Lingxiao Hall.
Taibai Jinxing knelt in the hall, cold sweat covering his forehead.
After hearing the response sent back from Golden Turtle Island, Haotian's face turned livid.
"Return to the mountain at once?"
"What a fine 'return to the mountain at once'!"
"Senior Brother Tongtian won't even give Us the slightest room to maneuver?"
Taibai Jinxing said quietly:
"Your Majesty, I'm afraid Saint Tongtian did not personally arrange this."
Haotian's gaze turned cold.
"What do you mean?"
"The Interception Sect's actions this time are too precise, and too well-timed."
Taibai Jinxing glanced up, then hurriedly lowered his head again.
"Every person being recalled is someone the Heavenly Court would have trouble replacing right now."
"If Saint Tongtian were merely angry, he would probably have issued an edict recalling all his disciples."
"But this edict didn't touch the unimportant ones. It singled out the crucial posts."
Haotian's expression darkened further.
"You mean someone in the Interception Sect is plotting against Us?"
Taibai Jinxing didn't dare answer.
The hall fell silent for a moment.
Haotian suddenly said:
"Investigate."
"Find out who it is."
Just as Taibai Jinxing was about to accept the order, a Heavenly General hurried into the hall.
"Your Majesty, there's an emergency at the Third Sea Eye in the East Sea!"
Haotian whipped around.
"What happened?"
The Heavenly General dropped to his knees.
"Qingxiaozi, the Interception Sect disciple who used to guard the Third Sea Eye, has already left his post. Three Immortal Officials from the Water Department were sent to take over, but as soon as they reached the Sea Eye, turbid waves injured them."
"Now spiritual tides are surging back out of the Sea Eye, and a monster tide has arisen across the surrounding three thousand li of sea."
Haotian's expression changed.
Before he could speak, another Star Official rushed into the hall.
"Your Majesty, something has happened in the North Star Domain!"
"Seven stellar nodes that were previously patrolled by Interception Sect disciples shifted out of alignment all at once today."
"The Dou Department sent people to repair them, but the formation diagrams didn't match. Two minor stars have already slipped out of orbit."
Haotian clenched his fingers. The jade talisman shattered.
"What is the Dou Department doing, eating for a living?"
The Star Official's face paled.
"Your Majesty, those nodes had been maintained by Interception Sect disciples for many years. They had already modified the formation diagrams several times. The Dou Department... doesn't have the latest diagrams."
Haotian nearly laughed in anger.
"Why were the formation diagrams in the Interception Sect's hands?"
The Star Official lowered his head.
"At the time, the Dou Department was short-staffed, so they asked Interception Sect disciples to help. They've been the ones repairing them ever since."
Haotian opened his mouth, but for a moment, he couldn't even find the words to curse.
Just then, a third Immortal Official arrived.
"Your Majesty, rogue cultivators are causing trouble in the Eastern Victory Continent below."
"The Interception Sect disciples who used to patrol that area have already obeyed the order to return to the mountain. The local land gods and mountain gods can't suppress them."
"Your Majesty, the South Sea Water Veins are also..."
"Your Majesty, overseas rogue cultivators are fighting on Green Gauze Island. The dead and wounded already number over ten thousand."
"Your Majesty, the Thunder Department says they're short-staffed and asks the Water Department for support."
"The Water Department also says they're short-staffed and asks Your Majesty to dispatch Heavenly Soldiers."
One urgent report after another suddenly came crashing into Lingxiao Hall.
Seated on the imperial throne, Haotian's expression shifted from livid to grim.
At last, he slammed his palm onto the armrest.
Bang!
"Enough!"
All the immortals in the hall immediately knelt.
No one dared raise their head.
Haotian took a breath.
He finally understood the weight of Zhao Xuan's gift.
The Interception Sect hadn't attacked the Heavenly Court.
They hadn't cursed the Heavenly Court.
They hadn't defied the imperial decree.
They had simply withdrawn their people.
And the Heavenly Court's holes had immediately been laid bare.
One, two, ten, a hundred.
Before, Interception Sect disciples had been plugging all those holes with their own hands.
Now those hands had pulled away.
And the water came rushing in.
Haotian gritted his teeth.
"Go invite the Chan Sect disciples."
Taibai Jinxing hesitated.
"Your Majesty, the Chan Sect..."
"Go!"
Haotian said coldly.
"Aren't they True Immortals of Fortune and Virtue?"
"Now that the Three Realms are in turmoil, tell them to descend the mountain and save the world."
Taibai Jinxing didn't dare say anything more. He immediately accepted the order.
Kunlun Mountain.
Outside Yuxu Palace, Taibai Jinxing didn't even manage to get through the door.
