Tongtian Sage's Appreciation! Sect of Interception Guest Elder!

"Reporting to Sage Tongtian."

Ye Xuan's voice rang out clear, his tone resolute.

"What this junior cultivates is the Human Path, which is also the Path of Self."

"All beings in the Primordial Wilderness speak of following Heaven's will. Cultivating the Heavenly Dao, comprehending its laws, borrowing the power of Heaven and Earth to strengthen oneself. Yet the Heavenly Dao is lofty and distant, treating all things as straw dogs. If this Heaven were flawed, if this Heaven sought to destroy me, what then?"

Tongtian Jiaozhu's eyes flashed with Essence Light. "Continue."

Ye Xuan straightened his back, each word a pearl of wisdom:

"When the Heavenly Dao is flawed, the Human Path must stand strong."

"My method is the Seed of the Self. I treat the human body as a universe, the Secret Realms as stars. I seek no gifts from Heaven, borrow nothing from without—I seek only my own invincibility!"

"By returning all power to the self, even if Heaven and Earth collapse and spiritual energy dries up, I can remain eternal and undying."

Having said this, Ye Xuan raised his head, meeting Tongtian Jiaozhu's gaze directly, a startling brilliance erupting in his eyes.

"If following Heaven lets me live, then I will follow Heaven."

"But if this Heaven seeks to crush me, to cut off my path to survival..."

"Then I will split this Heaven open!"

Boom!

As that final sentence landed, it was as if thunder exploded behind Ye Xuan. A domineering will—defying Heaven, declaring that his fate was his own to command, not Heaven's—surged through the hall.

After a brief silence...

"Hahaha! Good! Good! Good!"

Tongtian Jiaozhu suddenly burst into loud laughter, his laughter shaking the Nine Heavens.

He looked at Ye Xuan, the admiration in his eyes no longer concealed.

What was the creed of the Sect of Interception?

To seize a thread of life!

What did interception mean? It meant to contend! To snatch! To forcibly carve out a path of survival beneath the fixed decrees of the Heavenly Dao!

Ye Xuan's declaration of "splitting Heaven open," though arrogant, struck straight at the heart of Tongtian Jiaozhu's own beliefs.

"Well said—splitting Heaven open!"

After his laughter subsided, Tongtian Jiaozhu's expression softened considerably.

"Your temperament suits me well. If a cultivator lacks this spirit of defying fate and changing destiny, what's the point of seeking immortality?"

The laughter faded.

Tongtian Jiaozhu shifted the topic, his gaze growing profound.

"With this spirit and great fortune protecting you, it's no wonder even a divine object like that chose you as its master."

Ye Xuan's heart tightened.

Here came the main point.

The Chaos Bead!

Though he believed Tongtian Jiaozhu's status would prevent him from forcibly taking it, exposing his trump card before a being of this level inevitably stirred instinctive tension.

Tongtian Jiaozhu seemed to see through his thoughts and smiled calmly.

"Don't be nervous."

"This Seat is a Sage; I would not stoop to robbing a junior's fortune."

"Spiritual treasures have their own awareness. Since the Chaos Bead willingly acknowledged you as its master, that is your destiny. It cannot be forced."

Hearing this, a great weight lifted from Ye Xuan's heart.

"However..."

Tongtian Jiaozhu's expression turned slightly serious.

"The Chaos Bead is the 'one that fled,' entangled in great matters. Though you've used your own divine abilities to conceal its aura, if you encounter someone perceptive, you may still slip up."

"Especially those two shameless ones from the West, who love to snatch things under the pretext of 'this object has a connection with me.'"

At the mention of the Western Two Sages, a flicker of disdain passed through Tongtian Jiaozhu's eyes.

"Very well. Since you are Gongming's sworn brother, This Seat will lend you a hand."

Tongtian Jiaozhu raised his hand, and a cyan rune condensed at his fingertip.

That rune, formed from pure Shangqing Sage power, radiated a mysterious and unfathomable aura.

"Go."

The rune flew out, directly entering Ye Xuan's brow, imprinting itself upon the Chaos Bead within.

"With this rune as a veil, unless Hongjun Daozu himself arrives, not even the other Sages can see through the truth within your Consciousness Sea."

"Thank you, Sage!"

Ye Xuan was overjoyed and quickly bowed again.

This was a huge help to him.

With this protective charm, as long as he didn't actively whip out the Chaos Bead to smash people, he wouldn't have to worry about being coveted while traveling through the Primordial Wilderness from now on.

Tongtian Jiaozhu looked at Ye Xuan, finding him more agreeable the longer he looked.

This young man possessed peerless talent, an open and straightforward nature, and was fated to be connected with the Sect of Interception.

If it weren't for the fact that he bore the Human Emperor Fruit Position, entangling him in karma with Junior Sister Nuwa, he would have wanted to take him directly as a personal disciple.

"A pity. You are the Human Emperor, so it is not convenient for me to accept you as a disciple."

Tongtian Jiaozhu pondered for a moment, then turned his palm over.

