Chapter 676

Now, Sect Leader Tongtian is scattering his cultivation and reincarnating; the Sect of the Cutting will soon lose its saint, Sect Leader Tongtian, but now there is this venerable one who is not a saint yet is a saint.

From now on, it will be his turn to guard the Sect of the Cutting.

This is a day of transition between old and new, a day when the guardian and the guarded exchange identities.

This is the day Ye Qin truly becomes the chief of the myriad immortals of the Sect of the Cutting.

From now on, the Sect of the Cutting! Honor him as supreme!

Sect Leader Tongtian wielded the Slay Immortal Sword; with a single sweep, he actually severed the three flowers atop his own head! This act was extremely ruthless! Ye Qin felt his scalp go numb, and inwardly he marveled.

Boom!

Immediately after, Sect Leader Tongtian punched his own chest, and the five qi in his chest instantly scattered! He reached his hands toward the sky; once he became a saint, he had entrusted his life-soul to the Heavenly Dao in hopes of immortality. But now, he actually retrieved his life-soul from the Heavenly Dao!

"Ah!"

Accompanied by a roar, Penglai Island instantly stirred with wind and clouds; immediately, the entire Honghuang world trembled uneasily!

Boom!

Sect Leader Tongtian's physical body suddenly burst open, and a strand of Primordial Purple Qi escaped from within; he fell from the Saint Realm!

"Cough!" Sect Leader Tongtian coughed up a mouthful of blood, his stature swaying on the verge of collapse. He handed the Primordial Purple Qi to Ye Qin, saying, "This… is for you."

Ye Qin received the Primordial Purple Qi, only to hear Sect Leader Tongtian continue: "Remember… unless absolutely necessary, do not merge it. Otherwise, even if you… become a saint, you will still be controlled by the Heavenly Dao."

Ye Qin solemnly nodded.

"Master… I have now fallen from the Saint Realm; the Sect of the Cutting… henceforth is entrusted to you."

Ye Qin nodded again, a sense of mission welling up in his heart.

Boom!

Sect Leader Tongtian's cultivation level dropped again, directly descending to the Great Net Golden Immortal Realm! His entire aura waned to the extreme, and Ye Qin worried he would soon perish.

"This… Slay Immortal Sword Formation… I… bestow it upon you."

Sect Leader Tongtian trembled as he handed the diagram of the Slay Immortal Sword Formation to Ye Qin with both hands. The four Slay Immortal Swords on the ground wailed, as if sensing their master's impending demise.

Boom! Supreme Ultimate Golden Immortal!

Boom! Golden Immortal!

Boom! Heavenly Immortal!

Sect Leader Tongtian's physical body continually disintegrated, leaving only his Primordial Spirit flickering with a dim light.

Boom!

His Primordial Spirit also gradually dissipated, leaving only a wisp of soul.

Ye Qin reached out to receive Sect Leader Tongtian's soul, watching his master—once one of the Six Great Saints of Honghuang—fall here, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

He took out the Human Register, hesitated for a moment, then decided to temporarily keep Sect Leader Tongtian's soul in his hand rather than place it in the Human Register. He first gathered the four Slay Immortal Swords from the ground, then stepped forward, entering the Underworld, where he found Houtu.

"Master has scattered his cultivation." Ye Qin said in a deep voice.

Houtu looked at the Primordial Spirit of Sect Leader Tongtian in Ye Qin's hand, a flash of admiration crossing her eyes, "I see."

"Please examine his soul to see if it carries any aura of the Heavenly Dao." Ye Qin, worried that Sect Leader Tongtian remained under the Heavenly Dao's control, thus asked Houtu for help.

Houtu nodded, took the Primordial Spirit, closed her eyes, and examined it carefully. After a moment, she shook her head, indicating there was no problem.

"To prevent any mishap in my master's reincarnation, let him undergo 129,000 cycles of rebirth." Ye Qin said.

Houtu nodded in agreement. She knew this number meant nearly a hundred eons of rebirth; only thus could Sect Leader Tongtian's safety be ensured.

"Everything is now entrusted to you. I must return to the Sect of the Cutting; now that the Sect lacks its master, I cannot linger long." Ye Qin said.

