Read Novel Full Chapter 607: The Primitive Accumulation of Capital
Chapter 607: The Primitive Accumulation of Capital
First Layer of the Celestial Mansion, during the Awakening of Insects season.
As the sun manifested and the solar wheel traversed the sky, the various major cities gradually awakened and became bustling and lively. Streams of escape light streaked across the sky.
The closer it was to the central hub of the first layer, the 【Ascension Platform】, the more apparent this situation became.
Upon entering the 【Ascension Platform】—the nexus between the first and second layers of the Celestial Mansion—land had already become as precious as gold, and there were no longer any mortals without cultivation in sight.
Fang Yuan was one of them.
As a cultivator at the sixth stage of Qi Refining, soon to break through to the late stage, his status in the first layer wasn't low, but neither was it high—he could be considered middle class.
However, due to the exorbitant land prices around the 【Ascension Platform】, he couldn't afford a luxurious residence in the city. He had no choice but to buy a house in a more remote mortal city, getting up early and returning late every day, flying his escape light to work in the big city. On the way, he would take a spiritual pill at the apothecary to replenish his consumed mana.
“Hoo!”
Upon entering the city, Fang Yuan took a deep breath. He felt even the air was sweet and fragrant—after all, it was the medicinal vapor discharged from the city's factories.
As a hallmark of the immortal civilization of the Celestial Mansion, those gigantic exhaust vents ceaselessly discharged medicinal vapor day and night. Though these vapors were impurities left over from alchemy and harmful to cultivators at the peak of Qi Refining, for someone like him at the mid-stage, it was actually a superb tonic.
“...Mm.”
The next second, Fang Yuan suddenly held his breath. Though the air was sweet, if one inhaled too much, the Celestial Pharmaceutical Industry would come to collect payment.
‘Forget it, just getting one breath is already a blessing.’
‘And this is still my employee benefit from working at Celestial Pharma—there are plenty of people who want to breathe it but can’t.’
Although after paying off his loans there was barely any salary left each month, Fang Yuan still proudly puffed out his chest when looking at his company’s massive factory.
Very soon, he entered the factory.
At this hour, work had not yet started, so many employees were chatting with each other. Fang Yuan perked up his ears and quickly caught the content of their conversations:
“Did you hear the latest news?”
“Someone from the higher-ups arrived!”
“Supposedly, it’s from the External Dao Alliance, a mega conglomerate with industries spanning the entire first layer. They’re trying to launch a new financial product to help us get rich!”
“I think it’s called 【Worry-Free Talisman】!”
“They say it’s an upgraded version of the External Dao Immortal Talisman. Just launched. The exchange rate is 1:5, high purity, excellent quality, and even has appreciation potential!”
“Seriously?”
“Sounds impressive. Even the news said this: ‘A tremendous boon, Worry-Free Talisman breaks the monopoly of Immortal Talismans and is the last bastion of the spirit of freedom.’”
“Tens of millions in the Celestial Mansion had their lives changed by the Worry-Free Talisman. Over the next ten years, that number is bound to double… My brother’s wife’s best friend works in a company under the External Dao Alliance. She has insider info—says the Alliance plans to completely replace the current system with the Worry-Free Talisman.”
“So the earlier you buy, the greater the return!”
“If you buy late, by the time the Alliance fully replaces it and everything switches to Worry-Free Talismans, your stockpile of External Dao Immortal Talismans will be worthless…”
These were the discussions of the younger employees.
Fang Yuan pondered this in his heart, then shifted his gaze toward the employees labeled as “with families” in the personnel records. Their conversations, however, were of a completely different tone:
“Apparently, that Worry-Free Talisman was established by a True Lord who just achieved Dao and now governs heaven and earth.”
“That’s a benevolent Grand Divine Being.”
“I heard all the nobles descending from the upper layers this time are disciples under that Grand Divine Being’s sect, the 【Path of Righteous Qi】, and they’re here to bring blessings upon us!”
“How will they bless us? Raise salaries?”
