Punish the Entire Clan!

Tongtian was speechless, mentally complaining a few times.

The eldest disciple of the Intercepting Sect in the original work was now even worse than the San Xiao.

There was really no one like him.

A hundred years passed in the blink of an eye.

With the tacit cooperation of the three women, the formation collapsed with a roar, turning into specks of light and dust, returning to nothingness.

"Since you can break through this formation, follow me back to the Intercepting Sect."

"However, with your current cultivation, you can only be listed as an outer disciple."

"If you want to advance further, you must cultivate diligently."

Seeing the hopeful glint in their eyes, Tongtian did not go back on his word.

Upon hearing this, the three women could not hide their joy and knelt down to kowtow.

"Disciples Yunxiao, Qiongxiao, and Bixiao pay respects to Master."

"Rise."

Tongtian nodded gently, rolled up his sleeves, and took the three women back to the Three Immortal Islands.

[Congratulations to the host for recruiting three outer disciples, rewarding three Low-grade Innate Spiritual Treasures.]

Tongtian's body paused slightly, then returned to calm.

Although Low-grade Innate Spiritual Treasures were rare, they no longer moved him in his current state.

Inside the great hall.

Looking at the three women beside Tongtian, Fuxi showed curiosity.

"These are?"

"New outer disciples."

Tongtian answered casually, then changed the subject.

"By the way, how is the matter going?"

"Rest assured, it has been arranged properly."

Fuxi responded with a light laugh.

Listening to their conversation, the San Xiao were confused and didn't understand what they were talking about at all.

Just then, Nuwa rushed over with Duobao.

Seeing the wronged look in his eyes, Tongtian's face turned a little embarrassed.

He had just suspected Duobao, but had forgotten that he was still cultivating on Buzhou Mountain.

If Nuwa hadn't brought him along, he probably would have remembered to bring him back after a while longer.

"Ahem... Since you four are all here today, I will lecture on the Dao. How much you comprehend will depend on your own fortune."

After clearing his throat twice, Tongtian hastily changed the subject, giving Duobao no chance to speak.

Nuwa and Fuxi lost interest upon seeing this and turned to leave.

"Thank you, Master."

Upon hearing that Tongtian was going to lecture, the San Xiao and Duobao showed surprise.

Especially Duobao.

Looking at the three junior sisters who had just joined the sect but whose cultivation was far superior to his own, he no longer felt any grievance.

All he felt was a strong motivation to strive.

In order not to fall behind, and not to disappoint his Master's expectations, he had to catch up.

Seeing the four of them sitting attentively, Tongtian pondered for a moment and slowly began to speak.

"The Dao that can be spoken is not the eternal Dao..."

As soon as he spoke, celestial phenomena erupted, with heavenly flowers falling and golden lotuses blooming.

The profoundly mysterious Dao sound immediately drew the four into it, their minds captivated, and the magic power within their bodies began to circulate on its own.

The already dense spiritual energy in the world was now rapidly gathering around the four of them.

In just a moment, it condensed into a vortex of spiritual power spanning hundreds of thousands of miles.

As the spiritual energy seeped into their bodies, their cultivation also quietly increased.

Four hundred years passed in the blink of an eye.

The lecture slowly came to an end.

Looking at Duobao, whose cultivation had advanced from the peak of Mysterious Immortal to the early stage of Golden Immortal, Tongtian nodded with satisfaction.

To advance a minor realm in just four hundred years was a world of difference compared to the thousands of years he spent cultivating to the peak of Mysterious Immortal on Buzhou Mountain.

As for the San Xiao, they did not rush to break through.

but rather used this opportunity of listening to the Dao to solidify their foundation from top to bottom.

Although their cultivation realms still remained at the mid-stage Golden Immortal, they knew in their hearts that their current selves could completely and easily defeat their past selves.

"This sermon has come to a temporary end. Do any of you have any further questions?"

Seeing that the few disciples still looked like they wanted more, Tongtian asked.

Perhaps influenced by habits from his previous life, he never put on an air of superiority in front of his disciples.

"May I ask, Teacher, what level has your cultivation reached now?"

Sensing his approachability, Bixiao, the youngest, playfully stuck out her tongue and blurted out the question.

Yunxiao, who was more composed, immediately frowned, a hint of reproach flashing in her eyes.

"It's alright, I suppose. Around the mid-stage Quasi-Saint."

Tongtian was slightly taken aback and replied nonchalantly.

???

An inexplicable aura of dominance washed over them.

Question marks immediately appeared on the faces of the four disciples.

They looked up at him, stunned, their expressions filled with speechlessness.

Was what he just said... a bit much?

What did he mean by "it's alright"?

What did he mean by "around the mid-stage Quasi-Saint"?

And it was "just 'alright'"?

The strongest known realm currently was Saint.

He was only two minor realms away from Saint, yet he sounded unsatisfied?

"Teacher, what you said is too discouraging. I'm almost too embarrassed to say I'm a Golden Immortal."

Bixiao rolled her eyes, pouted, and muttered softly.

Duobao and the other two nodded repeatedly, feeling the same.

If mid-stage Quasi-Saint could only be described as "just alright," then weren't they, Golden Immortals, less than dust?

They looked up at the sky, their hearts aching, wanting to cry...

Seeing that they were somewhat stunned by the discouraging words, Tongtian retracted his smile and earnestly admonished them:

"You all still have too narrow a perspective."

"Below Saint, all are ants. Even Saints are merely dust before the Heavenly Dao."

