Investiture of the Gods Project Kick-off Meeting? Get the Dao Ancestor to Approve the Budget First!

Inside the thatched hut, the Great Dao was silent.

Grand Supreme Elder Lao's calm words were like an Imperial Edict that pierced through eternity. His words became law, turning this tiny patch of heaven and earth into the eye of a storm where karma converged.

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

Standing behind Chen Changsheng, Zhao Gongming felt his Dao heart—the Dao heart that had endured countless bloody battles and was as hard as an Innate Spiritual Treasure—cracking inch by inch.

He could barely breathe.

He felt that even drawing a single breath would disrupt the heavenly secrets here and commit a monstrous sin grave enough to send him into the Nine Netherworlds.

Grand Master Xuandu stood with his hands at his sides beside the pill furnace. For the first time, an emotion called "being moved" appeared on his eternally unchanged face.

He looked at the young junior brother who still stood calmly, then at his own master, who seemed to have casually assigned some trivial task.

All of a sudden, he felt that his understanding of the four words "pure and effortless" might... have been slightly mistaken.

The only one who seemed normal in the entire room was Chen Changsheng.

He showed neither panic nor the slightest trace of flattered astonishment.

Like a Project Manager who had just taken over the largest project in the company's history, he fell silent briefly before respectfully bowing once more to the "Chairman."

"Reporting to Senior Uncle-Master."

"This disciple accepts the order."

His voice remained calm and methodical.

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

"To ensure the smooth progress of the 'Investiture of the Gods,' this massive, cross-departmental, long-term project, this disciple respectfully requests access to the project's... Original Project Initiation Document."

The Original Project Initiation Document?

Zhao Gongming's mind had completely stopped functioning.

Right now, he only wanted to find somewhere to bury himself and properly digest everything he had heard today.

Grand Supreme Elder Lao's chaotic eyes quietly watched Chen Changsheng. It seemed as though Stars of the Heavens were slowly being born and extinguished within them.

After a long while, he slowly spoke.

"What is an Original Project Initiation Document?"

"It is the Heavenly Dao Contract jointly signed by you, my master, and Uncle-Master Yuanshi as the three 'project initiators,' with the Dao Ancestor as witness at Purple Cloud Palace."

Chen Changsheng's answer was neither servile nor overbearing, and his logic was airtight.

"The formulation of all subsequent procedures must be based on the clauses of the original contract. Otherwise, it will be water without a source and a tree without roots, easily leading to contractual disputes and unclear rights and responsibilities."

The thatched hut once again sank into a silence so deep it seemed capable of freezing time itself.

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

Contractual disputes?

He was discussing... contractual disputes with a Heavenly Dao Saint?

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

He merely raised his hand and lightly brushed the void before him.

A phantom Jade Disc wreathed in purple mist and containing the supreme divine charm of the Heavenly Dao quietly emerged.

Great Dao Runes flowed across the Jade Disc. Three ancient Daoist titles could vaguely be seen branded upon it, connected to one another by profound threads of karma.

It was precisely the Heavenly Dao Deed jointly signed by the Three Pure Ones at Purple Cloud Palace when they established the Investiture of the Gods!

The moment it appeared, Zhao Gongming felt an immense pressure from the Origin of the Heavenly Dao crash toward him, nearly forcing him to kneel on the spot.

Yet Chen Changsheng seemed utterly unaffected by that pressure.

He stepped forward and leaned close to the phantom Jade Disc. Like the strictest legal counsel, he began reviewing this Heavenly Dao Contract word by word, sentence by sentence—a contract capable of determining the life and death of the Primordial World for innumerable eons to come.

He studied it with exceptional care, his brows sometimes furrowing and sometimes relaxing.

A moment later, he took a step back and shook his head at Grand Supreme Elder Lao.

"Senior Uncle-Master."

A professional expression of "just as I expected" appeared on his face.

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

Zhao Gongming's eyes rolled back, and he nearly had his soul return to the Underworld on the spot.

Yet for the first time, genuine curiosity appeared on Grand Supreme Elder Lao's face.

"Oh?"

"First problem: Vague Project Objectives."

Chen Changsheng raised one finger.

"The contract merely states, 'Establish the Investiture of the Gods, fill the vacancies of the Heavenly Court, and eliminate the tribulation of slaughter.' But these three objectives conflict with one another logically. Is 'filling the vacancies of the Heavenly Court' the primary KPI, or is 'eliminating the tribulation of slaughter' the core purpose? If the objective is unclear, subsequent execution will inevitably suffer directional deviations."

"Second problem: Uncontrolled Project Scope."

He raised a second finger.

"The contract only stipulates that Those destined to face the tribulation come from the Three Schools of the Mystic Gate, but it does not clearly specify a List of individuals destined for the tribulation or an Exemption List. This leads to an unlimited expansion of the project scope, making it extremely easy for a chain reaction to occur where 'one disciple is listed, and an entire lineage is implicated,' ultimately causing the project to collapse entirely."

"Third problem: a lack of a Risk Control Mechanism."

"For the highest-level Project Risk of Saints intervening, the contract contains no preemptive avoidance clauses or punitive mechanisms. This practically guarantees that the project will lose control in its later stages."

"Fourth problem: a lack of a Budget Approval Process."

