Chapter 923 Zhang Yu’s Choice
“Teacher Starfire…”
Looking at the projection floating in front of him, Zhang Yu was naturally extremely surprised.
Because given Divine Monarch Starfire’s rank and cultivation realm, he shouldn’t have the qualifications to come to the Law-Knowing Abode.
But now, not only had the other party come, he had directly descended into the testing ground as a projection to communicate with him face-to-face.
Looking at Zhang Yu in front of him, Divine Monarch Starfire smiled helplessly and said, “Zhang Yu, someone specifically invited me over to meet with you and pass on some words.”
Zhang Yu’s heart stirred, and he said, “Is it related to my Law Edict pilot?”
Divine Monarch Starfire sighed, “Yes, it’s related to your Law Edict pilot. You probably can’t feel it here, but outside… this matter has blown up to such a massive extent. Many people are saying that you’re ruining the general environment, though quite a few are also speaking up for you.”
“In the Spirit Realm and Dharma Realm, everyone is arguing endlessly over this, and many are flaming each other relentlessly.”
“Even a large number of Soul Cultivators and outsourced workers have joined this grand discussion without even being paid to do so.”
How should he put it? When Divine Monarch Starfire saw that Soul Cultivators and outsourced workers were getting involved… it felt just like when students of the Top Ten were discussing their grades, and a Junior College Student suddenly rushed out to brag that their eating and shitting skills were also top-notch.
“But when even they start discussing such major sect affairs, you know how hot this matter has become.”
Listening to Starfire’s recounting, Zhang Yu thought to himself: “Is someone fueling the flames behind the scenes?”
“And… to be able to find Teacher Starfire this time, cross the levels of Kunxu, and send him right in front of me… these people truly possess immense mystic power.”
After Divine Monarch Starfire briefly explained the current situation, he finally said, “The cultivators who can establish laws are all in charge of a region within the sect, and the network of interests among them is deeply intertwined — moving one part affects the whole. Some of the connections behind me are also involved, and now that they have reached out to me, I had no choice but to come.”
Zhang Yu nodded slightly; he had long known that for Divine Monarch Starfire to reach his current position, he must have connections and a background within the sect.
Ordinarily, this served as support for Divine Monarch Starfire, but it also meant that he had to reciprocate when necessary.
If Zhang Yu were facing other cultivators, he wouldn’t show them the slightest shred of respect. He would even flatly refuse to communicate with them, rejecting any law’s overtures or persuasions.
But facing Divine Monarch Starfire, this teacher who had once given him a lot of help…
At this moment, Zhang Yu realized that the people behind the scenes had probably studied him thoroughly from head to toe, including his personality, experiences, and social network… That was why they had invited Divine Monarch Starfire to initiate this conversation.
Immortal Slayer sighed, “The worst part about the matters of Kunxu is that everyone’s interests are inextricably intertwined.”
Zhang Yu said, “Go ahead and tell me, what message do they want you to pass on? Are they trying to persuade me to start the law establishment pilot in a specific layer?”
Divine Monarch Starfire smiled helplessly and continued, “Ultimately, no one wants to suddenly have a ‘father’ dictating them for no reason, especially the Void Refinement Cultivators who can establish Law Edicts.”
“Especially now, with the continuous struggles over the Great Daos, the incidents with Soul Cultivators and artifact spirits, and the emergence of the new third-generation Law Edicts. There is a lot of turmoil within the sects, and many people are even less willing to let a Law Edict Expiration Date interfere and affect the growth rate of their sect’s total cultivation over these past few years.”
“Therefore, they hope you will arrange the Law Edict Pilot in the lower realm, preferably the First Layer.”
Hearing this, Immortal Slayer snorted coldly and said, “Because the First Layer involves the least of their interests and is the most worthless in their eyes. Naturally, they will let you toss things around there as you please. They might even use the entire First Layer as a testing ground to see how they can counter your Law Edicts…”
Fu Ji said, “Hmph! If we choose the First Layer, how will we account to the Immortal Emperor? Isn’t this cutting off our immortal path?”
Looking at the silent Zhang Yu, Divine Monarch Starfire continued, “Zhang Yu, my task… is just to pass on a message for them. You don’t have to worry about me in whatever way you want to deal with it.”
