Du Tian Divine Fire

Disciples of Intercepting Teaching are a peculiar breed; they are remarkably similar to the cultivators of the mortal world.

Before joining the Intercepting Teaching, these disciples lived at the very bottom of the Primordial Wilderness, cautious and timid, terrified of inviting a fatal disaster upon themselves. Yet, the moment they became disciples of a Saint, they grew arrogant.

They began to believe they had transcended the ranks of birds and beasts, existing in a world apart from them. They would capture and slaughter those very same creatures they once shared an origin with, taking whatever they pleased.

However, when others accused them of slaughtering the human race, they would use the excuse, "If humans use birds and beasts as food, why can birds and beasts not use humans as food?" to defend themselves.

In those moments, they reverted back to being birds and beasts.

Aside from Master Tongtian, who possessed the filter of a doting teacher, few people liked the disciples of Intercepting Teaching.

In the past, it was inconvenient for Yuanshi Tianzun to point out the problems with the Intercepting Teaching disciples, and even if he had, Master Tongtian might not have listened. Now, with the disciples' true colors exposed under the pressure of Meng Chen, Yuanshi Tianzun seized the opportunity to highlight their flaws.

Yuanshi Tianzun was also afraid—afraid that Master Tongtian would be dragged down by his own disciples.

In the Primordial Wilderness, teacher and disciple are one. When a disciple performs a meritorious deed, the teacher shares in the merit; when a disciple commits an evil act, the teacher shares in the karmic debt.

There were too many unsavory characters in the Intercepting Teaching. If one person incurred karma, Master Tongtian could bear it, but the accumulation of countless years from thousands upon thousands of disciples was a burden even Master Tongtian could not withstand.

Master Tongtian was not a man who refused to listen to reason. Under the persuasion of Yuanshi Tianzun, he suddenly felt a sense of relief, letting go of the obsession in his heart.

"Teaching without discrimination" was not wrong, but teaching was not indulgence, nor was it coddling. Blind indulgence and shielding could not transform sentient beings. When necessary, one had to use thunderous methods to perform physical transformation.

The rules he had established in the beginning were not meant to be displayed for show, but to manage the Intercepting Teaching and regulate the behavior of his disciples.

If the rules became nothing more than empty words, then his Intercepting Teaching might as well not exist. Everything he had done had merely gathered a group of wild, untamable birds and beasts, taught them divine powers and spells, and sent them out to wreak havoc on the Primordial Wilderness.

Such an Intercepting Teaching not only violated his original intent in founding the sect but also failed the expectations of Ancestor Hongjun.

Having thought these things through, Master Tongtian no longer wavered.

He sighed deeply, "Second Brother, you are right. This group of disciples truly has the name of immortals but lacks the substance. They possess the magic power of immortals, yet their hearts remain those of beasts. Relying on them will not only fail to benefit the world, but it may also lead the Intercepting Teaching to total ruin. And Duobao..."

At the mention of Daoist Duobao, a flicker of hesitation appeared in Master Tongtian's eyes, but it vanished as quickly as it had come.

The personality Daoist Duobao had displayed before him did indeed align with his wishes. However, when he thought of the Intercepting Teaching under Duobao's management, and of the disciples who followed him, he felt there was nothing to regret.

Sending a person to a position unsuited for them is not necessarily a good thing. When virtue does not match one's position, disaster is inevitable; the situation Daoist Duobao currently faced was a perfect testament to this.

"The future of the Intercepting Teaching cannot be handed to Duobao; he is simply not the material for it. He cannot even manage the role of Eldest Senior Brother, so how could he possibly uphold the rules of the Intercepting Teaching?"

When Master Tongtian spoke these words, Daoist Duobao, who was on Pointing Heaven Peak, felt an immediate reaction. His heart felt as if it had been struck by something, shattering instantly. He felt as though he had lost something vital.

"What is happening? Why do I have such a feeling?"

Daoist Duobao realized at once that something was wrong. He was an immortal; he would not have such a feeling without cause.

Although Master Tongtian had made his decision, he still wanted to see how Our Lady of Wudang and Zhao Gongming would handle this incident. It was rare for Our Lady of Wudang and Zhao Gongming to remain untainted and refuse to collude with Daoist Duobao, but the Intercepting Teaching needed a qualified leader.

If even Our Lady of Wudang and Zhao Gongming were not up to the task, Master Tongtian would have to consider entering the Primordial Wilderness to cultivate another disciple. He was a Saint; he had all the time in the world to do so.

On Pointing Heaven Peak, the north wind howled, and the world was vast and desolate. Under the setting sun, Meng Chen stood in a standoff with Our Lady of Wudang and Zhao Gongming; no one made a move.

Meng Chen was unwilling to strike; he did not want to abandon the last shred of hope for the Chan and Intercepting sects.

Our Lady of Wudang and Zhao Gongming were unable to strike. With the situation having reached this point, the Intercepting Teaching was entirely in the wrong. They had lost the moral high ground and truly had no face to fight.

Guang Chengzi and the other Chan Sect disciples had become mere spectators; they would serve as witnesses to the negotiations that would determine the future direction of the Chan and Intercepting sects.

"Fellow Daoist Meng Chen, Senior Brother Duobao and the others acted without rhyme or reason in attempting to kill you, which violates the teachings of our sect's Saint. However, by forcing them to kneel in broad daylight, are you not afraid that outsiders will see this and believe there is discord within our Xuanmen?"

Our Lady of Wudang once again spoke of reason, and this time, her words carried some weight.

She did not say that Meng Chen's actions were wrong, but merely reminded him that he should not have done this in the light of day.

Daoist Duobao and the others widened their eyes, as if seeing Our Lady of Wudang for the first time. How could she say such cold words?

Meng Chen smiled slightly, "Then does Fellow Daoist Wudang have any good suggestions?"

Our Lady of Wudang's expression turned stern, "Naturally, they should be dealt with according to the rules of the Intercepting Teaching. That way, I will have an explanation for the Master. According to our sect's rules, those who harm their fellow disciples shall be cast into the Du Tian Divine Fire Prison to be burned by the Du Tian Divine Fire for one hundred thousand years."

"Wudang, you poisonous woman, what right do you have to enforce the sect rules?"

"You are truly vicious! You claim to be a pure immortal, yet you would use such cruel methods against your own fellow disciples."

"That Du Tian Divine Fire is the divine fire born when Pangu created the world! To be burned by it—you want to make us wish for death but be unable to die!"

No sooner had Our Lady of Wudang finished speaking than she was met with fierce rebukes from Daoist Duobao and the others. A significant portion of the Intercepting Teaching disciples were so angry they began to curse, completely disregarding their image as immortals.

But they had long since lost their image. The moment they were suppressed by Meng Chen, they had become a laughingstock.

Our Lady of Wudang remained calm, her expression unmoved by the angry shouts of Daoist Duobao and the others. She looked at Meng Chen, her face devoid of emotion.

"Fellow Daoist Meng Chen, they are all disciples of the Intercepting Teaching. Having broken the rules, they should naturally be dealt with according to the sect's regulations. What does Fellow Daoist think?"

Meng Chen smiled slightly, "Naturally. The three sects were originally one family, and I have always held the fellow daoists of the Intercepting Teaching in high regard."