Intercepting Teaching Expands Recruitment

Azure Dragon Lord Cangwu waved his hand, laying down a barrier of spacetime around the periphery of the Boundless Tree Sea, separating this stretch of time and space from the outside world.

From the outside, a divine radiance pulled the Boundless Tree Sea into a parallel space. Those in the real world could neither see the Boundless Tree Sea nor approach it.

Then, Azure Dragon Lord Cangwu opened his mouth and spat out countless little azure dragons, which flew into every part of the Boundless Tree Sea to reshape it.

In Azure Dragon Lord Cangwu's view, the Boundless Tree Sea as it stood was unworthy of being the Daoist temple of a sage's disciple and a Dragon Clan prince. It had to be completely remade, the entire sea of trees arranged into a grand formation that gathered qi, trapped enemies, and defended—only then would it suit Meng Chen's status.

Meng Chen had summoned the Guardian for roughly the same purpose.

Using every available resource to his advantage—that was his style. Fairness or unfairness? People were born unequal. If you wanted to give others fairness, you might as well kill yourself. Only death was fair.

While Meng Chen cultivated the Great Incarnation Technique, time slipped away quietly, though the Primordial Wilderness had never kept track of years.

On Kunlun Mountain, new changes occurred.

When Master Tongtian established his teaching, he had declared to the Primordial Wilderness that the Intercepting Teaching accepted all without discrimination. The moment those four words—"accepted all without discrimination"—spread through the Primordial Wilderness, countless living beings went wild.

Most people joined under a sage to find a backer; even Meng Chen was no exception. Hongjun Daozu had long since imparted the Dao to all beings; the Primordial Wilderness lacked no techniques or divine powers. But becoming a sage's disciple was like receiving a pardon from death—no matter the situation, one need not fear falling.

Water flows downhill, people strive upward—this was the most primal pursuit of living beings, beyond reproach.

Thus, while the Chan Sect stopped recruiting, the Intercepting Teaching expanded. Facing those longing gazes, Master Tongtian resolutely opened the door of convenience.

Golden Hoop Immortal, Jin Guangxian, Ling Ya Xian, Curly Head Immortal, Pilu Xian, Long-Eared Dingguang Immortal, Zhao Gongming, Yunxiao, Qiongxiao, Bixiao...

Batch after batch of immortals entered the Intercepting Teaching.

Every one of these immortals was talented and spoke well. Most crucially, Master Tongtian had divined that they all had a karmic connection with the Intercepting Teaching.

Thus, the number of Disciples of Intercepting Teaching began to explode.

Luo Xuan, Lü Yue, the Four Sages of Nine Dragon Island, the Nine Luminaries Star Lords, the Ten Heavenly Lords of Ten Ultimates Island, the Twelve Divine Generals, the Twenty-Eight Constellations, the Thirty-Six Heavenly Spirits, the Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends—all the famous names from the Investiture of the Gods—also followed the trend and joined the Intercepting Teaching.

In a mere ten thousand years, the number of Disciples of Intercepting Teaching swelled to three thousand.

The Chan Sect watched the Intercepting Teaching's movements, but Sage Laozi and Yuanshi Tianzun paid no heed.

In truth, even if Master Tongtian took in a hundred million disciples, the two sages wouldn't care. After all, it was Master Tongtian's family affair. Even as elder brothers, they had no right to meddle.

Between brothers, besides loving each other, there needed to be mutual respect—respect for a brother's choices, respect for a brother's beliefs, respect for a brother's ideals. If brothers couldn't even respect each other, their bond would never last.

Sage Laozi and Yuanshi Tianzun thought this way and acted accordingly. At this time, Master Tongtian was indeed restrained; when the number of Intercepting Teaching disciples reached three thousand, he stopped taking students.

Master Tongtian's move let the Chan Sect disciples breathe a sigh of relief.

With so many Intercepting Teaching disciples, the good and the bad were inevitably mixed, and some broke the rules. Yet they were cautious under the sage's nose, committing only minor, inconsequential faults that even Master Tongtian found hard to punish.

For now, everyone's cultivation hadn't diverged much, but with the Intercepting Teaching's sheer numbers, the Chan Sect disciples couldn't help but fear.

On Pointing Heaven Peak, Guang Chengzi, Chijingzi, and Taiyi Zhenren gathered together.

"Elder Brother Guang Chengzi, that Lü Yue is utterly outrageous. He released a plague near my Azure Sky Peak, poisoning millions of miles around it until not a blade of grass grew and every living thing turned to ash. A fine immortal blessed land has become a lifeless zone."

Taiyi Zhenren poured out his grievances. He had barely finished setting up his Daoist temple, and now Lü Yue forced him to move.

Chijingzi sighed. "My Chi Jing Cliff is fine, spared from the plague's blight. But Jin Guangxian, Ling Ya Xian, and Curly Head Immortal are always eating raw meat and drinking blood near my temple."

He couldn't understand it. Jin Guangxian and the others had already attained immortality—why did they still cling to their beastly habits, unable to shake off their animal nature?

Hearing Chijingzi and Taiyi Zhenren, Guang Chengzi couldn't help but air his own troubles.

"That's nothing. My Pointing Heaven Peak has no plague or blood stench, but Pilu Xian often meets Yu Shuixian nearby. After I accidentally ran into them once, they grew even more brazen, appearing at the foot of Pointing Heaven Peak again and again."

At this, Guang Chengzi looked a bit embarrassed.

"When they're together, they act as if no one else exists. Sometimes, Yu Shuixian makes all sorts of shameful sounds that make it impossible to enter meditation."

"Yu Shuixian? I feel like I've heard that name somewhere."

Taiyi Zhenren frowned at the name, then his eyes lit up. "Oh, I remember. That female cultivator is a rogue immortal who inherited some of Grandma Wushan's teachings. She specializes in plucking yang to nourish yin. It's said that any male immortal who gets involved with her falls into her web of tenderness, letting her drain him dry. Could it be she's set her sights on Elder Brother Guang Chengzi because his primal yang is full and rich..."

Finishing, Taiyi Zhenren shot a cautious glance at Guang Chengzi.

Guang Chengzi flew into a rage. "Nonsense! How could I, a poor Daoist, be so shameless?"

"Ah!"

The moment he spoke, a breathless moan from the foot of the peak pierced through layers of void, soaring straight into the clouds and reaching Pointing Heaven Peak.

Guang Chengzi felt the sound brimming with infinite temptation, and his mind nearly slipped. He quickly circulated his magic power, forming a barrier around himself.

But the sound seemed to hold some kind of demonic power; even Guang Chengzi's magic barrier couldn't block it, seeping straight into his heart.

Taiyi Zhenren and Chijingzi saw Guang Chengzi's reaction and were baffled. They only felt a bit awkward—why did Guang Chengzi need to use his magic power to resist?

Taiyi Zhenren suddenly realized something, his expression shifting. "Not good—this is the Succubus Demonic Sound. Once you hear it, a seed of desire is planted in your heart. Every time the Succubus Demonic Sound rings out, its power far exceeds the last. Act quickly—don't let Elder Brother Guang Chengzi be seduced by that witch!"

As he spoke, a deep purple staff appeared in Taiyi Zhenren's hand. With a fierce shout, he swung it down at Guang Chengzi's head. Struck by the staff, Guang Chengzi's mind cleared instantly, and the unquenchable fire of desire was extinguished.