"Utter nonsense!"
Primordial Heavenly Venerate's furious shout was no longer mere sound. It became tangible Great Dao Divine Thunder that exploded through the empty Purple Cloud Palace!
That supreme Sage's pressure descended mercilessly upon the tiny figure at the center of the hall, like a chaotic universe on the verge of collapse!
Space keened, and laws twisted.
The Prayer Mat beneath Chen Changsheng instantly turned to dust.
His ordinary gray daoist robe snapped in the gale, as though it would be shredded by that supreme will the next moment.
"Senior Brother, how dare you!"
Sect Leader Tongtian flew into a rage. With a flicker, he moved to stand before Chen Changsheng. The phantom of the Immortal-Slaying Sword Formation frantically formed and vanished behind him, while billions of killing sword energies firmly withstood Primordial Heavenly Venerate's pressure.
The entire Purple Cloud Palace was instantly torn into two distinct halves by two utterly different yet equally terrifying Sage Great Daos.
On one side was the exposition of heavenly rules, orderly and rigorous.
On the other was the interception of vitality, leaving all things to wither.
"Enough."
From the high platform, Hongjun's voice remained utterly emotionless.
Just two words.
The confrontation between Sages, enough to return the heavens and earth of the Primordial World to chaos, vanished like an illusion.
Sect Leader Tongtian let out a muffled grunt and sat back on his Prayer Mat.
Primordial Heavenly Venerate's expression darkened further, but he ultimately dared not defy the Dao Ancestor. He could only forcibly withdraw the killing intent that was nearly overflowing, though his gaze remained like a blade fixed firmly on Chen Changsheng.
From beginning to end, Chen Changsheng had not even twitched an eyebrow.
He remained standing there, his back ramrod straight, as though the pressure that could crush a Grand Unity Golden Immortal's primordial spirit had been nothing more than a breeze passing over a hill.
Facing the ashen-faced Primordial Heavenly Venerate, he gave an unyielding yet respectful bow.
"In reply to Second Martial Uncle."
"What this disciple said was not meant to blaspheme the Heavenly Dao. On the contrary, it was intended to better uphold the Heavenly Dao's fairness."
His voice rang out once more in the absolute silence, clear, calm, and filled with undeniable logical force.
"May I ask Second Martial Uncle, what constitutes one of shallow fortune?"
"Without waiting for Primordial Heavenly Venerate's response, he continued on his own."
"Those with low cultivation? Those with poor magic treasures? Or those of ordinary origin?"
"By that logic, most disciples of our Interception Sect are furred and horned creatures, born wet or from eggs. Our origins are far inferior to those of the Chan Sect's senior brothers. Does that mean we are destined to be people of shallow fortune who should be listed on the Investiture of the Gods?"
"Is this the 'Heavenly Dao' you speak of?"
"Presumptuous!"
Primordial Heavenly Venerate roared, yet for a moment, he could find no words of rebuttal.
Chen Changsheng changed the subject and swept his gaze toward Hongjun on the high platform.
"With Dao Ancestor above us, this disciple believes that true 'fortune' is not determined by one's origins, but by whether one's actions follow the Heavenly Dao Momentum and whether one can contribute to the order of the Three Realms."
"This disciple's Job Matchability system discards all innate factors."
"It considers only one thing."
"Whether a candidate's actions during the Tribulation conform to the 'Dao' required by a Heavenly Court divine position!"
"A demon cultivator of the poorest origins, if he displays righteousness as fierce as thunder during the Tribulation, would be the best candidate for a God of Thunder Department!"
"An Orthodox Mystic Gate disciple of the noblest origins, if he is crafty during the Tribulation and knows only how to preserve himself, would be unsuited for every divine position. Naturally, he could remain carefree and continue cultivating."
"Rewards and punishments should be clear. One's origins should not matter; only ability and character should."
"Is this not a better reflection of the Heavenly Dao's 'supreme impartiality' than mere slaughter?"
His words struck the ground with force!
Within Purple Cloud Palace, a pin dropping could have been heard.
Sect Leader Tongtian's eyes shone with brilliance, and he nearly slapped the table in praise.
Wonderfully said!
Those words had laid bare every thought in the heart of this Sage who taught without discrimination, thoughts he had wanted to express but never knew how to articulate!