"How many disciples the entire project must commit, how much fortune must be sacrificed, and how much Karmic Cause and Effect it will generate—none of this has a clear budget ceiling. This is... a blank check with unlimited overdraft."

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

By the time he finished, Zhao Gongming's face had turned the color of gold paper. He felt that his junior brother was not analyzing a contract at all—he was using words to pry apart the very foundations of the Great Tribulation of Investiture of the Gods!

"To sum up."

Chen Changsheng delivered his final conclusion.

"This project has been fraught with immense risks capable of overturning the entire Primordial World from the very moment it was initiated."

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

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

"Rather, we should immediately convene all project stakeholders and hold another... 'Investiture of the Gods Project Kick-off Meeting'!"

"At Purple Cloud Palace, with the Dao Ancestor personally presiding, we must redefine and confirm the Project Objectives, scope, risks, and budget!"

The moment those words fell, it was as if chaos had been split open and the heavens had shattered!

Even Grand Master Xuandu could no longer maintain his ancient-well-like composure. His body trembled almost imperceptibly.

Have the Sages of the Three Religions return to Purple Cloud Palace and renegotiate the matter of the Investiture of the Gods before the Dao Ancestor?

This... this was even crazier than asking the Heavenly Dao to change course!

As Grand Supreme Elder Lao looked at Chen Changsheng, a glimmer called "appreciation" flowed through his chaotic eyes for the first time.

He did not answer immediately.

Instead, he slowly asked another question.

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

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

Chen Changsheng answered without hesitation.

"Because under the current chaotic Process, the Chan Sect is the greatest beneficiary."

"Then what will you do?"

Elder Lao asked again.

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

"Therefore, this disciple respectfully requests that Senior Uncle-Master submit this... <Application for Convening the First All-Stakeholder Meeting of the Investiture of the Gods Project> to Purple Cloud Palace in the capacity of Primary Project Initiator."

From his sleeve, he took out a Jade Slip Official Letter that had long been prepared, its format standardized to an outrageous degree.

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

"Uncle-Master Yuanshi cannot refuse to heed your 'reasoning.'"

"The Dao Ancestor cannot ignore your application."

The thatched hut sank into prolonged silence once more.

Grand Supreme Elder Lao looked at the Official Letter offered before him, then at the young man before him, who appeared frail and sickly but was in truth audacious beyond measure.

After a long while.

A faint, faint smile gradually appeared on his eternally unchanged face, like an ancient glacier melting.

"Good."

He spoke only one word.

Then he extended his hand and branded the Taiqing Seal representing the Great Dao of Wuwei at the end of that Official Letter.

After doing so, he calmly spoke to Xuandu beside him.

"Send copies of this letter to Jade Void Palace and Mount Sumeru."

"Draft another personal letter from this poor Daoist and send it along."

"In the letter, say..."

Elder Lao paused, then slowly said in a calm tone as though inviting old friends for tea.

"The Process for the Investiture of the Gods is flawed and must be reconsidered."

"If any junior brother is unwilling to come, then his conscience is guilty and he does not conform to the Heavenly Dao."

"At that time, this poor Daoist will personally visit him and... discuss the Dao with him."

As his words fell.

A supreme Saint's Will instantly surged out of Eight Views Palace and swept across the Thirty-Three Heavens!

A chill shot from Zhao Gongming's feet straight to the crown of his head.

He knew.

Just how much weight lay behind Senior Uncle-Master's phrase "discuss the Dao"!

This was no longer mere agreement. This was... the highest level of Saint's Endorsement and a Mandatory Execution Order!

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

"This disciple takes his leave."

With that, he led Zhao Gongming, who had long since been scared out of his wits, turned around, and exited the tiny thatched hut.

The instant he stepped out of the gates of Eight Views Palace.

Deep within his Sea of Consciousness, which had been silent for so long, a series of cold mechanical prompts erupted like the Heavenly River pouring backward!

[ 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 achieved! ]

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

[ The system is undergoing overloaded evolution... ]

[ Evolution complete! ]

[ Dao of Survival System Version 5.0—'Project Management'—is officially 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 are being calculated... ]

Chen Changsheng ignored the vast amount of rewards.

He merely slowly raised his head, his gaze piercing through endless chaos toward the direction of the eternally unchanging Purple Cloud Palace above.

The corner of his mouth curved slightly.

An Investiture of the Gods Project Kick-off Meeting?

Very good.

He simply wondered whether the Dao Ancestor would approve the budget for... restructuring the project.

Beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens, chaotic currents flowed slowly before the gates of Eight Views Palace like docile sheep.

The moment they stepped out of the palace gates, the Dao Charm of "Wuwei," which could assimilate all things and freeze even space and time, receded like the tide.

Zhao Gongming suddenly drew a huge breath, like a drowning man finally breaking through the surface.

His primordial spirit returned to its place, and his mana once again surged through his limbs and bones. Yet the Dao heart of this Grand Unity Golden Immortal still throbbed violently, as if he had just endured a struggle even more perilous than a Battle for Dao Attainment.

He instinctively looked toward Chen Changsheng beside him.

This Junior Brother Wuwei still looked frail and sickly, his face pale and his breathing steady, as though he had merely gone to a mortal teahouse for a cup of tea rather than meeting a Heavenly Dao Saint and casually overturning the entire table of the Great Tribulation of Investiture of the Gods.