Sect Master Tongtian's Curiosity

East Sea, Golden Ao Island.

Clouds and mist swirled, and immortal light shone.

Inside Biyou Palace, the sound of the Great Dao permeated, transforming into golden flowers that fell from the sky, refreshing the mind and spirit.

Seated high upon a nine-colored cloud bed, Sect Master Tongtian was lecturing his thousands of disciples.

The Intercepting Sect's myriad immortals came to pay homage, their destiny flourishing. The palace gathered the most beings in the Primordial World, from those with fur and horns to those with profound roots, all listening to the Sage's teachings.

"...Therefore, the Dao gives birth to One, One gives birth to Two, Two gives birth to Three, and Three gives birth to all things. The change within lies in the origin of 'One.' If one can break through..."

Sect Master Tongtian's voice was grand and distant, as if containing the ultimate principles of heaven and earth, making the disciples below listen with rapt attention.

His eldest disciple, Daoist Duobao, had his eyes slightly closed, treasure light flowing around him, clearly having gained some insight.

Zhao Gongming, the Sanxiao sisters, and other direct disciples also had focused expressions, not daring to slacken in the slightest.

However, at the most profound moment of the Great Dao's resonance, Sect Master Tongtian's voice, without any warning, abruptly stopped.

The entire Biyou Palace instantly broke free from the profound state of Dao resonance.

Thousands of disciples suddenly awoke, looking up at the high platform with bewildered faces.

What happened?

There had never been a precedent for a Sage's lecture to be interrupted midway.

Could it be that a disciple was distracted and angered the teacher?

The disciples exchanged glances, seeing only deep confusion and unease in each other's eyes.

Daoist Duobao was the first to react, carefully raising his eyes to look. His heart skipped a beat.

He saw that on the cloud bed, his teacher's Sage eyes, which seemed capable of piercing through the Three Realms and Six Paths, were now slightly narrowed. His gaze seemed to pierce through the dome of Biyou Palace and cast towards a distant location in the boundless East Sea.

On his face, a trace of an extremely rare... astonishment flashed?

Yes, it was astonishment.

Daoist Duobao rubbed his eyes, thinking he had seen incorrectly.

A Sage was indestructible by a myriad of tribulations, with a heart as still as water, no longer moved by external things. What could possibly astonish even the teacher?

Just in that instant.

A surge of Dao charm, fleeting.

It was an extremely pure, extremely perfect, one could even say... flawless Dao charm of the Heavenly Dipper Formation.

This surge of Dao charm was like the bright moon in the dark night. Although it only shone briefly, it made all the stars in the sky dim in comparison.

Sect Master Tongtian himself was a master of formations, and the Immortal-Slaying Sword Formation was the foremost killing formation in the Primordial World.

Yet, before that fleeting Dao charm, he actually felt a sense of "So formations can evolve like this."

That feeling was like a top painter, who, after exhausting his life's effort to create what he believed to be his masterpiece, accidentally glimpsed a naturally formed divine scroll.

It was not a transcendence in skill, but a crushing on the level of life, on the level of "Dao."

"Interesting."

Sect Master Tongtian withdrew his gaze, a curiosity he hadn't felt in ten thousand years rising in his heart.

Who exactly could take such a breathtaking step in the path of formations?

Was it an old friend who had been living in seclusion, or... had a new variable emerged in the Primordial World?

With a thought, Sect Master Tongtian naturally spread his right hand, five fingers extending, enveloped by chaotic energy, and began to deduce the secrets of heaven.

With a Sage's thought, one could know the past and future, and perceive all things in the universe.

The entire river of fate in the Primordial World should have been clearly visible in his eyes.

However, when his divine sense probed towards the source of that Dao charm, what he saw was not the truth, but an impenetrable mist.

This mist seemed to exist independently outside the Heavenly Dao. No matter how he activated his Sage power, he could not push it aside even a little.

"Hmm?"

Sect Master Tongtian's brows twitched slightly, the astonishment on his face deepening.

He... couldn't calculate it?

In the Primordial World, there were only a handful of existences that could shield his Sage deductions.

