Forced to become a top influencer, I rely on my tu cao to ruin the cultivation world.

At dawn, Luoxia Peak was no longer a serene and ethereal sanctuary for cultivation, but a massive, roaring industrial factory. The air was thick with the smells of machine oil, gunpowder, and a unique odor mixed with powdered spiritual herbs and burnt circuit boards. That was the smell of "industrial cultivation."

Jia Zhuang stood in the driver's seat of his "flagship"—the modified [psychic tractor]—holding a megaphone made from a monster skull, looking at the endless dragon at the foot of the mountain, a smug smile on his lips.

Those weren't cultivators queuing to receive elixirs, but a group of low-level, rogue cultivators carrying hoes, carrying flying swords, and with pale, sickly faces. They weren't there to seek the Dao, but to "work."

"Chairman Jia! Has work started yet?" At the front of the line, a young cultivator wearing a patched Taoist robe craned his neck, clutching a tin lunchbox tightly in his hand, his eyes filled with longing.

Jia Zhuang banged on his horn, emitting a piercing crackling sound: "Start work! We must start work! Family! Today's 'Spiritual Energy Charging Station' is open on time! For just 998 spirit stones, you're guaranteed a full day of spiritual energy, boosting your efficiency by 300%!"

In the live stream, the chat was instantly flooded with comments:

[Holy crap! 998 spirit stones? This is blatant robbery!]

[Upstairs, you don't understand. Spirit stones are depreciating too fast these days; this amount of money is barely enough to buy a power bank.]

[This is hilarious! A "power bank" economy has emerged in the cultivation world?!]

Jia Zhuang ignored the comments on the screen. He looked at the rogue cultivators, but in his mind, he was calculating something else entirely. Ever since he transformed Luoxia Peak into an "industrial zone," the cultivation world had completely collapsed. Previously, cultivators needed to find deep mountains and forests to meditate and absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, sometimes sitting for days and nights at a time. Now? They only needed to come to Luoxia Peak, spend some spirit stones, sit in Jia Zhuang's modified [Spirit Energy Charging Chair], plug in the charging cable, and while browsing their phones (jade slips), they could fully charge their spiritual energy.

Efficiency has increased, but side effects have also emerged.

"System, bring up the 'Spirit Stone Purchasing Power Index'," Jia Zhuang silently recited in his mind.

[Ding! Host's interest in economic indicators detected. Report being generated for you...]

A semi-transparent light screen appeared before Jia Zang's eyes:

[Economic Daily of the Cultivation World]

*Today's exchange rate for Ling Shi to rice: 1:0.5 (Yesterday: 1:0.8)

*Aura inflation rate: +230% (all-time high)

*Average salary for lower-level monks: -15% (continuously declining)

* Jia Zhuang's personal asset growth rate: +5000% (far ahead)

"Hiss..." Jia Zhuang gasped. This data was terrifying. The spiritual energy inflation rate had reached a staggering 230%! What did this mean? It meant that what used to be a bag of rice that could be bought with a single low-grade spirit stone could now only buy half a bag; it meant that what used to take a day of meditation to accumulate spiritual energy now required three days of meditation. And Jia Zhuang, because he monopolized the "recharging" and "elixir" industries, had seen his wealth snowball.

"Chairman Jia! I'll top up! I'll top up 100 yuan!" The young cultivator gritted his teeth and pulled out a tattered cloth bag from his pocket, inside which were dozens of low-grade spirit stones with a dull color.

"Alright! Next one!"

Elder Wang Teng, standing behind Jia Zhuang, had transformed into a "financial director" in a suit and gold-rimmed glasses. He expertly caught the spirit stones and tossed them into a modified [money detector]. "Beep! Beep! Beep! Insufficient funds. Installment loan recommended."

Elder Wang Teng smiled and said to the young cultivator, "Young friend, the quality of your spirit stones isn't very good. How about it? Our 'Qingyun Financial Services' has just launched a 'Cultivation Loan,' with an interest rate of only 30%. We can lend you 600 spirit stones, which will round it up perfectly?"

"I..." The young cultivator's face turned pale. "I don't want it anymore... I'm going back to meditate."

"Meditation?" Wang Teng sneered. "With the current concentration of spiritual energy, how much can you absorb by meditating for a day? You might as well go work at the 'Spiritual Energy Brick Factory' next door and carry bricks for a day; at least you can earn enough to cover your electricity bill."

