Heartache

“As long as we grow fast enough to easily resolve any crisis, then we are the crisis...” Li Hanqiu murmured the words Yaoguang had spoken, repeating them over and over under his breath. After quite some time, he finally said, “Well said.” To declare with such calm composure that one was the crisis itself... What boundless confidence! And yet... Recalling the countless miracles Yaoguang had forged in the Nine Cauldrons Sect over the years... If his time had not been consumed by artifact crafting and formations, but rather focused purely on the path of cultivation, just how fast would he have grown? In Li Hanqiu’s understanding, cultivation bottlenecks seemed entirely nonexistent for Yaoguang. What truly held back his growth were the stages that required painstaking grinding and massive amounts of resources. Yet here on Beihai Star, resources were plentiful, with top-tier supplies like Pure Yang Great Pills and Void Dao Pills readily available to effortlessly bypass the tedious grind and accumulation. If he truly obtained sufficient resources to sustain himself, how astonishingly swift would his progress be? At this thought, Li Hanqiu looked at Yaoguang with deep emotion and a touch of apology in his tone: “It seems I have grown old and lost my drive, letting myself fall into complacency...” “It is merely that the upheaval the Nine Cauldrons Sect experienced was too severe, which led True Monarch to favor a more cautious path,” Yaoguang remarked, understanding what Li Hanqiu meant. “In this world, nothing is ever an absolute certainty, nor is any place truly safe. But as long as we become powerful enough, the people, matters, and things capable of threatening us will naturally dwindle. Therefore, all I need to do right now is become strong as quickly as possible.” Li Hanqiu nodded. “You have always had a clear vision, and reality has consistently proven you right. In that case, do as you see fit and unleash your full potential. If you need any support, just say the word.” “Earlier, I considered selling a batch of great divine abilities, but on second thought, selling several great divine abilities is far worse than directly offering a single supreme divine ability,” Yaoguang said. “A supreme divine ability is worth ten, dozens, or even tens of times more than a great divine ability. If we sell eight or ten great divine abilities, repeated transactions will inevitably draw unwanted attention. A supreme divine ability, however... while it will cause a tremendous stir, as long as we strike swiftly, make the trade, and vanish without a trace immediately afterward, we can secure immense returns in a single stroke.” “A supreme divine ability?!” Li Hanqiu was secretly astounded. He had not expected Yaoguang to possess even an inheritance of this caliber. Yet, thinking of the Mystic Origin Creation Technique... that technique's value was surely not inferior to a supreme divine ability. Without hesitation, he agreed. “Just as you said, since we’ve come to a place like Beihai Star, did we really expect to lead a quiet, peaceful life? What endeavor carries no risk? We’ll do as you say!” Yaoguang nodded. “Before that, we must make thorough preparations. First, True Monarch, you need to completely refine the World-Suppressing Ring and the Void Disk. Second, I have a secret art here; if you can master it, it will thoroughly mask any traces of you being a Battle Immortal, allowing you to pass as a genuine Void Piercing cultivator. Third, I will modify the Void Disk to conceal the Dao artifact's Dao charm, veiling its divine nature...” He smiled faintly. “The dangers of selling a divine ability usually arise after the deal is struck. But once you assume the guise of a true Void Piercing expert and display the ability to warp space and execute void traversal on Beihai Star using what appears to be a mere 'spirit treasure,' I believe such methods will easily deter any ill-intentioned onlookers.” “A genuine Void Piercing expert.” Hearing this, Li Hanqiu laid his worries to rest. In the Ten Immortal Sects, genuine Void Piercing cultivators were revered elder-tier figures. A combat strength of ten to twenty million was vastly more intimidating than the one to ten million range of a Battle Immortal, more than sufficient to deter anyone tempted by the proceeds of a supreme divine ability. As expected, Yaoguang’s plans were always comprehensive; he never took risks without ample assurance. They ought to place greater trust in him. “I'll follow your arrangements,” Li Hanqiu said. “The East Sea Immortal Market, backed by Great Shang, has a reasonably solid reputation,” Yaoguang noted. “Though petty squabbles and underhanded tricks still happen, they at least care about saving face. Every ten years, the market holds an auction. The next one is just a year away. We will sell our supreme divine ability there, at that very time.” “You plan to entrust the supreme divine ability to the East Sea Immortal Market for auction?” Li Hanqiu frowned slightly. “Of course not. Even if the East Sea Immortal Market cares about its reputation, that depends on the stakes involved. If we hand a supreme divine ability to them to auction, the odds of it being swapped out are at least seventy or eighty percent, if not a certainty,” Yaoguang stated plainly. “The auctions held by the East Sea Immortal Market are large-scale affairs, and exceptional treasures always surface. We can bid on one of the items, claim we lack sufficient funds, and put this supreme divine ability up for offer right on the spot. That leaves them no window to pull any tricks. Given the allure of a supreme divine ability, plenty of buyers will surely jump at the chance.” “That is indeed the safest approach,” Li Hanqiu nodded. “With only a year to prepare, there’s no time to lose. I’ll begin refining the