Chapter 548: The Five Taxes of Heavenly Beings
“Once Zhang Pianpian fully becomes a Righteous God, her memories — as insignificant as a single grain of sand in the vast ocean — will seem to her like fleeting experiences from a dream, utterly trivial and unworthy of consideration.”
“For both you and Zhang Pianpian, by then… she will simply be a Righteous God possessing Zhang Pianpian’s memories.”
“The true Zhang Pianpian will have already died.”
“Or rather… your sister has been dead for a long time. The person she is now is no longer the sister you knew from childhood.”
Zhang Yu was slightly startled by these words but remained silent.
He understood that for his soul, which originated from Earth, the sister he knew was the one he had known since high school — the current Zhang Pianpian. What the past Zhang Pianpian had been like… was irrelevant to him.
As for the future Zhang Pianpian… that was beyond his control for now.
Only by becoming wealthier and more powerful could he hope to influence her fate.
Seeing Zhang Yu’s composed demeanor, Fu Ji nodded slightly, thinking to herself, “This boy has truly matured.”
After hearing Fu Ji’s conjecture, another question arose in Zhang Yu’s mind: “Reincarnation… If gods can inherit memories, authority, and resources upon reincarnation, what about everyone else?”
He recalled the intelligence shared by the Evil Gods: “If humans reincarnate, can’t they inherit their cultivation? Is that why they need Divine Monarch Jade Nectar’s help? To secretly transfer cultivation to reincarnated individuals within the Sect?”
Fu Ji chuckled. “There are vast differences in these reincarnations.”
“High-Ranking Righteous Gods can inherit their past authority, memories, and resources after reincarnation because the Immortals require such Righteous Gods.”
“These Righteous Gods serve as tools for the Heavenly Court and the Ten Great Sects to govern Kunxu. Each reincarnation is like a self-renewal, allowing them to adapt to Kunxu’s current state.”
“It’s like a magical artifact. Reincarnation is one way for these Righteous Gods to continuously upgrade and enhance their performance, preparing them to better govern Kunxu for the Immortals.”
“As for human reincarnation…”
Fu Ji paused, then said slowly, “I haven’t personally witnessed the specifics.”
“But I once heard an Evil God King explain that human reincarnation is now an extremely complex system. It’s the result of countless iterations as the Immortals reshaped Kunxu and nature itself.”
“Within this system, wealth is paramount. The wealthier you are, the better your reincarnation will be.”
Zhang Yu took a deep breath. “So, the wealthier you are, the better your reincarnation… Does that mean the poor are doomed to be poor for eternity?”
Fu Ji smiled. “Did you think the Ten Great Sects and the Heavenly Court would ever publicize the truth about reincarnation? They’ve always kept it a closely guarded secret. If you dared to speak of what I’ve told you today, the Righteous Gods would come knocking.”
“What about the Ascension Cult?” Zhang Yu asked.
Fu Ji chuckled. “They preach a false reincarnation.”
“Kunxu doesn’t publicize the true reincarnation because the truth would crush all hope. The Demonic Cults can preach a false reincarnation because even a false afterlife offers some hope. Though it benefits some while harming others, that’s why it hasn’t been completely suppressed.”
“Even Sect members must secretly transfer their cultivation when reincarnating.”
Zhang Yu asked, “Don’t Sect members have enough wealth for reincarnation?”
Fu Ji shook her head. “How much is enough? Besides, even if you have enough, you still have to pay taxes on reincarnation.”
“The higher one’s cultivation level, the greater the tax required for reincarnation. The Five Taxes of Heavenly Beings, with each tax corresponding to a layer of heaven.”
“Naturally, they would start calculating.”
“How much of their accumulated wealth should be used for official reincarnation? How much should be secretly hidden before reincarnation to evade the Five Taxes of Heavenly Beings?”
“What proportion would be most cost-effective? What risks were involved? These were all complex calculations for them.”
“If these weren’t illegal activities strictly suppressed by the Heavenly Court, your universities would probably have to establish a special reincarnation studies department dedicated to researching reincarnation.”
Zhang Yu nodded thoughtfully. “Divine Monarch Jade Nectar was involved in such a major affair. Now that these Evil Gods have targeted her, their ambitions must be immense.”
Fu Ji nodded gravely. “Immensely ambitious? Divine Monarch Jade Nectar had already earned that title long before Joyful Union University was established.”
“Heaven knows how many Sect disciples she helped transfer their cultivation? How many people she helped evade the Five Taxes of Heavenly Beings? The numbers must be staggering.”
“And who knows how many protective umbrellas she has within the Sect?”
Fu Ji shuddered at the thought. “These Evil Gods… undertaking such a dangerous scheme… this can’t be their own idea alone.”
Zhang Yu said, “By revealing this information to us during the exchange, are they trying to recruit us?”
