Chương 196: Deputy Leader

"Why!"

The appearance of Kinnara caused Tongtian Jiaozhu in Biyou Palace to let out a long sigh.

The Tongtian Sect Leader foresaw today's events long ago; he understood Duobao Daoist's temperament all too well, just as Duobao Daoist understood him.

He tried to educate and cultivate the Daoist Duobao's character, but unexpectedly, he failed in the end. Although the Daoist Duobao's style of doing things changed, his nature remained the same.

"Could it be as my second brother says? Education can only restrain people's behavior, but cannot change their nature?"

Seeing the starkly different situations of his two prized disciples, the Tongtian Sect Leader couldn't help but recall what the Primordial Celestial Venerable had once told him.

When they were at Kunlun Mountain, the Tongtian Sect Leader insisted on taking the Seven Immortals of Penglai and other disciples into his fold. Upon seeing this, the Primordial Heavenly Lord immediately objected, admonishing him to teach only those who were teachable and not to waste his efforts.

At that time, the Tongtian Sect Leader had just become a saint and was full of vigor. He believed that all living beings, regardless of their origins, talents, races, or morality, could be educated.

For this reason, he had many disputes with Yuanshi Tianzun.

Today, Tongtian Jiaozhu, who has witnessed the growth of Duobao Daoren and Fangyang, is gradually accepting the words of Yuanshi Tianzun.

It wouldn't be accurate to say that Fang Yang is particularly compassionate. Fang Yang's greatest strength is his unwavering Dao heart, which will never be swayed by external circumstances.

Daoist Duobao, however, was different; his Daoist resolve was not firm. Daoist Duobao's confidence was built on his own success and the favor of the Tongtian Sect Leader. Without these two things, Daoist Duobao's Daoist resolve would waver.

The first time Daoist Duobao's resolve wavered was when he was defeated by Daoist Randeng at the Xuanmen Dao Discussion Conference. In his attempt to defeat Randeng, he even resorted to cultivating demonic supernatural powers. The second time Daoist Duobao's resolve wavered was when Fang Yang broke through to the Hunyuan Golden Immortal realm.

Both of these instances occurred when Daoist Duobao felt frustrated.

The Tongtian Sect Leader bestowed upon Duobao Daoren unparalleled cultivation, a noble status, and even taught him countless principles. However, he could never change Duobao Daoren's nature.

"Duobao, you should just be a pure seeker of the Way! The path of spreading the Way to all beings is not suitable for you."

With a heavy heart, the Tongtian Sect Leader closed his eyes and made his final decision.

The next moment, a purple auspicious cloud rose above Jin'ao Island, with celestial runes flowing within it. The majesty and aura of the heavens instantly spread, reaching every corner of the primordial world.

At the same time, all the myriad races and great beings of the primordial world felt the weight of the heavens and the boundlessness of the Great Dao.

The primordial sky transformed into a colossal canopy, upon which sat the Tongtian Sect Master, atop the boundless sea of Dao. Countless Daos radiated from the Tongtian Sect Master's body, each moment witnessing the birth and death of countless Daos, an endless cycle of creation and annihilation.

"Greetings to the Sage of Heaven!"

The masses were overjoyed to see the sage appear. They all bowed their heads and paid homage to the sage with the utmost respect.

To be able to behold the face of a sage is an immense blessing for any living being.

The blessing here is not flattery, but genuine good fortune. To meet a sage is to receive their blessing invisibly. After receiving this blessing, although one may not instantly attain enlightenment, all illnesses will disappear, and misfortune will turn into good fortune.

When the Tongtian Sect Leader manifested his divine power, none of the great beings in the heavens dared to be negligent. They immediately rose and bowed to the saint.

"Master."

Only Daoist Duobao stared blankly at the figure of the Tongtian Sect Leader above the sky, his heart sinking to the bottom. Although nothing had happened yet, he already sensed something.

"With Heaven above and all living beings as witness, I am the Supreme Pure Spiritual Treasure Heavenly Venerable. Today, there is Fang Yang, a disciple of the Jie Sect, whose cultivation is profound and whose morality is impeccable. He is a worthy role model for all the immortals of the Jie Sect."

Daoist Duobao stared intently at the sky, his eyes filled with sorrow and despair. He refused to believe that his master would abandon him. Yet, every word spoken by the Tongtian Sect Leader was pulling him toward an abyss.

"I hereby hereby appoint Fang Yang as the Vice Leader of the Jie Sect, to jointly govern the sect with me. The sect will hold the investiture ceremony at Biyou Palace on Jin'ao Island 33, 000 years from now. All fellow Daoists are welcome to attend!"

The voice of the Tongtian Sect Leader was louder than thunder, piercing the clouds and resounding in every corner of the primordial world, carrying the majesty of a sage. As his voice fell, the beings of the primordial world were in an uproar.

No one expected that the Tongtian Sect Leader would value Fang Yang so much. Not only did he appoint Fang Yang as the Vice Sect Leader of the Jie Sect, but he also announced it to the entire prehistoric world and held a ceremony for Fang Yang.

It's important to know that when Daoist Ran Deng became the vice leader of the Chan Sect, Yuanshi Tianzun did not announce it to the world. At that time, Daoist Ran Deng became the vice leader of the Chan Sect quietly. Because it was during the Great Tribulation, many powerful beings did not know that Daoist Ran Deng had become the vice leader of the Chan Sect until they went up Kunlun Mountain.

At Lingjiu Mountain, the Taoist Ran Deng was unrecognizable. He clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug deep into his flesh, and blood flowed freely from his hands, yet he felt no pain.

"Why? He's the vice-leader, and so am I. Why is he so highly regarded by the sage? I swear by the lamp that no matter how much humiliation and suffering I endure, one day I will become the number one person below the sage, and make all the sages look at me with new eyes!"

A raging fire ignited in the heart of the Taoist Ran Deng. From this moment on, Fang Yang was his lifelong nemesis. He vowed to defeat Fang Yang and prove his own abilities.

"Fang Yang, fortunes change every thirty years, we'll see!"

Daoist Duobao stood frozen in place, his eyes bloodshot, his Dao heart nearly shattered. This was not the outcome he desired; he could not accept it. From this moment on, Fang Yang was completely above him. Within the Jie Sect, it seemed there was no place for him.

"Master, you, like everyone else, only see Fang Yang's success and cannot see my great talent and ambition. Throughout this long eon, I have exhausted myself for the Jie Sect and shared your burdens, which has enabled the Jie Sect to have its current foundation. Why is it that even you do not understand me?"

"No one understands me, no one comprehends me, and no one is grateful to me. I act for the people of the world, but the people of the world have never acted for me."

"" Even though Li Daofu and others were by his side, showing him warmth and care, Daoist Duobao felt an endless loneliness. In the end, he was all alone in this world.

"Hahaha, I get it! This is hell!"

Suddenly, Daoist Duobao burst into laughter, a mournful and sorrowful sound that echoed throughout the entire void. Li Daofu and the others felt a chill run down their spines upon hearing Daoist Duobao's laughter.

A moment later, Daoist Duobao's laughter abruptly stopped, and boundless fighting spirit burst forth in his eyes: "Fang Yang, don't be so smug. Within 33, 000 years, I will definitely cultivate to become a Quasi-Saint, and then defeat you at your ceremony."