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

At the summit of Luoxia Peak, the enormous "metal horn," forged from melted-down discarded flying swords, was emitting a crackling sound of electricity.

Jia Zhuang stood in front of the loudspeaker, holding a microphone modified from a spirit stone. Behind him, Elder Wang Teng was sweating profusely as he adjusted the diesel generator connected to the "Heavenly Dao System".

"Is the voltage stable?" Jia Zang tested the microphone. "Hello, hello, can the Heavenly Court hear me? This is plane 073, signal test."

In the sky, the huge red system pop-up window cracked open again, this time transforming into a massive holographic projection screen suspended in mid-air.

The screen was divided into more than a dozen small windows.

The largest window in the very center shows Li Changqing's icy face, with the solemn backdrop of the Lingxiao Palace behind him.

Meanwhile, the surrounding small windows were crowded with big shots from various sects in the cultivation world.

The patriarch of the Taixu Sword Sect, a sword cultivator who had lived for three thousand years, was now huddled in a corner like a primary school student who had done something wrong; the sect leader of the Hehuan Sect was busy touching up his makeup, trying to maintain his beauty in front of the camera; and the tower master of the Pill Tower, the hall master of the Weapon Hall... these big figures who usually commanded the wind and rain were now looking at the camera with blank expressions, obviously not understanding what kind of advanced use this "recording stone" was.

[The cross-dimensional hearing is now beginning.]

The mechanical sound of the Heavenly Dao System emanated from the loudspeaker, causing the glass windows of Luoxia Peak to vibrate.

[Given the depletion of spiritual energy caused by unauthorized industrialization in Plane 073, the administrators of all major sects are now being held accountable.]

Li Changqing cleared his throat, his gaze sweeping across every window on the screen: "Gentlemen, the rules of Heaven cannot be trampled upon. With spiritual energy depleted and the environment deteriorating, you, as the administrators, bear a heavy responsibility. Now, I'm giving you a chance to defend yourselves."

The patriarch of the Taixu Sword Sect tremblingly raised his hand: "Um... Immortal, this humble Taoist... this humble Taoist knows his mistake. In the future, I will definitely plant more trees and forests, and... less sword forging."

"Less sword forging?" Li Changqing sneered. "The amount of refined iron your Taixu Sword Sect consumes in a year is enough for an ordinary person to use for ten thousand years. Your defense is too weak."

The leader of the Hehuan Sect winked and said, "My lord, I'm just trying to promote population growth..."

"Silence!" Li Changqing roared. "The Heavenly Dao System has determined that your management has committed serious dereliction of duty. I hereby propose that the 'formatting' plan be implemented on the cultivation world, all spiritual energy be withdrawn, and the plane be restarted."

"What?!"

The big shots on the screen instantly went wild.

"Why should we?!" the Tower Master of the Pill Tower cried out in anger. "We've painstakingly cultivated for thousands of years, and you just format us like that?!"

"Exactly! This isn't fair!"

"Protest! We want to protest!"

However, no matter how much they shouted, Li Changqing just watched indifferently, his finger hovering over the red "Confirm Execution" button.

"Time's up. Defense unsuccessful."

Li Changqing's finger was about to press down.

"Wait!"

A loud shout interrupted everyone.

Jia Zhuang shoved Wang Teng, who was blocking the camera, and held the microphone wrapped with copper wire to his mouth.

"Enforcement Officer Li, their defense is invalid because they don't understand the 'rules.' But I am a professional."

Jia Zang straightened his tie, even though it was made from scrap tire material.

"I am the Jade Emperor's special guest at this hearing, and now I am here as the 'lawyer' representing the cultivation world to deliver my final defense."

Li Changqing narrowed his eyes: "Jia Zhuang, you have no right to speak here."

"According to Article 44 of the 'Heavenly Dao User Agreement'," Jia Zhuang spoke rapidly, "in major decisions concerning the survival of a plane, any interested party has the right to request 'third-party intervention.' I now represent billions of beings in the cultivation world, and... billions of 'spectators' in the Earth plane."

He pointed to the top of his head.

In the sky, countless bullet comments were scrolling wildly.

[Warning: Warning! Lawyer's letter!]

Is Chairman Jia about to go to court?

Support Chairman Jia! Kill these bureaucrats!

[Is this the trial for cyberpunk cultivators? I'm in love!]

The mechanical voice of the Heavenly Dao System sounded again:

[High level of public interest detected. Application approved. Jia Zhuang is permitted to defend himself.]

Li Changqing's face darkened, but he could not defy the system's judgment.

"Alright, Jia Zang, I'll give you three minutes. If you can't convince the Heavenly Dao, you'll also be added to the 'formatting' list."

"Three minutes? That's enough."

Jia Zhuang pushed up his barely-there glasses, his gaze sharp as he stared directly at Li Changqing on the screen, and at the trembling sect leaders.

"First, I want to clarify one point: is the depletion of spiritual energy really entirely the fault of the cultivation world?"

Jia Zhuang walked over to the generator and patted the roaring diesel engine.

