Chapter 7: The Multiversal Marketplace

Ao Yetian moved with a newfound purpose, his steps lighter, his mind clearer.

The weight of the CEO card in his pocket was still a heavy presence, a constant reminder of its parasitic demands, but the cessation of its energy drain was a blessed reprieve.

He had three days—seventy-two precious hours—before he would need to confront Xiao Ning'er again, or find a more permanent solution.

His most immediate goal was to generate wealth, yes, but more importantly, to understand the mechanism that shackled him.

He returned to his makeshift hideout, a dilapidated merchant's storehouse on the forgotten edge of Glory City.

Dust motes danced in the sparse sunlight filtering through a gaping hole in the roof, illuminating faded murals of ancient beast spirits.

It was a place of solitude, far from prying eyes, perfect for his clandestine research.

He pulled out the black card. It felt cold against his palm, sleek and alien.

The silver geometric logo, which resembled a stylized, interlocking set of arrows, pulsed faintly now, no longer drawing from his core.

He observed it with the detached intensity of a seasoned alchemist analyzing an unknown artifact.

The card was undeniably from the modern world of My Wife is a Beautiful CEO, but its multiversal function transcended anything described in those novels he ever read.

His Profound Energy flowed around the card, tentatively probing its intricate structure.

He realized it wasn't just a conduit; it possessed a rudimentary, almost artificial intelligence, a "system spirit" that adhered to a rigid, transactional logic.

He mentally commanded it, pushing a query into its core.

“Explain stabilization. Explain alternative energy sources.”

The cold, robotic voice echoed directly in his mind, devoid of inflection or empathy.

[SYSTEM STABILIZATION IS REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN SPATIAL-TEMPORAL COHESION OF USER IDENTIFICATION LINK ACROSS DIVERGENT REALITIES.]

[RECOMMENDED STABILIZATION FUEL: HIGH-PURITY SPIRITUAL ESSENCE; REALM-COHESIVE LIFE-FORCE ENERGY; QUANTUM-ENTANGLEMENT-BASED ENERGY MATRICES.]

[ALTERNATE FUEL SOURCES ACCEPTED: SYSTEM-SPECIFIC SPIRIT COINS (CONVERTED LINGUAL CURRENCY); UNREFINED REALM ENERGY (LOW EFFICIENCY, HIGH IMPURITY).]

Ao Yetian processed the information with a grimace. "High-purity spiritual essence" sounded like rare spiritual plants or perhaps even the core of a powerful demon spirit.

"Realm-cohesive life-force energy" was a thinly veiled euphemism for the kind of bloodline purity Xiao Ning'er possessed.

"Quantum-entanglement-based energy matrices"—that was clearly a concept from the most advanced technological worlds, far beyond Glory City.

"Unrefined realm energy," however, piqued his interest. That sounded like the ambient Soul Force of this very world, albeit 'low efficiency, high impurity.' It would be like trying to fuel a starship with firewood.

He'd need mountains of it.

But then, another thought struck him. The card had processed the "Lingual Currency" of Glory City.

It had a conversion rate. If it could convert local currency into a universal equivalent, could it... buy things?

He had seen such systems in other novels—interdimensional marketplaces, universal banks. It was a long shot, but worth investigating. He focused on the card again.

“Access marketplace.”

The card shimmered, and a faint, holographic interface bloomed in the air before him, visible only to his focused mind.

It was a grid, impossibly complex, filled with symbols and images that shifted with bewildering speed. There were categories, filters, and a display of his current balance:

[UNIVERSAL CREDIT EXCHANGE RATE: 1/0.00001].

His initial deposit of fifty million Spirit Coins had barely registered. The conversion rate must be astronomically skewed against Glory City's currency.

He navigated the interface. It was surprisingly intuitive, reacting to his mental commands. He quickly filtered through "Energy Sources."
The results flashed before him, dizzying in their variety:

[BASIC SPIRIT STONE (GRADE 1 - TDG REALM)]
Price: 10,000 Universal Credit
Description: Low-grade spiritual energy crystal. Common in nascent cultivation worlds. Mild impurities.

Ao Yetian scoffed. One of those cost maybe a few hundred Spirit Coins in Glory City. The card wanted ten thousand Universal Credit for it? His fifty million Spirit Coins wouldn't buy him a handful.

He scrolled further.

[PROFOUND GINSENG (COMMON - ATG REALM)]
Price: 50,000 Universal Credit
Description: Common medicinal herb from high-energy realms. Aids profound energy circulation.

[MID-GRADE SPIRIT JADE (MWIBC REALM)]
Price: 1,000,000 Universal Credit
Description: A refined spiritual energy conductor, often used in modern cultivation formations. Less potent than profound energy crystals but extremely pure.

A cold, hard realization settled in his gut.

The conversion rate for Glory City's currency was horrendous, probably because its intrinsic energy value was so low in the grand scheme of the multiverse.

He would need billions, perhaps even trillions, of Spirit Coins just to buy enough energy to sustainably feed the card and stop draining his Profound Core.

This wasn't just about escaping; it was about building an empire of wealth. He couldn't just sell one inscription.

He needed to corner the market, to revolutionize the entire economy of Glory City.

He needed to become the sole provider of all advanced technology, all superior cultivation methods.

He thought of the Demon Spirit Realm, the vast, untapped spiritual energy within the Demon Beasts themselves, and the Boundless Desert, where ancient, forgotten spiritual veins lay waiting.

He knew of hidden, pre-historic ruins that contained vast quantities of spiritual essence.

The card wasn't just a parasite; it was a blueprint for universal dominance.

It was a tool that could turn the entire TDG world into his personal mining operation.

He looked at the small, mundane-looking card in his hand, then at the faded murals of ancient beasts on the wall.

The irony was palpable.

To escape this world, he first had to conquer it, to extract every ounce of its spiritual and material wealth.

The Demon Beast horde was coming.

The Sacred Family was scheming. But Ao Yetian had a new, far more immediate enemy: a universal credit card with an insatiable hunger for power.

He had three days.

Three days to plan his next move, to find a way to make Glory City pay for his ticket out.

And the best part?

No one would even know they were funding his escape.

They'd just think they were getting stronger.

A slow, predatory smile spread across Ao Yetian's face.

The game had just changed.