What’s the point of cultivating immortality if you don’t have money?.

Chapter 831 Gathering of Power (Thanks to "kk9" for the generous donation)
Deep within the spirit world.

In a clean and tidy room, Ying Aikun's thoughts wandered among countless streams of spiritual information, examining the incoming messages.

Shortly after making the request to the Heavenly Court, Ying Aikun accidentally choked to death while taking medicine, and was subsequently transformed into a soul cultivator, constantly under the Heavenly Court's surveillance.

After his death, Ying Aikun felt at ease. He knew that in order to overthrow the Tai Zhen Immortal Clan and deal with the Tai Zhen Immortal, the Heavenly Court would do its best to protect him.

As a soul cultivator, he resides in the Spirit Realm, the territory of the Heavenly Court, under the protection of numerous high-ranking gods. Even immortals would face considerable obstacles in dealing with him, making it by no means an easy task.

The Heavenly Court's task of dealing with the Immortal Taizhen is certainly not something that can be resolved with just one or two battles.

"This is just the beginning; there's more fighting to come."

"Unless the Immortal Taizhen achieves the position of Immortal Emperor, or perishes and dies, or... she takes her lineage and joins the sect of an Immortal Emperor, completely giving up the opportunity to become an Immortal Emperor, this struggle will probably never end."

Ying Aikun estimates that this will be a relatively long period of time, possibly more than ten years, or even several decades or hundreds of years.

During this period, he will still have value and will continue to be under the protection of the Heavenly Court.

As her thoughts raced through her mind, Ying Aikun's gaze fell upon the news about Zhang Yu.

"Heroes of Kunxu..."

Ying Aikun gave a bitter smile, and it seemed as if she could recall the first time she saw Zhang Yu in the office building of the Youxin Department.

At the time, Zhang Yu was nothing more than an ant that could be crushed at will, an insignificant low-ranking official in charge of livestock affairs.

Unexpectedly, since he became enemies with Zhang Yu, he has suffered repeated setbacks. Later, not only was his avatar shattered by the opponent's Immortal Shuttle, but he was also defeated by the opponent's inheritance of Ying Xintian.

Now, the other party has become a highly sought-after hero of Kunxu, while he himself has become a dark and damp soul cultivator, with a worrying future.

It can be said that in just a few months, everything has changed completely. He has fallen into the mire, while the other party has ascended to the clouds. The positions of the two sides have been completely reversed.

Ying Aikun's mood had temporarily calmed down, until he saw Zhao Tianxing's interview...

"No... a soul cultivator brought up from the lower realm? What the hell is a junior college degree? Is that even allowed?"

"This is outrageous! Now you're even going to promote a soul cultivator from Zhang Yu's family?"

"Even when I was still a member of the Immortal Clan, I didn't play like this."

At this moment, Ying Aikun couldn't help but sigh, "It's too dark. The sky over Kunxu is just too dark."

Over the past few days, Ying Aikun has repeatedly thought back on the whole story, and the more she thinks about it, the more she feels that the whole situation is full of traces of behind-the-scenes manipulators.

"This is all a setup. Whether it's me, Zhang Yu, or even Su Lingyou... we were all pushed into the trap, and in the end, this grand drama unfolded."

"It is all for the purpose of dealing with the Tai Zhen Immortal Clan, restraining the Tai Zhen Immortals, and even promoting the transformation of Kunxu."

"Whether it's my current predicament or Zhang Yu's rise to the top, it's all just being swept up by the tides of the times..."

"We... are all just pawns on the game."

"Zhang Yu, your current position may seem glamorous, but it is also fraught with danger. Throughout the history of the changes in Kunxu, how many of those who rushed to the front lines have managed to protect themselves? How long can you hold out?"

Ying Aikun suddenly laughed: "Then let them praise you, praise you, hahaha... The higher they praise you now, the harder you will fall when they no longer need you."

"I'll wait and see what happens to you."

……

Within the Demon Sect.

"The Tai Zhen Immortal Clan has suffered a great loss of strength this time, and everyone is in danger. Its status among the top ten sects will probably plummet in the future."