The young cultivator walked away dejectedly. Jia Zhuang watched his retreating figure, a sudden unease creeping into his heart. "System, something's not right," Jia Zhuang asked. "I'm trying to improve their efficiency, but why does it feel like I'm harming them?"

[System notification: Host, you have triggered a sociological proposition concerning "unequal resource allocation."]

[Explanation: You have transformed "spiritual energy" from a "public resource" into an "industrial commodity." Commodities have prices, and prices are determined by the market. The more "charging stations" you have, the scarcer "spiritual energy" becomes on the market, and naturally, the higher the price.]

[Conclusion: You have unintentionally created a "spiritual inflation."]

"Inflation?" Jia Zhuang muttered to himself. He suddenly recalled the scene of writing code on Earth. Back then, he felt the same powerlessness as he watched housing prices and commodity prices soar. "So the end of the cultivation world isn't ascension, it's inflation." Jia Zhuang shook his head with a wry smile. "If I had known, I would have speculated on spirit stone futures."

Just then, a whooshing sound came from the sky. Several streaks of light flew in from afar and landed on the summit of Sunset Peak. They were several sect elders dressed in magnificent robes and exuding noble bearing. The spirit stones they wore were each ten times larger and ten times more spiritually potent than the one in the young cultivator's hand.

"Chairman Jia, long time no see." The leading elder was from the Xuanjian Sect. He looked at Jia Zhuang with eyes filled with jealousy and greed. "Chairman Jia, we need to discuss something. Could we get a share of your 'charging station' business? We'll provide the manpower, you provide the technology, and we'll split it 50/50, how about that?"

Jia Zhuang looked at him as if he had heard a joke. "A 50/50 split? What will you contribute? Your broken sword?" Jia Zhuang pointed to the flying sword behind the Xuanjian Sect elder. "Your flying sword costs 1000 spirit stones to charge once. I've set up this 'charging station' right in front of your door, and all your disciples come here to recharge. Your spirit stones are all flowing into my hands, and now you want to split the profits with me?"

"You!" The Xuanjian Sect elder's face darkened. "Jia Zang! Don't push your luck! We are a righteous sect!"

"The righteous path?" Jia Zhuang sneered. "You righteous sects used to sell a Spirit Gathering Pill for 9 spirit stones, and now I sell it for 9 yuan with free shipping, and you say I'm disrupting the market? That's called a monopoly for you, I'm called a revolution!"

"You...you are destroying the foundation of the cultivation world!" The Xuanjian Sect elder trembled with rage.

"Foundation?" Jia Zhuang pointed to the group of rogue cultivators queuing at the foot of the mountain. "They are the foundation of the cultivation world! You used to treasure spiritual energy and hide it away, but now I've turned it into a commodity so they can afford it too. Where did I go wrong?"

"You...you're killing the goose that lays the golden eggs!" roared the Xuanjian Sect elder. "You're treating spiritual energy like a commodity, driving up prices soared, making it unaffordable for lower-level cultivators! They'll revolt sooner or later!"

"Revolt?" Jia Zhuang looked at the group of rogue cultivators. Although their faces showed exhaustion, they were filled with anticipation for their "recharge." "They won't rebel," Jia Zhuang shook his head. "Because they still have hope. As long as they can recharge, they won't rebel."

"You...you're using 'entertainment' to lull them into complacency!" The Xuanjian Sect elder pointed at Jia Zhuang. "Jia Zhuang! You will be punished! Heaven will take your revenge!"

"The Heavenly Dao?" Jia Zang looked up at the sky. The sky was azure, cloudless, and without any unusual phenomena. "Where is the Heavenly Dao?" Jia Zang asked with a smile. "If the Heavenly Dao had time to care about me, it would have come to take me away long ago. It's busy settling accounts right now; it doesn't have time to care about me."

[System Notification: Disrespectful remarks about the "Heavenly Dao" have been detected from the host. The Heavenly Dao "Morality Value" system is experiencing a slight fluctuation...]

Jia Zhuang was taken aback. "Slight fluctuation? That's all?" Jia Zhuang curled his lip. "It seems that the Heavenly Dao is also a 'Buddhist' leader. As long as the bottom line is not crossed, it can't be bothered to care."

"You...you just wait!" The Xuanjian Sect elder angrily turned and left. "We're going! We're going to the Heavenly Court to lodge a complaint! Let the Heavenly Court deal with you!"