The Two Sages of the West, their faces originally marked by suffering and solemnity, both revealed a trace of deep contemplation.
They exchanged glances and each saw a flicker of interest in the other's eyes.
No regard for origins, only for ability.
Would this not give those "fated people" of their Western Sect a perfectly legitimate opportunity to enter positions in the Heavenly Court?
Saintess Nuwa's gaze toward Chen Changsheng also gained a trace of genuine admiration.
As the Sage of the Demon Race, she understood better than anyone what one's origins meant in this Primordial World.
Chen Changsheng's theory undoubtedly shook that deeply rooted doctrine of bloodline supremacy at its foundation.
"A pack of clever words!"
Primordial Heavenly Venerate's voice remained icy.
"The Heavenly Tribulation is no child's game! If everyone can remain carefree simply by being 'unsuited,' then who will fill the Heavenly Court's three hundred and sixty-five divine positions?!"
This was the true core of the matter.
It was also what he believed to be the most fatal flaw in Chen Changsheng's theory.
Yet Chen Changsheng seemed to have expected this long ago.
He smiled faintly and said something that left every Sage stunned.
"Second Martial Uncle, it seems... you have misunderstood something."
"Who said that being carefree must be better than ascending to a divine position?"
Primordial Heavenly Venerate froze.
Chen Changsheng bowed once more toward Hongjun on the high platform.
"May I ask Dao Ancestor, do the Heavenly Court's divine positions come with salaries?"
Hongjun: "..."
The question was so peculiar that even the Dao Ancestor, who had merged with the Heavenly Dao, seemed to pause for a moment.
After a long while, his emotionless voice slowly sounded.
"Yes."
"They receive the blessing of the Heavenly Court's fortune and enjoy Immeasurable Merit and incense offerings."
"Good."
Chen Changsheng nodded, an expression of utter naturalness appearing on his face.
"Honored Sage Martial Uncles, that is where the problem lies."
"A... job recognized by the Heavenly Dao, blessed by fortune, paid in Merit and incense offerings, and granted an official Heavenly Dao establishment. Why has it become a punishment that everyone avoids at all costs in your eyes?"
"The reason is simple."
He raised two fingers.
"First, the previous recruitment method was 'compulsory.' Whoever lost had to take the post, which was filled with humiliation."
"Second, the duties and benefits of the positions were not transparent enough."
He looked at Primordial Heavenly Venerate, his gaze clear.
"If we turn 'compulsion' into 'selection.'"
"And clearly list the amount of fortune blessing for every divine position, as well as the year-end bonuses in Merit and incense offerings, in the Recruitment Prospectus."
"This disciple can guarantee that, when the time comes, there will be no need for slaughter."
"Within the Three Teachings and even throughout the Three Realms, countless cultivators who believe their talents have gone unrecognized will surely fight desperately for these positions!"
"The Killing Tribulation will completely become a... Civil Service Examination, the largest in scale and highest in rank in Primordial World history!"
Boom!
When the five words "Civil Service Examination" left Chen Changsheng's mouth.
Even the Sages seated in the clouds felt their Dao hearts tremble in unison!
They seemed to see an utterly absurd yet... utterly real vision of the future.
Countless cultivators would no longer fight for magic treasures or dao lineages.
Instead, they would hang their hair from beams and stab their thighs with awls, cultivating day and night, all to achieve a good score in the Tribulation and secure an Iron Rice Bowl in the Heavenly Court!
This... wasn't something about this atmosphere a little off?
"You!"
Primordial Heavenly Venerate pointed at Chen Changsheng, so enraged that even his Sage body trembled faintly.
He felt that the Great Dao he had always taken pride in—the exposition of heavenly rules and compliance with Heaven—was being dismantled into pieces by a method he could neither understand nor refute.
"Silence."
Hongjun's voice rang out from the high platform once more.
Those eyes of his, which seemed to contain the birth and death of the entire universe, quietly watched Chen Changsheng.
After a long while.
He asked the ultimate question that would determine the future course of the Primordial World.
"Your Process—how will the Heavenly Dao supervise it?"
"Your KPI—how will the Heavenly Dao assess it?"
