Chapter 928: A Firm Will Cannot Be Shaken
When Ban Jinchen and Si Shian saw the news transmitted from the Vajra Sect, they understood that the upcoming situation would undergo a drastic change.
“The Myriad Laws Sect alone enforcing a Law Edict restriction, compared to both the Myriad Laws and Vajra enforcing a Law Edict restriction, is a completely different situation.”
Ban Jinchen said with secret resentment, “Once this news gets out, I’m afraid the remaining sects will have no choice but to enter the fray and join the vicious competition over restricting Law Edicts.”
At this moment, Ban Jinchen profoundly understood… the new era of Law Edicts was already sweeping in head-on with an unstoppable momentum, ultimately destined to sweep across the entirety of Kunxu.
And in this hurricane of changing times, he would be among the first batch of old-era remnants to face a crisis. “What should we do?”
Beside him, the magic power within Si Shian’s body circulated rapidly. Calculation Pools spanning across the Dharma Realm and Spirit Realm provided him with an astronomical amount of computing power, and the Celestial Inquiry Star, which was recharged with over a hundred thousand Immortal Coins every month, was pushed to its absolute limit by him.
But even after mobilizing all resources, browsing countless materials, and pushing his brainpower to the limit, he still couldn’t come up with an answer to this question.
Ban Jinchen said, “Even if it is the general trend, even if we are helpless, even if it is the Immortal Emperor, even if it is the era… if they want to crush us, if they want to bankrupt us and sever our immortal path, they can forget about us surrendering!”
Si Shian nodded slightly, knowing in his heart that the other party was right.
So what if he is the Immortal Emperor? When you pay wages, provide benefits, and offer a path for upward mobility, I’ll call you Immortal Emperor.
But if you want to sever my immortal path and confiscate my property, then you are just an Emperor Beast!
Could a mere sect nature… really be greater than the Aspiration for the Immortal Dao that has long become a heavenly principle and touched the hearts of the common people?
At this moment, Si Shian had also made up his mind: “We must keep holding on, there might still be unexpected changes!”
Ban Jinchen said, “That’s right, hold on! Other sects might not directly participate in the competition as we think; they might also unite to continue pressuring and boycotting Myriad Laws and Vajra.”
Ban Jinchen and Si Shian naturally knew that compared to embracing the changes of the era and actively joining the competition… the possibility of other sects continuing to band together in a boycott was not high.
But at this moment, they could only hope for this.
If possible, Ban Jinchen and Si Shian even hoped that the Ten Great Sects would immediately go to war, fighting directly and starting a Great Kunxu War to temporarily set aside the matter of Law Edict restrictions.
Ban Jinchen thought to himself, “If we don’t hold on… we will definitely lose. At least if we hold on, there is still a glimmer of hope.”
Just then, the subordinate Soul Cultivators reported to them one after another, “Dao Monarch, a massive army has overrun our comment section! They are posting news about the Vajra Sect everywhere.”
With a sweep of his consciousness, Ban Jinchen saw people constantly leaving messages in the comment section: “The Law Edict restrictor from the Vajra Sect has come out. Didn’t you say that foreign sects wouldn’t restrict Law Edicts?”
“Where is the tacit understanding among foreign sects you mentioned? How much money did you take from external sect forces? Why are you speaking up for them?”
“Ban, you beast! It was only because I believed your words that I bought your stocks!”
Ban Jinchen snorted coldly and said, “Filter the comment section. Don’t let a single bad comment through.”
As the news from the Vajra Sect spread, the public opinion within the Myriad Laws Sect underwent a massive reversal in an instant.
“Dao Monarch Zhang is indeed far-sighted. He saw the danger of foreign sects restricting Law Edicts long ago.”
“Where are Ban Jinchen and Si Shian? Playing dead? Hurry up and come out to apologize to Dao Monarch Zhang!”
“Strictly investigate Ban Jinchen and Si Shian! Freeze Paying for Overtime! Freeze Four-Hour Workday!”
In just a few short days, Ban Jinchen and Si Shian felt as though they were surrounded by enemies on all sides. Not only were they heavily attacked by public opinion, but the Thought Tide amplification of their Law Edicts was also severely affected.