“If there’s any message you want me to pass on to them, you can also tell me.”
“As the saying goes, ask for the sky and settle for the earth. Although you hold the Law Edict Expiration Date, the opposing side this time is after all composed of many senior Void Refinement experts who have established Law Edicts. If we can reduce conflict through communication, then we should try to reduce conflict…”
Zhang Yu nodded and said, “I know, Teacher Starfire. But as for the specific situation, I still need to think about it. I can’t give an answer for now.”
The day after Divine Monarch Starfire and Zhang Yu met, another acquaintance also came to the testing ground.
It was Zhang Yu’s former old leader in the Edict Pavilion, now the minister of the Edict Pavilion Review Department.
Arriving at the testing Ground, Gu Qingya sighed in his heart, “I really miss this. The testing ground for the third-generation Law Edict. A few years ago, I was alone, without background, without allies, without anyone’s uplifting, and without telling anyone. In the end… I didn’t come here either.”
Whenever he thought about how, during his cooperation with Zhang Yu a few years ago, he was promoted to minister of the Review Department and attempted to break through to the Void Refinement Realm, yet missed out on the third-generation Law Edict technology, Gu Qingya would feel a trace of reluctance. However, when he considered that with his own ability and background, even if he participated now, he couldn’t possibly be selected for the third-generation Law Edict training, he felt at peace again.
Upon seeing Zhang Yu, Gu Qingya said with a face full of admiration, “Congratulations, congratulations! Controlling all the Law Edicts in the world — such a magnificent feat was actually accomplished by you, Dao Monarch Zhang. Who would dare say our Lower Realm cultivators are lacking in the future?”
Seeing Gu Qingya arrive, Zhang Yu sighed and asked, “Dao Monarch Gu, are you also here to ask me about the Law Edict pilot?”
Gu Qingya hurriedly waved his hands and said, “Dao Monarch Zhang, please do not misunderstand. Some people just want to know where you will choose for your Law Edict pilot, but they absolutely have no intention of interfering. At most, they just want to offer a tiny bit of advice. If you don’t agree, it doesn’t matter at all.”
“It’s just that, for the sake of the sect, choosing the Lower Realm would indeed have the least impact, and choosing the First Layer would minimize losses even further. It would allow the development of the Law Edict to be pushed forward with the least disruption to everyone’s money-making and cultivation…”
Zhang Yu waved his hand and said, “Dao Monarch Gu, you don’t need to say anymore. I am still considering the matter…”
After sending Gu Qingya off, over the next few days… various Sect Staff members that Zhang Yu knew in the sect came to act as persuaders.
Yet, amidst these seemingly polite and courteous actions, Zhang Yu felt a trace of pressure.
Thus, when the seventh day arrived, Zhang Yu looked at the person before him and said directly, “Are you showing off your connections and power to me?”
The person standing before Zhang Yu at this moment was not any Sect Staff he had encountered in the past, but a senior Rank 6 Void Refinement Cultivator.
The other party was named Si Shian, the very creator of the Four-Hour Workday Law Edict.
Zhang Yu knew he was absolutely not the mastermind, but merely a spokesperson sent by the person behind the scenes.
Zhang Yu also remembered that the so-called Four-Hour Workday system was proposed by the Full Attendance Immortal of the Myriad Laws Sect. From the looks of it, this Si Shian should be a cultivator from the Full Attendance Immortal’s faction.
Hearing Zhang Yu’s question, Si Shian smiled faintly and said, “Virtuous Younger Brother Zhang is overthinking it. We are merely worried about causing unnecessary conflicts, which is why we asked people to pass on a message to you in advance.”
As he spoke, Si Shian extended a hand, and surging numbers of Immortal Coins were already flowing within his palm.
“Virtuous Younger Brother Zhang, I know that in order to establish the Law Edict, you incurred a massive debt in the testing ground and were inflicted with Debt Poison, to the point that you are temporarily trapped here, using the environment of the testing ground to suppress the Debt Poison.”
“I came here today precisely because I want to lend you a helping hand and suppress the Debt Poison for you.”
Seeing the surging numbers of Immortal Coins seemingly about to pounce and be struck into his body by a palm from Si Shian in the next moment, Zhang Yu’s figure flashed. He retreated to a spot hundreds of meters away and said coldly, “Thanks for the concern, but I will figure out a way to deal with this debt myself.”
