Punishing an Entire Clan!

Tongtian silently grumbled to himself and was left speechless.

The original Interception Sect's eldest disciple was now actually inferior even to San Xiao.

That was truly something else.

In the blink of an eye, a hundred years passed.

With the three women coordinating flawlessly, the formation collapsed with a thunderous crash, turning into specks of light and fading into nothingness.

"Since you managed to break through this formation, come back to the Interception Sect with me."

"However, given your current cultivation, you can only be Outer Disciples."

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

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

The three women could barely contain their delight. They all knelt and kowtowed.

"Disciples Yunxiao, Qiongxiao, and Bixiao greet Master."

"Rise."

Tongtian nodded lightly and swept his sleeve, bringing the three women back to Three Immortal Islands.

[Congratulations to the host for accepting three Outer Disciples. Reward: three Low-grade Innate Spiritual Treasures.]

Tongtian's body paused slightly before he quickly returned to normal.

Although Low-grade Innate Spiritual Treasures were rare, they no longer stirred his heart.

Inside the main hall.

Fuxi looked curiously at the three women beside Tongtian.

"Who are they?"

"New Outer Disciples."

Tongtian answered casually before changing the subject.

"By the way, how did things go?"

"Don't worry. Everything has been arranged."

Fuxi replied with a smile.

Listening to their conversation, San Xiao was utterly bewildered and could not understand what they were talking about at all.

Just then, Nuwa hurried over with Duobao.

Seeing those aggrieved little eyes, Tongtian looked somewhat awkward.

He had just been suspecting Duobao and had completely forgotten that Duobao was still cultivating on Buzhou Mountain.

If Nuwa had not happened to bring him along, Tongtian probably would not have remembered to bring him back for quite some time.

"Ahem... Since the four of you are here today, I shall give you a lecture on the Dao. How much you comprehend will depend entirely on your own fortune."

After coughing twice, Tongtian hurriedly changed the subject, not giving Duobao a chance to speak.

Seeing this, Nuwa and Fuxi lost interest and turned to leave.

"Thank you, Master."

Upon hearing that Tongtian would lecture on the Dao, San Xiao and Duobao all looked delighted.

Duobao especially so.

Looking at the three Junior Sisters before him, who had only just joined yet possessed cultivations far beyond his own, he no longer felt even the slightest grievance.

All that remained was a powerful drive to improve.

To avoid falling behind and to live up to his master's expectations, he had to catch up.

Seeing the four sitting properly and listening attentively, Tongtian pondered for a moment before slowly speaking.

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

The instant his words fell, Heaven and Earth Anomalies erupted. Heavenly flowers rained down, and golden lotuses bloomed everywhere.

That incomparably profound voice of the Dao immediately drew the four into its depths. Their minds became intoxicated, and the mana within their bodies began circulating on its own.

The already abundant spiritual energy of heaven and earth rapidly gathered around them.

In mere moments, it formed a spiritual energy vortex stretching hundreds of thousands of miles.

As spiritual energy seeped into their bodies, the four's cultivation quietly increased.

Four hundred years passed in the blink of an eye.

The lecture gradually came to an end.

Seeing Duobao's cultivation leap from the peak of the Mysterious Immortal realm to the early Golden Immortal realm, Tongtian nodded in satisfaction.

Advancing by a minor realm in only four hundred years was worlds apart from how he had spent several thousand years cultivating on Buzhou Mountain just to reach the peak of the Mysterious Immortal realm.

As for San Xiao, they had not rushed to break through.

Instead, they used this opportunity to listen to the Dao and thoroughly solidify their foundations.

Although their realms remained at the middle Golden Immortal stage,

they knew that their current selves could easily defeat their former selves.

"This lecture on the Dao has come to an end. Do you have any questions?"

Seeing that they still looked reluctant for it to end, Tongtian asked.

Perhaps influenced by habits from his past life, he had never put on an aloof and superior attitude before his disciples.

"Teacher, what level has your cultivation reached now?"

Sensing his easygoing nature, Bixiao, the youngest, mischievously stuck out her tongue and blurted out the question.

The steady Yunxiao immediately frowned, and a trace of reproach flashed through her eyes.

"Not bad, I suppose. Around the middle Quasi-Saint stage."

Tongtian was slightly taken aback, but he answered in an offhand tone.

???

An inexplicable aura of dominance washed over them.

Question marks instantly appeared on all four faces.

They stared blankly up at him, their expressions filled with speechlessness.

Wasn't that a little too much?

What did he mean by "not bad"?

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

And only "around"?

The strongest realm currently known was that of a Saint.

He was only two minor realms away from becoming a Saint, yet from his tone, he seemed dissatisfied?

"Teacher, that was too discouraging. I'm too embarrassed to even call myself a Golden Immortal now."

Bixiao rolled her eyes, pursed her lips, and muttered softly.

Duobao and the other two repeatedly nodded, deeply agreeing with her.

If the middle Quasi-Saint stage could only be described as 'more or less,' then weren't Golden Immortals like us not even dust?

They looked up at the sky, bitterness welling in their hearts. I really want to cry...

Seeing that they had been so stunned by the blow, Tongtian put away his smile and solemnly instructed them.

"You all still have sights that are far too narrow."

"Below Saints, all are ants. Even Saints are no more than dust before the Heavenly Dao."