Fu Ji replied, “They probably think we have extensive intelligence networks in University City and want us to join their plan.”
“In any case, we should maintain our distance, continue probing, and gradually figure out how far they intend to go.”
“Exchanging information with them is fine, but we must never participate in their actual operations.”
“The waters here run too deep.”
While Fu Ji and Zhang Yu were discussing this, Zi Yunzhen was busy filming the Level 1 prototype mechanism from every angle.
This was a task Zhang Yu had assigned her, and one she thoroughly enjoyed.
After all, documenting this information would also give her a comprehensive understanding of the prototype mechanism. If they ever launched a similar project in the future, this data would serve as invaluable reference material.
As she gazed at the humanoid puppet shimmering with radiant light and constantly emitting ethereal flames, a surge of excitement flashed through Zi Yunzhen’s heart.
“It’s too fast! The skeletal frame, neural network, Spirit Realm Module, Magic Power Core, Transforming Armor… all completed in just over a month! Now they just need to refine it further and upgrade the prototype mechanism’s level…”
“A Level 11 prototype mechanism is eligible for review.”
“At Level 15, it’s practically guaranteed to pass.”
Zi Yunzhen thought to herself, “There’s a chance, a real chance to beat Jin Jun and the others.”
Just then, Zhang Yu and Fu Ji, standing nearby, had already finished their lightning-fast mental exchange.
Fu Ji glanced at Zi Yunzhen and said, “Are you still planning to keep paying her? I think she’d even pay you tuition to work for you at this point.”
Zhang Yu thought, “Let’s not push it. The prototype mechanism project is too crucial. I don’t want to risk any setbacks over such a small amount of money, especially since it could affect my chances in next year’s Ten Greats League.”
Turning to Zi Yunzhen, Zhang Yu said, “That’s all for today. Go back and prepare thoroughly. We’ll start improving the prototype mechanism tomorrow. Remember to come to the laboratory early to set up.”
Zi Yunzhen was stunned. “That’s it? How can we stop now?”
She said, “Boss! We’re at a critical stage in our competition with Jin Jun and his team. Let’s get back to work right away.”
Zhang Yu replied casually, “I have projects to handle and experiments to attend to today. I don’t have time to stay here.”
At the same time, Zhang Yu had already taken a 360-degree video of the prototype mechanism and posted it on his social media.
Since he began refining the prototype mechanism, Zhang Yu had consistently documented his progress step by step, occasionally sharing glimpses of his work.
Previously, each post only showcased a specific part of the refining process, making it difficult for outsiders to gauge his overall progress.
But today’s complete video of the prototype mechanism made it clear to even the most casual observer that Zhang Yu’s work had reached a significant milestone, sparking widespread discussion.
In Jin Jun’s laboratory, Su Yunni was performing routine tasks while monitoring the information streaming from her Bionic Eye.
When she saw Zi Yunzhen’s video of the prototype mechanism, she paused in surprise.
“It’s finished?”
“How is that possible?”
Su Yunni glanced around the laboratory. They had been working around the clock with Jin Jun for months, and they were only just reaching the final stage, about to begin assembly and debugging.
“Zhang Yu only started refining it a little over a month ago, right? Just one month…”
With that thought, Su Yunni couldn’t resist sending Zi Yunzhen a message.
Su Yunni: “Yunzhen, is that video real?”
Su Yunni: “Is that really the Heavenly Sun Radiance God prototype mechanism refined by Zhang Yu?”
Seeing Su Yunni’s inquiry, Zi Yunzhen naturally couldn’t deny it. This was a crucial work experience that would shape her future reputation in artifact refinement.
Zi Yunzhen: “As real as it gets.”
Zi Yunzhen: “I followed Zhang Yu’s every step during the refinement process.”
Zi Yunzhen: “We just finished debugging today, and all performance metrics have reached the level of a Level 1 prototype mechanism.”
Zi Yunzhen: “We’ve also completed two of the installable functions for the Heavenly Sun Radiance God, meeting the requirements for a Level 1 prototype mechanism.”
Seeing Zi Yunzhen’s confident reply, Su Yunni’s heart sank.
“Could it be that with all their resources — so many senior students, so much funding — they were going to lose to just Zhang Yu and Zi Yunzhen? To a transfer student from the Civil Engineering Department who had switched majors less than a year ago?”
The mere thought sent a chill down Su Yunni’s spine.
She immediately reported the situation to Jin Jun.
Of course, she didn’t announce it to the entire laboratory. Instead, she secretly sent him a message.
Su Yunni: “Zhang Yu and his team have completed the refining of a Level 1 prototype mechanism today.”
When Jin Jun saw Su Yunni’s first message, he found it absurd and laughable.
But as he reviewed the photos, videos, and other data she sent, his expression gradually darkened.