Chapter 762: I Alone Give Life to All Under Heaven
“Everyone must practice dual cultivation. This is Sect Policy. It benefits the Immortals above and you below! It’s a tremendously good thing.”
“Don’t let me see any of you becoming dual cultivation laggards, forced to wear a Dual Cultivation Belt by the Support Department and subjected to automatic dual cultivation every day…”
Listening to the training teacher’s speech, Zhang Yu sighed inwardly. “Damn it… How did the Myriad Laws Sect turn into this?”
When Zhang Yu left Myriad Laws University, he had already heard that Yun Zhiguang was preparing to establish a Dual Cultivation Academy. He had braced himself for what was to come.
But it wasn’t until he arrived at the sect and listened to the content of this class that he realized the developments at the top had far exceeded his imagination.
Zhang Yu thought, “If they keep this up, what’s the difference between our Myriad Laws Sect and the Joyful Union Sect?”
Hearing Zhang Yu’s thoughts, Fu Ji couldn’t help but ask, “What are you laughing at?”
Zhang Yu retorted, “I’m not laughing! I’m furious! Furious that the Myriad Laws Sect has become like this!”
Immortal Slayer sighed. “The Dual Cultivation Dao, which corrupts the sect with debauchery, is by no means a sustainable path for the Myriad Laws Sect. But this is merely a prelude, a means to an end…”
Zhang Yu asked curiously, “A means to what end?”
A sudden thought struck Zhang Yu. He asked in his mind, “Could this be related to a Dao Lineage again?”
Meanwhile, the training teacher on the stage had already moved on to the next topic.
“A Monster Immortal from the Celestial Monster Sect has made a Great Vow: ‘I alone shall give birth to all children under heaven. Until heaven and earth are filled, I swear not to claim supremacy!’”
“This Monster Immortal intends to establish the Dao Lineage of Natural Creation…”
Hearing these words, Zhang Yu was once again stunned. Just when he thought he was finally getting used to Kunxu, this damn place always managed to throw something even more unacceptable at him.
“What does ‘I alone shall give birth to all children under heaven’ even mean?” Zhang Yu scratched his scalp fiercely, thinking, “What the hell are they trying to do?!”
Immortal Slayer explained, “This Monster Immortal wants to establish a Dao Lineage to completely monopolize natural reproduction. In the future, every child born naturally in the world will be birthed by it.”
“By monopolizing this, it will gain complete control over the bloodlines, genetics, and seeds of countless cultivators across the world…”
Zhang Yu took a deep breath, finding it hard to believe. “Is something like that even possible?”
Immortal Slayer continued, “It would have been difficult before, but now, aside from the Celestial Monsters, the natural birth rate among humans in all other sects and factions has been nearly zero for quite some time.”
“Relying on this, over time, the Celestial Monster Sect truly has a chance to establish the Dao Lineage of Natural Creation.”
“Of course, the major sects won’t just stand by and let this happen…”
Just as Immortal Slayer was saying this, the training teacher on the stage continued, “The actions of that Monster Immortal can be described as an act that brings chaos to the world. To obstruct its Dao Lineage, all sects, from top to bottom, are now encouraging natural childbirth. For every child born, there are monetary rewards…”
Hearing this, Zhang Yu couldn’t help but ask in his mind again, “The major sects… are they now competing with the Celestial Monster Sect to see who can have more babies? Why don’t the sects just use Immortal Dao Technology for mass production?”
In Zhang Yu’s view, given the typical ruthlessness of the Ten Great Sects, they should have resorted to more efficient methods like mass production. Setting up specialized breeding factories seemed more their style.
Immortal Slayer replied, “The Dao Lineage the Celestial Monster Sect aims to establish is strictly confined to natural reproduction, especially the natural reproduction of intelligent life.”
“This is because the Celestial Monster Sect’s own reproductive technology was developed based on natural reproduction.”
“And those produced in factories through assembly lines and mass production methods are called Material Humans. That’s the Immortal Dao technological path the Netherworld Palace specializes in.”
“They market their Material Humans to all sects. With high volume, excellent quality, and great value for money, they’ve outcompeted all rivals and are now the primary supplier of Material Humans throughout the entire Sect Layer.”
Hearing this, Zhang Yu sighed, momentarily at a loss for words.
Just then, Fu Ji spoke up again, “But even with monetary incentives, sect disciples probably aren’t very willing to have bloodline descendants, are they?”
Immortal Slayer affirmed, “Naturally. For sect members, giving birth to a bloodline descendant… means a depletion of their own Immortal Dao Potential. This is especially true for cultivators at higher realms.”