“There’s no need, honestly. I think we’re already pretty happy. Our wages cover our needs, we’re healthy, live to a hundred… that’s a fulfilled life.”
“Such lack of ambition!”
“You might feel fulfilled, but what about your son? Your daughter? Your grandkids? How will they find jobs? Can you get them one?”
“Uh…”
“Anyway, I asked around in secret—this time, the 【Path of Righteous Qi】 is rolling out an educational training program. They have course offerings at different price points. Even the lowest-tier course guarantees a good job in the future if you attend!”
“Even the cheapest guarantees a job?”
“Absolutely! And if you can afford the top-tier course, the 【Path of Righteous Qi】 says it guarantees ascension—to the second layer!”
“Really!?”
Gradually, the atmosphere grew increasingly heated.
Seeing this, Fang Yuan nodded in satisfaction, then pulled out a communication jade slip from his robe and sent a message to his superior:
【Public sentiment is normal. Word has spread.】
Very quickly, his superior replied with a thumbs-up.
——That’s right. As the factory’s HR department manager, Fang Yuan had recently received a mission: to fully support the promotion of the Worry-Free Talisman and the educational training of the Path of Righteous Qi.
For this, he had been secretly spreading information for quite some time.
Now, it seemed to be a complete success.
Thinking this, a smile unconsciously formed on Fang Yuan’s face: ‘Looks like I’ve got this month’s bonus in the bag. After paying off the loan, I can finally save some money.’
What to save for?
After some thought, Fang Yuan curiously took out information on the Worry-Free Talisman and 【Path of Righteous Qi】 and began reading it carefully.
“Not bad. Not bad at all.”
At the far edge of the second layer continent, by a cliff, Lu Yang stood with his hands behind his back, quietly overlooking the land below—the first layer—his eyes reflecting the myriad forms of worldly beings.
Soon, an escape light descended—it was Ban Shan.
“Daoist Friend Minghe, I have a question.”
Lu Yang smiled. “Please speak, Daoist Friend.”
Ban Shan didn’t mince words. “Why did you focus your Worry-Free Talisman promotion efforts on the first layer? That place is full of mortals—there’s no profit to squeeze.”
“That’s where you’re mistaken.”
Lu Yang shook his head. “These are all usable talents of our Celestial Mansion. I’m actually surprised no one thought of utilizing them earlier.”
During this period, Lu Yang had gained deeper insights into the Celestial Mansion.
‘That Taiyin Immortal Venerable… is too hands-off. She created the Great Dao Immortal Talisman as currency, but never fully unleashed its potential.’
True, the Great Dao Immortal Talisman was extremely effective in taming External Dao True Lords, but that was because True Lords, as threats to the Celestial Mansion, had to be targeted. But toward Foundation Establishment, or even lower-level Qi Refining and mortals, the Celestial Mansion treated them more like free-range stock.
The division of nine layers was essentially a trash-sorting method.
Qi Refining and mortals were dumped into the first layer to fend for themselves, out of sight, out of mind. Those with talent and connections were sent to layers two through five for proper cultivation and education.
As a result, the social environment of the Celestial Mansion was extraordinarily peaceful.
Abundant resources, staggering productivity, and the absolute strength of the Taiyin Immortal Venerable had driven conflict among cultivators to near nonexistence.
‘Such vile waste!’
‘A vast first layer, teeming with human resources, and everyone’s just content with their lives—completely lacking the drive and ambition for cultivation!’
And this massive down-tier market… was simply being squandered!?
‘What a sin!’
Lu Yang was deeply aggrieved: ‘To think I once suspected this place had ties to the Saint Sect… Now it seems, at most, it’s imitating the outer trappings of the Saint Sect.’
The Celestial Mansion was inept. Clearly, I must act!
With this thought, Lu Yang glanced at Ban Shan and spoke solemnly: “Rest assured, Daoist Friend. This is only the first step—the primitive accumulation of capital.”
“The storm has only begun to stir.”
“But in due time, it shall sweep across the entire Celestial Mansion!”