When Adrian Moon and the other two started rebuilding Earth-Prime Hall, they reported the news to their parent branch, the Gale Division. The Gale Division’s leadership didn’t pay much attention.
Because in the eyes of the Gale Division’s upper echelon, rebuilding Earth-Prime Hall with just three Golden Immortals was impossible. Even if they managed, it would probably be just a handful of weaklings.
So, they generously appointed the three as vice hall masters of Earth-Prime Hall.
But what the Gale Division’s leadership didn’t expect was that in just a few months, not only was Earth-Prime Hall rebuilt, its momentum was downright terrifying—especially the number and speed of immortal stones it was raking in.
Rumor had it that in just a few months, Earth-Prime Hall had made over ten billion immortal stones.
Now, the Gale Division’s leadership couldn’t sit still—and they were secretly glad they hadn’t made Adrian Moon and the others hall masters, just vice hall masters.
So now, all they had to do was send down a hall master and take over Earth-Prime Hall, nice and easy.
As for whether Adrian Moon and the others would have any objections?
The hall master they were sending was a Profound Immortal—what objections could they possibly have?
So, the Gale Division’s higher-ups quickly gathered to discuss who should be Earth-Prime Hall’s hall master.
The Gale Division’s master was Victor Sima, a peak late-stage Profound Immortal who was on the verge of breaking through to Ancestral Immortal, and highly favored by the Saint Alliance’s three Ancestral Immortals.
Also present at this meeting were the Gale Division’s two Protectors and thirty-six elders.
Both Protectors were mid-stage Profound Immortals.
Among the thirty-six elders, seventeen were early-stage Profound Immortals, and the rest were peak late-stage Golden Immortals.
As soon as the meeting began, it devolved into an argument—even both Protectors wanted to be sent to Earth-Prime Hall as hall master. After all, Earth-Prime Hall was now a huge piece of fat.
Just skimming a little off the top would surpass their entire net worth.
In the end, an early-stage Profound Immortal elder won out and became the new hall master of Earth-Prime Hall. His name was Ethan Zhou, and he was Victor Sima’s absolute confidant.
After a detailed talk with Victor Sima, Ethan Zhou set out in a hurry for the newly rebuilt Earth-Prime Hall.
As Ethan Zhou departed—
Adrian Moon, Queenie Green, and Piper Willow—all vice hall masters—already knew a new hall master was on the way. They were perfectly clear on why headquarters was so eager to send one.
After all, the amount of immortal stones they’d made in just these few months was absolutely staggering.
Even though they all knew headquarters would never appoint one of them as hall master, it still stung to think that all their hard-earned achievements were about to be handed over to someone else.
"Brother Adrian, you’ve got the most experience—what do you think we should do?" Queenie Green asked, unwilling to accept it.
"What else can we do?"
Adrian Moon’s face showed helplessness. "Ethan Zhou is a Gale Division elder, Victor Sima’s close confidant, and a Profound Immortal. There’s no way we can oppose him. All we can hope is that when he arrives, he won’t send all our immortal stones back to headquarters."
At this, Adrian Moon couldn’t help but sigh. Actually, what worried him most wasn’t that. Right now, Earth-Prime Hall was following Ian Song’s advice—rapidly opening up new markets and offering high pay to recruit talent.
That meant expenses were huge. If the new hall master came in and overturned their policies, it would definitely anger Ian Song. At first, maybe they didn’t realize Ian’s plan, but after a few months, they all knew—they were being used by Ian.
But even though they knew they were being used, they didn’t blame him. In fact, they were grateful, since they’d made a fortune in immortal stones and used them to rebuild Earth-Prime Hall.
Ian Song’s biggest request was for them to open up new markets as much as possible. And to do that, they needed manpower. To recruit people, they followed Ian’s suggestion: everyone could bring in new recruits. Bring in a Golden Immortal, and you’d get ten million immortal stones.
Just the cost of recruiting Golden Immortals and Earth Immortals had already reached several billion.
They were seriously worried the new hall master would cancel this reward system.
If that affected the opening of new markets, Ian Song might just turn hostile.
Ethan Zhou arrived quickly, traveling light—he only brought two Golden Immortal subordinates and rushed straight to his new post.
"Greetings, Hall Master!"
"Greetings, Hall Master Zhou!"
Adrian Moon and the others led a group of Golden Immortals to welcome him.
"Vice Hall Master Adrian, Vice Hall Master Queenie, Vice Hall Master Piper—you’ve all worked hard!"
Ethan Zhou spoke politely, but his attitude was lofty.
After a brief exchange, Adrian Moon mentioned that he’d arranged a banquet at a restaurant in Greenvine City to welcome Ethan Zhou.
But Ethan Zhou waved it off and coldly replied, "I was sent here on orders, not to eat, drink, and make merry!"
For a moment, Adrian Moon, Queenie Green, and Piper Willow all looked uneasy—this was a clear show of authority.
The other Golden Immortals exchanged glances, thinking to themselves that Earth-Prime Hall was about to change hands.
Soon after, Ethan Zhou called Adrian Moon aside and asked sternly, "Vice Hall Masters, where are the ledgers for the past few months? Bring them here for me to see."
"Hall Master, all the ledgers are right here!"
As he spoke, Adrian Moon presented a ledger.
Seeing that Earth-Prime Hall had earned over thirteen billion immortal stones in just a few months, Ethan Zhou was shocked. Then, greed flickered in his heart. But when he looked at the expenses column, his face darkened.
The expenses for just a few months had actually reached over five billion.
"Bang!"
Without even looking at the details, Ethan Zhou slammed his palm on the table and glared at the three. "What’s going on? Why are the expenses so high?"
Adrian Moon’s eyes showed helplessness as he answered, "Hall Master, to quickly recruit manpower, we set a rule: every Golden Immortal brought in earns a ten-million immortal stone reward, every Earth Immortal earns a million, and every late-stage Human Immortal earns ten thousand immortal stones."
"Nonsense! Absolute nonsense! Who came up with this rule?" Ethan Zhou’s anger flared—even fifty billion immortal stones, just spent like that, made his heart ache.
"Hall Master, the rule was set by the three of us together!" Queenie Green replied bluntly.
"Hmph!"
Ethan Zhou snorted, "Headquarters trusted you, which is why they didn’t send a hall master before. Who would have thought you’d treat headquarters’ trust like this? Good thing I’m here now, or in a few more months, you’d have squandered all the immortal stones in the ledger!"
Hearing this, the three were all indignant. If they hadn’t done things this way, how could they have recruited so many Golden and Earth Immortals? Without enough people, how could they have opened markets in over seventy cities?
If they hadn’t opened so many markets, they wouldn’t have earned so many immortal stones.
So Adrian Moon patiently explained the situation.
But after hearing him out, Ethan Zhou didn’t praise them—instead, he accused the three of seeking quick success and instant benefits.
"Now, I announce: from now on, the recruitment reward policy is canceled. Also, the price of elixirs you sell is too low—starting next time, raise all prices by thirty immortal stones. Finally, everyone’s salary in the hall is cut in half!"
Hearing Ethan Zhou’s three announcements, Adrian Moon and the others’ expressions changed drastically.