Si Shian sighed helplessly, then said with a face full of sincerity, “Virtuous Younger Brother Zhang, why push me away? Debt is the number one lethal poison in the world, and it must be handled with care.”
“Especially this kind of Debt Poison from borrowing a thousand years of calculation power. It follows you like a shadow, destroying the soul and corroding the bones. For every moment it is delayed, the interest doubles. If you keep dragging it out until the Debt Poison deepens, I’m afraid you will be beyond saving.”
“Virtuous Younger Brother Zhang, if you are willing today, not only can I suppress this poison for you free of charge, but I can also offer you a gift…”
As he spoke, a window popped up in front of Zhang Yu. Impressively, it was a lifetime free membership to the Dharma Realm calculation pool, granting an annual quota of a thousand years of calculation power matching Zhang Yu’s current cultivation level.
Zhang Yu only needed to simply select agree to receive this gift and enter that state of heaven-reaching calculation power.
But watching this scene, Zhang Yu’s expression did not loosen in the slightest, and he had absolutely no interest in agreeing to accept the gift before him.
After all, he knew without thinking that those cultivators who established the law edicts and their backers definitely harbored no good intentions toward him, the controller of the Law Edict Expiration Date. Heaven knew what kind of trap lay within.
Seeing Zhang Yu’s resistant appearance, Si Shian sighed, “Alas, it seems that Virtuous Younger Brother Zhang, you have a very deep misunderstanding of us.”
Si Shian sneered coldly in his heart: A little beast that crawled up from the Lower Realm whose luck turned around only to become cannon fodder in this martial duel, do you really think you are the Myriad Laws Divine Sword?
Hmph, I am making a transfer to you, what does it matter to you?
Amidst his surging thoughts, Si Shian pointed a finger, and a great flood of Immortal Coins came crashing down. No matter how Zhang Yu tried to dodge or block, he was completely helpless; he could only watch as this sum of Immortal Coins violently crashed into him with a boom.
“Virtuous Younger Brother Zhang, a transfer is an unavoidable move. Once it is sent out, there is nowhere to hide and no way to block it, so please, do not be so polite.”
Even as Si Shian smiled, Zhang Yu felt that the burst of Immortal Coins the other party had sent out had suddenly evaporated, paying off one month’s interest on his thousand years of calculation power for him.
Si Shian explained, “Virtuous younger brother, I have already temporarily suppressed your Debt Poison. For the next month, even if you leave the testing ground and no longer have the environmental suppression here, you will not have to worry about the Debt Poison erupting.”
“You don’t need to be so heavily guarded against us. We only hope that you will seriously consider the matter of the Law Edict pilot, and think more about the big picture of the sect, as well as the interests of the vast number of cultivators…”
As he spoke, Si Shian’s figure gradually dissipated, vanishing right before Zhang Yu’s eyes.
Watching this scene, Zhang Yu thought to himself, “A show of force? Does this mean they can control my debt at any time?”
At the same time, Fu Ji grumbled dissatisfiedly in his mind, “Are these opposition factions really this arrogant and domineering? Don’t they know that for us to be able to establish the Law Edict Expiration Date, we must have the Immortal Emperor’s support behind us?”
Immortal Slayer analyzed, “For the other party to dare to do this, it means the person behind them is also no small matter. They are at least an Immortal, or even at the level of an Immortal Venerable.”
Herald God said, “Boss Fu Ji naturally knows that for them to dare to do this, they must have at least an Immortal-level background. What the boss means is… are these Immortals, or rather Immortal Venerables, not afraid of the Immortal Emperor taking ruthless action against them?”
Fu Ji: “Right! That is exactly what I meant!”
Immortal Slayer said in a deep voice, “I’m afraid… the situation has changed, making them feel fearless.”
Herald God nodded inwardly and said, “Boss Fu Ji, do you also suspect that other sects have secretly intervened, greatly boosting the opposition’s confidence, while the Myriad Laws Immortal Emperor feels apprehensive?”
Fu Ji said, “Are you saying… I mean, this opposition faction is now confident that the Myriad Laws Immortal Emperor will compromise with them because the restraint from other sects and other Immortal Emperors makes the Myriad Laws Immortal Emperor afraid to fall out with them completely?”
