Ashes floated across the barren plateau.
Li Tianyu stood alone, watching the embers of the ruined Windsear Sect fade into the evening haze. Just hours ago, this was the strongest force in the region. Now, its ancestral pagoda had collapsed into rubble, its elders turned to ash by karmic backlash, and its treasures—
"Mine," he whispered.
At his side floated a shimmering panel of golden text, translucent and alive, its data constantly updating with each breath he took.
> [Congratulations! You have completed Hostile Takeover Lv.1.]
Reward: +100 Karma Credits | +1 Spiritual Territory | +Access to Level 1 Mall Terminal]
"System," he said, his voice steady now, "open the mall."
The world rippled.
From the air itself unfolded a structure—not built, but manifested. It formed from Qi and law, like someone had rendered an entire golden department store from pure Dao. Its foundation anchored into ley lines beneath his feet. Its doors opened with a soft, musical chime.
It was not just a mall.
It was his capital.
> [Heavenly Mall Terminal Established.]
Location: Tier-4 Mortal Realm – Eastbound Sector
Function: Host Auctions, Sell Cultivation Products, Store Revenue, Empower User]
The interior lit up with celestial displays: weapons suspended in stasis fields, divine pills rotating in sealed canisters, AI attendants in gold-trimmed uniforms.
He stepped forward and found himself transported through glowing aisles—each filled with products no sect had ever imagined.
Heaven-Slaying Sword – 999,999 Karma Credits
Dao-Infused Ramen – Limited-Time Offer
Mystic Auction License – Includes 1 Soulbound Summoning
Tianyu's eyes glimmered.
He held out his hand. The System responded.
> You currently possess 137 Karma Credits.
Insufficient funds for high-tier items.
Suggested Action: Begin Market Domination Questline.
"Do it," he said. "Show me what's for sale."
At that moment, the mall buzzed with new life.
People were arriving.
From the fringes of reality, where survivors of fallen sects, bankrupt merchants, wandering cultivators, and forgotten beast tamers huddled in misery—they heard a call.
A whisper. A promotion.
> "One Karma Coin Can Change Your Fate!"
"Buy One Get Enlightenment Free!"
"No Sect? No Problem. Welcome to the Heavenly Mall!"
And they came. They came in hundreds—then thousands.
Desperate. Curious. Hungry for a miracle.
As the first customer stepped into the glowing plaza, a ripple passed through the heavens.
The golden lotus sigil shimmered high above, branded into the sky like a divine prophecy.
And Li Tianyu—once broke, discarded, laughed at—stood at the reception desk of destiny.
He raised his hand.
> [Activate Heavenly Terminal Broadcast.]
"Welcome to the Golden Lotus Dominion," he declared, his voice booming across realms.
"Your future is now in stock."