My SSS-Rank Skill and System is too OP in Modern Cultivation world

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Kent leaned back in his chair, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Ethan, my friend, being rich means not joining some organization, not being bound by rules and politics. But let me tell you something—true wealth isn't just about money. It's about freedom."

Ethan raised an eyebrow. "Freedom?"

Kent nodded, tapping his fingers against the table. "Yeah. When a poor person's heart gets broken, you know what they do? They sit on the street to cry, or I'm in their tiny room and eat in cheap places. But when a rich person's heart gets broken, they take a world tour. They cry while enjoying a five-star hotel and eating thousands of dollars worth of steak. I want that type of freedom."

Harper, still gnawing on a drumstick, laughed. "Ha! You sound like you want to get rejected by someone and enjoy your freedom. 'True freedom comes from enjoying worldly desires,' or something like that."

Kent chuckled. "Nah, I still want the worldly desires. I just don't want them to own me."

Ethan crossed his arms, intrigued. "So, what's your plan? How do you get rich and stay free?"

Kent leaned forward, his voice lowering conspiratorially. "The trick is simple. Don't depend on anyone. If you build your own wealth, no one can take it from you. You don't answer to a family, a clan, or a higher-up. You make your own decisions, and you call your own shots. The second you start relying on powerful people, you become their pawn."

Ethan studied him for a long moment before sighing. "That's easier said than done, Kent. The world doesn't work that way. If it did, everyone would be doing it."

Kent smirked. "Of course, it's hard. But that's the fun part. That's why most people take the easy route—like Ryan and the rest of those young masters. They let their family's name define them. They don't even know what it means to struggle."

Nima, having overheard the conversation, pouted. "I don't get why people act like being rich is all that. Sure, money's nice, but if you're a jerk, you're still a jerk—even if you've got gold-plated toilets."

Auri chirped in agreement. "Gold toilets do sound fancy, though. Can I have one?"

Harper snorted. "Okay, okay, Kent. Let's say you get rich on your own. What then? Are you just gonna hoard your wealth and live in a mansion eating steak all day?"

Kent shook his head. "Nah. See, money's only fun when it lets you do the things you love. I don't want money just to sit on it. I want to enjoy life, travel, eat the best food, see the world. And most importantly, I want to prove that you don't have to be born into privilege to make it big."

Ethan smiled slightly. "So, it's about proving a point?"

Kent shrugged. "Maybe. But it's also about living life on my terms. Tell me, Ethan—if you weren't born into your family, and if you weren't expected to take over, what would you be doing right now?"

Ethan hesitated. For a moment, his usual confidence wavered. "I… don't know."

Kent pointed at him. "Exactly. You never got to think about it. You were born with a path already set in stone. Me? I get to choose mine. And I'm gonna make damn sure it's the best one."

Harper leaned back, rubbing his stomach. "Well, I don't know about all that deep-thinking stuff, but I do know one thing—being rich means you can eat whatever you want, whenever you want."

Nima grinned. "Now, that is a philosophy I can support."

Auri flapped his wings excitedly. "Yes! We should all aim to be rich food warriors!"

Kent laughed. "See? This is what I mean. Money's just a tool. It's not about power or status—it's about the perks. And the best perk of being rich? Never having to check the price before ordering food."

Harper gasped, placing a hand over his heart as if Kent had spoken the most profound truth in existence. "Damn. You're right. That's the dream."

Ethan shook his head with a chuckle. "You really are something, Kent. But still… rejecting my offer means you'll have to fight your way to the top alone. You sure you're ready for that?"

Kent smirked. "I was born ready."

Mia, who had been silently listening, finally spoke up. "I have a feeling this isn't the last time someone will try to recruit you, Kent. People like you… they don't go unnoticed for long."

Kent stretched, grinning. "Well, let them notice me. That just means I'm doing something right."

As they continued eating, the tension from earlier had completely melted away. Harper had won the Great Food Battle, Ryan had been humiliated, and Kent had once again proven that he was nobody's pawn.

But deep down, he knew Ethan was right about one thing. The road ahead wouldn't be easy.

And that was exactly how he liked it.

The feast had finally started to die down. Plates were stacked high with bones, and the once-glorious buffet table looked like a pack of starving wolves had raided it. Kent, Ethan, Mia, Nima, and Auri sat back, their stomachs full, but one person remained undefeated—Harper Li.

He was still eating.

While the others had long since tapped out, Harper continued stuffing food into his mouth at an alarming rate. A whole roasted duck disappeared into his hands, followed by an entire plate of pork ribs. A dozen dumplings vanished within seconds. The servers in the camp whispered to each other, their faces filled with horror.

"Is he a monster?"

"He's eaten enough for twenty people!"

"Where is it all going? His belly should have exploded by now!"

Nima, who had once considered herself a food warrior, now stared at Harper with a mixture of admiration and fear. "Big brother… is he even human? This is the first time I have seen someone eat like a hippo… I think he is a hippopotamus."

Kent wiped his mouth and smirked. "I had my suspicions, but now I'm certain—Harper, you're hiding something, aren't you? Is eating your superpower?"

Harper swallowed a whole bowl of noodles, wiped his mouth, and grinned. "Alright, alright. I suppose the time has come to reveal my true power."

He leaned back in his chair, patting his round belly. It jiggled slightly, but then something strange happened—the air around him seemed to shift. A faint blue mist curled around his stomach, and the temperature in the air dropped slightly.

Ethan narrowed his eyes. "What… what is that?"

Harper grinned. "You see, my belly isn't just for show. I possess a rare and legendary ability, passed down by my ancestors for generations—the Bottomless Cauldron Stomach."

Auri chirped excitedly. "Ooooh! That sounds fancy! What does it do? Make food taste better?"

Harper shook his head. "No, little bird. I don't understand what you said, but I guess you want to know what my power can do. My stomach is a true cauldron, capable of digesting and refining anything I consume. No matter how much I eat, it will never be full. But that's not the best part."

He stood up suddenly, his massive frame looming over the table. The blue mist thickened around him as he closed his eyes and concentrated. A deep gurgling noise came from his belly, like a bubbling stew being cooked over a fire. The sound grew louder, and then—

Plop.

A small, round, gleaming pill rolled out from the bottom of Harper's robe and landed on the ground.

Mia shrieked, jumping away. "DID YOU JUST—DID YOU JUST SHIT A PILL?!"

Harper burst into laughter. "Hahaha! No, no! Well… kind of. But not like you think."

He picked up the pill, holding it between his fingers. It was small, golden, and radiated a faint glow. "This is what my ability does. My stomach refines everything I eat and condenses the best parts into alchemical pills. This one? A high-quality energy pill packed with nutrients. You could live for days on just one of these."

The table was silent.

Kent stared at the pill, then at Harper. "So let me get this straight. You eat, and then your belly alchemy refines the food into pills? Where does this pill come from?"

Very nervous and embarrassed, Harper says to the crowd, "Well! My digestion process is more advanced than any alchemist's furnace. I break down impurities, refine the essence, and out comes a pure medicinal pill."

Ethan leaned back, rubbing his temples. "This… this is both impressive and deeply disturbing. But answer the question of where this pill came out."

Auri flapped his wings. "That means… the more you eat, the more pills you can create?"

Harper grinned. "The more rare and powerful the food I eat, the stronger the pills I produce. Normal food makes basic nutrition pills, but if I eat something infused with spiritual energy—like a rare meat or a spiritual herb—then the pills I create could be legendary."