Excellent drivers have their own absolute judgment

"Meow~"

The Purple Star Heavenly Dao was its usual self—the moment it entered the Illusory Star Grotto, it transformed into a cat.

But unlike its usual gentle and soft demeanor, this time, the Purple Star feline carried an air of dignified majesty. As it sprawled on the ground, it no longer resembled an ordinary, cuddly kitten but rather a small white tiger adorned with faint purple patterns!

Once slender and pliant, now its form was sturdy and robust!

Yet it remained an utterly adorable creature!

Chen Yi rubbed the cat’s head, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Alright, alright, no more acting cute. I have something serious to ask you."

Hearing this, the Purple Star cat quickly sat up straight, its two fluffy front paws neatly placed together as it gazed at Chen Yi with sparkling eyes. "Brother Yi, go ahead. Actually, I also have something I’d like to ask for your opinion on."

Chen Yi gave a slight nod and spoke slowly, "The myriad realms are currently in a weakened state, with the Immortal Realm dominating everything. I haven’t been able to find any Heavenly Immortal-grade samples of Heavenly Dao essence for you to reference—everything must be explored on your own. So, after the completion of the first ten-year plan, how confident are you now in ascending to the Heavenly Immortal grade?"

Without hesitation, the Purple Star cat replied, "Brother Yi, I know you’d disagree if I said 98%, but I must say—nothing in this world is ever perfect. Especially now, as the world grows more prosperous and expansive, variables emerge at every moment, and these are uncontrollable influences!"

"The children of the Purple Star Celestial Court have been working tirelessly, but as you know, Brother Yi, the development of things is never static. A world in constant flux cannot perfectly avoid all risks!"

"So, Brother Yi, please don’t reject the Celestial Officials’ proposals anymore. I think they’ve done well, and the risks are within acceptable limits—even minimized to the greatest extent!"

The Purple Star Heavenly Dao rarely argued with the Calamity-Suppressing Sovereign, but this time, it couldn’t bear to see the children’s painstakingly crafted plans rejected again and again.

For their sake, it could no longer yield—it had to convince Brother Yi to approve them!

"See, you’re rushing again," Chen Yi shook his head slightly. "I didn’t say I disagreed. The Celestial Officials’ proposals are good, but not good enough. That’s why I want them to refine them further!"

In truth, as the first ten-year plan neared its end, with the world’s fortunes flourishing and everyone striving for greatness, the Purple Star Celestial Court believed they had met the qualifications to advance the world’s rank. They had prepared contingency plans, minimized risks to acceptable levels, and submitted their proposals to the Illusory Star Grotto for approval.

Yet, Chen Yi deemed the timing premature and outright rejected all submitted plans.

As an expert driver, Chen Yi had absolute judgment when it came to road conditions. Even if the car’s radar indicated an obstacle could be cleared, the slightest chance of scraping the undercarriage could lead to damage. In the short term, it might seem negligible and repairable, but in the long run… it would undoubtedly affect the vehicle’s stability!

That was unacceptable!

Thus, further refinement was necessary.

And as they refined, many hidden variables began to surface.

The Celestial Officials of the Purple Star Celestial Court, immersed in the grand currents of fate and tempered by the Heavenly Dao’s aura, struggled to perceive the true nature of these variables. By the time they noticed them, the variables had already begun to manifest and disrupt local conditions—only then could they attempt macro-level adjustments.

But by then, wasn’t it already too late?

If they could control the situation, fine. But if they failed, it would become another mess—not only causing severe losses to local fortunes but potentially destabilizing the entire system!

The world was vast and ever-changing, with variables emerging at every moment. Minor variables were negligible, and major ones could be managed if handled properly. But if minor variables compounded and interconnected, triggering a chain reaction, the consequences could be catastrophic!

Fortunately, the Purple Star Immortal Realm had Chen Yi. He wasn’t a Celestial Official, unaffected by the Heavenly Dao’s aura. Variables might evade the Celestial Officials’ scrutiny and even the Heavenly Dao’s gaze, but they couldn’t escape Chen Yi’s observation!

