Left with no choice, Chen Xuan could only withdraw the Profound Origin Wave Transformation Art and stride directly toward Tongtian.
As he massaged Tongtian's legs, he said, "Master, it seems this disciple hasn't committed any mistake, has he?"
"You crippled nearly a hundred of my disciples for no reason at all. Does that not count as a mistake?"
Hearing Tongtian say this, Chen Xuan immediately refused to accept it. "Master, you are wronging this disciple.
To test their loyalty to you, this disciple risked incurring Karma with Martial Uncle Zhunti!
And the facts prove that this disciple's concerns were right. Those people simply were not worthy of taking you as their master."
Although Tongtian agreed with Chen Xuan's words, he did not reveal it on the surface.
Instead, he put on a gloomy expression and said, "Those disciples had only just entered my sect, so their temperaments were naturally unstable.
Given time and careful instruction, they would surely become utterly loyal to me.
But your actions led them into making mistakes. That is not something an Eldest Senior Brother should do.
Therefore, I have decided that I must properly punish you this time."
Chen Xuan's expression instantly became that of a spurned wife as he looked pitifully at Tongtian.
"Master, you are truly chilling this disciple's heart. From now on, this disciple will never concern himself with your affairs again.
As for the task of refining a treasure to suppress the sect's fortune, Master should choose someone else."
After Chen Xuan spoke, a streak of black qi flew from between his brows and hovered before Tongtian.
At the same time, the true souls of those nearly hundred disciples flew out from Chen Xuan's hand.
Only then did Tongtian remember the black qi Dao Ancestor Hongjun had given Chen Xuan in Purple Cloud Palace.
Without bothering to ask what Chen Xuan intended to do, he simply said, "Explain."
That vague "explain" left Chen Xuan both amused and exasperated.
"Master, can't you use a fresher phrase? You always say 'explain.' What exactly do you want this disciple to explain?"
"Stop playing dumb with me. What exactly is this black qi your Grandmaster gave you?"
Chen Xuan chuckled. "Explaining it is not impossible, but it has to count as this disciple making up for his faults.
You cannot punish this disciple anymore, Master. Otherwise, you can comprehend it yourself."
Tongtian gritted his teeth in anger. After a cold snort, he said, "One more word of nonsense, and I'll punish you to face the wall for a hundred thousand years."
Feigning terror, Chen Xuan said to Tongtian, "Master, please show mercy. This disciple will explain right now, all right?"
Tongtian nodded in satisfaction. "Then speak quickly."
Chen Xuan sighed helplessly. "Does Master still remember Demon Ancestor Luo Hou from those days?"
Naturally, Tongtian could not possibly forget. He immediately nodded at Chen Xuan.
"Of course I remember. Back then, your Grandmaster fought Demon Ancestor Luo Hou. It was an event that shook heaven and earth.
Had my cultivation not been insufficient at the time, I would certainly have helped your Grandmaster.
But what does this black qi have to do with Demon Ancestor Luo Hou?"
"Master, then do you remember how many treasures Demon Ancestor Luo Hou possessed?"
After thinking for a moment, Tongtian said to Chen Xuan, "Demon Ancestor Luo Hou was also an Innate Lifeform. He possessed the Twelfth Grade Black Lotus of World Destruction, which was both offensive and defensive and impervious to all techniques.
The God Slaying Spear could injure a Saint's True Spirit and was the greatest killing weapon between heaven and earth.
The Immortal Slaughtering Four Swords and the Immortal Slaughtering Formation Diagram could form the innate killing formation, the Immortal Slaughtering Formation. They have now fallen into my hands."
"That's all? Does Master only know of these and not know that Demon Ancestor Luo Hou had another Innate Supreme Treasure?"
Tongtian was stunned. He thought for a long time but could not recall what other treasure Demon Ancestor Luo Hou possessed.
Seeing that Tongtian had not thought of it, Chen Xuan stopped keeping him in suspense.
He directly said, "It seems Master has forgotten. Demon Ancestor Luo Hou also had an Innate Supreme Treasure called the Nine Demon Tower."
Hearing Chen Xuan mention the Nine Demon Tower, Tongtian could not help but be greatly shocked.
It was not that Tongtian had never heard of the Nine Demon Tower. He simply could not believe that the black qi Dao Ancestor Hongjun had given Chen Xuan was the Nine Demon Tower.
After all, the Nine Demon Tower was Demon Ancestor Luo Hou's accompanying spirit treasure. One could even say that Demon Ancestor Luo Hou had transformed from the Nine Demon Tower.
Moreover, the Nine Demon Tower was a treasure born within chaos. Its grade had reached that of a Chaos Treasure.
Even compared to Pangu's Pangu Axe and the complete Creation Jade Disc, it was not inferior by much.
In the end, like the Creation Jade Disc in Dao Ancestor Hongjun's possession, it suffered severe damage when heaven and earth were opened, causing its grade to fall to that of an Innate Supreme Treasure.
Even so, it was not something the Pangu Banner, Taiji Diagram, or Eastern Emperor Bell could compare to.
Thus, Tongtian immediately asked, "What did you say? You said this black qi your Grandmaster gave you is the Nine Demon Tower?"
Chen Xuan nodded, then shook his head. "Master is only half right, because this black qi is merely the Source Power of the Nine Demon Tower.
That is why this disciple must go through countless hardships to return it to its origin and condense it into a physical form once more.
Over these thousand years, this disciple truly exhausted himself. Yet good intentions brought no reward, and in the end, this disciple still faces punishment.
Sigh, forget it. Who told this disciple to encounter such an unreliable master? Punish me if you must. It is only a hundred thousand years of facing the wall."
Like a spurned wife, Chen Xuan started walking toward the exit of Shangqing Palace.
He looked entirely ready to throw down his tools and quit, making Tongtian's teeth itch with hatred.
"You brat, stop right there! Stop complaining. Do not think I do not know what you are plotting."
Chen Xuan chuckled and immediately turned around, walking behind Tongtian.
As he kneaded Tongtian's shoulders, he said, "Master, the Nine Demon Tower's demonic qi is too heavy.
Even if this disciple can return it to its origin, this disciple cannot diminish its demonic qi.
When Master uses it to suppress the sect's fortune, it will inevitably affect the disciples and eventually lead them onto the Demonic Path.
Therefore, this disciple believes the Nine Demon Tower must be refined into a new Innate Supreme Treasure.
Even if its demonic qi cannot be completely eliminated, it must become an Innate Supreme Treasure dominated by Shangqing Immortal Qi.
This disciple has even thought of a name for Master. It shall be called the Nine-Layered Tongtian Tower."
Hearing Chen Xuan's words, Tongtian could not help but furrow his brow. "Could this be the true reason you crippled those nearly hundred disciples?
If their true souls are needed to refine the Nine-Layered Tongtian Tower, then I would rather not have this Innate Supreme Treasure to suppress the sect's fortune."
This was Tongtian, someone who would never choose to use his own disciples to achieve his own ends.
This made Chen Xuan feel even more certain that he had chosen the right master.
He immediately said, "Master, what are you thinking? This disciple is not so heartless.
Much less would this disciple use the lives of his fellow disciples to refine some treasure for suppressing the sect's fortune."
Tongtian nodded after hearing this. "Then how do you intend to refine it? I would like to hear it."
Before you continue