"Now that all the calamities afflicting the human race have been pacified!
There will be no more great threats to speak of in the near future.
Taking this opportunity, I intend to enter closed-door meditation for a time.
From this day forth, all affairs great and small within the Cultivator Association, as well as matters concerning the governance of humanity's territories, shall be entrusted entirely to all of you."
"During my closed-door meditation, all major decisions of the Association shall be decided by collective vote in the hall council, following the rule that the minority obeys the majority, with all of you governing the Association together."
As his words fell, the expressions of the Half-Venerables below shifted slightly. One after another, they rose, intending to inquire about the details of his closed-door meditation and voice their concerns.
Yet Cheng Buzheng raised his hand first, pressing it down through the air once more to cut off their words. His expression remained calm as he continued:
"There is no need to say more. My mind is made up.
I will soon begin long-term closed-door meditation to break through to a higher realm. There is no need for you to dissuade me."
"Of course, I am not completely washing my hands of the Association's affairs.
Later, I will leave behind a puppet.
Should there be a cataclysmic matter that even the entire hall council cannot decide upon, one grave enough to shake the foundations of humanity, you may contact me through the puppet.
As for ordinary trifles such as routine departmental dispatches, minor territorial disputes, and conflicts between cultivators...
There is no need to seek my instructions. Discuss them among yourselves and make your own decisions."
The moment his words ended, Celestial Pivot Half-Venerable, seated in the foremost position and newly appointed master