Just as Taiyi supported Dijun and prepared to leave, Zhenyuanzi suddenly stepped forward and shouted in a deep voice:
"Hold it! Why did you besiege my old friend?"
Dijun paused slightly but did not turn around. "To help Zhunti and Jieyin settle a karmic debt."
With that, he turned and left.
Zhunti? Jieyin?
Whether it was Zhenyuanzi, Hong Yun, or the great powers watching from afar, all were stunned upon hearing this.
Though Hong Yun's surrender of his Saintly Position was not known throughout the world, it had long ceased to be a secret among the top experts.
And now these two had actually colluded with the Demon Race to set a trap and hunt down their benefactor?
Unable to repay the karma, had they simply torn off their masks and repaid kindness with enmity?
Tsk, tsk. This was truly a spectacular show!
"Zhunti! Jieyin! I, Hong Yun, will never rest until one side is dead!"
The instant he learned the truth, Hong Yun was overwhelmed by fury and spat out a mouthful of blood, hatred raging in his eyes.
As his close friend, Zhenyuanzi naturally shared his hatred. He glared at them furiously.
Far away in the west, Zhunti, who had been silently observing, heard that furious shout and cursed that idiot inwardly. Dijun had actually dumped all the blame on him!
He would remember this debt.
Tongtian watched the emotionally agitated Hong Yun, a meaningful smile flickering across his lips. Then his figure flashed, and he vanished into the clouds at the horizon.
He wanted to see whether Hong Yun would truly step across the threshold of the Interception Sect this time.
After Sect Master Tongtian left, Zhenyuanzi supported Hong Yun as they slowly headed toward the Three Immortal Islands.
This time, Hong Yun did not refuse. Though his steps were slow, they were incomparably firm.
The fury burning in his eyes was nearly tangible, so scorching that none dared meet his gaze.
If Zhunti had been standing before him at that moment, Zhenyuanzi did not doubt that Hong Yun would have lunged at him and torn him to pieces with his own hands.
Seeing that there was no more excitement to watch, the great supernatural experts each withdrew their gazes and quietly dispersed.
Kunlun Mountain was shrouded in clouds and mist.
Yuanshi said softly, "Eldest Brother, Tongtian's momentum is soaring now, while we have yet to even grasp the path to proving the Dao... How about..." His words stopped abruptly.
But Laozi had already understood what he meant—he wanted to go to the Three Immortal Islands and lower his head to seek guidance.
His heart stirred slightly.
Yet when he thought of the already fractured relationship between the three of them, his brows unconsciously knitted together.
His expression was hesitant, filled with misgivings.
"What if he not only refuses to tell us, but instead mocks us with cold words?"
"How dare he!" Yuanshi abruptly raised his head and snorted. "By seniority, we are his elder brothers; by status, he is the junior.
If he truly goes too far in bullying us, then we shall ask Master to come forward and decide the matter!"
That posture, that arrogance—it was as though he still lived in the old dream of brotherly unity and proper hierarchy.
Laozi's eyes flickered, and a trace of discomfort arose in his heart.
Why had his Second Brother suddenly become so unfamiliar?
They had already fallen to such a state, yet now that the other party had gained power, he wanted to turn back and seek benefits.
Even more absurdly, he still put on such a lofty manner, as though he were not the one who had been humiliated, but someone else.
Was this not voluntarily delivering himself to be beaten?
An indescribable irritation welled up in Laozi's heart. He gently shook his head and flatly rejected the idea.
Then he rose and turned toward the exit of Jade Void Palace.
"I will take a walk through the Primordial Wilderness. Perhaps I may encounter some opportunities."
Before his words had even faded, his figure had vanished into the mountain wind, leaving Yuanshi standing alone, his expression shifting between light and dark.
Deep within the Heavenly Court, Dijun leaned against the dragon throne, the blood at the corner of his lips not yet dry.
He looked up at Taiyi, his voice weak yet still majestic. "I will enter Closed Door Meditation to heal my injuries. The Grand Formation of the Stars and the affairs of the Heavenly Court will be under your command for now."
