Enfeoffing Dao Protectors, the Jie Sect's Style Goes Astray

The Sage's decree, like the Heavenly Dao's divine command, slowly faded from every inch of Golden Ao Island and the depths of every living being's heart.

But its residual might had turned into an eternal brand, plunging the entire immortal island into unprecedented dead silence.

Tens of thousands of disciples, both inner and outer, remained frozen in place, staring up at the Jade Palace like stone statues.

Guardian.

Equal to personal disciple.

Holds the precepts, governs calamity avoidance.

These thirteen words—each one struck their Primordial Spirits like a chaotic great hammer, leaving them dizzy and thought-stunned.

Especially the final line, "All Jie Sect disciples must cultivate his Safety Guidelines," struck everyone like a thunderbolt. That Guidebook, which they had passed around privately and which Senior Disciple Duobao had denounced as "heretical nonsense," had now been personally certified by the master and made a compulsory course of the Jie Sect?

This was more absurd than the sky collapsing.

Inside the Jade Palace, chaotic energy swirled.

Chen Changsheng felt the vast, boundless, terrifying mana within him—enough to prop open a small world—and his mind surged. Ten thousand years of cultivation poured into his body, Primordial Merit shielded him, and his realm had long since shattered the Golden Immortal shackles, surging forward steadily to rest at the peak of the late Primordial Unity Golden Immortal stage.

He was only a single step away from the Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal.

More importantly, that fragment of the Chaos Bead had merged into his Purple Mansion, resonating with the Great Freedom Head-Shrinking Technique, instantly elevating his comprehension of Daos like "cause and effect" and "existence" by more than one level.

"Go now."

Sect Leader Tongtian's gentle voice roused him from his ecstasy.

"Your disciple, takes leave."

Chen Changsheng performed another full prostration, then slowly rose and respectfully withdrew from that chaotic space.

When he stepped out of the Jade Palace gates again, the Seven-Colored Rainbow Bridge was already waiting.

One step onto it, and light flowed.

When his feet touched solid ground again, he was already back at the door of his crude cave dwelling.

The rainbow bridge dispersed.

The Pressure and dead silence of heaven and earth also faded.

Then came an earth-shattering uproar.

"He's back! Senior Brother Chen is back!"

"It really was the Sage who summoned him! Heavens, no Outer Sect Disciple has ever had such an honor!"

Everyone's gaze focused on that young man, whose aura was still "faint" and complexion "pale."

But this time, no one dared show the slightest contempt.

In their eyes, there was only reverence, fervor, and deep bewilderment.

Zhao Gongming was the first to greet him, his face a mix of shock and joy. He grabbed Chen Changsheng's arm, looked him up and down, and stammered excitedly.

"Junior Brother! You... the master... are you alright?"

"Thank you for your concern, Senior Brother. The master simply Discussed Dao with me."

Chen Changsheng gave him a reassuring smile.

Just then, a figure parted the crowd and walked over slowly.

It was Daoist Duobao.

He looked at Chen Changsheng, his expression extremely complex—shock, confusion, but mostly a dejection born from being utterly crushed by reality.

He bowed deeply, profoundly, to Chen Changsheng—the Outer Sect Disciple he had not long ago regarded as the source of "heresy corrupting the sect."

"Duobao greets the Guardian Junior Brother."

This bow plunged the entire scene into silence again.

Even Zhao Gongming was stunned.

He knew well how proud and aloof his senior brother was. For him to perform such a great bow to an outer disciple... no, to a newly appointed Guardian...

Chen Changsheng accepted the bow calmly.

He understood that this signified the collapse of the Jie Sect's old ideals and the beginning of a new order.

"Senior Brother Duobao need not be so formal. I am also a Jie Sect disciple. We are fellow brothers; there's no need for this."

Daoist Duobao slowly straightened up, a bitter smile on his face.

"Junior Brother's talent far surpasses mine. My Dao heart was clouded before, and I nearly made a grave mistake. I hope Junior Brother... no, Guardian, will not hold it against me."

He had already come to terms with it.

Even the master had acknowledged Chen Changsheng's Dao—that proved that what he had clung to for countless years might have been wrong from the very start.

Those bloody casualty figures were the best proof.

"Senior Brother speaks too gravely."

Chen Changsheng did not dwell on this matter. He swept his gaze across the crowd, taking in faces either stirred or bewildered, and spoke clearly.

"Elder Master's decree—I trust all fellow disciples have heard it clearly."