"If you cannot break through to the Saint realm, once the tribulation descends, even a peak Quasi-Saint could fall, let alone me who is only at the mid-stage Quasi-Saint."

"Furthermore, do you really think Saint is the end?"

"Know this, the path to seeking the Dao has no end. Even becoming a Saint is merely the beginning of another realm."

Hiss!

Upon hearing these words, the four of them simultaneously gasped, their faces filled with shock.

According to this line of reasoning, were there higher realms beyond Saint?

And perhaps more than one?

Was this still the Primordial World they were familiar with?

The more they thought about it, the more they felt a chilling sense of dread!

"You all do not need to think too far ahead for now. The path of cultivation values steady progress."

"Knowing too much can instead affect your state of mind."

Seeing the look of horror in their eyes, Tongtian gently comforted them.

These words were not meant to scare them.

At their current cultivation level, knowing too much might not be a good thing.

If it were to sow seeds of unrealistic ambition, it could instead shake their foundation.

"Yes, Teacher."

The four responded, exchanging glances, their eyes now filled with a renewed determination.

They also silently vowed to cultivate even harder in the future and personally witness the vastness of those higher realms!

After sending the four disciples off to cultivate, Tongtian rose and walked out of Biyou Palace.

Coincidentally, Fuxi was approaching.

"Sect Leader, twenty fellow Daoists are seeking an audience outside the island."

"Oh? You know them? Do you know why they're here?"

Tongtian raised an eyebrow, showing a hint of curiosity.

Anyone who could be called "fellow daoist" by Fuxi, a cultivator at the early stage of the Quasi-Saint realm, should at least be at the Grand Unity Golden Immortal level, if not a Quasi-Saint themselves.

"I've met them a few times. Most of them are among the three thousand who listened to the Dao in Purple Heaven Palace."

"They are here to join my Intercepting Sect."

Fuxi shook his head and reported truthfully.

In fact, he was still confused.

It wasn't strange for powerful beings to seek refuge.

After all, the reputation of Sect Master Tongtian was enough to attract countless cultivators.

What was puzzling was why they chose this particular time—

Arriving together just before the Intercepting Sect officially began accepting disciples?

"Let's go. Come with me to meet them."

Tongtian's interest was piqued. He smiled slightly, waved his hand, and then strode towards the side hall.

Seeing this, Fuxi immediately followed.

A moment later, the two arrived at the side hall.

Before Tongtian could even speak, the powerful beings in the hall rose to greet him.

"Greetings, fellow daoist Tongtian."

"You are too kind."

As the saying goes, a smiling face is always welcome.

Since they had shown such sincerity, Tongtian naturally wouldn't put on a cold front.

After some pleasantries, everyone took their seats.

"Fellow daoists, you have all gathered here today. May I ask the reason for your visit?"

Tongtian didn't beat around the bush and asked directly.

These people had come from afar, clearly with a plan.

He didn't believe they had gathered here for no reason.

Were any of those who had the chance to listen to the Dao in Purple Heaven Palace ordinary?

"Greetings, fellow daoist Tongtian. I am Qing Xuanzi. I am accompanying these fellow daoists today with the intention of joining the Intercepting Sect."

"Of course, besides you being the Sect Master, our main goal is to find a place of refuge and secure some resources."

"To be honest, fellow daoist, the tribulation has already begun. We are all rogue cultivators. Without a backer, our millennia of hard work could be destroyed in an instant when the great tribulation arrives."

Among the twenty powerful beings present, a Daoist wearing a green robe stepped forward, clearly representing the group.

He was also the only one among them who had reached the early stage of the Quasi-Saint realm.

As early as when Dijun subdued Kunpeng and East King Duke wreaked havoc in the Primordial World, they had already been restless and gathered in secret.

They were afraid of being accidentally caught in the crossfire.

Their decision to come and seek refuge this time was a result of careful consideration.

Hearing this, Tongtian was slightly taken aback.

He hadn't expected them to be so candid, revealing their intentions with just a casual question.

Upon closer thought, it wasn't difficult to understand.

In his previous life, he had always wondered why, despite there being three thousand listeners of the Dao in Purple Heaven Palace, only a handful became famous.

The rest seemed to be mere extras, never even leaving a name behind.

After the battle between the Witch and Demon races concluded, they vanished as if they had never existed.

He suspected that most of them had perished in the calamity.

Not to mention the ones East King Duke had taken in and killed.

The Demon Race alone had taken in and annihilated a considerable number.

Now, these people coming here, besides seeking refuge, naturally wanted to leverage the resources of the Intercepting Sect.

Whether it was the cultivation resources, elixirs, or Spiritual Treasures provided by the sect, they were all crucial to them.

Especially since many of them didn't even possess a single Innate Spiritual Treasure, making it difficult to even sever their three corpses.

If they could join the Intercepting Sect, at least there would be a path to obtaining what was needed to sever their corpses.

Compared to wandering aimlessly in the Primordial World and constantly fighting for resources, this was clearly a much safer option.

"I welcome you to join the Intercepting Sect, but there is one thing I must clarify beforehand."

"Please speak, Sect Master." The crowd responded quickly.

"If even one person breaks their oath, I will punish their entire clan through collective responsibility!"

Tongtian's tone was calm, yet it carried an undeniable authority.

As his words fell, everyone's hearts tightened, and they involuntarily shivered.

"Sect Master, rest assured, we are not people who seek our own demise."

"If anyone harbors ill intentions, you won't need to lift a finger; we will certainly not stand idly by!"

Qing Xuanzi responded without hesitation.

This was a rare opportunity. By aligning himself with Tongtian, his future would truly hold hope.