Tongtian's Arrangements, Jiang Ziya's Trials in Chaoge

Golden Ao Island.

Jade Palace.

The Tongtian Sect Master sat high on his cloud bed, looking down at Jiang Ziya who stood respectfully below, and fell into a brief moment of contemplation.

After returning from Buzhou Mountain, he kept in mind the advice of Fellow Daoist Zhou Ming and began to train Jiang Ziya.

In the blink of an eye, more than a decade has passed.

During this time, he did as instructed, and had Duobao teach Jiang Ziya the basic cultivation methods of the Interception Sect.

On the other hand, he selected several disciples who had served as officials in human dynasties to specifically teach Jiang Ziya military strategies and policies for governing the country.

Now, it's time to see how the results are.

The Tongtian Sect Master withdrew his thoughts, looked down at Jiang Ziya, who was sitting upright with a somewhat uneasy expression, and slowly spoke.

"Ziya."

"Disciple is here!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ziya trembled and quickly bowed in response.

"Ziya, you have been my disciple for over a decade. How is your cultivation progressing?"

The Tongtian Sect Master's voice was flat, revealing neither joy nor anger.

As soon as he finished speaking, Jiang Ziya's body trembled almost imperceptibly, and he lowered his head even further, a deep sense of shame welling up in his heart.

He was originally an ordinary mortal, but his master brought him out of the sea of suffering, bestowed upon him the destiny of immortality, and took him as his Direct Disciple. What an immense favor this was.

But myself...

They're so disappointing.

He paused for a moment, then answered in a voice barely audible.

"Reporting to Master... this disciple... this disciple is utterly foolish."

"He has absolutely no talent whatsoever in the path of cultivation."

"Over the past ten years or so, despite the meticulous guidance of my senior brother and fellow disciples..."

"I dare not slacken my efforts day and night, but the Magic Power within my body... is still progressing slowly and negligibly."

"This disciple... has failed my master's cultivation, and has failed the blessed land of the Interception Sect."

After saying this, he bowed deeply, his body trembling slightly with shame.

Despite being a direct disciple of Saint, he couldn't even open the door to the path of Immortal Path.

In his own eyes, this was an absolute joke and a disgrace to his master's holy name.

Within the Interception Sect, immortals are everywhere, and even those Named Disciple are all exceptionally talented.

He alone, an ordinary mortal, had extremely poor aptitude.

Over the past decade or so, he has witnessed firsthand how his junior Martial Nephew, who joined the sect later than him, have far surpassed him in cultivation.

This feeling tormented him constantly.

He was afraid—afraid that his master would be disappointed in him, afraid that one day he would be expelled from this sacred immortal land.

Jade Palace was completely silent.

The Tongtian Sect Master looked down at the terrified Jiang Ziya, but his heart remained largely unmoved.

"This is not your fault."

He spoke slowly.

"Your aptitude for cultivation was already clear to me when I accepted you as my disciple."

"To have achieved even this modest level of skill is already the result of your tireless diligence."

These words were not meant to comfort, but to state the truth.

It's already a miracle that Jiang Ziya, with his almost nonexistent natural talent, could cultivate for more than ten years and condense a trace of Magic Power within his body.

Hearing that his master had not blamed him, Jiang Ziya breathed a slight sigh of relief.

But that deep sense of loss and inferiority still lingered.

Just then, the Tongtian Sect Master changed the subject.

"Let's set aside the matter of cultivation for now."

"How are you doing with the military strategies and policies of governance that I had you learn from your fellow disciples?"

When this matter was mentioned, Jiang Ziya, who had just been filled with shame, seemed to instantly become a different person.

Compared to those dry, boring, and difficult-to-understand methods of spiritual practice.

For him, military strategy and the art of governing a country seemed to open a completely new door.

He suddenly raised his head, and his previously dull eyes shone with an unprecedented brilliance and excitement.

The previous look of inferiority and fear vanished, replaced by an overflowing excitement and confidence.

His voice became loud and powerful, and his whole demeanor was completely different.

"Reporting to Master!"

"This disciple dares not slacken in the slightest in this matter!"

"Whether it's the methods of military deployment, the art of divination and strategy, or the principles of governing a nation and the tactics of checks and balances, I have mastered them all!"

"I have thoroughly studied and mastered the classic texts and insights imparted by my senior brothers, and have even gained many new understandings from them!"

When talking about these things, Jiang Ziya became incredibly animated and spoke eloquently.

He was no longer a mortal with low cultivation, but a wise man who shone brightly in his field of expertise.

"I have even occasionally gained insights, and by working with my senior brothers to deduce and discuss strategies, I have been able to benefit from their work and refine the details!"

He excitedly recounted what he had learned, and those profound military theories and complex strategies for governing the country became clear, logical, and easy to understand when he spoke them.

The Tongtian Sect Master looked at him, his spirited appearance a stark contrast to his dejected state just moments before.

A hint of approval gradually appeared in those usually calm and collected eyes of the Saint.

good.

Fellow Daoist Zhou Ming, you were right about me.

He may be a stubborn rock in the Immortal Path immortality, but he is an absolute genius in military strategy and Humanity Dao.

His disciples, though they had all served as officials in the mortal world, had only learned the basics.

Jiang Ziya, however, was able to draw inferences from one instance to another, make connections between similar cases, and even develop his own unique insights.

This talent is truly astonishing.

It seems it's time to send him down the mountain to gain some experience.

Having thought this through, the Tongtian Sect Master nodded in satisfaction after Jiang Ziya finished speaking.

"Good."

"It seems you are indeed exceptionally talented in this area."

Upon receiving his master's affirmation, Jiang Ziya was overjoyed, his face beaming with happiness.

However, the next sentence from the Tongtian Sect Master plunged him into an icy abyss.

