Tongtian's Wrath Shatters Saint Position

Zixiao Palace.

An eternally unchanging silence enveloped this holy hall of the Heavenly Dao, where time seemed to have lost all meaning. Only wisps of Great Dao laws intertwined and flowed through the void, transforming into visible purple-gold Dao patterns that illuminated the entire palace with solemnity and grandeur.

Sect Master Tongtian slowly opened his eyes.

The familiar scene met his gaze—a purple-gold dome hung high above, imprinted with the runes of the Three Thousand Great Daos; the surrounding walls were smooth as mirrors, reflecting his figure seated on a cloud bed; the air was filled with the purest innate spiritual energy, enough to advance a Grand Unity Golden Immortal's cultivation with every breath.

This was the sacred place of cultivation where the Great Desolation's supreme Dao Ancestor Hongjun meditated, a place countless cultivators dreamed of.

But for Tongtian, it was an incomparably luxurious prison.

"I'm back again."

A soft sigh echoed in the hall, carrying a sense of vicissitude and exhaustion that was utterly out of place with the surroundings.

Tongtian's eyes held a moment of confusion before regaining clarity. His previously calm heart, like a still ancient well, was now churning with turbulent waves.

He was Tongtian, the Sect Master of the Intercepting Sect, a Saint of the Heavenly Dao, an existence beyond the reach of myriad tribulations.

But he was also Qin Xiao, a soul from another world, a transmigrator who knew the "future."

Two memories, two personalities, had miraculously and perfectly merged under Dao Ancestor Hongjun's Heavenly Dao restrictions, indistinguishable from each other. At this moment, he was both the Sect Master Tongtian who had experienced eons, and Qin Xiao, who harbored deep regret for Tongtian's fate.

"The Investiture of the Gods Great Tribulation."

These four words were like the most venomous curse in the world, causing Tongtian's heart to clench violently.

Images flashed uncontrollably in his mind—on Golden Ao Island, ten thousand immortals paid homage. Before Biyou Palace, immortals bowed their heads. The Intercepting Sect flourished, renowned for its myriad immortals, causing the Saints to retreat. Then, the tribulation arrived.

Saint Grand Pure, Saint Jade Pure Yuanshi, joined by the Two Saints of the West, together broke through the Immortal Execution Sword Formation.

His disciples, some slaughtered, some abducted, some sent to the Investiture of the Gods, forever bound to serve the Heavenly Court.

Among the Seven Attendants, Wuyun Xian was lured to the West by Zhunti with the Six Roots Pure Bamboo; Qiushou Xian, Lingya Xian, and Jinguang Xian were taken as mounts by Manjushri, Samantabhadra, and Cihang, enduring endless humiliation; Chang'er Dingguang Xian betrayed the Intercepting Sect, taking the Six Souls Banner and defecting to the West.

Zhao Gongming was cursed to death by Lu Ya with the Nail-Head Seven Arrows Book. The Three Sanxiao Empresses, seeking revenge for their brother, set up the Nine Bends Yellow River Formation, stripping the Twelve Golden Immortals of their top three flowers and five vital energies. In the end, they were personally killed by Venerable Lord of Primordial Beginning. Qiongxiao and Bixiao's souls were scattered, and Yun Xiao was suppressed beneath Kirin Cliff.

Finally, in the Myriad Immortals Formation, the disciples of the Intercepting Sect were annihilated. Empress Shiji, Holy Mother Huoling, Luo Xuan, Lü Yue... familiar faces vanished before his eyes.

Tongtian clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white from the force, his Saintly body trembling slightly.

Pain! A bone-chilling pain! Not physical pain, but a tearing sensation from the depths of his Primordial Spirit.

Some of these disciples had followed him for countless eons, some he had personally enlightened, and some, though born of fur and scales or wet and crawling creatures, had been given a sliver of hope for transcendence through his teachings of intercepting heavenly secrets.

They respected him, loved him, and saw him as their most reliable support in the Great Desolation.

And he had failed to protect them!

"Heh heh... what a fine 'Three Pure Ones united'... what a noble 'Mystic Gate orthodox'..."

Tongtian let out a low, cold laugh, his eyes filled with mockery.

