"Hahahaha! The Immortal Seeds you brought us are truly marvelous, fellow Daoist. From now on, the mortals of my clan will never have to worry about going hungry again, and our immortals will be able to create their own cultivation resources. Come, I, the Emperor, offer you a toast."
At Changle Palace, Emperor Shennong was seeing Fang Yang off.
The Divine Grain project was already on track. Emperor Shennong would make the plans for its future himself, so Fang Yang could leave with peace of mind.
"Your Majesty is too kind. We both got what we wanted."
Fang Yang didn't dare take all the credit. Though part of what he'd done was for the Human Clan, he'd done it mostly for his own sake.
If he hadn't been a Saint's personal disciple, even if he'd obtained the Divine Grain, he wouldn't have handed it over.
He feared that the moment he brought it out, someone with ulterior motives would kill him.
Where there was light, there was bound to be shadow. Every faction had its Radicals, and the Human Clan could hardly be an exception.
They might kill Fang Yang to monopolize the merit, then promote the Divine Grain themselves. It was entirely possible.
Emperor Shennong liked Fang Yang's "frankness." Dealing with someone like him meant there was no need to second-guess anything.
"Good. We did get what we wanted. As for the Myriad Worlds Pursuit Order, I've already sent word of it throughout the Myriad Worlds. Here, I wish you success in rooting out the wicked and restoring the Interception Sect to its rightful place in the Three Realms!"
The Human Clan's influence spread across the Myriad Worlds. Its people had even reached the Sea of Stars and the Outer World. Carrying out this task would take no effort at all.
The Protagonist of Heaven and Earth might not yet have reached its peak, but it was still the Protagonist of Heaven and Earth!
"Thank you for your kind words, Your Majesty! Since Your Majesty trusts my Interception Sect, we won't let you down. My sect will carry forward the boundless love of Great God Pangu and intercept a glimmer of life for all things and all living beings!"
Fang Yang bowed solemnly and made his promise to Emperor Shennong.
It was a promise to Emperor Shennong—and the ambition in his heart.
The Path of Jie Heaven would surely be fully realized. The Interception Sect would not only stand atop the Primordial Wilderness, but atop the myriad worlds of Chaos and the boundless reaches of space and time.
Feeling the strength of Fang Yang's conviction, Emperor Shennong praised him inwardly.
Perhaps Fang Yang wasn't trying to be a sage from the bottom of his heart. But if he did the things a sage did, what difference was there between him and a great sage?
Fang Yang set out on his journey back to Qingcheng Mountain, while the Myriad Worlds Pursuit Order had already spread throughout the Primordial Wilderness.
The Human, Enlightenment, and Sect of Interception, the Heavenly Court and the Underworld, the Witch, Demon, Human, Dragon, and Phoenix Clans—all the great factions were left utterly stunned by the news.
A Core Disciple of the Interception Sect had actually issued an order across the Myriad Worlds, offering a reward for the pursuit of Interception Sect disciples—and promised the magical arts of a Saint Great Sect as payment.
Nothing like this had ever happened since the Heaven and Earth Opening.
On Zuo Tian Peak, Kunlun Mountain, two mighty figures in purple robes sat facing one another. Dense Dao Light and Immortal Qi rose around them.
One sat as steady as Mount Tai, his back straight as if he could hold up Heaven and Earth. The other commanded life and death, with Underworld Ghosts and Gods yielding the way before him.
They were powerful figures of the Sect of Enlightenment: Guangchengzi and Chijingzi.
Guangchengzi reached out and plucked a wisp of fragrance from the void. A voice then spoke from within it.
"This junior pays respects to Heavenly Venerate Guangcheng. I've received word that Fang Yang, the Interception Sect's Fifth Personal Disciple, has issued a Myriad Worlds Pursuit Order, offering rewards for Interception Sect disciples who violate their sect's rules."
