The "Great Cyber War" had left the sect shaken, but addicted. Now that the danger was over, the disciples were bored again. Worse, Su Chen's brain was starting to overheat. Running a sect-wide network on a single "processor" was like trying to run a modern AI on a calculator.
"I need decentralized hosting," Su Chen muttered, wiping sweat from his brow. "I need... Mining Rigs."
He made an announcement on the Sect-Gram: New Feature Unlocked: 'The Idle Daoist' – Earn Spirit Points by simply leaving your Spiritual Sense 'Active' while you sleep!
To the disciples, it sounded like a new cultivation technique. In reality, Su Chen was turning their brains into a peer-to-peer (P2P) network. As they "idled," their subconscious Qi was used to process data packets and store the ever-growing library of cat-spirit photos.
But the real masterstroke came next. Su Chen needed a way to drain the excess Spirit Stones from the disciples to fund a hardware upgrade (more System-grade jade).
"System," Su Chen directed, "Launch the first app for the 'Idle Daoist' network: Immortal Summoner: Origins."
[App Developed: 'Immortal Summoner'. Genre: Gacha/Gambling. Warning: This may cause extreme saltiness.]
The game was simple. You spent five Spirit Stones to "summon" a legendary hero's phantom. 99% of the time, you got a "Common Rock-Eating Goat." But 1% of the time, you got a "Golden-Tier Heavenly Sword-Saint."
Within an hour, the meditation halls were filled with the sound of frustration.
MountainMover: I've spent 200 Spirit Stones. Why do I have FIFTY GOATS?! SwordCrazy77: Just pulled the 'Jade Empress' on my first try. Is that good? MountainMover: @SwordCrazy77 I am going to challenge you to a life-and-death duel.
Su Chen watched the Spirit Stones pour into his digital wallet. He was now officially the wealthiest man in the outer sect. But his success caught the eye of the one person he hadn't fully "monetized" yet: The Sect's Head Alchemist, a woman known for her explosive temper and her hatred of distractions.
She burst into Su Chen's courtyard, a smoking cauldron in one hand and a glowing screen in her mind. "SU CHEN! My disciples are so busy 'rolling for goats' that they've ruined three batches of Golden Elixir! Explain yourself before I turn you into a pill!"