The War of Investiture of the Gods, on the surface, was about the succession of the Shang and Zhou dynasties, but in reality, it was a struggle for the destiny of the Mystic Gate. The Western Teachings sought to spread eastward, while the Human Teachings and Heavenly Origin Sect sought to suppress the increasingly prosperous Intercepting Sect.

His two "good brothers," one stood by and watched, the other personally intervened, joining forces with outsiders to destroy the Intercepting Sect's millennia-old foundation!

Most ludicrously, Dao Ancestor Hongjun, their teacher, appeared at the end, not to uphold justice, but to force him to swallow the Saint-Slaying Pill and confine him to Zixiao Palace, under the guise of "reflecting on his mistakes."

"The strong prey on the weak, the victor becomes king. Why speak so sanctimoniously?" Tongtian looked up, his gaze seeming to pierce through the barriers of Zixiao Palace and see the Heavenly Dao operating in the unseen realms. "Heaven and Earth are not benevolent; they treat all things as straw dogs. Saints are not benevolent; they treat the common people as straw dogs."

"In this Great Desolation, it is ultimately strength that commands respect!"

If he possessed absolute strength, why would Tongtian need to worry about the Investiture of the Gods? If he possessed absolute strength, why would the Immortal Execution Sword Formation fear four Saints? If he possessed absolute strength, how could he be trapped here?

Just as Tongtian's emotions surged, and boundless unwillingness and anger threatened to shatter his Saintly state of mind—

[Ding! Detected host's strong unwillingness and defiant will, meeting the binding conditions.]

[Primordial Unity Transcendence System is activating... 10%... 50%... 100%!]

[Binding successful! Hello host, this System is dedicated to helping you break free from the shackles of the Heavenly Dao, achieve the Primordial Dao, and ultimately transcend all!]

A series of cold, clear mechanical voices sounded directly in the deepest part of Tongtian's Primordial Spirit without any warning.

Tongtian's pupils contracted sharply. His Saintly consciousness instantly swept over every inch of his flesh and blood, every fragment of his Primordial Spirit, even connecting with the Heavenly Dao laws outside Zixiao Palace, yet he could not detect the source of the voice at all.

It seemed to exist outside of past, present, and future, transcending the scope of the Great Desolation's Heavenly Dao.

"Who is prying?" Tongtian asked in a deep voice, his Saintly Might emanating, but he quickly suppressed it. This was Zixiao Palace, under the Dao Ancestor's watchful eye; any unusual fluctuation could attract attention.

[Host need not speak, you can communicate with this System via thought. This System is an object of transcendence, not within the Heavenly Dao's perception. Host may communicate with confidence.]

The mechanical voice sounded again, seemingly understanding Tongtian's concerns.

"System? Primordial Unity Transcendence?" Tongtian murmured inwardly, his vigilance undiminished. Despite his status as a Saint, he could not comprehend what this so-called "System" was.

[Yes. This System has perceived the host's strong desire to defy fate and change destiny, and has bound itself accordingly. Does the host know that your current Saint Position of the Heavenly Dao is actually a shackle?]

"A shackle?" Tongtian frowned. Saints' Primordial Spirits were entrusted to the Heavenly Dao, thus they were immortal and existed alongside Heaven; this was a common understanding in the Great Desolation.

[A Saint of the Heavenly Dao, though seemingly immortal and indestructible, actually has their Primordial Spirit controlled by the Heavenly Dao. If the Heavenly Dao exists, so do the Saints; if the Heavenly Dao perishes, so do the Saints. When the immeasurable Great Tribulation arrives, the Heavenly Dao may even be damaged or collapse, and the Saints will all become cannon fodder. Furthermore, Hongjun's merging with the Dao has gradually made him the master of the Heavenly Dao. The Saint Position is merely a chess piece he uses to control the Great Desolation and maintain the Heavenly Dao's operation.]

The System's words were cold and cruel, yet like a sharp blade, they tore away the magnificent veil that shrouded the "Saint Position."

Tongtian's mind was greatly shaken. Some of this information he had vaguely sensed, but never had it been so clear and thorough.

During the War of Investiture of the Gods, the Dao Ancestor's favoritism—was it truly as the System said...

