Within the cave, the Chaos Aura gradually settled, leaving only a restrained and profound Daoist cadence lingering around Tongtian. He slowly opened his eyes, sensing the Primordial Dao Fruit taking rudimentary shape in his dantian and the magic power within him, far purer and more vast than that of an ordinary Early Stage Quasi-Saint. His heart finally eased a little.
His foundation was established. Though the road ahead was long, at last he could see a glimmer of light.
He rose to his feet and stretched his limbs. The cracks in his Saint Body had healed considerably under the nourishment of the Chaos Origin. He was still far from recovered, but at least there was no longer any danger of it collapsing.
Saint Mother Wudang and Kui Niu, who had been standing guard outside, sensed it immediately and hurried over.
"Congratulations, Master (Master), on your progress!" The woman and the ox were both overjoyed as they felt the increasingly profound and mysterious aura surrounding Tongtian. His cultivation level did not seem to have improved by much, but they could sense that his very essence was undergoing a gratifying transformation.
Tongtian gave a slight nod. His gaze swept over Wudang's still-pale face and the old wounds on Kui Niu that had not fully healed, and his brow furrowed. The little Origin Repair Fluid they had left had done only so much for their injuries.
"Has anything happened outside while I was in seclusion?" Tongtian asked, quietly spreading his divine sense to feel the aura above the ruins of Golden Ao Island.
Saint Mother Wudang's expression turned serious. "Reporting to you, Master, I have obeyed your orders and have not left this place. I carefully searched the island with my divine sense, and there is no sign that anyone has entered. But..." She paused, her voice turning grave. "Several days ago, three powerful but concealed divine senses came from the west and quietly swept over the ruins of Golden Ao Island. They lingered for a while before leaving. Their auras... seemed to belong to the Western Teachings."
"The Western Teachings?" A cold glint flashed in Tongtian's eyes. "Do you know who they were?"
"All three divine senses carried the pure, tranquil aura of Bodhi, but each was different. One concealed sharpness beneath its compassion, one had a hint of illusion amid its wisdom, and one carried the aura of ascetic hardship beneath its resolve. If my guess is right, they were the Western Teachings' three Bodhisattvas: Guanyin, Samantabhadra, and Manjushri." Saint Mother Wudang carefully recalled what she had sensed. She had encountered them in the Myriad Immortals Formation back then, and still remembered their auras.
"So it was them." Tongtian gave a cold snort. The three had once been Cihang Daoren, Puxian Zhenren, and Manjushri Guangfa Tianzun, members of the Twelve Golden Immortals of the Chan Sect. After the War of Investiture of the Gods, Saint Zhunti of the West had taken them in. They had changed their titles, become Bodhisattvas of the Western Teachings, and risen to positions of great honor.
Their secret surveillance of Golden Ao Island made their purpose obvious—the Two Saints of the West had grown suspicious of the upheaval in the Chaos back then and sent them to investigate his true condition!
"Did they find this place?" Tongtian asked calmly, though a trace of chill edged his voice.
"Probably not," Wudang replied with certainty. "I used the formations remaining here, along with the restrictions you set up earlier, to conceal everything as best I could. They didn't investigate any further. It seemed they only confirmed that there was nothing obviously unusual on the island before leaving."
Tongtian felt slightly reassured, but his vigilance only grew. The Two Saints of the West had keen instincts and would not give up easily. This time, they had sent only three Bodhisattvas. Next time, things might not be so simple.
His strength was still far from restored. If he were exposed, the consequences would be unthinkable.
He had to grow stronger as quickly as possible, and... he needed resources! A great deal of resources to heal his injuries, nourish the growth of his Primordial Dao Fruit, and rebuild even a sliver of Interception Sect's foundation!
Absorbing Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy alone was far too slow. And right now, he had nothing. Apart from the Chaos Bead he had just begun refining and the damaged Qingping Sword, he possessed almost nothing. The many spiritual treasures he once owned had either been destroyed in battle or divided among the Saints.
"Resources..." Tongtian pondered for a moment, then his gaze suddenly fell on Saint Mother Wudang. "Wudang, what has become of our Interception Sect's former branch palaces, mines, and medicinal gardens scattered throughout the Primordial World?"
A bitter expression crossed Saint Mother Wudang's face. "Master... they're gone. Almost all of them. After the War of Investiture of the Gods, the Saints joined forces to suppress the remnants of our sect. The Chan Sect, Human Teachings, and even the Western Teachings had already occupied those branch palaces and divided up the resource sites. Any disciples who resisted... were all killed."