“Furthermore, if a descendant’s bloodline information is collected, they can become material for curses, analysis, or even replication.”
“Whether it’s the funds required for the Reproductive Obligation or the risk of bloodline and genetic material being leaked, the disadvantages far outweigh the benefits.”
“Even if they raise their offspring to adulthood, how many can surpass their parents? Especially for cultivators in the middle and high realms, it’s almost impossible for their descendants to surpass them.”
“So, the investment in offspring is hard to recoup. Most cultivators consider it poor value for money, better to spend the resources on extending their own lifespan for a few more years.”
Zhang Yu was surprised. “Reproductive Obligation? The sect has something like that?”
Immortal Slayer replied matter-of-factly, “Of course. Otherwise, do you expect the sect to raise them after they’re born?”
Fu Ji sighed. “Reproduction is a massive industrial chain. By establishing a law for the Reproductive Obligation, the sect can shift the costs onto the cultivators themselves. Why would the sect bear the burden?”
“This forces cultivators to spend their own money to reproduce bloodline descendants, creating a vast market. At the same time, it boosts the declining birth rate, increases the population of the Sect Layer, and produces more talent for the sect…”
Immortal Slayer looked at her with some surprise. “You, as an Evil God, certainly have a lot of ideas. But ultimately, it’s just a theory. No matter how much the sect encourages it, I doubt they can persuade sect disciples to damage their own Immortal Dao Potential to reproduce bloodline descendants.”
“In the end, the pressure of these natural reproduction quotas will be shifted onto the non-sect local populace or outsourced to contractors.”
At this point, Immortal Slayer’s voice grew cold. “Taken to an extreme, the Myriad Laws Sect might follow the example of the Netherworld Palace and the White Bone Cult, directly ‘processing’ bloodline descendants after reproduction, using them as pure materials.”
“Birth, kill, sell. No more nurturing costs… This would be the lowest-cost method to counter the Celestial Monster New Dao Lineage and boost the birth rate.”
Hearing this, Zhang Yu felt a chill run through him. He could almost see the Ten Great Sects resorting to any means necessary in their ruthless competition, unleashing one unscrupulous scheme after another.
And behind this fierce rivalry lay the fundamental conflict between Dao Lineages.
Zhang Yu had just attended three classes on his first day at the sect, and each one left a distinct impression. The first class subtly promoted the Gambling Dao Lineage, the second concealed the Dharma Drug Dao Lineage, and the third directly confronted the Natural Reproduction Dao Lineage. All of this stirred a growing realization within him.
“From the moment they enter the sect, the new disciples are already being indoctrinated into these Dao Lineages. The war between Dao Lineages begins here.”
Hearing Zhang Yu’s thoughts, Immortal Slayer agreed. “Exactly. Establishing a Dao Lineage and then using it to achieve a monopoly, this is the greatest profit for Immortals, the most imaginative and promising investment.”
“The Ten Immortal Emperors established the Ten Great Dao Lineages. Beneath them, countless laws are enacted, and countless new Minor Dao Lineages are invested in. They progress step by step from the Human Dao to the Heavenly Dao, all with the ultimate goal of replacing the Heavenly Dao with the Human Dao, monopolizing one industry and one phenomenon after another in this world.”
“For this reason… the Ten Great Sects are constantly in conflict and fierce competition.”
At this, Zhang Yu’s eyes flickered. “But… wouldn’t there also be conflicts between Dao Lineages even within a single sect?”
He recalled the content of the previous two classes and began to analyze silently. “The Gambling Dao Lineage… its foundation should be the temptation of human nature and the human heart, using profit to stimulate greed.”
“But the Dharma Drug Dao Lineage… can directly alter a person’s cognition through the Dharma Realm, allowing them to enter a state of extreme self-discipline, right?”
“Doesn’t that mean… by taking Dharma Drugs, one could resist the allure of gambling?”
“And if the Dharma Drug Dao Lineage spreads wider, wouldn’t the Gambling Dao Lineage weaken?”
“Correct. Your thinking is on the right track,” Immortal Slayer said. “No matter how large a sect is, it’s ultimately composed of individual factions and halls. The rice still has to be divided among different pots.”
“Beneath each Immortal Emperor’s Great Dao Lineage, there are countless Minor Dao Lineages.”
“These Minor Dao Lineages may either support or suppress each other. But no matter how fiercely they compete, for the Immortal Emperors high above, the ultimate victor remains under their control.”
