Number One

Li Qingshan did not answer the others, turning his gaze instead toward Yaoguang, who sat below. His demeanor made it plain... He was waiting for Yaoguang to come forward and explain in person. Seeing that Sect Master Li shared Li Hanqiu's intention and was eager for him to take the stage, Yaoguang had no choice but to rise. Under the watchful eyes of everyone present, he walked up to the high platform and stood beside Li Qingshan. "Allow me to explain," Yaoguang said, gesturing toward the information concerning the Dharma Idol that Li Qingshan had displayed. "First of all... our Nine Cauldrons Sect does not possess the spirit treasure Origin Realm. That relic from the era of the Artifact Sect was never actually completed." The moment these words left his mouth, a buzz of discussion erupted from the crowd. Dozens of divine senses and divine minds intertwined, thick with disbelief. "No Origin Realm? If there is no Origin Realm, then where are we right now? Isn't the Virtual Spirit Realm we're standing in created from the Origin Realm?" "Hasn't the outside world already acknowledged that we possess Dharma Idol-grade might? What is there left to dispute?" "Wait. There is no Origin Realm, yet the data Sect Master Li published clearly stated that our Nine Cauldrons Sect possesses Dharma Idol-level power... And now Hall Master Yaoguang has been invited up to the stage at this very moment. Could it be..." Amid the murmurings, many cultivators reacted with lightning speed. In less than ten seconds, the clamor subsided, and everyone's eyes involuntarily turned to Yaoguang. "Could it be that..." "It was me." Yaoguang nodded calmly. "Back when we were competing with the Xuanming Sect over the East Sea Archipelago, I had already cultivated a Dharma Idol. However, at that time, our Nine Cauldrons Sect was still weak. If the world learned that we possessed a Dharma Idol, outside powers would inevitably stop at nothing to eliminate an unstable variable like me. Therefore, after consulting with the sect master and the Perfected One, we unanimously decided to conceal the news and announce to the outside world that we had merely acquired the Dharma Idol spirit treasure 'Origin Realm.'" Hearing him admit this so plainly, domain masters, branch sect masters, and elders throughout the hall gasped in unison. "A Dharma Idol! A Dharma Idol! A Dharma Idol!" "Our Nine Cauldrons Sect... actually has a true Dharma Idol?! Not a Dharma Idol spirit treasure like the Origin Realm, but a genuine Dharma Idol cultivator!" "Heavens above, is that true? More than a decade ago, our Nine Cauldrons Sect had already become the fourth faction in the present world to possess a Dharma Idol cultivator?!" Exclamations of astonishment rippled through the gathering. The hall masters, on the other hand, while startled, had already harbored suspicions of their own and quickly composed themselves. Even so, their gazes toward Yaoguang were filled with pleasant surprise. At the same time, they finally understood why Li Hanqiu had guided him to sit in the seat of the sect's second-in-command. A Dharma Idol! Such a figure would be more than qualified for that seat no matter which major faction he went to. "Next is the matter of the Crimson Golden Core," Yaoguang said, turning to the other topic. "You should all remember that ten years ago, the Dengxian Tower of the Immortal Alliance was attacked. Not only was the Dharma Idol Feng Ao injured, but a Crimson Golden Core also forced the Immortal Alliance's Star God, Barton, to flee in panic... At that time, the Immortal Alliance accused our Nine Cauldrons Sect of being responsible, as aside from the Myriad Beasts Sect and the Wuji Astral Palace, only our Nine Cauldrons Sect had openly displayed Dharma Idol-grade might." At this point, he smiled slightly. "They were not wrong. That incident was indeed our doing." You Qianshan, Master of the Jiuxiao Domain, could not help but stand up. "We... really have another expert at the Crimson Golden Core level?!" The others were equally thrilled, their eyes fixed on Yaoguang, Li Qingshan, and Li Hanqiu with fervent anticipation and longing. The Nine Cauldrons Sect... Deeply needed another pillar of support capable of anchoring the entire situation. "Indeed. While somewhat different compared to other Crimson Golden Cores... it was, in fact, a Crimson Golden Core," Yaoguang nodded. "And that Crimson Golden Core..." He paused. "Was also me." "You?!" Those among the upper echelon who knew Yaoguang best, such as You Qianshan and Zhao Siliang, could not help widening their eyes. Yaoguang?! A Crimson Golden Core?! They were not surprised at all that Yaoguang could cultivate a Dharma Idol. Nor would they be surprised if he said he could become a Star God in the future. But a Crimson Golden Core... "How is that possible..." "You should have already cultivated the Mystic Origin Creation Technique distributed by the sect more than a decade ago. Although higher-tier manuals can only be requested through the Virtual Spirit Realm once you reach the corresponding realm, this technique allows a cultivator to train and elevate essence, qi, and spirit together. In particular, upon reaching the Unity Realm, essence, qi, and spirit merge into one. The cultivator possesses both a physique robust enough to accommodate all true essence and an origin spirit formidable enough to effortlessly guide all true essence artifacts—not to mention a foundation of true essence comparable to, or even more comprehensive than, an Immortal Foundation." Yaoguang said, "With my spirit-refining Dharma Idol as the foundation, I guided my qi-refining path into the Fission Realm. At the same time, I refined a Crimson Golden Core into an external core, granting me the true essence reserves of a Crimson Golden Core. Finally, through body refining, I attained the realm of a Star God—a Main Star-tier Star God at that..." He paused briefly, meeting the gazes of everyone, including Li Hanqiu and Li Qingshan. "I have now reached the level of a Crimson Golden Core. While I rely on the power of an external core, meaning its recovery and replenishment cannot