Chapter 865: Give Soul Cultivators a Raise, I’ll Bear the Bad Name! Profound Cold Meridian Upgrade
After Fa Liuyuan saw Zhang Yu’s proposal, his mind began to race, frantically considering the pros and cons within it.
In his view, once the Soul Cultivators in the Former Days Graveyard started using Dharma Realm Technology on a large scale to improve their work efficiency, it would force more and more Soul Cultivators to use the Dharma Realm.
From using Dharma Realm Technology to gain higher competitiveness in the workplace, it would eventually devolve into a situation where only those who used Dharma Realm Technology could find a job… This was only a matter of time.
In other words, the Soul Cultivator users who were bought over with raised salaries would soon have those very salaries taken back through the Dharma Realm.
Especially since the salary raise Zhang Yu proposed for the Soul Cultivators was mainly not in their base pay, but from a share of the business.
“This is about giving a larger share of the money earned… to the Soul Cultivators, to get more Soul Cultivators to use the Dharma Realm. With more money in their hands, they will ultimately spend more Immortal Coins in the Dharma Realm.”
“In this process, the Soul Cultivator Company increases its business volume and makes money.”
“The Dharma Realm Company gains more users and makes more money.”
“The Immortal Emperor is not only making money through the Soul Cultivator Company and the Dharma Realm Company, but also expanding the Dharma Realm Dao Lineage itself, which can be described as making a massive profit.”
“Even the Soul Cultivators… even if they earn more and spend more, leaving them with few Immortal Coins in the end, they still enjoyed the services of the Dharma Realm in the process, and both their cultivation and lifespan were improved.”
“Then there is the Reincarnation Immortal Emperor. The source of Zhang Yu’s salary increase, at the end of the day… is paid by the companies hiring the Soul Cultivators. For the Reincarnation Immortal Emperor, it means conveniently gaining a larger profit while suppressing the Soul Cultivator Faction within the sect, both taking the money and consolidating power.”
After scanning the proposal for the first time, Fa Liuyuan understood that this was a five-way win. For Soul Cultivators, for the Soul Cultivator Company, and for the Dharma Realm Company… earning more Immortal Coins could be considered a small win.
The Reincarnation Immortal Emperor, making money and consolidating power, could be considered a medium win.
And the Myriad Laws Immortal Emperor not only made money but also filled the void, gaining influence in the Soul Cultivator industry, and furthermore expanding the Dao Lineage, which is a massive, absolute win.
If the Soul Cultivator Company goes public in the future, it would be an even bigger win.
So who was losing?
“The Soul Cultivator Enterprises originally in the Former Days Graveyard are having their markets and laborers snatched away. Whether they continue to throw money at it or not… their profits will decrease. It’s just a difference between a small loss and a big loss.”
Fa Liuyuan thought to himself, “But will the sects behind these Soul Cultivator Enterprises support them in continuing to throw money into fighting Zhang Yu?”
Fa Liuyuan shook his head in his mind. “Rather than continuing to throw money into this guaranteed loss at the Former Days Graveyard, it’s better to invest that money in conquering other battlefields. Besides, the factions controlling the Soul Cultivator Dao Lineage within Heavenly Demon, White Bone, and Netherworld have been weakened. They no longer have the possibility of determining a Dao Master and ascending to a Supreme Dao Lineage… This probably perfectly aligns with certain people’s wishes.”
“In addition, this is also a good opportunity for us.”
Changing the industry landscape through salary increases, and even improving the lifespan, cultivation, and living environment of the soul cultivators — in Fa Liuyuan’s eyes… this was a very good demonstration of reform.
In particular, this plan had almost no conflict of interest with them, and it could also conform to the Myriad Laws Immortal Emperor’s general trend, using the Myriad Laws Immortal Emperor’s banner.
In the future, if the Reformist Faction wanted to launch reforms in other places, Zhang Yu’s operation this time would be a very good example and basis.
After a series of rapid thoughts, Fa Liuyuan realized that this matter was feasible.
And even if there were any omissions and the application was rejected by the Myriad Laws Immortal Emperor, there would be no loss to the Reformist Faction.
“From the perspective of industry development and the overall situation of the Dao Lineage Struggle, using the power to raise salaries here is a huge killing move, a sharp weapon sufficient to establish victory.”
“However…”
Looking at Zhang Yu in front of him, Fa Liuyuan knew even better that the power to raise salaries was also a double-edged sword, a terrifying vortex sufficient to make all sorts of Kunxu Heavenly Chosen fall within it.