"In that case, there's no point in you staying on Golden Ao Island all day working in isolation."

"I plan to send you down the mountain to that mortal dynasty."

"Study under Wen Zhong, your Senior Sister Jin Ling's disciple, for a few years and accumulate as much practical experience as possible."

What do you think?

As soon as he finished speaking, the excited look on Jiang Ziya's face froze instantly.

Go down the mountain?

Go study under my Martial Nephew Wen Zhong?

What did Master mean by that?

The joy on his face vanished instantly; all his previous confidence and excitement disappeared in that moment.

Did they ultimately think I was incompetent and unworthy of being cultivated, so they wanted to find a pretext to send me down the mountain?

Yes... I am just an ordinary mortal, and it was only by chance that I became a disciple of Saint.

More than a decade has passed, yet my cultivation has made no progress. What qualifications do I have to remain in the Humanity Dao? What qualifications do I have to be Saint's Direct Disciple?

Staying on Golden Ao Island would only bring shame to our master and waste the Spiritual Qi of this blessed land.

Being abandoned seems to be only natural.

The so-called study under my Martial Nephew Wen Zhong was just a polite way of putting it.

For a moment, Jiang Ziya was overwhelmed with mixed feelings. Endless sorrow and disappointment welled up in his heart, leaving him helpless and standing there dumbfounded.

If he were expelled from his sect, where could he go?

He felt dizzy, his vision went black, and he felt like he was about to collapse.

"Master... Master..."

He opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything; his heart was filled with despair.

Seeing Jiang Ziya's distraught appearance, the Tongtian Sect Master immediately understood what he was thinking.

He sighed almost imperceptibly.

The human heart is always so sensitive and prone to worry.

What are you worried about?

The voice of the Tongtian Sect Master, like a resounding bell, echoed in Jiang Ziya's mind, jolting him awake from the abyss of panic.

"Do you perhaps think that I'm going to expel you from the sect?"

Jiang Ziya froze, not daring to raise his head or answer.

His silence says it all.

The Tongtian Sect Master's voice softened somewhat.

"Raise your head and look at your teacher."

Jiang Ziya hesitated for a moment, but finally slowly raised his head.

"Ziya, remember this."

The Tongtian Sect Master spoke each word carefully.

"Since I have accepted you as my Direct Disciple, there is absolutely no reason for me to expel you from the sect just because of your low aptitude."

"Whom do you take your teacher for?"

Jiang Ziya's body trembled violently.

Master... you didn't want to send me away!

I was overthinking it!

He felt both ashamed and moved, and for a moment, he didn't know what to say.

The Tongtian Sect Master didn't give him much time for reflection and continued speaking.

"I have a deeper reason for sending you down the mountain to study under Wen Zhong."

"This trip is a valuable experience for you."

"For our Interception Sect, it is even more related to our future Fortune."

"Just remember, this journey is not an exile, but a true test and a chance for growth."

"You must not let your teacher down."

"The Tribulation is approaching, and the world will be in turmoil. Your usefulness lies not in immortal battles, but elsewhere."

Heavy responsibility?

Is it related to the Fortune of the Interception Sect?

Jiang Ziya was completely dumbfounded. How could a mere mortal with low cultivation level shoulder such an important responsibility?

However, the words that Tongtian Sect Master said next completely dispelled all his doubts and anxieties.

"As for your aptitude for cultivation... you need not worry about that."

The Master of Tongtian Sect Master's gaze became deep and distant.

"After this Tribulation passes, the world will be clear and the Karma will be resolved."

"As your master, I will use the methods of Saint to reshape your Immortal Path potential."

"At that time, achieving immortality will be nothing more than taking Immortal Path from a baby for you."

"Do you understand now?"

These words, like a series of thunderclaps, exploded in Jiang Ziya's mind.

He was completely stunned.

So... so Master didn't want to send me away?

So Master has always valued my talent?

So it turns out my master had already planned for my future, and even... even promised to Reconstructing Root Bone?

Jiang Ziya felt a surge of heat rush to his head, and all his emotions—gratitude, excitement, and emotion—converged into boundless power at that moment.

He could no longer contain his emotions and bowed deeply to the Tongtian Sect Master on the High Platform.

"Master!"

"Disciple... disciple knows his mistake!"

"This disciple is foolish and dares to presume to understand Master's holy thoughts; I deserve to die!"

"This disciple will certainly live up to Master's high expectations; I will do my utmost to study diligently!"

"If my Interception Sect ever summons me in the future, I will serve it with utmost devotion, even unto death!"

Looking at his disciples below, whose fighting spirit had been rekindled and who were even more determined than before, the Tongtian Sect Master nodded in satisfaction.

He waved his hand, and a gentle force helped Jiang Ziya up.

"Good."

"Now that you understand your teacher's good intentions, then go."

"I have already spoken with your Senior Sister Jin Ling; she will personally escort you down the mountain and arrange everything for you."

"Now, go and find her in her Cave Abode."

"Yes! Your disciple obeys!"

Having said that, he stood up, bowed respectfully to the Tongtian Sect Master, and then resolutely turned away.

Even after leaving the main hall, with the warm sunlight shining on him, Jiang Ziya still felt as if he were in a dream.

He took a deep breath, no longer hesitated, determined the direction, and strode quickly toward the Cave Abode of the Saint Mother Jinling.

His heart was filled with unprecedented enthusiasm and hope.

Before long, he arrived at a Cave Abode shrouded in ethereal mist.

Jiang Ziya straightened his clothes, stood respectfully in front of the Cave Abode entrance, and spoke loudly.

"Junior brother Jiang Shang, on Master's orders, requests Senior Sister Jin Ling!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the tightly closed Stone Gate slowly opened inward with a loud "boom".