Tying a Grudge with the Dao Ancestor?

"Zhunti and Jieyin of the West offer congratulations on the grand ceremony, presenting ten Bodhi Seeds and a thousand spirit fruits."

If the gifts from East King Duke and the Laozi brothers were still acceptable after those of the Wu and Yao Races, then Zhunti and Jieyin's offerings seemed rather shabby.

After all, the two of them bore Saintly Positions and were great powers destined to become Saints.

Such paltry gifts—wasn't that simply a slap in the face?

Yet neither of them cared about the strange looks from others. Their skin was thick enough.

As his gaze swept across the countless cultivators below who had come to take the test, a trace of jealousy and disdain flashed through Yuanshi's eyes.

He was jealous that Tongtian possessed such immense popularity, that he was so welcomed throughout the Primordial Wilderness.

This single wave of congratulatory gifts alone was enough to make anyone green with envy.

Even now, Yuanshi himself could only occasionally obtain one or two Innate Spiritual Treasures.

Yet Tongtian could simply sit back and reap the benefits, with magical treasures delivering themselves to his doorstep.

Comparisons truly were enough to drive a person mad!

As for the cultivators here to take the test, most came from humble origins. They were merely egg-born, wet-transformed creatures, beasts clad in fur and horned animals. Yuanshi looked down on them even more.

Of course, after witnessing the grandeur and gains of this sect-founding ceremony,

whether it was Dijun, Taiyi, Laozi, Yuanshi, East King Duke, or the Two Sages of the West, all of them began entertaining similar thoughts.

This one occasion alone would be enough to strengthen their respective forces by twenty or thirty percent.

If Tongtian knew what they were thinking, he would probably have laughed aloud.

They wanted to improve their foundations by holding an assessment?

Did they take everyone in the Primordial Wilderness for fools?

Without genuine strength or backing, who would acknowledge them?

At that moment, another voice rang out—

"Haotian and Yaochi of Purple Heaven Palace have come by our teacher's command to observe the ceremony, presenting one Supreme Grade Innate Spiritual Treasure, the Universe Cauldron."

The moment those words were spoken, not only were the countless cultivators below stunned, but even the great powers who had come to observe changed expressions.

Those were the Dao Ancestor's attendants!

Tongtian actually had enough standing for the Dao Ancestor to personally send people here?

Moreover, this congratulatory gift was simply astonishing!

Though a Supreme Grade Innate Spiritual Treasure was nothing to the Dao Ancestor, the Universe Cauldron's function was far from ordinary.

It did not excel in offense or defense, but in artifact refinement. It could reverse Acquired Spiritual Treasures into Innate Spiritual Treasures.

In other words, provided there were sufficient materials, one could mass-produce Innate Spiritual Treasures.

Such a treasure was the object of utmost desire, whether for an individual or a faction!

For a moment, Dijun, East King Duke, and the others nearly entertained thoughts of seizing it.

But on second thought, it was a gift from the Dao Ancestor. Coupled with Tongtian's unfathomable strength, they could only reluctantly abandon the idea.

While everyone harbored different thoughts, the cultivators below could no longer suppress their excitement.

Now that the Interception Sect possessed the Universe Cauldron, Innate Spiritual Treasures would no longer be scarce.

As long as they passed the assessment, severing their corpses would only be a matter of time.

How could they not be thrilled? How could they not cheer?

Without needing another word, everyone began rubbing their fists and preparing for the imminent trial.

Meanwhile, on Three Immortal Islands,

whether the newly joined council of elders or Fuxi and Nuwa, all were stirred by the Dao Ancestor's gesture.

Mass-producing Innate Spiritual Treasures? Who could resist such temptation?

Together with Sect Master Tongtian's formidable strength, the Interception Sect's future prospects were simply boundless!

With a thunderous boom, the grand formation around Three Immortal Islands opened.

