The instant Daoist Duobao left, the invisible mountain of pressure on the Dharma Transmission Platform crumbled away.
The deathly silence was shattered.
What followed was an eruption of noise like a volcano bursting forth.
"We won!"
"Senior Brother Chen... he actually convinced Senior Disciple Brother!"
"That wasn't persuasion! That was a crushing defeat! Did you see Senior Disciple Brother's expression at the end? He had no way to refute him!"
The thousands of Outer Sect Disciples looked at Chen Changsheng's thin back, and there was no longer even a trace of sympathy or pity in their eyes.
It had been replaced by a near-fanatical reverence.
On Golden Ao Island, where rank was strict and the strong reigned supreme, an Outer Sect Disciple with "shallow" cultivation had dared to confront a Sage's foremost disciple with reason and defend the way of survival for lowly disciples like them with irrefutable facts.
What that required was not strength, but wisdom and courage far surpassing strength.
Chen Changsheng felt the burning gazes behind him, yet he felt no pride at all. Instead, a chill rose in his heart.
The tallest tree in the forest would be the first to be felled by the wind.
The foremost principle of the Dao of Survival was to stay out of the spotlight.
He turned to face the excited crowd, forcing a frail expression onto his face as though his vitality had been gravely depleted.
He cupped his hands, his lips moving as if he wanted to say something. Then he broke into another violent coughing fit, his face turning even paler.
The crowd immediately fell silent, their eyes full of concern.
"Senior Brother Chen must have exhausted his mind and spirit resisting Senior Disciple Brother's pressure just now!"
"Quick, let Senior Brother Chen go back and rest!"
Chen Changsheng took the opportunity, nodded weakly at everyone, said nothing more, and turned to walk back to his cave dwelling step by step.
The stone door slammed shut.
It shut out all the clamor and adoration.
Everything that had happened on the Dharma Transmission Platform swept across Golden Ao Island like a storm.
From the outer sect to the inner sect, nearly every disciple was discussing the same name.
Chen Changsheng.
And his deafening question.
"What did their deaths win? And what sliver of survival did they secure for our Interception Sect?"
Inside an immortal cave dwelling atop a mist-shrouded mountain, Zhao Gongming crushed the wine cup in his hand, wine dripping through his fingers.
His face was full of mixed emotions.
There was admiration, but even more concern.
"That kid's got more nerve than the heavens."
He knew Daoist Duobao's temperament well. He was obstinate and exceedingly protective of his pride.
Today, an Outer Sect Disciple had publicly rebuked him until he was speechless. This matter would never end so easily.
In another, even more magnificent palace.
Daoist Duobao sat quietly on a Prayer Mat. There was not a hint of anger on his face, but his calmness was terrifying.
Over a hundred Jade Slips lay scattered across the floor before him.
He had just ordered these brought from the outer sect archives. They recorded the files of every mission carried out by Outer Sect Disciples over the past thousand years.
He casually picked one up.
His divine sense entered it.
[Gengzi Year. To seize Profound Water Essence from the East Sea, three hundred Outer Sect Disciples were led by Inner Sect Disciple Ma Yuan. They encountered an ambush by the Demon Race. The entire force was wiped out, while Ma Yuan fled back with severe injuries.]
He set down the Jade Slip and picked up another.
[Bingyin Year. Assisting the Eastern Marquis in Suppressing the Rebellion, five hundred Outer Sect Disciples were dispatched. Four hundred and twelve died in battle. They obtained three strands of Human Dao Merit, all of which went to the Inner Sect Disciple leading the team.]
One slip.
Then another.
Daoist Duobao flipped through them faster and faster, fine beads of sweat gradually seeping onto his impassive face.
The cold figures and horrifying casualties became an invisible sledgehammer, pounding his unwavering Dao heart again and again.
He had always believed that Interception Sect disciples should advance bravely and diligently. Even Death of Dao was glory won for the sect.
But what was recorded in these files? Where was the glory?
They were clearly meaningless losses, one after another.
Groups upon groups of lowly disciples had used their lives to earn meager Merit and spoils for a handful of Inner Sect Disciples.
Chen Changsheng's words echoed repeatedly in his mind like a curse.
"Nearly ninety percent casualties."
More than ninety percent.
Over the thousand years of accumulated records, the overall casualty rate was a number he did not even dare calculate.