“The final, perfected Minor Dao Lineage will only enhance the Immortal Emperor’s Great Dao Lineage, further expanding the scope of their monopoly over the world…”
Listening to Immortal Slayer’s words, Zhang Yu took a deep breath. He could almost see the entire sect as a vast, circulating pond. No matter how the fish within struggled or leaped, even if they managed to cross the legendary Dragon Gate, they would only be caught by the Immortal Emperor’s hook.
But it seemed that only by being caught by the Immortal Emperor’s hook could one escape the pond, transforming from a fish in the water to a fisherman on the shore.
Meanwhile, the training instructor on the stage had moved on to the topic of outsourced reproduction: “If the accompanying outsourced staff you brought with you give birth, you, as their supervisors, can also receive a bonus.”
“If you’re willing to contribute your bloodline information to the outsourced staff and have them reproduce offspring for you, you can also receive a bonus…”
As the instructor explained, Zhang Yu suddenly noticed many of the Sect Scions around him turning to look at him.
His heart skipped a beat. “These guys… are they eyeing my outsourced staff… eyeing Ye Xingli?”
“They can’t be planning to use Senior Sister to claim the reproduction bonus, can they?”
In an instant, countless images flooded Zhang Yu’s mind: high-scorers insulting low-scorers, the rich bullying the poor, high-realm cultivators suppressing and exploiting low-realm ones.
He could almost see these Sect Scions conspiring to suppress him, then using Ye Xingli to continuously claim bonuses.
“A bunch of scum! I’ll never…”
Just as this thought crossed Zhang Yu’s mind, a message arrived from someone.
“Student Zhang Yu, hello. Are you interested in mentoring the outsourced staff under my supervision?”
“Here’s her [Photo].”
Staring at the photo the other party had sent, Zhang Yu was once again stunned. “Wait… what the hell is this?”
The next moment, even more sect members began sending him inquiries and photos.
“Please dual cultivate with my outsourced staff.”
“This is my sister. Can you give her some of your seed?”
“What do you think of my mom? And here’s a photo of my dad.”
“You’re new to the sect; this is the perfect time to start a family…”
Looking at the photos of women of all shapes and sizes, from slender to voluptuous, Zhang Yu had to admit that the cultivators of the Sect Layer had impeccable taste, far superior to the Lower Cultivators from the lower layers.
“Who said Sect Scions were useless?” Zhang Yu mused. “People really shouldn’t be so prejudiced. Sigh… I don’t know how to refuse them. They’re just too enthusiastic.”
Just then, Immortal Slayer’s voice echoed in his mind: “These guys are after child support.”
“If you reproduce a bloodline descendant with their outsourced staff or their relatives, according to the Myriad Laws Sect’s rules, you’ll have to pay monthly child support.”
“In the past, some cultivators had their bloodline information stolen and used to produce a large number of offspring. They were ultimately forced to pay massive amounts in child support, draining their Immortal Dao Potential.”
“This tactic of forcing subordinates to desperately bear children for others was quite popular for a while in the past.”
“Nowadays, no one in the sect falls for it anymore. They’re probably trying it on you because you came from the lower layers, hoping it might still work.”
Hearing this, Zhang Yu felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over him. He couldn’t help but curse inwardly, “Damn it… there really aren’t many good people in the sect. It’s my first day here, and these guys are already targeting me?”
Immortal Slayer explained, “Because you came from the lower layers, you’re at an inherent information disadvantage. They assume you’re ignorant of many sect matters. In their eyes, you’re a prime customer resource.”
“Loans, dual cultivation, marriage and reproduction, Dharma Drugs… they’ll try to sell you all sorts of products.”
“Contempt? Disdain? They rarely feel such emotions. They just want to squeeze every last bit of Immortal Dao resources from you…”
“It’s like a mosquito spotting a blood bag, its first instinct is to suck every last drop of blood.”
“That’s their nature…”
At this moment, gazing at their beaming smiles, watching the constant stream of polite greetings and gentle suggestions they sent, Zhang Yu could only see these sect members as gaping, bloody maws, eager to tear a chunk of flesh from his body.
Seeing Yu Xinghan still grinning foolishly beside him, Zhang Yu instantly realized he had also been contacted. He quickly sent a warning message.
Yu Xinghan’s body went cold as he read Zhang Yu’s message. He thought grimly, “The sect is truly dangerous. On my very first day, I nearly had my Immortal Dao Potential drained dry.”
After rejecting the invitations from one Sect Scion after another, Yu Xinghan seemed to catch fleeting expressions of disappointment on the faces of those around him.
