The button pulsed under Lin Hao's thumb.
[World Upgrade: Planar Ascension (Middle Spiritual Plane)] [Cost: 10,000,000 UP]
It was the ultimate power fantasy. One press, and the laws of physics would rewrite themselves. The sky would clear. The air would taste like wine. The "ceiling" keeping him at Level 9 would shatter, and he would ascend to the Xiantian Realm, gaining the ability to fly.
But Lin Hao didn't press it.
He read the fine print.
[Warning: Ascension Event is Global and Irreversible.] [Effect 1: Atmospheric Reiki Density increases by 10,000%.] [Effect 2: Dormant 'Spirit Bloodlines' in all biological life will awaken.] [Effect 3: 'Hidden Realms' and 'Spatial Fissures' will manifest.] [Effect 4: Current 'Mutated Beasts' will evolve into 'Spirit Beasts'.]
Lin Hao's thumb froze.
He re-read Effect 4.
Mutated Beasts will evolve.
He thought back to the Level 5 Tiger in the warehouse. That thing had been a biological mistake, a creature twisted by the first, messy pulse of Reiki. It had been fast, strong, and stupid.
A "Spirit Beast" was different. In the lore, Spirit Beasts had cultivation levels. They had elements. Some had intelligence.
If he pressed this button, every stray dog, every zoo lion, every rat in the sewers would suddenly be bombarded with high-grade energy. The tiger that had nearly killed him at Level 2? That would be a minion in this new world.
And what about the "Hidden Realms"? Ancient pockets of space folding open? What if they opened in the middle of a city? What if one opened in his parents' backyard?
He looked out the window at the distant, sleeping city.
Millions of people were down there. His parents were down there. His sister was down there.
They were "safe" now, relative to the current world. His parents had Waste Roots and health pills. His sister was a Level 1 novice with a Common Root.
But if he pressed this button, he would be tossing them into a shark tank.
"They aren't ready," Lin Hao whispered, pulling his hand back as if the screen were hot.
He stepped away from the window, pacing the length of the hall.
"I'm ready. I'm Level 9. I have a Perfect Foundation. I can handle the surge."
He looked at his profile.
"But Lin Meng? She's barely learned to cycle Qi. If the atmospheric pressure jumps 10,000%, she might suffer backlash. And the villa... my formations are 'Mid-Grade Spirit Rank'. Are they strong enough to stop a 'Spatial Fissure' or a true 'Spirit Beast'?"
He looked at his balance.
[Total Upgrade Points (UP): 13,006,130]
He had 13 million. The upgrade cost 10 million.
That left him with a surplus of 3,006,130 UP.
Three million points.
Three million points was a staggering amount of resources. Just a week ago, he was agonizing over spending 500 UP. Now, he had a war chest that could outfit an army.
If he ascended the world now, with 3 million points unspent, he was being reckless. He was hoarding capital while his defenses were obsolete.
"I need to prepare them," he realized. "I need to turn this villa into a fortress that can survive a planar shift. I need to arm my sister. I need to shield my parents."
He sat back down on his meditation cushion.
The button would wait. The world had been stuck in the mud for thousands of years; it could wait another hour.
"I have three million points to burn," Lin Hao said, his eyes narrowing in calculation. "Let's go shopping."