Houtu suddenly stepped forward, embraced Ye Qin's waist, and rested her head against his back. After several hundred breaths, she finally let go.

"I will wait for you to come fetch me." Houtu said gently.

Ye Qin's body stiffened, "Rest assured, I will come."

The news of Sect Leader Tongtian's scattering of cultivation and demise spread, and the Honghuang world instantly stirred with wind and clouds.

At this moment, Jieyin and Zhunti of the Western Sect exchanged a glance, a glint of light flashing in their eyes.

"The Sect of the Cutting has been overly dominant these years." Zhunti said.

"Yes, senior brother. Aside from the Saint Nüwa, I fear all the other saints are dissatisfied with the Sect of the Cutting." Jieyin echoed.

"This is an opportunity. Ye Qin is alone; although Sect Leader Tongtian left him the Slay Immortal Sword Formation, if we can join forces with Laozi and Yuanshi Tianzun, the Sect of the Cutting will be in peril!" Zhunti proposed.

Thus, Zhunti left Sumeru Mountain and hurried to Kunlun Mountain.

At this moment on Kunlun Mountain, Yuanshi Tianzun was laughing uproariously. The demise of Sect Leader Tongtian was undoubtedly great news for him. Over the years, he has harbored a deep hatred for Ye Qin; if not for Sect Leader Tongtian's presence, he would have already killed Ye Qin.

Within the Eight Views Palace on Shouyang Mountain, Laozi fell silent. Although he also harbored some dissatisfaction toward the Sect of the Cutting, it was far milder compared to other saints. His thoughts at this moment were not on how to overwhelm the Sect of the Cutting, but on sighing over Sect Leader Tongtian's bravery.

"Junior Brother Tongtian, what grandeur!" Laozi murmured to himself.

As the most clear-sighted among the Heavenly Dao Saints, Laozi advocated non-action and going with nature. He gazed toward Penglai Island and sighed again: "I truly envy Junior Brother Tongtian. If I had such a disciple, I would probably also choose to scatter cultivation and reincarnate for further training. Having already been several eons away from sainthood, the cultivation of us Heavenly Dao Saints will forever remain stuck at this realm. What a pity!"

Yet he could only feel this way, unable to make a decision like Sect Leader Tongtian's. In the Honghuang world, if no one guards the Dao, who would dare to lightly scatter cultivation?

"Although our paths differ, although the Three Purities have already split, although I once held some displeasure toward you, I still sincerely hope Junior Brother Tongtian succeeds." Laozi thought to himself.

Perhaps before long, Sect Leader Tongtian will reappear before their eyes. Laozi's eyes flickered with a complex hue; he ultimately buried all his thoughts deep within, then resumed his alchemy.

At this moment, Ye Qin had already returned to Penglai Island. The immortals on the island were anxious due to Sect Leader Tongtian's demise, but Ye Qin paid it no mind. He stood before Biyou Palace, hands behind his back, gazing at the sky.

The Heavenly Mechanism had fallen into utter chaos; it was obvious someone had deliberately disturbed it. Yet Ye Qin let out a cold laugh, since his cultivation had risen to the peak of quasi-sainthood, he had not yet crossed blows with any saints. His fists were itching to test his mettle!

"I hope you don't come provoke me!" Ye Qin glanced toward the West, then toward the direction of Kunlun Mountain, muttering to himself.

Ye Qin acted as if nothing were wrong, spending all day mingling with Sanxiao and Ruonan. Yet the disciples in the sect were anxious; although they knew Ye Qin was strong, lacking Sect Leader Tongtian as their mainstay, they still felt uneasy.

Ye Qin acted as if he hadn't noticed, spending all day with San Xiao, catching wild beasts as food from the Qiankun Bag left by the Sect Master of Tongtian, and drinking freely the Ten Immortals Wine in the Azure Wander Palace. In the eyes of most Chan Sect disciples, Ye Qin seemed like an incompetent and foolish fellow; the Sect Master of Tongtian had entrusted the Chan Sect to him, yet he spent his days only knowing how to indulge in pleasure.