"From this day forward, the Jie Sect shall make 'safety' its foremost priority and 'calamity aversion' its highest principle."

His voice was not loud, yet it reached every ear with perfect clarity.

"To put this path into practice, I propose establishing a new hall within the sect, named the 'Calamity Aversion Department.'"

The Calamity Aversion Department?

The crowd was taken aback. Even Daoist Duobao and Zhao Gongming wore puzzled expressions.

Chen Changsheng did not keep them in suspense and continued his explanation.

"This department will not oversee punishments nor impart techniques. It will handle only three matters."

He raised one finger.

"First, risk assessment. From now on, any Jie Sect disciple, inner or outer, who wishes to descend the mountain for any task must first report to the Calamity Aversion Department. The department will conduct a full risk assessment of the mission and issue one of three ratings: 'Feasible,' 'High Risk,' or 'Certain Death.' Any mission rated 'Certain Death' is strictly forbidden!"

As these words fell, a wave of suppressed gasps rippled through the crowd.

This... this fundamentally cut off the possibility of throwing one's life away!

Daoist Duobao's eyes flashed with sharp light, and his breathing grew rapid.

Chen Changsheng raised a second finger.

"Second, technical development. The Calamity Aversion Department will gather all fellow disciples skilled in formations, artifact refinement, and talismans. We will not seek to forge mighty killing treasures, but will focus solely on developing three things."

"First, the most supreme concealment formations. Second, the fastest escape divine abilities. Third, the most convincing substitute-death treasures!"

"I want every Jie Sect disciple who descends the mountain in the future to carry at least three or more life-saving techniques!"

At these words, Zhao Gongming slapped his thigh in excitement on the spot.

Right!

If I can't win, can't I at least run? If I can't run, can't I find something to die in my place?

That was the true principle!

Chen Changsheng raised a third finger, his voice turning utterly grave.

"Third, practical drills. The Calamity Aversion Department will regularly organize all sect disciples to conduct survival exercises under various extreme conditions. These include but are not limited to: 'How to maintain an escape posture under a Sage's Pressure,' 'One hundred ways to survive after being locked on by a Innate Supreme Treasure,' 'On the correct response to the Western Sect's "Fellow Daoist, Please Stay,"' and so on."

"I will carve the words 'Stay Alive' into the bones of every Jie Sect disciple, making it our instinct!"

After this speech, the entire assembly fell silent.

Everyone was stunned by the blueprint Chen Changsheng had painted.

How was this heresy or twisted logic?

This was clearly a systematic, theoretical, and practical supreme scripture that pushed survival rates to the absolute limit!

"I agree!"

Daoist Duobao was the first to step forward, his eyes bloodshot, his voice trembling slightly with excitement.

"What the Dao Protector has said is exactly what our Jie Sect lacks most and needs most urgently! I, Duobao, am willing to be the first member of the Calamity Aversion Department, at the Dao Protector's command!"

"I'm joining too!"

Zhao Gongming followed immediately, his spirit soaring.

"Count me in!"

"And me!"

In an instant, a chorus of assent arose.

Those surviving disciples who had personally experienced the cruelty of the battlefield were especially moved to tears.

If the Calamity Aversion Department had existed earlier, how could their fellow disciples have died in vain?

In Chen Changsheng's mind, the system's prompt sounded at the right moment.

[Ding! Detected that the host has successfully established the 'Dao of Survival' as the Jie Sect's official doctrine and proposed a concrete implementation plan. Main quest progress greatly increased!]

[New branch quest unlocked—[Establishment of the Calamity Aversion Department]!]

[Quest reward: Complete comprehension of the second layer [Sever Causality] chapter of the Divine Ability Great Freedom Head-Shrinking Technique! Acquired Postnatal Merit Supreme Treasure 'Heaven and Earth Mysterious Yellow Exquisite Pagoda' (Imitation)!]

Chen Changsheng's heart settled. He raised a hand to quiet the crowd.

Once the assembly fell silent, he calmly announced his first decree as Dao Protector.

"I declare the Calamity Aversion Department established, effective immediately."

"Its first departmental decree is..."

He paused, his gaze sweeping across the entire gathering.

"From this moment on, Golden Ao Island shall seal its mountains for a thousand years! No disciple may leave the mountain without permission! All members shall participate in the first phase of unified study and examination on 'Jie Sect Survival and Calamity Aversion Ideology'!"