174: Chapter 174 Cross-border Live Streaming: Pay-to-Win vs. Cultivation

The moment the [Conceptual Firewall] bought with 500 million dimension points took effect, the popularity value of Lin Chen's livestream room skyrocketed vertically like crazy!

100 billion... 150 billion... 200 billion!

Meanwhile, the Immortal Emperor's livestream popularity value plummeted off a cliff to 370 million — the remainder were all his die-hard fans and bot accounts.

The barrage comments completely defected:

[500 million dimension points for a firewall?! What kind of divine operation is this?!]

[The Immortal Emperor's virus didn't even make a splash!]

[User 'Long Live Pay-to-Win' donated 200 million dimension points: Boss Lin! Please stream how you spend these 500 million!]

Lin Chen stood in the center of the studio, behind him were 100 Great Luo Golden Immortals just bought wholesale, clumsily dancing to 'The Most Dazzling Ethnic Style' — the scene was both absurd and awe-inspiring.

"Immortal Emperor, big shot."

He smiled at the Immortal Emperor on the other side of the lens:

"Your virus package seems to have expired."

"How about... you come dance a segment too?"

"I'll pay you double wages — dance for a day, I'll give you 10 million dimension points."

On the Immortal Emperor's side, the screen trembled violently.

He stood amidst the ruins of his shattered immortal palace, his white robes stained with blood, his aura feeble. Those imperial eyes that once looked down upon myriad realms were now bloodshot.

"Lin Chen..."

The Immortal Emperor's voice was terrifyingly hoarse:

"You think... you've won?"

Slowly, he raised his hand and pulled out a pure black jade slip from his chest.

The surface of the jade slip flowed with a viscous darkness that seemed alive.

"Recognize this?"

Lin Chen frowned.

Customer Service 007 suddenly screamed in his mind:

"That's the 'Old Shareholder Group's Ultimate Authority Key'! It can temporarily mobilize 30% of the platform's computing power! Morpheus gave him his trump card!"

"What's the consequence of using it?" Lin Chen asked.

"Using it once consumes half of one's lifespan!" 007's voice trembled, "The Immortal Emperor didn't have much lifespan left to begin with, using this... he'll age to death on the spot!"

But the Immortal Emperor had already crushed the jade slip.

A dog-blood plot twist:

The moment the jade slip shattered—

Across the entire Myriad Dimensions Sandbox platform, the screens of all livestream rooms simultaneously froze!

It wasn't lag; time had been partially frozen!

Only Lin Chen and the Immortal Emperor's livestream rooms were still running; all other channels had become static images.

"I used 30% of the platform's computing power to buy out the 'Exclusive Livestream Rights' for the next ten minutes."

The Immortal Emperor's voice echoed through the void:

"During these ten minutes, the entire platform can only watch the two of us."

"No other choices, no possibility of diversion."

"The audience can only choose between two—"

"Either watch you, or watch me."

"And I will let them know..."

The Immortal Emperor's body began to burn — not with flames, but with his life essence!

"...what true..."

"...cultivation is!"

BOOM——!!!

Behind him, a colossal immortal gate spanning thirty-three planes rose!

What emerged from within the gate were not celestial soldiers or generals.

It was the vengeful souls of cultivators from all ages who failed to ascend!

Three million in total!

Each exuded resentment at least at the Golden Immortal level, each retaining their combat instincts from life!

"This is..." Su Qingyu's face turned pale, "He refined all the failed ascendants from his sect into zombies?!"

"More than that." Lin Chen stared at those vengeful souls, "Among them is his master — the previous Immortal Emperor."

Indeed, at the forefront of the vengeful soul army was an old man wearing purple-gold imperial robes, with a dignified face but hollow eyes.

It was precisely the Immortal Emperor's mentor, the 'Purple Tenuity Immortal Emperor' who attempted to break through to the Saint Realm thirty thousand years ago and had his soul scattered!

"Master..."

The Immortal Emperor looked at that figure, a flash of pain in his eyes, soon replaced by madness:

"I'm sorry."

"But your disciple needs you... to help one last time."

He raised his hand and pointed at the Purple Tenuity Immortal Emperor's vengeful soul:

"Kill."

The three million vengeful soul army surged toward Lin Chen's studio like a black tide!

Wherever they passed, even space began to decay and disintegrate!

This wasn't a performance!

This was a true world-ending level attack!

The barrage comments panicked completely:

[The Immortal Emperor has gone mad!]

[This is mutual destruction!]

[Boss Lin, run!]

But Lin Chen didn't run.

He didn't even move.

He just pulled up the backend and searched:

[Planar-Level Zombie Clearing Service]

Price: Charged by quantity.

Unit Price: Golden Immortal level vengeful soul, 100 dimension points each.

Immortal Emperor-level vengeful soul (Purple Tenuity Immortal Emperor), 50 million dimension points each.

Total: 350 million dimension points.

"So expensive." Lin Chen clicked his tongue.

Then, he clicked purchase.

