Oh You Have a Plan Too

"I believe that incense gods should not rely solely on incense for cultivation!" Gu Yuan's words were startling, yet he spoke with confidence: "In Lin Yuyu, I saw a despairing land deity. She shelters a region, ensuring its prosperity, which in turn increases the incense offerings—equivalent to more work, so much that it could crush one's spirit!"

"Earning incense is meant for cultivation, but if one earns incense yet has no time to cultivate, that is a major flaw!"

"When there's no hope for progress, enthusiasm for work dwindles, leading to self-abandonment..."

"Though incense gods cannot die, they can lose the will to live. Even if there’s an endless supply of successors, once they work for a while, they’ll fall into the same cycle, halting local development. It’s harmful in every way!"

Hearing this, Lin Yuyu, who was surrounded by onlookers, couldn’t help but nod repeatedly.

Exactly!

The Administrator speaks the absolute truth!

This is exactly how it is—the harder you work, the more work piles up!

The common folk come begging for everything, and the incense earned doesn’t even cover the effort spent!

The previous Fish-Su Lady ran away, and after just three days in the role, she didn’t want to continue either.

The Administrator truly understands me!

"Hmm, that makes sense!" Chen Yi nodded, then asked, "So, do you have a good solution?"

Gu Yuan smiled humbly. "Yes, Boss, I do. I propose granting incense gods direct governance rights over their regions, linking their path to the local fortune. Based on my observations, this should be feasible. The higher the local fortune, the faster they can absorb incense, freeing them from worries and allowing them to focus entirely on their duties!"

"Of course, this is just my humble opinion. Any shortcomings must be corrected by your wisdom."

Chen Yi gave a slight nod. "Indeed, excellent. The direction is right, and minor flaws don’t overshadow the brilliance."

Admittedly, Gu Yuan’s proposal was quite feasible and offered valuable insights.

They couldn’t approach this with the mindset of "If you don’t do it, someone else will."

After all, incense gods were different from celestial officials of the Divine Roll.

Celestial officials held greater authority, had broader prospects, and their positions were highly coveted—everyone wanted the role and would work twice as hard.

But the grassroots level was different—it was bitter and exhausting. Frequent replacements would only harm local development.

Ah, Gu Yuan, you truly delight me!

At this moment, Fang Zheng, who had been deep in thought, suddenly spoke up. "Boss, may I add a humble suggestion?"

"Oh? You have an idea too?" Chen Yi looked at him with mild surprise.

Gu Yuan’s ability to propose such a constructive plan was tied to his half-step True Immortal cultivation. At that level, one could directly critique the workings of the Heavenly Dao and understand the fundamental principles of the world’s operation.

As for Fang Zheng... though outstanding, his perspective was still somewhat limited.

But since he had thoughts to share, why not let him speak?

After all... Chen Yi had always admired him.

With permission granted, Fang Zheng took a deep breath and carefully worded his thoughts. "Senior Gu Yuan’s opinion is indeed unique, but one point puzzles me. If a deity’s path is tied to local development, what happens when they hit a bottleneck?"

"I may not understand the rules of heaven and earth, but I understand human nature. No matter how a region develops, there will always be a limit. But human ambition knows no bounds. What if, after reaching that bottleneck, the deity still seeks progress?"

"Hmm?!" Chen Yi frowned slightly, casting a surprised glance at Fang Zheng.

Well played, kid! Turning weakness into strength!

Not versed in cosmic rules, so you talk about human nature—and it makes perfect sense!

Indeed, Gu Yuan’s proposal still had a flaw: once a deity was bound to local fortune, how would advancement be handled?

Unlike celestial officials, who could be reassigned wherever needed, incense gods lacked physical forms and were bound to their deification sites, unable to leave.

If they couldn’t advance, forever confined as regional deities, what would their efforts amount to?

If mediocrity and excellence ultimately led to the same outcome, why bother striving?

Thus, a fair and just promotion system was essential to nurture talent and propel the Ziwei Fortune’s growth!

Chen Yi already had a preliminary plan in mind, but since Fang Zheng had an idea, it wouldn’t hurt to listen.

Though his perspective was narrower, he might offer unexpected inspiration!

"Speak your mind boldly!" Chen Yi gave Fang Zheng an encouraging look.

"Boss, I’m not sure if this will work, so take it as just an idle thought," Fang Zheng said with the same humility as Gu Yuan, elaborating:

"My idea is to drive overall regional development through core areas. For instance, if a deity’s jurisdiction develops rapidly, grant them greater autonomy, denser spiritual energy, and more active natural laws. This would attract more talent, turning the area into a hub of regional fortune and enhancing its ability to influence surrounding regions!"

"This way, even if deities cannot leave their deification sites, they can break through bottlenecks and fulfill their desire for progress. It would also foster healthy competition within the region, enabling collective advancement!"

"Of course, since I don’t understand the workings of heaven and earth, this is all theoretical. If you need someone to test it, I volunteer as the vanguard!"

With that, Fang Zheng subtly glanced at Gu Yuan.

The moment their eyes met, sparks seemed to fly.

As if an unspoken exchange had taken place.

Fang Zheng: Senior, is my blade sharp enough?

Gu Yuan: Hmph, mine is no less keen!

A clumsy imitator: Esteemed seniors, this junior has learned much!

Xiao Chunan tried to join in, but the two ignored him entirely.

Damn it! Am I still powerless to do anything?!

"Hmm, Fang Zheng’s idea is excellent, but experimentation won’t be necessary for you. Focus on your cultivation and strive to reach the Tribulation Transcendence stage soon—there’s good work waiting for you." Chen Yi didn’t hold back his praise.

Fang Zheng’s thoughts aligned perfectly with his own—this kid truly understood him!

The only hurdle was convincing the Ziwei Heavenly Dao to implement this plan.

Not that equal treatment was bad, but a strategy emphasizing strong regions promised far greater possibilities!

As Chen Yi praised Fang Zheng and hinted at future opportunities, the others grew restless.

"Boss, I have an idea too!"

"Same here!"

"Step aside, none of you have even reached the Unity Stage—your vision is narrow, ignorant of the vastness of heaven and earth! Let me, Ye Wuchen, speak! Brother Yi, I have a plan!"

Chen Yi: "..."

The others were one thing, but you, Ye Wuchen, with your nose in the air—what plan could you possibly have?

Just wait until Ziwei deduces the complete True Immortal laws, then obediently take your place as the God of Wealth. Stop yapping!

"Scram, all of you! You're here for training, not to fuss over tactics. Throw everything you’ve got into it—no one rests until you’ve triggered the Fate’s Decree passive ten thousand times today!"

With that, Chen Yi waved his hand dismissively, shoving everyone onto the battlefield.

After setting the difficulty to its highest level for himself, he drew his massive halberd and charged forward, eager to "play" with the Specters of Time.

Crushing mechanic-heavy monsters wasn’t just about farming fragments of the Temporal Laws—it was essential preparation for testing the limits of power beyond the Celestial Immortal realm!

He wanted to prove one thing: whether the heaviest halberd could smash through the most infuriating battle mechanics!