Investiture of the Gods Project Kick-off Meeting? First, let Dao Ancestor approve the budget!

Inside the thatched hut, the Great Dao was silent.

Grand Supreme Elder Lao's words, as plain and unremarkable as water, were like an imperial edict that pierced through the ages—where speech became law, transforming this small patch of heaven and earth into the eye of a storm where cause and effect converged.

Write a Standard Operating Procedure for the Investiture of the Gods Tribulation.

Zhao Gongming stood behind Chen Changsheng, feeling only that his Dao heart—that core hardened by countless battles, as tough as an Innate Spiritual Treasure—was cracking inch by inch.

He couldn't even breathe.

Because he sensed that if he inhaled even a single breath, it would disturb the heavenly mechanism of this place, committing a heinous crime worthy of being cast into the Nine Netherworlds.

Grand Master Xuandu stood with hands lowered beside the Alchemy Furnace, and on his face, which had remained unchanged for eons, an emotion called "stirring" appeared for the first time.

He looked at the young junior disciple still standing calmly, then at his own master, who seemed to have casually arranged a trivial matter.

He suddenly felt that his understanding of the four words "Pure and Effortless" might have... deviated slightly.

In the entire scene, the only one who seemed normal was Chen Changsheng.

He showed no trace of fear, let alone any flattery at being favored.

He was simply like a Project Manager who had just taken over the biggest project in the company's history. After a brief silence, he once again bowed respectfully to that "Chairman."

"In reply to Senior Uncle-Master."

"Your disciple accepts the order."

His voice remained calm, his reasoning clear.

"However, the launch of any project must follow basic operating procedures."

"To ensure the smooth progress of this 'Investiture'—an ultra-large-scale, cross-departmental, long-cycle project—your disciple humbly requests access to this project's... Original Project Initiation Document."

Original Project Initiation Document?

Zhao Gongming's brain had completely stopped functioning.

He now only wanted to find a place to bury himself and properly digest everything he had heard today.

Grand Supreme Elder Lao's chaotic eyes gazed quietly at Chen Changsheng, within them seeming to hold the slow birth and death of the Stars of the Heavens.

After a long while, he spoke slowly.

"What is an Original Project Initiation Document?"

"It is the Heavenly Dao Contract that was jointly signed and sealed back in the Purple Xiao Palace, witnessed by the Dao Ancestor, by you, Master, and Uncle-Master Yuanshi—the three 'Project Initiators.'"

Chen Changsheng's reply was Neither Humble nor Arrogant, his logic airtight.

"The formulation of any subsequent procedures must be based on the terms of the original contract. Otherwise, it is water without a source, a tree without roots, and will easily lead to Contract Disputes and Unclear Rights and Responsibilities."

Inside the thatched hut, silence once again descended—a stillness that could freeze time itself.

The corner of Grand Master Xuandu's mouth twitched almost imperceptibly.

Contract Disputes?

Was he discussing... Contract Disputes... with a Heavenly Dao Saint?

This time, Grand Supreme Elder Lao did not remain silent for long.

He merely raised his hand and gently brushed it across the void before him.

A jade disc phantom, shrouded in purple qi and imbued with the supreme charm of the Heavenly Dao, quietly materialized.

On the jade disc, Great Dao Runes flowed, and three ancient Daoist titles could faintly be seen imprinted upon it, connected to each other by threads of profound cause and effect.

It was precisely the Heavenly Dao Deed that the Three Pure Ones had jointly signed when they set the Investiture of the Gods in the Purple Xiao Palace!

The moment this object appeared, Zhao Gongming felt a vast pressure emanating from the Origin of the Heavenly Dao bearing down on him, nearly forcing him to kneel on the spot.

Chen Changsheng, however, seemed to treat that pressure as nothing.

He stepped forward, leaned in close to the jade disc phantom, and like the strictest legal counsel, began to scrutinize this Heavenly Dao Contract—one that could determine the life and death of Innumerable eons of the Primordial Future—word by word, clause by clause.

He examined it with extreme seriousness, his brow sometimes furrowing, sometimes relaxing.

