Sudden Upheaval

"Not enough!" Pinning down the Virtual Spirit Realms of the three Dharma Idols—Feng Ao, Linden, and Luofu—Yaoguang began laying down terms with the Wuji Astral Palace and the Immortal Alliance. "Spreading rumors like this not only shows that your Immortal Alliance and Wuji Astral Palace lack the responsibility expected of major sects, but it has also severely disrupted the Cangwu Great World's progress in transitioning to the new method. I demand that you cooperate with our promotion of the 'Cultivation Path Community' and publicly acknowledge that the earlier rumors in the Virtual Spirit Realm were spread by your Wuji Astral Palace..." "That is impossible!" George refused immediately. "Those statements were clearly just mistakes made in the heat of the moment by reckless individuals who couldn't tell right from wrong. How could their misconduct be endorsed by the reputation of our entire Wuji Astral Palace?" "Whether it was truly an impulsive mistake is something you and I know full well. Would you like me to search their three Virtual Spirit Realms again? I am certain there is plenty more evidence to be found," Yaoguang said. Standing nearby, Lu Xi knew that if Yaoguang were allowed to continue "rummaging around," whether he uncovered further evidence or not, Feng Ao's Virtual Spirit Realm—which had only recently recovered—would inevitably be thrown into complete turmoil once more, leaving him unable to recover for eight to ten years. He hastily intervened, "Subordinates made mistakes, and dragging the sect's reputation into this is indeed going too far. We also recognize that some of their statements affected the Nine Cauldrons Sect's strategic plans. Therefore, we are willing to offer a certain compensation to make up for the Nine Cauldrons Sect's losses." "Does the Immortal Alliance even have any credibility left?" Yaoguang chuckled softly. "Compensation is fine, but every single individual involved in spreading the rumors must be handed over to our Nine Cauldrons Sect for disposal. We will personally put their crimes on trial." "Out of the question! These people are, after all, upper-echelon figures in our Immortal Alliance. If we hand them all over to the Nine Cauldrons Sect, where will our Immortal Alliance's dignity be?!" Lu Xi countered at once, "We can assure Perfected Yaoguang that our judgment of them will be absolutely fair and just..." Yaoguang was in no hurry, continuing to barter and haggle with the Immortal Alliance and the Wuji Astral Palace. Watching this scene unfold, many Origin Soul cultivators from various sects who had rushed over upon hearing the news were left stunned... In particular, Long Zechuan, Chisongzi, and the others from the Great Sun Sword Sect were dazed as they looked at Feng Ao, Linden, and Luofu, who were pinned down and rendered immobile by Yaoguang's three strands of divine mind. The Nine Cauldrons Sect? How had... In the blink of an eye, how had a power that was far inferior to their Great Sun Sword Sect just twenty to thirty years ago grown so formidable? Single-handedly contending against both the Immortal Alliance and the Wuji Astral Palace?! What was especially unbelievable was that they even held the upper hand. After all, given the tyrannical styles of the Immortal Alliance and the Wuji Astral Palace, unless an enemy was so powerful that they had no other recourse, they would never sit down obediently to negotiate with an opponent. The Great Sun Sword Sect was shaken, and Song You and Ma Hong of the Xuanming Sect, lingering on the outer edge of the onlookers, felt it even more acutely. Song You shrank his neck, doing his best to minimize his presence. At the same time, they felt immensely relieved that they hadn't continued their opposition against the Nine Cauldrons Sect. Never mind that the Wuji Astral Palace had merely used them as pawns to bog down the Nine Cauldrons Sect—even if the Wuji Astral Palace had been willing to vigorously back them against the Nine Cauldrons Sect, what good would it have done? Couldn't they see that the Wuji Astral Palace itself was helpless against the Nine Cauldrons Sect? If they had dared to step forward... They would undoubtedly have been crushed into dust on the spot. Whether their sect's heritage could even have survived would have been in serious jeopardy. "The times have changed." "Back during