As the third class ended, the fourth began almost immediately.
The training teacher on the stage announced, “In the sects of old, overtime culture was rampant. Everyone was forced to work 24 hours a day, day and night, enduring unspeakable hardship.”
“The Full Attendance Immortal once declared, ‘What Immortal Dao spirit remains in such a sect? When everyone toils day and night, what time is left for self-improvement? How can we drive Immortal Dao innovation?’”
“Thus, the Full Attendance Immortal initiated the Sect Reform, resisting ineffective overtime by requiring all daily tasks to be completed within four hours.”
“The remaining time was to be dedicated to study and Immortal Research, continuously improving oneself, this was deemed the Righteous Path.”
“And if work exceeded the time limit, fines would be imposed. The more overtime, the higher the fine. Therefore, efficiency became paramount.”
“From that day forward, overtime was forever abolished within the sect…”
Hearing this, Zhang Yu couldn’t help but curse inwardly, “I knew it… How could a sect only require four hours of work a day? So they just compressed a full day’s work into four hours? What a damn clever scheme…”
While Zhang Yu was silently fuming, the training teacher continued, “All of you who passed the sect’s entrance exam surely understand the importance of money. Money… everyone wants to earn it. It is an essential resource for climbing the Immortal Dao.”
As he spoke, the teacher tapped lightly, projecting a vast list onto the screen. The names of various Immortal Sect Techniques instantly appeared.
Not only were there True Inheritance-Tier and Strategic-Tier Immortal Sect Techniques, but even Sect-Guarding-Tier and Heaven-Opening-Tier techniques were listed.
Gazing at the names at the very top of the list, Zhang Yu felt his heart surge with excitement.
“Great Dao Comprehensive Manual… Explanation Beyond Heaven… Inconceivable Dharma Treatise… Treasure Scroll of the Root Source of All Myriad Laws…”
Each one was a peerless divine art, an ultimate cultivation art that led directly to Level 100. They were the supreme scriptures of the Myriad Laws Sect, the lifeblood of countless Immortals and Cultivators, and even miracles spearheaded by the Immortal Emperor himself.
But each one was also incredibly expensive, easily costing hundreds of billions of Immortal Coins and millions of Dao Merit, leaving Zhang Yu feeling utterly overwhelmed.
Zhang Yu thought to himself, “After becoming a First-Rank Sect Staff member at the Edict Pavilion, my monthly salary is only 2,000 Immortal Coins, right? Relying on just this fixed wage…”
Immortal Slayer reminded him, “After all taxes are deducted, you’ll take home at most 1,000 Immortal Coins per month. Of course, within the Sect Layer, this income is sufficient for your cultivation up to the Nascent Soul Realm.”
“But if you want to advance further, reach higher ranks and cultivation realms, and set your sights on Heaven-Opening-Tier Immortal Sect Techniques, this income is far from enough.”
Zhang Yu silently agreed. After all, he had just checked the price of an Immortal Spirit Root. Even the cheapest one, including the Spirit Root Transformation Surgery, cost over twenty thousand Immortal Coins.
And Zhang Yu understood that this was an unavoidable expense.
He glanced at his Myriad Laws Steward’s report. The self-diagnosis results clearly displayed “Heavenly Spirit Root” in the Spirit Root column, a glaring reminder of his current limitation.
This Heavenly Spirit Root was something Zhang Yu had purchased before his Foundation Establishment in the First Layer. While a Heavenly Spirit Root might have been unremarkable at the University, still using one within the Sect… was far too conspicuous.
“Even though the Dharma-Warding Talisman and Dao Seed Register can conceal the presence of my Immortal Spirit Root, this Heavenly Spirit Root is still too glaring within the Sect. If it draws unwanted attention… it could become a fatal flaw.”
Zhang Yu understood that the faster his future cultivation progressed, the more jarring his weak Heavenly Spirit Root would appear.
If some Great Power in the Sect suddenly decided to investigate him on a whim, it could lead to immense trouble.
“I need to find a way to gather enough money and switch to an Immortal Spirit Root as soon as possible.”
However, when Zhang Yu checked his loan limit, he found he could borrow at most ten thousand Immortal Coins, not nearly enough to afford the Immortal Spirit Root.
Zhang Yu thought to himself, “Is my loan limit so low because they judge my current assets and earning potential within the Sect Layer to be insufficient?”
As Zhang Yu pondered, the training teacher on the stage continued, “To earn more money, completing your work within four hours each day and avoiding fines is essential.”
“But that’s not enough. To earn even more, you must learn a more efficient way of working.”