When Sect Master Tongtian heard this, displeasure appeared on his face. Unconvinced, he said, "Second Brother, I think you're just jealous of my doctrine. Teaching without discrimination can bring me a great many disciples.
I've only just started taking disciples, and you're already telling me to stop. If anyone else had said that, I'd have drawn my sword long ago."
"You! Forget it, I don't want to talk about you.
Those disciples you've taken in are all born from dampness and eggs, furred and horned creatures. They'll never amount to anything," Yuanshi Tianzun said helplessly.
Primal Celestial Lord saw the look in his eldest brother Grand Pure Saint's eyes and stopped, saying no more.
Because they both knew their younger brother was stubborn by nature and could not be persuaded. Only hardship would make him understand his mistakes.
"I'll prove it to you. My doctrine will absolutely work.
Big Brother, give me a copy of the cultivation method for your Human Race. I'll teach it to my disciples.
Second Brother, give me yours too. That Eight-Nine Mysterious Art body-tempering method of yours is pretty good. Hand it over.
I'm taking disciples for the Interception Sect, yet neither of you came bearing gifts. I still have to come collect them myself." Sect Master Tongtian spoke without the slightest courtesy, holding out his hand to signal for his two brothers to give him something, his expression carrying a trace of grievance.
"Big Brother, aren't you going to rein him in? He's becoming more and more outrageous," Yuanshi Tianzun grumbled, helplessness flashing through his eyes.
Yet he readily gave Sect Master Tongtian his cultivation method without the slightest hesitation.
"You want me to scold him? Third Brother was obviously spoiled by you, yet you said he needed to suffer a little.
Now he asks for something, and you give it to him." Grand Pure Saint said dissatisfiedly, shooting his second brother a glance.
With that kind of saying one thing and doing another, it would be strange if Third Brother wasn't spoiled rotten. He was always so duplicitous.
"Hehe, I knew Second Brother treated me best. Second Brother cares about me.
What about you, Big Brother? Right, give me a copy of your alchemy methods too." Sect Master Tongtian said happily, immediately throwing an arm warmly around Yuanshi Tianzun's shoulders.
He looked every bit the devoted brother as he turned and held out his hand toward Grand Pure Saint.
At that moment, Grand Pure Saint looked at his second brother, who was grinning like a child, and felt utterly speechless.
Third Brother had merely sweet-talked you a little, and you became like this.
In the end, he gave him several jade slips as well.
Alchemy methods were not so easy to learn, but there was no harm in giving them to him. Even if he learned them, he would not master them.
"Big Brother, since you've already given them to me, come on, give me a few Nine-Turn Golden Pills." After accepting the jade slips, Sect Master Tongtian continued holding out his hand.
"No. I'm saving those to nurture the Human Race," Grand Pure Saint immediately refused.
"So stingy. Fine, I'm leaving.
Second Brother, I'll come back to Kunlun Mountain to see you when I have time." Sect Master Tongtian said unhappily, then decisively tore open space and departed.
After all, Li Er was still at home. That was where his sliver of hope lay, so it would not do to be away for too long.
Yet his behavior overturned Yuanshi Tianzun and Grand Pure Saint's expectations. Their third brother had actually not shamelessly lingered and continued pestering them for things as he had before.
"Big Brother, just watch. You couldn't bear to part with a few Golden Pills, so be careful Third Brother doesn't speak to you again in the future," Yuanshi Tianzun said dissatisfiedly, reproach flashing through his eyes.
The three brothers had finally gathered together. Since Third Brother wanted them, he should have simply given them to him. They were brothers, after all.
Could those few Nine-Turn Golden Pills possibly matter more than that?
Grand Pure Saint was instantly speechless. He turned and headed for the alchemy room, utterly unwilling to pay any attention to this brainless second brother.
They had agreed to educate Third Brother together, yet you were the first to defect.
"Big Brother, what do you think about Third Brother's sliver of hope?" Yuanshi Tianzun asked calmly. Strange light flickered in his eyes—the light of deduction after deduction.
"What are you trying to say?" Grand Pure Saint stopped what he was doing and spoke seriously, his expression turning solemn.
"You know it. Third Brother lied. His index finger was twitching unconsciously," Yuanshi Tianzun said sternly, displeasure flashing through his eyes. You only know how to spoil Third Brother.
"Yes. He lied. That wasn't a sliver of hope; it should be Dunyi.
But it should be something Father God left for him," Grand Pure Saint said calmly, profound Taiji Dao intent flickering in his deep eyes.
"I'm afraid he won't be able to control it. The Demon Race and the Witch Race are powerful now. One has Nüwa's support, while the other is Pangu's orthodox lineage."
"What's there to fear? Aren't we here? He won't die."
Golden Turtle Island.
When Li Er woke from a night's sleep, he felt more relaxed than ever before.
He no longer had that feeling of total exhaustion upon waking from before he had transmigrated. Looking at the decorations in the cave dwelling, his mood improved even further.
However, that state lasted less than a minute.