The doctrine he had been so proud of, the Great Dao he had believed in without question, seemed so laughable before this bloody reality.
Crack.
The Jade Slip in his hand was unconsciously crushed into powder.
Daoist Duobao slowly closed his eyes as an unprecedented confusion engulfed his primordial spirit.
Was I wrong?
Was the path of the Interception Sect truly wrong?
While undercurrents stirred across Golden Ao Island because of this ideological storm.
High above the nine heavens, deep within the sea of clouds, stood an ancient palace that was solemn, imposing, and eternal.
Jade Palace.
Sect Leader Tongtian sat upon a cloud couch, his eyes slightly closed. Dao Charm flowed around him as though he had merged with heaven and earth itself.
Suddenly, the void before him rippled like water.
A treasured mirror appeared out of thin air.
Within it was Daoist Duobao, lost and shaken, his Dao heart wavering.
Sect Leader Tongtian slowly opened his eyes.
What kind of eyes were those? They seemed to contain the birth and death of the cosmos, the turning of stars.
As a Sage united with the Heavenly Dao, nothing that happened on Golden Ao Island could escape his perception.
He had also "read" that Guidebook.
At first, he had merely regarded it as an amusing prank and paid it no mind.
Yet he had not expected that such a tiny "prank" could shake the Dao heart of his foremost disciple.
"To live, only then can one speak of the Great Dao..."
He softly repeated those words. For the first time, an emotion called amusement appeared in his eyes.
He had shown his disciples the Great Dao of "seizing a sliver of survival."
Yet it seemed his disciples had all walked that path too narrowly.
They knew only how to fight and seize, yet had forgotten that avoiding was also for the sake of living better.
With a thought from Sect Leader Tongtian, the scene in the treasured mirror changed.
What appeared was Chen Changsheng's crude cave dwelling.
At that moment, Chen Changsheng was seated cross-legged, joyfully counting the rewards the system had just issued.
[Three Thousand Years of Cultivation!] [Introductory insight into the Divine Ability Sever Causality chapter!]
His cultivation had advanced once more, leaving him only one step away from Late Golden Immortal.
More importantly, his understanding of the second layer of the Great Freedom Head-Shrinking Technique, [Sever Causality], had taken a crucial step forward.
Once he mastered this technique, he would be able to actively sever the subtle karma between himself and the outside world, making his presence even fainter and less likely to be dragged into trouble.
That was the core of staying alive!
Just then, the restrictions around the cave dwelling were lightly disturbed.
Chen Changsheng's heart tightened. He gathered his thoughts and instantly resumed his sickly appearance.
When he opened the stone door, the visitor was unexpectedly Zhao Gongming.
"Senior Brother Gongming?"
Zhao Gongming slipped inside, casually setting up a soundproof barrier. His expression was grave.
"Junior Brother Changsheng, you went too far this time."
"Why do you say that, Senior Brother?" Chen Changsheng asked with an innocent expression.
"You're still pretending?" Zhao Gongming looked at him with some irritation. "I know Senior Brother Duobao's temperament best. You embarrassed him in public today. He may not say anything, but he will surely hold a grudge. You must be extremely careful in the future!"
Warmth rose in Chen Changsheng's heart. He solemnly bowed to Zhao Gongming.
"Thank you for the reminder, Senior Brother. I understand."
Zhao Gongming nodded, then could not help asking, "But are you really not afraid of death, or do you truly have that much confidence?"
Chen Changsheng merely smiled calmly at those words.
"This disciple only feels that if seeking survival is also a sin, then what is cultivation for?"
Inside Jade Palace.
Sect Leader Tongtian watched Chen Changsheng's calm smile in the mirror and heard that offhanded question. The amusement in his eyes deepened.
This little disciple was interesting.
After a long while.
He smiled.
The smile was not loud, yet it seemed to make the entire Jade Palace brighten.
He slowly raised a hand and lightly pointed at the void.
The next moment.
A majestic, boundless, irresistible voice rang without warning in the hearts of every living being on Golden Ao Island.
Whether they were Inner Sect Disciples in secluded cultivation or Outer Sect Disciples arguing among themselves, whether they were birds in flight or beasts on the ground.
Every being heard that voice at that moment.
"Outer Sect Disciple Chen Changsheng, come to Jade Palace and see me."
Before you continue