"Go ahead, go ahead," Jia Zang waved his hand. "Remember to bring me back some specialties from Heaven. I've heard their peaches are quite good."

The elders of the Xuanjian Sect and others transformed into streaks of light and disappeared into the horizon. The live stream chat exploded with comments once again:

[Hahaha! The streamer has completely messed things up!]

[The Heavenly Court? What's that? Can you eat it?]

[Run, streamer! The package from Heaven has arrived!]

Jia Zhuang looked at the sky, but a vague unease lingered in his heart. The words of the Xuanjian Sect elder were like a thorn stuck in his heart. "Killing the goose that lays the golden eggs..." He looked at his roaring [Spiritual Energy Tractor], and at the group of rogue cultivators at the foot of the mountain desperately collecting spirit stones to "recharge," and suddenly felt that he might have really done something wrong.

"System, is there a way to improve efficiency without causing spiritual energy inflation?" Jia Zhuang asked.

[System notification: Host, there is no solution.]

[Explanation: You are using the efficiency of "industrial civilization" to impact the resources of "cultivation civilization." The defining characteristic of industrial civilization is "high energy consumption." Unless you can find an "infinite energy source," this "inflation" is inevitable.]

"Unlimited energy?" Jia Zhuang frowned. He suddenly remembered something. "System, what if... I replaced 'spiritual energy' with 'electricity'?"

[System notification: Host is detected preparing for an "energy revolution". Estimated logic breakdown value gain: 100000 points!]

"An energy revolution?" Jia Zhuang's eyes lit up. "Yes! An energy revolution! Since spiritual energy isn't enough, I'll use electricity! I'll use electricity to power cultivation!" He turned abruptly and shouted to Elder Wang Teng, "Elder Wang! Pass the word! Stop construction! All 'charging stations' must cease operation!"

"Huh?" Elder Wang Teng looked completely bewildered. "Chairman Jia, work stopped? What about the spirit stones?"

"We don't need the spirit stones anymore!" Jia Zhuang waved his arms excitedly. "We're going to do something even bigger! We're going to build an 'electric grid'! We're going to make sure the entire cultivation world has 'free' electricity!"

"Free?" Elder Wang Teng nearly fainted. "Chairman Jia, are you crazy? Who's going to pay you for something that's free?"

"Who says you can't make money if it's free?" Jia Zhuang smiled mysteriously. "What we want to earn are 'infrastructure fees' and 'data fees'!"

"Huh?" Elder Wang Teng was completely baffled. Viewers in the live stream were equally confused.

[Is the power grid? Is the streamer trying to create a "Cultivation-style version of the State Grid"?]

[This is hilarious! This idea is just unbelievable!]

[Hurry up, streamer! I want to see how you managed to bring electricity into the world of cultivation!]

Jia Zhuang stared at the [Psychic Tractor], a crazed glint in his eyes. "System! Exchange for a [Perpetual Motion Machine Blueprint]! No, that's too difficult. Exchange for a [Wind Turbine Generator Blueprint]! No, there's no wind here. Exchange for…"

Jia Zhuang frantically searched through the system's shop. Finally, his gaze settled on one item.

【Item Name: Nuclear Battery (Toy Version)】

[Item Description: 21st-century cutting-edge technology. Although only the size of a toy, it contains enough energy to power a city. Warning: Do not use in environments with abundant spiritual energy, as this may trigger a "spiritual energy explosion."]

"That's it!" Jia Zhuang waved his hand dismissively. "System! Purchase! I'm going to use this 'nuclear battery' to give the cultivation world a complete overhaul!"

[System Notification: Detected that the host is preparing to impact "spiritual energy" with "nuclear energy." Estimated logic breakdown value gain: 500000 points!]

[System Reward: Unlock the "Nuclear Energy Cultivation" tech tree!]

As the system notification sounded, a silver battery the size of a fingernail appeared in Jia Zhuang's palm. The battery shimmered with a ghostly blue light, as if it contained the power of a star.

"Family! Did you see that?" Jia Zhuang held up the battery and waved it in front of the camera. "This is our latest research and development from Qingyun Heavy Industry—the 'Nuclear Energy Spirit Stone'! It's more durable than spirit stones, purer than spiritual energy, and moreover, it never runs dry!"

The live stream chat exploded instantly:

[Holy crap! That's a nuclear battery?! Streamer, are you crazy?!]