At this moment, Fa Liuyuan descended in front of Zhang Yu just to see if this cultivator who climbed up from the first layer, this inheritor chosen by Ying Xintian, had the courage to wield the power to raise salaries, and if he had the capacity and qualifications to shoulder this responsibility.
“If the Immortal Path is a path against the heavens, then raising salaries is an act against the heavens.”
Fa Liuyuan looked seriously at Zhang Yu and said word by word: “You must know… killing the wrong person is merely the loss of one life, but raising the wrong salary could involve the money of countless people over countless years. Have you looked into previous examples of delegating the right to unlimited salary increases?”
Zhang Yu replied: “I know that in the early stages of many industries within the sect, during the special historical eras of seizing territory and disorderly expansion, in order to counter the competition of other sects and to gain the lead in a new round of Dao Lineage Struggle, the right to raise salaries was indeed delegated.”
Fa Liuyuan continued: “The last time the right to unlimited salary increases was delegated was probably during the promotion of the Intelligent Artifact Spirit. Do you know how many Immortal Coins the sect lost that time? And how many people were eventually purged?”
Fu Ji tried asking the Celestial Inquiry Star.
Celestial Inquiry Star: “Due to the restrictions of the sect law and sect regulations, I am unable to provide specific details on this issue.”
Zhang Yu said: “I could not find any relevant information.”
Fa Liuyuan said: “According to the subsequent investigation, in just a short period of one year, there were a full 25000 salary increase adjustments that were ultimately deemed non-compliant.”
“It involved 1 Ascension Realm cultivator, 3 Tribulation Transcendence Cultivators, 12 Void Refinement Cultivators, and countless Spirit Transformation, Nascent Soul, and Golden Core cultivators.”
“The vast majority of these were the managers at the time using their unlimited salary increase rights to seek personal gain and conduct insider trading. In the end, it even developed into a landslide-like salary increase that spread to the entire Spirit Artifact Industry, forming a dark salary increase circle. It erupted into a large-scale phenomenon of buying salaries with money, falsely reporting performance, and manipulating stock prices, ultimately creating a vicious cycle of increasing salaries with salaries.”
“And this series of malicious salary increase incidents was also exploited by others… indirectly causing the artifact spirit bubble at the time to rapidly expand, nearly triggering an economic crisis.”
“The relevant managers… were ultimately sentenced to lifetime free overtime work, becoming a public magical artifact, and permanently deprived of the qualification to ascend and become an Immortal.”
“The other purged individuals added up to tens of thousands, directly transforming an entire development zone at the time into an unpaid land.”
Hearing this, Zhang Yu’s heart sank. Although he already knew the greed of the Kunxu People and thought he understood the infinite desire of the Kunxu Cultivator for assets and cultivation, he still did not expect… the unlimited salary increase right to be abused to such an extent, to be played to this degree.
At the same time, he knew that what Fa Liuyuan said was probably not the whole picture of the incident. To be able to cause a so-called avalanche of salary increases, to be able to erupt into such a vicious incident, and with the sect’s processing efficiency, to actually last for a year… Immortals were inevitably involved behind the scenes.
Immortal Slayer calmly said, “It’s not just Immortals, there must also be the influence of the Immortal Emperor. Decentralizing the power to increase salaries, making the subordinates work themselves to death, willing to be the blade. When things are almost done, if the blade is dirty… it will naturally be abandoned, liquidated again, and the Immortal Coins recovered…”
Sect Examination Clone: “A bunch of guys who betrayed the Immortal Emperor’s grace, they merely brought it upon themselves.”
Fu Ji: “It can’t be completely considered as bringing it upon themselves, the power of infinite salary increases… From top to bottom in Kunxu, how many people holding such heavy power can still remain clear-headed and not seek personal gain?”
Zhang Yu sighed inwardly, “Aspiration for the Immortal Path…”
Zhang Yu knew that when a person obtained the power of infinite salary increases and used the aspiration for the Immortal Path to push the people of the entire industry forward, that person himself would also become the one most influenced by the aspiration for the Immortal Path.
With the temptation of endless Immortal Coins, assets, and cultivation placed before them, even if the power-holders themselves resisted it, wouldn’t the group of people with tied interests, various subordinates, superiors, and even Immortals… force them to make mistakes? How much pressure would that bring?
“Increase salaries first, report later, specially approved by the Immortal Emperor.” Fa Liuyuan sighed softly: “The right to unlimited salary increases sounds infinitely glorious, but it is even more so infinitely perilous, infinitely risky, and infinitely stressful.”