[Purchase Successful]

[350 million dimension points consumed]

[Remaining dimension points: 150 million]

[Service Provider: Technological Cultivation United Empire·Undead Disposal Department]

[Estimated Arrival Time: 3 seconds]

As soon as the words fell—

Above the studio, a massive, mechanical silver rift cracked open!

What descended from the rift wasn't an army, but an enormous silver disc-shaped machine large enough to blot out the sky!

Inscribed on the bottom of the machine was:

[Seventh-Generation Conceptual Purifier·Battlefield Cleaner Type (Undead Specialized Version)]

The machine emitted a cold mechanical voice:

"Illegal undead congregation detected."

"Executing Article 77 of the 'Cross-Dimensional Undead Management Regulations'."

"Cleansing Mode: Humanitarian Transcendence (Forced)."

HUM!!!

The bottom of the machine opened, shooting out pure white beams filled with warm Buddhist light!

Those beams accurately struck every vengeful soul!

The struck vengeful souls rapidly shed their ferocious expressions, the resentment in their eyes turning clear.

They halted their charge, stood in place, and looked down at their gradually transparent hands.

Then, one by one...

They clasped their hands together, smiled, and dissipated into golden light.

True transcendence.

Three million vengeful souls, all purified within three seconds.

Only the Purple Tenuity Immortal Emperor at the front remained.

He looked at his dissipating disciples and descendants, then at the Immortal Emperor burning his life essence in the distance, and suddenly sighed to the heavens:

"Foolish child..."

"You have ultimately... taken the evil path."

He turned and bowed to Lin Chen:

"Fellow Daoist, thank you for the transcendence."

"My disciple... I entrust him to you."

After speaking, he too dissipated into golden light.

After completing its work, the purification machine tossed down a bill:

[Service Fee: 350 million dimension points (Paid)]

[Additional Environmental Processing Fee: 5 million dimension points]

[Please scan to pay]

Lin Chen paid.

The machine left, satisfied.

Dead silence filled the venue.

The Immortal Emperor stared blankly at the empty void, watching the army he traded half his lifespan for... vanish just like that.

"No... impossible..."

He murmured:

"That was my trump card accumulated over thirty thousand years..."

"How could..."

Lin Chen walked up to the lens and said softly:

"Immortal Emperor, big shot, times have changed."

"Your thirty thousand years of arduous cultivation, your million-strong vengeful soul army—"

"...is no match for my... three seconds of pay-to-win."

As soon as the words fell!

The online viewer count in the Immortal Emperor's livestream room plummeted to 0.

It wasn't that the audience left.

It was the system automatically judging—

The duel was over.

A thrilling sense of satisfaction:

The Founder ∞ Badge slowly materialized, emitting a solemn voice:

[Traffic Duel·Final Verdict]

[Winner: Lin Chen]

[Loser: Long Aotian Immortal Emperor]

[According to the wager, all assets, permissions, cultivation, memories... of the loser are transferred to the winner]

A golden light was forcibly stripped from the Immortal Emperor's body!

It was everything he had accumulated over twelve seasons:

The fragments of his nine Lifebound Immortal Swords transformed into nine streams of light, flying into Lin Chen's hand.

The ownership contract for the Immortal Palace automatically signed and transferred.

Even his 'Immortal Emperor Dao Heart' — that crystalline, transparent, golden heart-shaped crystal containing his lifelong cultivation insights — was forcibly dug out, hovering before Lin Chen.

"No... NO!!!"

The Immortal Emperor knelt on the ground, frantically grabbing for that Dao Heart:

"That's mine! My Dao!!"

But his hand passed through the phantom.

The Dao Heart no longer belonged to him.

Lin Chen grasped that Dao Heart, feeling the vast ocean of cultivation memories, combat experience, and insights into the 'Dao' within.

Then, he performed an action that made everyone's pupils quake—

He casually threw it to a Great Luo Golden Immortal behind him who was still doing square dancing.

"For you."

He said.

"Use it as a decoration."

That Great Luo Golden Immortal, originally just a low-level angel, dumbly caught the Dao Heart.

The next second—

BOOM!!!

His realm began to skyrocket madly!

Early-stage Great Luo Golden Immortal → Mid-stage → Late-stage → Peak!

Finally, breaking through the Immortal Emperor barrier!

Although he didn't have the combat power of an Immortal Emperor, his realm had genuinely stepped into the Immortal Emperor level!

The barrage comments went completely insane:

[The Immortal Emperor's Dao Heart... as a decoration?!]

[He casually created an Immortal Emperor?!]

[User 'Worldview Shattered' donated 100 million dimension points: Please, Boss Lin, open a class!]

The real Immortal Emperor was now collapsed on the ground, cultivation lost, hair white as snow, like an old man on his last legs.

He looked up at Lin Chen, extreme resentment in his eyes:

"Lin Chen... just you wait..."

"Chairman Morpheus... won't let you off..."

"And the Old Shareholder Group... they will..."

Before he could finish.

The sky suddenly cracked open with nine massive, gear-covered rifts!