“So the Immortal Emperor wants us to arrange the Law Edict pilot in the lower realm? Or even the First Layer?”
Immortal Slayer said, “For now, this is the only explanation I can think of. In fact, from the perspective of these opposition members, agreeing to establish a Law Edict Expiration Date is probably already considered taking a step back on their part.”
“And now, it is the Immortal Emperor’s turn to step back.”
Zhang Yu thought to himself, “Will the Immortal Emperor… step back?”
Herald God frowned and said, “If the Immortal Emperor plans to back down, and we still choose the 16th Layer, we would just be adding to his troubles. Instead, we should choose the lower realm to give the old man a way out.”
Immortal Slayer said, “But if the Immortal Emperor doesn’t retreat, and we dare to mention the lower realm, in his eyes, we might turn into the surrender faction.”
Fu Ji said, “No wonder the Immortal Emperor hasn’t replied. Could he be waiting for us to make a further statement? A-Zong (Examination Clone), how do you think we should write to the Immortal Emperor?”
The Sect Examination Clone said, “Naturally, we support all the decisions of the Immortal Emperor. Wherever the Immortal Emperor wants us to strike, we strike.”
Fu Ji said disdainfully, “A-Zong, I know you mean it sincerely, but to others, you’ll just seem slippery, unwilling to take the blame yourself, and trying to pass the buck back to the Immortal Emperor.”
Along with the discussion in his mind, Zhang Yu had already left the testing ground.
Regardless of Si Shian’s purpose, after Zhang Yu confirmed it, he determined that leaving the testing ground for the time being shouldn’t cause any problems.
And he needed to go out and personally understand the current situation.
After all, the restrictions on him within the testing ground were too great. It was inconvenient for him to contact Bai Zhenzhen, Zhang Pianpian, and the Reincarnation Immortal Emperor, depriving him of many intelligence channels.
Former Days Graveyard.
Zhang Yu didn’t make a big fuss; instead, he quietly returned to his office and only notified Yu Xinghan to inquire about the current situation.
“Zhang Yu! You’re finally back!”
Seeing Zhang Yu’s return, Yu Xinghan was slightly excited, “Everyone is saying that you’re going to choose a sect layer for the Law Edict pilot. Is it true?”
Zhang Yu frowned slightly, “Where did this news come from?”
With a single thought, Yu Xinghan sent a series of messages right in front of Zhang Yu.
“Zhang Yu’s Lower Beast Gang interest network!”
“Bringing in over 10 lower realm cultivators a year, Zhang Yu’s lower realm infiltration plan!”
Zhang Yu casually glanced over them and realized they were various articles criticizing him for heavily introducing Lower Realm cultivators. They even hinted in various ways that he would use the Law Edict Expiration Date to freeze relevant Law Edicts and open the floodgates for more lower realm cultivators to join the sect.
Zhang Yu chuckled, “Heh, they’re saying it in such a way that I really want to do it now.”
Hearing these words, Yu Xinghan hastily said, “You absolutely must not let anyone hear you say that. These rumors are spreading everywhere right now. Claims that you want to bring in lower realm cultivators in large numbers and take up sect resources have already aroused the dissatisfaction of a large number of Sect Staff.”
As they spoke, Yu Xinghan sent Zhang Yu quite a few trending articles.
Besides the issue of introducing lower-tier cultivators, there were also rumors that freezing the Law Edicts would lead to various departments being unable to handle official business, causing a complete shutdown and ultimately triggering a long holiday within the sect.
“A holiday? It’s actually a holiday? How can there be a holiday!”
“What era is this to still be having holidays? This is turning back the wheel of history!”
“I don’t want a holiday! I want to work! I want to make money!”
Faced with these rumors of a massive holiday, it could be said that resentment was boiling over in the Dharma Realm.
“All sorts of articles smearing me and smearing the Law Edict Expiration Date,” Zhang Yu thought to himself. “They want to generate a negative Thought Tide against me among the sect’s cultivators before my Law Edict pilot even begins.”
Beside him, Yu Xinghan didn’t understand the third-generation Law Edict technology or the influence of Thought Tides, but he still sensed a hint of danger from the situation.