After a moment, he stepped back and shook his head at Grand Supreme Elder Lao.

"Senior Uncle-Master."

His face bore a professional expression that said, "Just as I expected."

"Forgive your disciple for speaking bluntly, but this initiation document... has major problems."

Zhao Gongming's eyes rolled back, and he nearly sent his soul straight to the Underworld.

But on Grand Supreme Elder Lao's face, for the first time, a hint of genuine curiosity appeared.

"Oh?"

"Problem one: Vague Project Objectives."

Chen Changsheng held up one finger.

"The contract only says, 'Establish the Investiture of the Gods, fill the vacancies of the Heavenly Court, and eliminate the tribulation of slaughter.' But these three objectives have logical conflicts with each other. Is the primary KPI to 'fill the vacancies of the Heavenly Court,' or is the core purpose to 'eliminate the tribulation of slaughter'? With unclear objectives, subsequent execution will inevitably suffer from directional deviation."

"Problem two: Uncontrolled Project Scope."

He then raised a second finger.

"The contract only stipulates that those destined for the tribulation come from the Three Schools of the Mystic Gate, but it does not specify a clear 'List of individuals destined for the tribulation' or an 'Exemption List.' This leads to an infinite expansion of the project scope, making it extremely easy for a chain reaction where 'one disciple makes the list, dragging the entire orthodoxy down with him,' ultimately causing the project to collapse completely."

"Problem three: lack of a Risk Control Mechanism."

"For the highest-level project risk of 'Saints intervening,' the contract sets no preemptive avoidance clauses or penalty mechanisms. This almost guarantees that the project will spiral out of control in its later stages."

"Problem four: lack of a Budget Approval Process."

"The entire project—how many disciples need to be invested, how much luck sacrificed, how much Karmic Cause and Effect incurred—has no clear budget ceiling. This is... a blank check with unlimited overdraft."

With every point Chen Changsheng made, Zhao Gongming's face grew paler by a shade.

By the time he finished, Zhao Gongming's complexion was like gold paper, feeling as if his junior brother wasn't analyzing the contract but using words to pry at the very foundations of the Great Tribulation of Investiture of the Gods!

"To sum up,"

Chen Changsheng delivered his final conclusion.

"This project, from its very inception, is fraught with enormous risks capable of overturning the entire Primordial World."

"If we are to formulate an effective Standard Operating Procedure for it, the urgent task is not to work behind closed doors."

He bowed deeply once more to Grand Supreme Elder Lao, speaking words that silenced the entire Eight Views Palace.

"Instead, we must immediately convene all Project Stakeholders and reopen... an 'Investiture of the Gods Project Kick-off Meeting'!"

"At the Purple Xiao Palace, presided over by the Dao Ancestor himself, to redefine and reconfirm the Project Objectives, Scope, Risks, and Budget!"

These words struck like the opening of chaos, earth-shattering and sky-rending!

Even Grand Master Xuandu could no longer maintain his calm, his body trembling almost imperceptibly.

To bring the Sages of the Three Religions back to the Purple Xiao Palace and renegotiate the Investiture matter before the Dao Ancestor?

This... this was crazier than making the Heavenly Dao change course!

Grand Supreme Elder Lao looked at Chen Changsheng, and for the first time, a glimmer of something called "appreciation" flickered in his chaotic eyes.

He did not answer immediately.

Instead, he slowly asked another question.

"Do you know, if this meeting is held, where the greatest resistance will come from?"

"Naturally, from the Chan Sect, Uncle-Master Yuanshi,"

Chen Changsheng replied without hesitation.

"Because under the current chaotic process, the Chan Sect is the biggest beneficiary."

"Then, what will you do?"

The Elder asked again.

Chen Changsheng smiled faintly, a smile brimming with the confidence of one who had everything under control.

"Thus, this disciple humbly requests Senior Uncle-Master, in your capacity as the 'Primary Project Initiator,' to submit this to the Purple Xiao Palace... this 'Application for Convening the First Plenary Stakeholder Meeting of the Investiture of the Gods Project.'"

