In a corner of a minor realm, starlight scattered across the lake’s surface.

Master Duo Bao sat on a green stone by the lakeside, his expression notably gloomy, casting a somewhat oppressive atmosphere over the area.

Before the green stone, Immortal Shi Ji of the Severing Sect knelt, her eyes lifeless and brimming with tears, appearing particularly fragile in her nearly weeping state.

Li Changshou, having transformed into a young Daoist, also appeared, ready to play good cop to Duo Bao’s bad cop. They planned to start with Shi Ji to expose the weak link in the chain of “registered disciples of the Severing Sect.”

“How many times?” Master Duo Bao asked in a deep voice.

Lady Shi Ji lowered her head and replied, “Senior Brother, it has been… sixteen times.”

“How many each time?”

“Dozens…”

“Sixteen times, dozens each time!”

Master Duo Bao gnashed his teeth and scolded, “You alone have added over a thousand registered disciples to the Severing Sect! Did you know the character and karmic burdens of each of these disciples?”

Shi Ji’s body trembled slightly as she kowtowed, “My crime is unforgivable. Please punish me, Senior Brother!”

“Preposterous!”

Master Duo Bao’s roar caused the minor realm to suddenly darken. The spiritual energy in heaven and earth grew turbulent, causing the lesser beings to fall into anxiety and unease.

“You claim your crime is unforgivable, yet you brazenly ask for my punishment?! Where were you when this all started? Where were you when they were conducting such dealings? Why didn’t you come to speak with me about it?!”

“I…” Shi Ji raised her head to speak but lowered it again, not knowing how to respond.

From the side, Li Changshou seized the moment to speak: “Senior Brother Duo Bao, please calm yourself. Let me talk with our Junior Sister.”

Master Duo Bao closed his eyes, still seething with anger.

Li Changshou stepped forward and spoke gently to the kneeling Shi Ji: “Junior Sister, please rise.”

Shi Ji remained motionless, prostrate on the ground, her slender body constantly trembling.

Li Changshou counseled her earnestly: “Today, the reason Senior Brother Duo Bao took the trouble to disguise himself as a Celestial Immortal to attend your sermon was to give you a chance to make amends. We both heard what you and the other three Severing Sect members said. You seemed to be giving sermons here to repay some favors, is that right?”

Lady Shi Ji still didn’t answer, maintaining her prostrate position.

Master Duo Bao’s brows furrowed slightly. He was about to speak but was stopped by Li Changshou’s glance.

Li Changshou gave a light laugh and said, “Junior Sister, shall I guess what you’re considering? You fear Senior Brother Duo Bao’s thunderous rage might directly kill those fellow disciples you’re familiar with, am I right?”

From her prostrate position, Shi Ji sighed softly and said in a low voice, “Junior Brother Changgen, I am willing to bear any punishment.”

“It seems Junior Sister thinks this matter only tarnishes the Severing Sect’s reputation and damages its prestige.”

Li Changshou paused, took out a wooden board from his robes, and levitated it before Shi Ji, saying, “Please look at this, Junior Sister.”

Shi Ji looked up, somewhat confused.

Li Changshou gathered a handful of sand from the side and piled it on the wooden board.

“This board represents a great sect’s fortune; these grains of sand represent the sect’s disciples.”

“All great sects have Sages presiding over them, so their fortunes can be considered equal. Our Orthodox Unity Sect and the Enlightenment Sect both have an iron shell around their wooden boards – this shows the importance of sect-protecting treasures.”

Li Changshou paused and asked, “Do you understand what I’m saying?”

Shi Ji nodded.

“The current state of this board represents our Orthodox Unity Sect – few grains of sand, solid board,” Li Changshou continued, gathering another pile of sand and dropping it on the board.

“This represents the Enlightenment Sect’s state – more sand, but the board is still sturdy. And the Severing Sect?”

Shi Ji’s fair face paled as she seemed to realize something.

Li Changshou gathered sand from afar, condensing it into a several-zhang-high cylinder that pressed down on the board, causing it to sink immediately.

Li Changshou spoke seriously, “This is the Severing Sect’s best-case scenario – the board is pressed down but not broken. But in reality? Because there are too many disciples and followers, this board is wider and longer than those of the Enlightenment and Orthodox Unity Sects, but the accompanying karmic burden is also causing the board to rot faster.”

As he spoke, he snapped his fingers, and black lines appeared on the board, which began to deform under the pressure of the sand column above.

Li Changshou slowly paced beside Shi Ji, who remained kneeling, watching the board’s rapid decay…

Li Changshou waved his hand again, and streams of sand gathered from all directions, merging into the sand column.

