Chapter 1427 - 864: Raise First, Report Later—Special Permission from the Immortal Emperor

With the blessing of the [Divinity Transformation Dao Body], he only needed to spend 1000 Immortal Coins every day to soak his Primordial Spirit in the Divinity Transformation Pool, then quietly wait for the Divine Light 10 Transformations to complete step by step.

Compared to other Cultivators in the same Divinity Transformation Realm, who still had to spend huge amounts of time and Immortal Coins to engrave Spells, construct Mimicry Magical Organs, and collect Primordial Spirit Nourishment... Zhang Yu was much more relaxed.

If someone asked why? Naturally, it was because he possessed an Immortal Inheritance.

And ever since he joined the sect and went through this round after round of spell battles, Zhang Yu had grown more and more aware of how important his own capabilities were.

If his capabilities were lacking, he wouldn’t even be able to keep up with the opponent’s meeting efficiency, and in any sort of business competition he would be utterly crushed; a single surprise inspection could beat him until he dropped his helmet and abandoned his armor—no matter how many schemes he had, he’d still be suppressed by brute force.

Not to mention that the Kunxu Dao struggle was so intense now. If, in the future, the level of conflict rose further and frontal clashes became more frequent, then his own strength would matter even more. So foundations like the Divine Light 10 Transformations, which improved the quality of the Primordial Spirit and raised the future ceiling of his Immortal Road, were things he absolutely had to compact and solidify.

Only when that time came would he, with the status of a Fifth Level, formally apply for the Refining Void breakthrough procedure. Then, after confirming his own Law Chain, he would apply for Refining Void Union with the Dao and finally establish his Law Chain.

Shaking his head, Zhang Yu temporarily pressed these future plans to the bottom of his heart and turned back to reconsider the current situation.

"Now that we have deep cooperation with the Sky Demon Sect, the number of Soul Cultivator positions will surge next, so the Joint Venture’s market share has to rise further... what we’re short on is Soul Cultivator numbers."

Zhan Xian said, "As long as we can provide a sufficient number of Soul Cultivators, the Joint Venture’s market share is bound to skyrocket."

The Kao Sect Avatar said excitedly, "We’ve been fighting for every inch, constantly grabbing market share, and now we’ve finally seized a chance to decide the match! The opportunity for the Wanfa Sect to enter the Soul Cultivator industry and become the industry leader is about to arrive! As long as we can introduce a huge number of Soul Cultivators, don’t say 10%—even 20% market share is within reach!"

Fu Ji asked, "Zhang Yu, how are you planning to attract Soul Cultivators? Over these past few months, we’ve rolled out so many benefits, so many campaigns—we’ve basically already recruited all the Soul Cultivators who are easy to recruit."

"Most of the Soul Cultivators left are afraid of the blockades from Xiao Yunhe and the others; prying them loose won’t be easy."

Zhang Yu understood in his heart that Xiao Yunhe’s blockade, while it caused many blocked Soul Cultivators to be able to only become users of the Joint Venture, if the other side didn’t blockade, then huge numbers of Soul Cultivators would inevitably be tempted by the Joint Venture’s benefits, register as users, and provide the Joint Venture with a massive influx of Soul Cultivator resources.

But as the blockade continued, the Soul Cultivators most easily incited had more or less all been blocked. The remaining Soul Cultivators were hard to shake, and the power of the blockade grew greater and greater, like a tightening curse band locked around the Joint Venture’s head, capping the upper limit of Soul Cultivator supply and thus constantly suppressing the Joint Venture’s market share.

Zhang Yu said slowly, "Ordinary methods naturally can’t shake it, so... I’m going to bring another Taoist Inheritance’s power into the game."

Fu Ji exclaimed, "Another Taoist Inheritance? Which Taoist Inheritance?"

"The Heavenly Dao... ’Heart towards Immortal Dao.’" Zhang Yu said calmly, "Across Kunxu, how many people’s hearts don’t lean towards the Immortal Dao? The Soul Cultivators in the Old Graveyard are the same."

"And what best represents increasing Immortal Dao Potential... is naturally Immortal Coins."

Fu Ji’s heart sank, and she quickly said, "Zhang Yu, you’re going to throw money again? For the massive number of Soul Cultivators we need to supply to the Sky Demon Sect, if we rely purely on throwing money to boost headcount, how many Immortal Coins would that take? We don’t have that much budget!"

Zhang Yu said, "Of course we don’t have that much budget, so I’m not going to directly hand out cash to attract new Soul Cultivator users—I’m going to raise salaries."

On hearing this, Fu Ji was startled. "Raise salaries?"

Salary hikes were another core authority within the sect.

Salaries were tied to Immortal Coins, Immortal Coins were tied to assets, assets were tied to cultivation, tied to capability, tied to Immortal Dao Technology.

You could say that salary increases were a major affair that affected countless Sect Affairs Officers up and down the entire sect.

And all along, the sect’s management of salary increases had always been extremely cautious. The salary adjustment procedures of every hall, pavilion, department, and platform were all under the sect’s strict control.

