Golden Ao Island, Biyou Palace.
At that moment, Biyou Palace stood in stark contrast to the gloomy Jade Void Palace.
Here, the place was awash with celebration.
"Senior Brother Gongming is mighty!"
"Hahaha, Senior Brother, you've brought Interception Sect an incredible amount of glory this time!"
"You single-handedly killed two Golden Immortals of the Sect of Explanation and beat that old Randeng into retreat, even making him drop his innate spirit treasure! What a thrill! This is truly satisfying!"
"I heard everyone outside is talking about it now. They say you, Senior Brother Gongming, are the greatest beneath the Saints!"
Countless disciples of Interception Sect surrounded Zhao Gongming in several layers, their faces alight with heartfelt admiration and joy.
Zhao Gongming sat astride Black Tiger, clad in a Daoist robe and holding the twenty-four gleaming Sea Calming Divine Beads. Listening to his junior brothers and sisters sing his praises, he felt completely at ease and full of confidence.
He enjoyed this feeling.
The feeling of being revered by everyone, of becoming the center of attention.
Once, even though he had been the senior brother among Interception Sect's outer disciples, the ones who truly shone within the sect had been its personal disciples: Duobao, Jinling, Wudang, and Guiling.
But now, Zhao Gongming's fame had far surpassed theirs!
His name was even being celebrated throughout the entire Primordial Era.
As he felt the vast fortune gathering from every direction, he sensed that his cultivation was on the verge of a breakthrough, buoyed by its steady flow.
"Greatest beneath the Saints?"
Zhao Gongming mulled over the title, a confident smile spreading across his face.
Perhaps they were right.
With the twenty-four Sea Calming Divine Beads in hand, and the Sky-Turning Seal, Yin Yang Mirror, and Qiankun Ruler he had just acquired, his collection of treasures was so impressive that even against a Saint... perhaps he could exchange a few blows?
Just as he was feeling exhilarated and letting it go to his head, three beams of immortal light flew from the rear hall of Biyou Palace and landed before him.
They were his three younger sisters: Yun Xiao, Qiong Xiao, and Bi Xiao.
"Elder Brother!"
The impatient Bi Xiao rushed over as soon as she landed, her face full of excitement. "You're finally back! You have no idea how wonderfully you did! Teacher Tongtian even praised you in front of everyone, saying you're the backbone of Interception Sect!"
Qiong Xiao was just as thrilled. "That's right, Elder Brother! You gave those people from the Sect of Explanation a real thrashing! I heard Venerable Yuanshi was so angry he spat blood! It's so satisfying!"
Seeing his sisters' excitement, Zhao Gongming smiled even more broadly.
"Hahaha! The Golden Immortals of the Sect of Explanation are nothing but chickens and dogs. They're not worth mentioning!" he declared proudly.
But unlike the excited Qiong Xiao and Bi Xiao, Yun Xiao, who stood at the front, had her brows knitted together. There was no joy on her face; instead, she looked deeply worried.
She stepped forward and gazed at the self-assured Zhao Gongming. "Elder Brother, come with me for a moment. I have something I want to tell you."
Seeing Yun Xiao's grave expression, Zhao Gongming didn't think much of it, but he nodded and followed her to a quiet corner nearby.
Qiong Xiao and Bi Xiao curiously followed them.
"Eldest Sister, what's wrong? Elder Brother won a great victory. Why don't you look happy at all?" Bi Xiao asked in confusion.
Yun Xiao ignored her and looked at Zhao Gongming, speaking earnestly. "Elder Brother, have you been too ruthless this time?"
Zhao Gongming furrowed his brow at her words. "Little Sister, what are you talking about? In a great tribulation, it's kill or be killed. If I didn't kill them, they would have killed me—and our fellow disciples of Interception Sect! Would showing mercy to our enemies be the right thing to do?"
"That's not what I mean." Yun Xiao shook her head, her gaze clear and levelheaded. "I mean, hasn't everything gone... a little too smoothly?"
"Too smoothly?" Zhao Gongming asked, puzzled.
"Yes, far too smoothly." Yun Xiao's voice grew grave. "Elder Brother, think carefully. Guangchengzi had the Sky-Turning Seal in hand. Why was he defeated so quickly? Chijingzi had the Yin-Yang Mirror in hand. Why couldn't he even get close to you? And then there's Randeng. He was a guest at Purple Cloud Palace, an ancient Quasi-Saint with unfathomable cultivation. How could you have beaten him so easily and made him drop his innate spirit treasure?"