Divine Incense messages were the preferred method of communication among immortals of Saint Great Sects. Since this method sent messages through the Power of Faith, they could neither be intercepted nor delayed; a message could reach someone else in an instant.
When they first heard the news, Guangchengzi and Chijingzi could hardly believe it. They exchanged a glance, then began divining together.
The results left them looking peculiar.
"I didn't expect a mere Postnatal Human to have such courage. But Fang Yang even turned on his fellow disciples. He must be a dangerous man."
Guangchengzi treated all Interception Sect disciples alike. He wanted them dead so badly he could hardly stand it.
Chijingzi nodded slightly. He, too, wanted them dead with all his heart.
"Exactly. Duobao is a rat, shortsighted and small-minded. He only sees the glory before him; he can't see what kind of fruit the seeds he's planted will bear."
"Fang Yang is different. He's human, one of the members of this era's Protagonist of Heaven and Earth. He has a wariness Duobao lacks, and he understands the crisis facing the Interception Sect."
He'd never had anyone covet his chastity, but at the previous Four Teachings Dao Discussion Conference, he'd nearly won five matches in a row and claimed an Innate Spiritual Treasure.
Then he ran into Saint Mother Jin Ling. She ended his winning streak and took away the Innate Spiritual Treasure that, in his own opinion, belonged to him.
The Hatred of Blocking the Dao was worse than anything under Heaven. Like Guangchengzi, Chijingzi deeply hated the Interception Sect disciples.
"Since Fang Yang has acted this way, should our Sect of Enlightenment make a move and test him?"
Chijingzi considered it, then asked.
Guangchengzi decided without a moment's hesitation. He shook his head slightly.
"No need. Since Fang Yang dared to issue the Myriad Worlds Pursuit Order, he must be determined to reform the Interception Sect. If our sect rashly moves against its disciples, it may provoke a conflict between the Chan and Jie Sects."
"Of course, our Sect of Enlightenment doesn't fear the Interception Sect. Each sect has its own strengths and its own way of survival."
"What I'm worried about is our master. If we're the ones to start a conflict between the Chan and Jie Sects, our master may not take our side."
Though Guangchengzi was known as the God of War of Zhuolu, he was no fool.
In their great war against the Witch Clan, who had built its power on warfare, even the Demon Race had been forced to rely on overwhelming numbers, yet still couldn't win.
How could Guangchengzi be useless?
Guangchengzi fought only the toughest battles, and every time, he faced an enemy on their own terms while fighting at his own disadvantage.
The Sect of Enlightenment had never excelled at formations, yet Guangchengzi repeatedly entered them and fought them head-on. Before the battle with Yin Jiao, he hadn't even brought out the Sky-Overturning Seal.
Guangchengzi was no pushover.
He knew Primordial Heavenly Venerate extremely well. Even if he wanted to move against the Interception Sect, he would act according to his master's wishes.
As long as Primordial Heavenly Venerate didn't want to move against the Interception Sect, Guangchengzi would never be the one to make the first move.
Hearing what Guangchengzi meant, Chijingzi decided they should take their time and consider their options.
Meanwhile, Daoist Duobao was in dire straits.
He and his supporters had knelt beneath Purple Ganoderma Cliff for five hundred years, but Sect Master Tongtian still hadn't agreed to see them.
In the end, Saint Mother Wudang couldn't bear to watch any longer. She gave Daoist Duobao a way to save face, allowing him to leave with his dignity intact.
Daoist Duobao realized that Fang Yang must have persuaded Sect Master Tongtian to reform the Interception Sect.
That meant the foundations he'd built within the sect were about to be destroyed.
Saint Mother Jin Ling, Saint Mother Wudang, and the others respected him as their senior brother, but they had no intention of helping him shield the Outer Disciples.
Just as Daoist Duobao was at his lowest, fresh bad news arrived: Fang Yang had roused the immortals of the world to turn against the Interception Sect disciples under his command!
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