"Fortunately, I am no longer a cultivator of the Tai Zhen Immortal Clan."

Su Lingyou felt a surge of relief as she looked at the news reports of Tai Zhen Immortal Clan members who had gone bankrupt.

Upon seeing the reports about Zhang Yu and his friends in the lower realm, Su Lingyou felt neither jealousy nor envy, and her emotions remained completely calm.

In Su Lingyou's view, compared to Zhang Yu, who is now the most outstanding person in the forest and has attracted attention from all sides, she is actually the biggest winner among all the pawns in this event.

"Jumping from that old thief Taizhen to the Reincarnation Immortal Emperor is like a rebirth for me."

In such a major crisis, he seized the opportunity to jump from the tutelage of an immortal to that of an immortal emperor. In Su Lingyou's view, this was a blessing in disguise, and a great blessing at that.

"Originally, I followed the Tai Zhen lineage and was almost at the upper limit of the rank I could reach."

"But now that we've joined the tutelage of the Reincarnation Immortal Emperor, the world is wide open up for us, and there's a real chance we'll ascend to immortality in the future."

On the other hand, Zhang Yu, in Su Lingyou's view, has attracted too much attention and is suspected of being overpraised.

Moreover, after going to the development zone to serve as the vice president of the management committee, he became entangled in fierce conflicts of interest with his low status as a level 4 clan affairs officer and low cultivation level of the Nascent Soul Realm. His future is probably worrying, and it would be far more worthwhile for him to quietly change sides.

Su Lingyou's greatest hope now is to find an opportunity to work for the Reincarnation Immortal Emperor as soon as possible, and preferably achieve something to prove her loyalty, ability, and value to him.

However, since returning to the Heavenly Demon Sect, no tasks have been assigned to Su Lingyou these past few days, which has made her slightly anxious.

So these past few days, Su Lingyou has been contacting Kuang Tianqing every day.

Although the other party is only at the 4th rank, he is a reincarnated cultivator who can continue to be a member of the Reincarnation Group. In Su Lingyou's eyes, he is definitely a veteran and not to be underestimated.

Su Lingyou: [10 Immortal Coins] Are you busy?
Looking at this level 7 sect affairs officer, Kuang Tianqing couldn't help but think, "This Su Lingyou is a loyal person, considering how polite the Tribulation Transcending Realm cultivator is to him and even sent him another red envelope."

The other party has received the payment.

Kuang Tianqing: I know you're anxious, but don't worry, your mission is coming soon.
A glint flashed in Su Lingyou's eyes as she replied, "I wonder if Senior could reveal a little something?"
Seeing that even a Tribulation Transcending Realm cultivator like Su Lingyou was calling him "senior," Kuang Tianqing, who hadn't yet broken through to the Nascent Soul Realm, couldn't help but sigh, "The atmosphere of Kunxu in this new era still has its merits."

Kuang Tianqing: Next, your superiors will send you to the Old Graveyard to redeem yourself.
Upon hearing the words "atone for one's crimes and perform meritorious service," Su Lingyou's gaze suddenly sharpened, and she replied: "I wonder what kind of mission it is?"
Kuang Tianqing: This time, I need you to assist in the reconstruction and resumption of production in the old cemetery development zone, especially to vigorously promote the development of the soul cultivation industry.
Kuang Tianqing: The reconstruction of the development zone is not only related to the future of the soul cultivation industry, but also involves the entanglements of interests among the major enterprises of the old cemetery, and the conflicts of lineage among various factions. The struggles involved are intricate and complex, and you must handle them with care.
Kuang Tianqing: In short, money... the sect needs to earn it, and assets... the sect also needs to recover.

Looking at the message sent by Kuang Tianqing, Su Lingyou's eyes flickered slightly, and she thought to herself, "Promote the revival of the soul cultivation industry in the old graveyard development zone? Yes, with soul cultivation as a necessary consumable in Kunxu, constantly reincarnating between life and death, this is in line with the interests of our Reincarnation Group."