White Crane Boy stood before the steps, his expression indifferent.
"Master is in seclusion, and all the senior brothers are quietly reciting the Yellow Court. It would be inconvenient for them to descend the mountain."
Taibai Jinxing smiled ingratiatingly.
"Immortal White Crane Boy, the Heavenly Court really is facing an emergency."
"The East Sea Eye, the North Star Domain, rogue cultivators below—several places are in trouble at once."
"His Majesty says that the esteemed immortals of the Chan Sect are blessed with profound fortune. If you are willing to descend the mountain and lend a hand, the Heavenly Court will surely offer a generous reward."
White Crane Boy looked at him.
"The Great Calamity is approaching. The Chan Sect disciples should not become entangled in worldly karma."
The smile on Taibai Jinxing's face froze.
Those words sounded familiar.
Far too familiar.
The Interception Sect had just used them.
Now the Chan Sect was using them too.
But he couldn't argue against it.
The Investiture of the Gods List was soon to appear, and the Great Calamity was approaching. Sage's disciples could return to their mountains to avoid the calamity. Anyone could use that excuse.
Taibai Jinxing took a deep breath.
"Then might I ask Antarctic Immortal to come forward and mediate for the time being?"
White Crane Boy shook his head.
"Senior Disciple Brother is also in seclusion."
"What about the Twelve Golden Immortals..."
"They're all in seclusion."
Taibai Jinxing fell silent.
After a moment, he cupped his hands and took his leave.
As he turned and left Kunlun Mountain, the smile vanished from his face completely.
He understood now.
When the Heavenly Court needed people, everyone talked about the Heavenly Mandate.
When the Heavenly Court was in trouble, everyone was in seclusion.
Mount Sumeru.
Daoist Zhunti did meet with Taibai Jinxing.
Not only did he meet him, he was positively welcoming.
"Daoist Taibai, you've come from so far away. You've been through a lot."
As soon as Taibai Jinxing explained why he had come, the warmth on Daoist Zhunti's face turned to sorrow.
"Alas."
"When the Heavenly Court is in trouble, the Western Sect should lend a hand."
"Unfortunately, the Western Sect is impoverished and has few disciples. We don't have many people we can send."
Taibai Jinxing's eye twitched.
Daoist Zhunti continued:
"But the Heavenly Court's affairs are the Primordial World's affairs."
"Though the Western Sect is struggling, we can't simply stand by."
Taibai Jinxing's eyes lit up.
"Will the Saint send disciples?"
Zhunti nodded.
"Of course."
"The Western Sect can send a few disciples to the Eastern Land to preach the wondrous teachings of compassion and comfort the people."
The smile slowly faded from Taibai Jinxing's face.
"Just preach the wondrous teachings?"
Zhunti asked in surprise:
"What else?"
Taibai Jinxing suppressed his anger.
"The Sea Eye needs to be guarded, the stellar nodes need to be repaired, rogue cultivators below need to be captured, and the overseas rogue cultivators need to be mediated."
Zhunti sighed.
"Daoist Taibai, you're asking the impossible of the Western Sect."
"Our disciples practice the Way of Compassion. How could they be skilled in such matters as fighting and repairing things?"
"For such work, Interception Sect disciples are better suited."
Taibai Jinxing nearly turned and left on the spot.
The Western Sect was impoverished?
This wasn't poverty.
They were simply too shrewd.
Golden Turtle Island.
News that Taibai Jinxing had run into walls everywhere soon made its way back.
Holy Mother Guiling laughed loudly.
"Good!"
"Excellent!"
"The Chan Sect is in seclusion, the Western Sect is crying poor, and the Heavenly Court can't find replacements."
"Now Haotian should understand, right?"
Zhao Gongming came over too.
His expression was much more composed than it had been yesterday.
"Senior Disciple Brother, the Heavenly Court really is in chaos now."
"But I still have one question."
Zhao Xuan looked at him.
"Go ahead."
Zhao Gongming said,
"These troubles may not be beyond the Heavenly Court's ability to suppress."
"As long as Haotian steels himself and sends the Heavenly Soldiers and Generals to fill the gaps, he can always make up for the losses."
"At most, it'll make things difficult for the Heavenly Court for a while."
"Will it really force them to change their minds about the Investiture of the Gods?"
Zhao Xuan shook his head.
"No."
Zhao Gongming froze.
"Then this move of ours..."
"This move isn't meant to make Haotian give up on the Investiture of the Gods."
Zhao Xuan gazed at the distant sea.
"It's meant to make the Jie Sect disciples see one thing clearly."
"What?"
"We matter."
Before you continue