When everyone saw the helplessness on Lu Feng's face, they each summoned their courage and spoke.
"Then we won't leave either!"
"That's right! I'm not leaving!"
"No matter how great the hardships that come our way, I won't leave!"
"..."
Listening to them, Lu Feng couldn't help feeling a little moved.
He had watched every one of these disciples join the sect.
Lu Feng had transmigrated here before the Interception Sect was even founded.
Back then, he had been nothing more than a tiny bodhi sapling, only to encounter a lightning tribulation while taking human form.
He had thought he would meet his end the moment he transmigrated. Who could have imagined that Tongtian would come to his aid, allowing him to survive the lightning tribulation safely and take human form?
Afterward, Lu Feng had followed Tongtian to Golden Ao Island.
They had established a cultivation sanctuary here, with Lu Feng watching over the Interception Sect for Tongtian.
Lu Feng had watched Tongtian take in disciple after disciple, then watched those disciples grow, one after another.
In fact, Lu Feng had once asked to become Tongtian's disciple himself.
But Tongtian had not revealed his identity at the time, and after performing some divinations, he had refused Lu Feng's request.
Yet after establishing the new sanctuary, he had made Lu Feng the Vice Leader.
Only when Duobao appeared did Lu Feng realize that he had stumbled into the quagmire that was the Interception Sect.
Originally, Lu Feng had wanted to leave. But Tongtian had treated him well, and on such a vast Golden Ao Island, Duobao was still such a tiny child.
Lu Feng could only stay.
And that stay had lasted a full hundred thousand years.
He had witnessed countless seas turn into mulberry fields, and he had also witnessed the Witch-Demon Tribulation...
Recalling the countless casualties of the Witch-Demon Tribulation that year, Lu Feng hardened his heart once more.
"This matter is not open for discussion."
"The Sage entrusted the Interception Sect to me, so I must do what is right by it."
"From this day onward, return to wherever you came from."
"This, too, is an opportunity for you."
At Lu Feng's words, all the disciples present exchanged bewildered looks.
Just as everyone fell silent, a figure suddenly stepped forward and dropped to one knee before Lu Feng.
"This disciple would never dare disobey the Vice Leader's command!"
"Today... I, the Long-Eared Immortal, bid farewell to the Vice Leader and all my senior brothers and sisters!"
Hearing his words, Lu Feng's expression remained unchanged.
"Go."
As it happened, Lu Feng was quite familiar with this man.
The Long-Eared Dingguang Immortal had ultimately gone straight to the West, escaping the calamity of the Investiture of the Gods List.
He had even betrayed his fellow disciples time and again to make his escape.
Letting him leave early now was also a way to keep the others out of harm's way.
It would spare them from being betrayed later without even knowing it.
Duobao, Jin Ling, and the others, however, looked increasingly furious.
"Long-Eared Dingguang Immortal!"
"Master has always treated you well, yet you actually..."
Jin Ling was so angry that she was about to unleash a torrent of curses, but Lu Feng raised a hand to stop her.
"Everyone has their own opportunities."
"Remaining in the Interception Sect will do you no good. Better to leave while you can."
With Lu Feng's words, and the Long-Eared Dingguang Immortal's example before them, countless disciples began to stir restlessly.
Only disciples like Duobao remained unwavering.
Lu Feng simply pretended not to notice, quietly waiting as they rose, bowed, and departed.
Only after two-fifths of them had left did he stop waiting.
Lu Feng then looked at the disciples who still stood rooted to the spot.
"Do you know why I want you to leave?"
With disciples like Duobao, whose loyalty to the Interception Sect never wavered, Lu Feng always had tremendous patience.
Duobao and the others shook their heads.
Ever since joining the Interception Sect, they had received instruction from Lu Feng.
The sect's affairs had always been handled by Lu Feng as well, and he had kept everything in impeccable order.
It would not even be an exaggeration to call Lu Feng their second master.
Now that Lu Feng wanted them to leave, how could they agree without a reasonable explanation?
Lu Feng merely gave a soft chuckle.
"Then I'll tell you plainly. This Investiture of the Gods Tribulation is aimed squarely at our Interception Sect."
"You might say that our Interception Sect has a Sage presiding over it. But what if I told you that other Sages will also enter the fray?"
"Could our Interception Sect's strength withstand them?"
Those few words from Lu Feng were like a sharp blade, slicing straight through the fog before everyone's eyes.
Duobao asked cautiously.
"Then what should we do to save the Interception Sect?"
With his hands clasped behind his back, Lu Feng spoke unhurriedly.
"Disband the Interception Sect now, and go out to seek your own opportunities. Reestablishing the Interception Sect someday may not be impossible."
Hearing that the Interception Sect might be restored, everyone present was overjoyed.
"So what we need to do now is work hard to grow stronger!"
"Only once we're stronger can we preserve the Interception Sect and establish it anew!"
"Exactly!"
Seeing that everyone had nearly come around, Lu Feng could not be bothered to drag things out. With a sweep of his hand, he immediately lifted the barrier over Golden Ao Island.
At the same time, the entire Primordial World could sense the providence draining away from Golden Ao Island.
"From this day onward, the Interception Sect is disbanded!"
The ethereal voice of the Dao carried throughout the Primordial World.
Lu Feng's figure also gradually faded before their eyes.
Watching his figure vanish into thin air, Duobao and the other disciples' eyes reddened. In the end, they could not hold back and knelt, knocking their heads against the ground several times in the direction Lu Feng had departed.
"We obey the Vice Leader's command!"
Only after sensing the disciples' auras fade from Golden Ao Island one by one did Lu Feng reveal himself again, a little more melancholy in his eyes.
The island, usually so full of life, was now left with nothing but loneliness.
Lu Feng leaned against his original form and quietly gazed into the distance.
Yet just then, a soft ding suddenly sounded in his head.
[Ding!] [Detected that the host has completed the Interception Sect Bond Mission. Activating the Jie Sect Disciple Cultivation System!]
Lu Feng froze for a moment before finally realizing what had happened.
Had his transmigration Golden Finger finally arrived?
He had already been here for over a hundred thousand years!
And only now did his Golden Finger show up?
More importantly, this system was called the Jie Sect Disciple Cultivation System!
As the name suggested, he was supposed to properly cultivate the Interception Sect's disciples.
But he had just sent all of them away. Where was he supposed to find disciples to cultivate?
For a moment, Lu Feng felt that no matter how composed he normally was, he could barely keep himself together now.
What kind of system toyed with people like this?
"System, are you sure you don't want to explain?"
[Jie Sect Disciple Cultivation System: Starting today, the novels written by the host will be published throughout the Primordial World. As long as the Interception Sect's disciples can gain insights from them and grow stronger, the host will receive corresponding rewards!]
After hearing the explanation, Lu Feng was even more speechless.
He had let everyone leave. Where was he supposed to go to guide them?
If he had known, he would have disbanded the sect a little later!
But what was done was done. No amount of regret would help Lu Feng now.
Meanwhile, news of the Interception Sect's dissolution began spreading rapidly throughout the Primordial World.
Kunlun Mountain was the first to learn of it.
As a rival, the Chan Sect had always paid particularly close attention to the Interception Sect's movements.
Now that they learned the Interception Sect had actually disbanded, the entire Chan Sect nearly erupted into an uproar!
Before you continue