"In that case... Zhang Yu, as the vice president of the management committee, can be of help to me."

After a moment's thought, Su Lingyou suddenly realized that she and Zhang Yu had unknowingly found themselves on the same side.

As for past conflicts, Su Lingyou considered them insignificant.

In this Kunxu, people are hostile to each other for the sake of interests, and they also unite for the sake of interests. It is perfectly normal for someone to kill your whole family one moment and become my family the next.

"However, he is now likely facing numerous dangers, walking on thin ice..."

Inside the old office of the Yushinbu (a cemetery-based religious department).

Zhang Yu sighed inwardly, "This development zone may be small, but it has all the essential organs. From public security, land, and finance to the appointment and removal of administrative staff, the management committee can make almost any decision."

Zhanxian said, "This place is like a small country within a country. Although the area is not large, the management committee has a wide range of powers and the situation is complicated and chaotic. It takes a lot of skill and ability to govern this place well."

"But if one can achieve results in this position, one will have demonstrated one's abilities and be qualified to become part of the ruling class of Kunxu."

"But if you accidentally cause a problem, it could end up bankrupting you."

Fu Ji said nervously and expectantly, "This is a kind of tempering, and even more so a test, right? Hehe, it's the test that the immortal veins of Yingxintian are giving us."

Zhang Yu understood that although Ying Xintian had introduced him to the immortal lineage above in the previous incident,

However, this does not mean that after Ying Xintian's introduction, the immortals above will necessarily give Zhang Yu strong support and devote all their resources to nurturing him.

He also needs to prove his worth and ability in order to get investment from the other party.

For example, he acquired the inheritance left by Ying Xintian, and his proactive attack on the Tai Zhen Immortal Clan demonstrated his value and proved his attitude and courage.

He was then granted the legitimacy of the immortal's inheritance and was subsequently relegated to the position of vice president of the management committee.

This is yet another test and trial.

If he can achieve something in this position, the immortals above will probably give him the opportunity to advance to the Void Refinement stage, and then put him in a more difficult and challenging position.

Zhang Yu thought to himself, "Maybe I'll just have to keep going through these challenges until I fail, which will prove that my potential has reached its limit."

At this moment, Zhang Yu felt as if he had been thrown into an alchemy furnace by immortals, to be tempered and refined a thousand times...

Zhanxian analyzed, "The situation in the development zone is complicated. First of all, the industries in the maze originally belonged to various enterprises, which belonged to different sects. There were many competitors and enemies among them, and all of them needed to be reconciled."

"What's more troublesome is that the soul cultivation industry is not only related to itself, but also to the booming artifact spirit industry."

"If the highly intelligent spirit decides to intervene, it will drag the development zone into the struggle between various sects."

"Another problem is the position of vice president of the management committee. It is usually held by a level 6 sect affairs officer, a cultivator at the Refining Void Realm. Our current rank and cultivation level are not enough to convince the masses, and coupled with our status as cultivators from the lower realm, I'm afraid there will be considerable obstacles in our daily work..."

As Zhang Yu listened, he nodded and said, "That's why I wanted to transfer a group of my own people over."

“Yu Xinghan and Senior Sister can be trusted, but their strength is still somewhat lacking.”

Zhang Yu's eyes flickered, and a notification appeared before him.

His previous application to transfer three Nascent Soul cultivators from the lower realm—Magnetic Pole, Green Wood, and Yin Spring—was approved.

Among them, Magnet and Aoki need no introduction. Both of them were Zhang Yu's teachers in college, and they had a life-and-death fighting relationship with him.

The other party had entrusted him with his life and fortune during the university war, making him an absolutely trustworthy person.

As for the Yinquan cultivator, Zhang Yu believed that he had ties to Wang Yin and was a relatively easy Nascent Soul cultivator to communicate with in their past interactions.

Therefore, Zhang Yu brought Yin Quan here to make an attempt.

"If there are no problems with Yinquan, then I will transfer all the Nascent Soul cultivators who are training at other universities to help me."

At this moment, Zhang Yu breathed a slight sigh of relief upon seeing the notification.