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

"Furthermore, do you truly believe that becoming a Saint is the end?"

"You must understand that the path of seeking the Dao has no end. Even becoming a Saint is merely the beginning of another realm."

Hiss!

Upon hearing this, the four involuntarily sucked in cold breaths, their faces full of shock.

By that logic, could there be even higher realms above Saints?

Perhaps more than one?

Was this really the Primordial World they knew?

The more they thought about it, the more shocked they became. It was simply terrifying to contemplate!

"You need not think so far ahead for now. The way of cultivation values steady, grounded progress."

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

Seeing the shock in their eyes, Tongtian comforted them gently.

He had not said those things merely to frighten them.

Given their current cultivation, knowing too much was not necessarily a good thing.

If it gave rise to reckless ambitions, it might instead shake their foundations.

"Yes, Teacher."

The four responded, exchanging glances as a little more determination appeared in their eyes.

They silently swore that they would cultivate even harder in the future and see for themselves just how vast those higher realms were!

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

By coincidence, Fuxi approached from the front.

"Sect Master, twenty fellow Daoists outside the island seek an audience."

"Oh? Do you know them? Do you know their purpose?"

Tongtian raised an eyebrow, somewhat curious.

For Fuxi, an early Quasi-Saint, to call them fellow Daoists, they had to be at least Grand Unity Golden Immortals, even if they were not Quasi-Saints.

"I have met them a few times. Most are among the three thousand who listened to the Dao at Purple Heaven Palace."

"They have come to join our Interception Sect."

Fuxi shook his head and reported truthfully.

In truth, he was still utterly confused.

It was not strange for great cultivators to seek refuge with them.

After all, Sect Master Tongtian's reputation was enough to attract countless cultivators.

What was puzzling was why they had chosen this particular time—

the eve of the Interception Sect's formal opening and acceptance of disciples—to arrive together?

"Come. Let us go meet them."

Tongtian's interest was also piqued. He smiled faintly, waved his hand, and strode toward the side hall.

Seeing this, Fuxi immediately followed.

Before long, the two arrived at the side hall.

Before Tongtian could even speak, the great cultivators inside the hall all rose and bowed.

"Greetings, Fellow Daoist Tongtian."

"You are too courteous, everyone."

As the saying went, one did not strike a smiling face.

Since they were so sincere, Tongtian naturally would not put on airs.

After exchanging pleasantries, everyone took their seats.

"Why have you all gathered here today, fellow Daoists?"

Tongtian did not beat around the bush and asked directly.

These people had traveled such a great distance together, so they had clearly planned this in advance.

He did not believe they had gathered simply because they had nothing better to do.

Who among those qualified to listen to the Dao at Purple Heaven Palace lacked capability?

"Greetings, Fellow Daoist Tongtian. This humble Daoist is Qing Xuanzi. I have come with these fellow Daoists today because we wish to join the Interception Sect."

"Of course, besides the fact that you are the Sect Master, we mainly seek a place of shelter and hope to obtain some resources."

"To be honest, Fellow Daoist, the tribulation has now begun. We are all independent cultivators. Without support, once the great calamity arrives, our ten thousand years of cultivation may be destroyed in a single day."

Among the twenty great cultivators present, a Daoist dressed in green robes stepped forward. He was clearly the group's representative.

He was also the only powerhouse among them who had entered the early Quasi-Saint stage.

Back when Dijun subdued Kunpeng and East King Duke ran rampant through the Primordial Wilderness, they had already become deeply uneasy and secretly gathered together.

They feared that one careless step would drag them into the flames of war.

Their decision to seek refuge here had also come after careful consideration.

Hearing this, Tongtian was slightly stunned.

He had not expected them to be so candid, revealing their intentions completely after only a casual question.

Upon careful thought, though, it was not difficult to understand.

In his previous life, he had wondered why, despite the three thousand listeners at Purple Heaven Palace, only a handful later became truly famous.

The rest seemed to have merely played supporting roles, leaving behind not even a name.

After the Witch-Demon War ended, they vanished without a trace, as though they had never existed.

Most of them had likely fallen amid the calamities.

East King Duke alone had taken in one group and killed another.

And on the Demon Race's side, many had been either recruited or exterminated.

Now that these people had come, besides seeking protection, they naturally also wished to make use of the Interception Sect's resources.

Whether it was cultivation resources supplied by the sect or medicinal pills and spiritual treasures, all of it was crucial to them.

In particular, quite a few among them did not possess even a single Innate Spiritual Treasure, making severing their corpses a problem.

If they could join the Interception Sect, they would at least have a way to obtain what they needed for severing their corpses.

That was clearly far safer than wandering the Primordial Wilderness and fighting everywhere for resources.

"I naturally welcome anyone who wishes to join the Interception Sect, but there is something I must make clear in advance."

"Please speak, Sect Master," everyone replied hurriedly.

"If even one person betrays us, I will punish their entire clan by association!"

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

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone's hearts tightened, and they shuddered involuntarily.

"Rest assured, Sect Master. We are not fools seeking death."

"If anyone harbors disloyal thoughts, there will be no need for you to act. We certainly will not stand idly by!"

Qing Xuanzi agreed without hesitation.

This was a rare opportunity. Only by clinging to Tongtian's mighty tree could there truly be hope for the future.