"Isn't it just a few humans? Why make such a fuss?!"
"Humans being eaten by the Demon Race is simply part of the Heavenly Dao's cycle of karma. So what?"
"Besides, since when was it your place to order me around?!"
"I'm an Outer disciple of the Interception Sect, under a Sage. Who are you to lecture me?!"
Xuan Du suppressed his anger and replied coldly.
"I'm the eldest disciple of the Xuan Sect. It's my duty to teach and discipline the disciples of our sect."
"You're killing innocents indiscriminately and adding to your own karmic burden. You're only causing trouble for Third Uncle Master!"
The Interception Sect disciple wasn't intimidated. "Even my master doesn't interfere with me. What makes you think you can?"
"We're both disciples of Sages. Do you really think I'm afraid of you?"
"Fellow disciples, get over here! Xuan Du is bullying an Interception Sect disciple!"
As soon as he finished speaking, several Interception Sect disciples who had been devouring humans hurried over.
The Interception Sect disciples glared viciously at Xuan Du and Xuandan.
"Is Senior Brother Xuan Du going to discipline us on behalf of our master?"
"Since when did Senior Brother Xuan Du have that right?"
"If this reaches our master, what will our eldest master and our master think?"
"..."
Their overlapping voices reached Xuan Du's ears.
The phantom mountains pressing down on the Interception Sect disciples began to fade.
That was right. If this made Master and Third Uncle Master fall out...
Wouldn't I be to blame?
But...
Xuan Du looked toward the humans in the distance.
Countless exhausted humans stood where they were.
They looked at Xuan Du with hopeful eyes.
They were his kin, after all, sharing his bloodline.
How could he watch the humans being oppressed and do nothing?
Xuan Du was caught between a rock and a hard place, torn inside.
The Interception Sect disciple under the mountains assumed he had chickened out.
"Xuan Du, hurry up and let me go!"
"They're just humans. I'll stop eating them in front of you, all right?"
"Let's just pretend none of this happened."
Whoosh!!!
A purple sword-shadow burst forth!
The head of the pinned Interception Sect disciple was severed and rolled across the ground, blood gushing from his neck.
His dirt-streaked face still wore a mocking grin.
"Damn, you talk too much. You're driving me crazy."
After killing the demon, Xuandan turned to the other Interception Sect disciples.
A chill ran through them, and they backed away several steps.
But they soon recovered and pointed at Xuandan in horror.
"You... You dare kill a fellow disciple!"
"I'm going back to Kunlun Mountain to report you!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the Interception Sect disciples scattered in all directions.
The Purple Cloud Sword shot after them. Several heads flew into the air.
Blood gushed like fountains, and only then did Xuan Du snap out of his daze.
"Junior Brother, why did you kill them all?!"
The Purple Cloud Sword returned to Xuandan's hand. He replied casually,
"He was too obnoxious. I couldn't stand him."
"What's the point of keeping disciples like that? They show no respect to their senior fellow disciples and only add to the Interception Sect's karmic burden."
Xuandan's sharp gaze settled on Xuan Du, leaving him startled.
He had never seen such an expression in his young junior brother's eyes.
So the junior brother who was always smiling and joking could look like this, too.
Xuandan berated him outright.
"Why were you arguing with that beast like some henpecked fool?"
"How can you be a model disciple of the Three Sects if you're so indecisive?!"
Xuan Du's expression was complicated.
In the end, it seemed as though all the words he had to say became one sigh.
"Alas... You've only just joined the Xuan Sect, Junior Brother. It's only natural that you don't know all the circumstances."
That immediately piqued Xuandan's curiosity.
"Oh? Please explain, Senior Brother."
Xuan Du patiently explained,
"The Three Sects of the Xuan Sect on Kunlun Mountain seem harmonious now, but there are undercurrents beneath the surface. The situation is like oil being poured on a raging fire."
"It could all explode at any moment."
"Master and the two Martial Uncles haven't gathered together in a long time."
Xuandan frowned slightly.
Since becoming a disciple, he had seen disciples from the Three Sects interact, but the three Sages had never appeared or met. At once, he understood.
Xuan Du sighed again, his face full of worry.
"The Ren Sect has only you and me, so there's no trouble there."
"The Chan Sect disciples care deeply about etiquette, so they often clash with the Interception Sect disciples."
"The Interception Sect is a mixed bag. It has talented disciples like Duobao, Zhao Gongming, and San Xiao, who are no less capable than us. But most of the others have talent without virtue, and it's hard for them to hide that on Kunlun Mountain."
"I was afraid this would ignite the conflict between the Three Sects, so I hesitated and didn't dare act."
Xuandan's brow gradually furrowed.
After taking form on Kunlun Mountain, he had devoted himself to cultivation and alchemy. He really hadn't spent much time with his senior and junior fellow disciples.
He hadn't expected that the seeds of the Three Pure Ones' eventual split had already been sown.
Xuan Du continued,
"Those junior disciples who died were outer disciples, but with Martial Uncle Tongtian's protectiveness, he'll surely go to Master to demand an explanation. Who knows what will happen then?"
Then he looked at Xuandan earnestly and spoke with heartfelt concern.
"Junior Brother, just deny everything when the time comes."
"This began because of the humans, so I'll take full responsibility."
Seeing how protective his senior brother was, Xuandan smiled. "I believe Martial Uncle Tongtian isn't unreasonable."
Based on his memories of his previous life, Tongtian really wasn't that sort of person.
Xuandan had memories of his previous life, and he simply felt that the Three Pure Ones' split was bound to happen sooner or later.
He didn't think there was anything about this incident he couldn't accept.
Xuandan smiled faintly and said softly,
"I understand what you mean, Senior Brother."
"But what good are those few beasts? Keeping them around would only damage the Interception Sect's fortune and add to its karmic burden."
"There are plenty of Interception Sect disciples like them. If you ask me, we'd be better off killing them all."
Xuandan's shocking words left Xuan Du stunned. He hurriedly said,
"Be careful what you say, Junior Brother. Martial Uncle Tongtian believes in teaching everyone, regardless of their background. Don't say that again."
Xuandan still looked unconcerned.
"In my view, some are born beasts. No matter how you teach them, they'll never improve."
"If we could improve the Interception Sect's conduct, it would lessen its karmic burden and put Master and Martial Uncle Yuanshi in a better mood."
"It'd accomplish three things at once. Tell me, Senior Brother, what's wrong with that?"
After he finished speaking, Xuan Du regarded Xuandan's carefree, detached manner.
His expression turned complicated, but he quickly recovered and nodded.
"You're right, Junior Brother. I lost sight of what mattered and strayed from my true intent."
Just then, the humans who had been hiding came out one after another.
They ran out of the surrounding caves, then fell to their knees and kowtowed.
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