“Do you now understand the consequences of your giving sermons outside, while those who invited you to preach used it to amass wealth? On one hand, more sand weighs down this board; on the other hand, the board is corroded by more karmic burden. The final result when the great tribulation comes…”

Clang!

Li Changshou gripped a long sword in his left hand and with a flash of sword light, cut beneath the board.

The board suddenly snapped, and the sand column crashed downward, shattering Shi Ji into scattered sand.

Shi Ji’s delicate brow twitched slightly, her face growing increasingly pale.

Master Duo Bao sighed:

“Ah, Shi Ji, think back to ancient times when you were driven out by the Heavenly Dao due to the karmic burden of taking lives. When you were at your wit’s end, you encountered Master giving a sermon. Master, considering your nature still somewhat kind – when you transformed from stone, you didn’t know compassion, which was somewhat excusable – gave you a place at that sermon ground. Is this how you repay Master? How you repay the Severing Sect!”

“Senior Brother! I didn’t know…”

“Didn’t know such things would happen?”

Li Changshou countered, slowly crouching before Shi Ji, then speaking gently: “Do you know why that red lotus, which Senior Brother Duo Bao and others risked their lives to obtain, shattered? The Severing Sect’s karmic burden was too heavy, too many beings needed their fortune suppressed, and the red lotus was inadequate, suffering tribulation’s backlash.

Junior Sister Shi Ji, the great tribulation approaches, and now tribulation’s influence has obscured the heavenly mechanisms. Discussions of the great tribulation in the Purple Void Palace grow ever closer.

What the Severing Sect and the Dao School need now is not your life, or several other lives, or even dozens of lives, but to eliminate such practices of preaching for wealth and nullify previously accepted registered disciples.

In your left hand, you hold the Severing Sect’s future fortune; in your right hand, you hold the word ‘loyalty.’

If a great sect’s fortune collapses, even the Sage Lord would struggle to protect everyone in the sect. That would mean fighting against the Heavenly Dao and being marked as an enemy of the Heavenly Dao.

Do you truly wish to destroy the entire Severing Sect for those ill-intentioned individuals, watching hundreds or thousands of Severing Sect immortals march to their deaths?”

“Say no more…”

Shi Ji’s body went limp, and she collapsed to the ground, her beautiful eyes filled with bewilderment.

After a while, her eyes gradually regained clarity. She gave Li Changshou a bitter smile and asked softly, “What can I do?”

Li Changshou took out a treasure pouch from his sleeve and shook out brush, ink, paper, and inkstone.

“Tell us everything. Surely those who invited you to preach weren’t just today’s few.”

Shi Ji pressed her lips tightly together, her delicate hands trembling constantly as she picked up the brush.

Thus, three days later.

One wouldn’t know without investigating, but once investigated, it was truly shocking.

Starting from the breach Shi Ji opened, she revealed several different groups of Severing Sect immortals she had encountered during her sixteen preaching sessions.

Li Changshou and Master Duo Bao carefully deliberated, using Shi Ji as cover to secretly capture these dozen or so Severing Sect immortals. Using separate interrogations and the pretext of “making amends,” they obtained more than a dozen lists.

Then, after organizing the Daoist titles on these lists and cross-referencing them, they identified frequently appearing titles as key investigation targets.

Master Duo Bao summoned Golden Spirit Mother, Turtle Spirit Mother, and Zhao Gongming. The four senior disciples acted separately, and within two days, they captured over sixty Severing Sect immortals, then followed the same procedure to obtain sixty more lists.

Li Changshou was responsible for organizing these lists, and in just half a day, he drew up a dense grid.

Creating charts was, after all, one of Li Changshou’s old specialties.

At this point, a rather thorny problem presented itself to him and the several Severing Sect senior disciples.

The number of Severing Sect immortals involved was truly too great.

These Severing Sect immortals who “sold registered disciple positions” often used treasures and spirit pills to “grease the wheels” above them for their security.

The number of Severing Sect experts involved was countless, even including several Severing Sect immortals who had appeared in the Azure Tour Palace on the day the red lotus shattered!

From top to bottom, all had vested interests;

Uprooting it completely would severely wound the sect’s vitality.

Still in the minor realm where Shi Ji was being questioned.

Li Changshou’s paper clone stood by the lake with hands behind his back, Lady Shi Ji standing to one side.

Duo Bao, Zhao Gongming, Golden Spirit Mother, and Turtle Spirit Mother looked at the scroll before them and the dense collection of titles on it, their expressions varied and complex.

Not far behind them, over seventy figures hung tied up like dumplings in the grove, each with head lowered in unconsciousness.

Li Changshou glanced at Shi Ji, who now stood with vacant eyes as if having lost all spirit.

