When the Man Leaves, the Tea Grows Cold! Arrest Lingxiao?

Kunlun Mountain.

The Interception Sect disciples had gathered before a cave abode.

"Traitor Lingxiao defied his master's sect, showed no respect for the Saint, and disregarded the bond between fellow disciples, abandoning the Interception Sect and leaving! Such a heartless, faithless beast, ignorant of rank and propriety, does not deserve to leave behind a single trace in our Interception Sect!"

"From this day forth, anything related to Lingxiao shall be burned to ashes, to uphold the might of our Interception Sect!"

Immortal Dingguang spoke with impassioned fervor to the Interception Sect disciples present.

His words were righteous and stern, as though he were justice incarnate.

In an instant!

The Interception Sect disciples began to discuss among themselves. Even Yuding Zhenren, Manjushri Broad Dharma Celestial Worthy, Huanglong Zhenren, and the others from the Clarifying Sect were drawn over, standing at a distance and exchanging glances.

"As they say, once a man leaves, the tea grows cold; once the rabbit dies, the hound is cooked!"

"Lingxiao devoted himself heart and soul to the Interception Sect, only to end up like this. Today, Immortal Dingguang dares destroy Lingxiao's cave abode. Tomorrow, he may even abolish the Interception Sect Heavenly Rules."

Huanglong Zhenren shook his head and let out a soft sigh.

At his side, Manjushri Broad Dharma Celestial Worthy slowly said, "Lingxiao treated others with sincerity, yet the Interception Sect disciples did not know how to cherish him. What a pity our Clarifying Sect has no peerless genius like him; otherwise, Master would surely have favored him immensely."

"Lingxiao reshaped his foundation and set foot upon the path of cultivation once more. Had Great Immortal Zhenyuanzi and Daoist Hongyun not acted too swiftly, Master would certainly have disregarded Uncle-Master Tongtian's dignity and accepted Lingxiao as his disciple."

Manjushri Broad Dharma Celestial Worthy had complicated feelings toward Lingxiao.

They were both Xuanmen disciples, yet Lingxiao had been exceptionally forceful, helping the Interception Sect secure more than half the positions of Human Emperor tutors during the era of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors. And yet, in his everyday dealings with Clarifying Sect disciples, he had been gentle, modest, and humble.

Truly, one could not find a single fault in him!

Yet the Interception Sect had driven him out the door. That was impressive in its own invincible way!

At this moment, Yuding Zhenren said indifferently, "Ten thousand immortals flocking in homage—the foremost sect of the Primordial World! The Interception Sect appears thriving and prosperous, but without the Heavenly Rules Lingxiao established, it would have fallen into chaos long ago."

"Prepare yourselves to tear all pretense apart with the Interception Sect disciples. The great trend of the Heavenly Dao cannot be defied..."

The Interception Sect disciples were a mixed bag of fish and dragons. Daoist Duobao, Kong Xuan, and a few others were still worthy of Yuding Zhenren's regard, but most of the registered disciples and outer disciples were demons and monsters who committed every evil beneath the banner of being Saint's disciples.

The Interception Sect Heavenly Rules restrained the sect's members.

If they were abolished, Yuding Zhenren did not even dare imagine how spectacular the scene would become.

"Stop! All of you, stop!"

Qiongxiao was already severely wounded. Seeing Daoist Duobao about to demolish Lingxiao's cave abode, her rage surged into her heart. Blood spilled from the corner of her lips as she staggered down before the cave abode.

"Senior Sister Qiongxiao!"

"Who injured you so badly? Whoever dares bully an Interception Sect disciple, I, Lu Ya, will be the first not to stand for it!"

The Interception Sect disciples cried out in alarm.

Lu Ya, meanwhile, hurried to Qiongxiao's side and reached for her jade-like hand to examine her injuries.

But Qiongxiao shoved him away with a palm strike.

"Whoever dares destroy Junior Brother Lingxiao's cave abode, I will fight them to the death!"

"Junior Brother Lingxiao will return. He will return..."

As though she had lost her mind, Qiongxiao pointed her jade-like hand at the noses of Lu Ya and Daoist Duobao. Boundless killing intent gathered, turning into gale-force winds that ravaged the surroundings, forcing some disciples with weak cultivation to collapse face-down upon the ground.

"The Soul-Scattering Red Sand erases one's origin, severs one's cultivation, and damages the Primordial Spirit! Aren't Junior Sister Qiongxiao's injuries remarkably similar to Lingxiao's former wounds?"

"If I am not mistaken, Daoist Hongyun did this to vent Lingxiao's anger. I simply never expected Great Immortal Zhenyuanzi and Daoist Hongyun to be so overbearing. Their protectiveness toward their own is not the least bit weaker than Master's."

Huanglong Zhenren sucked in a sharp breath and said blankly.

When it came to protecting his own, Primordial Celestial Worthy was unrivaled in the Primordial World.

Though Huanglong Zhenren was one of the Twelve Golden Immortals most often bullied, if any other being dared touch even a single hair on his head, they would receive a warning from the Pangu Banner.

The disciples of Primordial Celestial Worthy were not people just anyone could touch.

Now, the treatment Lingxiao received from Zhenyuanzi and Daoist Hongyun was not the slightest bit inferior to that of a Clarifying Sect disciple!

Among the three thousand innate deities, only a scant few had become quasi-Saints.

Those two stood at the very pinnacle of the quasi-Saint realm!

Boom!

Seeing Qiongxiao's aura wavering, Immortal Dingguang gritted his teeth and made up his mind.

He activated his spiritual treasure, and a berserk attack crashed down upon the cave abode.

