At the sight of Laozi's figure, Xuandu was utterly shocked.
Good grief!
Before he transmigrated, his previous self had knelt and prayed at the foot of Shouyang Mountain for years, enduring the elements, yet never once had the Grand Pure Sage appeared to meet him.
Now he had only just used a Teleportation Talisman to reach Golden Ao Island, his feet not even firmly planted, and Laozi had followed right behind him?
What was going on?
He hadn't come earlier or later—he had appeared precisely at the crucial moment when Xuandu was about to change allegiances and seek refuge with the Interception Sect.
A chill shot up Xuandu's spine and straight to the crown of his head.
A Sage's divine abilities were truly terrifying!
He had relied on the system's power to cross the boundless Great Wilderness in an instant, yet he still hadn't managed to escape?
Or was it that... this Sage Laozi had already foreseen everything and simply hadn't cared to intervene before?
But now that Xuandu was trying to run, he couldn't sit still?
Countless thoughts flashed through Xuandu's mind in an instant, and cold sweat had already seeped across his back.
He froze in place, not daring to move.
The figure before him was plain and unremarkable.
Yet he seemed to be the center of the entire world.
No words, no movement were needed.
His mere existence was enough to make Xuandu's breath catch and his Divine Soul tremble.
It was an insurmountable gulf between levels of life.
It was the insignificance and helplessness of an ant before the heavens.
Just as Xuandu's thoughts raced, leaving him gripped by fear and unease,
a completely different aura suddenly erupted from the depths of Golden Ao Island!
Sharp and resolute, it carried an unparalleled Sword Intent that could shatter every shackle and seize a Glimmer of Hope!
In an instant, it scattered the indifferent pressure enveloping the area.
The sky seemed to split apart under an invisible Sword Qi.
The stagnant wind began to blow again, and the suppressed waves surged once more.
A streak of azure light flashed from the heart of Golden Ao Island, swift as a startled bird and brilliant as a ribbon of light.
As the radiance faded, a Green-robed Daoist appeared.
He stood tall and straight, with sword-shaped brows and bright eyes. Sword Qi flowed naturally around him, cleaving the void.
A faint smile touched his face as he looked directly at Laozi.
Sect Leader Tongtian cupped his hands in greeting and asked, puzzled,
"Elder Brother."
"What wind blew you from Shouyang Mountain all the way to my Golden Ao Island?"
As he spoke, his gaze swept toward the trembling young Human standing beside Laozi.
Xuandu had no trace of spiritual purity about him, and his bloodline was entirely ordinary. He was clearly an untrained mortal body.
How could an ordinary Human have alarmed Elder Brother enough to bring him in person to the East Sea?
Though puzzled, Tongtian kept smiling. He merely concealed his questions in his eyes and waited for Laozi to speak.
Tongtian's glance swept over Xuandu. Though it carried no pressure, Xuandu felt as if his Divine Soul had been cleansed by Sword Light, leaving all his thoughts exposed.
He saw a flicker of confusion in Tongtian's eyes, then looked at Laozi, who stood silently with an aura as deep as the sea. Xuandu's heart tightened.
This was bad!
If he let Laozi speak first and establish their master-disciple bond, then trying to change allegiances afterward would offend a Sage and be utterly impossible!
The opportunity would be lost if he didn't seize it now!
This was his one chance!
Everything depended on this!
Xuandu clenched his teeth and suppressed his instinctive fear of the Sage, then stepped forward.
He put every ounce of a mortal's courage into that step.
Facing Sect Leader Tongtian, he bowed deeply and cupped his hands. His voice trembled with nerves as he said,
"This junior, Xuandu of the Human Race, pays his respects to Sage Tongtian!"
"The demons run rampant, slaughtering living beings. Our Human Race is weak as ants and weeds, never knowing whether we'll live to see another day!"
"Though I, Xuandu, am weak, I am willing to fight for the Human Race and seize a Glimmer of Hope!"
"I beg the Sage to take pity on me and accept me into the ranks of the Interception Sect, that I may learn the supreme arts and protect my people!"
Every word rang like metal and stone striking the ground.
In the dead silence of heaven and earth, his voice sounded especially clear.