Fuxi stood in midair, sweeping his gaze over those below before speaking in a deep voice:

"The thousand-year deadline has arrived. By the Sect Master's Edict, all of you may ascend the islands and participate in the trial."

"Those who pass may remain. Those who fail will be sent away from Three Immortal Islands by the formation."

"During the trial, fighting among yourselves is strictly forbidden. Violators—will be killed without mercy!"

Icy killing intent surged like a tide across hundreds of millions of miles. Every cultivator's heart trembled, and their expressions changed slightly.

The previously noisy scene instantly fell silent. Not even the faintest sound could be heard.

Because there were simply too many participants, and beneath the pressure of Fuxi's Quasi-Saint aura, the cultivators could only proceed in an orderly line.

"My heavens, this lineup is practically comparable to an ancient great clan!"

"The magnificence of this sect-founding ceremony is likely unprecedented—and may never be matched again."

"Have you noticed? The reason so many could come was also because the threshold was so high that it screened out a huge number of people!"

"Alas, my horizons were too narrow.

I previously thought ten thousand immortals paying homage was shocking enough. Looking at this now, it was practically children at play."

"Once this is over, the Interception Sect will undoubtedly become the foremost sect in the Primordial Wilderness.

If it truly wishes to contend for supremacy, its strength will be enough to stand alongside the Wu and Yao Races!"

In the void, the great powers who had come to observe whispered among themselves, all deeply moved.

Dijun and East King Duke, however, remained silent.

It was not that they did not wish to speak, but that Tongtian's rise had simply been too rapid.

They had no choice but to consider whether this emerging force might shake their own foundations.

They even had to guard against the possibility that he might encroach upon the territories they had long divided among themselves.

Just as the great divine powers each harbored their own thoughts,

the subject of their discussion—Tongtian—wore a delighted expression.

However, what pleased him was not the congratulatory gifts he had received.

What truly delighted him was the number of disciples who had come to take the entry assessment.

At the current count, even if only one in ten thousand remained, there would still be a million people.

Such an enormous number of disciples meant a steady stream of providence, merit, and cultivation bonuses.

At this rate, his path to attaining the Dao and becoming a Saint was not far off!

It had indeed been wise not to rush into founding the sect and taking disciples back then!

Thinking of this, his gaze involuntarily turned toward the formation.

That... who was that?

Tongtian's eyes narrowed.

The next moment, a smile appeared on his face.

That figure controlling the Five-Colored Divine Light reminded him of a familiar name.

Kong Xuan!

That was right. He was one of the two orphaned descendants left behind by the Phoenix Ancestor.

He usually kept a low profile, but during the War of Investiture of the Gods, he swept through all directions and even dared to directly confront Saint Zhunti!

Though he was ultimately brought into the Western Teach by Zhunti, he still earned the title of "Strongest Quasi-Saint."

"Hmm... early Grand Unity Golden Immortal. Not bad, not bad."

Tongtian nodded in satisfaction, already marking him as a disciple of the Interception Sect.

Whether it was his origins, providence, or temperament, Kong Xuan suited Tongtian's tastes perfectly.

With a little cultivation, he might not necessarily fall short of his original historical achievements.

As his gaze shifted, three more figures entered his sight.

The moment he saw them, Tongtian felt something stir within him.

He calculated on his fingers, then immediately smiled.

These three were the personal disciples written in his Mandate of Heaven—Wudang, Guiling, and Jinling.

At present, they were only at the early Grand Unity Golden Immortal stage and still had room to grow.

But judging from their calm performance within the formation, their future potential could not be underestimated.

When his gaze shifted once more, the faces that appeared one after another made Tongtian shake his head.

Nearly every disciple of the Interception Sect from the original history had come.

The Four Saints of Nine Dragon Island, the Ten Heavenly Lords of Golden Ao Island, Hanzhi Xian, Caiyun Fairy, Zhao Gongming, and the others were all among them.