The moment he thought of the terrifying dangers of the Primordial World, his heart leaped into his throat.
Because he had failed to become a disciple, and the hundreds of thousands of demons outside could treat him as food at any moment.
He immediately stirred the invisible Golden Pill within his body and began trying to absorb the spiritual energy outside.
Since he could cultivate, he naturally had to work hard to increase his strength and protect himself.
"This... the speed can't compare with devouring the spiritual-energy lotus. It's probably because I don't have a cultivation method." Li Er tried for a moment, then stopped. He knew this was useless.
Cultivation relied on resources. In the face of resources, effort was not worth mentioning.
Of course, extraordinary talent could solve part of the resource problem, but that apparently did not apply to Li Er.
"Li Er! I'm back." Sect Master Tongtian's voice interrupted Li Er's thoughts. When he walked outside, he saw Sect Master Tongtian jumping down from a crooked cloud.
"Third Brother Pan, you're back so soon."
"Here, this is a dharma robe I found. You know quite a few demons have come to Golden Turtle Island, and this was a gift from them.
Oh, right. Refine it." Sect Master Tongtian handed the robe to Li Chengzang while casually straightening the clothes he had changed into.
"I got one for myself too. The one I originally wore while traveling was torn to pieces."
Li Er accepted the robe, his expression somewhat strange.
This dharma robe had probably been taken from a demon he killed. Pan Laosan's methods were rather impressive.
"Ahem! Third Brother Pan, I've never learned any techniques, so I don't know how to refine it," Li Er said somewhat embarrassedly.
What he really wanted to say was that it was just a robe. How was he supposed to wear it without pants?
"You just use your thoughts to mobilize the dharma power within your body and pour it into it. Then you can transform it into whatever clothes you like according to your wishes," Sect Master Tongtian explained patiently.
He was beginning to feel a little puzzled. His lecture had clearly covered this knowledge, even if it had only been explained briefly through natural Dao methods.
Li Er immediately gave it a try and quickly refined the Dao robe.
With a thought, the Dao robe transformed into black clothing that covered his body.
"Black doesn't show dirt," he muttered.
"Thank you, Third Brother Pan. By the way, do you have any news about the Interception Sect taking disciples?" Li Er asked curiously.
As long as he was not a disciple of the Interception Sect, his heart would not be at ease.
"What's wrong?" Sect Master Tongtian asked in confusion when he saw Li Er's worried expression.
"If I'm not a disciple of the Interception Sect, then if the hundreds of thousands of demons on Golden Turtle Island make a move against us, we'll definitely be dead.
So even becoming an outer sect servant disciple would be fine." Li Er voiced his concern, his words revealing that he wanted Third Brother Pan to help him pull some strings.
After all, anyone who could receive Sect Master Tongtian's guidance could not possibly be an insignificant figure.
"A servant disciple? What does that mean?" Sect Master Tongtian asked in confusion.
He only knew titles such as disciples, attendants, registered disciples, and outer disciples. He had never heard of servant disciples.
"No way, Third Brother Pan. What position do you hold in the Interception Sect that you don't even know this?" Li Chengzang asked, somewhat puzzled.
He had thought this Human Race brother held a high position within the Interception Sect.
It seemed this backdoor route would not work.
"I truly don't know. What exactly do you mean by this servant disciple?" Sect Master Tongtian asked again.
Looking into the other man's innocent eyes, Li Er judged that Third Brother Pan might merely be a lucky fellow who had received Sect Master Tongtian's instruction once and cultivated divine abilities. He could only sigh helplessly and explain, "The Interception Sect's disciple ranks are roughly as follows: Taishang elders, sect leader, elders, chief disciples, personal disciples, true disciples, inner disciples, ordinary disciples, outer disciples, and finally servant disciples.
Taishang elders are figures of the sect leader's grand-uncles, grand-masters, and other senior generations. Their cultivation is profound, and their status is exalted.
The sect leader possesses the highest authority as the head of the sect.
Elders are peers and seniors of the sect leader, the sect's upper management.
Chief disciples are the sect's senior disciples.
Personal disciples are disciples directly taught by the sect leader.
True disciples hold relatively high status among the disciples and are usually personally taught by elders.
Inner disciples are a notch below true disciples, but closer to the sect's core than ordinary disciples.
Ordinary disciples form the foundation of the sect and may act under the sect's name.
Outer disciples are peripheral members of the sect and must pass assessments before advancing to ordinary disciples.
As for servant disciples, they are the people responsible for doing work in the sect. If they do well, they may have a chance to advance."
Sect Master Tongtian was left dazed. He had never imagined a sect could divide its ranks this way and manage things in such detail.
Could this be what the Interception Sect's sliver of hope meant?
He had always been troubled over managing the Interception Sect and vexed over what to do with the hundreds of thousands of demons.
But with this ranking system, those hundreds of thousands of demons no longer seemed so difficult to manage.
"Third Brother Pan, which rank do you think you should be?" Li Er asked.
Before you continue