Marcus woke up bursting with energy after a full night of deep rest. The moment he opened his eyes he felt it. Clean sharp vitality humming under his skin. No lingering ache in his pelvis. No phantom twinge in his fractured spine. Just pure strength ready to be used. He sat up on the narrow rented bed. The thin blanket slid off his bare chest. Dawn light filtered through the paper screen window. Soft gold. Carrying the distant sounds of Flame Phoenix City waking. Cart wheels on stone. Merchants barking prices. The low roar of a thousand cultivators breathing qi.
First thing he did was open the system panel. Green numbers glowed across his vision.
Kama Points: 2000
A slow feral grin split his face. He exhaled through his nose sharp and satisfied.
He checked the system mall . Fingers hovered over the options. After a long moment of calculation he tapped.
Purchase: Spirit Tech First Tier Knowledge Archive
Cost: 1000 Kama Points
Confirm?
Yes.
The archive slammed into his mind like a tidal wave of molten silver. Concepts. Blueprints. Formulas. Interlocking arrays. Alchemical-mechanical symbiosis. Qi-conductive alloys. Self-refining runes. Thousands of pages of forbidden knowledge burned directly into his brain in seconds. His skull felt like it was cracking open. Vision swam. A dull throbbing headache bloomed behind his eyes. He pressed both palms to his temples. Gritted his teeth. Breathed through it.
It took more than an hour to digest. He sat motionless on the bed. Sweat rolled down his spine. When the storm finally settled a brand-new world had unfolded inside his head.
Spirit Tech was not just arrays plus alchemy plus mechanics. It was a living ecosystem. Every part fed every other part. Weapons that grew stronger with each kill. Pills that inscribed formations into the bloodstream. Armor that refined ambient qi into defensive pulses. The possibilities made his pulse race.
He flexed his fingers. Already imagining prototypes.
Tier 2 knowledge called to him. He checked the price.
Required: 4000 Kama Points
He cursed softly. Not yet.
He took out the jade slip Jenny had given him. Sent a quick message with his qi.
City square. Afternoon. Lin Mo
Then he closed the panel. Stood. Stretched. Joints popped. He planned the day in his head while pulling on fresh robes.
First food. Real food. Not boar roasted over a cave fire.
Second supplies.
Third Jenny.
He left the rented room. Locked the door with a flick of qi. Stepped into the bustling street.
The market hit him like a wave. Scent of sizzling spirit beast skewers. Freshly steamed buns leaking sweet red bean paste. Vendors shouting. Fire lotus pills! Clear meridians in one dose! Thunder python scales perfect for armor arrays! Qi pulsed in the air. Hundreds of cultivators breathing in rhythm. He felt it on his skin like static.
He bought breakfast from a street stall. Three meat buns stuffed with demonic boar and spirit chives. The first bite exploded across his tongue. Savory rich a faint crackle of qi on his lips. Juice ran hot down his chin. He wiped it with his sleeve. Felt alive.
After eating he found a stationery shop. Bought high-grade spirit paper. Ink that held qi. A geometric set with crystal tips for perfect runes. The shopkeeper raised an eyebrow at the mask but said nothing.
Then he passed a mask vendor. Paused. Bought one more. Dragon coiling in black and molten gold. Sleek. Intimidating. Covered his entire face except the eyes. He tied it on. Felt the cool metal settle against his cheekbones. Good.
Back in his room he sat at the low table. Spread the paper. Unrolled his schematics from yesterday.
His biggest weakness right now was lack of combat skill. The current system mall did not have any combat scripture he could afford.
So his first priority was protection. Escape.
He decided to make two weapons he could actually build with First Tier Spirit Tech knowledge.
First: Spirit Pulse Beam Rifle Tier 1. Long-range qi-based firearm. Precise. Fast. Lethal at distance.
Second: Spirit Cluster Bomb. Wide-area destructive device. Multiple small spirit charges that detonate in a chain. Perfect for breaking encirclement when cornered.
He started drawing. Lines precise. Measurements exact. Parts labeled. Qi flow paths marked in red ink. Runes sketched. Materials listed. Every detail perfect.
He lost himself in the work. Hours passed. The sun climbed higher.
Finally it was almost time for lunch. He finished the schematics. Rolled them carefully. Tucked them into his robe.
Then he remembered. He had to meet Jenny this afternoon. He was already late.
He packed everything. Adjusted the dragon mask. Left.
The city square was packed. Cultivators. Merchants. Beast carriages. The air smelled of incense grilled meat and excited qi. Many wore masks. But his dragon coiling pattern drew stares. Whispers followed him.
