Chapter Eighty-One: The Pilgrimage of Ten Thousand Immortals

In truth, Tongtian himself had considered the name required for his new sect, but he felt that the title "Sect of Severance" carried an unfortunate connotation. Though the intent was to carve out a sliver of hope for all living beings and wrestle fate from heaven and earth, the name itself was, frankly, far too domineering. The ideal was noble, but reality is cruel. Not everything comes so easily. In the end, did not the Sect Master of Tongtian lose many disciples during the Calamity of Investiture, with his sect nearly annihilated? Thus, all future calculations must be made with care to ensure victory in a single stroke.

A name too conspicuous would draw the attention of the Heavenly Dao. It isn't theft or robbery one should fear, but the very notion that you are being watched—do you understand?

Moreover, Tongtian had always been too soft-hearted, and just like the members of the Sect of Severance, he was so mild-mannered that others always wanted to test his limits. Now that Tongtian had changed, the future would indeed be perilous; he must plan more thoroughly.

As he arrived above his Golden Turtle Island, Tongtian was truly struck by the spectacle before him. The entire surface of the water was crowded with countless living creatures. Despite such chaos, an uncanny silence prevailed—what was going on? Every manner of being sat there, each in their own posture, yet not a sound could be heard. What on earth was happening?

Just then, four figures appeared in the sky above Golden Turtle Island—one man and three women. Facing the assembled seekers, they declared, "Your intentions in coming here have been understood by our master. However, now that you are about to become disciples of our Ling Sect, you must abide by our laws. Without laws, there is only chaos."

No one raised an objection. The multitude had already been awed by the man's formidable power, profound cultivation, and, not least, his status as a disciple of a Sage.

These four were none other than Daoist Duobao, Lady Jinling, Lady Wudang, and Lady Guiling.

At that moment, Daoist Duobao produced a scroll from nowhere, unfurled it, and read aloud, "The statutes of the Ling Sect are as follows: First, it is forbidden to betray your master or ancestors; second, do not harm your fellow disciples; third, respect your elders and teachers; fourth, maintain unity and fraternity among your peers; and tenth, abstain from wickedness, theft, and depravity. Any who violate these laws shall be expelled, and those whose crimes are grave will be hunted down and killed. Do you all understand?"

His commanding voice echoed over the sea. At last, the assembled beings responded in unison, "We shall strictly obey our master's decree."

Just then, Tongtian suddenly appeared above Golden Turtle Island and addressed the seekers, "Hear me!"

Excitement rippled through the crowd—they nearly rose to their feet. This was their master himself! Their hearts surged with emotion. Yet, upon hearing the Sage's pronouncement, each composed themselves and sat upright.

"The Dao that can be spoken is not the eternal Dao. The name that can be named is not the eternal name." Was this not the grand Sect Master Tongtian, flaunting the Dao De Jing he had pilfered?

In truth, this was an effective test. Among the crowd, there were those of low aptitude and others blessed with innate talent and supernatural abilities. To distinguish the worthy from the unworthy, Tongtian used the Dao De Jing to probe their depths.

Who says that to resolve the karmic entanglements of these prehistoric beings, one must make them direct disciples? Would it not suffice for them to be mere followers or spiritual descendants? That would relieve some of the burden, would it not?

At that moment, Tongtian noticed several with excellent potential—Zhao Gongming, the Three Sisters of the Dawn, and others. Originally, Tongtian had intended to seek out the Three Sisters and Zhao Gongming, but his schedule had been far too tight, and he missed his chance. Yet, to his surprise, the Three Sisters and Zhao Gongming came to him of their own accord. Truly, "What is meant to be yours will come to you even if you try to flee; what is not yours cannot be forced."

Nor was that all. There was also a blue-maned lion—none other than the famous Curly-Bearded Immortal. Beside him stood a white elephant and a roaring beast—surely these were the Golden Light Immortal and the Lingya Immortal.

"Hmm? What's this?" Tongtian's eyes fell on a golden-whiskered giant carp. Upon inspection, he realized it was the brother of Lady Guiling, and, recalling his sect members, recognized the illustrious Cloud-Obscuring Immortal.