The War of Investiture of the Gods, in essence, was the Heavenly Dao using internal strife within the Mystic Gate to reduce the number of cultivators, thereby alleviating pressure on the Great Desolation, while simultaneously replenishing the Heavenly Court's divine positions and perfecting the Heavenly Dao's order. The host's Intercepting Sect bore the brunt of this. The Two Saints of the West, acting in accordance with the situation, seized fortuitous circumstances. The Human Teachings and the Heavenly Origin Sect were also part of the Heavenly Dao's calculations, either protecting themselves by going with the flow or actively entering the fray.

"Pawns, so we were all just pawns," Tongtian murmured to himself, a flash of realization and deeper anger in his eyes. Even as a Saint, he was still within the Heavenly Dao (Hongjun)'s game.

[If the host wishes to truly control their own destiny and protect those they care about, they must break free from the Heavenly Dao's Saint Position, prove their Dao through strength, and achieve Primordial Grand Unity Golden Immortal! Though this path is arduous, it offers great freedom and boundless joy, free from the constraints of the Heavenly Dao, and even surpassing it!]

"Prove the Dao through strength, Primordial Grand Unity Golden Immortal," Tongtian's gaze flickered.

The Great God Pangu had used this method to create heaven and earth, his realm far surpassing that of a Heavenly Dao Saint. However, this method was incredibly difficult, and no one had succeeded since the creation of heaven and earth. Even the Dao Ancestor Hongjun had become a Saint by using the Jade Disc of Creation to sever his three corpses and ultimately merge with the Dao.

[Detecting host's current status: Heavenly Dao Saint (Saint Position fractured, 99.9% of cultivation sealed), confined to Zixiao Palace.]

[Initial mission issued: Abolish your own Saint Position and sever the karma with Zixiao Palace (Hongjun).]

[Mission reward: Method for condensing the Primordial Dao Seed (beginner), clue to the whereabouts of the Chaos Bead (fragment).]

[Warning: Abolishing your Saint Position carries immense risk, potentially causing a drastic drop in cultivation, even falling from the Saint realm. However, this is a necessary prerequisite for embarking on the path to Primordial Unity. The System will provide minimal protection to ensure the host's True Spirit remains intact.]

Tongtian fell silent.

Abolishing his own Saint Position!

The thought was wild and audacious. Once he lost his Saint Position, he would no longer be an indestructible Heavenly Dao Saint, and his cultivation would plummet to its lowest point. At that time, let alone facing other Saints, even an ordinary Quasi-Saint could pose a threat to him.

Furthermore, this was in Zixiao Palace, the Dao Ancestor Hongjun's dojo! Abolishing his Saint Position here was tantamount to slapping the Dao Ancestor in the face, and the consequences...

But if he didn't, he would continue to be confined here, a nominal Saint held captive, watching his disciples wither, the legacy of the Intercepting Sect be destroyed, and perhaps even become cannon fodder sacrificed by the Heavenly Dao in the future...

Was he willing to accept that?

He was not willing!

Qin Xiao's unwillingness, Tongtian Sect Master's fury, merged perfectly at this moment, transforming into a towering resolve.

"Heaven and Earth are not benevolent; they treat all things as straw dogs. Saints are not benevolent; they treat the common people as straw dogs." Tongtian slowly stood up, his aura becoming unstable, the Saintly Might he had suppressed for so long beginning to emanate uncontrollably.

"Since the Heavenly Dao is unjust, let the Saint Position be no more!"

"I want nothing to do with this restrictive Saint Position!"

His voice, initially low, grew louder and louder, finally erupting into a thunderous roar that caused the entire Zixiao Palace to tremble slightly, countless Great Dao runes flickering in and out of existence!

"I, Tongtian, shall abolish my Saint Position today and sever my karma!"

BOOM!!!

Before his voice even faded, Tongtian unhesitatingly activated the already cracked Saintly Dao Fruit within him, using his supreme will to directly detonate it!

With a "crack--", a sound that seemed to originate from the very source of the Great Desolation, the core of the Great Dao, shattered and echoed through the void!

It was not an actual sound, but the lament of the Great Dao's rules, resonating directly within the Primordial Spirits of all powerful beings who could perceive the Heavenly Dao!

Beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens, at the edge of the Chaos, Empress Nuwa suddenly opened her beautiful eyes, looking towards Zixiao Palace, her face filled with disbelief.

Within the Jade Void Palace on Kunlun Mountain, Venerable Lord of Primordial Beginning's Three Treasures Jade Ruyi paused, and a flicker of undisguised shock appeared on his usually indifferent face for the first time.

