Three Immortals Infiltrate Under Cover of Night, A Formation Deceives the Heavenly Court

Inside the cave, the aura of Chaos gradually subsided, leaving only a restrained and profound Dao rhythm lingering around Tongtian. He slowly opened his eyes, feeling the nascent Primordial Dao Fruit in his dantian, as well as the Method Power within him, which was far purer and vaster than that of an early-stage Quasi-Saint. His heart settled slightly.

His foundation was laid, and though the road ahead was long, a glimmer of light finally appeared.

He stood up, stretching his limbs. The cracks in his Saint Body had healed considerably under the nourishment of the Chaos Origin. Though far from fully recovered, there was no longer any danger of collapse.

Saint Mother Wudang and Kui Niu, who were guarding the perimeter, immediately sensed this and hurried forward.

"Congratulations, Master (Lord), on your progress!" The woman and the ox, sensing the increasingly profound and mysterious aura emanating from Tongtian, were overjoyed. Although Tongtian's cultivation realm didn't seem to have increased significantly, they could feel that their Master's essence was undergoing a pleasing transformation.

Tongtian nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over Saint Mother Wudang's still pale face and Kui Niu's old wounds that hadn't fully healed. He frowned. The remaining Origin Repair Fluid could only help their injuries to a limited extent.

"During my seclusion, have there been any unusual occurrences outside?" Tongtian asked, his divine sense subtly spreading out, sensing the aura above the ruins of Golden Ao Island.

Saint Mother Wudang's expression turned serious as she replied, "Replying to Master, your disciple has strictly followed your orders and has not left this place. Using divine sense to cautiously investigate, there are no signs of outsiders intruding on the island. However..." She paused, her tone carrying a hint of gravity, "Several days ago, three faint yet powerful divine senses came from the West, quietly sweeping over the ruins of Golden Ao Island. They lingered for a moment before departing. Their aura... seemed to belong to people from the Western Teachings."

"The Western Teachings?" Tongtian's eyes flashed with cold light. "Do you know who specifically?"

"All three divine senses carried an aura of Bodhi and purity, yet each was distinct. One contained sharpness within compassion, another had a hint of illusion within wisdom, and the third possessed the air of asceticism within resilience. If my guess is correct, they should be Guanyin, Samantabhadra, and Manjushri, the Bodhisattvas of the Western Teachings." Saint Mother Wudang recalled carefully. She had encountered them in the Myriad Immortals Formation before and had some impression of their auras.

"It's them," Tongtian snorted coldly. These three were originally Cihang Daoren, Puxian Zhenren, and Manjushri Guangfa Tianzun among the Twelve Golden Immortals of the Heavenly Origin Sect. After the War of Investiture of the Gods, they were converted by Saint Zhunti of the Western Teachings, had their names changed, and became esteemed Bodhisattvas of the Western Teachings.

Their secret probing of Golden Ao Island had an obvious purpose—the Two Saints of the West must have become suspicious of the events in Chaos that day and sent them to investigate his true strength!

"Did they discover this place?" Tongtian asked calmly, yet with a hint of coldness in his voice.

"They shouldn't have," Saint Mother Wudang affirmed. "Your disciple used the residual formations here and the restrictions you previously set up to conceal everything with all her might. They did not investigate deeply, seemingly leaving after confirming there were no obvious abnormalities on the island."

Tongtian felt slightly relieved upon hearing this, but his vigilance intensified. The Two Saints of the West had keen senses and would not give up easily. This time, only three Bodhisattvas came; next time, it might not be so simple.

His strength was far from recovered, and the consequences of being exposed were unimaginable.

He had to increase his strength as quickly as possible, and... he needed resources! Vast amounts of resources to heal his injuries, to nurture the growth of the Primordial Dao Fruit, and to rebuild even a small foundation for the Intercepting Sect!

Relying solely on absorbing spiritual energy from heaven and earth was too slow. And he was now penniless. Apart from the initially refined Chaos Bead and the damaged Qingping Sword, he had almost nothing. His many spiritual treasures from the past were either destroyed in the great war or divided among the Saints.

"Resources..." Tongtian pondered for a moment, his gaze suddenly falling on Saint Mother Wudang. "Wudang, what is the current situation of our Intercepting Sect's former branch residences, mines, and medicinal gardens scattered throughout the Great Desolation?"

Saint Mother Wudang's face immediately showed bitterness. "Master... they are gone, almost all of them. After the Investiture of the Gods, the Saints joined forces to suppress the remaining forces of our sect. Those branch residences were long ago occupied by disciples of the Heavenly Origin Sect, Human Teachings, and even the Western Teachings. The resource points were also completely plundered. Any disciples who showed the slightest resistance... met a tragic end."

