When Tongtian finished speaking, the Biyou Palace fell into silence. After a long while, Duobao said: "Master, currently our Jiejiao has a vast number of disciples, yet their quality varies greatly. Anyone who has ever listened to your sermons could claim to be a Jiejiao disciple. These disciples are scattered all across the Primordial World; though their cultivation levels are not high, they act with utter lawlessness under the banner of Jiejiao. Day by day, the accumulation of massive karmic retribution has caused the Qi fortune of Jiejiao to drain away severely. Coupled with certain disciples within the sect..."
Tongtian knew who Duobao was referring to. However, Tongtian also knew that the karmic retribution they had incurred stemmed from the days when they were still part of the Demon race. Ever since they joined Jiejiao, they had stayed by his side for a long time and committed no further evil deeds. Tongtian was still hesitating whether to directly take action and purge them or to give them a chance. Perhaps having experienced much in the modern world, he tended to weigh matters more thoroughly. More importantly, Tongtian held an equal love for all his disciples. The Dao of Cutting through the Heavens that he practiced was precisely meant to carve out a sliver of vitality for all living beings in the world, including the opportunity to seek the Dao, survival, and so on. It could be said that this Dao was both the greatest and the most difficult.
Tongtian pondered for a long time, while the gathered disciples did not dare to utter a word. Tongtian figured that there was still plenty of time before the God-Conferring Tribulation, and he could completely take his time to make arrangements. Besides, Jiejiao was indeed far too loose, and setting things in order would do no harm. It would also be a good opportunity to observe the temperament of his disciples and lay the groundwork for the God-Conferring List. Tongtian understood that the vast majority of those on the God-Conferring List would still come from his own Jiejiao; all the other sects combined could not even fill the three hundred and sixty-five principal deity positions, let alone the rest of the divine posts.
For now, although the Three Sects occasionally had friction, they generally still maintained the principle that the Three Sects were one family and the Xuanmen was friendly.
Therefore, Jiejiao could be reformed step by step.
"Duobao, if you were tasked with reorganizing Jiejiao, what ideas would you have?" Tongtian asked.
"Master, no community can be run without rules. I believe that Jiejiao should establish sect regulations and an official roster. Anyone who violates the regulations shall be punished, and anyone whose name is not on the Jiejiao roster shall not be permitted to call themselves a disciple of Jiejiao. As for the detailed regulations, I ask Master to make the final decision," Duobao replied.
Tongtian laughed and scolded, "You slippery fellow, passing the buck back to your master, are you?"
Duobao chuckled and remained silent.
With a solemn expression, Tongtian declared, "Hear my command, disciples of Jiejiao: from this day forward, all my disciples must have their names recorded on the Golden List; those without a name shall not call themselves Jiejiao disciples."
As soon as these words were spoken, a huge uproar shook the Primordial World. Many rogue cultivators were struck with panic. Some wicked cultivators who were in the midst of killing and pillaging sped up their actions upon hearing this, and vanished without a trace immediately after finishing their plundering.
"Furthermore, Jiejiao shall be divided into inner and outer gates, and a Law Enforcement Team shall be established, with Duobao and Zhao Gongming serving as captain and vice-captain respectively.
Internal duties:
1. Maintain order and security within the sect to ensure its normal operation.
2. Supervise the behavior of sect disciples to ensure they abide by the sect regulations and doctrines.
3. Handle internal disputes and conflicts within the sect to preserve its unity and stability.
External duties:
1. Protect the sect's reputation and interests, and uphold its dignity and authority.
2. Repel attacks and invasions from hostile forces to safeguard the sect's security and territory.
3. Execute the sect's tasks and missions, contributing to its development and growth.
Sect Regulations:
1. Jiejiao disciples must not betray the sect.
2. Jiejiao disciples must not bully the weak or commit wanton acts of slaughter.
3. Jiejiao disciples must not tarnish the reputation of Jiejiao."
Tongtian's voice resonated like a great bell, echoing through the Primordial World and resounding in the ears of every living being within it.
Once the words fell, ripples spread across the entire Primordial World, refusing to subside for a long time. Many rogue cultivators who had been falsely claiming to be part of Jiejiao went into hiding, no longer daring to walk the Primordial World with blatant arrogance. Even some of the more lawless disciples reined in their behavior. For a time, the entire Primordial World fell into an eerie calm. This alone demonstrated the immense influence of Jiejiao, making it easy to understand why they would later become a target.
In the Human Sect at Mount Shouyang, the Taiqing Sage felt the resonance and remarked, "Good." Then he drifted away on a spiritual wander through the great void. Not the slightest aura could be sensed from him; he appeared like an ordinary old man, yet at a second glance, he seemed like a black hole drawing in all matter, making him completely unfathomable. Had Tongtian seen this, he would have discovered that Laozi had already reached the Third Heaven of Sagehood. Such strength was truly second to none beneath the Dao Ancestor, fully living up to his reputation as the foremost of the Three Ones and the Taiqing Laozi.
In Chanjiao, upon hearing Tongtian's words, Yuanshi Tianzun replied, "Good."
In Chaos, within the Wa Palace of Emperor Wa's Heaven, Nuwa showed no reaction at all, and the Wa Palace sank deeper into the depths of Chaos. Ever since the Lich War, Nuwa rarely appeared in the Primordial World; only the human race still worshipped their mother, Empress Nuwa.
In the West, at Mount Sumeru, after listening to the proclamation, Zunti said indignantly, "The Heavenly Dao is unfair! Tongtian is utterly heartless, discarding so many disciples just like that. If he doesn't want them, he should give them to my Western realm so we can fulfill our grand vows all the sooner!" Jieyin's expression grew even more bitter and sorrowful upon hearing this.
As it turned out, the two Western sages possessed neither the merit of Nuwa creating humans nor the merit of opening the heavens inherited by the Three Pure Ones from Pangu. To achieve sagehood, they had had no choice but to make forty-eight grand vows, prematurely drawing upon merits from the Heavenly Dao in order to attain the realm of a sage.
Under the witness of the Heavenly Dao, the two Western sages had to restore the Western realm to its former glory before they could break free from the suppression of the Heavenly Dao. Back then, the Dao Ancestor and the Ancestor of Demons Luohou had waged a fierce battle in the West for the chance to attain sagehood, turning the entire Western land into a wasteland. Over all these years, despite pooling the strength of the entire West, the two sages had barely managed to sustain the sacred sanctuary of Mount Sumeru.
The promulgation of the Jiejiao decrees not only shook the overall situation of the Primordial World, but also sparked heated discussions among the disciples within Jiejiao itself.