Thunderous Shock!

"Hiss... Is that really true? Is the Interception Sect really that rich?"

"What are you shouting for? Thinking crooked thoughts? Be careful Tongtian crushes you to dust with one finger!"

Above the Heavenly Court.

Dijun sat in the seat of honor, his brows slightly furrowed and his gaze profound.

"What exactly is Tongtian plotting?"

He instinctively felt that this commotion was no coincidence. Tongtian must have been behind it.

Yet truth and falsehood were hard to distinguish. The less he could see through it, the more uneasy he became.

As he pondered, Kunpeng strode in with delight on his face.

The news that the formation had finally been completed reached him, and the gloom in Dijun's heart finally lifted somewhat.

Feeling reassured, he laughed heartily.

"Excellent. This matter was made possible by the Demon Master's full assistance.

Later, take my imperial decree to the Heavenly Court treasury and choose any spiritual artifact as your reward.

"As for the invitations to the Heavenly Wedding Ceremony, it is time to begin preparing them as well.

"Set it for fifteen hundred years from now."

With the Grand Formation of the Stars to rely on, Dijun appeared composed, and the urgency between his brows was gone.

Even when facing the Saints, he was no longer as apprehensive as before.

Though Grand Unity Golden Immortals and Quasi-Saints were merely dust and ants in the eyes of Saints, nothing worth fearing,

the true power of the Grand Formation of the Stars did not lie in the combined strength of those Golden Immortals,

but in its ability to draw upon the power of three hundred and sixty-five major stars, along with one hundred and twenty-nine thousand six hundred auxiliary stars, gathering the mighty force of the Stars of the Heavens.

Its power was far beyond anything that could be matched by mere numbers.

On Kunlun Mountain, Yuanshi snorted coldly, his tone full of mockery.

"That fellow Tongtian acts all mysterious every day. Who knows what he is fiddling with?"

"And Dijun too. It is only a wedding, yet he dares invite us to attend? How arrogant!"

After saying that, his face was filled with pride and contempt.

If Laozi had not lightly raised a hand to stop him just now, he would have nearly insulted him on the spot.

After a moment, he turned toward the quietly seated Laozi beside him and tested the waters.

"Elder Brother, now that you and I have both attained Hunyuan, why not announce it to the Primordial Wilderness and widely accept disciples?"

Laozi had originally been meditating with his eyes closed. Hearing this, his gaze flickered. After a brief hesitation, he finally nodded.

"That will do.

"How about two thousand years from now?"

"Good!" Yuanshi readily agreed, a sharp gleam flashing in his eyes.

He had long been unable to contain himself.

When he became a Saint back then, he had wanted to seize the chance to make a name for himself and display his majesty before the Myriad Beings,

but Tongtian had unexpectedly suppressed him so thoroughly that he lost all face and became a laughingstock instead.

Now that the time was ripe, how could he miss this chance again?

This time, not only would he restore his reputation, he would let the entire Primordial Wilderness know—Yuanshi was no incompetent fool!

As soon as he finished speaking, a voice containing the Heavenly Dao Laws resounded through heaven and earth.

"I, Saint Yuanshi, shall gather with the Grand Pure Saint outside Purple Heaven Palace two thousand years from now to expound the Dao for a thousand years."

"After the teachings conclude, a disciple acceptance ceremony shall begin. All those with destiny may come to hear the teachings, and the worthy shall be admitted."

The voice was like thunder, spreading across the four seas and eight wildernesses in an instant.

Many cultivators frowned slightly, becoming wary,

but even more beings were stirred to excitement, unable to contain themselves.

A Saint opening a forum to expound the Dao was an immense opportunity!

Even if this Saint was far inferior to Tongtian, and even inferior to Nuwa, it did not matter.

After all, most only sought an opportunity to hear of the Great Dao.

As for truly entering someone's sect, who did not know that only the Interception Sect under Tongtian was the proper path?

Within Western Spirit Mountain, Zhunti frowned tightly and looked at his senior brother with confusion all over his face.