"Enforcer Li, you keep saying we're destroying the environment. But do you know why we're industrializing? Why we're frantically extracting spiritual energy?"

Li Changqing sneered: "Because of your greed."

"Wrong!" Jia Zang slammed his hand on the table. "It's because your Heavenly Court's 'taxes' are too high!"

These words shocked everyone present.

The sect leaders on the screen looked at each other in bewilderment, and even the comments section paused for a second.

"You... what nonsense are you talking about!" Li Changqing shouted sternly.

"I'm talking nonsense?" Jia Zhuang sneered, pulling a thick ledger from his briefcase—the "Heavenly Dao Tax Revenue Analysis Report" that the system had just generated.

"Do you all think that the spiritual energy we absorb during cultivation is all for our own use? No! According to my calculations, for every 100 units of spiritual energy a cultivator absorbs, 80 units are extracted into the Heavenly Court's 'Spiritual Energy Reserve' through the 'Heavenly Tax'! Only the remaining 20 units are what we use for cultivation!"

Jia Zang pointed at the screen, his voice growing louder: "The Heavenly Court is high above, enjoying the energy offerings of the entire universe. Meanwhile, the cultivators below, in order to maintain their cultivation and avoid being eliminated, can only desperately 'scramble'! They can only desperately mine resources!"

"What do we do when there's not enough spiritual energy? We can only industrialize and forcibly extract it using technological means! This isn't greed, it's being forced into a corner! This is 'involution'!"

"Your Heavenly Court are the biggest 'capitalists'! You set unfair rules and then blame us for destroying the environment? It's like a factory owner not paying his workers and then blaming them for stealing coal for heating!"

"boom--!!!"

Jia Zang's words were like a nuclear bomb, exploding in the hearts of the big shots in the cultivation world.

The patriarch of the Taixu Sword Sect suddenly raised his head, his eyes flashing with an unprecedented light: "So...so that's how it is? No wonder my spiritual energy has been getting thinner and thinner after a thousand years of cultivation, it turns out it's all been taken away?"

"I knew it! Why is my alchemy furnace burning less and less!" The Tower Master of the Pill Tower was also furious.

"Protest! We protest against the exploitation by the Heavenly Court!"

"Give me back my spirit!"

The bigwigs on the screen went wild, roaring at the camera.

The barrage of comments in the sky was absolutely devastating.

Holy crap! The truth is out!

[Chairman Jia is awesome! This is a full-blown rebellion!]

[Heavenly Dao System, how are you going to repay what you owe us?!]

[Isn't this just the 996 work culture of the cultivation world? I'm moved to tears.]

[Warning! Warning! Logical conflict! Logical conflict!]

The mechanical voice of the Heavenly Dao System suddenly became rapid.

The enormous illusory Tai Chi diagram began to flicker wildly, its red light flashing on and off.

[Detected... detected... the Heavenly Dao's tax rate is too high... leading to... leading to an imbalance in the dimensional ecosystem...]

[Recalculate...Recalculate...]

[Conclusion: The defendant's (the cultivation world's) motives...are partially reasonable. The plaintiff's (the Heavenly Court's) management...has loopholes.]

Li Changqing's face turned deathly pale instantly.

He stared at the system interface that was "crashing" and was horrified to find that he had no control over the situation.

"No...this is impossible! How could the laws of Heaven have loopholes!" Li Changqing pointed at Jia Zhuang in a fit of rage, "You...you're spreading heresy! You're inciting a riot!"

"Enforcement Officer Li, this is called 'public opinion supervision'." Jia Zhuang straightened his collar, revealing a victorious smile. "Now that the system has determined we are in the right, shouldn't we talk about... the issue of compensation?"

"Compensation?" Li Changqing gritted his teeth.

"Yes." Jia Zhuang pointed to the polluted sky. "Since the depletion of spiritual energy is due to the Heavenly Court's excessive taxation, the responsibility for environmental restoration should naturally fall on the Heavenly Court. We demand... that the Heavenly Court provide an 'environmental patch' for the cultivation world, and... exempt them from the 'spiritual energy tax' for the next thousand years!"

"you--!"

Li Changqing was trembling with anger, but looking at the system that was already trapped in a logical loop, he knew that he had no way out.

"Good...very good!" Li Changqing stared intently at Jia Zhuang. "Jia Zhuang, you've won this round. But don't forget, we set the rules. Since you want 'environmental protection,' then I'll give you...an 'environmental protection' that you'll regret for the rest of your life!"

Li Changqing suddenly pressed a button on the table.

[System notification: The defendant's claim has been accepted.]

[Downloading the "Environmentally Friendly Cultivation" patch...]

[Reshaping the rules of the cultivation world...]

The red pop-up window in the sky disappeared, replaced by an eerie green light.

As Jia Zang looked at the green light, a sense of foreboding suddenly rose in his heart.

It seems he... pushed the Heavenly Court too far?

"Family members," Jia Zhuang said into the microphone, his voice a little hoarse, "I think... something big is about to happen to us."