Though he had expected it, hearing it with his own ears still weighed heavily on Tongtian's heart. When a tree fell, the monkeys scattered; when a wall crumbled, everyone pushed it over. Interception Sect had truly reached the end of its rope.
Was he supposed to search the Chaos for opportunities? But the Chaos was vast and perilous. In his current state, that would be like searching for a needle in the ocean.
Just as Tongtian furrowed his brow and thought, the system's notification sounded again deep within his Nascent Soul:
[Resources are running low. Long-term mission issued: Rebuild Interception Sect's resource network.] [Sub-mission 1: Acquire initial resources. Suggested target: Ao Guang, Dragon King of the East Sea.] [Mission details: The Dragon Palace of the East Sea has a deep foundation and many treasures. It also has a longstanding bond with Interception Sect (the host once lectured the Dragon Clan at Biyou Palace, easing their burden of Karma). The Dragon Clan is currently in a difficult position, under heavy pressure from the Heavenly Court, and urgently needs powerful allies. This benefits both sides.] [Mission rewards: Contribution Points will be awarded according to the quantity and quality of the resources obtained. They can be exchanged for special items in the System Mall (such as: directional teleportation talismans, advanced Concealment Formation discs, and one-time Law Fragments).]
Dragon King of the East Sea? System Mall?
Tongtian's gaze shifted slightly. The system had pointed him toward a promising path. The Dragon Palace of the East Sea was indeed a good choice. The Dragon Clan was renowned throughout the Primordial World for its wealth, and it had some ties of goodwill with Interception Sect. During the War of Investiture of the Gods, the Dragon Clan had not openly aided Interception Sect, but neither had it kicked them while they were down.
As for the System Mall... it seemed he would have to explore its functions gradually.
"Master?" Wudang called softly when she saw Tongtian sitting in silence.
Tongtian came back to himself. "It's nothing. I've already made plans regarding resources. For now, we need to deal with another hidden threat."
He raised his head, his gaze seeming to pierce through layer upon layer of rock and reach the Primordial World's starry sky.
"Who controls the Myriad Stars Array in the Primordial World now?" Tongtian asked suddenly.
Wudang was startled. Though she did not understand why he was asking, she replied, "Reporting to you, Master, after the collapse of the Demon Court, the Heavenly Court took over the stars of the heavens. Now, the 365 Righteous Gods under Haotian Shangdi and Yaochi Jinmu rely on the Investiture of the Gods to govern the stars and regulate the spiritual energy of the Primordial World. Among them... are many former disciples of our sect, their true spirits transformed into gods."
Her voice turned sorrowful at the end. Her former fellow disciples had not only died and lost their Dao, their true spirits had been placed on the Investiture of the Gods, and now they had to serve the Heavenly Court, making others' fortunes for them.
A cold glint flashed in Tongtian's eyes. Haotian and Yaochi—those two attendants from Zixiao Palace back then—certainly had become powerful.
"Governing the stars and regulating spiritual energy... In other words, in theory, the Heavenly Court monitors even the slightest changes in spiritual energy throughout the Primordial World?" Tongtian asked in an even tone.
Saint Mother Wudang's expression shifted slightly. She immediately understood his concern. "Master, are you worried that the Chaos Aura stirred up by your cultivation might have leaked out in tiny fluctuations, despite this formation blocking most of it, and that the Heavenly Court gods responsible for monitoring the East Sea Region might notice?"
"It isn't a possibility. It's inevitable," Tongtian replied calmly. "Ordinary cultivation might go unnoticed, but Chaos Aura is different. No matter how faint it is, it can't escape the perception of the stars of the heavens. A star god has probably already reported the unusual activity in the East Sea to the Heavenly Court."
Saint Mother Wudang immediately grew anxious. "What should we do, then? If the Heavenly Court sends someone to investigate..."
Golden Ao Island could not withstand any scrutiny in its current state! If the Heavenly Court discovered anything amiss, took an interest, and even reported it to the Saints behind them, Master would be in danger!
Tongtian remained calm and looked at Wudang. "I remember you're skilled in Array Dao, especially illusion formations and Concealment Formations. Can you set up a formation that conceals the workings of Heaven and simulates the ordinary fluctuations of spiritual energy in the ley lines? It doesn't need to cover a large area. It only needs to conceal the place where we're hiding."
