My Crazy Upgrade System

After completing all the repairs, he wasn’t in a hurry to find Jade Spirit Stones to set within it. Given the current chaos, it was hardly the right time to move the Celestial Sinking Ruins. A Divine Hall flying across the sky would inevitably draw unwanted attention.

This was especially true if he flew it to the Celestial Extreme Mansion. If they attracted the wrong kind of attention, they might be annihilated before they even knew what hit them. With a powerful enemy looming, Yi Tianyun didn’t dare to fly it around recklessly until he was strong enough. As a result, he couldn’t make any quick progress on his main quest for the time being.

Still, he had to make what preparations he could.

"I’m about done here. Time to head back." Yi Tianyun nodded. He had already set up everything that needed to be. All they needed now was time. ’As long as they have enough time, they’ll be able to grow strong quickly!’

With so many resources and Martial Arts at their disposal, it would be difficult for them *not* to grow. However, no matter how quickly they progressed, it couldn’t be accomplished in a matter of days. By his estimation, it would take at least several years for the Merak Sect to reach the peak of a Second-Grade Faction before advancing to become a Third-Grade Faction.

This was the most they could achieve without the Celestial Extreme Mansion’s involvement, which was already remarkably fast. The only exception would be if a large group of geniuses were to join them. But until the Merak Sect made a name for itself, no true geniuses would join, save for perhaps some undiscovered talents from the common folk.

He said a quick goodbye to Shi Xueyun and the others, then promptly departed without lingering. Time was of the essence. He had already finished setting everything up here, and most matters could now run smoothly without his intervention.

Upon returning to the Celestial Extreme Mansion, he found that nothing had changed, which made Yi Tianyun breathe a sigh of relief. If the mansion had been attacked in his absence, it would have been a disaster.

"Mansion Master, you’re back!" The Great Elder and the others’ faces lit up with joy when they saw Yi Tianyun return.

Everything now revolved around Yi Tianyun. They felt they couldn’t do without him; if he were to leave and never return, the Celestial Extreme Mansion would be doomed.

"Did anything happen here during my absence?" Yi Tianyun asked.

"Yes, a major one!" the Great Elder said grimly. "News has spread like wildfire outside. The Imperial Palace in Julong City was destroyed, and many Mansion Masters died there—including us, according to the rumors! Furthermore, the destruction of the Divine Rune Mansion has been linked to the Netherworld Empire. The entire Celestial Realm Continent is in an uproar, with everyone worried they’ll be targeted by the Netherworld Empire next!"

Yi Tianyun nodded. This didn’t surprise him. He knew the news would inevitably get out, which meant they had to lay low.

"However, the Netherworld Empire quickly issued a statement clarifying that they were not responsible for the destruction of the Divine Rune Mansion and have ordered a full investigation!" the Great Elder said gravely. "The Empire is now completely focused on this investigation, so I doubt they’ll have any time to bother with us. Plus, since we’re all officially ’dead,’ it’s even less likely anyone will know we’re still here."

Yi Tianyun smiled faintly. This was exactly the outcome he had hoped for. By faking their deaths, they could operate without suspicion, and nothing would be traced back to the Celestial Extreme Mansion. By the time the Netherworld Empire got around to investigating them, who knew how much time would have passed. Besides, with so much on its plate, the Empire would have little time to spare for a ’defunct’ mansion.

"It seems things are developing in our favor." Yi Tianyun nodded and then asked, "Any problems at the Celestial Extreme Mansion lately?"

"No major issues. We haven’t distributed the new resources we acquired all at once. We’re handing them out gradually at the usual pace to avoid any complications," the Great Elder said. "Other than that, everything is fine. It’s just... even fewer disciples are trying to join the Celestial Extreme Mansion now..."

At this, the Great Elder gave a wry smile. A lack of new disciples was not a good sign.

Yi Tianyun then outlined his plan, explaining the proposed merger and the situation with the Merak Sect’s ancestors. It was crucial for them to discuss this thoroughly to prevent any potential conflicts.

"Two sects in one mansion? Interesting. Of course, that’s no problem. We’ll follow Mansion Master Yi’s lead," the Great Elder said with a laugh. "If our two factions merge, our disciple count will increase. If we pour all our resources into training them, I’m certain we will flourish!"

With the two factions merged, the number of disciples wouldn’t be massive, but it wouldn’t be small either. What truly mattered, however, was quality.

"Good. Since there are no objections, I’m heading to the Star Pavilion to buy something. I’ll be back shortly." Seeing that everything was settled, Yi Tianyun quickly departed.

He was going to the Star Pavilion to buy Jade Spirit Stones, of course. While he didn’t need them immediately, it was always best to be prepared. He went alone this time. The Celestial Extreme Mansion was still in a vulnerable position, and he couldn’t risk being recognized and attracting trouble.

He was wearing a mask now, so he wasn’t afraid of being recognized. He could take on anyone who started trouble with him.

Soon, he arrived at the Star Pavilion headquarters. With the widest selection of goods and the most comprehensive information, it was the ideal destination.

’Looks like the recent events haven’t had a major impact on daily life. Ordinary Cultivators seem completely unaffected.’ Yi Tianyun noted with a nod. The Netherworld Empire’s aggressive actions hadn’t thrown the entire continent into a state of panic.

He then entered the Star Pavilion. No one recognized him, as he had deliberately disguised himself to look like a man in his late twenties.

"Welcome to the Star Pavilion. How may I help you?" a pretty attendant asked as she approached him.

"I’d like to purchase some Jade Spirit Stones—exceptionally large ones," Yi Tianyun stated directly.

"Exceptionally large Jade Spirit Stones?" The attendant’s eyes lit up. "How large would you need them to be?"

This meant a huge commission for her. The larger the sale, the larger her cut.

"I need them to be over a hundred pounds each. I’ll take a dozen or so." Yi Tianyun thought for a moment. It wouldn’t hurt to have extra. ’Better safe than sorry.’

"A... a hundred pounds each..." the attendant gasped, her voice trembling slightly. "Sir, an intact Jade Spirit Stone of that size is incredibly rare. The largest we have are around thirty pounds. We really don’t have any hundred-pound ones..."

"Thirty pounds?" Yi Tianyun frowned. That was far from what he needed. He required stones of at least fifty to sixty pounds. If they were too small, they wouldn’t even fill the sockets. ’How is he supposed to activate the Flying Array then?’

"Yes, only thirty-pound ones." The attendant looked at him hopefully, still wishing she could make the sale.

"Forget it. Too small. I’m not interested." Yi Tianyun gave a dismissive wave and turned to leave. They were simply too small.

"Sir, please wait a moment." Just then, a stunningly beautiful woman emerged gracefully from the back of the pavilion. She smiled at him and said, "Pardon me, I happened to overhear. Did you say you were looking for Jade Spirit Stones over a hundred pounds?"

Without even glancing at her, Yi Tianyun nodded. "That’s right. If not a hundred pounds, then at least fifty or sixty."

"What a coincidence. Someone is about to auction several top-grade Jade Spirit Stones of that very quality. The heaviest is two hundred pounds. Would you be interested in stepping into our VIP room to hear the details?" With just a few words, the beautiful woman stopped Yi Tianyun in his tracks.

This made Yi Tianyun look up at her, and he realized she looked somewhat familiar.