Tongtian Has Arrived

"Second Brother."

"I heard you were bullying my disciple?"

The moment Tongtian said this.

Forget Yuanshi.

Even Lin Yuan found it somewhat familiar.

Back at Chentang Pass.

After Jin Ling arrived, she had asked Taiyi:

How did you want to handle this?

Looking at it now.

The Intercepting Sect's way of protecting its own was indeed passed down through the same lineage.

Only back then, it had been personal disciple against personal disciple.

Now, it had directly upgraded to the Saint version.

Yuanshi glanced at the Nine-Twist Yellow River Formation.

"Tongtian."

"Your disciples stripped my Twelve Golden Immortals of their Three Flowers and Five Qi."

"I came to deal with it."

"How was that bullying?"

Tongtian also glanced into the formation.

The Twelve Golden Immortals' auras were indeed much weaker than before they had entered.

Some had suffered severe damage to their cultivation.

Some had their Three Flowers Above the Head injured.

It was not a pretty sight.

Tongtian fell silent for a moment.

Then—

He laughed.

He truly laughed.

He even seemed quite happy about it.

"Yunxiao."

"Did you three do this?"

Yunxiao lowered her head slightly.

"Your disciple set up the Nine-Twist Yellow River Formation."

"The twelve senior brothers entered the formation voluntarily."

"Your disciple did not harm their lives."

"I merely..."

She paused.

"Stripped away a little of their cultivation."

"A little?"

Zhao Gongming stood behind her, the corner of his eye twitching slightly.

Judging by the changes in those twelve auras inside.

That "little" might have been a bit too much.

But Tongtian did not care about her choice of words at all.

"You set up the formation."

"They entered it themselves."

"No one died."

"That was enough."

Yuanshi's expression gradually darkened.

"That was enough?"

"What?"

Tongtian asked in return.

"Does Second Brother think it was not enough?"

"Back at the Ten Ultimate Formation, when your disciples broke my Intercepting Sect's formations."

"Did I personally step in?"

Yuanshi said:

"The Ten Ultimate Formation did not strip the Twelve Golden Immortals of their foundation."

Tongtian listened.

Then pointed at Guangchengzi and the others within the formation.

"So they lost."

"Because they lost rather badly."

"Second Brother came?"

"..."

Lin Yuan stood nearby.

He suddenly understood why Yuanshi and Tongtian so easily argued.

The two brothers spoke in completely different ways.

Yuanshi valued rules, status, and the heavenly order.

Tongtian was much simpler.

The disciples fought on their own.

Winning meant winning.

Losing meant going home to train.

Do not be a sore loser.

With personalities like that together.

It would be stranger if they did not argue.

Yuanshi did not continue wrangling over whether he should have come.

"The Twelve Golden Immortals concern the Explanatory Sect's inheritance."

"What Yunxiao and the other two did today has already crossed the line."

Tongtian's smile faded somewhat.

"Then what is the line?"

"Your Explanatory Sect disciples may enter the formation."

"My Intercepting Sect disciples may not win?"

"Or could it be..."

Tongtian stepped forward.

The great Jade Clarity hand that had been suspended above the Nine-Twist Yellow River Formation slowly dissipated amid circling azure sword light.

"Only your Explanatory Sect may win."

"If my Intercepting Sect wins."

"Does that count as crossing the line?"

Heaven and earth fell silent once more.

Yuanshi did not answer.

Because those words had laid the issue out plainly.

If the Three Cloud Sisters had entered an Explanatory Sect formation today and been stripped of their cultivation by the Twelve Golden Immortals.

Would Tongtian have come?

Given his temperament.

He might very well have.

But at least during the Ten Ultimate Formation before this.

He had indeed not personally intervened.

And more importantly.

This battle of the Nine-Twist Yellow River Formation.

Had been an openly declared formation duel from the beginning.

No one had launched a sneak attack.

No one had laid an ambush.

