With the Sect Leader now holding the "Heavenly Admin" title, Su Chen wasn't just a lowly outer disciple anymore; he was the Chief Technology Officer of the Heavens.
He had moved into a private courtyard, funded by a "System Maintenance Fee" he'd levied on every disciple. To his surprise, they paid it gladly. The addiction was real. They weren't just using it for cultivation tips; they were using it for something far more primal: The Marketplace.
"System," Su Chen whispered, "Generate a new sub-domain: Alchem-E."
[System: Processing... Alchem-E e-commerce portal active. Transaction fee: 2% Spirit Stones.]
Within an hour, the Sect-Gram was flooded with listings. Disciples who used to spend weeks bartering in the town square were now "dropping" limited-edition Spirit Swords.
The real shift, however, came from the Jade Lake Pavilion—the sect's most prestigious female division. Their top disciple, Lin Xueru, had realized that her beauty and "frost-cold" reputation translated perfectly to high engagement.
She posted a spiritual-sense recording of herself practicing the Glacial Moon Dance with a link at the bottom:
"Many of you ask about my skin-refinement routine. Use code 'COLD_BEAUTY' for 10% off at the Spirit Herb Shop."
"She's an influencer," Su Chen gasped, watching his Spirit Stone balance tick upward as the shop's traffic spiked. "I've turned the most powerful martial artists in the province into drop-shippers."
But then, a dark notification pinged in his mind. It was a private message from a user with a skull-and-bones profile picture.
DeathShadow_666: Nice network you have here, Su Chen. It would be a shame if someone... DDoS'ed it with Demonic Qi. DeathShadow_666: The Blood Shadow Sect wants in. Give us a back-door, or we'll corrupt your 'Spirit-Net' with the Soul-Wither virus.
Su Chen paled. The first cyber-terrorist of the cultivation world had arrived.