In the Eight Sceneries Palace on Shouyang Mountain, Grand Supreme Elder Laozi raised his gaze slightly, a barely perceptible ripple flashing in his eyes before returning to his usual placid state. He shook his head gently.

In the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, Daoist Jieyin's already sorrowful face grew more troubled. Daoist Zhunti was initially shocked, but then his eyes gleamed with a sharp light, as if he were plotting something.

Deep within the Reincarnation of the Nine Netherworld Underworld, Empress Pingxin seemed to sense something and let out a soft sigh.

The Heavenly Court, the Sea of Blood, the Wuzhuang Temple... at various powerful beings' domains, numerous great figures of the Great Desolation were all shocked by this sudden lament of the Great Dao, and all turned their gazes towards Zixiao Palace in the depths of the Chaos!

And at this moment, within Zixiao Palace, the scene was one of utter chaos!

Tongtian's body erupted with endless fragments of Great Dao laws, the remnants of his shattered Saintly Dao Fruit. His aura plummeted like a breached dam!

Saint Middle Stage, Saint Early Stage, Quasi-Saint Peak, Late Stage, Middle Stage...

With each fall in realm, his face grew paler, and a crack appeared on his Saintly body. Golden Saint blood seeped out, staining his purple Daoist robe with flecks of gold.

Unimaginable pain surged from the depths of his Primordial Spirit, a thousand times worse than being cut into a thousand pieces! It was the backlash of his foundation being destroyed and his Dao path nearly severed!

But Tongtian's eyes were incredibly bright, filled with the joy and determination of breaking free from his shackles!

"Pfft!" He spat out a mouthful of golden Saint blood. The blood, containing shattered law runes, landed on the ground, corroding small pits into the floor of Zixiao Palace.

His cultivation finally dropped to the Quasi-Saint Early Stage before he barely managed to stabilize, his aura extremely weak, like a candle in the wind.

However, just as his Dao Foundation was about to completely collapse and his True Spirit was about to dissipate, a mysterious and profound power descended from the void, protecting his last vestiges of essence.

[System protection mechanism has been activated.]

[Congratulations to the host for completing the initial mission: Abolish Saint Position.]

[Mission reward issued: Method for condensing the Primordial Dao Seed (beginner) has been transmitted to the host's Primordial Spirit. Clue to the whereabouts of the Chaos Bead (fragment): Netherworld Sea of Blood, beside Reincarnation.]

Tongtian gasped weakly, feeling an unprecedented "emptiness" and "weakness" within him, but at the same time, a sense of liberation and freedom from all constraints in his True Spirit.

He knew he had made the right gamble! This mysterious System truly possessed power that surpassed the Heavenly Dao!

Just then--

From the depths of Zixiao Palace, a vast, incomparably cold, and supreme will slowly awakened, like a giant dragon that had slept for eons opening its eyes.

The pressure within the entire Zixiao Palace instantly increased tenfold!

A blurry, colossal face formed from countless Dao patterns slowly condensed in the void before Tongtian.

His face was blurred, his appearance unclear. Only a pair of eyes remained, indifferent and emotionless, like the Heavenly Dao suspended high above, looking down upon Tongtian, who was as insignificant as an ant.

There was no anger, no reprimand, only an absolute coldness and indifference.

Hongjun Dao Ancestor! (Or perhaps the embodiment of the Heavenly Dao)

Tongtian, propping up his extremely weakened body, struggled to lift his head, meeting the indifferent gaze of the Heavenly Dao eyes without fear.

Their eyes met.

One was weak yet resolute, the other vast and cold.

Within the void, it was as if invisible sparks were flying.

Tongtian knew that the true trial was only just beginning. He had to leave Zixiao Palace, otherwise, once the Dao Ancestor fully awoke, he would inevitably be suppressed once more, or even completely annihilated!

Escape!

He had to escape Zixiao Palace immediately!

Using his last reserves of strength, along with the faint protection provided by the System, Tongtian abruptly turned, transforming into a dim stream of light, and struggled towards the entrance of Zixiao Palace!

Behind him, that colossal eye of the Heavenly Dao continued to watch him with indifference. It made no move, yet it exuded an infinite sense of pressure.

Within the Chaos, the path leading to the Great Desolation was filled with unknowns and dangers.