Risking It All

"To think..." Holding the Dao artifact that had transformed from the Sky Cleaving Plate, Yaoguang made an empty beckoning gesture. The entire plate rapidly shrank, condensing from a diameter of ten thousand meters down to palm size in mere moments. "Truly a spirit treasure built purely from a heap of supreme materials..." His expression was somewhat conflicted. He had originally hoped to evolve this top-tier spirit treasure into a Dao artifact so it would pose a threat to Jiang Tianzun, who had attained an Azure Golden Core. Never did he imagine... Its materials meant it was fundamentally unsuited to evolve toward "slaughtering enemies." Instead, it had transformed into a Dao artifact meant specifically for traversing the void, usable even by cultivators below the Void Piercing Realm. With such capabilities, calling it the Sky Cleaving Plate was no longer appropriate. It ought to be called the Void Plate instead. Moreover... Beyond being able to open a wormhole for void traversal, this Dao artifact possessed an internal spatial dimension. Though the space was not vast, it still spanned half the diameter of the Dao artifact's complete form. Namely, ten li across. "While it isn't an offensive Dao artifact, with its ability to traverse the void, at the very least... I can take those close to me... and even the core members of the Nine Cauldrons Sect, to leave the Cangwu Great World." Saying this, Yaoguang's expression grew somewhat complicated. Their current situation could hardly be called leaving the Cangwu Realm—it was fleeing. Jiang Tianzun had not even arrived, yet solely through the supreme renown of his Azure Golden Core, everyone had been terrified into slinking away. Such an outcome... Was utterly pathetic. Yet just as Li Qingshan had said, where there is life, there is hope. As long as the green hills remain, one need not fear running out of firewood. At this thought, Yaoguang separated a strand of his divine mind and directly said, "There is no need for everyone to scatter into hiding. I have a way to warp the void and traverse the expanse to leave the Cangwu Great World. Contact the core members and see how many are willing to leave with us." With that, he sighed softly. "The Nine Cauldrons Sect is flourishing right now, and leaving one's homeland is not a resolve everyone can muster. Do not force anyone in this process. Out of consideration for our shared heritage with the Artifact Sect, Jiang Tianzun might not exterminate the Nine Cauldrons Sect to the last man." Li Qingshan, who was in the middle of arranging personnel, was taken aback upon receiving this message. "Warp the void!?" Immediately afterward, irrepressible delight welled up in his eyes. "Warping the void and traversing space just like a Void Piercing powerhouse!?" "Yes," Yaoguang nodded slightly. "Good!" Li Qingshan gave a solemn agreement. He looked toward Yaoguang. "The fact that the Nine Cauldrons Sect could reach this level of prosperity is overwhelmingly thanks to you, Perfected Yaoguang. I believe no one will truly be ungrateful. Besides, the Nine Cauldrons Sect is the Nine Cauldrons Sect, and the Artifact Sect is the Artifact Sect. Their natures are entirely distinct. Once Jiang Tianzun arrives, there will only be one outcome for the Nine Cauldrons Sect: disbanding and reverting to the Artifact Sect's old model..." "At least they will live," Yaoguang said. "Jiang Tianzun's talent is formidable. If the Nine Cauldrons Sect becomes the Artifact Sect once more, the others' circumstances might not necessarily be that dire." "It's not the same—at least not for us core members. Furthermore, even if Jiang Tianzun's talent is exceptional, I believe yours is definitely no worse than his..." As Li Qingshan spoke, he immediately corrected himself: "No! In my eyes, your talent is even greater than his! The only reason you, at over forty in the Fission Realm, seem to lag behind him, who reached the Azure Golden Core in his nineties, is because you were shackled by your environment! If you could also go to Beihai Star and cultivate in an environment with such abundant resources, I am certain you would have already formed a true Radiant Sun Golden Core by now, and achieving an Azure Golden Core in another decade or two would be well within reach!" "You flatter me." If given limitless resources, Yaoguang might even attempt to break into the Void Piercing Realm given his current realm. However... Who knew what the situation was really like on Beihai Star? What tier of resources were available? If resources were abundant but far harder to obtain than here, reaching an Azure Golden