Three Realms Census, Flow Official's First Edict!

The golden light faded.

The jade slip hung in the air.

The entire Golden Ao Island seemed to have all sound drained from it, plunged into an absolute dead silence.

On that desk forged from Buzhou Mountain's Divine Iron, the instruction personally written by Dao Ancestor Hongjun—every character flowed with the supreme divine rhythm of the Heavenly Dao, like stars burning into the eyes of every immortal present.

It decreed Chen Changsheng as the 'Flow Official', charged with sorting out the flow of the Three Realms.

All disciples under the Sages should know this is a link in the Heavenly Dao's operation, and conduct themselves accordingly.

Daoist Duobao maintained his bowed posture, motionless, as if turned into a stone statue.

Zhao Gongming's mouth hung open, but no sound came out; his Primordial Spirit nearly ground to a halt in extreme shock.

Even Sect Leader Tongtian, this Jie Sect Sage who had never feared heaven or earth, was now frozen atop the Jade Palace.

The hand gripping the Qingping Sword had knuckles gone white.

In those unruly, defiant eyes, for the first time, a bewilderment akin to "Who am I, where am I" surfaced.

Won?

This was no longer a matter of winning or losing.

This was... prying open a crack in the underlying logic of the Heavenly Dao's operation, then stuffing in a brand-new set of code called "flow."

And the one responsible for the final review of that code and clicking "run" was Dao Ancestor Hongjun himself!

"Gulp."

Someone, somewhere, swallowed hard with difficulty.

That nearly imperceptible sound, like a pebble dropped into a still lake, instantly detonated the entire Golden Ao Island.

"Dao Protector... no! It's Lord Immortal Official!"

"Lord Immortal Official, mighty!"

"Personally appointed by the Dao Ancestor! Our Jie Sect... our Jie Sect is about to govern the Heavenly Dao's order!"

A tidal wave of ecstatic worship, like a volcano that had accumulated for billions of years, erupted with a roar.

Tens of thousands of Jie Sect disciples could no longer contain their excitement, driven mad as they knelt, prostrating themselves in the most devout worship toward that still-standing, slender figure.

In their eyes, Chen Changsheng was no longer the little junior uncle who needed support.

He was the voice of the Heavenly Dao!

A living rule... walking the Primordial Land!

"Ha... hahahaha!"

Atop the Jade Palace, Sect Leader Tongtian finally snapped out of his extreme shock.

He threw his head back and roared with laughter, a sound filled with boundless joy and pride, shaking the entire East Sea into turmoil.

"Good! A fine Flow Official!"

"Good! A link in the Heavenly Dao's operation!"

He took a step, his figure instantly appearing beside Chen Changsheng.

He looked at that jade slip approved by the Dao Ancestor, feeling the aura on it that shared the same origin as the Heavenly Dao. In his eyes, there was no longer a trace of worry, only endless admiration.

He patted Chen Changsheng's shoulder, his voice booming.

"Wuwei! From this day forth, your 'flow' shall be the fundamental great path of our Jie Sect!"

Yet Chen Changsheng only calmly bowed slightly to him.

"Master, this is not the achievement of this disciple alone, nor is it the sole path of our Jie Sect."

"This is the Heavenly Mind."

He spoke these words lightly, like a passing breeze, yet they shook Sect Leader Tongtian's mind once more.

A fine 'Heavenly Mind' indeed!

Neither arrogant nor impatient, not claiming heaven's merit as his own.

This disciple of his—his Dao heart was so firm, his vision so vast—had already surpassed the vast majority of beings in the Primordial Land!

Just then, deep within Chen Changsheng's sea of consciousness, a string of cold, mechanical prompts exploded like the Milky Way crashing down.

Ding! Detected that the host's actions have fundamentally influenced the Heavenly Dao's operation, successfully implanting the concept of 'flow' into the underlying logic of the Primordial Land!

Epic achievement 'Heavenly Dao Certification' unlocked!

Your actions have drawn the ultimate attention of the Heavenly Dao. Your path has been recognized as a valid supplement to the Heavenly Dao's operation!

The system is undergoing adaptive evolution...

10%... 50%... 99%...

Evolution complete!

Dao of Survival System Version 4.0—'Heavenly Dao Order'—is now officially online!

[Unlocked new core module: 'Three Realms Affairs' system!]

[New identity 'Flow Official' has been deeply bound to the system!]

[Based on the new identity and module, you have obtained the following permissions:]

[One, Heavenly Mandate Authorization: All 'processes' you establish will, in theory, receive the endorsement and power of the Heavenly Mandate.]

