Shangyuque

Chapter 259 How could the great undertaking of the Immortal Alliance's reform be accomplished or abandoned by the ability of one person?
The weary flowers, nourished by the rain and dew, regained some of their former brilliance. The gloom of a late summer evening was swept away by the heavy rain, leaving those around them feeling refreshed and relaxed.

Xu Zhongyu was far from feeling happy; it was all because of the Jade Palace Immortal's decree that Fang Xinqian had brought back from the Qunqing Pavilion.

Of course, she didn't mean to blame the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable; she just didn't have the guts.

According to the decree of the Celestial Venerable, the merits and demerits of the officers stationed in the outer camps of the three major garrisons along the anti-demon front in Chongxian Prefecture will be evaluated based on the desertion rate.

Those with high desertion rates will be suspended from their duties, and the reasons will be investigated before being dealt with severely and swiftly.

Those with low desertion rates will receive additional battle merits, and the battle merit settlement rewards for all cultivators in the camp will be increased.

Governance effectiveness is a complex goal. Jade Palace Immortal Venerable was racking his brains over the issues of 'desertion' and compensation for those who died in battle.

In the end, they still went back to the old path of pushing responsibility downwards.

In any case, cultivators are all people who like to climb, and the front-line guards and deacons who are at the late Foundation Establishment stage are even more eager for work resources.

A difficult and demanding task corresponds to both opportunity and test. Those who can withstand it deserve more opportunities for advancement – ​​how can a lesser-than-ideal opportunity not be an opportunity for advancement?

The welded car door was opened, a victory already won by the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable on the Immortal Platform for the Immortal Alliance cultivators. They couldn't expect to be pulled up to open their Purple Mansion by Wang Yulou while sitting at home; there's no such thing as a free lunch.

However, this challenge was far too difficult for Xu Zhongyu.

The cultivators who participated in the war were all fearless and many of them were arrogant. Managing them was already troublesome. Moreover, the channels for transferring benefits through "desertion in the face of battle to cheat on compensation" were filled with all sorts of ferocious beasts. If you touched them even slightly, you might kill yourself.

Instead of ignoring the garrison's duties, the deacons who led the troops stationed at the camps were put in charge. This was clearly a sign of malice.

Xu Zhongyu could even deduce that the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable's decree was meant to eliminate frontline gatekeepers like himself who were "unworthy of their positions."

Those who can't hold on should leave and make way for those who can. The Immortal Alliance has no shortage of people who want to improve.

Jade Palace Immortal Venerable did the right thing in improving the overall efficiency of the Immortal Alliance, but this made things difficult for Xiao Xu.

Zhongyu, Zhongyu, there are plenty of people who are loyal to her, the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable doesn't need another one.

Nowadays, there's even a joke in Immortal City: if you stand on the street and throw a stone into the sky, you're guaranteed to hit a Jade General. If the stone bounces a couple more times, it can even create a whole group of Jade Generals.

Despite his chaotic thoughts, Xu Zhongyu's escape light still steadily passed through the great formation of the second guarding pass and entered the pass itself.

Wang Yaohai, the master of the Jade Palace's Dripping Water Hall and the seal-bearer of the West Palace, arrived at the front line of the fight against demons the day before yesterday to inspect the cultivators of the Jade Palace.

Xu Zhongyu came here today to attend the banquet, partly to get acquainted with General Wang Yaohai, and partly to exchange information.

Making it in the world of cultivation is difficult. Even if you become a disciple of the Jade Palace Sect, you still have to face complex workplace struggles.

To advance, one must not only stand firm amidst internal strife, but also effectively handle the affairs of the Immortal Venerable.

Of course, such an opportunity is already a dream come true for ordinary cultivators who want to enter the Jade Palace but cannot.

Jade Palace has properties in all five major garrison passes on the front lines, and its garrison in the second garrison pass is a luxurious palace complex.

This is not surprising. As a quasi-immortal venerable of the Immortal Alliance who is still on the rise and shows no signs of slowing down, the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable's faction has a stronger influence within the Immortal Alliance than some less prominent, genuine Golden Core Immortal Venerables, due to the special nature of his position.

Zhu Zhao is also a Celestial Venerable, but in the fight against demons in Chongxian Prefecture, he is completely incomparable to Wang Yulou; they are not even on the same level.

Wang Yulou's influence on the front-line battles is roughly on par with the powerful figures within the Immortal Alliance, such as the Immortal Venerable of Cangshan and the local leader of Chongxian Prefecture, the Immortal Dragon King, and even surpasses the likes of the Divine Venerable of Jingu Garden.

Note that this strength is not an illusory strength, but rather a representative of Wang Yulou, as a specific participant and supporter of the great war, who can claim a share of the profits after defeating the Immortal Extinction Domain.

Doing things well can indeed bring benefits; influence is a form of benefit—of course, Wang Yulou, due to his limited power, certainly cannot receive the full amount.