The reason he summoned the Purple Star Heavenly Dao to the Illusory Star Grotto today wasn’t because he missed petting a cat—there was a far more pressing matter at hand.

"Purple Star, set aside what you’re doing for now. Come with me to see the old man, and you’ll understand why I’ve been rejecting the proposals."

The Purple Star cat froze, as if realizing something. Its head drooped slightly as it asked cautiously, "So… Brother Yi, you’ve discovered oversights the Celestial Officials missed, which is why you’ve been rejecting the plans?"

Chen Yi smiled without answering, simply stroking the cat’s head—some things were better left unsaid.

The turbulent Luo River surged mightily, its roaring waves crashing against the steep crimson cliffs on either side, sending crystalline sprays into the air.

Above the vast river stretched a sturdy white jade bridge, its pillars carved with dragons and phoenixes, glowing with intricate formation runes that suppressed the water demons’ rampages. Where the raging currents met the bridge, they calmed, turning into gentle ripples under the shimmering light.

"Damn it all!"

A monkey clad in a leopard-patterned coat perched on the bridge’s railing, scratching his head irritably as he glared down at the river below.

"What kind of shoddy bridge construction is this?! The moment I reached the middle, some unseen force from below sucked my staff right into the water! These bridge-suppressing runes are useless against the water demons—how are ordinary folks supposed to cross safely?!"

"Save your breath, Second Brother!" Jin, a towering figure with fiery red hair and a physique like forged steel, leaned lazily against the railing. His crimson sash coiled around his muscular arms as he juggled his Wind Fire Wheels and Universe Rings with a rhythmic clinking sound.

As the youngest in their group—despite his two-meter-tall, heavily muscled frame making him look nothing like an eight-year-old—he was still the "little brother."

He flexed his rock-hard pectorals and smirked. "I was wondering why no one was collecting tolls here. Turns out they just take whatever they fancy—and they took a liking to Second Brother’s staff!"

Yang Jian, the third in their group and son of the Azure Cloud Division’s True Immortal from the Four Symbols Heavenly Soldiers, hefted his massive Three-Pointed Double-Edged Glaive. The vertical scar on his forehead—a memento from a youthful brawl—creased slightly as he said gravely,

"Brothers, there’s something foul in this river. Should we dive in and teach it a lesson?"

"I’m not good with water—you guys go ahead." Jin, descendant of the Rain God and bearer of water sprite bloodline, waved dismissively.

"What does Fourth Brother think?" Sun Kongkong turned to Ao Bing, the dragon-blooded member of their group.

As the grandson of Ao Burang, the Water Virtue Star Lord of the Celestial Court, Ao Bing was the most well-connected and knowledgeable among them. By age, he was actually the eldest—but since he couldn’t beat Second and Third Brother in a fight, he had to settle for fourth place, barely ranking above the eight-year-old Jin.

None of that mattered, though. What truly mattered was that Ao Bing, a third-generation descendant of the Celestial Officials under direct jurisdiction, recognized at a glance that something ancient lurked beneath the waters—an old monster on the same level as his grandfather, Ao Burang!

Among the Five Directly Appointed Celestials, four still held lofty positions, while only one had been demoted for inciting widespread outrage. Rumor had it he’d been reassigned to the Tongtian River as some idle river deity...

But this was the damn Luochuan River!

Oh no!

The old bastard from Bai Yujing was breaking the rules—crossing territories to enforce justice. This was an ambush!

"Wait, wait!"

"Brothers, calm down! That thing down there has a huge background. We can’t afford to provoke it!"

Yet at that moment—

Chen Dalei, the leader who had been leisurely trailing behind the group, taking in the scenery, finally stepped forward. His voice was eerily calm as he said,

"Ao Bing, you’re too timid. I still don’t get how you even managed to violate the Heavenly Decrees back then."

"We’re the Heaven-Mandated Calamity Quellers. We act by divine will, erasing anomalies. Anyone who stands in our way dies. Why hesitate? If something’s off, we crush it."

"Investigate it—down to the last detail!"