Zhao Gongming was not worried about the Three Xiao.
With the Primordial Golden Dou and the Golden Flood Dragon Scissors in their hands, their safety was nothing to worry about.
On the contrary, having Yang Jian and Yang Chan with them would only make trouble more likely. It was better to send the siblings to Golden Ao Island first.
After all, in Zhao Gongming's view, the Chan Sect had just suffered a crushing loss, and the Primordial Heavenly Venerable was probably watching from the shadows this time.
When he had come here, the Sect Leader had still been able to use his magic, but Zhao Gongming would have to make the return journey on his own.
After all, during the Investiture Calamity, sages were forbidden from taking action.
That was the rule!
Although the Primordial Heavenly Venerable could not act himself, he could dispatch his disciples to intercept them.
Powerful as Zhao Gongming was, he did not believe he could stand against everyone in the Chan Sect by sheer force.
Thus, after saving the siblings Yang Jian and Yang Chan, he concealed their figures without another word and carried them away, riding the clouds and mist.
He traveled extremely fast, reaching Golden Ao Island again in roughly eight or nine days.
Even as he entered Golden Ao Island, Zhao Gongming still wore a puzzled expression.
He had not encountered a single enemy.
But this was not the time to dwell on that. Zhao Gongming first brought the two to the cave abode where Tongtian practiced secluded cultivation.
"Reporting to the Sect Leader: this disciple has returned."
"However, I only brought Yang Jian and Yang Chan back. The Three Xiao are still over there."
"This disciple is still a little worried about the Three Xiao, so I hope you can look after these two disciples for me first, Sect Master."
Tongtian nodded.
The matter of Yang Jian was so important that he had naturally watched everything from beginning to end.
Tongtian also knew perfectly well what sort of person Yuanshi was.
"There is no need to be so anxious. My divine sense has been covering that area all along."
"If anything changes there, I will arrange a contingency beforehand."
"Do not underestimate your sect master. As long as I am here, nothing will happen to the Three Xiao."
After hearing Tongtian's words, Zhao Gongming looked somewhat embarrassed.
He even felt an urge to slap his own forehead. He really had been foolish.
With his Sect Leader still watching over them, what was he afraid of?
Meanwhile.
Looking at the embarrassed Zhao Gongming, Tongtian waved a hand. "Go and help the Three Xiao. Your three younger sisters are indeed being pursued."
"But do not worry too much. Their enemies are not strong."
"As for Yang Jian and Yang Chan, leave them to me."
Zhao Gongming said nothing more. After hearing Tongtian's words, he cupped his hands, bowed, and left at once.
Although he knew Tongtian would not deceive him, he was still deeply anxious.
Only after Zhao Gongming left did Tongtian turn his attention to Yang Jian and Yang Chan.
"From today onward, you are disciples of my Interception Sect. You need not fear any other power. Simply devote yourselves to cultivation."
"However, I am not like that pack of hypocrites in the Chan Sect, so I think it would be better to tell you about your family's affairs."
"And there is no need to hate your uncle, the Lord of the Heavenly Court, so much, because he is not your enemy."
Yang Jian and Yang Chan were both stunned by those words.
They stared blankly at Tongtian, unable to understand what he meant.
The Lord of the Heavenly Court, who had driven their father and eldest brother to their deaths and imprisoned their mother, was not their enemy?
Then who was?
"Sect Master, surely that cannot be possible?" Yang Jian asked with a bow.
Although he was only twelve, the experiences of these past years had made him remarkably mature for his age.
Tongtian was quite pleased to see this, and then spoke calmly.
"Although I do not know the precise details of your family's situation..."
"Now that the great calamity is upon us, heaven's secrets are obscured and cannot be divined. But in truth, once we part the fog and reason through things little by little, it is still quite simple."
"Let us begin with the simplest point. Your mother, Fairy Yunhua, is an immortal. Unless she dies prematurely, her lifespan is at least a hundred thousand years. Why do you think your mother would fall for a mortal?"
"Do you think there is something wrong here?"
Yang Jian frowned and began to think.
But after pondering for a while, he still could not reach any satisfactory conclusion.
In the end, he could only cup his hands and ask, "May I ask, Sect Master, what exactly is wrong here?"
"Forgive my limited knowledge, but I truly cannot see the problem."
Tongtian smiled and held nothing back.
"You are still young, and there are many things you cannot recognize. Do you know that when immortals enter seclusion, it sometimes lasts at least a hundred years? Even a thousand years is perfectly normal."
"Your mother is an immortal. Have you ever considered that if she entered seclusion, your father might already have died of old age by the time she awoke?"
"You must understand that one day in heaven is one year below. If your uncle, the Jade Emperor, truly wanted to take your mother back to the Heavenly Court, he would only have to wait a few dozen days in heaven, and your father would naturally die of old age."
"He had no need whatsoever to send the Heavenly Soldiers and Generals to capture you."
Yang Jian was instantly dumbfounded.
Before, hatred had blinded him, and he had never considered any of this.
But now that Tongtian had laid it out, it really did seem to make sense.
Seeing Yang Jian sink into thought, Tongtian continued questioning him.
"Your mother and father's union itself makes no sense. After all, apart from your parents, have you ever seen another immortal marry a mortal?"
"I suspect your uncle, the Jade Emperor, noticed something was amiss, which was why he hurriedly issued an order to arrest your family."
"That is understandable, too. After all, your uncle is the Jade Emperor. Even if he wanted to protect you, he could not say so openly, or others would easily make a laughingstock of him. Your uncle's position as Lord of the Heavenly Court is hardly comfortable right now."
"The Heavenly Court is nothing but an empty shell. If your uncle had said it outright, the others would respect his authority even less."
"But because he could not speak plainly, the Heavenly Soldiers and Generals under him naturally could not grasp his true intentions."
"In fact, to avoid harming your family, your uncle had already done his best to send the weakest Heavenly Soldiers and Generals, precisely because he feared you would get hurt."
"Otherwise, do you really think that, however weak the Heavenly Court might be, it could not send even one general capable of capturing your family?"
"I know of at least three to five myself."
Yang Jian's face turned deathly pale. Clearly, he found this difficult to imagine.
What Tongtian was saying now was entirely different from everything he believed.
But before Yang Jian could make sense of it, Tongtian spoke again.
"There is also something extremely suspicious about your father, because your uncle would never have issued an order to capture you. Your mother is clear proof: she was merely imprisoned."
"Of course, if you still do not believe me, the fact that you and your sister have survived until now is proof as well."
"You have no cultivation and have only awakened your divine eye. You may be formidable among mortals, but any one of the Heavenly Soldiers and Generals could kill you. There is no question about that."
"If you do not believe me, you can ask any cultivator."
"Although Perfected Yuan Ding of the Chan Sect protected you siblings throughout your journey, you also fought those Heavenly Soldiers and Generals many times."
"So you should know very well just how easy it would be for them to kill you!"
Before you continue