"Do not harm my junior brother! Wuyun Xian, your life is mine!"
"Wuyun Xian, you are courting death! Behold my Heart-Splitting Awl!"
"Shameless wretches of the Interception Sect! Today, we of the Chan Sect will send you onto the Investiture of the Gods List!"
The Twelve Golden Immortals of Chan Sect hesitated no longer. Casting aside any qualms about joining forces, each unleashed a terrifying aura.
Treasures shone in a riot of colors across the void. Countless spiritual treasures flew through the air, gleaming with destructive power.
The Twelve Golden Immortals' eyes were icy. Clearly, they intended to seize this opportunity to destroy Wuyun Xian and send an Interception Sect disciple onto the Investiture of the Gods List first.
Wuyun Xian's expression changed drastically as well.
It was true that he thought little of the Twelve Golden Immortals of Chan Sect, but against all twelve together, he knew he was no match.
Yet just as he prepared to flee-
Whoosh!
Light flashed, and then Tongtian's Four Direct Disciples and Seven Attendants all stood around Wuyun Xian.
Tongtian had been watching Chentang Pass all along. How could he possibly let calamity befall Wuyun Xian?
The moment he sensed the Twelve Golden Immortals arriving, he had summoned all these disciples.
Only, fearing that Yuanshi would find fault with him, he had not transported them there himself. Instead, he had let them make their own way over, which had cost them a little time.
Otherwise, the Twelve Golden Immortals would never have had a chance to strike.
"The Twelve Golden Immortals of Chan Sect, ganging up on our junior brother Wuyun Xian alone! Utterly shameless!"
"I've long had enough of these Chan Sect people. Today is the perfect time to settle all our scores!"
"Why waste so many words? Kill!"
The Interception Sect disciples all had fiery tempers and charged straight at their chosen opponents.
Daoist Duobao had originally wanted to say a few words, but at the sight of the chaos before him, he sighed and charged out with the Qingping Sword as well.
For a time, heaven and earth changed color, and thunderous crashes rang endlessly through the void.
Dazzling streaks of light cut across the sky. All those fighting were Golden Immortals, the elite disciples of the Chan Sect and the Interception Sect.
Every clash made the onlookers tremble with fear.
Inside Chentang Pass, Li Jing and Yin Shiniang looked up, their eyes filled with dread.
Though one had joined the Chan Sect and the other was a Nuwa Disciple, both were merely outer disciples.
When had they ever encountered a scene like this?
Those fighting now were the foremost disciples of the Chan Sect and the Interception Sect. Across the entire Primordial World, only a scant few could surpass them.
Biyou Palace, Golden Ao Island.
Though Tongtian sat inside his cave abode, he kept a firm watch on the battle.
Then, amid a flicker of light, he used Voice Transmission to speak directly to Wuyun Xian.
"Wuyun Xian, lead the attack. Daoist Duobao and Golden Spirit Holy Mother will support you. Find a way to focus on Taiyi Zhenren, and remember-you must send him onto the Investiture of the Gods List."
"Above all, make sure you seize every one of Taiyi Zhenren's treasures."
"This opportunity is rare. We must sever one of the Chan Sect's arms!"
After giving Wuyun Xian his instructions, Zhang Lei also offered a few reminders to Daoist Duobao and Golden Spirit Holy Mother.
Wuyun Xian's eyes flickered. Upon hearing Tongtian's instructions, he exchanged a covert glance with Daoist Duobao and Golden Spirit Holy Mother.
The Hunyuan Hammer smashed out. Taiyi Zhenren, who was fighting Long-Eared Dingguang Immortal, had his treasured robe shattered in an instant.
Seeing this, Wuyun Xian abandoned his fight with Yu Ding Zhenren and charged straight at Taiyi Zhenren.
Golden Light Holy Mother also tossed out the Four Symbols Pagoda, pinning the wounded Taiyi Zhenren in place.
Daoist Duobao rushed to lend a hand as well.
Long-Eared Dingguang Immortal also recognized this rare opportunity. He waved the Six Souls Banner, and amid the wails of ghosts and howls of wolves, layer upon layer of earth, fire, wind, and water were held fast. He was determined to destroy Taiyi Zhenren.
Wuyun Xian's expression was savage as he brought the Hunyuan Hammer down again and again.