Nine 'Adjudicators' wearing blood-red uniforms, with a blood-red ∞ symbol branded on their chests, descended from the rifts!

The lead Adjudicator opened a record book:

[Detected Old Shareholder Group member 'Morpheus' and his faction Suspected of abusing platform computing power、 Illegal manipulation of traffic、 Deliberately undermining platform stability (suspected of abusing platform computing power, illegally manipulating traffic, deliberately undermining platform stability)]

[After a unanimous vote by the Supreme Council (Provisional)]

[Now executing: Forced Arrest and Asset Confiscation Procedure]

It raised a hand and pointed!

Nine blood-red chains shot out, dragging Morpheus and the others hidden in the void into the open!

Morpheus no longer had his previous composure, struggling frantically:

"Founder! You can't do this! I served the platform! I—"

"The service you rendered was built upon the blood and tears of countless streamers and worlds."

The Founder's voice was icy:

"Take them away."

The Adjudicators escorted Morpheus and the others into the rift.

Before leaving, the lead Adjudicator gave a slight nod to Lin Chen:

"Mr. Lin Chen, thank you for the evidence you provided."

"The crimes of the Old Shareholder Group will be thoroughly investigated."

"Additionally—"

It handed over a document:

"This is the appointment letter from the Supreme Council (Provisional)."

"Given your outstanding performance during this crisis, and your current 31% shareholding in the platform..."

"The Council unanimously passed, appointing you as—"

[Myriad Dimensions Sandbox Platform·New Chairman].

The document descended, golden light enveloping him.

Lin Chen's backend permissions instantly soared to the highest level!

He could see all the platform's data, all the backends, all the secrets!

And just then—

Customer Service 007's trembling voice came through:

"C-Chairman Lin..."

"I just took over the Old Shareholder Group's database..."

"There's an encrypted file inside... You... better look at it..."

The file transferred over.

Lin Chen opened it.

Title: 'The Ultimate Truth of the Myriad Dimensions Sandbox·Burn After Reading'

The content had only three lines:

1. All platform 'viewers' are actually ancient civilization survivors imprisoned in virtual dimensions; their emotional energy is extracted to maintain platform operation.

2. The so-called 'livestream worlds' are actually 'farms' pieced together from fragments of these survivors' memories; streamers are caretakers, plots are feed.

3. The platform's true purpose: When a world's 'plot concludes,' the 'essence of existence' of all living beings in that world is refined into 'dimensional crystals,' used to... prolong the Founder's life.

The end of the file had an attached photo:

The Founder 'Shang's' true form — an aged figure lying in a life-support pod, covered in tubes, only half his body remaining.

Under the photo was a line of small text:

[I have slept for 1.37 million years, sustaining my life by devouring worlds]

[But I don't want to continue like this]

[Lin Chen, if you see this...]

[Help me end all this]

Hook:

Lin Chen stared at that line of text, silent for a full ten seconds.

Then, he looked up at the ∞ Badge still rotating in the sky.

"Founder."

He said softly.

"I accept this appointment."

"But I want to change a few rules."

He pulled up the highest authority backend interface and began writing:

[Rule One: Effective immediately, all platform 'viewers' gain freedom of choice — they may choose to continue watching, or choose to 'reincarnate' into any livestream world to start a new life]

[Rule Two: Prohibit all 'plot kills' and 'forced tragedies,' violators will be permanently banned]

[Rule Three: Streamer revenue split ratio changes from platform 70% to platform 30%]

[Rule Four: Establish a 'World Protection Committee,' I serve as Chairman, Su Qingyu as Vice-Chairman]

After writing, he clicked publish.

A platform-wide announcement!

After a brief dead silence, the barrage comments erupted into unprecedented carnival (carnival):

[We're free?!]

[We can reincarnate?! I want to go to the Netherworld world!]

[Long live Chairman Lin!!!]

The Founder's badge slowly dimmed.

That aged voice sounded one last time:

"Thank you, child."

"What comes next... is up to you."

The badge completely dissipated.

Lin Chen became the sole ruler of the Myriad Dimensions Sandbox.

But he knew the real challenge was just beginning.

Because backend data showed—

Although the Old Shareholder Group had fallen, the 'time bombs' they planted still numbered 127.

Distributed across 127 different livestream worlds.

And the first one about to explode...

Was right beneath his feet.

This world's 'Plot Conclusion Countdown':

72 hours.

When the countdown reaches zero, if Lin Chen cannot find an energy source to replace 'dimensional crystals'...

This world, along with all living beings within—

Will be digested by the platform he just took over.

Lin Chen looked at the countdown and smiled.

"Su Qingyu."

"Here."

"Gather all shareholders, all streamers, all viewers."

"I'm calling a meeting."

"The meeting theme is—"

A cold light flashed in his eyes:

"'On the Feasibility Plan for Solving the Energy Crisis Using Commercial Means.'"

"And by the way..."

He looked at the coordinates of those 127 time bombs in the backend:

"Update the acquisition list."

"What we're buying next..."

"Isn't just a certain world anymore."

"It's..."

"All worlds."