Chapter 70: Spirit Energy Classification

“What is cultivation?”

Quentin asked, puzzled.

“Just a way to use Spirit Energy,” Lu Yan waved it off casually, giving a half-hearted answer.

Back on the surface, Green Ivy had already mentioned that Universal MegaCorp controlled the source of all Spirit Energy and even levied taxes based on how much an individual used it.

At the time, Lu Yan had thought that was just an exaggeration. The idea of a single corporation monopolizing all supernatural power in the world seemed absurd.

But to his surprise—it turned out to be completely true.

From sunlight tax to air tax, from the omnipresent AI god to the very origin of Spirit Energy—the deeper Lu Yan delved into the Cyberpunk version, the more he was shocked by the terrifying dominance of Universal MegaCorp.

And yet… such a monstrous force hadn’t shown the slightest presence in the Urban, Xianxia, or Apocalypse versions.

That was the part Lu Yan couldn’t wrap his head around.

There was something different about the Cyberpunk version.

But there wasn’t enough information to form a solid theory. After a moment of thought, Lu Yan pushed those doubts aside and refocused on the Spirit Energy in front of him.

No matter the version, strength was always the answer.

For a Qi Refining cultivator, accumulating mana was an extremely slow process. Lu Yan had already taken numerous pills to accelerate his cultivation as much as possible.

But his total time cultivating hadn’t even been a full year yet. Reaching the Fifth Layer of Qi Refining already required extraordinary opportunities and luck.

The later stages of Qi Refining had stumped countless rogue cultivators. Even with sufficient resources, Lu Yan estimated it would still take him two to three years to complete his accumulation.

But now… this Spirit Energy offered a shortcut to the heavens.

Once again, Lu Yan drew in a stream of Spirit Energy and merged it into his dantian. He immediately felt the violent nature of the energy—it rampaged wildly through his body, struggling to break free from its physical confines.

Yet against the thick, refined mana of a Fifth Layer Qi Refining cultivator, a single stream of Spirit Energy was nothing.

As Red Lotus Karmic Fire Scripture circulated, the wild energy was quickly tamed and converted into pure mana.

His dantian swelled with new power, growing visibly stronger.

Lu Yan carefully examined the converted mana. Unlike alchemy pills, this energy left behind no toxins or impurities. The resulting mana was far purer than what could be gained through pill-based cultivation.

The only downside was that Spirit Energy was incredibly violent—it took time to absorb and transform it safely.

But even with that delay factored in, this cultivation speed was outright cheating.

While Lu Yan silently refined Spirit Energy, a message popped up on Quentin’s personal terminal.

“Why is the industrial Spirit Energy bill over budget today?!”

Quentin jumped in panic and immediately shut off the switch. The surging Spirit Energy vanished in an instant.

Lu Yan noticed something strange—Spirit Energy that should’ve dispersed into the air disappeared without a trace after the switch was closed. Not even his spiritual senses could detect its presence.

“All Spirit Energy vanishes from the real world and is stored in some unknown dimension… That’s why the environment contains none at all. Anyone who wants Spirit Energy must get it from Universal MegaCorp.”

Lu Yan felt a creeping realization settle over him.

This wasn’t just technology anymore—this was a rules-level rewrite of reality.

And Universal MegaCorp was the one holding the reins to that rule.

Seeing Quentin looking heartbroken over the overage bill, Lu Yan pointed to the Spirit Energy switch.

“I’m very interested in this.”

Quentin put down his terminal and patiently explained:

“This is a Spirit Energy Transmission System. It contains complex Spirit Energy codes. Once activated, it connects to Universal MegaCorp and borrows Spirit Energy.”

“What you just saw was the lowest-tier industrial-grade Spirit Energy. It’s far too violent for the human body and is only used to power large machines or assist in mechanical repairs.”

“Above that, there’s standard-grade Spirit Energy and medicinal-grade Spirit Energy. Standard-grade is what powers tattoos and precision instruments—Spirit Energy batteries use this type.”

“Medicinal-grade Spirit Energy is mild and can strengthen the body or assist in transformation. The price difference between these levels is enormous—dozens of times apart.”

“Industrial and standard grades are taxed based on usage. But medicinal-grade can only be purchased directly from Universal MegaCorp—and even then, it requires special authorization.”

At this point, Quentin looked downright helpless.

Lu Yan nodded thoughtfully.

To most people, industrial-grade Spirit Energy was too wild to absorb because this version’s supernatural system emphasized mechanical transformation over internal cultivation.

But Lu Yan had cultivation techniques.

To him, this so-called “violent energy” just meant he needed more time. And in return, he got high volume and zero cost.

If he could obtain a steady supply of industrial-grade Spirit Energy, Lu Yan was confident his cultivation would soar.

“If I wanted to install an industrial-grade Spirit Energy transmission system in my future residence, what would I need?”

Quentin waved it off. “No need for that trouble. The underground pharmaceutical factory already has the largest industrial-grade Spirit Energy system in the entire cave.”

“If you lease it, you can use it freely. Just pay the Spirit Energy tax on time.”

Lu Yan made his decision instantly.

“Then let’s check out that pharmaceutical factory.”

Quentin couldn’t be happier. That place had been idle for years. If he closed this lease, the commission alone would be substantial.

He walked out from behind the counter, locked up the shop, and personally led the way.

The cave wasn’t very big—only about the size of a small town—so it didn’t take long to reach the underground factory.

As for Green Ivy, she vanished the moment Quentin paid her 1,000 credits as a guide fee. The habits of Lower District civilians made her instinctively avoid entanglement in “big figure” business.

In an area surrounded by junk houses, Quentin pushed open a rusted metal door—and the underground pharmaceutical factory appeared before Lu Yan.

It was a massive structure made of reinforced concrete, and its upper half resembled an ancient fortress.

As they stepped inside, a vast underground processing plant came into view. The production lines had clearly been abandoned for years. Dust-covered raw materials lay in the corners, most of them rotted beyond use.

Quentin pointed toward the processing center and explained:

“This was once the Kowloon Group’s underground factory. It housed a complete production line for basic enhancement drugs.”

He paused, then added—realizing Lu Yan might not understand the basics:

“Basic enhancement drugs are cheaper versions of Spirit Energy injection serums. They combine industrial-grade Spirit Energy with cheap ingredients. But the result is violently unstable.”

“People who used these drugs often experienced confusion, swelling, reduced intelligence—even skull deformation in rare cases.”

“Still, they were cheap, and many were desperate to strengthen their bodies enough to qualify for modification.”

“But once the City Tax Bureau took notice, the Spirit Energy tax crushed the factory’s profit margins. Huge penalties for tax evasion sent them into bankruptcy. Everything here was sealed off.”

“The place has been abandoned for years, but most of the equipment just needs minor repairs to start running again.”

“But the real gem is the industrial-grade Spirit Energy transmission system.”

As he spoke, Quentin flipped the switch.

Lu Yan could sense the dormant Spirit Energy codes embedded in the monitoring systems activating.

The next moment—a torrent of Spirit Energy exploded through the facility, flooding every corner.

Even without consciously drawing it in, the Spirit Energy automatically flowed into Lu Yan’s dantian, pulled by his spiritual core.

Feeling his cultivation rapidly rise, Lu Yan nodded in satisfaction.

“This factory… I’ll take it!”

(End of Chapter)