Tongtian

Because the heavenly secrets had become chaotic, he could not divine Bi Xiao's exact location.

He could clearly sense that the person fated to become his disciple was in the East Sea, but when he tried to pinpoint her exact location, he failed.

Tongtian divined repeatedly, yet still could not determine her precise whereabouts.

Thus, Tongtian had no choice but to settle for the next best thing and come to the Three Immortal Isles. These Three Immortal Isles were the residence of that "unlucky" disciple, so he waited for her to return.

A quarter of an hour later, two streaks of escaping light appeared outside the Three Immortal Isles. They were Lei Xiao and Qiong Xiao.

Just as Bi Xiao was about to enter the Three Immortal Isles, Lei Xiao suddenly reached out and grabbed her.

"Little Fourth, what is it?" Bi Xiao turned back, a flicker of confusion crossing her eyes.

Lei Xiao did not answer. His gaze pierced through the innate grand formation and looked toward Tongtian's location.

Ever since obtaining the Eye of Heavenly Retribution, Lei Xiao's senses had become dozens of times sharper.

Just moments ago, the instant he and Bi Xiao appeared outside the Three Immortal Isles, he sensed a gaze falling upon him, scrutinizing him.

The other party's gaze was extremely concealed—or rather, the other party's cultivation was extremely high. Even Bi Xiao beside him had not noticed the slightest anomaly.

A powerful expert had entered the Three Immortal Isles.

Lei Xiao's thoughts raced. At the same time, within the Three Immortal Isles, surprise flashed through Tongtian's eyes. "I was actually discovered."

One had to know that his cultivation was now at the late stage of the Golden Immortal of the Great Luo. He had merely looked at Lei Xiao a few extra times, yet he had unexpectedly been noticed.

Logically speaking, even an ordinary Golden Immortal of the Great Luo should not have been able to detect him.

The two stared at each other across the vast distance. Lei Xiao saw a sword—a sword beyond description.

It was not tangible, but condensed from Dao laws refined to the utmost purity.

There were no dazzling lights or shadows upon its blade, only an absolute resolve and sharpness that seemed capable of splitting heaven, earth, and all things in two.

In that instant, Lei Xiao felt as though a sword had slashed down from the endless void into his mind.

That sword was formless and intangible, yet incomparably fierce. It did not cut flesh, nor did it cut the soul. It struck straight at Lei Xiao's Dao heart.

Lei Xiao only felt a sudden flash before his eyes. Every distracting thought, every fear, every hesitation, all vanished like smoke beneath that single sword strike.

He seemed to see a boundless world, with only one sword standing between heaven and earth—the sword pierced through heaven and earth, its edge fully revealed, as though even the Heavenly Dao would retreat three paces before it.

That was no ordinary sword.

That was Tongtian's Dao.

The supreme Sword Dao that severed all restraints and shattered all shackles.

Lei Xiao's mind shook violently, and he instinctively closed his eyes. Yet the sharpness of that sword had already been carved deep into his soul, impossible to dispel.

At the same time, Tongtian saw it as well.

The instant Lei Xiao's gaze met his, what Tongtian saw was not an ordinary pair of eyes, but a vast and boundless sea of lightning.

Purple lightning raged between heaven and earth, every bolt containing the intertwined power of destruction and rebirth. At the deepest part of that sea of lightning, a vertical mark slowly opened, like an eye gazing down upon all beings beneath the heavens.

Tongtian's heart trembled.

When that eye looked at him, he felt an unprecedented sense of oppression.

It was not oppression of cultivation, but the crushing force of status—as if before that eye, even a Golden Immortal of the Great Luo like himself was no more than an ant.

Instinctively, a streak of sword light flashed from within Tongtian and slashed toward that vertical eye.

This is bad.

Although Tongtian reacted quickly, he was still too late. That streak of sword light had already entered the vertical eye.

Why did I attack on instinct? He only has Golden Immortal cultivation. He simply cannot withstand a single streak of my sword light...

Outside the Three Immortal Isles.

"Pfft—"

Lei Xiao staggered back repeatedly, his face pale as he suddenly spat out blood.

"Little Fourth!"

Bi Xiao's expression changed drastically. She grabbed the retreating Lei Xiao, and the Dragon-Phoenix Flute instantly flew forth. Five innate restrictions lit up at once, protecting them both within.

She stared warily toward the Three Immortal Isles, her eyes filled with alarm and fury. "Who is it? Come out!"

Lei Xiao waved a hand, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and took a deep breath.

"Third Sister... I'm fine."

He said he was fine, but his pale face and the churning blood and qi within his body could not deceive anyone. Though the Eye of Heavenly Retribution had blocked most of the sword light, its aftershock had still injured him badly.

What shocked Lei Xiao even more was that the sword light had not been an intentional attack. It had seemed more like some kind of... instinctive counterattack.

Just how strong was the person on the island?

Lei Xiao had already roughly guessed who that person was.

"My young friend, my apologies. I did not mean to do that just now."

Tongtian appeared before Lei Xiao. With a wave of his hand, a stream of pure innate clear qi entered Lei Xiao's body.

As the innate clear qi entered him, Lei Xiao felt a gentle yet vast force spreading through his body. The internal organs injured by the sword light's aftershock and his torn meridians healed at a visible rate under the nourishment of that clear qi.

In merely three to five breaths, Lei Xiao felt that more than half his injuries had healed.

He was secretly astonished. This innate clear qi was truly good stuff. Its effects were probably no worse than the legendary Three Lights Divine Water. It would be great if I could get a few more streams of it.

Only then did Bi Xiao relax slightly, though the vigilance in her eyes did not fade.

She looked at the blue-robed Daoist who had suddenly appeared before them, her heart filled with suspicion. Anyone capable of severely injuring Little Fourth with a mere exchange of glances was undoubtedly an unfathomable great expert.

"Senior..."

Bi Xiao stepped forward and cupped her hands in salute. Her tone was respectful, but probing. "May I ask how Senior is addressed? Why are you on our Three Immortal Isles?"

"I'm looking for a disciple." Tongtian did not conceal it in the slightest.

Hearing this, Lei Xiao's gaze instinctively shifted to Bi Xiao beside him. All Three Xiao shared a master-disciple affinity with Tongtian.

The disciple Tongtian spoke of was most likely Qiong Xiao.

Yet in the myths and legends, it seemed that the Three Xiao had gone to Tongtian to request discipleship. Now it was the other way around, and it also seemed to have happened far earlier.

Bi Xiao froze upon hearing those words. She blinked, unable to react for a moment.

Looking for a disciple? On the Three Immortal Isles?

She subconsciously looked around. Aside from herself, Lei Xiao, and Qiong Xiao, who had just returned, there was no one else on the island. Could it be that Eldest Sister and Second Sister had already taken a master?

"My unlucky disciple is far too unlucky. In only a few hundred years, she has experienced four life-and-death tribulations. If I do not take her as my disciple early, I'm worried she'll die ahead of time." Tongtian's gaze fell on Bi Xiao.

Four life-and-death tribulations in only a few hundred years? That was far too unlucky!

No wonder she was called the unlucky disciple.

Bi Xiao suddenly recalled that she, too, seemed to have experienced four life-and-death tribulations within a short span of time. If not for Lei Xiao's help, she would already be dead.

Could it be?!

Only then did Bi Xiao realize that she seemed to be the unlucky disciple Tongtian had been talking about.