“These Lower Beasts…” Ban Jinchen gritted his teeth secretly. Originally, although many cultivators were dissatisfied with his “Paid Overtime,” relying on the sect’s banner and the blessing of the Sect Nature, they still held some level of recognition for the sect’s laws.
But this time, with the sudden emergence of the Law Edict Expiration Date and Zhang Yu’s speech, the dissatisfaction of countless cultivators towards many existing Law Edicts was ignited. Coupled with the news from the Vajra Sect, it formed an overwhelming momentum…
“They are just taking advantage of this opportunity to kick me while I’m down and attack my Law Edict.”
Ban Jinchen felt the drastic drop in his Thought Tide amplification and the accelerated contraction of his True Domain, which in turn led to a continuous decline in the law enforcement scope and law enforcement numbers of the True Domain. His interests in all aspects were suffering severe damage.
In particular, the stock of the company under his name plummeted, and he could even sense that many of his former allies and supporters were also shorting his company’s stock.
Feeling his assets constantly shrink and his cultivation decline as a result, Ban Jinchen could only keep telling himself, “Hold on…”
However, just as Ban Jinchen and Si Shian were struggling to hold on, a document issued by the Immortal Ascension Hall slammed into their chests like a massive mountain.
“Provisions on the Staged Implementation Validity of Various Law Edicts and the Application of Period Calculation,” abbreviated as the “Provisions on Law Edict Expiration and Period Calculation.”
“Regarding Several Provisions on the Phased Effective Periods and Period Calculation Methods for Law Edicts”, abbreviated as the Provisions on the Limitation of Law Edicts.
After reading the specific contents of this document, Fa Liuyuan sighed inwardly, “The Immortal Emperor… has finally made his move.”
In Fa Liuyuan’s eyes, after a series of struggles and tugs-of-war among the various factions, the Immortal Emperor had finally taken action at the very end, and this move was a decisive, final word.
“During this period, the connection between the upper and lower Dharma Realms has been gradually advancing. Soul Cultivators from the lower realm are also gradually being sent up, and more lower realm resources are being opened up. This is the Immortal Emperor yielding profits.”
“Add that to…”
Fa Liuyuan looked at the Provisions on the Limitation of Law Edicts in front of him. The content of this document was very simple: it classified the existing Law Edicts within the Myriad Laws Sect.
Then, based on the different categories, different validity periods would be calculated, and they would be frozen and reviewed in batches.
“The first batch only consists of a small number of Law Edicts, which will start being frozen and reviewed in January next year.”
“The second batch is 20 years from now, and the final batch is 50 years from now…”
Fa Liuyuan could already imagine that the factions that were originally dead set against this would definitely see their resistance greatly soften when they realized their own Law Edicts wouldn’t be frozen and reviewed for another 20, or even 50, years.
“The opening of the lower realm’s resources, combined with Zhang Yu choosing the 16th Layer as a Law Edict Pilot, is dividing the opposition in terms of space.”
“The batches set for next year, 20 years, and 50 years, is dividing the opposition in terms of time.”
“Furthermore, with the news arriving from the Vajra Sect, the external sect pressure that the Immortal Emperor has to deal with will inevitably plummet…”
Fa Liuyuan sighed inwardly, “With this series of interlocking moves, the Immortal Emperor has completely shattered the alliance of the major factions without breaking a sweat.”
“But that’s not all…”
Amidst his thoughts, Fa Liuyuan looked at another piece of news passed down from above.
“Are they going to establish a new department to review Law Edicts?”
Although there was no official document, Bu Yuangui still heard this rumor.
He knew this was definitely news the Immortal Emperor had deliberately ordered to be spread.
“This is throwing out a new bait right after breaking up the opposition.”
Bu Yuangui could imagine that as the possibility of stopping the Law Edict Expiration Date continued to dwindle, the major factions would inevitably set their sights on this new Law Edict review department.
The major factions that had originally united to oppose the Immortal Emperor would turn around and launch round after round of struggles to fight for positions and authority within the Law Edict review department.