Today, he would kill Taiyi Zhenren.
"This is bad! Save Junior Brother Taiyi Immortal, quickly!"
"Those Interception Sect bastards have no regard for the rules! We must stake our lives on this!"
"Bastards! Fight to the death!"
The Chan Sect disciples' eyes turned bloodshot. Every one of them was enraged.
How could they fail to see that the Interception Sect truly intended to kill this time?
But however fast they were, the Interception Sect was faster.
Though the others had not received Tongtian's Voice Transmission, they saw the rare opportunity before them and instantly joined forces to block the Chan Sect's desperate assault.
Killing their opponents might be difficult, but holding them back for a short while was not.
Aah!
Taiyi Zhenren knew disaster was upon him and immediately began fighting for his life.
The Nine Dragon Divine Fire Cover shielded him, while he hurled out the Heaven-Muddling Sash, the Universe Ring, the Fire-Tipped Spear, and his other treasures.
But Wuyun Xian kept swinging the Hunyuan Hammer, smashing all those treasures away before raining savage blows upon the Nine Dragon Divine Fire Cover.
Long-Eared Dingguang Immortal helped him as well.
With Daoist Duobao and Golden Spirit Holy Mother adding their support...
In only a few breaths, the Nine Dragon Divine Fire Cover was blasted open, and Wuyun Xian followed with relentless killing blows.
In an instant.
Taiyi Zhenren was slain by a single blow from Wuyun Xian's hammer, and a wisp of his true spirit flew into the Investiture of the Gods List.
At that moment, everyone from the Chan Sect was dumbstruck.
Before coming here, none of them had imagined that the investiture calamity would claim one of their Golden Immortals when it had only just begun.
Was this some kind of joke?
Yet while they stood stunned, a Pangu Banner flew in from the distant horizon and swept down over Wuyun Xian.
Clearly.
Primordial Heavenly Venerable had intervened.
Taiyi Zhenren was his beloved disciple. Otherwise, he would never have bestowed so many treasures upon him.
Now that he had seen Taiyi Zhenren meet his doom, how could he not be furious?
At last, he could restrain himself no longer and struck.
But with Yuanshi taking action, how could Tongtian remain seated?
With a wave of his hand, an ancient bell rang out.
Just before the Pangu Banner descended, it firmly enclosed all the Interception Sect disciples within its protection.
The Pangu Banner struck the great bell. Strands of Dao patterns resonated, their ringing rich and lingering.
A moment later, both Yuanshi and Tongtian arrived.
Yuanshi's expression was exceedingly grim as he fixed Tongtian with a cold stare.
"The Eastern Emperor Bell?"
"Yes, the Eastern Emperor Bell!"
"Why is Demon Emperor Dijun's Eastern Emperor Bell from back then in your hands?"
"I've had rather good luck."
Faced with Yuanshi's aggressive questioning, Tongtian's gaze remained indifferent and his expression calm.
This time, he had not used the Four Immortal-Slaying Swords, instead deploying the Eastern Emperor Bell. Put plainly, it was a show of deterrence.
In the past, the Interception Sect had lacked a supreme sect-protecting treasure and could not anchor its fortune.
That might have left an opening for the other Sages to exploit.
But now that the Interception Sect had the Eastern Emperor Bell to anchor its fortune, the other Sages could forget about causing it trouble again.
Yuanshi was indeed shaken.
He had never imagined that Tongtian's fortune could run so deep that he had even obtained Demon Emperor Eastern Emperor Taiyi's Eastern Emperor Bell.
How was this possible?
But it was not just Yuanshi. Even the other Sages watching this place, and Hongjun himself, wore expressions of shock.
The investiture calamity was becoming increasingly unfathomable to them.
Everyone knew that the investiture calamity was both a disaster and an opportunity.
As long as one's fortune was deep enough, an opportunity could arise at any time.
But had the investiture calamity not only just begun?
The moment the investiture calamity began, the Interception Sect had obtained the Investiture of the Gods List and the God-Beating Whip, gaining the right to oversee the Investiture of the Gods.
And how little time had passed before the Interception Sect obtained the Eastern Emperor Bell as well?
Could this investiture calamity be the beginning of the Interception Sect's rise?
All the Sages fell silent.
Before you continue