"Senior Brother, it is one thing for Tongtian to act strangely, but why have both the Heavenly Court and Kunlun begun making frequent moves as well?"

"Dijun in particular is putting on such a grand display. What exactly does he intend?"

His expression was grave, as though he feared he had missed some major event.

If he had not confirmed that he had not been in Closed Door Meditation for too long, he would have suspected that he had slept through the ages.

Jieyin smiled calmly and reassured him.

"There is no need to worry.

"Since you and I have become Saints, we naturally stand undefeated."

"No matter what Dijun plots, he will never escape our grasp."

"The dignity of Saints cannot be violated. Any provocation will surely bring backlash!"

After a pause, he slowly continued.

"Yuanshi's move, however, is likely meant to imitate the Interception Sect and establish his own lineage."

"He intends to copy Tongtian's system of teachings in order to gather fortune and strengthen his sect."

Zhunti relaxed somewhat upon hearing this, but then his heart heated up and even his breathing quickened.

"If so, why not take this opportunity to announce that the West is accepting disciples as well? How can we let him monopolize the spotlight!"

At that thought, a wave of fervor surged within him.

When they attained the Dao, they had borrowed an enormous amount of merit from the Heavenly Dao. If they could not prosper the West, they would sooner or later be called to account.

Now, as long as they followed the same example and held a disciple acceptance ceremony,

even if only one percent of all beings came to join them,

it would still be an unprecedented opportunity for the West!

Jieyin gently shook his head, his expression still peaceful.

"Do not rush.

"First, see how Yuanshi proceeds. It will not be too late to make plans afterward."

He did not spell it out, but Zhunti immediately understood the implication.

Let Yuanshi and Laozi take the lead and serve as the vanguard.

If Tongtian caused trouble midway, they simply would not publicize their own disciple acceptance. If all went smoothly, they could take the chance to observe the reaction of the Primordial Beings.

He knew full well that he and his junior brother had already made names for themselves in the Three Realms—and not good names, at that.

If they did not use this chance to gauge the winds outside, then when they formally opened their forum to accept disciples, only sparse passersby might appear at their gates, leaving the place cold and deserted. That would truly be humiliating.

"Reporting to the Sect Master, there is a mortal outside the island who has been kneeling there without moving for a hundred years."

Within Biyou Palace, Qing Xuanzi reported respectfully, unable to conceal the admiration in his voice.

The reason he had specifically mentioned this before bringing Kunpeng into the hall was that he had truly been moved by that person's persistence.

Though he came from an ordinary background, possessed average innate talent, and had meager cultivation, his perseverance was worthy of admiration.

Out of appreciation for talent, Qing Xuanzi had casually mentioned it.

Tongtian paused slightly after hearing this.

He had long known who the person outside was.

It was Xuan Du, Laozi's future chief disciple. Back then, on a whim and with a little mischief in mind, he had allowed him to kneel outside, intending to bring up the old matter later and annoy Laozi if he truly became Laozi's disciple.

But later, with too many matters on his mind, he had completely forgotten about it.

If Qing Xuanzi had not mentioned it now, it might have remained forgotten forever.

After pondering for a moment, Tongtian said calmly, "Since he has persisted for so long, his will must be extraordinary. He will surely achieve something in the future."

"Bring him back into the sect. Let him begin with sweeping and menial duties, then slowly temper himself."

"Also grant him a Bone-Changing Pill to help him undergo Rebirth and Bone Remolding and improve his aptitude."

Qing Xuanzi's heart jolted upon hearing this.

He had only mentioned it casually, yet the Sect Master valued the man so highly?

This person... was definitely no ordinary figure!

He did not dare delay. After quickly accepting the order, he left the hall and hurried toward the outer island.

Besides the Bone-Changing Pill, he secretly prepared several bottles of spiritual medicine to nourish vital energy.

After all, he only wanted to form a good connection early while the other party was still weak.

