Upon hearing the number, the managers felt their vision darken.
In their hearts, the same thought surfaced at once.
You're really asking for too much.
Yet despite their helplessness, they could only sigh inwardly.
As I expected.
Caine dared to spread his power system so recklessly and price the cultivation method so outrageously because he knew they had already been cornered.
"Can we get a discount… considering our relationship?"
Koji Shimazu, the manager of the Osaka Continental, leaned closer to Caine and lowered his voice.
Caine's lips curved into a faint smile. He winked at Koji and shook his head.
"Not a single coin cheaper."
Koji immediately understood and said no more.
After all, there might naturally be favors between brothers.
But how could something like that be openly spoken?
A leader might show favoritism, but such matters must never be brought into the light so bluntly.
"Isn't this too much?"
The other managers exchanged glances, dissatisfaction clearly written in their eyes.
Even the personal-use version required 1160 years of spirit energy.
That number alone was already astronomical.
And even if they successfully established their foundation, it would only grant them around two hundred to two hundred and fifty years of lifespan.
Trading a millennium of cultivation for two centuries of life.
No matter how they calculated it, the deal seemed completely unreasonable.
The conference room fell into dead silence.
The managers lowered their heads, clearly unwilling to pay such an enormous price.
Caine noticed their hesitation immediately.
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
Then he slowly closed his eyes and said nothing more.
He wasn't in a hurry.
The ones who should truly be anxious were the people sitting before him.
Their bodies were already overflowing with spiritual energy.
Caine's own business model might resemble theirs, but he possessed one critical advantage.
He held the complete Soul Core system and the Golden Core Method.
To him, no amount of spirit energy was too much.
Even if he drained every Cyber Cultivator under his command dry, it might still not be enough to ignite his Golden Core.
His silence created immense pressure.
Everyone in the room understood the situation perfectly.
If they couldn't make a decision soon, the consequences would be unimaginable.
At that moment, they felt like sailors drifting in a violent sea.
The endless spiritual power inside their bodies surged like raging waves, pounding their flesh and minds, suffocating them.
"Caine."
"I'll buy the cultivation method. Give me two copies."
Suddenly, Koji Shimazu, who had remained silent until now, stood up.
His voice shattered the silence like thunder.
All eyes turned toward him.
Without hesitation, Koji opened the case he had brought with him.
Inside were stacks of gleaming gold spirit coins, neatly arranged.
Caine smiled and nodded.
A servant stepped forward immediately to collect the payment.
Soon, exactly two thousand three hundred gold spirit coins were counted out.
Caine only accepted round numbers, effectively rounding down the price for him.
Another servant then approached with a tray.
Resting upon it was a scroll made of Golden Book Jade Page.
Koji accepted it eagerly and began examining it carefully.
After a moment, satisfaction appeared on his face.
He then handed the scroll to his daughter, Akira Shimazu, so they could review it together.
The father and daughter were clearly excited about what lay ahead.
They quickly became absorbed in the technique, as if everything around them had vanished.
After all, they already possessed nearly limitless spiritual energy reserves.
And now they had finally obtained the complete Soul Dantian Method.
Their cultivation speed immediately surged.
Within minutes, they successfully condensed new acupoints.
With each acupoint opened, the aura radiating from their bodies grew stronger.
More powerful.
More overwhelming.
But when the seventy-second acupoint was opened—
The vast spiritual energy inside their bodies was instantly drained dry.
"How is this possible?!"
Koji's eyes widened in disbelief.
"The gap between us is actually this huge?!"
He stared at Caine, who still floated in the air, sitting cross-legged in calm meditation.
Koji could hardly believe it.
The spiritual energy that had nearly burst his body had only been enough to open seventy-two acupoints.
As for the so-called meridians…
He couldn't even see a hint of them.
"That's simply the difference," Caine said with a faint smile.
"There's a world of difference between cultivating with a method… and cultivating without one."
His voice wasn't loud.
But the confidence within it was unmistakable.
"Hahaha! Good!"
"The stronger it is, the better!"
Koji burst into laughter.
The regret he had felt over spending so many spirit coins instantly vanished.
At this moment, he finally understood the true value of the cultivation method.
You get what you pay for.
Compared to the power he had just gained, what did a few coins matter?
With such strength, he could face any future danger without fear.
Even so, the other managers still hesitated.
They all knew Caine and Koji shared a close relationship.
Naturally, Koji would receive better treatment.
At the very least, they wanted the same price.
Seeing this, Caine shook his head helplessly.
"Alright. I know you're all struggling."
"You think the price is too high."
"That's fine."
"But now… you're in for a treat."
The managers smiled faintly.
It seemed their pressure had finally worked.
Then Caine spoke again.
"I'll round the price for everyone."
"For personal use: 3000 gold spirit coins."
"For a complete buyout: 50,000 gold spirit coins."
"That's my final offer."
He slowly looked around the room.
"Who agrees?"
"Who objects?"
The managers felt as if a bucket of cold water had just been poured over their heads.
The room instantly grew icy.
"We object!"
A manager from Brazil suddenly stood up and shouted.
Before his voice had fully faded—
Buzz.
An invisible blade of sword energy flashed through the air.
In the next instant—
His body split cleanly in half from head to toe.