If this thing explodes, the entire cultivation world will be doomed!

Is this streamer going to create a "cultivation-themed version of a nuclear-paced world"?

Jia Zang stared at the nuclear battery in his hand and took a deep breath. He knew he was opening a door to hell. But he had no choice. Because if he didn't, the spiritual energy of the cultivation world would eventually be drained, and then everyone would be doomed.

"Elder Wang!" Jia Zhuang shouted.

"Here!" Elder Wang Teng trembled in fright.

"Go! Bring out all the spirit stones from the storeroom!" Jia Zhuang pointed at the nuclear battery. "I'm going to use these spirit stones to make a 'safe' for this 'little tyrant'!"

"Ah? Using spirit stones to make a safe?" Elder Wang Teng looked pained. "Chairman Jia, that's our life savings!"

"Family assets? That's all old-fashioned garbage!" Jia Zhuang kicked Elder Wang Teng in the backside. "Hurry up! Any later and we'll all be starving!"

"Yes! Yes!" Elder Wang Teng said with a mournful face as he ran off to move the spirit stones.

Jia Zhuang looked at the nuclear battery in his hand, then at the group of rogue cultivators still queuing at the foot of the mountain, and silently prayed, "Brothers, bear with it. Once I get this 'Nuclear Energy Spirit Stone,' we won't have to be slaves to others for a little spiritual energy anymore. We'll make spiritual energy as cheap as air! We'll make cultivating immortality as simple as breathing! We'll make even the Heavenly Dao obediently use 'Qingyun Brand' electricity!"

Just then, the nuclear battery suddenly emitted a slight vibration. "Buzz—" A terrifying energy fluctuation, not belonging to this world, spread out instantly from Jia Zhuang as the center.

At the foot of the mountain, the independent cultivators queuing up suddenly felt their spiritual energy become uncontrollably agitated. "What's going on? Why is my spiritual energy in disarray?" "Me too! It feels like it's about to explode!" "Chairman Jia! Something's happened!"

Jia Zang's expression changed, and he looked down. He saw that a tiny crack had appeared on the nuclear battery.

"Warning! Warning! High-dimensional energy intrusion detected! Spiritual energy compatibility test failed!" The system's alarms blared in Jia Zhuang's mind.

"Damn it!" Jia Zhuang cursed under his breath. He had forgotten that this was the world of cultivation, not Earth. The rule here was spiritual energy. The nuclear battery in his hand, however, was nuclear energy. The two energy systems were in fierce conflict.

"System! Quick! Suppress it!"

[System notification: Energy level too high, system cannot suppress! Host is advised to find an "energy conductor" as soon as possible!]

"A conductor?" Jia Zhuang looked around. There was only soil, stone, wood, and... people. "Could it be..." Jia Zhuang's gaze fell on the group of terrified rogue cultivators at the foot of the mountain. The spiritual energy within their bodies was currently resonating with the energy of the nuclear battery.

"I've got it!" A resolute glint flashed in Jia Zhuang's eyes. "Brothers! Give me a hand!" He suddenly raised the nuclear battery and roared down the mountain, "Give me all your spiritual energy! I need it to start this 'perpetual motion machine'!"

"What?" The rogue cultivators were completely bewildered. But out of blind trust in Jia Zang, they still subconsciously began to circulate their cultivation techniques.

In an instant, thousands upon thousands of beams of spiritual energy converged from all directions and poured into the tiny nuclear battery.

"BOOM—!!!" A deafening roar erupted. The nuclear battery suddenly burst forth with a blinding white light. The entire Sunset Peak was enveloped in a holy glow.

[System notification: A fusion of "spiritual energy" and "nuclear energy" has been detected, resulting in the birth of a new energy system, "Nuclear Spiritual Energy"!]

[System Reward: Unlock the "Nuclear Energy Cultivation Era"!]

The white light dissipated. The nuclear battery in Jia Zang's hand had vanished. In its place was a fist-sized crystal emitting a soft blue light. Within that crystal lay boundless energy.

"This is..." Jia Zhuang stared at the crystal, his eyes filled with ecstatic joy. "This is... the 'Spirit Stone' of the new era?"

He raised his head and looked up at the sky. The sky was still azure. But Jia Zhuang knew that from this moment on, the cultivation world had completely changed. And he, Jia Zhuang, was the one who would overturn the table.

"Put-put ...