the Core Room. She wasn't actually "Lan Er." The real Lan Er had died three days ago. This was Demon Infiltrator #8—The Spy. Her mission was simple: Lower the barrier from the inside.
She stood before the glowing Earth Array Core. "Stupid righteous cultivators," she sneered, her voice changing from a terrified girl to a cold rasp. "Hiding in a shell. Once I break this, the Beast Tide will eat you all."
She raised the black object. It was a [Corrupting Blood Spike]. If she drove it into the core, it would invert the array, turning the defensive wall into a bomb.
"For the Commander," she whispered, raising the spike.
"Excuse me," a polite voice spoke from the doorway. "That is property of the Divine Dragon Peak. If you break it, you have to buy it."
Lan Er froze. She spun around. Jiang Chen was leaning against the doorframe. Behind him stood Ye Kai, cracking his knuckles.
"You..." Lan Er's eyes widened. "How did you know?"
"We have cameras," Jiang Chen pointed to a tiny mechanical fly buzzing in the corner. "Su Ling watches everything. Even the bathrooms. It's a bit creepy, actually."
Lan Er's face twisted. She dropped the act. Her Qi exploded. She wasn't a Golden Core disciple. She was Nascent Soul Level 5.
"Cover blown!" She shrieked. "If I can't break the array quietly, I'll break it loudly!"
She abandoned the spike and channeled all her energy into her body. Her skin turned red. Her veins bulged. [Demon Art: Blood Explosion.] She was going to self-destruct. A Nascent Soul self-destruction at point-blank range would vaporize the core and half the camp.
"Die together!" She lunged at the Core.
"Ye Kai," Jiang Chen yawned. "Tank."
[Titan Form: Active.]
Ye Kai stepped forward. He didn't attack. He simply opened his arms and... hugged her. He wrapped his massive arms around the exploding woman, curling his body around her to shield the room.
"Let go!" She screamed. "I'm going to explode!"
"Okay," Ye Kai grunted.
BOOM.
The explosion was contained entirely within Ye Kai's embrace. The shockwave rippled through Ye Kai's muscles. His skin turned iron-grey, glowing red from the heat. Smoke poured out of his ears. But he didn't let go. The explosion fizzled out. The spy was reduced to ash inside his bear hug.
Ye Kai opened his arms. A pile of dust fell to the floor. He patted his chest. His clothes were burnt off, revealing his metallic skin, which was slightly sooty but unharmed.
"Spicy," Ye Kai commented.
Jiang Chen clapped. "Good durability test. 10/10."
The Aftermath
Jiang Chen walked out of the Core Room, dragging the charred remains of the spy's robe. He walked into the main camp area where the disciples were resting.
"Attention!" Jiang Chen shouted.
The disciples looked up. Jiang Chen threw the robe at Liu Yan (Violet Mist Leader).
"This belonged to your disciple, Lan Er," Jiang Chen said coldly. "She just tried to blow up the Array Core. She was a Demon Spy."
"What?!" Liu Yan turned pale. She picked up the robe and saw the hidden Blood Soul Sect tattoo on the fragment of skin attached to it. "Lan Er... was a spy? Impossible..."
"She was a self-destructing bomb," Jiang Chen said. "My disciple risked his life to save all of you. The Core is safe, but my disciple's shirt is ruined."
Jiang Chen pulled out a calculator. "Attempted sabotage of property: 5 Million Stones." "Emotional damage to my disciple: 2 Million Stones." "Ruined shirt (Limited Edition): 500,000 Stones."
"Violet Mist Pavilion," Jiang Chen handed the bill to Liu Yan. "You are liable for your disciple's actions. Pay up."
"I..." Liu Yan looked at the bill. She looked at the angry faces of the other sects who realized they almost died because of her sect. She slumped. "We... we don't have any more money. We gave you everything."
"I accept IOU notes signed with Blood Oaths," Jiang Chen produced a contract. "Sign here. Interest rate is 20% per day."
With trembling hands, Liu Yan signed her sect into debt slavery.
The Earth Shakes
Just as the ink dried on the contract, the ground lurched violently.
RUMBLE.
It wasn't the Beast Tide. It wasn't an explosion. It was deep. Tectonic. The tea cups on the tables rattled. The obsidian walls groaned.
"Earthquake?" Jian Wushuang stood up, drawing his sword. "Are the Beasts breaching the wall?"
"No," Su Ling ran out of her tent, checking her sensors. "This is global. The magnetic field of the Small World is flipping. Something massive is rising."
Jiang Chen looked toward the center of the map—toward the Lake of Lament. He felt it. A pulse of energy so ancient and powerful it made his Void Treading cultivation buzz.
"Finally," Jiang Chen whispered. "The main course."
Outside the walls, the Beast Tide stopped howling. The infected monsters froze. They turned their heads toward the lake. Even in their madness, they felt the pressure of a Sovereign. Then, they ran. They didn't run toward the camp. They ran away from the center.
"The Beasts are retreating!" Monk Kuhai shouted. "We are saved!"
"Saved?" Jiang Chen laughed. "No. The tutorial is over."
He pointed to the sky. Through the red clouds, a massive shadow was rising. A floating island, dripping with waterfalls, ascended into the heavens. On its peak stood a golden palace.
[System Alert: The Sky Sovereign's Tomb has opened.] [Objective: Retrieve the Heart of the World.]
"Pack your bags," Jiang Chen ordered his disciples. "We are checking out of the hotel."
"Where are we going?" Ye Kai asked.
"Up," Jiang Chen grinned. "To rob a grave."