“Just after you raise salaries alone, who knows how many factions inside and outside the sect will launch attacks against you to boycott your malicious salary increases.”
Zhang Yu could not help but say: “Heavenly Monarch, a salary increase is just a salary increase, how is it malicious?”
Fa Liuyuan said: “To distribute more money to Soul Cultivators for the sake of market competition, how is that not malicious?”
“Raising salaries is an evil human desire, and while it gives little cause for criticism, generally speaking… one must consider whether other companies can bear it. If other companies cannot bear it, recklessly raising salaries is not a contribution to Kunxu, but a form of harm that will only trigger turmoil.”
“After all, companies, enterprises, and the high-level cultivators of the various halls are the foundation of Kunxu. As the saying goes, Immortals are the most precious, the sect comes second, and the Heavenly Monarch is of least importance…”
Fa Liuyuan looked at Zhang Yu and said solemnly, “If the wage increase right you requested this time wasn’t for the Soul Cultivator industry, but for other industries operated by our sect, I absolutely wouldn’t have agreed to this proposal.”
Zhang Yu understood in his heart that Fa Liuyuan was right. If he dared to say anything about increasing wages for enterprises in other industries within the Myriad Laws Sect, he would probably instantly face a thousand pointing fingers. They might even say he had been poisoned by the feral Immortal Inheritance, brainwashed by Traitor Ying, and become a notoriously infamous existence. He would instantly be systematically isolated and lose his Immortal Dao potential.
Fa Liuyuan shook his head and sighed, “Even if you only increase wages within the Soul Cultivator Industry, and even if you finally defeat Xiao Yunhe and the others, there will still be countless people who will use this wage increase to attack you.”
“This will be a lifelong stain on you.”
Zhang Yu took a deep breath, magic power circulating within his body, and the 32 White Oxen in his mind roared.
Zhang Yu said firmly, “This is the crucial opportunity to win this battle. To seize this opportunity and to expand the Dao Lineage for the Immortal Emperor, what does a little infamy matter?”
“Let the Soul Cultivators get a wage increase… I will bear the bad name.”
Fa Liuyuan looked at Zhang Yu, rows of data appearing in his eyes. Those were Zhang Yu’s various data regarding vital energy, magic power, consciousness fluctuations, and Divine Soul fluctuations.
And all of this data indicated that at this moment, Zhang Yu was completely resolute; he had already made up his mind.
Fa Liuyuan continued, “Since ancient times, very few who held this authority have met a good end. To ultimately end up merely losing one’s entire fortune is already considered extremely lucky.”
“If you increase salaries recklessly and face a reckoning afterward, we will not help you.”
“Are you sure you can withstand this responsibility?”
Fa Liuyuan stared intently at Zhang Yu in front of him. Even though it was merely a projection descending, he seemed to see through every slight fluctuation and change in Zhang Yu’s consciousness, able to judge whether every subsequent word Zhang Yu spoke was true or false.
Fa Liuyuan knew very well that holding the authority for unlimited salary increases and wanting to avoid making mistakes… to avoid being reckoned with meant having to go against the Immortal Dao Aspiration Dao Lineage.
This was absolutely not something an ordinary person could do. If Fa Liuyuan were in Zhang Yu’s position, he would absolutely not risk applying for the unlimited salary increase authority, because he feared he would not be able to withstand the push of the Immortal Dao Aspiration lineage, ultimately drowning in the desire for unlimited salary increases and subsequently committing a grave mistake.
Zhang Yu spoke, “Heavenly Monarch, I want to become an Immortal.”
Fa Liuyuan’s heart stirred slightly upon hearing this. Zhang Yu had already continued, “Whether it is the Former Days Graveyard or the Soul Cultivator Industry, they are absolutely not my finish line.”
“To ascend and become an Immortal, jump out of the Three Debts, not be bound by the Five Insurances, remain unemployed yet without flaws, achieve financial freedom, and cultivation freedom… this is what I truly desire.”
“Compared to this, a mere infinite salary increase right is not worth mentioning.”
Fa Liuyuan understood in his heart that only someone with a stubborn, almost fanatical confidence in their own Immortal Dao potential, in their ability to become an Immortal and an exalted one, and in achieving cultivation freedom… could possibly, for the sake of that delusion of becoming an Immortal, resist the pursuit of short-term gains after grasping the salary increase right, all under the push of their aspiration for the Immortal Dao.