match a genuine Crimson Golden Core, my powerful divine mind and physique allow me to unleash the full might of this Crimson Golden Core to my heart's content. Even if I were to face one or two Radiant Sun Golden Cores, I could stall until their Golden Cores collapse and secure ultimate victory!" "One or two Radiant Sun Golden Cores?!" At these words, not only the others, but even Li Hanqiu was filled with shock and delight. He knew that since Yaoguang had chosen to disclose this information now, he had to possess combat strength worthy of being called the pinnacle of the world. Yet he had never imagined that not only had Yaoguang reached the world's pinnacle, but even within that pinnacle... he stood at the very summit. "Hall Master Yaoguang... If I heard correctly, you are saying that you can match one or two Radiant Sun Golden Cores?! Then... that means our Nine Cauldrons Sect effectively possesses combat strength equivalent to two, or even three, Radiant Sun Golden Cores?!" Lou Yuyu could not help standing up, voicing the question everyone was burning to ask. "I'm afraid you have misunderstood something. What Lord Yaoguang said was that even facing one or two Radiant Sun Golden Cores, he can stall until their Golden Cores collapse and secure final victory... What does that signify?! It means his deterrent capability can easily be regarded as equivalent to three, or even four, Radiant Sun Golden Cores!" Murong Hui could not help chiming in. Having said that, he looked toward Yaoguang with immense anticipation. "Hall Master Yaoguang... Am I... correct in understanding it this way?" Seeing this, Yaoguang gave it a brief thought and nodded to him, offering an affirmative answer. Instantly, whether the incredulous Lou Yuyu or the expectant Murong Hui, everyone in the hall beamed with overwhelming joy. This was truly a monumental surprise! A single man... With the deterrent power of three or four Radiant Sun Golden Cores! This meant that from this day forward, even in the tier of Golden Core-level combat power, the Nine Cauldrons Sect would completely surpass top immortal sects such as the Taiyin Sect, Fatian Pavilion, and Golden Divine Temple, ranking behind only the Wuji Astral Palace with its eleven Radiant Sun Golden Cores, the Immortal Alliance with eight, and the Myriad Beasts Sect with five. "Splendid, this is truly magnificent!" Li Hanqiu's eyes brimmed with irrepressible delight. Never before had he felt so pleasantly surprised and gratified. The faces of the others radiated equal jubilation, rejoicing from the bottom of their hearts that their sect had achieved such strength today. Taking in the scene, Yaoguang smiled and said, "As long as the Perfected One is pleased." "Pleased? I am beyond pleased! Now our Nine Cauldrons Sect truly possesses sufficient strength and foundation to withstand any upheaval or challenge over the coming two decades!" Li Hanqiu declared forcefully. The others nodded in deep agreement. "Very well. Now, I will return the stage to Sect Master Li." Saying this, Yaoguang nodded to Li Qingshan and stepped down from the platform. In truth, what he had stated was still somewhat conservative. Although his own qi refining was merely at the Fission Realm, in terms of comprehension and realm... He was already at the Void Piercing level. Such a realm reigned supreme over all Radiant Sun Golden Cores. Relying on his exceptional advantage in realm alone, even without the external core, he could wear down and exhaust a Crimson Golden Core-level cultivator. With the additional might of the external core, the number of Radiant Sun Golden Cores he could wear down was far more than just one or two! Three, four, or five would likely pose no problem. It was only because the Crimson Golden Core was an external core—requiring formations and other external aids to replenish once exhausted—that its replenishment was inconvenient, making it unfeasible to handle three to five Radiant Sun Golden Cores joining forces all at once. On the stage, the grin in Li Qingshan's eyes could not be suppressed for a long time, making it impossible for him to adopt a solemn demeanor. In the end, he dropped all pretense and burst into laughter. "Hahaha, allow me to laugh for a moment first!" Seeing this, the other hall masters, deputy hall masters, branch sect masters, domain masters, and elders could not hold back either, breaking out into hearty laughter within this solemn plenary conference hall. "Together, together! Hahaha, I couldn't hold it in any longer either! This is the greatest news I've heard in my entire life!" "With the two great pillars—Hall Master Yaoguang and the Perfected One—from now on, our Nine Cauldrons Sect can truly laugh out loud upon any stage in the world!" "Still calling him Hall Master Yaoguang? We should call him Perfected Yaoguang! The great rise of our Nine Cauldrons Sect is right before our eyes!" "Unifying Cangwu?! If the Wuji Astral Palace can pursue it, so can our Nine Cauldrons Sect!" Laughter and joyful chatter filled every corner of this high-level plenary meeting. Watching everyone, Li Qingshan made no move to stop them. Instead, he smiled and said, "Since everyone is so thrilled, I will reveal our Nine Cauldrons Sect's current military strength to make you all even happier! Our Nine Cauldrons Sect currently possesses elite battle institutes..." With a sweep of his broad hand, the names of the battle institutes appeared simultaneously. "Thirty-three!" Li Qingshan stated forcefully, displaying the various metric evaluations for all thirty-three battle institutes at the same time: "And every single one of these thirty-three battle institutes has reached world-pinnacle standards! Yes, not the so-called world-class standards of the Great Sun Sword Sect! World-pinnacle!" He reiterated, "Even compared to the battle institutes of the Wuji Astral Palace equipped with third- and fourth-generation flying swords, they are not the least bit inferior! In fact... they even surpass them! Were it not for the lack of trial by actual combat, based purely on the numbers, many of these battle institutes could be called foremost in the world!"