The Immortal Venerable of Cangshan will get a full discount, the Divine Venerable of Jinguyuan will get an 80% discount, Zhuzhao will get a 40% discount, and Wang Yulou might get a 20% or 30% discount.

Hard to say.

There are no rules to regulate this kind of thing; it all depends on everyone's strategic maneuvering.

Because the regulations governing the lower levels of the Immortal Alliance are for the purpose of greater governance efficiency, fewer rules are actually better for the top-level Immortal Venerables, as they can have more freedom to act, thereby protecting their interests.

Maintenance and protection are not the same thing. The Immortal Alliance will not protect the weak. If one's power is weak, one can only rely on the meager support offered by the Immortal Venerable.

Upon entering the banquet hall, Xu Zhongyu's eyes flickered slightly.

A lot of people came today?
She glanced around and counted the number of people in the hall: sixty-eight. Almost all the Jade Palace cultivators serving under the Second Garrison were present.

Previously, Cui Baihao was the first general under Wang Yulou. Now that Cui Baihao has been appointed to preside over the "Ambassador's Friendship Hall," Wang Yaohai, the West Palace Seal Master who holds supervisory power, has become the first general in line.

As a result, everyone naturally vied to fawn over Wang Yaohai.

"Zhongyu, what are you standing there for? Come on, sit here."

However, to Xu Zhongyu's surprise, General Wang Yaohai took the initiative to invite her to the front and gave her a very central position.

To her right was Jing Jianjia, Wang Yulou's Daoist partner. Next to Jing Jianjia was Wang Yaohai, who sat in the main seat. Further to the right was Fang Xinqian, who was in charge of investigating the accounts of the war dead's compensation.

They were all prominent figures. Compared to these people, Xu Zhongyu, an unknown late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator who guarded Guanzhong and served as a steward, was rather insignificant.

However, she wasn't too afraid, because she knew that Wang Yaohai was giving Zhou Yingxi face.

The status of united Daoist couples like Jing Jianjia is actually very low within the Jade Palace Sect, because they are clearly considered half outsiders.

Although Zhou Yingxi's cultivation level wasn't very high, she was one of Wang Yulou's true Daoist partners, and they had a childhood sweetheart relationship (as recognized by outsiders). That's why Xu Zhongyu was highly regarded by Wang Yaohai.

After the banquet began, Wang Yaohai briefly mentioned the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable's admonition, and then talked about the Immortal Venerable's decree brought by Fang Xinqian.

"Lord Yaohai, you may not know this, but my auditing work has become my main responsibility. The Immortal Venerable's intention is for me to be stationed at the Second Town Guard Pass to supervise the distribution of compensation for all those who died in the fight against the demons."

Fang Xinqian's way of addressing Wang Yaohai was quite interesting, because he wasn't actually a core member of the Jade Generals and didn't hold a position within the Jade Palace system. This was mainly because it was difficult to assign him a role, and Wang Yulou didn't want it to appear as if he were using the Jade Palace to undermine the Immortal Alliance's structure.

In fact, Jade Palace was merely an ally in his control of the Immortal Alliance. He had neither the guts nor the reason to defy the Immortal Platform and openly undermine the Immortal Alliance.

Although Jade Palace Immortal Venerable is a quasi-Immortal Venerable, he is currently only a manager, at most he has some stock options, he has not yet become a minority shareholder, so he cannot overstep his bounds.

Therefore, Fang Xinqian, the Immortal Alliance Seal Officer temporarily appointed by Wang Yulou to the front line of fighting demons, would call Wang Yaohai "Palace Master".

We're colleagues, but not quite colleagues, which is quite interesting.

"Yes, the compensation must be given to the cultivators who actually died in battle."

It was a very simple matter, but I heard that the Immortal Venerable was having a terrible headache.

"It's all because Yao Hai is incompetent; alas, he can't help the Immortal Venerable resolve his troubles."

Although Wang Yaohai came to investigate people, the atmosphere at the table was actually very pleasant, and everyone was very careful in their interactions.

While Xu Zhongyu was mentally and physically exhausted, she received an unexpected surprise: Jing Jianjia understood the difficulties she was facing and gave her some advice.

She then informed the True Person guarding the Third Town that she wanted to change the source of the cultivators replenishing her camp, directly connecting them with Jing Jianjia.

The two hit it off immediately. Jing Jianjia needed a trustworthy person to ensure that the cultivators she recruited to the front lines would receive their compensation.

Xu Zhongyu needed a reliable person to recruit more cultivators who wouldn't cause trouble, to reshape the structure of her subordinate cultivators, and to strengthen her control over the camp.

In fact, the collaboration between the two perfectly demonstrates the unique advantage of the Jade Palace system, or the Jade Palace sect, in the competition of the cultivation world.

For most people in the Jade Palace Sect, Wang Yulou, known as the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable, was more like a distant symbol.

However, the people and factions he united were closely connected to him and intimately related to every cultivator.