The people who could accomplish this were few and far between. And at this very moment, in the eyes of Zhang Yu, a Spirit Transformation Cultivator, Fa Liuyuan saw that resolute pursuit of swearing to become an Immortal.
“Good. Since you have such confidence, I will lend you a hand.”
Fa Liuyuan said, “This proposal, along with your determination, I will first relay to Immortal Roujia and Immortal Yi Xuan. Then, I will join you in submitting a memo to the Immortal Emperor…”
The unknown upper echelons of Kunxu.
Fa Liuyuan looked at the phantom images of the two Immortals in front of him. A surge of intent flowed out, already conveying Zhang Yu’s plan and determination in detail.
Fa Liuyuan: “Zhang Yu’s judgment is accurate enough. He grasped this opportunity perfectly. It can be said that he possesses both ability and responsibility, as well as a determination to reform…”
Fa Liuyuan spoke from his heart, praising Zhang Yu extensively, and finally said: “Now is precisely the time to press the attack. By taking advantage of our technological superiority to quickly occupy the Soul Cultivator market, the Immortal Emperor will very likely agree to Zhang Yu’s plan.”
Immortal Roujia let out a female voice: “The right to unlimited salary increases… I really didn’t expect this Zhang Yu to dare apply for such a thing.”
Fa Liuyuan said: “Master, if the Immortal Emperor agrees and Zhang Yu successfully uses the right for salary increases, achieving a great victory in the Former Days Graveyard while protecting himself from being purged, it will show that this child has the potential to become an Immortal. I think we can further focus on cultivating him.”
“In another two years, he should reach the Void Refinement realm. At that time, aside from supporting him in establishing the third-generation Law Edicts, we can also have him assist Tai Yuebai in founding a new Dao Lineage together.”
Meanwhile, Zhang Yu was waiting for Fa Liuyuan’s feedback.
Although he felt the higher-ups would probably agree, thinking about the value of the unlimited salary increase right still made Zhang Yu feel a burst of nervousness.
Right at this moment, a trace of change in his Feather Book made him slightly startled.
Zhang Yu looked at the Dao Seed Register and saw that the Profound Cold Meridian belonging to Le Mulan had actually upgraded.
“Is it because… Le Mulan’s cultivation realm improved? Did her magic power skyrocket?”
After sensing the effects of the upgraded Profound Cold Meridian, Zhang Yu could not help but narrow his eyes.
“With the Dao Seed upgraded, Le Mulan herself can definitely feel it.”
“I just do not know if those cultivators who invested in her… will be able to notice it.”
“If they notice it…”
Zhang Yu immediately sent a message to Le Mulan, wanting to inquire about her situation, but he did not receive a reply for a long time.
Zhang Yu could only send a message to Bu Yingshu, asking her to help investigate.
Before Bu Yingshu could respond, Fa Liuyuan had descended once again, wanting to personally guide Zhang Yu in writing the proposal, preparing to send it to the Myriad Laws Immortal Emperor’s inbox.
Almost at the instant Fa Liuyuan sent the proposal, a soft ding echoed in his mind, having received the Immortal Emperor’s reply.
Myriad Laws Immortal Emperor: “Understood. Approved!”
Fa Liuyuan looked at this reply, a look of great joy appearing on his face.
As he showed it to Zhang Yu beside him, he said, “Zhang Yu, come take a look at the Immortal Emperor’s reply. Let me analyze it for you so that you can understand the Immortal Emperor’s replying habits in advance. That way, if you ever get the chance to send messages to and receive messages from the Immortal Emperor in the future, you won’t be caught off guard.”
“Hehe, speaking of which… if you do a beautiful job with this matter, you might just get the opportunity to personally send messages to the Immortal Emperor in the future.”
As he spoke, Fa Liuyuan displayed the Immortal Emperor’s reply, down to the very words and punctuation marks, right in front of Zhang Yu.
“Zhang Yu, look. This time, not only did the Immortal Emperor acknowledge it, but he also added the word ‘approved’ and an exclamation mark, which shows that the Immortal Emperor is incredibly in favor of this plan.”
“Moreover, the fact that he replied so quickly further proves that the Immortal Emperor has been keeping a close eye on the Former Days Graveyard, and has even set a high viewing priority weight for my messages.”
“Let me tell you about the time tiers for the Immortal Emperor’s reply speeds…”
Zhang Yu nodded and looked at the separate message the Immortal Emperor had sent directly to him.
Myriad Laws Immortal Emperor: “Truly commendable. If you do not fail me, I shall certainly not fail you. Keep up the good work!”