After Xuandu finished speaking, the air seemed to freeze completely.
Sect Leader Tongtian's sword-shaped brows lifted slightly, and genuine surprise flashed through his eyes.
He looked at Xuandu, then at Laozi, whose expression was as still as an ancient well, and understood in an instant.
So that was it.
This young man had come to join his Interception Sect?
And Elder Brother... had come for him.
How interesting. Truly interesting.
How could an ordinary Human with no notable background have made the Grand Pure Sage pursue him all the way to Golden Ao Island?
There had to be something unusual about him.
What impressed Tongtian even more was Xuandu's courage and decisiveness.
This mere mortal had dared to speak first before two Sages, openly and frankly declaring what he wanted.
"Seize a Glimmer of Hope for the Human Race?"
Those words aligned perfectly with the teachings of the Interception Sect, striking at its very heart.
This young man suited his tastes perfectly!
The smile at the corner of Sect Leader Tongtian's mouth grew more genuine, and his gaze toward Xuandu held greater scrutiny and interest.
But before he could speak, a voice rang out, utterly calm yet seemingly imbued with the Heavenly Dao Rules.
"This child is fated to be with me."
Laozi finally spoke.
He did not look at Xuandu, keeping his gaze on Tongtian. His tone was indifferent, utterly free of worldly emotion.
"I have already divined that he is to join the Human Sect and inherit my Dao."
The simple words sounded like a statement of settled fact.
The Heaven and Earth Rules that Tongtian's Sword Intent had just scattered began gathering around Laozi once more.
Xuandu's heart shook violently. He felt an invisible shackle descend from nowhere, seeking to bind him fast and forcibly twist the course of his fate back to its original path.
His face went pale, and he could barely remain standing.
"Oh?"
Sect Leader Tongtian laughed, and the sharp Sword Intent around him burst forth, quietly cleaving a gap in the invisible bonds of the rules.
"Elder Brother, I'm afraid you're mistaken."
"Fate is fate, but affinity must be accompanied by a path."
"This child's heart is set on the Interception Sect. He wishes to Intercept Heaven and fight for his life. That is his own path and his own wish."
"Elder Brother established the Human Sect and teaches non-action and serenity."
"But this child is driven by conviction and wishes to fight with all his might for the Human Race. His nature and aspirations align more closely with the principles of my Interception Sect."
His gaze burned as he looked at Laozi, yielding not an inch as he spoke:
"Something forced is never sweet. Since Elder Brother teaches non-action, why insist on taking a disciple whose heart is elsewhere?"
"Why not grant his wish, and fulfill the bond between him and our Interception Sect?"
The two Sages spoke in calm voices, yet a Dao Struggle had already begun to emerge.
One invoked destiny; the other spoke of affinity.
Invisible ripples of the Great Dao collided in the void.
The world lost its color. The East Sea roiled, and the clouds scattered for ten thousand miles, revealing the clear blue sky. Beneath it, the rules had fallen into disarray.
The Myriad Immortals on Golden Ao Island were alarmed.
One powerful Spiritual Sense after another cautiously reached outward, only to touch the terrifying ripples of the Great Dao beyond the island and recoil in shock.
Daoist Duobao, Saint Mother Jinling, Saint Mother Wudang, Saint Mother Guiling...
One Personal Disciple after another appeared, gazing toward the island's shores with grave expressions.
Zhao Gongming stood among the clouds, brows knitted tight; the Three Goddesses of Xiao gathered together, their beautiful eyes filled with alarm and confusion.
They all sensed their master's soaring Sword Intent, as well as another vast, indifferent Saintly Might, as boundless as the Heavenly Dao.
"It's the Grand Pure Sage..."
Daoist Duobao said gravely, his eyes filled with disbelief.
Why had the Grand Pure Sage come in person?
And why was he confronting their master?
All because of that... mortal?
Countless gazes instantly fixed on the tiny figure by the shore, small as a speck of dust.
At the heart of the storm, Xuandu felt it most intensely.
On one side was the Heavenly Dao's non-action, with all things predetermined.
On the other was Intercepting Heaven and Taking Dao, where all things held a Glimmer of Hope for change.
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