They were nothing more than those fellow Daoists of the same level, or perhaps their teacher, who had merged with the Heavenly Dao and resided in Purple霄 Palace.

But this power belonged neither to Hongjun, nor to any of the Three Pure Ones, nor to the two from the West.

It was a new power, both domineering and restrained.

Sect Master Tongtian refused to believe it and increased the intensity of his deduction.

The might of a Sage shook time and space.

The mist churned, and finally, a barely perceptible crack was torn open by him.

Through the crack, he vaguely saw a familiar figure.

It's Qiong Xiao.

One of his three disciples.

"This matter is related to Qiong Xiao?"

Sect Master Tongtian's heart stirred.

But when he wanted to investigate further, to see who Qiong Xiao had met and what she had experienced, the mist suddenly retracted. An invisible force of backlash struck, directly repelling his divine sense.

The heavenly secrets became chaotic once more.

Sect Master Tongtian slowly withdrew his hand, the chaotic energy lingering around his fingertips dissipating quietly.

He did not force the divination any further.

Because he understood that calculating any more would not be divination, but provocation.

And since the other party had the ability to shield a Sage, it meant their level was at least comparable to his own.

Within Biyou Palace, silence reigned.

All the disciples held their breath, watching their master's unpredictable expression, their hearts growing more anxious.

Even a Sage couldn't deduce it and suffered a backlash?

What earth-shattering event had occurred?

Just as everyone thought the Sage was about to become enraged, Sect Master Tongtian, seated on the cloud bed, suddenly curved the corners of his lips upwards, revealing a hint of playful amusement.

This smile instantly dispelled all the previous solemnity and oppression.

"Interesting, truly interesting."

He murmured softly, his voice not loud but clearly reaching the ears of every disciple.

"It seems my third disciple has encountered a remarkable opportunity."

To cause Qiong Xiao's formation skills to improve so terrifyingly in such a short time, and to be able to shield his heavenly secret investigation.

If this wasn't an opportunity, what was it?

Moreover, the person behind this opportunity was clearly not his enemy.

Otherwise, what had bounced back just now would not have been a gentle obstruction, but a sharp killing intent.

A mysterious expert with unfathomable strength, astonishing attainments in formations, and goodwill towards the disciples of the Intercepting Sect...

Sect Master Tongtian's heart became completely stirred.

The Investiture of the Gods Tribulation was approaching, and the heavenly secrets had long since warned of it. His Intercepting Sect, despite appearing to have myriad immortals paying homage, was actually fraught with hidden dangers.

Especially his second brother, who had always disapproved of his "teach without discrimination" philosophy and constantly targeted him.

At this critical juncture, having a powerful variable that didn't belong to any faction might be a tremendous boon for the Intercepting Sect.

As for interfering?

Sect Master Tongtian had no such intention.

At his level, he understood the importance of "fate and opportunity" even more.

Since it was Qiong Xiao's opportunity, he would let her grasp it herself.

If he, as her teacher, were to meddle, it might backfire and ruin his disciple's good fortune.

What he was more curious about now was, who was this mysterious person?

What was his purpose in appearing in the East Sea?

And what kind of variable would he bring to his Intercepting Sect?

A series of questions did not trouble Sect Master Tongtian; instead, they sparked his immense interest, like discovering a novel toy.

"Heh heh..."

A light chuckle escaped the Sage's lips.

The disciples below were even more bewildered.

Teacher, what's wrong...?

Why is he even laughing to himself?

Sect Master Tongtian looked at the faces filled with confusion below, his mood greatly improved. He waved his large hand.

"Today's sermon ends here."

"You all may disperse."

After speaking, without giving the disciples any chance to ask questions, his figure slowly faded on the cloud bed and disappeared.

All that remained in Biyou Palace were thousands of disciples looking at each other, their minds full of question marks.

"Senior Disciple Brother, did Teacher...?" Zhao Gongming leaned over to Daoist Duobao and asked in a low voice.

Daoist Duobao shook his head with a wry smile. How would he know?

He only knew that something beyond a Sage's control had happened.

And this matter seemed to be related to their third sister, Qiong Xiao.

Above the East Sea, the winds were about to rise.