And the referee for this round of struggles would be the Immortal Emperor, who would ultimately decide who would hold what position in this new department.
Bu Yuangui thought to himself, “The Immortal Emperor will also transition from being their enemy to someone they will fiercely compete to curry favor with, thereby indirectly wielding the greatest power over Law Edict reviews.”
“Ban Jinchen and Si Shian are finished.”
Looking at the “Provisions on the Limitation of Law Edicts” issued by the Immortal Ascension Hall, Fu Ji could already imagine it in her heart… For this first batch of Law Edicts to be frozen next year… the masters of these Law Edicts had probably already become pieces of meat on the chopping block in the eyes of many factions, dead men walking.
“It’s exactly like threatening to tear off the roof just to open a window,” Immortal Slayer commented. “At first, when it was announced that all Law Edicts would be frozen and reviewed, everyone stubbornly opposed it. Now that it’s been adjusted into batches to be executed 20 and 50 years later, they all feel it’s reasonable again.”
The Sect Examination Clone said, “There is also a deeper meaning behind this 20-year and 50-year Law Edict classification!”
He pointed at the Law Edicts on it and said, “Zhang Yu, did you see? The Law Edicts to be frozen next year are all established by Void Refinement cultivators. The batch 20 years from now is when the Law Edicts established by Tribulation Transcendence cultivators begin. And only in the batch 50 years from now are the Law Edicts established by Ascension Realm cultivators added.”
“What does this show? This shows that Grandpa Immortal Emperor is on our side.”
“He was afraid we wouldn’t be able to freeze these Law Edicts, so he divided them into batches from the lowest to the highest cultivation realm. He hopes we will achieve Tribulation Transcendence within 20 years and reach the Ascension Realm within 50 years, so we can freeze all these Law Edicts in order.”
Fu Ji snorted coldly and said, “Fifty years to break through to the Ascension Realm? Who are you insulting? With Zhang Yu’s potential brought out by me, let me give you a number… five years to break through to Ascension! That’s more like it.”
“I see this twenty years for Tribulation Transcendence and fifty years for Ascension not as consideration, but as suppression. Is the Immortal Emperor trying to suppress us, making Zhang Yu stay in the Void Refinement and Tribulation Transcendence realms for a longer time?”
Zhang Yu did not speak, but was watching the changes in the wind within the sect.
He saw that the many cultivators who had originally stood up for Ban Jinchen and Si Shian had now experienced a massive shift in attitude.
The Ascension Realm cultivator from the Pharmaceutical Company, the Level 10 Sect Staff Yi Yaosheng, silently deleted his previous remarks criticizing Zhang Yu and used his privileges to delete all screenshots and recordings one by one.
The Pavilion Master of the Edict Pavilion, Rank 7 Sect Staff Si Xuxiao, issued a public statement: “Recently, I have noticed many discussions circulating within the sect about me, containing a large amount of false information and rumors. I apologize for the misunderstanding this has caused! I state again that I have always fully supported the sect’s legal reforms, as well as Dao Monarch Zhang’s Law Edict Expiration Date…”
Just as the many opposition faction members were either deleting their comments, issuing public statements and apologies, or playing dead, the cultivators who originally supported Zhang Yu once again stepped forward.
Heavenly Surveillance Hall’s Hall Master, Dugu Ming, said, “At the critical moment, Dao Monarch Zhang always remained calm and collected. He never wavered in his stance or relaxed his bottom line. Facing heavy pressure, he neither compromised nor slackened. Regardless of the ups and downs of the situation, his original intention and bottom line remained entirely unbroken. As the saying goes, ‘hard steel cannot have its will stripped away.’ This sense of responsibility and persistence is worth learning for all of us.”
After finishing his statement, a trace of jealousy flashed in Dugu Ming’s eyes as he inwardly sighed, “This guy Zhang Yu, I’m afraid he’s going to be heavily relied upon by the Immortal Emperor again next.”