"Who will ultimately judge your 'Job Matchability'?"
This was the true core.
Without a supreme and absolutely impartial arbiter, any Process would ultimately be nothing but empty talk.
As soon as this question was raised, every Sage's gaze focused on Chen Changsheng.
Sect Leader Tongtian's heart rose to his throat as well.
He knew this was the Dao Ancestor's... ultimate interview for Chen Changsheng.
Answer well, and the world would be wide open.
Answer poorly, and there would be no redemption through countless tribulations.
Yet faced with this ultimate question of the Dao, Chen Changsheng smiled.
He put away the Jade Scroll floating in midair and once again gave Hongjun the most standard and respectful deep bow.
"In reply to Dao Ancestor."
"This disciple's Process does not require anyone to supervise or judge it, from beginning to end."
He raised his head, his eyes gleaming with the wisdom of one who saw through all things.
"Because the one carrying all this out is neither this disciple, nor the Interception Sect, nor any Sage present here."
"It is the Heavenly Dao itself."
He slowly spread open his palm.
The accompanying spirit treasure he had received from the system, the Heavenly Mandate Document, quietly appeared.
"This item is called the Heavenly Mandate Document. When Dao Ancestor personally appointed this disciple as a Flow Official, it was bestowed by the Heavenly Dao."
"It is the... Central Processing Unit of the entire Investiture of the Gods KPI Assessment System."
"During the Tribulation, every candidate's actions will become the most fundamental data, recorded by the Heavenly Dao and gathered into this document."
"The document will automatically analyze, match, and score the data according to the 'position duties' jointly established today in Purple Cloud Palace."
"No one can interfere with the entire process."
"The final results will be generated directly by the Heavenly Dao and... publicly announced upon the Investiture of the Gods."
"From data entry to calculation and then publication of the list, there will be no human interference whatsoever. It will be absolutely fair, just, and open."
Chen Changsheng looked at Hongjun and delivered the concluding statement that moved every Sage.
"So, in answer to your question."
"The supervisor is the Heavenly Dao."
"The assessor is the Heavenly Dao."
"And the final judge remains... the Heavenly Dao."
"This disciple and the Interception Sect have, from beginning to end, merely been... workers who built this automated office system for the Heavenly Dao."
As his words fell.
The entire Purple Cloud Palace sank into the longest silence it had known since ancient times.
Grand Supreme Elder Lao's half-open eyes opened completely. They were filled with chaos, revealing neither joy nor anger.
The ashen color on Primordial Heavenly Venerate's face turned into profound shock.
Jieyin and Zhunti pressed their palms together, muttering under their breaths. It was unclear whether they were reciting their dao titles or calculating something.
Saintess Nuwa gazed at the calm figure standing there, her beautiful eyes rippling with wonder, as though she were looking at a monster from an unknown world.
Even Sect Leader Tongtian stood with his mouth agape, utterly stunned by the flawless logical loop constructed by his own disciple.
He had attributed all his actions to "authorization by the Heavenly Dao."
He had defined himself as an insignificant "Tool Person."
This... this was taking caution to the ultimate extreme of the Dao!
After a long while.
After a very long while.
The figure on the high platform, seeming to have fused with the Great Dao itself, slowly nodded.
"Good."
One word.
Words became law.
Like a Heavenly Dao Charter, it placed the final full stop upon this discourse that had overturned the Primordial World.
Primordial Heavenly Venerate's body shook, and the last trace of color drained entirely from his face.
He knew that he had lost.
He had lost completely.
"This method is feasible."
Hongjun's voice rang out again, this time addressing all the Sages.
"Starting today, the Investiture of the Gods Tribulation shall be renamed the 'Investiture of the Gods Evaluation.'"
"The specific evaluation criteria shall use Chen Changsheng's submitted proposal as the blueprint. Do any of you object?"
All the Sages remained silent.
Even the Dao Ancestor had personally approved it. Who would dare object? Who still could object?
"Since there are no objections."
Hongjun's gaze fell upon Chen Changsheng one final time.
"Chen Changsheng."
"You shall be the... Chief Examiner of this 'Investiture of the Gods Evaluation.'"
"You will be responsible for drafting the... first Job Description for the 365 Departmental Deities."
Before you continue