“Zhang Yu, at first, public opinion was at a stalemate between both sides, but recently you’ve completely fallen into a disadvantage in the court of public opinion…”
In Yu Xinghan’s view, this was a very bad signal. It often indicated that the two forces behind the scenes had already decided a victor.
“Relax, it’s fine.”
Zhang Yu’s confident answer rubbed off on Yu Xinghan, allowing him to breathe a sigh of relief.
Because of their repeated victories over the years, with Zhang Yu always leading them to win, Yu Xinghan did not doubt Zhang Yu in the slightest. After briefing Zhang Yu on the work of the past month or two, he left the office.
However, right after Yu Xinghan left, Zhang Yu frowned slightly and thought to himself, “Immortal Emperor, what exactly are you trying to do?”
But before Zhang Yu could resolve the doubts in his heart, shortly after he returned to the Former Days Graveyard, another series of unexpected events hit him head-on.
First, the magical artifact copyright application submitted by Magnetic Pole was rejected.
Next, the puppet strongmen that Zhang Yu was selling were ordered to undergo a mandatory inspection, temporarily halting their sales.
And what caused the entire Former Days Graveyard to tremble even more was that multiple departments within the Myriad Laws Sect jointly boycotted the Soul Cultivators from the Netherworld Assets Department. They claimed to suspect Zhang Yu of using lower realm Soul Cultivators to impersonate upper realm Soul Cultivators and demanded a comprehensive inspection…
There was even a debt-collection team that descended openly and brazenly. Although this month’s interest had already been paid off, under the guise of assessing Zhang Yu’s repayment ability, they began investigating his assets and extensively publicized the fact that Zhang Yu owed a thousand years of calculation power…
A series of events struck the Former Days Graveyard like waves of storms, causing panic both inside and outside the Netherworld Assets Department, and leaving many Soul Cultivators fraught with worry.
Zhang Yu watched all of this calmly, thinking to himself, “Is this meant to continue pressuring me?”
“It is clearly a warning,” Fu Ji snorted coldly, saying, “It’s like repeatedly sliding a knife against our vitals without actually stabbing. It’s just telling us that whenever the other party wants, they can bleed us dry at any time.”
Just as Zhang Yu was pondering this, a familiar projection arrived before him. It was Fa Liuyuan, who had chosen to descend after receiving Zhang Yu’s message.
“Heavenly Monarch Fa!” Zhang Yu hurriedly stood up.
Fa Liuyuan nodded and said, “I already know the situation, but… our side cannot step in to help you for the time being.”
Hearing this, Zhang Yu’s eyes flickered slightly as he thought to himself, “The Reformist Faction… do they not want to intervene?”
Recalling the words of the two Immortals, Fa Liuyuan sighed helplessly and said, “The current situation is very complex and dangerous. The resistance against the Law Edict Expiration Date has caused public sentiment within the sect to surge. Once our Reformist Faction takes countermeasures, it will immediately intensify the conflict and may cause the situation to spiral further out of control…”
Listening to Fa Liuyuan’s words, a thoughtful look flashed through Zhang Yu’s eyes. “Heavenly Monarch Fa, do you all think… the Immortal Emperor will compromise?”
After a moment of silence, Fa Liuyuan replied, “As far as I know, the higher-ups of the Joyful Union Sect, Netherworld Palace, White Bone Cult, and Celestial Monster Sect have all currently expressed to the Myriad Laws Sect’s Immortal Ascension Hall that they will be closely monitoring our sect’s plans regarding the Law Edict Expiration Date. They demand that we do not damage the interests of other sects when pushing forward this Law Edict.”
Fu Ji snorted and said, “Damaging the interests of other sects? I suppose that counts as an excuse. After all, the Myriad Laws Sect still needs to do business with other sects, and reforming the Law Edicts really could impact trade outside the sect.”
“But when you get right down to it, they’re still just terrified about the Myriad Laws Sect taking the lead by restricting Law Edicts, aren’t they? Heh, when your technology lags behind, your only option left is to play games with policy.”
Naturally, Fa Liuyuan couldn’t hear what Fu Ji was saying. He simply continued speaking, “The other sects are unlikely to support us taking the lead in regulating the Law Edicts. With the Immortal Emperor having to face pressure from the other sects on one hand and deal with internal conflicts on the other, he will inevitably have to balance the interests of all parties.”
