Biyou Palace

Within the grand hall, there was a silence as deep as death, and a group of elite disciples from both the Inner and Outer Sects of Jie Sect stared at Golden Spirit Saint Mother in shock, their eyes filled with admiration and awe.

Truly worthy of being the eldest senior sister!

To dare to accuse the Master himself, this protective nature truly reached a certain realm.

At this moment, Sect Hierarch Tongtian, suppressing the complex emotions in his heart, asked sternly, "Golden Spirit, how come you have emerged from seclusion?"

Golden Spirit Saint Mother turned around, first shooting Yu Yuan a glare that made him obediently let go of her arm he was holding, and then she said to Sect Hierarch Tongtian, "If your disciple did not emerge from seclusion, I'm afraid I would never see my apprentice again!"

Sect Hierarch Tongtian helplessly said, "It was just a public inquiry, when did I say I would take action?"

Hearing this, Golden Spirit Saint Mother's expression slightly softened, "With such a grand display, you've scared everyone to death, there's no need for you to do anything yourself, is there?"

Sect Hierarch Tongtian felt immediately choked upon hearing this.

Could this be blamed on him?

Wasn't it because the Taoist Ancestor had decreed a heavenly order, and he had to comply?

He made such a grand display also to give Yu Yuan time to escape, thus he ordered Zhao Gongming to summon him, but who knew that this boy wouldn't run, but instead came to them on his own initiative!

Wasn't this forcing him to defy the Ancestor's decree?

Yu Yuan, weren't you always so clever in the past? Why are you not following the path today?

How infuriating!

Each and every one of you just doesn't take this Sect Hierarch seriously, you really don't believe that the Sect Hierarch would personally take a life, do you?

Thinking of this, Sect Hierarch Tongtian felt even more wronged, and his gaze towards Golden Spirit Saint Mother and Yu Yuan had become even more helpless.

One is his beloved apprentice, the other his cherished grand-disciple.

This master and disciple pair joining forces to bully himself, the Sect Hierarch.

Alas, realities overrule the people, let it be!

Sect Hierarch Tongtian's thoughts rapidly turned, and looking at Golden Spirit Saint Mother and Yu Yuan, he sighed deeply, "Do you think this Sect Hierarch really wants to kill my own kin?

But it was the Taoist Ancestor himself who issued the decree!

With the Creation Jade Disc as proof!

How could your teacher dare to defy the order of the Taoist Ancestor?

Now you tell me, what should I do?"

Hearing this, both Yu Yuan and Golden Spirit Saint Mother, the master and disciple duo, fell silent.

Indeed, that was the Taoist Ancestor!

The Taoist Ancestor, supreme in the Primordial World, who rules over all the heavens!

If the Taoist Ancestor wants to kill Yu Yuan, what need is there for any evidence!

Sect Hierarch Tongtian deeply sighed, his face showing utter helplessness.

Although he also didn't understand how his grand-disciple had been determined by the Taoist Ancestor to be an Outer Heaven Demon, the Taoist Ancestor had issued the decree, so he could not defy it.

After all, that was his mentor and benefactor!

But to truly execute his grand-disciple Yu Yuan, he could not bring himself to do it!

In all these years, he had seen everything that Yu Yuan had done.

It could be said that the current Yu Yuan, in his eyes, was the perfect grand-disciple who valued loyalty and knew propriety, and also the hope for Jie Sect to survive the great calamity and flourish.

How could he possibly bring himself to kill such a grand-disciple?

Even if we set emotions aside, just from the importance of Yu Yuan to the Jie Sect, he wouldn't be able to make a move.

After all, if he truly were to execute Yu Yuan, not to mention the reactions of Golden Spirit Saint Mother, Zhao Gongming and others, but what would the many disciples of Jie Sect think of him as their Sect Hierarch?

Probably from the moment he executed Yu Yuan, the entire Jie Sect would begin to fall apart!

Sect Hierarch Tongtian wasn't foolish, how could he do such a thing which is no different from digging his own grave?

Seeing the helplessness and bitterness on Sect Hierarch Tongtian's face, both Yu Yuan and Golden Spirit Saint Mother also fell silent.

They were all too clear about the difficult position in Sect Hierarch Tongtian's heart.

On one side was his own grand-disciple, and on the other was his revered master.

For anyone, this wasn't an easy problem to solve.

Especially for someone as heavily invested in emotions as Sect Hierarch Tongtian, it was even tougher!

Yu Yuan was silent for a while, then suddenly raised his head and said, "The Taoist Ancestor wants to kill me because I am the Outer Heaven Demon, as long as I can prove to the people that I am not some Outer Heaven Demon, the Taoist Ancestor would surely withdraw his decree, right?"

Sect Hierarch Tongtian's eyes flickered slightly, looking at him and asking, "How do you wish to do that?"

Yu Yuan shook his head, "I haven't thought of it yet."

After speaking, he bowed deeply and said, "Disciple boldly asks for more time from Grandmaster, I will surely come up with a solution."

"Hmm..."

Sect Hierarch Tongtian pondered and looked towards the many disciples below, asking, "What are your views on what the Vice Sect Hierarch has said?"

"Reporting to Master!" Zhao Gongming was the first to stand up and said loudly: "Disciple believes in the Vice Sect Hierarch, I plead with Master to give the Vice Sect Hierarch a chance!"

Following him, the Three Saint Mothers of the Inner Sect, the Yun Xiao sisters, Qiu Shou Immortal, members of the "Mount Team," and elite disciples from both the inner and outer sects of the Jie Sect all stood up and bowed, saying:

"We plead with Master to give the Vice Sect Hierarch a chance!"