From his sleeve, he produced a pre-written jade slip official letter, its format so standard it was almost terrifying.

"You are the Head of the Three Pure Ones."

"Your 'reason' is something Uncle-Master Yuanshi cannot ignore."

"Your application is something the Dao Ancestor, the elder, cannot disregard."

The thatched hut fell into another long silence.

Grand Supreme Elder Lao looked at the official letter presented before him, then at the seemingly frail yet audacious young man before him.

After a long while, A faint, almost imperceptible smile, like the thawing of an ancient glacier, slowly spread across his eternally unchanging face.

"Good."

He spoke only a single word.

Then, he reached out and stamped the Taiqing Seal, representing the 'Great Way of Wuwei,' at the end of the official letter.

Having done this, he spoke calmly to Xuandu beside him.

"Copy this letter to the Jade Void Palace and Mount Sumeru."

"Also, draft a personal letter from me and send it along."

"In the letter, say..."

The Elder paused, then spoke in a tone as casual as inviting an old friend for tea.

"The Investiture matter has flawed procedures and needs to be rediscussed."

"If any junior brother is unwilling to come, it means he harbors guilt in his heart and does not align with the Heavenly Dao."

"At that time, I will personally pay him a visit and... discuss Dao with him."

The words fell.

A supreme Saint's Will instantly burst forth from the Eight Views Palace, sweeping across the Thirty-Three Heavens!

Zhao Gongming felt a chill shoot from the soles of his feet straight to the crown of his head.

He knew.

Just how heavy Senior Uncle-Master's words "Discuss Dao" truly were!

This was no longer mere agreement—this was... the highest level of endorsement and a mandatory execution order!

Chen Changsheng bowed deeply once more to Grand Supreme Elder Lao.

"Disciple, takes his leave."

With that, he led the utterly dazed Zhao Gongming, turned, and withdrew from that small thatched hut.

The moment he stepped out of the Eight Views Palace's gate.

Deep within his long-silent Sea of Consciousness, a cascade of cold, mechanical prompts exploded like the Heavenly River crashing down!

[Ding! Detected that the host has successfully implanted the concept of 'Process' into the Core Decision-Making of Heavenly Dao Saints!]

[Epic Achievement 'Saint's Endorsement' has been completed!]

[Your actions have fundamentally shaken the Heavenly Dao Momentum of the 'Investiture of the Gods Tribulation'!]

[System is undergoing overload evolution...]

[Evolution complete!]

[Dao of Survival System Version 5.0—'Project Management'—is now online!]

[New core module unlocked: 'Heavenly Dao Project Management (PMP) System'!]

[You have obtained new permissions: 'Process Node Setting' and 'KPI Assessment'!]

[Epic Achievement rewards being settled...]

Chen Changsheng paid no heed to the torrent of rewards.

He simply raised his head slowly, his gaze piercing through the endless chaos, toward the higher realm—the eternal direction of Purple Xiao Palace.

A faint, subtle curve tugged at the corner of his mouth.

Investiture of the Gods Project Kick-off Meeting?

Very well.

But I wonder if the Dao Ancestor, His venerable self, will approve this budget... for restructuring the project.

Outside the Thirty-Three Heavens, chaotic currents flowed like docile sheep before the gate of the Eight Views Palace.

The moment he stepped out of the palace, that "Wuwei" Dao Charm—capable of assimilating all things and freezing time and space—receded like a tide.

Zhao Gongming gasped heavily, like a drowning person finally breaking the surface.

His Primordial Spirit returned to its place, his dharma power surging once more through his limbs and bones, yet his Dao heart—that of a Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal—still throbbed violently, as if he had just endured a battle far more perilous than the Battle for Dao Attainment.

He instinctively looked at Chen Changsheng beside him.

This Junior Brother Wuwei remained in that frail, sickly state—pale-faced, steady in breath—as if he had merely gone to a mortal teahouse for a cup of tea, rather than having faced a Heavenly Dao Saint and casually overturned the entire table of the Investiture of the Gods Tribulation.