[Two, Information Retrieval: You may submit information retrieval requests to the 'Three Realms Affairs' system, querying the basic information and Karmic Cause and Effect of all beings beneath the Sage level within the Three Realms. (Note: Query actions will consume Merit.)]

[Three, Process Issuance: You may issue 'Process Edicts' with a certain degree of Heavenly Mandate compulsion to the Three Realms through this system. (Note: The compulsion and scope of the edict depend on the Merit and personal fortune you invest.)]

[Settling epic achievement rewards...]

[Reward One: Three thousand Great Dao Merit!]

[Reward Two: Cultivation level raised to... Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal early stage!]

[Reward Three: Acquired companion spirit treasure 'Heavenly Mandate Document' (Grade: ???)]

A vast, boundless aura of Xuanhuang Merit descended from Above the Nine Heavens, ignoring all obstacles, pouring entirely into Chen Changsheng's body.

His aura began to climb at a terrifying speed!

Golden Immortal Perfection!

Primordial Unity Golden Immortal early stage!

Primordial Unity Golden Immortal mid stage!

Primordial Unity Golden Immortal peak!

Only one step away from severing his Good Corpse and stepping into the Quasi-Saint realm!

Yet, just as his cultivation was about to break through the bottleneck, Chen Changsheng forcibly suppressed it with the Great Freedom Head-Shrinking Technique, stabilizing it firmly at the Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal early stage.

His aura retracted, returning to simplicity.

From the outside, he was still that frail, sickly scholar with a faint presence, as if a gust of wind could knock him over.

At the same time, an ancient tome, neither gold nor jade, composed of countless Great Dao Runes, quietly appeared within his sea of consciousness, slowly opening and closing as if recording all the past and future of the Three Realms' beings.

The Heavenly Mandate Document!

Feeling the surging power within his body and the vast information flooding his mind, Chen Changsheng slowly opened his eyes.

His gaze swept over the Jie Sect disciples still immersed in ecstasy, then over his master, Sect Leader Tongtian, whose face showed relief.

Finally, it landed on the 'survey questionnaire' that had been enshrined as a sacred object.

He knew that the revelry was only temporary.

The Dao Ancestor had given him a title, an unparalleled authority to govern the processes of the Three Realms.

But how to truly, step by step, implement that authority—

That was the real test.

He stepped forward and bowed respectfully to the Jade Slip personally approved by the Dao Ancestor.

Then, he carefully put it away.

He turned to face Daoist Duobao and Zhao Gongming, whose faces were already flushed with excitement.

His expression returned to that calm, businesslike demeanor.

"Senior Brother Duobao, Senior Brother Zhao Gongming."

"Disciple is here!"

The two quickly bowed, their reverence even greater than when they faced Sect Leader Tongtian.

"From today onward, our Jie Sect's Calamity Aversion Department will establish the 'Three Realms Process Standardization Management Committee.'"

Chen Changsheng's voice was not loud, but it reached every ear clearly, gradually quieting the boiling cheers.

Everyone pricked up their ears; they knew the Flow Official's first edict was coming!

"The committee will be temporarily chaired by me personally."

"Senior Brother Duobao will serve as First Vice Chair, overseeing internal rule-making and process supervision."

"Senior Brother Zhao Gongming will serve as Second Vice Chair, overseeing external process promotion and data collection."

"Disciple... obeys the Flow Official's decree!"

The two answered in unison, feeling an unprecedented sense of mission settle on their shoulders.

Chen Changsheng nodded, his gaze sweeping over the tens of thousands of fervent eyes below.

He spoke slowly, his voice amplified by the power of the Heavenly Mandate, spreading clearly across the entire Golden Ao Island, even penetrating the great formation and echoing over the East Sea.

"I, Wuwei of the Jie Sect, Chen Changsheng."

"Now, bearing the decree of Dao Ancestor Hongjun, I am appointed as 'Flow Official,' charged with the responsibility of sorting out the processes of the Three Realms."

"I hereby issue the Flow Official's First Edict."

Everyone held their breath.

That calm voice continued.

"The committee's first project is simple."

"Effective immediately, within the Three Realms, we will conduct the first... comprehensive census."

"From the Heavenly Court's sovereign lords down to the Nine Netherworlds' Blood Mosquitoes—all beings with intelligence must be registered in the records."

"Once the census is complete, every living being will receive a unique... 'Primordial Census Jade Slip'."