On the other side, Su Xianchen, as a Rank 10 Sect Staff and one of the developers of the third-generation Law Edict technology, also stepped in to praise him. “Within the Myriad Laws Sect today, to sweep away outdated Law Edicts and clear up old, stagnant ailments, what we need are cultivators like Dao Monarch Zhang — upright and unyielding, with an iron backbone, worrying for the Sect and loving the Immortals.”
Bu Yuangui closely followed suit and entered the fray, speaking up in the Dharma Realm: “Dao Monarch Zhang is a divine sword of our Myriad Laws Sect. Only someone with the Immortal Emperor’s virtue can wield him to sweep across the universe, forge ahead valiantly, and be invincible…”
Bu Yuangui thought to himself, “With Dugu Ming and Su Xianchen taking the lead to enter the fray, it’s highly likely that the Immortal Emperor’s instructions are behind this. This is to build momentum for this Myriad Laws Divine Sword.”
As Ascension Realm cultivators entered the fray one after another, the voices supporting Zhang Yu swept across the Dharma Realm like a tsunami in the blink of an eye, engulfing all parts of the sect.
Ban Jinchen and Si Shian watched this scene unfold, understanding that what so many people were supporting was not just Zhang Yu, nor was it just the Law Edict Expiration Date, but even more so the Immortal Emperor behind Zhang Yu — an Immortal Emperor who had once again taken control of the situation.
And as the wave of support for Zhang Yu continued to grow, the corresponding result… was the ever-increasing pressure felt by Ban Jinchen and Si Shian.
The freefall of their stock prices had already made them afraid to look any further, and the Law Edict’s Thought Tide amplification had plummeted to an unprecedented low.
The endless wave of capital withdrawals and debt collections left them with no choice but to sell off their assets.
As time slipped away, Ban Jinchen and Si Shian felt as though they were facing a countdown to bankruptcy, stepping closer and closer to January 1st of next year, and closer and closer to the outcome of their Law Edicts being frozen.
And in this process, no matter how hard they struggled or how they searched for a way out, the entire Myriad Laws Sect pressed down on them like a mountain, sealing off their escape routes in all directions, constantly squeezing… pressing… and compressing their space to struggle…
Ban Jinchen said, “Keep holding on, the situation might still change.”
Si Shian nodded firmly, “We will hold on together! No one can freeze my Law Edict! Screw the Immortal Emperor’s Mom!”
Inside a hospital room, Shi Yunxiang sat cross-legged on the bed, silently circulating his Qi with a breathing technique.
Although he had suffered severe injuries and nearly fell into a near-death state after being lightly bumped by Ban Jinchen last time, relying on the burning of Zhang Yu’s Immortal Coins, Shi Yunxiang was forcibly dragged back from the crisis of life and death. Not only was his physical body completely repaired, but he even went a step further during his recovery, increasing his physical strength with the assistance of the physicians.
Just then, a projection descended — it was none other than Ban Jinchen, the man who had nearly killed him in a collision.
Shi Yunxiang had kept himself somewhat informed about the recent shifts in the situation. Startled by Ban Jinchen’s sudden appearance, he jumped in fright. Just as he was about to dodge to the side, the other party’s projection arrived right in front of him and fell to its knees with a heavy thud.
Ban Jinchen’s voice rang out, “Brother Shi, I was wrong. I’ll cover all your medical expenses today.”
Shi Yunxiang knew very well that the man was not kneeling to him, but to Zhang Yu, who stood behind him.
Even so, watching a Rank 6 Sect Staff of the Void Refinement Realm kneeling before him sent a surge of intense emotion through Shi Yunxiang’s heart.
He recalled his days at the university, when he had to rely on selling his flesh and blood just to survive, and couldn’t help but think, “In the past, I would have been nothing but a trifling appetizer in his eyes.”
“But now, he is kneeling right in front of this appetizer.”
Shi Yunxiang asked, “What do you want?”
Ban Jinchen replied, “I wish to see Dao Monarch Zhang…”
Before Ban Jinchen could finish, Zhang Yu, having noticed the anomaly, descended his own projection.
But as soon as he saw Zhang Yu’s projection, Ban Jinchen slammed his head against the ground and shouted, “Dad!”