Song Xu was a top student at White Dragon High School.

He was also the "boss" Mo Tianyi referred to—the founder of the Alliance of the Resentful Poor.

And his family hailed from none other than the Song Family, one of the Sixteen Clans of Songyang.

But Song Xu didn’t see any contradiction there. After all, who said being born with Song Family blood meant you couldn’t be poor?

Each generation, many from the Song Family were eliminated and forced to work off their debts. A few generations down the line, their descendants naturally became poor.

It was said that Song Xu’s great-grandfather could still kneel before the heads of the main Song Family. By Song Xu’s generation, not even Song Hailong’s friends would acknowledge them.

To most outsiders, it wasn’t even common knowledge that Song Xu’s ancestors had been part of the noble Song Family. They just assumed it was a surname coincidence.

Still, his family never forgot the power of blood ties. Each generation went all-in with their parents' gold coins, investing heavily in themselves, determined to scale the Immortal Path.

As one of their ancestors famously said: “Don’t blame your environment—blame your family.”

Song Xu’s grandfather had lived by that motto. After blowing through his parents’ savings, he clawed his way into college, landed a company job, and single-handedly supported an entire extended family. He became Song Xu’s role model.

His father, unfortunately, fell just short. He too blew through his parents’ savings, but instead of investing in himself, he bet it all—literally. One massive gamble drained the last bit of power from the family’s blood ties.

When Song Xu found out that his grandfather’s pension had been wiped, the house sold, and every asset lost...

He felt like he was sliding down a giant playground slide—only his father, who’d gone down first, had left a pile of diarrhea at the bottom. Song Xu could only watch in despair as he descended straight into the mess.

The only thing he could be thankful for? When his father tried to mortgage him off next—to cash in one final time on the bloodline—Song Xu got ahead of him.

He mortgaged his father to the Song Family’s main branch and made his first pot of gold.

Next, Song Xu sold off the last piece of his grandfather’s legacy.

“Grandpa, I don’t have time to wait for your grave and corpse to appreciate in value.”

“Right now, I need you to make one final contribution.”

“Please, bless your grandson from the heavens—may I scale the Immortal Path and ace the college entrance exam.”

Excavator Palm Level 3—Grandpa, time to unearth your value!

After selling his grandfather’s grave and corpse, Song Xu made his second pot of gold.

Unfortunately, that was the last remaining grave—and the last corpse.

No matter how frugal he was, Song Xu knew his money wouldn’t last till graduation.

Luckily, he soon encountered a turning point that would change his life.

He met an entity known as the Evil God.

…

Spiritual Realm, outside the Dao-Seeking Hall.

Disguised, Song Xu had come here for one reason: Zhang Yu.

“If this Zhang Yu really has an Evil God behind him, then as long as I hunt it down, I can boost my potential again…”

“Then making it into the Ten Great Academies next year will be a sure thing.”

As this thought flashed through his mind, Mo Tianyi spoke beside him. “Boss, what’s our goal with Zhang Yu this time?”

Song Xu explained calmly, “According to my research, these two have grown rapidly over the past six months. There’s a reason behind it.”

“If I can uncover that reason, I’ll have an even better shot at getting into the Ten Great Academies next year.”

Mo Tianyi nodded silently. If this was about the boss getting into the Ten Great Academies, then he was all in—no matter the cost. He’d work overtime for free at the Dao-Seeking Hall, risk leaking client data to the company—whatever it took. Chapters first released on NoveI-Fire.ɴet

Meanwhile, Song Xu continued watching the footage Mo Tianyi had sent him.

…

Security guards and a horde of workers clashed in violent combat. In the middle of it all, Yu Xinghan seemed as insignificant as a single drop in the ocean.

Fists, batons, knives, and spears flew from all directions. His martial arts skills barely kept him from being overwhelmed.

But the Celestial Martial Heart-Forging Technique, within such a chaotic and warlike environment, began to circulate with increasing fluency.

At the same time, a broadcast echoed from the factory gates.

A woman’s voice rang out: “Go all out! Whether they get injured or die, the factory will cover all costs! Medical bills included!”

Hearing this, Yu Xinghan felt a surge of elation. His heart technique roared to life, and he began unleashing its moves one after another, repelling several workers in quick succession.

“No need to hold back.”

“No need to worry about damages.”

“No need to worry about medical bills… Just fight with everything I’ve got!”

In that moment, Yu Xinghan felt his spirit ablaze and his fighting will skyrocket. Strength surged through his body, and he moved through the battlefield like a fish in water.

…

“This illusion temporarily makes them forget everything about the real world,” Mo Tianyi explained. “They immerse themselves entirely in the scenario. The more aligned their thoughts are with their heart technique, the stronger the results.”