Although he had expected it, hearing it firsthand, Tongtian's heart sank. When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter; when the wall collapses, everyone pushes. The Intercepting Sect now was truly at its lowest ebb.

Could he go into Chaos to seek opportunities? But Chaos was vast and fraught with danger. In his current state, it would be like searching for a needle in a haystack.

Just as Tongtian frowned in thought, the System notification sound from deep within his Primordial Spirit rang out again:

[Detected Host's resource shortage, long-term mission issued: Rebuild the Intercepting Sect's resource system.]

[Sub-mission 1: Obtain startup resources. Recommended target: Dragon King of the East Sea, Ao Guang.]

[Mission Description: The Dragon Palace of the East Sea possesses profound heritage and numerous treasures, and it has a long-standing friendship with the Intercepting Sect (Host once preached to the Dragon Clan in Biyou Palace, alleviating their karmic suffering). The Dragon Clan is currently in a difficult situation, heavily suppressed by the Heavenly Court, and urgently needs strong support. This is a mutually beneficial endeavor.]

[Mission Reward: Based on the quantity and quality of resources obtained, corresponding "Contribution Points" will be awarded, which can be exchanged for special items in the System Mall (e.g., Targeted Teleportation Talisman, Advanced Concealment Formation Disk, Disposable Law Fragment, etc.).]

Dragon King of the East Sea? System Mall?

Tongtian's gaze flickered. The System had indeed pointed him in the right direction. The Dragon Palace of the East Sea was indeed a good choice. The Dragon Clan was renowned for its wealth throughout the Great Desolation, and there was indeed some lingering connection with the Intercepting Sect. Although the Dragon Clan did not openly assist the Intercepting Sect during the War of Investiture of the Gods, they did not kick them while they were down.

As for the System Mall... it seemed he would have to explore its functions himself gradually.

"Master?" Wudang called out softly when she saw Tongtian lost in thought.

Tongtian came back to his senses and said, "It's nothing. Regarding resources, I have a plan. For now, we need to resolve another hidden danger."

He looked up, his gaze seeming to pierce through layers of rock and see the Great Desolation's starry sky.

"Who is currently in charge of the Myriad Stars Array in the Great Desolation?" Tongtian suddenly asked.

Wudang was startled. Though she didn't understand why, she replied, "Replying to Master, since the collapse of the Monster Court, the Myriad Stars Array has been managed by the Heavenly Court. Currently, under Haotian Shangdi and Yaochi Jinmu, the 365 Righteous Gods, relying on the power of the Investiture of the Gods, operate the stars and regulate the spiritual energy of the Great Desolation. Among them... many are the True Spirits of our sect's former disciples."

She spoke the last part with a somber tone. Former fellow disciples, not only dead and their True Spirits placed on the Investiture of the Gods, but also now serving the Heavenly Court, working for others.

A cold glint flashed in Tongtian's eyes. Haotian and Yaochi, those two young attendants from Zixiao Palace back then, were quite powerful now.

"Operating the stars and regulating spiritual energy... meaning, theoretically, all subtle changes in spiritual energy across the Great Desolation are under the surveillance of the Heavenly Court?" Tongtian asked calmly.

Saint Mother Wudang's expression shifted slightly upon hearing this, and she instantly understood Tongtian's concern. "Master, are you worried that the aura of Chaos triggered by your cultivation this time, although largely isolated by the formations here, might still have extremely subtle fluctuations leaking out, which could be detected by the Heavenly Court's Righteous Gods responsible for monitoring the East Sea star domain?"

"Not possibly, but certainly," Tongtian said lightly. "Ordinary cultivation might be difficult to detect, but the aura of Chaos is extraordinary. Even the slightest trace is hard to escape the senses of the Myriad Stars Array. It's likely that at this very moment, some Star God has already reported the anomaly in the East Sea to the Heavenly Court."

Saint Mother Wudang immediately became anxious. "Then what should we do? If the Heavenly Court sends people to investigate..."

The current Golden Ao Island could not withstand any scrutiny! Once the Heavenly Court discovered any clues and paid attention, or even reported it to the Saints behind them, Master would be in danger!

However, Tongtian did not panic. He looked at Wudang. "I recall you are skilled in formations, especially in illusion and concealment formations. Can you now set up a formation that can conceal heavenly secrets and simulate ordinary terrestrial spiritual energy fluctuations? The range doesn't need to be large, just enough to cover our hiding place."

