"You're Fang Yang? Hahahaha! I never thought the new Core Disciple our master took in would be a turncoat who picks on the weak and fears the strong, betraying his own side. Master, Fang Yang has deceived you. You raised him, yet he joined forces with outsiders to attack his fellow disciples!"
When Lü Yue learned Fang Yang's identity, grief and outrage washed over him. Two trails of bloody tears slid from the corners of his eyes as he poured out one heartfelt accusation after another, each more moving than the last.
At that moment, Fang Yang became the evil Great Demon King. The whole world condemned him, pointing fingers and saying he was in the wrong.
Hearing such accusations, Meng Zhen was dumbfounded. He looked at Fang Yang as if to ask, Doesn't your Interception Sect have any rules?
Of course the Interception Sect had rules. It was just that the person in charge of enforcing them never did.
That wasn't quite accurate, either. The person in charge had long since turned the rules into a tool for consolidating power.
Anyone willing to acknowledge and support him could get away with any offense without facing punishment under the rules.
He would say that the Interception Sect's doctrine was to Intercept a Glimmer of Life, and that everyone deserved a chance to mend their ways.
But those unwilling to support him—or who had a problem with those who did—would be punished under the rules for even saying one wrong word, or expressing an opinion that differed from his during a discussion of scripture.
That was Daoist Duobao's understanding of being supreme above all others.
Daoist Duobao's position in the Interception Sect was so secure that no one could shake it.
It was no exaggeration to say that Sect Master Tongtian had brought up Daoist Duobao, and Daoist Duobao had brought up the Myriad Immortals of the Sect of Interception.
In that environment, Daoist Duobao's Path gradually took shape. After he became a Great Luo Golden Immortal, his Path finally flourished.
Fang Yang turned his gaze to Lü Yue, his eyes cold and utterly devoid of feeling.
He wasn't a sentimental person to begin with. He could quickly embrace the Interception Sect because of his stance, but he felt no brotherly affection for those who undermined the sect's fortune.
He wasn't like the protagonists of domestic dramas, who always ended up with a happy ending, no matter what had happened.
His name was Fang Yang, not Tian Xiaocao!
Those who harmed his fortune would die! Those who acted against the Interception Sect would die! Those who obstructed his Path would die!
Killing might not be the best way to solve a problem, but it was always the fastest.
Of course, he couldn't kill Lü Yue and the others just yet. Who would fill the Investiture of the Gods if he did?
"Investiture of the Gods?"
Fang Yang's thoughts shifted. He suddenly came up with a good idea.
Why not work with Haotian Shangdi?
Wasn't Haotian Shangdi short on people? Fang Yang could personally refine a God Summoning Banner, collect these people's True Spirits, and bring them completely under his control. Then he could package them up and send them to Haotian Shangdi.
He didn't need to wait for the Battle of the Investiture of the Gods. The Divine positions in the Heavenly Court would already be full before the battle began.
If the Heavenly Court didn't need any more gods, what was the point of holding a battle to invest them?!
Once the idea occurred to him, Fang Yang's gaze toward Lü Yue softened.
When he sold these scoundrels to Haotian Shangdi, he could sign a contract with him in the name of the Interception Sect. Eighty percent of the merit the scoundrels earned would go to the sect, with the remaining twenty percent going to the Heavenly Court.
He called this Spirit Outsourcing.
Lü Yue and the others were no longer Furred and Horned, Born from Wetness and Eggs. They were his employees.
"Junior Brother, don't take this the wrong way, but you really should've had more self-respect. You've done something so disgraceful that even I, your elder brother, can't save you. How about this? Go cultivate in my Yin Yang Two Forms Gourd for now. Once I've refined a treasure, I'll come back and enslave you."
Without waiting for Lü Yue to respond, Fang Yang took him into the Yin Yang Two Forms Gourd.
The sight made the little newcomer Meng Zhen's eyes shine.
Fang Yang had just said he would enslave Lü Yue. Meng Zhen found it deeply satisfying, and at the same time, it felt as though a whole new world had opened up before him.
"Fellow Daoist Fang Yang, do you really intend to enslave your junior brother?"
Meng Zhen asked uncertainly.
He felt Fang Yang was being far too presumptuous. Wasn't he afraid Sect Master Tongtian would blame him?
Meng Zhen still didn't understand Sect Master Tongtian.
If Fang Yang had been an outsider, his attempt to enslave Lü Yue would indeed have angered Sect Master Tongtian.
But Fang Yang was one of Sect Master Tongtian's Core Disciples!
Everything Fang Yang did was one part of the Path of Jie Heaven's evolution.
Even if Fang Yang fought Daoist Duobao, Sect Master Tongtian wouldn't intervene—as long as they didn't reach the point of trying to kill each other.
Of course, if they really reached that point, whether Sect Master Tongtian intervened or not would hardly matter.
They'd already fallen out. What would be the point of intervening? Better to let them settle things to the death and keep the conflict from spreading.
A fight between Fang Yang and Daoist Duobao alone was better than a fight between their respective factions.
"Heh. I am an enlightened immortal. How could I truly harm a fellow disciple? I'm only doing this to temper Junior Brother Lü Yue. He must endure hardship before he can become an Immortal above Immortal."
Though Meng Zhen had little experience, he'd seen Fang Yang take Lü Yue away with his own eyes. A senior brother like that probably wouldn't care so much about his junior brother.
"Fellow Daoist, your virtue is admirable! But I heard from Fellow Daoist Guangchengzi that the person in charge of your sect's rules isn't you."
Meng Zhen was an honest person who said whatever came to mind. Poor God of War of Zhuolu had no idea that Meng Zhen was actually a very discreet person.
"That's true. But from the moment he took charge of the rules, they became nothing but a hollow formality. Rules that exist in name only might as well not exist. Since there are no rules, why should I care what he thinks?"
Daoist Duobao was free to avoid responsibility; Fang Yang didn't hold it against him. But if Daoist Duobao tried to stop Fang Yang from getting things done, Fang Yang wouldn't show him any respect.
The Interception Sect was already in a sorry state. If no one took charge and set things right, a Shituo City or a Children's Country would spring up beyond Golden Ao Island.
Daoist Duobao liked the idea that "lay down the butcher's knife and become a Buddha on the spot." He accepted all kinds of Demons, but Fang Yang didn't approve.
Hearing this, Meng Zhen couldn't help but regard him with renewed respect.
He'd learned many things about the Interception Sect from Guangchengzi, and had once thought the sect would sink deeper and deeper into the abyss of being Furred and Horned.
Now that he'd met Fang Yang, he realized Guangchengzi had exaggerated. The truth was nothing like what Guangchengzi had said.
There were already people in the Interception Sect who wanted to change it and restore order.
Just as Meng Zhen was about to speak, Fang Yang spoke first.
"Fellow Daoist Meng Zhen, I was heading east this time to seek the Dao in East Pole Heaven. I have a matter here that concerns the welfare of all living things, and I'd like to ask your people for help."
Fang Yang had originally planned to go to East Pole Heaven. But after meeting its Crown Prince, things had become much easier.
The Crown Prince didn't have many ulterior motives and was very easy to persuade.
If he'd met inherently wicked people like Guangchengzi or Juliusun, Fang Yang would've grabbed a train and fled in the middle of the night. He wouldn't have entertained such wishful thinking.
"Please, go ahead!"
Meng Zhen replied, curiosity in his voice.
I waited all night for a slow train, then stood on it for eighteen hours. Tomorrow's update will be a little late; I need to catch up on sleep today.
Before you continue