Black Gold Forges a Sword

Deep within the Hidden Star Court stronghold, the stench of disinfectant mingled with lingering energy, leaving the place utterly lifeless. Ming Shiyin lay within the Life-Sustaining Formation, emaciated like a skeleton, his skin gray, withered, and translucent, as though he might fall apart at any moment. Every nearly imperceptible breath made the pale golden light sustaining him flicker wildly, ready to go out at any time. Faint golden bloodstains on his beard carried an air of decay.

Xiang Yi sat cross-legged beside the cold formation markings, his hands hovering as he carefully channeled spiritual power, barely keeping the formation alive. Cold sweat soaked his forehead, and every transfer felt like needles piercing his skull. The data in the depths of his consciousness was cold and merciless:

[Energy Points: 50]

[Spiritual Power: 220/360]

[Mission: Observe the Ten Rings Syndicate (45%)]

"Hidden dragon in the abyss, do not act..."

Ming Shiyin's warning, bought with his life, was like icy chains locking Xiang Yi down! The factory fire had been extinguished, and the intelligence network had collapsed as well. S.H.I.E.L.D., the Ten Rings Syndicate, and The Hand—three mountains bore down on him. Lie low? Without Energy Points, that meant waiting to die! He could not summon anyone, could not level up, and could barely preserve Ming Shiyin's final breath!

The Life-Sustaining Formation's light weakened to its limit once more, and Ming Shiyin's flame of life was about to go out. His cracked lips moved almost imperceptibly. No sound emerged, only a dying thought that scorched Xiang Yi's taut nerves like a red-hot brand:

"Before... commanding... the world... first... control... the source... of wealth..."

"The source of wealth!"

Those two words struck like thunder, splitting the chaos apart! Xiang Yi's mind buzzed! Memories of slaughter in the financial markets from his previous life, an office worker's understanding of capital, and the crucial intelligence of this Marvel world—Tony Stark had been kidnapped! Stark Industries' stock price was about to collapse! Then came his rebirth! Every fragment connected in an instant! A path locked down by "do not act"—using capital as a blade! Everything became clear! His only path to survival!

The system interface appeared. His thoughts locked onto a dim icon in the corner of the [System Store]: [Offshore Company Template (One-Time Use)]. Exchange cost: 50 points—the very lifeline keeping Ming Shiyin alive!

Xiang Yi's gaze tore back and forth between Ming Shiyin's ashen face and that gray icon. The hum of the control console sounded like a death knell. Those 50 points were the last grains of sand in Ming Shiyin's hourglass of life. Exchanging them meant personally pouring those grains away! But he had no choice. He could only gamble these life-saving grains on a treasure basin!

Three seconds of dead silence.

Xiang Yi's gaze was as cold as ancient ice. His finger hovered in midair, gathering every ounce of ruthlessness. He pressed down on the gray icon as though detonating fate itself!

"Exchange!"

[Ding! 50 points consumed!]

[Obtained: Offshore Company Template (One-Time Use)!]

[Energy Points: 50 → 0!]

[Warning: Ming Shiyin's energy supply interrupted! Life-Sustaining Formation shutting down!]

The instant the exchange was complete, the Life-Sustaining Formation let out a shrill wail! The pale golden energy flow dried up and scattered in an instant! The formation markings fell completely silent. Ming Shiyin's already faint aura plummeted off a cliff! His body visibly withered and grayed, on the verge of turning to ash!

Xiang Yi's heart clenched, and his eyes held only the savage ferocity of a lone wolf. He spun around sharply, his voice piercing into the encrypted channel next door. "Guiguzi!"

"This old man is here." Guiguzi's voice was weak, yet steady as bedrock.

"Three identities! Founders of offshore companies, absolutely clean and impossible to trace! Make every detail, background, and trace real! I've sent the template over!" Xiang Yi poured the exchanged data packet through their spiritual link. "Immediately! Right now!"

"Offshore... companies?" A sharp glint flashed in Guiguzi's clouded eyes before being swallowed by profound calculations. His withered fingers moved rapidly, forming ancient hand seals. The remaining Xuan Weizi within the stronghold gathered with a hum, becoming billions of flashing data chains made of talismans! They pierced barriers, linked to networks, and raced, wove, and branded themselves upon an invisible "Loom of Fate"... Three ghostly identities, spanning several continents and possessing decades of fabricated "lives," rapidly took shape amid the torrent of data! "Rest assured, my lord. It will be complete within six hours! Cygnus... the constellation of martyrdom and rebirth in the northern sky. It suits our patient concealment before taking flight!"

"Lanling King!" Xiang Yi issued his second command, his killing intent icy and piercing.

"Here!" Pure shadow instantly condensed—Lanling King "separated" from the darkness and dropped to one knee.

"Target: the third basement level beneath the Scorpion Gang's den in the southern part of the city! Three days ago, they robbed another gang—eight million dollars in cash, bonds, and diamonds! Move! Fast and clean!" Xiang Yi's intelligence projection locked onto the target with precision.

"By your command!"

In the southern city's old industrial district, beneath the dilapidated building of Hongfa Scrap Metal Recycling.

Before a heavy alloy door, congealed shadow came alive like ink spreading through water! Lanling King appeared, pressed against the door. His visor scanned like a tangible instrument, "reading" the fingerprint oil and sweat ions left on the combination lock. Without moving his fingers, a strand of shadow-energy "key," thinner than a hair, precisely seeped into the lock core and simulated the target's life magnetic field!

Beep... the green light came on.

Inside the door, a deadly infrared grid crisscrossed the room. Lanling King's body instantly became "liquid shadow"! He moved, stretched, compressed, and flowed through the dense web of beams in an eerie manner! Shadow-energy camouflage warped the light, perfectly deceiving the detectors. Silent and swift, he danced like a ghost!

Before an old mechanical safe, Lanling King lightly touched the steel with his fingertips, seeming to merge with it. He tilted his head and listened, "hearing" the whispers of metal atoms as the gears meshed. The faint click sounded like thunder.

Click!

The lock opened with a crisp sound. Three black cases lay quietly within. The scent of fresh banknote ink, the papery smell of bonds, the cold gleam of loose diamonds, and the heavy weight of gold bars—eight million dollars!

Lanling King carried the cases out, and the alloy door silently returned to its original position. The noise on the top floor continued as before. No one knew that its heart had been hollowed out.

At the heart of the stronghold.

The three black cases were silently placed before Xiang Yi. "My lord, I have fulfilled my mission."

Guiguzi's voice arrived almost at the same time, carrying exhaustion. "My lord, Cygnus Holdings Limited has been registered. The information, background, and traces of the three 'ghost' identities have been injected into global databases. They are flawless." The encrypted files finished transmitting.

There was no wild joy on Xiang Yi's face, only the chill of quenched steel. He dropped to one knee and slowly brushed his fingers over the cold cases bearing bloodshed and ambition. What touched his fingertips was not merely the weight of wealth, but the fulcrum that could pry fate itself!

He raised his head. On the main screen, Stark Industries' stock price curve was performing a digital dance of death! It plunged off a cliff! Green panic sell orders poured down and piled up like a waterfall! Every passing second meant billions in wealth evaporating, yet it also fed the sparks of rebirth!

"Cygnus Holdings... Cygnus..." Xiang Yi murmured, his pupils reflecting that cascade of numbers, destruction and rebirth intertwined.

His finger pressed heavily onto STK's plunging candlestick chart, his voice light as a whisper yet sharp enough to pierce bone: "Let this bloodstained black gold become the spark, and upon this digital graveyard of panic... forge the first sword of my Dark Court!"