Yang Jian's allegiance

Zhao Gongming's expression changed instantly at those words.

He had come to fetch the siblings Yang Jian and Yang Chan solely because Tongtian had instructed him to.

As for the Chan Sect's scheme, Tongtian had said nothing, so naturally he knew nothing about it.

Now that Yu Ding Zhenren had brought it up, Zhao Gongming was utterly bewildered.

"The Chan Sect's scheme? A scheme a hundred years in the making?"

"You're only taking a disciple. Does that really require a scheme?"

"Yin Shang has countless people. Why keep your eyes glued to Yang Jian? Travel a little farther, and surely you could find a few disciples worthy of your status?"

Zhao Gongming spoke from the heart. That truly was what he thought.

In fact, it was not just him. Almost everyone in the Interception Sect did things that way.

What was wrong with that?

But Yu Ding Zhenren thought Zhao Gongming was putting on an act.

He refused to believe Zhao Gongming could fail to understand something so simple.

Still, for the sake of his precious disciple Yang Jian, and to avoid being drawn into the Investiture Calamity, he took a deep breath and explained.

"Do you know that our Chan Sect brought Yang Jian and Yang Chan's parents together in the first place?"

"Otherwise, why would Fairy Yunhua have fallen for a mortal like Yang Tianyou?"

"Yang Jian is the next generation's god of war that our Chan Sect intends to cultivate. We even plan to put him on the Investiture of the Gods List, so he can disgust the Jade Emperor every single day."

"He is crucial to our sect's grand plan, far more important than Li Jing's third son. We absolutely cannot hand him over to you."

They sucked in a breath...

Zhao Gongming and the Three Xiao Sisters were dumbstruck by those words.

They were only looking for a disciple, yet there were so many twists and turns behind it. It was terrifying.

Such a thing was beyond anything they in the Interception Sect would even dare imagine.

Yet despite his shock, Zhao Gongming naturally could not agree.

"Yu Ding Zhenren, you should know perfectly well that it's impossible."

"Now that we're in the Investiture Calamity, the Chan Sect and the Interception Sect are enemies, not friends."

"Besides, Yang Jian and Yang Chan have already become my disciples."

"What happens to your Chan Sect has nothing to do with me. Forget it. We're opponents now."

"In short, this matter ends here. We must return to the Interception Sect. If you refuse to accept that, then we might as well fight another round."

Without waiting for the Chan Sect members to reply, Zhao Gongming exchanged a glance with the Three Xiao Sisters, then sped toward Golden Ao Island with them.

Zhao Gongming knew very well that the Chan Sect had too many people present, while there were only four of them.

Barely maintaining a stalemate was already the best outcome they could hope for.

Killing one more of their opponents was simply impossible.

Since he could not complete Tongtian's task, there was no point staying. He might as well leave early.

Meanwhile.

When Yu Ding Zhenren and the other Chan Sect disciples saw Zhao Gongming's group leave, they did not give chase.

They were no fools, either.

They knew they had lost this affair from the very beginning.

After all, Yang Jian and Yang Chan had already been taken to Golden Ao Island. Could they possibly demand that Tongtian hand them over?

Even if their exalted Sect Leader Yuanshi intervened, it would be no use!

With that being the case, what was the point of fighting on?

After fighting for so long with just the few of them, they had already seen the truth.

The nine of them could not stop Zhao Gongming and the Three Xiao Sisters from leaving.

Their hearts were heavy now.

They knew that the Interception Sect boasted ten thousand immortals paying court and countless experts within its ranks.

But after confronting them in person, they could not help feeling bitter.

Since the Investiture Calamity began, the Interception Sect and the Chan Sect had clashed twice, and both encounters had ended in defeat for the Chan Sect.

What stung most was that the Interception Sect had sent two different groups.

The first time, it had been the Interception Sect's Four Direct Disciples and Seven Attendants. Losing to them was nothing to dwell on.

But this time, it was Zhao Gongming and the Three Xiao Sisters!

Those four were merely elite outer disciples.

To stop Zhao Gongming's group from leaving, they would need their eldest senior brother Guangchengzi present, or else find some other opportunity.

Since Senior Brother Guangchengzi had not appeared, perhaps there were other unforeseen developments at Jade Void Palace.

Thus, they too wanted to return to Jade Void Palace as quickly as possible.

Meanwhile.

On Golden Ao Island, inside Tongtian's cave abode.

Seeing that the battle had ended, Tongtian dispersed the water mirror in the air with a wave, then turned to Yang Jian and his sister.

"It seems my deductions were more or less correct."

"Your entire family was indeed caught in the Chan Sect's schemes."

"I simply hadn't expected my second elder brother to intend to make you the Chan Sect's next god of war."

"Well, Yang Jian? Would you rather become the Interception Sect's god of war, or the Chan Sect's?"

At that point, Tongtian could not resist teasing him a little.

Anyone could see that there was absolutely no chance Yang Jian would join the Chan Sect now.

Yet Tongtian could not resist saying it.

There was a certain thrill in changing the original course of the story.

Yang Jian's eyes were bloodshot, and his whole body trembled slightly with rage.

Earlier, it had merely been Tongtian talking. Although his words made perfect sense, Yang Jian had only believed sixty or seventy percent of them.

But now that Yu Ding Zhenren had spoken, Yang Jian understood everything at once.

His entire family had indeed been plotted against.

"Since I, Yang Jian, have joined the Interception Sect, I will remain one of its people for the rest of my life."

"But, Sect Leader, I hope to visit the Heavenly Court and meet that uncle of mine."

"I hope you can help me with this, Sect Leader."

Although the truth had come to light, Yang Jian still wanted to have a proper talk with his uncle.

After all, he could not keep these matters buried in his heart forever. With Tongtian backing him, Yang Jian naturally hoped to get a definite answer.

Not to mention that his mother, Fairy Yunhua, was still imprisoned beneath Peach Mountain.

Ding-dong~

"Detected that the host faces a choice."

"Choice System activation threshold reached. Two choices are now available."

"Choice one: Follow the Heavenly Dao, rebuke Yang Jian, and send him back to the Chan Sect. Reward: one volume of the Heaven-Defying Great Dao Cultivation Manual."

"Choice two: Defy heaven. My fate is mine to command, not heaven's. Personally bring Yang Jian to the Heavenly Court and have the Jade Emperor and Yang Jian thaw the ice of their past grievances. Reward: one second-stage advancement gift pack."

Tongtian froze.

He had clearly never expected such a small matter to bring out the mighty system.

But did this even require a choice?

Although the first reward was indeed good, and he wanted a Great Dao-level cultivation manual...

It was simply of no use to him as he was now.

At least in the short term, even if he received such a manual, Tongtian would not be able to use it.

"Choice two!"

"Do you even need to ask such a stupid question?"

"I've already torn all pretense of friendship with the Chan Sect to shreds, and now you want me to apologize? Apologize, my ass!"

Tongtian wasted no words and chose the second option outright.

Because of the Investiture Calamity, the Chan Sect and the Interception Sect had long since become mortal enemies.

The situation before him required no thought whatsoever.