Though that injury from the finger had not taken his life, it had already shaken his foundation.
At best, it would take several thousand years; at worst, ten thousand years before he could hope to fully recover.
If he failed to recuperate properly, he feared he might never return to his peak.
"Rest assured, Eldest Brother." Taiyi answered in a deep voice, his face solemn and utterly free of carelessness.
In the pure land of Spirit Mountain, Jieyin had finally entered the late stage of the Quasi-Saint realm.
Looking at Zhunti, who sat dejectedly on the ground with a listless expression, he sighed softly and patted his shoulder in consolation.
"Karmic cycles are governed by Heaven's will.
This matter was not your fault. You need not blame yourself."
Zhunti's expression eased somewhat, but when he recalled Dijun's humiliation that day, he immediately gnashed his teeth, hatred surging in his heart.
Counting over this scheme—
Not only had they failed to seize Hong Yun's fortune, they had instead incurred the deep hatred of Zhenyuanzi and Hong Yun;
Their already unsavory reputation had only worsened;
Mount Sumeru had been shattered, their Dao foundation damaged, and they had even gifted Dijun a grand heavenly wedding for nothing.
Every single matter had been a losing deal.
The frustration nearly made him vomit blood. His chest felt so stifled that he could barely breathe.
Seeing this, Jieyin silently reached out and rested a hand on his shoulder, his tone gentle yet firm.
"Junior Brother, you and I rose from poverty and barrenness. We have endured wind, frost, rain, and snow.
What does such a minor setback amount to?
It was merely one wrong move in a Chess Game. How could you become dispirited over this?
In the end, Tongtian merely seized the initiative.
Once you and I prove the Dao and become Saints, heaven and earth will turn upside down. Why fear that we cannot turn things around?"
Zhunti's body trembled as tears welled in his eyes. He said in a shaking voice:
"Senior Brother..."
"Junior Brother..."
"Senior Brother!"
"Junior Brother!"
As the two looked at one another and spoke, their feelings were sincere and heartfelt. For a time, Spirit Mountain was filled with a touch of tender warmth.
At that very moment—
Zhenyuanzi and Hong Yun set foot upon the Three Immortal Islands.
When the island elders saw Hong Yun return, they all stepped forward to greet him.
Most of them, in truth, did so out of pity.
Yes, pity.
Who could have expected that the foremost good man of the Primordial Wilderness would not only lose his chance to become a Saint, but nearly lose his life as well?
Anyone would have found such injustice unbearable.
Sensing the sympathy in the gazes around him, Hong Yun felt as though a huge stone pressed upon his chest, suffocating him.
At last, unable to suppress the resentment in his heart any longer, he threw back his head and howled:
"Heavenly Dao above! I, Hong Yun, swear this day that I shall henceforth be known as Black Cloud! Good people die young, while scourges live for a thousand years! Let the Heavenly Dao bear witness!"
The moment his words fell, his entire body—robes, beard, and hair—turned pitch-black.
The habitual gentle smile on his face vanished in an instant, replaced by cold severity and viciousness.
Boom—!
The heavens trembled, and distant thunder rumbled as the Heavenly Dao sent down its acknowledgment.
It had acquiesced to the birth of this new existence—no longer Hong Yun, but Black Cloud.
Strangely, after changing his name, his originally severe injuries began recovering at an astonishing speed. Vitality flourished within him, like a withered tree meeting spring.
A moment later, he had already returned to his peak.
"Old friend, you actually..."
Zhenyuanzi stared at the person before him, so shocked that he was rendered speechless.
"Just a minor trick." Black Cloud waved his hand dismissively.
Then, led by Zhenyuanzi, the two ascended the stone steps of Biyou Palace.
"Zhenyuanzi pays respects to Sect Master."
"Black Cloud pays respects to Sect Master."
Sect Master Tongtian, who had long sensed their arrival on the island, let his gaze fall on Black Cloud. He examined him with a hint of amusement before smiling.
"You have finally come to your senses? It seems the Primordial Wilderness will gain another existence capable of making Myriad Spirits tremble."