the Cangwu League assembly, I sensed the winds shifting, but I never expected the change to happen so fast..." "The Nine Cauldrons Sect... is truly rising to supreme heights. As long as the situation on Beihai Star doesn't undergo too drastic an upheaval, the Cangwu Realm will inevitably be ruled by the Nine Cauldrons Sect in the future." All manner of divine mind and divine sense transmissions flew among the onlookers. Witnessing the spectacle before them, everyone felt as though their worldviews were being turned upside down. Earlier, Yaoguang had clashed with Janke and Miller on Planet 6713 high above the firmament, shattering the celestial body, but to sects that lacked even a Star God, that was ultimately too distant. Even if they received word through other channels, it was difficult to witness or experience it firsthand. Yet now... The sight of Yaoguang single-handedly suppressing the three Dharma Idols of the Immortal Alliance and the Wuji Astral Palace, forcing the two strongest powers in the Cangwu Realm to negotiate, profoundly shook everyone to their core. Only now did they realize in retrospect: the skies over the Cangwu Realm had truly changed. The era belonging to the Wuji Astral Palace and the Immortal Alliance was slipping away, and the future... At least the next ten to twenty years would belong to the Nine Cauldrons Sect. Although the onlookers conducted their discussions through divine mind and divine sense, with so many top Origin Soul cultivators and Golden Cores present, it was impossible not to perceive them. Before long, the Immortal Alliance and the Wuji Astral Palace realized that continuing to haggle with Yaoguang in front of the other sects in this manner would only result in total humiliation for both of them. Under the circumstances, they had to make a swift decision. "The ringleaders can be handed over for you to deal with, but publicly acknowledging that the rumors originated from our sects is entirely out of the question. This is our bottom line, and we will not budge. Otherwise..." A cold glint appeared between Qiao An's brows. "I would truly like to see whether, when a Radiant Sun Golden Core completely disregards the condition of their core, you can truly withstand power comparable to the full release of a star, Perfected Yaoguang." "Heh..." Yaoguang gave a light scoff and was about to speak. At that moment, Li Hanqiu's divine sense echoed in his ear: "That is enough." He quickly added an explanation: "Our Nine Cauldrons Sect could produce a Crimson Golden Core. With the foundations of the Wuji Astral Palace and the Immortal Alliance, they might well be able to bring out Crimson Golden Cores—or even Radiant Sun Golden Cores—as disposable weapons. If it truly comes to that, there will be no winners." "Radiant Sun Golden Cores..." Hearing this, Yaoguang frowned slightly. "Let me play the peacemaker from here," Li Hanqiu said. "Alright." Yaoguang did not push further. Ultimately... at present, he only possessed the power to wear down a Radiant Sun Golden Core to death; he could not yet kill one in direct, frontal combat. Under these circumstances, if he were besieged by several Radiant Sun Golden Cores fighting without regard for their lives, his situation would still be exceedingly precarious. To thoroughly subdue every Golden Core in the entire Cangwu Great World, relying on an external core at the level of a Crimson Golden Core was clearly insufficient. Only when he truly cultivated a Crimson Golden Core of his own, or even advanced to the Radiant Sun Golden Core realm and possessed the power to suppress all thirty-plus Golden Cores in the Cangwu Great World, could he completely overpower all the sects. As for stripping them of even the ability to flip the table and destroy the Cangwu Great World... Even a Radiant Sun Golden Core might not suffice. He would need to reach the Incandescent White Golden Core, or even the Azure Golden Core realm that represented the pinnacle of the Golden Core stage. Only then could he instantly annihilate every Golden Core in the world, leaving them without even the chance to detonate their cores and drag the entire Cangwu Great World down with them. ... With Li Hanqiu stepping forward, the tense, saber-rattling atmosphere immediately softened. In the end, the matter concluded with the Nine Cauldrons Sect securing substantial