As dust and smoke billowed in every direction, the cave abode was reduced to powder and scattered upon the wind. Every trace of Lingxiao's cultivation and life here was wiped away by Immortal Dingguang.

"Junior Sister Qiongxiao, do not make unreasonable trouble. Not only will I destroy the cave abode Lingxiao once lived in, I will also ask Master to abolish the Interception Sect Heavenly Rules."

"Go to the Azure Roaming Palace. Master is waiting for you!"

Immortal Dingguang flicked his sleeve, snorted coldly, and headed toward the peak of Kunlun Mountain.

The Interception Sect disciples scattered and departed.

The corner of Lu Ya's mouth curled up, and he felt utterly refreshed.

"Once the Interception Sect Heavenly Rules are abolished, nothing in this world will restrain me any longer. My father's and uncle's grand ambitions will be inherited by me..."

Lu Ya narrowed his eyes slightly, a cunning glint flashing through their depths.

His status as a direct disciple of the Interception Sect was merely a springboard for him to ascend to the pinnacle of the heavens and take command of all living beings in the Three Realms.

He, Lu Ya!

Was the true orthodox heir to the Heavenly Court—not those two Dao boys standing before Dao Ancestor Hongjun!

His ambition swelled...

"No!"

Qiongxiao's eyes were vacant, as though her soul had left her body.

She spat out a mouthful of blood that sprayed several yards away.

Her delicate body toppled straight backward, stirring up a cloud of dust.

Azure Roaming Palace!

Yunxiao, Bixiao, and Zhao Gongming were filled with boundless fury and killing intent that needed an outlet.

Qiongxiao had merely made a trip to Five Estate Temple, yet she had returned with injuries that were difficult to heal. Fortunately, Lord Tongtian had invited Grand Pure One Laozi to treat her; otherwise, Qiongxiao would have been left with Dao injuries and damage to her foundations.

However, the cultivation she had lost would have to be cultivated anew!

"Reporting to Master, Lingxiao has fallen into the demonic path and bewitched Great Immortal Zhenyuan and Daoist Hongyun! That is why Senior Sister Qiongxiao suffered this calamity. This disciple is willing to go to Five Estate Temple and apprehend him!"

"As for Great Immortal Zhenyuan and Daoist Hongyun, I ask Master to help wake them up, lest they fall into the trap of crooked demons and evil paths!"

He either said nothing at all, or his words startled the world.

Standing in the center of the hall, Lu Ya spoke neither humbly nor arrogantly.

Once his words fell, the atmosphere became utterly silent. The Interception Sect disciples present stared in dumbfounded disbelief. Even Lord Tongtian atop the cloud platform, along with Grand Pure One Laozi beside him, could not help their eyelids twitching.

After helping Qiongxiao heal, Grand Pure One Laozi had not departed!

It was not that he wished to interfere in the affairs of the Interception Sect. Rather, Lord Tongtian had asked him to stay, and he too wanted to see just how outrageous these Interception Sect disciples could be.

Yet from the very start, Lu Ya had taught him a lesson.

"Beast, your mouth is full of lies!"

"Great Immortal Zhenyuan and Senior Hongyun are mighty quasi-sages of lofty virtue and great prestige. How could they possibly be bewitched by another? Clearly, they were dissatisfied that Senior Brother Lingxiao had been bullied in the Interception Sect, and only then gave Senior Sister Qiongxiao a slight punishment."

"A mongrel beast born from dampness and random transformation, furred and horned, yet you dare yap and snarl before two Saints? I, Xingtian, have never seen anyone so brazenly shameless."

Sha Qi roiled, and slaughterous intent knew no bounds.

Xingtian's aura erupted abruptly. Clenching his fists, he charged toward Lu Ya. Veins bulged across his towering body, carrying the might to wrestle dragons and tear savage beasts asunder.

Bloodthirsty, brutal, invincible!

"You mangy Golden Crow, a beast born of someone but raised by no one!"

"Do not think that because Master supports you and Lady Nuwa aids you in secret, you can slander Senior Brother Lingxiao here! If you dare insult Senior Brother Lingxiao again, do not blame me, Taixuan, for casting aside all fellowship."

The rage Northern Sea Black Tortoise had accumulated for so long exploded at that instant.

Resplendent golden light flickered and transformed.

Behind Northern Sea Black Tortoise appeared a dense radiance of Heavenly Dao Merit. With this Heavenly Dao Merit upon him, not even Heavenly Dao Saints could casually kill him.

That was why he dared act so recklessly within Azure Roaming Palace!

"Outrageous!"

"You dare insult a fellow disciple before Master—do you intend to follow the traitor Lingxiao's example and betray the Interception Sect?"

"Reporting to Master, these people are stubborn beyond reform and their evil nature remains unchanged. This disciple believes they should be thrown into the Immortal-Slaying Sword Formation to face the wall and reflect upon their sins, as a warning to others!"

Seizing the opening, the Golden-Winged Great Roc solemnly bowed to Lord Tongtian.

Hearing this, Grand Pure One Laozi raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Interesting!"

"Not a single disciple my third brother took in is trouble-free!"

At this sight, Xingtian's heart turned utterly cold.

"What gathering of ten thousand immortals, what sect of a Saint? It is nothing but a nest of snakes and rats, filthy and foul to the core!"

"That's right. I am going to follow Senior Brother Lingxiao's example. This rotten Interception Sect is not worth staying in!"

With an angry roar, Xingtian kicked the Golden-Winged Great Roc away.

Feng Bo, Rain Master, and several other members of the Witch Race stood behind him, while Northern Sea Black Tortoise stood resolutely at Xingtian's side.

"The bond between master and disciple is finished; the fellowship between fellow disciples was severed long ago!"

"Sage Tongtian, fellow Daoists, take care of yourselves..."