Chapter 456: President Zhang
Early January.
At a university battlefield.
This site was once a node within a grand battlefield formation, but recent combat had completely destroyed both the formation node and the fortress above, leaving only ruins.
Several Lower College Students were waiting here, having received orders to assist a team from Myriad Laws University with the restoration project.
As the students grew impatient, wondering if the Myriad Laws team was running late, the ground beneath their feet suddenly trembled. The earth ahead erupted violently, sending massive chunks of rock soaring skyward as if defying gravity, floating in mid-air!
Simultaneously, vast quantities of construction debris buried underground rose to the surface, as if gripped by invisible hands, even reassembling themselves into coherent structures!
Witnessing this spectacle, one Lower College Student exclaimed in awe, “Is this the legendary Ten Greats construction team? Their efficiency is astonishing!”
Another student speculated, “Perhaps a Ten Greats Teacher is leading the operation. That’s the only explanation for such earth-shattering power!”
In the next moment, magical artifacts shot out from a Hundred Treasures Box, descending rapidly onto the construction site!
The Azure Cloud Gathering Pouch released a torrent of Azure Heaven Sand, which surged into the Formless Warriors, transforming them into workers who moved in and out of the construction site.
The Earth-Suppressing Seal emitted a field of energy, temporarily reinforcing the temporary structures. The Earthly Fiend Bottle churned out mud and sand, beginning to produce concrete on-site.
The Golden Thread Jade Wall unleashed Blazing Sun Rays, performing various welding, smelting, and heating operations.
Mid-air, Zhang Yu stood upon the atmosphere. As his palm seals shifted, the surging Earthly Fiend Gravity erupted, dragging countless materials into a chaotic dance. He reshaped the entire construction site as if building with giant blocks.
Yet even the Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Divine Power had its limits.
Though Zhang Yu could now reshape vast landscapes and flip entire buildings with a single palm strike, he still couldn’t conjure templates, cement, or steel reinforcement out of thin air. Nor could he oversee the countless intricate tasks required on a construction site. He couldn’t be everywhere at once.
This was why Zhao Tianxing and the others operated their magical artifacts to assist him in completing this battlefield fortress project.
To ensure the project’s success, Zhang Yu’s Soul Cultivator team had expanded once more.
The Ying Family had gained several more Ancestors, while Zhao Tianxing’s group now included Hu Yuntao and Che Yufei.
Whether it was their construction work in life or their soul cultivation work in the afterlife, the Ying Family Ancestors possessed vast experience. Under their guidance, Zhao Tianxing and Mo Tianyi, both junior college students, and Hu Yuntao and Che Yufei, newcomers to soul cultivation, all progressed rapidly.
Che Yufei, in particular, as a senior at Myriad Laws University, had already cultivated his Dao Heart to Level 20. After becoming a soul cultivator, his Spirit Realm Calculation Pool was far more extensive, and his potential far surpassed that of the junior college students.
Before they knew it, both the earlier arrivals, Zhao Tianxing and Mo Tianyi, and the latercomer, Hu Yuntao, gradually began to look to Che Yufei for leadership.
While working diligently, Che Yufei thanked Zhang Yu, “Senior Brother, thank you for giving me this opportunity!”
Zhang Yu replied, “I’m the one who should be grateful. I needed some trustworthy soul cultivators to help me.”
Che Yufei assured him, “Don’t worry. We signed a contract. Whatever I see while working for you, I won’t blab about it.”
Che Yufei added, “Speaking of which, I never expected you to master the Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Divine Power so quickly!”
Zhang Yu shrugged. “It was just good timing.”
Zhang Yu continued, “My current success isn’t solely due to my own efforts. It’s also because of Kunxu’s era of progress. Myriad Laws University has given me countless opportunities!”
After chatting briefly with Che Yufei and seeing that he was doing well at work, Zhang Yu turned to Hu Yuntao.
“Xiao Hu,” Zhang Yu asked, “how are you settling into your job at Wang Di?”
“Pr-President Zhang!” Hu Yuntao stammered.
“Forget the ‘President Zhang’ stuff,” Zhang Yu said. “Just call me Zhang Yu.”
“President Zhang, I majored in security at Celestial Monsters University and have never worked on a construction site before,” Hu Yuntao explained. “But I promise to work twice as hard to learn everything. I won’t let you down for giving me this opportunity!”
“Relax,” Zhang Yu reassured him. “You’ll learn the ropes gradually.”
After a few more casual exchanges, Zhang Yu asked, “What about Xiong Wenwu? How’s he doing?”
“He’s doing well,” Hu Yuntao replied. “He found a Seventh-Layer Master and works part-time as his mount. He’s living comfortably now.”
Having confirmed that Che Yufei and Hu Yuntao were progressing smoothly without any major issues, Zhang Yu suddenly had a thought. “I feel like I’ve become a boss inspecting his new employees!”
Fu Ji chuckled. “Don’t you think you are?”
“In Kunxu, the stronger you are, the higher your pay. Now that you’ve mastered the Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Divine Power, you’re no longer just a bottom-tier laborer!”
“With this divine power, you can now take on large-scale projects independently, hire workers to do the grunt work, and profit from their labor!”