Core might still take him several decades. "I will go inform those close to me," Yaoguang said. "Very well. I will convene a meeting and gather the supplies needed for evacuation before the other factions react," Li Qingshan replied. After a brief exchange, both promptly went about their tasks. Yet before they could spread the word to everyone around them, high above the nine heavens, the palace where Li Hanqiu resided suddenly erupted with an expanse of radiance that illuminated heaven and earth. It was as if a second sun had appeared in the void, releasing boundless light and heat that shone across tens of millions of li. What was more, from the very center of that intense glare and scorching heat emanated a devouring force terrifying in its sheer immensity. This devouring force warped the void itself, sending out ripples countless times greater than those produced when Yaoguang's Void Plate transformed into a Dao artifact. It instantly alerted every Golden Core cultivator above the nine heavens. Yaoguang, within the planet, was no exception. "It's Perfected Li's palace!" Leaving no time to personally direct Lin Xia, Leng Jun, Su Yaoyu, Su Yaoxue, and the others to pack their belongings, he soared into the air, ascended past the nine heavens, and stepped straight out into the starry sky beyond the Cangwu Great World. Out in the starry sky, Li Hanqiu's palace had completely vanished, replaced by a terrifying fireball over a million li in diameter. The energy radiating from the fireball was enough to make any witness tremble to their core. By the time Yaoguang arrived in outer space, the Radiant Sun Golden Cores of the major supreme immortal sects had already gathered. Their expressions, however, were thoroughly grim. Many looked upon the million-li fireball, their eyes brimming with fury. "Has Li Hanqiu gone mad!? He actually unleashed his Golden Core without restraint, trying to collapse it into a black hole!?" "The success rate of collapsing a Radiant Sun Golden Core into a black hole is less than one percent! Once he fails, the energy from his Golden Core detonating will inevitably bring catastrophic devastation upon the entire Cangwu Great World! Has he lost his mind, trying to drag the whole world down with him!?" "Nine Cauldrons Sect, just what are you trying to do!?" These Golden Core cultivators were filled with shock and fury. When some saw Yaoguang arrive, they even barked harsh interrogations at him. This time, however, Yaoguang did not hold back in the slightest and snapped back, "Are you blind? Can't you see Perfected Li of my Nine Cauldrons Sect is breaking through to the Void Piercing Realm?" "You..." The Golden Core cultivator was about to retort, but was held back by the person beside him. "Haven't you realized yet? Jiang Tianzun has already arrived, and he knows what happened in the Yaoguang Realm. He's likely heading straight for the Cangwu Realm right now. Once he arrives, only death awaits the Nine Cauldrons Sect. In such a predicament, Li Hanqiu had no choice but to risk everything on that less than one percent chance to break through to the Void Piercing Realm... If he succeeds, even True Disciple Jiang will be wary of him, and the Nine Cauldrons Sect will have a sliver of hope. If he fails... it's no different than waiting for True Disciple Jiang to arrive." Speaking of this, that Golden Core cultivator sounded conflicted. "Li Hanqiu is indeed mad... but if he didn't do this, neither he nor the Nine Cauldrons Sect could hope to survive." Another Golden Core cultivator chimed in, "All right, let's keep waiting. Let's see if a miracle occurs with Li Hanqiu, and wait for Jiang Tianzun's true body to descend." The surrounding Golden Core cultivators nodded. Though they sorely wanted to capture Yaoguang and suppress the Nine Cauldrons Sect right now, they knew all too well that with Li Hanqiu desperately attempting a breakthrough, attacking Yaoguang—even if they prevailed—would cost blood, perhaps even their lives. Throwing their lives away before Jiang Tianzun had even arrived to grant them promises would simply be foolish. If one wanted to risk their life in service, it had to be done in plain view so the superior could witness it. *** "Void Piercing!" Yaoguang stood outside what was once Li Hanqiu's palace, his mind racing. He considered whether there was any way to help Li Hanqiu survive this tribulation. Moments later, a thought struck him. The Dao artifact! The Void Plate in his hand! If aided by this Dao artifact, even if Li Hanqiu's success rate in breaking through wouldn't skyrocket... It could at least increase by a few percentage