After fifteen minutes of weaving through the crowd he spotted Jenny. She stood near the central fountain. Arguing quietly with a younger girl who looked almost like her mirror. Same sharp features. Same intelligent eyes. But softer brighter.
When they both noticed the masked man approaching they immediately stepped back. Hands near storage rings. Wary.
Marcus raised a palm. Voice calm through the mask. "Hello Miss Jenny."
She recognized his voice. Exhaled sharply. "You almost scared us."
"Sorry."
She nodded. Gestured to the girl. "This is my younger sister Sarah."
Marcus inclined his head. "Hello Miss Sarah. I am Lin Mo. Nice to meet you."
But his focus had already snapped to the system panel.
High Talent Female Cultivator Detected
Name: Sarah Smith
Age: 25
Cultivation: Foundation Establishment 9th Level Peak
Status: Head of the Smith Auction House
Spirit Root: Heavenly Grade
Cultivation Talent: SSS Grade
Special Physique: None
Bloodline: Ancient God (Trace)
The dark sinister voice purred inside his skull. You have to win her over. At any cost.
Marcus kept his face neutral behind the mask. "Let us go to a restaurant. We can discuss there."
They walked to Crimson Ember Pavilion. The best in the city. Red lacquered pillars. Golden phoenix carvings. The smell of spirit beast steak and thousand-year wine hit him like a wall.
They ordered. Marcus finally took off the mask.
Sarah's eyes locked on his face. Froze. Recognition flickered. A possibility she had not dared consider.
Marcus felt the weight of her stare. Then her question came. Quiet. Sharp.
"Are you from Tianluo City?"
Marcus did not flinch. Met her gaze. Voice steady. "No Miss Sarah. I am not from there."
Silence stretched. Thick. Dangerous.
She nodded slowly. "I thought I had seen you somewhere…"
Marcus did not know his poster was circulating through Tianluo City. His women searching desperately. Bounty issued.
He diverted. Fast. "I want to issue some smithing tasks."
They talked shops. Sarah lit up. Praised top blacksmiths across the continent. Names. Reputations. Specialties.
Food arrived. Rich. Qi-infused. Every bite warmed his dantian.
Marcus paid.
After lunch Jenny's jade slip flashed. Emergency at the business. She apologized. Told Sarah to help him.
The dark voice laughed softly. So your luck never runs out with women. Haha.
Sarah motioned. "Follow me."
Marcus asked about her work. Her auction house. How she built it from nothing. No family support. No cruelty. No betrayal. Skill. Hard work. Ruthless fairness.
He admired it. Genuinely. She noticed. Her shoulders relaxed slightly. Conversation flowed easier.
They reached Heaven Fire Forge.
Marcus expected rough men hammering metal. Instead elegant marble. Quiet counters. Cultivators inspecting weapons. Air smelled of heated spirit steel oil and faint incense.
They approached the receptionist. Tall. Stout. Bowed. "How can we help you sir?"
Marcus took out the schematics.
The receptionist looked at the first page. Face changed. Serious. "Wait a moment. I need to call my master."
Minutes later a giant appeared. Seven feet tall. Arms like tree trunks. Voice rough as gravel.
"Sir I do not know what you are trying to build. Can you explain a bit?"
Marcus spoke cold. Ruthless. "Can you make these parts to the exact specification?"
The man stiffened. No one talked to him like that. But the parts delicate. Impossible. He wanted them.
Nodded. "Yes. But it will cost more than market price."
"How much?"
"1000 mid tier spirit coins." He grinned.
Sarah snapped. "Why not just rob a bank?"
"Too expensive. Ten times market rate. Are you looting us in broad daylight?"
The man grinned wider. "Take it or leave it. If you walk out now no one in this market will touch your order. I guarantee it."
Marcus knew he was digging in. Pride. Reputation.
Marcus apologized. Calm. Measured. "If I offended you I am sorry."
But he did not have that much.
Haggling began. Tense. Sharp. Voices low but cutting.
Finally 400 mid grade spirit coins. Still robbery. But bearable.
They left. Sarah fuming. "That bastard. Daylight extortion."
Marcus asked about her auction house. Current trends. Hot items.
Talismans. Pills. Potions. Defense arrays especially fire and thunder.
Then he said "I have a potion I want to sell."
Her ears perked. "What type?"
"Improves female cultivator physique."
Her eyes sharpened. "Can you show me?"
"It is in my room."
She did not hesitate. "Then what are you waiting for? Let us go."
The dark voice laughed softly. What a dog. Becoming more depraved day by day.