A token, carved entirely from purple jade, with "Shangqing" engraved on the front and "Jasper Tour" on the back, drifted slowly down before Ye Xuan.

"This is the Shangqing Token."

Tongtian Jiaozhu's voice was majestic and solemn.

"From this day forward, you shall be the 'Guest Elder' of my Sect of Interception."

"Though we lack the title of master and disciple, we share the substance of being from the same sect. Within the Sect of Interception, your status shall equal that of personal disciples like Duobao and Zhao Gongming. Seeing this token is like seeing This Seat!"

"In the future, should the human race face calamity, or should you personally encounter troubles beyond your ability to resolve, you may hold this token and come to Golden Ao Island."

"The ten thousand immortals of my Sect of Interception may perhaps lend you a hand."

Guest Elder!

Ye Xuan gripped the token, still warm to the touch, his heart shaken deeply.

This was not just an identity; it was a protective charm, a ticket into the top circles of the Primordial Wilderness.

With this connection, the great ship of the Sect of Interception was now thoroughly tied to him.

"This junior... thanks the Sect Leader for his great favor!"

Ye Xuan bowed deeply. This bow came from the heart.

"Go, then."

Tongtian Jiaozhu waved his hand and closed his eyes once more, as if merging back into the Great Dao.

"Zhao Gongming is outside the hall. Let him show you around."

"Yes."

Ye Xuan put away the token, took three steps back, turned, and left the hall.

Outside the hall.

Zhao Gongming was riding on the back of his Black Tiger, pacing back and forth, occasionally craning his neck to peer inside, looking quite anxious.

"Why isn't he out yet? Could the master's examination have been too harsh?"

"Brother Ye is straightforward by nature. I hope he didn't offend the master."

Just as he was lost in thought—

"Creak."

The hall doors opened.

Ye Xuan walked out with a relaxed expression, a faint, barely perceptible smile hanging at the corner of his mouth.

"Brother Ye!"

Zhao Gongming's eyes lit up. He quickly jumped off the Black Tiger and hurried over. "How was it? The master didn't make things difficult for you, did he?"

"Rest assured, Brother Zhao. The Sect Leader was very kind."

Ye Xuan said with a smile. "And, I must congratulate you, Brother Zhao."

"Congratulate me? Congratulate me for what?" Zhao Gongming was completely baffled.

Ye Xuan opened his palm, revealing the purple-qi-circling Shangqing Token.

"The Sect Leader showed me great favor and appointed me as the Guest Elder of the Sect of Interception, with status equal to a personal disciple."

"In terms of seniority..."

Ye Xuan looked at the dumbfounded Zhao Gongming and grinned mischievously.

"Brother Zhao, we're now on equal footing. In front of those third- and fourth-generation disciples, you'd even have to call me 'Uncle-Master,' wouldn't you?"

"Gah?"

Zhao Gongming stared at the token, his eyes nearly popping out of his head, his jaw practically dropping to his feet.

"G-Guest Elder?!"

"And with personal disciple treatment?!"

He sucked in a sharp breath, looking at Ye Xuan as if he were staring at a monster.

This is an unprecedented precedent in the history of the Sect of Interception!

"Brother... no, Elder..."

Zhao Gongming stammered for a long time, then suddenly slapped his thigh and burst into laughter:

"Hahaha! Forget about seniority! It's a good thing either way!"

"Come! We must drink to celebrate! No going home sober tonight!"

"Good! No going home sober!"

Laughter echoed across Golden Ao Island.

Inside Zhao Gongming's cave dwelling, night pearls cast a soft, hazy glow.

A massive green jade stone table was laden with Delicacies.

Most of that Primordial Unity Golden Immortal realm Red Dragon King had now found its way into their stomachs.

"What a blast! What a blast!"

Zhao Gongming's face was flushed red, clearly deep in his cups.

With a grand wave of his hand, he carefully retrieved a sealed, ancient wine jar from the depths of his storage pouch.

The moment the seal was broken, a rich, intoxicating Wine Fragrance instantly flooded the entire cave dwelling.

This aroma was laced with strands of Great Dao Laws; just one sniff made one's Primordial Spirit feel as if it were soaring to immortality.

"Brother Ye, today you've become our Sect of Interception's Guest Elder—this is a momentous celebration!"

Zhao Gongming slurred, speaking with unrestrained boldness: "This is my 'Great Dao Drunken Immortal Brew,' which I've treasured for tens of thousands of years! Even when Senior Brother Duobao asked me for it, I couldn't bear to part with it. But this brew is incredibly potent—even a Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal will black out if they drink too much. Dare you give it a try, brother?"

Ye Xuan smelled the wine's fragrance, and the craving within him stirred. He smiled and said, "Why wouldn't I dare? Since Brother Zhao is being so generous, this younger brother will gladly keep you company!"

"Excellent!"

Zhao Gongming poured a full, large bowl for each of them.

The liquor was amber in color, thick as honey.

As cups clinked and toasts were exchanged, the atmosphere reached its peak of excitement.