Soon, Golden Spirit Mother’s angry curse came from behind:

“These parasites! We cannot let them live!”

“Jin Ling, don’t be rash,” Zhao Gongming hurriedly advised, “Surely you don’t intend to execute all our fellow disciples listed here?”

Golden Spirit Mother cursed, “They don’t deserve to be called fellow disciples!”

“Senior Sister,” Turtle Spirit Mother said gently, “Why don’t we just execute those who committed the worst offenses? There are so many immortals listed here…”

Zhao Gongming said, “We also bear responsibility for failing to supervise properly.”

Master Duo Bao stood with his hands behind his back, heaved a long sigh, and then stepped back twice to sit on the green stone in silence.

Golden Spirit Mother’s delicate brows furrowed slightly as she sighed:

“What should we do? We must make a quick decision – whether execution or punishment, we need a proper system. Although we secretly captured these fellow disciples, the news will inevitably leak out… Senior Brother, if we don’t respond promptly, I fear unnecessary troubles will arise.”

Duo Bao wiped his face, sitting there deep in thought.

At this moment, countless pressures converged upon Master Duo Bao, almost turning white the hair of this deeply accomplished cultivator who was considered handsome in the slightly chubby community.

Thud…

A soft sound drew the attention of all the senior disciples – Shi Ji had knelt beside Li Changshou.

“Junior Brother Changgen, you are wise and resourceful, surely you have a good strategy to resolve today’s situation. I know my crimes well and am willing to die to atone for them. Please, Junior Brother Changgen, lend your aid!”

Li Changshou frowned slightly, turning aside, refusing to accept this gesture.

“Get up.”

Master Duo Bao spoke softly.

But Lady Shi Ji lowered her head even further.

Duo Bao suddenly flew into a rage, standing up with eyes glaring at Shi Ji. With a wave of his large hand, he delivered a resounding slap to Shi Ji’s face, sending her flying dozens of zhang away into the lake.

“Instead of thinking about resolving the karmic burden you created yourself, you have the nerve to beg Changgen! You’ve completely disgraced Master’s name!”

Zhao Gongming hurriedly stepped forward to block Duo Bao, “Senior Brother, calm down, calm down. Though Shi Ji erred, she has indeed been making amends these past few days…”

Turtle Spirit Mother quickly flew into the lake and helped the soaking-wet Shi Ji back. Shi Ji’s lips were bloodied, and she kept her head down in silence.

Li Changshou sighed at the side…

Well, at least this meant he could righteously demand a hug next time he met with Yun Xiao.

He spoke slowly: “Do we need to continue investigating this matter?”

“Changgen, you need not concern yourself,” Duo Bao said through gritted teeth. “This great tree has already grown crooked. If we don’t steel ourselves to prune the wayward branches, it will eventually rot!”

But Li Changshou said: “But Senior Brother, once we begin the killing, the Severing Sect will suffer massive casualties among its immortals, which would equally damage our fortune.”

Master Duo Bao glared and countered, “So we just let this slide?”

“There is a relatively safer approach,” Li Changshou said. “Senior Brother could use this incident to convene a Great Assembly of Ten Thousand Immortals of the Severing Sect, gathering all immortals together.

Kill one to warn a hundred – execute the ringleaders, particularly those disciples of the Sage who deserve death, making an example of them to intimidate the other fellow disciples.

Of course, this would require Uncle Master’s approval.

Then explain the current crisis facing the Severing Sect, unite everyone from top to bottom, achieving the effect of killing the chicken to scare the monkey.

These are just temporary solutions.

When the great tribulation comes, please keep this register safe, Senior Brother.

Currently, neither you nor I know what will happen in the Purple Void Palace, or how the Great Rise of the Celestial Court will unfold. Taking a step back, if the Dao School needs immortals’ lives to fill the tribulation’s ashes, we should protect those fellow disciples who have remained righteous and kind.”

Though these last few sentences were subtle, those present found them reasonable.

This great tribulation differed from the Ancient War of Gods and Demons, different from the Dragon-Phoenix Tribulation – it was coming through the Sages’ ‘discussions.’ If they truly set a standard for how many disciples from the Severing Sect and Enlightenment Sect must die in the tribulation to fill its requirements…

The names on this register would be dealt with first; if more tribulation ash was needed, then fate would decide the rest.

“This is indeed an approach,” Golden Spirit Mother said. “Though it lacks transparency, we can’t worry about that before the great tribulation. Killing them directly now would let them off easy!”

Zhao Gongming whispered, “Doing this seems a bit too ruthless…”

Li Changshou said seriously, “This matter must not leak out – human hearts are unfathomable, especially those of immortals with their long lifespans.”

Pausing briefly, Li Changshou took out a scroll from his sleeve.