The Twelve Golden Immortals knew full well that the Three Cloud Sisters were strong.

Yet they had still entered on their own.

In the end, they could not win.

That made it difficult to find fault with the Three Cloud Sisters on the grounds of "rules."

What Yuanshi was truly dissatisfied with.

Was naturally not the rules.

It was the result.

Twelve core disciples had been wiped out in one sweep.

Whoever their teacher was, they would not be in a good mood.

"Tongtian."

"Are you truly prepared to protect the Three Cloud Sisters?"

"Of course."

Tongtian answered without the slightest hesitation.

Bixiao stood behind him.

Her eyes immediately lit up.

Qiongxiao visibly relaxed as well.

Yunxiao, meanwhile, bowed.

"Master."

"Your disciple has caused you trouble."

Tongtian waved a hand.

"What trouble was that?"

"You won, yet you still have to return and admit fault to your master."

"Then what Dao are you cultivating?"

"In the future, why not simply take a detour whenever you see Explanatory Sect disciples?"

"That would save plenty of worry."

Bixiao truly could not hold it in any longer.

"Master is right!"

Yunxiao glanced at her again.

Bixiao immediately fell silent.

Tongtian caught it from the corner of his eye.

Even the corners of his mouth lifted.

Then he looked toward the Nine-Twist Yellow River Formation.

"Open the formation."

Yunxiao nodded.

The formation gate had already begun to appear earlier.

It had merely been interrupted by Yuanshi's Saintly might.

Now that both Saints were present.

She had no intention of continuing to trap the Twelve Golden Immortals.

With a sweep, she withdrew the Primordial Golden Dipper.

The Nine-Twist Yellow River Formation began operating once more.

Rolling yellow sand parted from the center toward both sides.

Twelve streams of Jade Clarity Immortal Light finally reappeared before the outside world.

Guangchengzi and the others walked out one after another.

When the Intercepting Sect disciples outside truly saw their current state.

The scene grew even quieter for a time.

Their auras had indeed fallen.

And it was not merely one or two of them.

All twelve had suffered damage to varying degrees.

Wang Mo's grin had nearly reached his ears.

Only for Yang Sen beside him to tug him.

"Do not smile so obviously."

"Second Martial Uncle is still here."

Wang Mo coughed.

He quickly composed himself.

But Gao Yougan could not hold it in.

The moment he lowered his head,

his shoulders began to shake.

Zhao Jiang stomped hard on his foot beside him.

The corner of Lin Yuan's eye twitched.

These people truly did not fear death.

A Saint was standing right above them.

And they still dared to stifle laughter here.

Guangchengzi and the others naturally looked even worse.

But faced with Yuanshi and Tongtian, the Twelve Golden Immortals said nothing.

They all went to stand behind Yuanshi.

Yuanshi swept his gaze over them.

It was clear that their foundations had indeed been damaged.

To recover completely,

was not something one or two years of secluded cultivation could resolve.

"Today's matter."

Yuanshi spoke slowly.

"This Daoist will remember it."

Tongtian raised a brow.

"Whenever does Second Brother wish to discuss it again?"

"This Daoist will accompany you."

Their auras clashed briefly.

Half the sky was Jade Clarity Divine Light.

The other half was Supreme Clarity Sword Intent.

They did not truly fight.

Because both sides understood perfectly well.

If they truly fought,

the nature of the matter would completely change.

No matter how grand a battle between disciples became,

it was still only a part of the Investiture of the Gods Calamity.

If the two Saints directly went to war here,

the entire Shang-Zhou battlefield would be finished.

Ordinary soldiers likely could not even withstand the aftershocks.

Yuanshi clearly had no intention of immediately fighting Tongtian over this matter.

He had come to rescue the Twelve Golden Immortals and suppress the Three Cloud Sisters.

Now that Tongtian had appeared,

there was no point in continuing to force the issue.

"Go."

Yuanshi turned around.

The Twelve Golden Immortals left with him.