"However, if you wish to enter my Interception Sect, you must first pass a threshold."
Zhenyuanzi's heart tightened. Just as he was about to plead for his old friend, Black Cloud had already stepped forward first.
"Whatever the test may be, Black Cloud will never retreat!"
Tongtian nodded slightly and flicked his sleeve. The void outside the hall immediately twisted, and a grim formation materialized out of thin air.
"This formation is called the Thick Black Formation. Those who enter will have their memories sealed and experience the descent of ten thousand lifetimes within reincarnation."
"Those who fail to grasp its method will merely waste tens of thousands of years; those who grasp its Dao will not gain even the slightest increase in cultivation."
As his words fell, Zhenyuanzi froze on the spot.
Whether one succeeded or failed, one would waste years for nothing. What meaning could such a formation have?
Could it truly be meant only to pass the time?
But when he looked at Black Cloud again, he saw that the moment Black Cloud heard the formation's name, his eyes suddenly lit up. He repeatedly muttered the words "Thick Black."
In the unseen darkness, a powerful feeling surged into his heart—this formation was precisely the crucial opportunity for him to defy fate and change his fortune!
Excited, he bowed deeply, then turned and stepped into the formation.
"Thank you, Sect Master, for granting me this opportunity. Black Cloud will remember this gratitude to the depths of his heart!"
Watching his old friend's figure disappear into the depths of the formation patterns, Zhenyuanzi remained unable to recover his senses for a long while.
What exactly were these two doing?
One said it was pure waste, while the other regarded it as a treasure.
He stood stunned for a long time before a flash of insight suddenly struck him, and realization dawned.
So this great formation was not a punishment, but a gate of fortune created specifically for Black Cloud!
Having understood this, Zhenyuanzi let out a long breath and deeply bowed to Tongtian.
"Thank you, Sect Master, for your guidance."
Tongtian merely raised an eyebrow and offered no explanation.
Indeed, for Black Cloud, this was a fated opportunity.
But for himself, it was merely a scheme born from a passing whim.
Each sought what he desired, nothing more.
After Zhenyuanzi took his leave, the system prompt sounded at just the right time.
[Congratulations, Host. You have successfully recruited a Quasi-Saint-level expert. Reward: one Jade Plate of Creation fragment.] [Notice: Your current cultivation can be extracted for a breakthrough. Proceed immediately?]
Tongtian, who had not been particularly interested in gaining another fragment, showed a slight change in expression upon hearing the latter message.
After a brief consideration, he ultimately shook his head.
"Not yet."
The Human Race had only just emerged. Now was the time to arrange Merit and Fortune.
If he entered Closed Door Meditation to break through now, who knew how many years it would take?
It would be better to establish the mission system first. Once everything was in order, he could enter Closed Door Meditation then.
Having made up his mind, his cool voice spread across every inch of the Three Immortal Islands.
"From this day onward, the mission board is officially open.
Disciples may accept missions in exchange for rewards, or use contribution points to exchange for special opportunity missions."
With a thought, the rules formed on their own.
The details were simple: disciples could complete missions alone or in teams, and the board would assign difficulty according to their strength.
Upon completing a mission, they could receive contribution points or Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures.
There were also special opportunity missions, which required contribution points to accept.
Such missions offered no direct rewards, but once completed, they would surely yield enormous Merit.
After making the arrangements, Tongtian left behind a strand of Spiritual Sense to guard the mission board while his true body entered the secret chamber.
It was merely the refinement of cultivation. Dividing his attention was more than sufficient.
More importantly, he wanted to see—who would be the first to touch that opportunity mission leading to merit.
"System, begin extracting the cultivation of the sect members."
[Congratulations, Host. Cultivation extraction complete. Beginning infusion...]
The instant the prompt fell, a violent force surged forth from the depths of nothingness.
Tongtian sat cross-legged, the Primordial Supreme Merit operating at full force.
That restless energy was tamed like a wild horse, gradually transforming into a gentle spiritual current that merged into his body.
His aura slowly rose along with it.
Meanwhile, the Three Immortal Islands had long since erupted into an uproar.
Before you continue