Ye Qin couldn't be bothered to deal with this bunch of people. Actually, he had been secretly observing the reactions of the Chan Sect disciples. As the saying goes, adversity reveals true feelings, and time reveals people's hearts. He deliberately created an atmosphere where danger lurked everywhere in the Chan Sect, just to see who would step forward. He, Ye Qin, would not protect those traitors!

He is not the Sect Master of Tongtian, so he won't treat all Chan Sect disciples alike. Moreover, the impending Calamity of the Gods' Investiture is approaching; he needs to carefully screen them, root out those traitors once and for all to eliminate future trouble.

As for whether the other saints will join forces, Ye Qin felt delighted in his heart. What if they join forces? He has never been afraid.

Zhao Gongming found Ye Qin, wanting him to earnestly take up the heavy responsibility of leading the Sect of the Cutting. Ye Qin, while eating the roasted meat fed by Qiongxiao, glanced at Zhao Gongming. He trusted this person. In his previous life, Zhao Gongming had never betrayed the Sect of the Cutting, and had died fighting for his sect brothers in the Great Calamity of the Investiture of the Gods. More importantly, he was the elder brother of the Sanxiao, making him Ye Qin's brother-in-law—how could he possibly betray the Sect of the Cutting?

Ye Qin waved and handed Zhao Gongming a leg of a savage beast. Based on this relationship, if Zhao Gongming were to betray the Sect of the Cutting, no one would dare to employ him; he might even be killed outright.

Zhao Gongming is not stupid; he sees the current situation clearly.

"Ah, Gongming, you are now a Quasi-Sage Realm cultivator too; I trust your character. Do you think there are any greedy, fearful disciples among the Sect of the Cutting?" Ye Qin asked.

Zhao Gongming blinked, not knowing why Ye Qin would ask such a question. However, he admired and revered this senior brother to the point of prostration; one could even say he worshipped him. In the Honghuang world, countless Great Cycles have passed, yet no one has ever dared to challenge a Saint with early Quasi-Sage cultivation and remain undefeated! What's more, his senior brother has now reached the peak of Quasi-Sage!

He replied respectfully: "Senior Brother, the Sect of the Cutting has many disciples; it's inevitable that there are mixed qualities, so I dare not make a definite statement."

Ye Qin patted Zhao Gongming's shoulder and said, "I can tell you clearly, yes! And not just a few! So, tell me, if the Sect of the Cutting were to face the greatest crisis in history, what would they do?"

Zhao Gongming blinked. What else could a traitor do? Of course, flee from the Sect of the Cutting!

Ye Qin looked at Zhao Gongming's solemn expression and said with a smile: "I now give you a task: get close to those disciples, mingle among them, and help me record every person with ulterior motives. Then I will settle accounts with each of them one by one."

Zhao Gongming's body trembled; he was no fool. Having heard Ye Qin's many words, he already understood Ye Qin's intention. Ye Qin was deliberately ignoring the affairs of the Sect of the Cutting! That is to say, Ye Qin has always been clear-headed, not becoming overconfident due to the departure of the Tongtian Sect Leader. In fact, this was all done deliberately by Ye Qin, because he is screening, aiming to eliminate all traitors from the Sect of the Cutting.

Having understood Ye Qin's meaning, Zhao Gongming trembled with excitement throughout his body. But he quickly suppressed this excitement, and with a solemn demeanor looked at Ye Qin and said: "Gongming understands; I will not disappoint my senior brother's trust! Our Sect of the Cutting indeed needs a great cleansing!"

Before, with the Tongtian Sect Leader suppressing things, it was fine; now that the Tongtian Sect Leader has departed, many people have begun to stir restlessly. Such people are the pests of the Sect of the Cutting and must be eradicated completely.

Zhao Gongming feigned indignation as he left, causing those with ulterior motives to feel surprised. Ye Qin, meanwhile, shook his head with a wry smile, realizing that Zhao Gongming also had a talent for acting!

After a few more days, the second senior brother of the Sect of the Cutting, Duobao Daoist, arrived. He held Ye Qin in great respect; upon seeing Ye Qin, he performed a grand salute, then stood silently to one side.