The cultivators of the Jade Palace Sect, including those from the Jade Palace Palace, the Jade Generals of the Immortal Alliance, and Wang Yulou's Daoist partners, can leverage their shared identity as members of the Jade Palace Sect to naturally reduce the cost of cooperation through mutual trust.

In a single game played by an individual, this advantage is not decisive enough. However, considering the number of Jade Palace Sect cultivators and the timescale of cultivators' lifespans, given enough time, Wang Yulou's Jade Palace Sect will inevitably grow into an important force that benefits him.

Just as everyone was halfway through the banquet, suddenly, the majestic voice of Master Jiu Nian came from the sound transmission array of the Third Guardian Pass.

"All camps on the front line of the fight against demons are on high alert. The demon army of the Immortal Extinction Domain is making a general advance!"

In the war among cultivators, information cannot be completely transparent to each other, but it is not far off. Specifically, in the invisible confrontation at the Purple Mansion level, everyone has the potential to reach the peak of the Purple Mansion, so they dare to probe each other. Therefore, Du Jiunian had a very clear grasp of the dynamics of the Demon Army of the Immortal Extinction Domain.

The slightest movement would trigger an immediate alert across the entire front.

In this kind of war, the Purple Mansions did not intervene, but if either side did not have a sufficiently strong group of Purple Mansions to support them, they would almost certainly lose.

"Gentlemen, I won't say much more. The Immortal Venerable is waiting for our good news. A great battle has suddenly broken out. Please return to your posts as soon as possible. I wish you all great success in the battle!"

Xu Zhongyu originally wanted to get to know Jing Jianjia better, who was staying to send cultivators to the front lines, as a way to build a connection. However, due to the great battle, they were unable to go deeper into the relationship. Nevertheless, they had reached a framework for cooperation, which should greatly alleviate her pressure in the future.

This wasn't Xu Zhongyu being disloyal to Zhou Yingxi. She knew very well that she was Jade Palace Immortal Venerable's person, and if she didn't do her crucial job well, it would be Jade Palace Immortal Venerable's loss of face.

Moreover, what right do people who can't even meet the basic requirements of their job have to talk about loyalty?
Xu Zhongyu, Xu Zhongyu, the prerequisite for her to become Xu Zhongyu is that she fought her way to the top in the fighting arena system that Wang Yulou once personally created.

Only the victor can stand before the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable.
The great battle continued, with both sides exchanging blows, and several long-distance confrontations occurred between the Purple Mansions.

Therefore, despite the rapid movement of the demon army from the Immortal Extinction Domain, the Immortal Alliance easily defended against them after losing a thousand cultivators.

The scales of victory had already tipped in their favor, but the Immortal Extinction Domain couldn't afford to lose, nor could it win, so it chose to grit its teeth and persevere through undignified losses.

But these things had nothing to do with the lower-level cultivators on the front lines. What was truly shocking was not the victory, but the fall of Chen Yangshi, the assistant to the West Sea Dragon Tiger True Man and a pioneer of reform.

The impact of Chen Yangshi's death on the six states of the Immortal Alliance was far more significant than another victory on the front lines of the fight against demons in Chongxian State.

The Immortal Alliance Reform is the Immortal Alliance's number one mission of the era, involving endless interests. It is a momentous process in which the times are calling, the Immortal Platform is waiting, and ten million cultivators of the Immortal Alliance are participating.

The reforms were like a scalding wound for all cultivators in the six states, and the impact of the reforms reshaped the underlying interest structure of the Immortal Alliance.

The restructuring of the selection process has shaken the stability of the ruling families and small sects at the bottom, but it has also brought endless new opportunities.

Countless independent cultivators, through the process of reform, have become high-level cultivators in the Foundation Establishment stage, something they never dared to dream of before.

Even in the grand process of reform, Chen Yangshi's name was unique. The previous victory settlement in the West Sea transformed this reform pioneer of the Water Venerable Sect into a prominent figure of the new generation in the Immortal Alliance.

Some even say that Chen Yangshi possessed seven-tenths of the former elegance of the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable.

However, this reformer and pioneer of the Immortal Alliance died under the First Decree of the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable, the Jade Palace Order.

Fang Xinqian focused his mind on a single line of text on the jade slip containing the internal communication message of the Immortal Alliance, and kept his eyes closed for a long time.

They actually used the name of "Apology Stones" and the name of the Jade Palace Immortal Venerable to amass wealth.

Following the first imperial edict, he showed no restraint or remorse, acting with impunity and tyranny, which angered the entire Western Sea region.
Although he made contributions to the reforms, the great cause of the Immortal Alliance's reforms could not be accomplished by the abilities of just one person.
By order, his cultivation is abolished, he is demoted to a mortal, and he is never to cultivate again!

It was this passage that Fang Xinqian read over and over again, until his eyes were completely red when he opened them.

He didn't want to believe it, which is why he watched it so many times.

Fang Xinqian never imagined that their parting at the Xiancheng Racecourse would be their final farewell to this childhood friend of a century.

The path of those who pursue the Way is far too difficult to walk.

(End of this chapter)