Saint Mother Wudang thought it over briefly, then answered solemnly, "I'll do my best! Some of the foundation of Biyou Palace's formation remains here. I can try to activate it, then support it with an illusion formation. Perhaps I can simulate normal ley-line fluctuations and conceal the Chaos Aura. But... completely evading the Myriad Stars Array's detection, especially the Investiture of the Gods' perception, will be difficult..."
She looked troubled. The Investiture of the Gods was a heavenly treasure that, when combined with the Myriad Stars Array, had immense surveillance capabilities.
"It's all right. Just focus on setting up the formation and do your best. Leave the rest to me." Tongtian's steady voice gave her a sense of reassurance.
"Yes! I'll get started at once!" Saint Mother Wudang accepted the order and immediately began working in the cave. She took out various formation materials from her collection and, using the formation foundations left in the ruins, began carving the runes.
Tongtian closed his eyes and immersed his mind in his dantian, communicating with the newly formed Primordial Dao Fruit.
At its center, a tiny Chaos Vortex rotated slowly. At Tongtian's prompting, a wisp of Chaos Qi, thinner than a strand of hair, separated from it and quietly flowed along a mysterious trajectory into the core of the formation Saint Mother Wudang was setting up.
At the same time, the system notification sounded:
[Spent 100 Contribution Points (initial novice gift) to successfully redeem "Basic Heavenly Secrets Disruption Talisman (single-use)." Automatically activated. Effect: Slightly disrupts the perception of heavenly secrets within a specified area for three hours.]
Saint Mother Wudang, who was setting up the formation, suddenly let out a quiet "Huh?" She felt that her understanding of Array Dao had suddenly become much clearer. The runes she carved flowed more smoothly and naturally, and the power of Heaven and Earth she drew upon harmonized more perfectly with them. The Concealment Formation and illusion array had become at least thirty percent more effective out of nowhere!
She assumed Master had secretly helped her. Her admiration for him deepened, and she worked with even greater focus.
Tongtian understood. This was the result of the system and his own Chaos Qi working together. He waited quietly.
Several hours later, a compound formation covering the entire underground cave quietly took shape. The light of the array flashed once, then vanished without a trace. From the outside, the fluctuations of spiritual energy here were no different from those of an ordinary, shattered ley line. There was no longer anything unusual about them.
That night, high above the Primordial World, the stars of the heavens followed their mysterious paths and cast down endless starlight.
The star official corresponding to the East Sea Region was the "East Sea Star Lord," a title conferred through the Investiture of the Gods. His true spirit had once belonged to an Outer Sect Disciple of Interception Sect. At that moment, he was patrolling according to the rules and sensing the spiritual energy of the lower world.
His divine sense swept over the ruins of Golden Ao Island, then paused. Several days earlier, he seemed to have detected an extremely strange fluctuation. Though faint, its level had been extraordinarily high, enough to make him tremble instinctively. He had recorded it at the time and planned to investigate it carefully before reporting it today.
But now, when he sensed it again, the ruins showed nothing but lifelessness and the disorderly fluctuations common to a shattered ley line. There was no sign of anything unusual. That strange aura from before seemed to have been no more than an illusion caused by the stars' movements.
The East Sea Star Lord (true spirit) fell silent for a moment. Though he was bound to the Heavenly Court by the Investiture of the Gods, deep down he still retained complicated feelings for Interception Sect and Sect Master Tongtian.
He carefully searched the area several more times, and, after confirming there was nothing amiss, finally erased the record of the earlier anomaly from his jade patrol register, marking it only as "disordered ley line; no anomaly."
After finishing, he looked down at the familiar ruins. A barely perceptible sadness flickered in his eyes before his expression turned cold again, and he continued patrolling other regions.
Inside the underground cave.
Tongtian slowly opened his eyes, the corners of his mouth lifting in a faint smile.
"Master, how did it go?" Saint Mother Wudang asked nervously.
"We're safe for now," Tongtian replied calmly. "The Heavenly Court should have been deceived for the time being."
Saint Mother Wudang let out a long breath. A delighted, admiring smile spread across her face. "Master's divine powers are truly boundless!"
Tongtian did not relax. His gaze grew profound. "We can deceive them for a while, but not forever. This time, we were lucky. Next time may not go so smoothly. We must leave this place as soon as possible and find a stable source of resources."
His gaze turned east, in the direction of the Dragon Palace of the East Sea.
"Wudang, Kui Niu, get ready. We'll soon pay a visit to an 'old friend.'"
Before you continue