Ye Qin couldn't help but feel a bit headache; he found Duobao somewhat hard to gauge. For Duobao is a refining maniac, wholly devoted to artifact crafting, living up to the name 'Duobao'. After observing him for thousands of years, Ye Qin found that what he liked most was to replicate the innate supreme treasures and other magical artifacts of the Honghuang.

As long as Ye Qin names a magical artifact, Duobao can immediately produce countless imitations. Most frightening is that his artifact-refining talent is extremely high; each imitation possesses 10% to 50% of the original's power. One could say this man is as eccentric as Laozi—Laozi being a pill-refining maniac, while Duobao is an artifact-refining maniac. But the more such a person is, the more likely they are to be single-minded.

"What are you here for?" Ye Qin asked helplessly while eating the roasted meat handed over by Yunxiao.

"Senior Brother, you can't continue like this. The sect master entrusted the Sect of the Cutting to you; you should shoulder the responsibility. If you keep going like this, the Sect of the Cutting will be finished." Duobao said.

Ye Qin stared at Duobao, as if trying to see into his heart. "Duobao, what kind of person are you exactly?"

"Senior Brother, I am not human; I am a demon." Duobao said solemnly.

Pfft! Ye Qin spat out a mouthful of meat. He looked at Duobao, who at that moment had a serious expression.

"Okay, okay, you're a demon. Then I ask you, what kind of demon are you exactly?" Ye Qin asked.

Duobao thought for a moment, but his eyes were filled with confusion. Seeing this, Ye Qin said with a headache: "Then tell me, what exactly is your purpose in coming here?"

"I don't want the sect master's Sect of the Cutting to disappear." Duobao's eyes darted a little; he was not accustomed to lying.

"Speak the truth!" Ye Qin shouted. Duobao's body trembled; the pressure Ye Qin exerted on him was no less than that of the Tongtian Sect Leader.

"If the Sect of the Cutting is gone, I will have no place to focus on artifact refining." Duobao said.

Ye Qin: "..." This guy is truly straightforward! However, such a person is also quite pure!

Ye Qin furrowed his brows, "Go back and refine your artifacts!"

Duobao, however, did not move, standing stubbornly in place. "What's wrong?" Ye Qin asked.

"If you, Senior Brother, continue to neglect managing the Sect of the Cutting, the Sect will cease to exist. If the Sect of the Cutting is gone, I will have no place to focus on artifact refining. I want to spend my lifetime refining artifacts here." Duobao said.

"Rest assured, the Sect of the Cutting will not disappear." Saying this, Ye Qin produced the God-Slaying Spear and handed it to Duobao, asking, "Has this been replicated?"

Duobao's eyes lit up instantly; he examined the God-Slaying Spear, then shook his head.

"I'll lend you one day to contemplate it; then, after five days, the God-Slaying Spear will return to me. You go ahead and replicate it yourself." Ye Qin said.

"Good! Good! Thank you, Senior Brother, thank you, Senior Brother." Duobao departed happily.

Watching Duobao's retreating back, Ye Qin narrowed his eyes. As long as Duobao is truly engaged in artifact refining, he can judge what kind of person Duobao is. He hopes Duobao is not one of those traitors; otherwise… he wouldn't mind killing another artifact-refining genius.

Ye Qin stretched, turned over, and rested his head on Bixiao's thigh, gradually falling asleep…

Events developed rapidly; in the blink of an eye, three years have passed. During these three years, due to Ye Qin's hands-off approach, the disciples of the Sect of the Cutting have become increasingly reckless, and some have even begun to collude with the Western Sect.

【97】 Zhao Gongming reported to Ye Qin: there is a Sect of the Cutting disciple named Chang'er Dingguang Xian who has recently been luring fellow disciples, promising many benefits, attempting to draw them into the Western Sect. (End of chapter)

Zhao Gongming reported to Ye Qin, there was an Intercepting Sect disciple named Chang'er Dingguang Xian who has recently been trying to win over his fellow disciples, promising many benefits, attempting to lure them into the Western Sect. (End of chapter)