Hearing Fu Ji’s words, Zhang Yu felt a strange unease.
He shook his head and continued working while practicing the techniques of the Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Divine Power.
The Seven Absolutes Compendium summarized these techniques into the Ten Phases of Suppressing Stars, representing ten distinct methods for wielding the Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Divine Power.
These ten phases were not inherently superior to one another; rather, each was suited to different environments and tasks. As the user’s cultivation, realm, and the level of their Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Divine Power improved, their effects would become increasingly astonishing.
At that moment, Zhang Yu extended a finger, and wisps of distorted light and shadow materialized at its tip. The transparent atmosphere around it visibly rippled, like an invisible vortex gradually expanding outward.
In the next instant, this invisible vortex shot forth, engulfing the billowing dust and smoke of the construction site. The debris coalesced into a sphere of mud and sand.
This was the Stardust Bind, one of the Ten Phases of Suppressing Stars. By channeling the Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Divine Power to generate Earthly Fiend Gravity, it could condense matter into a cohesive mass and launch it as a controllable gravitational projectile of varying sizes and ranges.
Zhang Yu then shifted his palm posture and unleashed another palm strike through the air.
Under the chaotic and rapidly shifting Earthly Fiend Gravity of the Ten Phases of Suppressing Stars — Chaotic Star Trail, the rock strata suspended in mid-air shuddered violently, then shattered into dust.
Zhang Yu continued to cultivate while working, and before he knew it, several hours had passed.
The Ying Clan Patriarchs gathered to report on the project’s progress.
Ying Xin’s Grandfather spoke first: “Of the four Soul Cultivators you brought, let’s set aside the two Vocational College students for now. The Myriad Laws cultivator and the Celestial Monsters cultivator truly show great potential.”
“Soul Cultivators have limited resources and lifespans, which means their working hours are also limited.”
“To achieve greater growth and a brighter future, they must engage with more outstanding projects within that limited time.”
“Therefore, it’s best to nurture Soul Cultivators as early as possible. These two, having recently died, are at the perfect stage for cultivation…”
Zhang Yu nodded slightly at Ying Xin’s Grandfather. This patriarch, with a deceased father and living grandchildren, was the pillar of the Ying Family and one of its most influential voices.
What made this individual particularly valuable was their timing. They were neither outdated in construction experience, possessing a solid understanding of various technologies and engineering practices, nor lacking in accumulated knowledge and practical experience in the field of Soul Cultivators.
Zhang Yu largely entrusted the management of Soul Cultivator affairs to this person.
After discussing the details of their work, Ying Xin’s Grandfather said, “President Zhang, I think it’s time for you to establish a company.”
“A company?” Zhang Yu chuckled. “I’m just a college student. What kind of company would I start?”
Ying Xin’s Grandfather replied earnestly, “You’re no ordinary college student anymore. You’re a student who wields Military-Grade power!”
“As long as you keep taking on projects, supporting a team won’t be a problem.”
“Moreover, you need a team to help you earn even more money.”
“Besides, the taxes on individual income are much higher than those on corporate revenue…”
“From what I’ve observed, every college student with Military-Grade power either works for a major corporation or runs their own small company.”
After saying this, Ying Xin’s grandfather grinned again. “If you’re thinking of starting a company, Ying Xin can handle the accounting. She studied a lot about that to advance her career!”
Zhang Yu thought to himself, “A company? Isn’t it too early for that?”
The next day, as Zhang Yu finished his work, he received his daily wages — over three Spirit Coins!
Seeing how much he had earned in a single day, Zhang Yu’s heart surged with excitement.
“But I still need to distribute the money!”
Zhang Yu began reviewing the work data reported by Ying Xin’s grandfather, focusing on the construction output of each Soul Cultivator. He calculated their compensation based on their individual contributions.
Then, he transferred the wages to the Ying Clan Patriarch, Zhao Tianxing, Che Yufei, and others.
As he calculated and disbursed the funds, Zhang Yu watched his own earnings slowly dwindle.
At that moment, the words of Ying Xin’s grandfather and Fu Ji resurfaced in his mind.
“Am I already distributing project profits?”
“Does that make me… a small-time boss?”
Fu Ji said, “You really should consider starting a company.”
“Establishing a company makes it easier to hire and manage more people, and then profit even more from their labor!”
“Especially as your cultivation level rises. Whether you’re working on construction sites or in the artifact crafting industry, the scale of your operations will expand, and you’ll need more support staff.”
“For a true powerhouse, the most important function of their subordinates isn’t combat assistance, but generating wealth. The stronger you become, the more profit you can extract from those beneath you!”
Fu Ji chuckled. “In Kunxu, real powerhouses establish companies precisely to ruthlessly exploit their subordinates!”
“If you don’t play this game, you’ll earn less, pay more taxes, and how will you compete with other powerhouses at your level?”
Zhang Yu nodded. “Perhaps. I’ll research this further and consider it when I return.”
After paying out wages totaling just over 0.3 Spirit Coins, Zhang Yu paid over 1 Spirit Coin in taxes. He thought to himself, “I need to start a company!”
“Once your personal income reaches a certain level, the Heavenly Court’s tax rates become utterly absurd.”