Golden Turtle Island.
Biyou Palace.
When Lin Yuan stood here again, his state of mind was completely different from last time.
The first time he had caught Tongtian's attention,
he had only just broken through to the Heavenly Immortal realm.
He had advanced through the ranks in the minor tournament and obtained a Qingxuan Sword and the Supreme Clarity Immortal Scripture.
Now, he had returned.
Early Golden Immortal.
All Four Sages of Nine-Dragon Island were alive.
Not one of the Ten Heavenly Lords was missing.
Zhao Gongming's deadly calamity involving the Nail-Head Seven-Arrows Book had also been defused in advance.
Even the Treasure-Dropping Coin, which was originally meant to cost him the Sea-Calming Pearl,
was now resting in Zhao Gongming's sleeve.
To say the changes were insignificant
would be somewhat disrespectful to all the running around he had done lately, putting out fires everywhere.
Zhao Gongming walked ahead.
After entering Biyou Palace, he immediately bowed.
"Master."
"Your disciple has returned."
Daoist Tongtian sat above.
Duobao, Jin Ling, and several other Core Disciples were also present.
Clearly, this was no ordinary summons.
Lin Yuan hurriedly bowed.
"Disciple Lin Yuan pays respects to Grandmaster."
"Rise."
Tongtian's gaze fell upon him.
It lingered for a moment.
"A Golden Immortal."
"Your cultivation has progressed quickly."
Lin Yuan answered honestly,
"I've encountered a few more opportunities recently."
Zhao Gongming's lips twitched slightly at the side.
You called that a few more?
Other people encountered opportunities once in a while.
This kid Lin Yuan seemed able to pick something up from his fellow disciples wherever he went.
Of course,
most people obtained opportunities by fighting, searching, and competing for them.
He was different.
He saved people first.
Once they survived,
he conveniently raised himself another level.
Tongtian did not dwell on his cultivation realm.
His gaze shifted to Zhao Gongming.
"The matter of the Nail-Head Seven Arrows."
"Tell me everything."
Zhao Gongming hid nothing.
From Lu Ya's sudden appearance,
to Lin Yuan noticing something was wrong,
then Yao Bin using the Ten Ultimate Linked Formation to trace the pull on his soul,
and finally the Ten Heavenly Lords and the Four Sages of Nine-Dragon Island finding the altar together,
he recounted it all.
Biyou Palace grew quieter and quieter.
Especially when they heard that Zhao Gongming's name had been written on the straw effigy and worshipped for many consecutive days,
Jin Ling's expression turned utterly cold.
Duobao frowned as well.
"If it had been any later..."
The smile faded from Zhao Gongming's face.
"This disciple probably wouldn't even have known how he died."
Tongtian said nothing.
His fingertips merely tapped lightly against his knee twice.
No one knew what the Saint was thinking.
After a while,
he suddenly looked at Lin Yuan.
"Shiji."
"The Four Sages of Nine-Dragon Island."
"The Ten Heavenly Lords."
"Gongming."
"Ever since you entered the Interception Sect,"
"you seem to have been saving people all along."
Lin Yuan's heart tightened slightly.
So he had finally asked about this.
But Lin Yuan had prepared for it long ago.
"This disciple merely happened to discover danger."
"If I could save them, I did."
Tongtian smiled without quite smiling.
"Every time, you just happened to?"
Lin Yuan fell silent for a moment.
"This disciple's spiritual senses are indeed rather sharp."
Duobao nearly failed to hold it in.
He had been using that explanation ever since Shiji.
It was a little too universal.
Yet Lin Yuan truly had displayed an extraordinarily terrifying sense for danger.
Tongtian did not press him.
At the level of a Saint,
it was perfectly normal for a disciple to possess some opportunities.
Who in the Primordial World did not have a few secrets?
As long as Lin Yuan bore no ill will toward the Interception Sect,
Tongtian could not even be bothered to get to the bottom of it.
What truly interested him was something else.
"Lin Yuan."
"What do you think the future of the Interception Sect will be?"
The moment those words fell,
everyone in Biyou Palace looked at Lin Yuan.
Jin Ling's gaze shifted slightly.
That question carried tremendous weight.
Lin Yuan did not answer at once.
If he merely wanted to make Tongtian happy,
he could naturally say that the Interception Sect would gather ten thousand immortals in homage and enjoy flourishing providence.
But the problem was...
that would be meaningless.
His goal in entering the Primordial World had never been to accompany the Interception Sect down its original path into the Myriad Immortals Formation, only for everyone to be listed on the Investiture of the Gods together.
Since Tongtian had asked,
Lin Yuan simply told the truth.
"If things continue as before,"
"we will lose."
Biyou Palace instantly fell silent.
Duobao frowned.
Jin Ling, however, did not interrupt.
Zhao Gongming had only just returned from a deadly calamity.
Hearing those words, he was instead the calmest of them all.
Because he had experienced it firsthand.
No matter how strong you were in a direct fight,
that did not mean you would definitely win in the end.
One altar from Lu Ya
had nearly sent him, a Daluo Golden Immortal, to his death.
