Sect Master's Disciple?

The Interception Sect's more than 1.2 million disciples and elders would complete all their matches after only a few rounds of rotation.

Fuxi stood in the air with his hands behind his back. Looking down at the impassioned crowd below, he announced in a deep voice:

"The rules are simple: take the stage according to your status and await orders."

"The arena will randomly assign opponents."

"The defeated will be sent out immediately, while the victors will remain in the waiting area."

"Once everyone has completed the preliminary rounds, lots will be drawn for the next battles."

"Until the top three of each arena have been decided."

"Do not complain if you encounter a powerful opponent in your first match and lose by bad luck."

"You must understand that fortune is also a kind of strength."

"Does anyone object?"

After he finished speaking, everyone exchanged glances, but no one spoke.

Seeing this, Fuxi nodded slightly. "Good. Since there are no objections, begin at once.

Enter the arenas in order. No shouting."

The instant the order was given, the disciples and elders rushed toward their respective arenas, scrambling as if they were not competing but fighting over Innate Spiritual Treasures.

Fuxi shook his head and laughed.

"These brats... do they really need to be in such a hurry?"

Inside Biyou Palace, Nuwa swept her Divine Sense across the competition grounds and suddenly gave a soft exclamation.

"That little monkey has actually reached such a realm?"

She remembered clearly that when the Interception Sect had first opened its gates to accept disciples, the Six-Eared Macaque had merely been a minor cultivator at the early Mysterious Immortal realm.

How long had it been? He had already stepped into the Peak Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm!

Such cultivation speed was simply monstrous.

"If he can recover the Chaos Demon Ape's complete origin in the future and attain the Primordial Chaos Dao, it will not be impossible." Tongtian spoke with a smile, his tone full of praise.

At this rate, perhaps by the time Kong Xuan entered the pinnacle of the Quasi-Saint realm, Six-Eared would already have caught up behind him.

When that happened, the two of them would likely stir up another storm as they fought for first place among the Core Disciples.

Nuwa's expression grew slightly solemn at his words.

This was the first time she had heard Tongtian praise a disciple so highly.

She could not help but feel a little more anticipation for the Six-Eared Macaque's future path.

Just as she was about to say more, her Spiritual Sense stirred, settling upon a figure.

"This person... is from the Human Race?"

Seeing that his cultivation had not even reached the Earth Immortal threshold, she could not help but frown lightly.

"His name is Xuan Du, one of the innate Human Race."

"He knelt outside Three Immortal Islands and sought the Dao for a full hundred years. Touched by his steadfast heart and will, I made an exception and accepted him into my sect." Tongtian explained with a smile.

Although Xuan Du's natural talent and aptitude had not been outstanding in the Primordial Wilderness back then,

if he had been placed in the mortal world of later ages, he would still have been a once-in-ten-thousand-years genius.

Furthermore, after taking the Bone-Changing Pill and undergoing Rebirth and Bone Remolding, his foundation was already incomparable to what it had once been.

With his perseverance and willpower, so long as nothing unexpected happened, his future achievements would at least reach the Quasi-Saint level.

"His fortune is not bad. I only hope he does not bring shame upon the Interception Sect."

Nuwa nodded lightly, her gaze casually shifting to one side.

That was the arena for the True Inheritor Disciples.

Whether by extraordinary luck or some peculiar fate, in the first round, the Three Xiao Sisters, Zhao Gongming, Duobao, Wudang, and the Six Attendant Immortals—those outstanding disciples—had not encountered one another.

The result was obvious. When facing other fellow disciples of the same realm, they were like ferocious tigers among sheep, unstoppable.

Most battles were decided within a hundred exchanges.

Although the number of True Inheritor Disciples had only increased by several tens of thousands over the past few millennia, apart from those top figures, the struggles among the remaining disciples were no less impressive. Their intensity could even rival the inner sect competition with the greatest number of participants.

However, what left Tongtian and Nuwa most torn between laughter and tears was that only five Menial Disciples remained.

Yet Xuan Du, the publicly acknowledged weakest menial, had actually drawn a bye.