As for why Tongtian had suddenly changed his mind, it was simply because he had suddenly realized—

With Xuan Du's steadfast nature, if he entered Laozi's sect and spent his days brewing medicine to sustain his body, becoming a "medicine shell" supported by external means, would that not be a waste of talent?

Rather than keep him around to use his past against Laozi in the future, he might as well accept him into the Interception Sect now.

Once he grew stronger, he could specialize in causing trouble for Daoism. Now that would be satisfying!

Mm, I really am softhearted.

After privately congratulating himself, Tongtian finally turned his gaze back to Kunpeng, who was trembling nervously in the hall.

This lofty Demon Master of the Heavenly Court was now trembling with fear, sweat beading on his brow.

He had already bowed respectfully twice, but Tongtian had given no response. Instead, his gaze had wandered, as though he were contemplating some important matter.

The longer Kunpeng waited, the more frightened he became. He feared that he had failed to handle something properly and displeased the Saint.

He dared not say another word either—what if he was seen as impatient? Would that not make things even worse?

He could only stand with his head bowed, cold sweat pouring down his back as though thorns pricked him from behind.

Only when Tongtian came back to his senses and saw his appearance did he let out a light laugh.

"Speak. What important matter brings you here today?"

"Reporting to the Saint, the Heavenly Court will soon hold a Heavenly Wedding Ceremony. The Emperor Lord specially ordered me to deliver this invitation." Kunpeng hurriedly answered without even bothering to wipe away his sweat.

Compared with Yuanshi and Zhunti, who had merely sent a Quasi-Saint to relay their messages, the Heavenly Court's attitude toward Tongtian was clearly much more respectful.

After all, this Saint had attained the Dao long ago, and his prestige far exceeded that of the others.

Moreover, his combat strength was unfathomable. How could Dijun and the others dare offend him lightly?

As the Demon Master, Kunpeng ranked only below Dijun and Taiyi. His personal delivery of the invitation was proof enough of their sincerity.

"I will attend on time." Tongtian nodded slightly, then casually asked, "By the way, has your Grand Formation of the Stars been properly arranged?"

It had merely been a casual question, but to Kunpeng, it was like thunder exploding beside his ears.

His body jolted violently. Horror flashed across his face, and his pupils suddenly constricted as though someone had seized his throat.

The sudden chill pierced into his bones like needles, tightening his back.

Cold sweat unknowingly seeped into his palms, and his fingertips turned slightly cold.

Seeing Kunpeng's expression, Tongtian was initially startled, then understood.

He sighed softly and said in an indifferent tone.

"Forget it. You may go."

Kunpeng had still been shocked and uncertain, hesitating over whether he should confess, but when he heard that, the tension in his heart immediately eased. He quickly bowed.

"This disciple takes his leave."

After leaving the Three Immortal Islands, he immediately activated all his mana and rushed toward the Heavenly Court at top speed.

In mere moments, he stood before the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

Before Dijun could even ask, he recounted everything he had seen and heard at the Three Immortal Islands without holding anything back.

Before he finished speaking, both Dijun and Taiyi's pupils shrank, and they drew sharp breaths in unison.

The shock on their faces was even greater than Kunpeng's earlier reaction.

After a long silence, Dijun forcibly steadied himself. He waved a hand and pretended to be relaxed.

"There is no need to worry. We intended to reveal the formation's power at that time anyway."

"Since he already knows, it merely means one fewer surprise."

Though he said so, the solemnity between the three men's brows remained impossible to hide.

Their wariness toward Tongtian quietly deepened once more.

Time flew, and five hundred years passed in the blink of an eye.

On this day, Fuxi's voice echoed above the Three Immortal Islands.

"The allotted time has arrived. The Interception Sect Grand Competition officially begins."

With a sweep of his sleeve, six arenas appeared out of thin air, lined up across the plaza—

They were respectively for Menial Disciples, Outer Disciples, Inner Disciples, True Inheritor Disciples, Core Disciples, and the Elder Exclusive Arena.

Though there did not seem to be many, each arena was actually a Small World of its own, capable of accommodating ten thousand people fighting at once.