Tongtian was not angry either.
"Why?"
Lin Yuan organized his thoughts.
"Our Interception Sect has many disciples."
"We value loyalty."
"When fellow disciples encounter trouble, everyone is willing to help."
"That is an advantage."
"But it is also the easiest point for others to exploit."
"If something happened to Shiji,"
"fellow disciples would intervene."
"If something happened to the four senior brothers of Nine-Dragon Island, Senior Brother Wen Zhong would seek help."
"If the Ten Heavenly Lords met calamity, more people would continue descending the mountain."
"If Martial Uncle Zhao truly died under the Nail-Head Seven-Arrows Book..."
Lin Yuan did not continue.
But Zhao Gongming understood.
If he died,
could his three younger sisters on Three Immortal Island sit still?
Impossible.
Then another group would enter the fray.
Like a string laid out in advance.
When one person at the front fell,
someone behind would voluntarily step in to fill the gap.
Tongtian's gaze grew increasingly profound.
Lin Yuan continued,
"The Elucidation Sect has few disciples."
"So every death is treated with great caution."
"Our Interception Sect has many people."
"Yet we can easily feel that losing one or two is nothing."
"But if the Investiture of the Gods Calamity truly continues to wear us down bit by bit,"
"one dies today,"
"three more descend the mountain tomorrow."
"If those three encounter trouble,"
"another ten will come."
"No matter how many people we have, there will never be enough to fill the gaps."
These words contained no complicated principles.
It had even been stated quite plainly.
Yet everyone in the hall fell silent.
Because everything that had happened recently had proven—
It was indeed true.
If Lin Yuan had not kept pulling people back in advance.
The Interception Sect would have lost at least another batch of disciples by now.
Tongtian suddenly laughed.
"So what you've been doing all this time."
"Was stopping them from dying?"
"Yes."
Lin Yuan nodded.
"This disciple believes that if they don't have to die, they shouldn't."
"As long as they're alive."
"They can fight again after losing once."
"If they're gone."
"Then even winning one battle means nothing."
Tongtian's laughter grew louder and louder.
"Well said. As long as they're alive."
"They can fight again."
He rose to his feet.
For the first time, his gaze settled on Lin Yuan with true seriousness.
"Previously, I only thought your comprehension was quite good."
"Now it seems."
"I underestimated you."
Tongtian raised a hand.
A green, sword-shaped jade token condensed from the void.
The jade token was only the size of a palm.
Yet it contained a terrifying sword intent that nearly caused even Lin Yuan's Innate Spiritual Perception to stop functioning.
The power of a Saint.
"This is the Supreme Purity Guardian Sword Token."
"It contains one strand of my saintly will."
"If you encounter danger in the future that truly exceeds what you can handle."
"You may shatter the token."
Lin Yuan's heart jolted.
This thing carried far too much weight.
When he had encountered Taiyi before.
He could still call for Jin Ling.
But if he encountered an existence of an even higher level in the future.
This would be a genuine trump card for saving his life.
"Thank you, Patriarch!"
Lin Yuan accepted the Sword Token.
But Tongtian did not sit back down.
Instead, he turned to Duobao, Jin Ling, and the others.
"From today onward."
"Lin Yuan shall be listed as a Dao Seed Candidate of the Interception Sect."
Duobao's eyes shifted slightly.
A smile finally appeared on Jin Ling's face as well.
Zhao Gongming simply burst into laughter.
"This disciple thinks it is appropriate."
Lin Yuan himself was the one who froze for a moment.
A Dao Seed Candidate.
This was no longer the status of an ordinary elite disciple.
It meant he had truly begun entering the Interception Sect's future core training ranks.
Of course.
He was only a candidate.
Above him were still figures like Duobao, the senior brother.
The Four Personal Disciples.
And numerous great powers of the outer sect.
He was still far from truly holding power.
But his status had completely changed.
Tongtian sat down again.
"Since you believe the Interception Sect's original path has problems."
"You may participate in certain sect affairs in the future."
"If you see a problem."
"Say it."
"Don't wait until people are dead before regretting it."
Lin Yuan nodded solemnly.
"This disciple understands."
The discussion at Biyou Palace did not last very long.
Zhao Gongming still needed to return to Mount Emei to recuperate.
Lin Yuan, meanwhile, was preparing to return to the Shang Camp.
Just as he stepped out of the palace gates.
A streak of spiritual light carrying a message suddenly flew over from afar.
It landed in Zhao Gongming's hand.
Zhao Gongming swept it with his divine sense.
His expression immediately became somewhat strange.
Lin Yuan noticed.
"Martial Uncle."
"What is it?"
Zhao Gongming glanced at him.
"Your three martial aunts heard that I was nearly cursed to death."
"They got angry."
An inexplicable jolt ran through Lin Yuan's heart.
"And then?"
"They have already left Three Immortal Island."
Zhao Gongming paused.
"They are preparing to go to West Qi."
The smile on Lin Yuan's face instantly froze.
Yunxiao.
Qiongxiao.
Bixiao.
The Three Cloud Sisters—
Had descended the mountain.
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