“For example, Yu Xinghan training the Celestial Martial Heart-Forging Technique on the battlefield—his Dao Heart grows far more quickly than it would in real life…”

Song Xu nodded casually. “What about the other two?”

Mo Tianyi looked apologetic. “This illusion belongs to Yu Xinghan, so I can’t freely adjust the perspective.”

“But just keep watching. Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen will definitely show up.”

Sure enough, the battle in the illusion came to a brief halt.

Yu Xinghan rushed back into the factory to rest, where he saw the boss herself come over to offer encouragement.

Bai Zhenzhen shook Yu Xinghan’s hand and said, “Good job. I’ll give you a raise next month.”

“Come, accompany me on a factory inspection.”

“There are still many workers who outwardly obey but inwardly resist. Help me beat them into submission.”

Watching this, Song Xu asked with interest, “This Bai Zhenzhen is the boss? What heart technique is she cultivating?”

Mo Tianyi replied, “She registered the Frost Soul Iceheart Technique—a heart technique particularly suited to investors.”

“It strips away distractions, stabilizes the mind, and allows for cold, detached calculations of gains and losses under pressure.”

“Lots of stock traders cultivate this technique to aid their investments.”

“Looks like this illusion has her playing the role of a boss, maintaining composure amidst pressure, deception, and chaos. That way she can deepen her understanding of the Frost Soul Iceheart Technique and fortify her Dao Heart…”

Song Xu nodded, though he knew something more. When this technique was first created, it had nothing to do with investing or stocks.

“It was purely a combat heart technique—especially for assassins.”

“It’s all about maintaining icy composure before, during, and after striking. Staying unaffected by the world’s chaos. Calculating every move like a dispassionate observer.”

“But compared to assassination, the pressure of running a factory—the scams, the shifting dynamics, the emotional turmoil—those calculations can be even more complex.”

“If she can maintain her iceheart in a mess like this, her understanding of the technique will deepen immensely. Her Dao Heart will be tempered like never before.”

Song Xu understood that the more attuned one’s mind was to a heart technique, the greater its effect—and the faster one’s Dao Heart could grow.

“Hmph. This training scenario is surprisingly on point.”

Meanwhile, inside the factory, Bai Zhenzhen continued inspecting the premises with Yu Xinghan, crushing any signs of disobedience.

…

On the assembly line.

Zhang Yu looked pale and feeble, listlessly working his station.

Years of assembly work had left his body frail, and he’d developed a lung condition. Every breath brought stabbing pain.

The Sacrificial Oxheart Technique dulled the pain somewhat, but not enough…

“Why?”

“Why am I working here?”

“Oh right—money. I need money to pay for treatment…”

That single hope lit a faint spark in his eyes. The Sacrificial Oxheart Technique burned more fiercely, suppressing the pain even further.

Just then, a woman’s voice rang out: “The company’s performance is poor. Now’s the time for unity. Starting this month, salaries will be cut by 20%…”

Zhang Yu turned to see Bai Zhenzhen, expression icy cold.

As the salary cut was announced, the spark of hope in Zhang Yu’s chest began to die. The pain he had suppressed returned with a vengeance.

“There has to be a way…”

“Maybe… maybe I can take a few days off to rest…”

Just as he thought that, another worker stepped forward and said, “Boss, it’s almost New Year. I haven’t seen my parents in years. Can I take a few days off?”

Bai Zhenzhen’s face remained frosty, her mind cold and calculating, devoid of emotion.

She patted the worker’s shoulder. “Your parents want to see you for New Year? No problem—call them over. You can all work overtime together.”

Another worker said, “Boss, there was a death in my family…”

Bai Zhenzhen replied coolly, “Let the corpse rot a little. Finish your work first, then take care of your personal matters.”

Zhang Yu’s hope dimmed even further. He thought maybe he could request an advance on his pay.

Nearby, another employee asked, “Boss, our wages have been delayed for months. Can we get paid this time?”

Bai Zhenzhen smiled, but her eyes remained ice-cold. “The factory is having a tough time lately. Timely payment is tricky.”

“But I understand how hard you workers have it.”

“So I took the liberty of using your IDs to borrow some money. This month’s salary will be paid on time—as long as you all repay the loans promptly.”

Zhang Yu’s heart sank deeper. That faint hope within him crumbled completely. The pain, once subdued by his heart technique, now returned with full force.

Meanwhile, Bai Zhenzhen’s thoughts flowed ever more smoothly. Emotionless and calculating, she wrung out every last bit of profit, her Frost Soul Iceheart Technique circulating with terrifying precision.