Tongtian, the Hierarch of Jie Sect, looked around the hall, seeing that the vast majority of disciples had all stood up.

"Indeed! The Vice Sect Hierarch is a disciple of our Jie Sect; how could he possibly be an Outer Heaven Demon?"

"I suspect the Taoist Ancestor has been misled by the slander of some people and was momentarily confused when issuing this divine decree!"

"Perhaps that divine decree is fake all along!"

"An Outer Heaven Demon? Hah! It's just a joke!"

"..."

"Shut up, all of you!"

Seeing his disciples getting more and more heated in their debate, even bordering on disrespecting the Taoist Ancestor himself, Tongtian, the Hierarch of Jie Sect, immediately waved his hand to quell the noise.

He glanced at the small portion of disciples who had not stood up, seeing that they too expressed no intention of objecting, a slight deduction was all he needed to be crystal clear in his understanding.

Even if these disciples did not approve, they also did not want to become the "scapegoat" by opposing Yu Yuan.

From this, it was evident that Yu Yuan, as the Vice Sect Hierarch, commanded considerable respect.

With this thought, Tongtian felt quite proud in his heart.

It seems that his decision to appoint Yu Yuan as the Vice Sect Hierarch was a correct one!

This unity was something that Duobao lacked.

"Alright!"

Tongtian waved his hand again, signaling the disciples to calm down, then he said, "Since you all believe that Yu Yuan is not an Outer Heaven Demon, then I shall give him a chance."

As he spoke, he turned his head to look at Yu Yuan, ready to nod and agree, when suddenly a gentle voice came to his ear: "Third brother, be cautious!"

Accompanying this gentle voice were two extremely terrifying auras.

In the great hall of Biyou Palace, except for Yu Yuan, Golden Spirit Saint Mother, and a mere dozen others, the rest of the Jie Sect disciples found themselves weakened by these two terrifying auras and had to sit back down in meditation again.

Although Yu Yuan and the others were still standing straight, they also felt as if a mountain of tens of thousands of feet had suddenly been pressed onto them, making even the slightest movement of their fingers difficult.

Tongtian's expression changed slightly, his gaze moving beyond the architecture towards the unknown.

In the next moment, he spoke in a deep voice, "Since the two elder brothers have already arrived, please come inside!"

Hearing this, the disciples inside the hall were instantly shocked.

Only Taiching Saint or Yuanshi Tianzun could be addressed as "elder brother" by Tongtian.

Yu Yuan's heart also couldn't help but skip a beat.

Just as the situation was stabilizing, the sudden arrival of two Saints could only spell trouble.

As soon as Tongtian's words fell, two figures appeared in the great hall of Biyou Palace.

Yu Yuan looked up and saw two people outside the hall, not knowing when they had appeared.

One in a Taiji Taoist robe, with white hair and beard, holding a horsetail whisk, with a Yin Yang Diagram hanging behind his head, was indeed the Taiching Saint.

The person half a step behind him, dressed in a Daoist robe of water and fire, holding the Three Treasures Jade Ruyi, surrounded by four symbols and with Qingyun above his head, was none other than Yuanshi Tianzun, the Hierarch of Chan Sect!

Tongtian's pupils contracted slightly, then returned to normal.

"Elder brother, second brother."

Taiching Saint nodded at Tongtian, while Yuanshi Tianzun let out a cold snort, looking quite dissatisfied.

"Tongtian, are you intending to show partiality and shelter someone?"

Yuanshi Tianzun glanced at Yu Yuan, who was still standing fine and well in the middle of the hall, and sneered, "The Taoist Ancestor himself has personally decreed the execution of this Outer Heaven Demon, yet you still think to protect him!

Do you wish to nurture a demon within the ranks of Xuanmen?"

Facing the rebuke from Yuanshi Tianzun, Tongtian's expression darkened as he coldly replied, "Second brother, your words are wrong! The Taoist Ancestor has ordered me to slay him, and I dare not disobey, but whether my disciple is an Outer Heaven Demon is yet to be confirmed..."

"Nonsense!"

Yuanshi Tianzun seemed enraged by Tongtian's attitude and roared, "Before, I declared him an Outer Heaven Demon, and you did not believe it, and that was that.

Now, even the Taoist Ancestor has personally issued the decree, and you still dare to claim uncertainty. What, in your eyes, is the Taoist Ancestor's decree worth?"

"Hmph!"

Tongtian also set his face, looking coldly at Laozi and Yuanshi Tianzun, and said, "This is a matter of the Jie Sect; there is no need for the two of you to trouble yourselves."

Yuanshi Tianzun raised his eyebrows, pointing at Yu Yuan and chastising, "You really intend to shelter this Outer Heaven Demon!"

A flash of anger crossed Tongtian's face swiftly, "The Taoist Ancestor ordered me to slay an Outer Heaven Demon, yet Yu Yuan is not such a demon; how can there be any talk of sheltering?"

Yuanshi Tianzun coldly huffed, "Even now, do you still refuse to see the truth? Then later, I shall take matters into my own hands and help you destroy this scourge!"

"Heh!"

Tongtian, enraged to the point of laughing, "If you want to kill my disciple, first ask if my Slaying Immortal Sword Formation agrees!"

As his voice fell, he swung his large hand.

A dazzling green light shot forth, turned into an Immortal Sword lush and vibrant above, pointed remotely at Yuanshi Tianzun.