There were also the Ten Heavenly Lords, Luo Xuan, Lü Yue, the Winged Immortal, and many more.

Just then, Tongtian's gaze fixed on one individual, his eyes narrowing as a murderous intent flared—the detestable Long-Eared Luminescent Immortal!

This Long-Eared Luminescent Immortal was originally a rare prehistoric species—a rabbit. And it was this very rabbit who precipitated the downfall of the Sect of Severance. During the Battle of Ten Thousand Immortals, the sect had staked everything on a sliver of fate, but the Long-Eared Luminescent Immortal delivered that last hope—the famed Six-Soul Banner—to Primordial Heavenly Lord, causing the sect’s fortune to plummet and leading to the loss of its elite disciples and ultimate, catastrophic defeat.

Now, that rabbit no longer displayed its former composure, but was inwardly tense. "Could it be that the master's scheme has been uncovered by Tongtian?"

Tongtian was tempted to slay the wretched creature then and there, but recalling that this was an agent of the West, he realized that killing one would simply be replaced by another. Better to let it live, and when the time was right, eradicate it and its accomplices in one fell swoop, thereby purifying the ranks of the Ling Sect.

His good mood thus spoiled by the rabbit, Tongtian ceased his lecture and fell silent.

By now, the assembled beings had shaken off the overwhelming profundity of the Shangqing Dao, and all eyes turned to the Long-Eared Luminescent Immortal, brimming with hatred. If looks could kill, that rabbit would have been reduced to dust a hundred times over.

The master’s lecture had been going so well, yet it was this one who disrupted his mood and incurred his wrath. Such was the unspoken thought in every heart.

The Long-Eared Luminescent Immortal, for his part, was deeply alarmed. He would have to be extremely cautious in the future, lest he be tormented to death by his own peers.

"Your cultivation has been scattered and confused, which will only make your future path full of thorns. Therefore, I have decided to impart to you my own Shangqing Dao. I hope you will not disappoint your teacher," Tongtian declared. He knew that unless he erased their previous arts and unified their practice, merely learning the Shangqing Dao would change nothing. Only by cultivating a single path could the sect become truly united.

"We shall strictly obey our master's decree." Now, all present were enveloped by Tongtian's Dao. Those not yet transformed assumed human form at his command, while those with advanced demonic arts had their powers removed and would begin anew with the Shangqing Dao.

Tongtian did not believe that innate talent would inevitably triumph over acquired effort. No matter how talented, without diligent cultivation, it was worthless; whereas those who worked hard might surpass even the innately gifted.

Next, Tongtian divided his teachings into several fields—treasures, formations, alchemy, and so forth—matching talents to suitable paths, ensuring the comprehensive development of his sect. In the end, Tongtian accepted over nine thousand disciples—precisely nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine. The rest were taken as disciples by his own students, thus maintaining the seekers' devotion.

He then announced the division of disciples into several groups, each led by one of Daoist Duobao and the three ladies as personal disciples, while others, after trials, became members of Tongtian’s "guard." All this was conducted in secret, for who could say how many agents and spies lurked among the ranks?

Tongtian himself provided his disciples with the uniform garments and hairstyles of the Ling Sect, their distinctive mark. As for their lodgings, he carved out a space atop a great mountain for their use.

Indeed, all the regulations and practices of later ages were "imported" wholesale by Tongtian. He cared little for raw power; what he feared was betrayal. That was his ultimate bottom line.

When the other Sages learned of these events, they all sighed in wonder. Is this gathering of disciples, or the creation of a personal army? Can disciples be likened to soldiers? Tongtian, that rascal, is truly no ordinary man.

Yet, Tongtian thought to himself, "You lot are welcome to recruit disciples, but you lack the good fortune. Even if you want them, they won’t come to you. Not even these ten commandments can stem the tide of those seeking the Dao."

Indeed, one household rejoices while another grieves.

Tongtian’s domain was bustling and lively, while the other three sects languished in disarray.