He simply wandered around the stage once and somehow entered the top three—though he came in last.

But to him, this was already the sort of luck that made ancestral graves smoke.

Not only did he have no complaints, he was grinning so broadly that his mouth would not close, like an old leather shoe split wide open.

While he was overjoyed, someone else was naturally bleeding inside.

Whether they were veteran menials who had suppressed their cultivation for a thousand years and finally clawed their way into the outer sect, or the two unlucky fellows who had been eliminated, every one of them was so jealous their eyes nearly spat fire.

Fortunately, the Interception Sect strictly forbade fellow disciples from killing one another. Otherwise, Xuan Du would probably have been torn to pieces already.

That was the qualification to meet the Sect Master at close range!

Among more than a million disciples, only eighteen could receive such an honor.

Countless people might exhaust every effort without gaining even the slightest chance, yet he had done nothing and picked up a ready-made opportunity.

Comparing people really could infuriate a person to death!

"By the way, have you arranged the rewards?"

Nuwa withdrew her gaze and tilted her head with a hint of amusement.

"Rewards?" Tongtian paused, then smiled faintly. "I settled that long ago.

I will select a few among these eighteen and accept them as personal disciples. The rest may each make one wish.

As for the top three in the elder group, they will be directly promoted to Grand Elders and share in the Interception Sect's boundless fortune."

When Fuxi had asked him about it before, he had already been considering the matter. Now that Nuwa brought it up, he answered with ease.

These rewards had not been decided casually, but were the result of repeated deliberation.

Those who could fight their way out of more than 1.2 million disciples naturally would not have poor talent or aptitude.

Accepting them into his lineage would not tarnish his name.

Moreover, compared with tangible rewards such as magical treasures and pills, personally taking disciples better demonstrated his prestige and invisibly encouraged his followers to strive harder.

As for the position of Grand Elder, although its actual authority was only slightly greater than that of an ordinary elder, what truly tempted people was the fortune it carried.

The fortune enjoyed by Grand Elders far surpassed that of ordinary people. Fortune was something profound and unpredictable; Saints could use it to accelerate cultivation, let alone those old fellows still struggling in the Quasi-Saint realm.

Most importantly, this reward brought him nothing but benefits.

He had also secretly prepared a cultivation-stacking backup plan—no matter how formidable those elders were, they would merely serve as unwitting assistance.

"I am curious whether some quick-witted disciple might directly wish for you to accept him as a disciple."

Nuwa's eyes flashed as she suddenly smiled mischievously.

The odds were extremely low, but it was not impossible.

If they truly encountered someone exceptionally clever, that would be quite a spectacle.

Tongtian: "..."

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

Before her words had faded, earthshaking tremors suddenly erupted from the arenas.

The momentum of three combatants clashing had reached a fever pitch. Violent auras swept in every direction, instantly drawing everyone's attention.

It was Kong Xuan!

As the only Core Disciple, his competition had been deliberately postponed.

The opponents he faced now were not members of his generation. At Fuxi's instruction, powerful elders who had been eliminated were chosen to enter the core arena and fight him.

It was nominally a spar, but in truth, it was a test.

No matter how these elders performed, they would receive no reward whatsoever.

Their only purpose was to serve as touchstones—to test whether Kong Xuan truly possessed the strength to enter the top three.

The current uproar came from Kong Xuan eliminating the sixteenth elder and now engaging the final elder in battle.

This elderly man, who made the final appearance, had ranked fourth in the elder arena competition earlier and had only narrowly lost to a stronger opponent.

In terms of seniority, cultivation, and combat experience, he was far beyond what Kong Xuan, who had only recently entered the grand ceremony, could compare with.

Yet as the two fought, it was like a game of chess between matched masters, neither able to gain the upper hand.

Fighting Spirit Boiling, waves of force surged between fists and palms. Even the arena personally constructed by Fuxi trembled slightly under the impact of the aftershocks.

"The outcome has been decided."

Tongtian suddenly spoke, his tone calm as still water.

Before his words had faded, a five-colored radiance shot into the sky, aiming directly at the elder on the arena.