Just as they were about to transform into light and depart,

Tongtian suddenly spoke.

"Wait."

Yuanshi stopped.

"What is it?"

Tongtian's gaze fell upon the Twelve Golden Immortals.

"A battle between disciples."

"If they lose, they return to cultivate."

"Then fight their way back next time."

"If Second Brother personally steps in every time..."

He smiled.

"This Daoist will be very busy in the future."

The words sounded light.

But their meaning weighed heavily.

Today, you could step in because the Twelve Golden Immortals lost.

In the future, if my Intercepting Sect disciples lose,

I can step in too.

If Saints all played like this,

then those below might as well stop cultivating.

Yuanshi naturally understood.

He gave no response.

Jade Clarity Divine Light swept up the Twelve Golden Immortals.

They soon vanished beyond the horizon.

After the saintly pressure departed,

heaven and earth finally returned to normal.

The wind began to blow again.

The yellow sand that had hung in the air slowly fell.

Only now did many Intercepting Sect disciples of lesser cultivation truly dare to take deep breaths.

"They're gone?"

Gao Yougan asked tentatively.

Zhao Jiang glanced at the sky.

"They should be."

The smile on Gao Yougan's face finally burst free completely.

"Ha ha ha ha!"

"Taiyi's expression just now..."

"Will you shut up?"

Qin Wan looked utterly helpless.

"Do you really want Second Martial Uncle to come back again?"

"I won't say it, I won't say it."

Gao Yougan said so with his mouth,

but the gloating on his face could not be hidden at all.

Tongtian had already arrived before the Three Cloud Sisters.

He looked at Yunxiao first.

"Not a bad formation."

"Thank you, Master."

"It was just a little ruthless."

Yunxiao lowered her head slightly.

"This disciple will be more careful in the future."

Tongtian thought for a moment.

"You do not need to be too careful."

"If it is time to fight, then fight."

Yunxiao: "..."

Lin Yuan stood nearby.

Barely suppressing his laughter.

Tongtian then looked at Bixiao.

"Were you very happy just now?"

"No."

Bixiao answered extremely quickly.

"This disciple was serious the entire time."

Qiongxiao gave a soft cough beside her.

Zhao Gongming directly turned his head away.

No one present exposed her.

Only then did Tongtian look at Lin Yuan.

"As for you."

Lin Yuan's heart tightened.

"Martial Ancestor."

"This disciple is here."

"In the future, stop talking about 'calling people' in front of Saints."

Lin Yuan nodded obediently.

"This disciple understands."

"However..."

Tongtian's tone shifted.

"When it is time to call them, still call them."

"The Sword Token is gone."

"If you encounter something like this again in the future,"

"send a message directly."

Lin Yuan's eyes instantly lit up.

What did that mean?

Before, it had been a one-time customer service voucher.

Now it had been upgraded to a direct human line?

His treatment had risen again.

"Thank you, Martial Ancestor."

Tongtian shook his head.

"Do not thank me too soon."

"The things you have changed recently are growing greater and greater."

"The trouble will only grow greater as well."

As he spoke,

he looked toward Zhao Gongming, the Three Cloud Sisters, the Ten Heavenly Lords, and the Four Sages of Nine-Dragon Island.

His gaze deepened slightly.

These people...

In their original fortunes,

every one of them bore exceedingly heavy calamity aura.

Yet now, their calamity aura had all changed noticeably.

Especially when Lin Yuan stood among them,

that change became even more apparent.

Tongtian did not question them in detail on the spot.

He merely left behind one sentence:

"After this matter ends,"

"all of you return to Golden Turtle Island."

"There are some matters"

"that must be discussed anew."

Lin Yuan's heart stirred slightly.

But before he could think further,

deep within his consciousness,

the system suddenly gave a faint tremor.

Not one notification.

But three.

Yunxiao.

Qiongxiao.

Bixiao.

The Death Nodes of the three of them—

began to dissipate.