“We should also be cautious – let’s each make a Great Dao oath not to leak information, and trouble Senior Brother Duo Bao to seal away Junior Sister Shi Ji’s memories of this past half-day.”

Lady Shi Ji’s eyes were filled with resignation as she said softly, “Junior Brother Changgen, I should die for this.”

“Sister, there’s no need for that,” Li Changshou said seriously. “The Severing Sect has too many immortals – rewards and punishments must be clear to prevent chaos. Let’s begin the oath.”

Everyone stepped forward, including Master Duo Bao, and made their oath of secrecy.

Still not fully assured, Li Changshou advised: “For those hanging in the forest, treat them as the primary culprits to be executed. When displaying their crimes, use recording orbs – no need to let them speak. To avoid further complications.”

“Good,” Master Duo Bao agreed with a long sigh.

One month later, at the Golden Tortoise Island, the Great Assembly of Ten Thousand Immortals of the Severing Sect convened.

After displaying over ten scenes related to the ‘registered disciple’ preaching, the entire venue fell so silent you could hear a pin drop. Over a hundred figures, their primordial spirits restricted, knelt lifelessly in the center.

Master Duo Bao, wearing white robes, put away the jade talisman containing his ‘scolding script,’ which he had memorized backward and forwards.

He said, “Please present Master’s decree.”

At his side, Zhao Gongming took out Sage’s proclamation radiating seven-colored auspicious light, slowly unfurling it. A green light surged forth, filling the venue with killing intent.

The proclamation was blank, but its sword intent pierced the heavens.

Master Duo Bao stood up, slowly drew a breath, and before countless Severing Sect immortals, pointed at the hundred-plus kneeling men and women, declaring firmly:

“Among Master’s personally taught disciples, totaling over sixty, today I must kill six!

Though many disciples have heard Master’s teachings, today I must kill these ninety-six!

Which of them wasn’t a being seeking the Dao before Master? Which wasn’t a Severing Sect immortal who claimed to seek a thread of life force for the beings of heaven and earth!

They have rotted, and my heart is breaking!

Master established the Severing Sect and let me oversee its affairs. Now our Severing Sect claims to have ten thousand immortals paying court, yet I’ve let it come to this… I have failed Master, failed the Ancestral Master, failed the Dao School!”

Duo Bao’s voice crashed like thunder, while the ten thousand Severing Sect immortals remained silent. Many immortal maidens looked tense, heads lowered, not daring to look directly.

Duo Bao calmed himself, then spoke slowly:

“And you all.

As you stand there now, looking at them, do you feel lucky? Do you feel guilty?

Are certain fellow disciples among you so clean?

Some among you are worse than them, more deserving of execution to warn others!

Let me advise you today – take out your Dao hearts, air them out, wash them, dry them!

With the great tribulation approaching, instead of thinking about uniting with fellow disciples to resist it, you rely on the tribulation’s cover to act recklessly and wildly arrogant. What used to be a spirit stone collection and preaching every thirty or fifty years has become every three years, two years, or even multiple times per year!

That twelve-petaled red lotus shattered in the Azure Tour Palace, right before Master!

Do you know how many times Master has searched the Chaos Sea for treasures that could suppress the sect’s fortune these years?

Do you know that Master was smiling when the red lotus shattered?

Master cannot stand aside and watch like our two Senior Uncles – Master is prepared to face the great tribulation with us if there’s no escape!

And you! What are you thinking right now!”

Duo Bao raised his head and sighed deeply, while everywhere around remained silent.

Duo Bao continued: “When it was calculated that the Dao School would face a great tribulation, I thought the tribulation would come from demons outside heaven and earth.

I took a trip through the Chaos Sea and found these demons insignificant, then thought the tribulation would come from the rise of the Western Religion.

Later I discovered the tribulation stems from the Great Rise of the Celestial Court, descending upon the Dao School.

The Orthodox Unity Sect has only two senior and junior brothers – Senior Brother Xuandu guards Xuandu City against demon invasion of the primordial world.

Junior Brother Changgen rushes about day and night for the Dao School, causing the tribulation targeting the Dao School to fall on the Western Religion’s head as well – how many fellow disciples can he protect?

And us?

What have we Severed Sect immortals done to date that could alleviate the Dao School’s great tribulation?

The Severing Sect’s great enemy isn’t external, but internal.

After deep contemplation, I dug these four characters from my Dao’s heart to share with all junior brothers and sisters.”

With that, Master Duo Bao waved his hand, and a small mountain descended onto the high platform, one side flattened, bearing four large characters:

The Severing Sect is doomed… no, not that.

[HAVE NO SHAME]

“All of you, contemplate this for three days and three nights.”