World-Suppressing Ring and Void Disk immediately.” Saying this, he sighed with emotion. “Entrusting two such treasures to a Void Piercing Battle Immortal like me... it truly feels like casting pearls before swine...” “For now, placing these treasures in True Monarch’s hands is the most cost-effective choice,” Yaoguang said with a smile. “I await your good news.” Li Hanqiu nodded. Yaoguang also turned to Li Qingshan and instructed, “During this time, select a good group of disciples to serve as the sect's core development targets. As for the rest... they will have to wait a little longer, or we will see what they wish to do.” “Understood,” Li Qingshan replied. After finalizing a few more details, Yaoguang took his leave. Once Yaoguang had departed, Li Hanqiu suddenly spoke up: “For those with mediocre talent, I believe they should take the Battle Immortal path.” “Battle Immortals?!” Li Qingshan was startled. “These people followed us all the way from Cangwu to Beihai Star...” “Even back in Cangwu, the Battle Immortal path was the only road available to them,” Li Hanqiu said, pausing before continuing. “You must have heard it just now. After this transaction, Yaoguang intends to provide pills to nurture these disciples. Yet this supreme divine ability belongs entirely to Yaoguang; it has nothing to do with our Nine Cauldrons Sect. While I am contributing some manual labor, and receiving a share of pills isn't unwarranted, our Nine Cauldrons Sect cannot rely entirely on Yaoguang alone. Otherwise, how are we any different from parasites feeding on him?” His expression grew solemn. “Having a portion of our people walk the Battle Immortal path... will at least allow them to quickly build combat strength and offer Yaoguang some support.” “I understand,” Li Qingshan nodded solemnly. “Do not mention this to Yaoguang either, lest he feel guilty,” Li Hanqiu added. “Besides... if those who walk the Battle Immortal path later show exceptional talent, they can always transition back via the Nine Refinements of the Star Ring. It may be troublesome, but it is far better than living an idle life and waiting around for death.” “I understand,” Li Qingshan promised. The two quickly began discussing the first batch of candidates for prioritized training. Without speaking a word of it, Lin Xia, Su Yaoxue, and Leng Jun—despite falling slightly short in qualification—were all included on the list. ... Yaoguang returned to his residence. As the second-in-command just beneath Li Hanqiu, he naturally possessed his own dedicated mountain peak within the Yunxiao Sword Sect. The hundreds of members of the Su family branch had all been settled across the peak. Since the mountain had previously belonged to one of the four Crimson Golden Core elders of the Yunxiao Sword Sect, figures of immense authority and status, its grounds were filled with countless pavilions, courtyards, and palatial halls. Far from housing mere hundreds, it could easily accommodate thousands or even tens of thousands. Under such circumstances, with only the Su family residing there, the mountain felt remarkably vast and desolate. Upon returning to his courtyard, Yaoguang swept his divine mind casually across the grounds. Su Yaoyu was busily recording information, looking thoroughly occupied. Su Yaoxue was practicing hard, occasionally seeking guidance from Lin Xia. Due to differences in talent, Lin Xia had already reached the peak of the Unity Realm, whereas Su Yaoxue had only just broken through into the Unity Realm. As for Su Yaoshuang... She sat alone in her room, periodically gazing outside, her expression tinged with loneliness and sorrow. She was not the only one; even the usually carefree Su Yaoqin wore the same dispirited look. Seeing this, Yaoguang fell silent. The destruction of the Yaoguang Realm had not hurt him the most; rather, it had inflicted the deepest wounds upon Su Yaoyu, Su Yaoxue, and the others. The ever-resilient Su Yaoyu numbed herself with ceaseless work, never letting a trace of weakness show. And Su Yaoxue... She threw herself into cultivation with frantic intensity. With a single sweep of his divine sense, Yaoguang could see that numerous hidden injuries had accumulated within her body. She had pushed herself into a damaged state. Without restorative pills to soothe her foundation, the moment she ignited the Fission Fire to step into the Skyfire Realm, she would inevitably be consumed by the flames and perish. The reason she pushed herself to such extremes was unmistakably the trauma of the Yaoguang Realm’s annihilation, which had laid bare her own utter helplessness. As for Su Yaoshuang and Su Yaoqin... They truly lacked both talent and strength. Faced with such an artificial catastrophe that obliterated an entire realm and forced the Nine Cauldrons Sect into flight, they had no recourse other than nursing their secret heartache. They did not even dare display their grief in public. Images of the Yaoguang Realm’s obliteration flashed through Yaoguang’s mind once more. That sky full of radiance... How dazzling it had been. However... “It won't be long,” Yaoguang whispered in his heart. “That day will come soon.” As for what that day was... He did not say. He walked straight into the cultivation chamber that had once belonged to the Crimson Golden Core elder, setting out to reconfigure it to double as a workshop. The chamber was spacious enough that modifying it left more than ample room. Once the renovation was complete, he brought out all the remaining spirit treasures and materials he had on hand. Leaving these treasures and materials untouched was a waste. He might as well try his hand at crafting another Dao artifact. Having just one more Dao artifact would provide them with an extra trump card. In the face of danger, it would give them one more chance to turn the tables.