He was initially worried that, besides the two cultivators from the University of Ten Thousand Laws, Magnet and Green Wood, there might be some problems with calling upon Yin Quan, a cultivator from the University of the Underworld.

However, it seems that outsourcing is not facing significant obstacles in schools and sects.

With the help of these three Nascent Soul cultivators, he can bestow some of his power upon them, thereby further expanding his influence and management capabilities over the development zone. All of this is a prerequisite for his future success.

Zhang Yu understood: "The immortals above want to temper me and test me, but what they need is not just a Kunxu cultivator who can make a profit, nor an existence that endlessly exploits those below, like most Kunxu cultivators."

Recalling the process of acquiring Ying Xintian's inheritance, Zhang Yu thought to himself, "The immortal lineage of Brother Dao, the people they want are those who can do things beautifully and at the same time conform to their ideals."

Looking at the various reports about how he climbed from the bottom to his current position, Zhang Yu understood that he had been molded into a symbol of reform, so his actions had to conform to this ideology.

……

Inside the training academy.

In the training group for outsourced Nascent Soul cultivators, several Nascent Soul cultivators were discussing matters related to the magnetic pole and Zhang Yu.

One person said: "This magnetic pole now pulls everyone aside to talk about her apprentice Zhang Yu."

Another person said, "Anyone who didn't know better would think Zhang Yu was someone she promoted. Zhang Yu hasn't even come to see the magnetic poles much; I think their relationship is just so-so."

Others said: "She's just Zhang Yu's university teacher. What does she have to do with Zhang Yu's rise to such a high position? I think she's just a figurehead, like the rumors say. Zhang Yu's true master is some big shot in the sect."
These words immediately resonated with many outsourced Nascent Soul cultivators in the group, who began to speculate about who Zhang Yu's real master was.

Just then, someone posted a picture of Magnet, Aoki, and Yinquan, saying: The three of them have been transferred!

Someone immediately asked: Where was he transferred to?
The person who posted the picture said: "I heard he was transferred to the development zone of the old cemetery to help Zhang Shenjun."

Upon hearing this, someone immediately remarked with envy: "For a renowned apprentice to turn around and hire me again, it seems Magnetism and Zhang Yu have a truly good relationship!"
The Nascent Soul cultivators who had just questioned Magnetism fell silent, and all of them walked out of the room, looking in the direction where the three Magnetists had left.

In the eyes of these outsourced Nascent Soul cultivators, most of whom come from the 8th, 9th, or 10th levels, it is a beautiful story of deep master-disciple affection when an apprentice surpasses his master and can then hire his master and become his superior.

If this happened within a sect, where a disciple provided a good job for an outsourced master, that would be even better.

Clearly, in their eyes, the reconstruction of the development zone was a good job that would attract the attention of the sect, a place where it was easy to make money and achieve results.

Meanwhile, at the main gate of the college.

The Divine Lord of Evil Lotus from Heavenly Demon University, the Divine Lord of Wisdom from Vajra University, and several other Nascent Soul cultivators from the other ten schools were all seeing off the three members of Magnetic Pole.

Lord Nielian pursed his lips and said, "Magnetic Pole, remember to ask Zhang Yu if there's any work for us to do as well. You know our capabilities; we definitely won't delay his mission and will ensure everything is done perfectly."

Zhipan Divine Lord looked at Lao Gao and transmitted his voice, "Qingmu, don't forget that I was the one who adjusted Zhuyi Divine Lord's Nascent Soul. If there are any job opportunities to stay in the sect, you must reserve one for me first."

With a reluctant farewell from the ten school's Nascent Soul cultivators, Magnet, Green Wood, and Yin Spring transformed into three beams of divine light, soaring into the sky and flying towards the Central Heaven Teleportation Gate, preparing to travel through it to the Old Graveyard.

Looking at the training academy that was getting smaller and smaller, Ciji felt a sense of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a feeling of mixed emotions, including regret and a touch of melancholy) welling up in his heart: "I never thought that after all these twists and turns, I would end up working in a sect."

(End of this chapter)