“Now that the major factions have tacitly acknowledged the existence of the Law Edict Expiration Date, it’s better to take a step back and temporarily start developing from the lower realm. You can always find another opportunity to return to the sect.”
Zhang Yu was slightly taken aback. Looking at Fa Liuyuan, he said, “Heavenly Monarch, are you also here to persuade me to choose the lower realm?”
Fa Liuyuan let out a helpless sigh and said, “The First Layer is the best choice to minimize the sect’s losses. If you choose the First Layer, the situation will shift from the current total boycott to total support, and the major factions will definitely not shortchange you on benefits.”
Hearing the word “benefits,” Zhang Yu thought of the gift Si Shian had given him earlier.
He truly believed that if he willingly made the First Layer the Law Edict Pilot, he could demand a massive amount of resources from the various factions.
Fa Liuyuan said, “Zhang Yu, there is no need to rush. You are still young and currently only at Void Refinement. Even if you wanted to establish the Law Edict pilot zone within the sect, how many Law Edicts could you actually regulate? Could you possibly manage the Law Edicts laid down by those Tribulation Transcendence and Ascension cultivators?”
“I know you have grand ambitions, but it wouldn’t be too late to safely get through this hurdle first, accumulate resources, and strive for Tribulation Transcendence and Ascension before trying to regulate the Law Edicts of the world.”
“Furthermore, I think the Immortal Emperor might… also be waiting for you to declare this stance.”
After seeing Fa Liuyuan off, Zhang Yu thought to himself, “Do they all want me to choose the First Layer?”
Not long after Fa Liuyuan’s departure, Tai Yuebai also arrived at the Former Days Graveyard.
Feeling Zhang Yu’s gaze, Tai Yuebai said directly, “Let’s go into the Immortal Grotto-Heaven, I have something to say to you.”
After Zhang Yu brought the other party into the Immortal Grotto-Heaven, Tai Yuebai spoke up, “Zhang Yu, have you ever thought about it? As the Immortal Emperor’s Immortal Dao Technology, assets, and power continue to expand, there will eventually come a day… when all living beings in this world will become a useless class to him?”
“And when that day comes, it will be the doomsday of the entire world. Everything in the world will lose its meaning to the Immortal Emperor and will no longer have the need to exist.”
Tai Yuebai stared at Zhang Yu in front of him, finally able to say what he had been holding in his heart for a long time, “By willingly becoming the divine sword in the Immortal Emperor’s hands and clearing the Law Edicts for him, you are actively pushing for the arrival of that doomsday.”
“Do you understand?”
“I know you are impatient to climb up and want to change Kunxu, but it absolutely cannot be done in this way!”
Tai Yuebai reached out and patted Zhang Yu’s shoulder. “Little Yu, choose the First Layer. Right now, while the Immortal Emperor is being attacked from both inside and out and temporarily has no time to care about other things, he won’t blame you if you choose the First Layer.”
“Choose the First Layer, delay the arrival of doomsday, and give yourself more time, as well as more time for the common people of this world.”
If it were any other cultivator, Zhang Yu wouldn’t have asked the following question.
But looking at Tai Yuebai in front of him and recalling his ‘Two-Day Weekend’, Zhang Yu couldn’t help but ask, “Big Brother Tai, what about the First Layer?”
“Will the First Layer become a testing ground for major factions, and even the major sects, to come and study my Law Edict Expiration Date?”
“I don’t know how many upper-tier cultivators from the sects will intervene in the First Layer.”
“The First Layer… can it withstand them tossing it around like this?”
As he spoke, Zhang Yu recalled how Wang Yin had once stirred up a storm in the First Layer.
A single cultivator with a university background was already able to turn the First Layer upside down.
Zhang Yu could hardly imagine what the First Layer would turn into once the cultivators from the sects set their sights on it.
Hearing Zhang Yu’s question, Tai Yuebai was slightly taken aback. Recalling the other party’s background, he said, “Changing Kunxu will inevitably come with a price.”
“If we can only choose between the 1st and 16th layers, then this is a simple math problem.”
“The First Layer is the choice that can minimize the losses and delay the ultimate doomsday for the longest time. It is currently the most rational choice.”