"Everything about this is strange. It's almost as if... someone has been secretly helping you, step by step pushing you into the position of 'the greatest beneath the Saints.'"
Yun Xiao's words were like a bucket of cold water, cooling Zhao Gongming's overheated head a little.
He carefully recalled how the battles had gone.
His fight with Guangchengzi had indeed been smooth, but that was because his own strength had overwhelmed him.
When he fought Chijingzi, the other man seemed to have slipped and exposed a fatal opening.
And when he fought Randeng... that had been even smoother. After a few exchanges, Randeng had "accidentally" dropped the Qiankun Ruler and then fled.
Thinking it over, perhaps... things really had gone a little too smoothly.
"This..." Zhao Gongming hesitated.
"Elder Brother, you're far too famous now, your reputation spreading throughout the Primordial Era. That may not be a good thing!" Yun Xiao continued to advise him. "A tree that towers above the forest is bound to be battered by the wind. You've already become a thorn in the Sect of Explanation's side. I'm worried that next time, they won't just send Golden Immortals."
"They might even send a Saint in person!"
At the word "Saint," Qiong Xiao and Bi Xiao's expressions changed as well.
"Surely not?" Bi Xiao said fearfully. "No matter how shameless Venerable Yuanshi is, he wouldn't personally attack Elder Brother, would he?"
"In the midst of a great tribulation, what could be impossible?" Yun Xiao countered. "Three of his disciples have died. He's probably already gone mad. We have to be prepared!"
She looked at Zhao Gongming and spoke solemnly. "Elder Brother, heed my advice. From today on, stay on Golden Ao Island and don't go anywhere. Cultivate in seclusion and recite the Yellow Court Scripture. Don't get involved in the conflicts outside. With Teacher Tongtian here and the grand formation of Biyou Palace in place, even if a Saint comes in person, they won't be able to do anything to you."
Zhao Gongming fell silent for a long time.
Yun Xiao's reasoning had raised his vigilance to the highest level.
He knew his younger sister made sense.
But...
Was he supposed to be a coward now, hiding on the island and refusing to go out?
He couldn't do it!
He had only just tasted the feeling of being revered by everyone and having fortune flow to him. How could he give it up now?
Besides, he had just obtained the Qiankun Ruler. He was thinking of finding a suitable place to fuse the twenty-four Sea Calming Divine Beads with the Qiankun Ruler and manifest the legendary Twenty-Four Heavens.
If he succeeded, his strength would surge once more!
By then, even against a Saint, he might not be entirely powerless!
At that thought, his confidence and pride once again overwhelmed his caution.
He looked at Yun Xiao and smiled. "Little Sister, I understand your concern. But you're underestimating your elder brother."
He tossed the Sea Calming Divine Beads in his hand into the air. The twenty-four orbs circled around him, emanating a terrifying force that suppressed the heavens.
"With the Sea Calming Divine Beads protecting me, I can manifest the Twenty-Four Heavens, making me impervious to all techniques. And now that I've obtained the Sky-Turning Seal and the Qiankun Ruler, my strength has long since changed."
"Even if a Saint comes in person, it won't be easy for them to kill me, Zhao Gongming! If one dares to come, I can finally test just how great the gap between a Saint and me really is!"
His words brimmed with confidence, even a hint of... arrogance.
Watching him, Yun Xiao felt increasingly uneasy.
She knew her elder brother wouldn't listen to reason anymore.
One victory after another had already covered his Dao Heart in a layer of dust called "pride."
"Elder Brother..." She tried to say more.
But Zhao Gongming waved a hand, cutting her off.
"Enough, Little Sister. You don't need to say any more. I know what I'm doing."
He patted Yun Xiao on the shoulder and smiled. "Don't worry, I'll be careful. I plan to find a blessed place and cultivate in seclusion for a while, completely refining these newly acquired treasures. When I emerge, Interception Sect will truly dominate the Primordial Era!"
With that, he didn't wait for Yun Xiao to speak again. Laughing, he turned and walked back to his fellow disciples, who were still cheering, and joined them in celebration.
Yun Xiao stood where she was, watching her elder brother's confident figure as he walked away. All she could do was sigh helplessly.
"I hope... I'm just overthinking it."
She murmured to herself, but no matter what, she couldn't shake the gloom in her heart.
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