points! However... If he surrendered this newly attuned Dao artifact to Li Hanqiu, and Jiang Tianzun descended during this window, Yaoguang would completely lose all hope of escaping the Cangwu Great World. In that moment, an intense struggle raged in Yaoguang's heart. Yet after only a moment, he made his decision. He didn't know when Jiang Tianzun would arrive, nor did he know what destruction that arrival would bring. What he did know was that if he didn't give the Void Plate to Li Hanqiu right now... This Radiant Sun Golden Core expert, who had guarded the Nine Cauldrons Sect for a century, would certainly die. Compared to events that had not yet come to pass, seizing the present was far more crucial. With that thought, Yaoguang hurled the Void Plate from his grasp, sending it straight into the terrifying Golden Core Li Hanqiu had manifested—now swollen to a diameter of over a million li like an incandescent star. As the Void Plate sank in, the Golden Core shuddered violently. Before long, the devouring force pouring from within grew even more ferocious and immense, its warping of space beginning to encroach upon the Cangwu Great World itself. *** Time passed. Three days, five days, ten days... Li Hanqiu's breakthrough continued unabated. The terrifying devouring force grew ever stronger, and the warping of space became increasingly pronounced. This change caused the Golden Core cultivators—who had originally been burning with rage and wishing they could grind Li Hanqiu's bones to ash—to display growing astonishment. Because... According to the records of the major supreme immortal sects, the signs Li Hanqiu displayed were remarkably similar to an imminent successful ascension. This struck them as utterly unbelievable. A probability of less than one percent, and Li Hanqiu actually struck it!? How was that possible!? And just as the many Golden Core cultivators were suspended in doubt, finding the signs around Li Hanqiu looking more and more like an ascension to the Void Piercing Realm, a vast void fluctuation—far more refined and profound than the space-warping power Li Hanqiu exerted—rippled outward at the periphery of the Cangwu Great World. It was as though the tranquil starry expanse suddenly twisted and collapsed, followed by concentric ripples spreading across the void... Before those ripples could fully spread, the twisted, collapsed void snapped back to calm. Yet within that tranquilized space now stood two figures. One was a tall man clad in purple robes with silver hair, appearing to be in his thirties, bearing an azure crystal between his brows. The other was an elderly man half a step behind him, whose mere ambient aura was enough to warp the surrounding space. The four Dharma Idols—Lin Deng, Feng Ao, Luofu, and Ye Lisha—who had been monitoring every tremor at the edges of the Cangwu Great World, quickly sensed this spatial disturbance and "saw" the two figures who had abruptly appeared in the starry sky outside the world. The moment they "saw" the tall man in purple robes, having already received portraits from Susan and the others, the four Dharma Idols were jolted awake. Each gasped in cold air. "Jiang Tianzun!" "He's here." "He didn't take an astral ship, nor did he recalibrate the Star Gate... Instead, he arrived at the Cangwu Great World through such a direct, brute-force method as warping space to traverse the void!?" At that moment, as the four Dharma Idols hastily notified the Golden Core cultivators of their respective sects to come greet them, their gazes involuntarily swept past Li Hanqiu, whose breakthrough to the Void Piercing Realm was drawing to a close... Though deep down they could hardly believe Li Hanqiu had truly beaten that sub-one-percent odd to take that step, the reality lay right before their eyes. And now, Jiang Tianzun had torn through space to arrive, and the one beside him... "Wait!? The Void Piercing cultivator escorting Jiang Tianzun... is Wan Liugui!?" "The Artifact Sect's sole Void Piercing expert... It makes sense. After all, Jiang Tianzun returned to the Cangwu Great World to honor his ancestors and rebuild the Artifact Sect, so bringing an Artifact Sect Void Piercing expert as a Dao protector is perfectly reasonable. But... if I recall correctly, Wan Liugui... was Li Hanqiu's master, and they had a very close bond!?" "Li Hanqiu risked everything and actually broke through to the Void Piercing Realm!? And the Dao protector escorting Jiang Tianzun back to the Cangwu Great World to honor his ancestors happens to be Li Hanqiu's master!? This..." "I'm completely stunned! Something massive is about to go down!"