You could say that from Ascension Cultivators down to outsourced Soul Cultivators, the salary level of every segment and every tier, as well as the salary-increase range, were all rigorously standardized.

Even Zhang Yu, as the head of the Netherworld Property Department, had to follow procedures to give his subordinates a raise. The raise range had to comply with the standards, and each time it had to be run through an Ascension Hall approval.

Zhan Xian said, "In the sect, Immortal Coins are like firepower. Controlling salaries is akin to controlling munitions. The final decision-making power over salary increases... has always been firmly held in the hands of the Ascension Hall."

The Kao Sect Avatar spoke rapidly, "But there are exceptions. In the past... when some industries were still in a primitive era, with no完善宗律 for them, and various Immortal Dao Technologies in those industries were still in a period of wild, rapid advance—then, to encourage development, to support the industry, to seize the market, the Ascension Hall did once delegate salary-hike authority."

The Kao Sect Avatar enunciated each word: "Raise first, report later; special approval from the Immortal Emperor: Unlimited Salary Increase Authority!"

"No need to pass through layer upon layer of approvals, no need to follow procedures. Issue the order that day, implement it that month, and freely decide the salary figures for Sect Affairs Officers and outsourced personnel."

"You’re going to apply for this from the Immortal Emperor?!"

Fu Ji said in panic, "Zhang Yu, something like Unlimited Salary Increase Authority is far too dangerous! Will the Immortal Emperor even approve it?"

Zhang Yu knew that Unlimited Salary Increase Authority... in Kunxu, this power was probably more terrifying and more impactful than the authority to kill.

Even True Gods and Immortal Clan, if they killed the wrong person, still had to compensate.

If Unlimited Salary Increase Authority was held accountable afterward and deemed to have raised the wrong salaries, that would be an even heavier responsibility than killing the wrong person, with even more severe consequences—enough to completely destroy a Cultivator’s Immortal Road.

Zhang Yu didn’t answer, but Zhan Xian had already spoken: "It might... be feasible. The Immortal Emperor has mobilized resources from all sides to pull together the five great sects into a strategic cooperation, creating the best combat conditions for us in the Old Graveyard."

The Kao Sect Avatar said, "Of course! For the Joint Venture to achieve what it has today, our contribution is second only; the Immortal Emperor’s contribution is first. If the Immortal Emperor weren’t bearing a much heavier burden on other battlefields, the pressure on us in the Old Graveyard would inevitably be increased a thousandfold, ten-thousandfold."

Zhang Yu knew that if the Dao struggle among the Ten Great Immortal Emperors had turned the entire sect into a battlefield of Taoist Inheritance, then the places where the pressure was light on the battlefield meant that elsewhere, the pressure was heavy.

For the Ten Thousand Laws Immortal Emperor to keep pressure in the Old Graveyard from being too great, and to get the other four great sects to accept Law Realm Soul Cultivators alongside them, meant that he must have made major concessions elsewhere and invested a massive amount of resources.

At the same time, lines of information floated before Zhang Yu’s eyes—important news related to the Wanfa Sect from these past few months.

"If we are the vanguard generals on the front lines of the Old Graveyard, then the Immortal Emperor is the monarch behind us... responsible for organizing financial and material resources."

Zhang Yu said, "Over these months, in order to expand the Law Realm, the Immortal Emperor has invested enormously, and now that we’re at a decisive moment, I believe he won’t let it slip by."

At the same time, before Zhang Yu... a new proposal document surfaced.

"Besides... for the Ten Thousand Laws Immortal Emperor, even after Soul Cultivators get a raise, they still can’t do without the Law Realm. The increased salaries... will still be absorbed by the Law Realm. The so-called ’Law Realm earns money, Law Realm spends it.’"

"If we raise salaries now, the more we raise, the more market share we occupy, and the more we earn."

"If the other side follows us in raising salaries, they’ll only earn less and less."

"The more we raise, the more we earn; the more they raise, the more they lose."

"I’m going to raise salaries until they can’t bear it. Then I can let this salary fire spread across the entire Soul Cultivator industry and completely reshape the industry landscape."

This time, Zhang Yu didn’t send the proposal directly to the Ten Thousand Laws Immortal Emperor, but instead went to the outside of an Immortal Cave Heaven and first contacted Fa Liuyuan.

He knew that for something like this, he had to first give a heads up to this nominal backer of his.

Zhang Yu also believed that the Reform Faction wouldn’t oppose his suggestion.

After all, for high-level Cultivators of the Reform Faction like Fa Liuyuan, this was a great opportunity.

An opportunity to conduct a reform test in an industry unrelated to their own interests—the Soul Cultivator sector—under the banner of the Ten Thousand Laws Immortal Emperor expanding the Law Realm.

Zhang Yu believed the Reform Faction would not only refrain from opposing him, they would even support him.

And looking at the information Zhang Yu had sent, Liu Yuan quickly responded.

The temporary Law Realm descended with a roar, sweeping Zhang Yu into an Immortal Palace.

Fa Liuyuan looked at Zhang Yu before him and said solemnly, "You want to apply for Unlimited Salary Increase Authority? Do you know what that means?"