Even the Seven Attendant Immortals had all arrived, except Chang'er Dingguang Xian.

"This is..."

At that moment, a rabbit-headed, human-bodied figure entered his view.

After a brief deduction, Tongtian confirmed that he was indeed Chang'er Dingguang Xian, one of the Seven Attendant Immortals.

Within the formation, he was fiddling with a magical artifact he had refined, waving it wildly beneath his crotch in an utterly bizarre manner.

Tongtian could only shake his head at the sight.

This fellow's tastes were truly... a little too heavy.

He genuinely could not understand how the original owner had allowed such a person into the sect, much less listed him among the Seven Attendant Immortals.

At the thought of having someone like this following at his side in the future, Tongtian's scalp went numb.

Not to mention that at the critical moment of the War of Investiture of the Gods, Chang'er Dingguang Xian betrayed the Interception Sect and defected to the Western Teach, directly causing the sect to suffer a devastating loss!

Otherwise, even in defeat, they would not have lost so miserably!

At that thought, Tongtian's heart stirred.

In an instant, Chang'er Dingguang Xian, who had been handling himself quite effortlessly within the formation, turned into a wisp of gray smoke and vanished from heaven and earth without warning.

"What was that..."

Nuwa, who happened to witness the scene, looked at Tongtian in confusion.

Weren't they assessing disciples?

Why had he suddenly acted?

"Nothing. I saw someone revolting." Tongtian replied casually.

Nuwa did not ask further.

He was merely an unfamiliar face, after all.

For Tongtian to personally kill him, he surely could not have been a good person.

That was right, exactly so.

If Tongtian knew what Nuwa was thinking, he would probably not know whether to laugh or cry.

"Hm?"

"What is it?" Tongtian was slightly taken aback.

"That spirit monkey is rather unusual. He has six ears. Could he be one of the legendary strange species of the Primordial Wilderness?"

Nuwa raised her delicate hand and pointed toward a figure inside the formation as she spoke softly.

Six ears?

Could it be the legendary Six-Eared Macaque?

Tongtian's heart stirred, and he immediately focused his gaze.

Sure enough, it was him.

Although the Six-Eared Macaque's cultivation was only at the early Mysterious Immortal stage,

when facing such an intricate and complex formation, he remained calm and composed, showing no sign of panic.

"Ah, I remember now. Isn't this the 'Six Ears' the Dao Ancestor mentioned when he first gave his teachings?"

Nuwa felt that the figure looked familiar. A flash of insight suddenly crossed her mind, and she blurted it out.

"That is indeed him." Tongtian nodded slightly.

"Though his realm is not high, his innate divine talent is exceptionally remarkable."

"He can listen in all directions, comprehend all things, know the past and future, and see through worldly affairs."

"Back then, he relied on this ability to secretly eavesdrop on the Dao Ancestor's teachings."

Hearing this, Nuwa was momentarily speechless.

After a while, she spoke with some hesitation:

"How about... we take him out?"

"Take him out? For what?" Tongtian was slightly stunned and asked instinctively.

"The Dao Ancestor personally said, 'The Dharma shall not be passed to Six Ears.' If you accept him, wouldn't you be tying a grudge with the Dao Ancestor?"

Nuwa's tone carried a trace of anxiety, and worry filled her brow.

Offending the Dao Ancestor for a little monkey at the Mysterious Immortal realm—

No matter who it was, they likely would not agree so readily.

But Tongtian happened to be an exception.

Hearing the concern in her words, he smiled gently and reassured her in a soft tone:

"Don't worry. The Dao Ancestor will not care about such trivial matters."

These words were not baseless.

Tongtian knew perfectly well that Dao Ancestor Hongjun would never come looking for trouble over something like this.

Back then, when he said, "The Dharma shall not be passed to Six Ears," it was only because Six Ears had failed to personally enter Purple Heaven Palace that day to hear the teachings, and thus had no such destiny.