Saint Mother Wudang pondered for a moment and said solemnly, "Your disciple will do her best to try! Some foundations of the residual Biyou Palace grand formation here still exist. Your disciple can try to activate one or two of them, and then supplement with illusion formations. Perhaps we can simulate normal terrestrial fluctuations and mask the aura of Chaos. However... to completely evade the detection of the Myriad Stars Array, especially to hide from the senses of the Investiture of the Gods, I'm afraid..."

She looked troubled. The Investiture of the Gods was a divine artifact of the Heavenly Dao, and combined with the Myriad Stars Array, its surveillance power was extremely strong.

"It's alright, just set up the formation and do your best. The rest is up to me," Tongtian said with a steady tone, giving a sense of reassuring power.

"Yes! Your disciple will prepare immediately!" Saint Mother Wudang accepted the order and immediately began busy herself within the cave, taking out various treasured formation materials. Combining them with the residual formation foundations in the ruins, she began to carve formation patterns.

Tongtian, meanwhile, closed his eyes, his mind sinking into his dantian, communicating with the newly formed Primordial Dao Fruit.

In the center of the Dao Fruit, the tiny Chaos vortex spun slowly. As Tongtian's will guided it, a wisp of Chaos Qi, finer than a strand of hair, was stripped away. Following a mysterious trajectory, it was silently integrated into the core of the formation that Saint Mother Wudang was currently setting up.

At the same time, the System notification sounded:

[Consumed 100 Contribution Points (Newbie Initial Gift), successfully redeemed "Beginner Heavenly Secrets Disturbance Talisman (One-time Use)". Automatically activated, Effect: Slightly disturbs Heavenly Secrets perception in a specific area for three hours.]

Saint Mother Wudang, who was in the process of setting up the formation, suddenly let out a soft "Eh?" She felt as if her understanding of formations had instantly become much clearer, the formation patterns she was inscribing became smoother and more natural, and the power of heaven and earth she was drawing upon became more harmonious. The overall effect of the concealment illusion formation increased by more than thirty percent out of nowhere!

She merely thought it was her Master secretly assisting her, and her admiration deepened as she focused even more intently on the arrangement.

Tongtian understood inwardly; this was the result of the System and his own Chaos Qi working together. He waited quietly.

Several hours later, a complex formation covering the entire underground cave quietly took shape. The formation light flashed and then vanished, becoming invisible. From an external perspective, the spiritual energy fluctuations in this area were no different from ordinary broken spiritual veins, with no trace of anything unusual.

That night, above the Great Desolation sky, the stars of the heavens moved in profound trajectories, casting endless starlight.

The star official corresponding to the East Sea region—the "East Sea Star Lord" appointed on the Investiture of the Gods—had a True Spirit that was once an outer disciple of the Intercepting Sect. He was currently patrolling according to regulations, sensing the spiritual energy in the lower realm.

His divine sense swept over the ruins of Golden Ao Island and paused slightly. A few days ago, he seemed to have detected an extremely strange fluctuation of energy. Although faint, it was of extremely high caliber, making him instinctively tremble. He had already recorded it and planned to carefully investigate and report it today.

But sensing it again at this moment, the ruins only contained deathly silence and the chaotic fluctuations common to broken spiritual veins, with no trace of abnormality. That strange energy from before seemed like a mere illusion caused by the movement of the stars.

The East Sea Star Lord (True Spirit) was silent for a moment. Although he was on the Investiture of the Gods and under the jurisdiction of the Heavenly Court, deep down, he still harbored a complex emotion for the Intercepting Sect and Sect Master Tongtian.

He carefully investigated several more times, and after confirming there was no mistake, he finally erased the abnormal record from a few days ago on his patrol jade slip, marking it only as "Earth Vein Disorder, No Anomaly."

After doing all this, he looked down at the familiar ruins below, a barely perceptible sadness flashing in his eyes. He then returned to his cold demeanor and continued patrolling other areas.

Inside the underground cave.

Tongtian slowly opened his eyes, a faint smile curving the corners of his lips.

"Master, how is it?" Saint Mother Wudang asked nervously.

"It's safe for now," Tongtian said calmly. "The Heavenly Court should be temporarily fooled."

Upon hearing this, Saint Mother Wudang breathed a long sigh of relief, her face showing a joyful and admiring smile. "Master's Spiritual Power is boundless!"

Tongtian did not relax, his gaze becoming profound. "We can fool them for a while, but not forever. This time was a stroke of luck; next time may not be so smooth. We must leave here as soon as possible and find a stable source of resources."

His gaze turned eastward, in the direction of the Dragon Palace of the East Sea.

"Wudang, Kui Niu, prepare yourselves. In a few days, we will pay a visit to that 'old friend'."