benefits. As for the Wuji Astral Palace and the Immortal Alliance, they managed to barely save face. The reason it was only barely saving face was that too many onlookers had witnessed the negotiations. Had the three Dharma Idols—Feng Ao, Linden, and Luofu—not been pinned down, they would have sealed off the surrounding area immediately to prevent anyone from seeing the truth behind the negotiations between the Wuji Astral Palace, the Immortal Alliance, and the Nine Cauldrons Sect. Unfortunately, all three of their Dharma Idols had been suppressed by Yaoguang, and Yaoguang had no intention of sparing their feelings, naturally laying the entire negotiation open to the public. Having seen through the hollow bluster of the Wuji Astral Palace and the Immortal Alliance, many sects might not go out of their way to broadcast the news everywhere, but their fear of both superpowers would diminish drastically. It was foreseeable that this incident would deliver a major blow to the global expansion strategies of the Wuji Astral Palace and the Immortal Alliance. Everyone anticipated this, yet... None expected that day to arrive so soon. Barely a month after the negotiations concluded, the Star Gate—situated near the Taiyi Sect and on the verge of being swallowed whole by it—launched a fierce counterattack against the Taiyi Sect. Moreover, the Star Gate's resistance received immediate vocal support from the Sacred Flame Cult, the Blue Sea Holy Land, the Brahma Gate, and the Crimson Moon Gate. A massive battle, seemingly poised to drive the Taiyi Sect—or rather, the Wuji Astral Palace's forces—out of the Heiyan Continent, erupted instantly. When this battle broke out, it did not even have the backing of a single top major sect; it was merely a desperate uprising born of the Star Gate being backed into a corner with no way out. Yet... Everyone knew that behind the Taiyi Sect stood the world's foremost sect, the Wuji Astral Palace. When the Taiyi Sect, backed by the Wuji Astral Palace, sought to swallow a mere small-to-mid-sized sect like the Star Gate, how dared the Star Gate resist? It was outright rebellion! Yet now... The Star Gate had indeed resisted. Even though their entire sect could not assemble a single complete elite battle institute, making them look like a mantis trying to stop a chariot against the mighty Taiyi Sect, they still fired the first shot against the Taiyi Sect and the Wuji Astral Palace. The start of this battle undeniably signaled that the Wuji Astral Palace, which had sat on the world's throne ever since the collapse of the Northern Alliance, saw its influence beginning to teeter. ... Right as the situation in the Cangwu Great World underwent turbulent changes... Far away in the Yaoguang Realm. The newly repaired Star Gate suddenly flared with brilliant, visible radiance. This radiance... Was the unmistakable sign that the Star Gate was about to connect. Soon, Zong Yan, who had retired to the Yaoguang Realm and oversaw the Star Gate, received the news. At first, he merely assumed someone from the Cangwu Great World was teleporting over and paid it little mind. However, when the Star Gate continued to flicker for a full month without ever actually opening, appearing as though... Some force were calibrating the coordinates represented by this Star Gate, Zong Yan finally realized something was amiss. He immediately ordered the activation of a backup Star Gate and headed straight for the Cangwu Great World to deliver the news to Yaoguang. And almost at the exact moment Yaoguang received the message... High-power Star Gates maintained within the Wuji Astral Palace, the Immortal Alliance, the Myriad Beasts Sect, the Taiyin Sect, the Fatian Pavilion, and the Golden Divine Temple all began glowing simultaneously. This abrupt shift made the top immortal sects instantly realize something. The return of the Beihai Star experts?! Yet why would they arrive through Star Gates rather than Void Piercing experts warping space to descend?! Or perhaps... An invasion by the Moon Demon Empire?! Unsure of what the simultaneous activation of these Star Gates portended, the evolving situation across the entire Cangwu Great World seemed to be hit by an instant pause button, abruptly falling still. Full of apprehension and anticipation, everyone fixated their eyes upon the Star Gates, waiting for them to finally open.