That light carried a soul-shaking pressure. Its sharp aura caused the elder's counterattack to stall for a brief instant—not even a quarter of a breath.

But Kong Xuan was incredibly perceptive. In an instant, he caught that fleeting opening.

In the blink of an eye, the Five-Colored Divine Light swept out.

The next moment, the elder's figure abruptly vanished from where he stood.

Five breaths later, Kong Xuan took a deep breath and released the elder from the divine light.

His heart surged violently—he had won this battle.

First place was already in his grasp.

More importantly, it meant he would have the chance to meet the Sect Master in person and listen to his teachings from up close.

When he looked beyond the arena, countless disciples' eyes were filled with envy, unwillingness, and regret.

Those gazes stabbed at him like needles, yet they also made him unconsciously lift his chest higher.

The pride on his face was completely undisguised.

At the same time, the contests in the other three arenas were also nearing their end.

The winners and losers were soon decided.

When the fifteen victorious disciples and three elders stood side by side, everyone beneath the stage beat their chests and stamped their feet in bitter regret.

The same thought rose in all their hearts: if I had worked just a little harder in ordinary times, would I be standing there today? Shouldn't I be the one getting the chance to show myself before the Sect Master?

As they thought this, beyond their bitterness, many secretly swore in their hearts: from this moment onward, they would cultivate diligently without cease!

At the next sect competition, they would seize a place in the top three and hold their heads high!

"The grand competition has concluded. Invite the Sect Master to descend!"

Fuxi stood before the crowd, his voice ringing clear and bright.

In an instant, mountains and rivers trembled, and heaven and earth echoed.

"Welcome the Sect Master—!"

The cries rolled like thunder, shaking the clouds.

Whoosh!

The void split open, and Tongtian and Nuwa appeared side by side.

He raised a hand lightly to signal for silence, and the entire venue immediately fell silent.

"Disciples, rise."

Then his gaze fell upon the three women, and he said in a deep voice, "West Queen Mother, Changxi, Xihe, from this day onward, I appoint you as Grand Elders of the Interception Sect, sharing in our sect's boundless fortune."

Although Changxi and Xihe had joined the Interception Sect only recently, unlike West Queen Mother, both sisters were renowned mighty figures of the Primordial Wilderness. Their strength far surpassed that of ordinary members of the elder group.

Their emergence this time was entirely expected.

"Thank you, Sect Master, for your great grace!" The three women looked delighted and hurriedly bowed.

As soon as their words fell, the vast fortune of the Interception Sect surged into their bodies like rivers flowing backward.

Meanwhile, the eliminated elders in the distance watched this scene with extremely complicated expressions.

There was envy, jealousy, and even disappointment they could not conceal.

But their skills had been inferior. No matter how unwilling they were, they could only swallow it.

"Kong Xuan, are you willing to enter my lineage as my personal disciple?"

Tongtian turned to the excited young man, the corner of his lips lifting as he spoke gently.

The moment those words came out, the previously silent square instantly exploded into uproar.

"What? The Sect Master is actually taking him as a personal disciple?! Old Heaven, what did I miss?!"

"Ahhh! I regret it to death! If I had known, I would have risked my life to raise my cultivation!"

"I really want to kick Senior Brother Kong Xuan off the stage and take his place!"

"An opportunity was once placed before me, but I did not cherish it... Now I can only watch someone else bask in glory..."

"Why wasn't it me? Wuwuwu..."

All kinds of wails rose and fell.

Hearing those voices, Kong Xuan did not look down on them. Instead, he deeply understood their feelings.

Forget this tiny Three Immortal Islands—

across the entire Primordial Wilderness, who did not long to become the Sect Master's disciple?

But the issue had never been whether one wanted it, but whether the Sect Master would nod.

Otherwise, even those wandering cultivators in the Quasi-Saint realm would likely lower themselves and come seeking to become his disciples.

Thinking of this, Kong Xuan hesitated no longer. With a thud, he dropped to his knees, his voice respectful and fervent:

"This disciple, Kong Xuan, pays respects to Master!"

"There is no need to be restrained. Now that you have entered my lineage, I will naturally not treat you poorly."