"I knew there was something wrong with that Elder Jin who oversaw the inner disciple admissions."
Inside his cave dwelling, Yaoguang held a dossier in his hand. "Over the past thousand years, this Void Piercer has taken a total of one hundred and six disciples—almost one every ten years. Yet out of those hundred and six, only one ever amounted to anything and attained the Void Piercing realm. Even that elder who reached the Void Piercing realm has grown utterly sick of him over the years, and the two have even clashed in public."
And that was merely what was on the record.
There was no need to guess how bad the bad blood ran between Jin Yuliu and his disciples behind closed doors.
"On top of that, Jin Yuliu is extremely petty; anyone who offends him never meets a good end... Just now, I borrowed the name of a mysterious master to intimidate him for the time being. But if I stay in the Heavenly Dao Sect for eight or ten years without any word spreading that I have ties to some Void Refinement peak master or lineage master, his retaliation will inevitably follow..."
Thinking to this point, Yaoguang understood that he had to take action.
Although Jin Yuliu would not act rashly for the immediate future, pinning his hopes on someone else's caution was inherently a gamble.
The best way forward was to grow as quickly as possible—until he possessed the strength to stand against a Void Piercer.
*First, I'll go to Great Shang to collect the bounty on the Black Dragon Pirates, then continue scouring the Sea of Chaos. My greatest advantage is that my cultivation is only at the Incandescent White Golden Core, yet I possess combat power rivaling that of a true disciple with an Azure Blue Golden Core. Meanwhile, Azure Blue Golden Cores and Void Piercing Battle Immortals represent the upper ceiling of power in the Sea of Chaos. If I make a few sweeps and flaunt a bit of wealth, an Incandescent White Golden Core... might just hook a big fish.*
Yaoguang reached a decision.
As long as luck was on his side and he tracked down another target or two from the bounty boards, he would be able to amass enough Pure Yang Great Pills to advance to the Azure Blue Golden Core realm.
Once he reached that stage...
Even if he encountered danger, he would at least have a way to retreat.
From there, he could consider whether to push onward to the middle or late stages of the Azure Blue Golden Core realm.
Naturally, before doing any fishing, it would be best to upgrade the Doomsday Ark first, ensuring he could activate this Dao artifact to escape unharmed if he ran into peril.
The Flowing Void Crystal he had purchased for two hundred thousand Pure Yang Great Pills could now be put to good use.
With that thought, Yaoguang stepped out of his cave dwelling.
He sent a message to Xu Nianhua.
Xu Nianhua's batch of examinees had numbered in the thousands, many of whom had taken the "Genius Channel." The deacon in charge of the assessment had been in high spirits and set the passing standard extremely low. Over half of the several thousand candidates had passed, and Xu Nianhua was among them.
Of course, the outer disciple assessment was inherently far from rigorous and comparatively easy.
The Heavenly Dao Sect treated outer disciples more like a business venture, which was why Xu Nianhua was able to pass despite his lack of practical combat experience.
After instructing Xu Nianhua to cultivate diligently, Yaoguang stepped onto his flying sword, transforming into a streak of sword light that shot beyond the Heavenly Dao Sect's borders.
With his inner disciple identity medallion, he could fly unimpeded throughout the sect's outer perimeter.
Not long after Yaoguang departed, Wang Daoshu and Xuan Shuang arrived one after the other, one in the open and the other hidden in the shadows.
Xuan Shuang glanced at the message left by Xuan Mo, surprise flickering across his eyes. "He actually left? He only just joined the sect, and before even familiarizing himself with its layout, he chose to venture out. There's definitely something suspicious about him."
He felt entirely certain. *Still, his leaving the sect suits me just fine. Otherwise, with my status as a true disciple, seizing an inner disciple wouldn't be a huge crime, but it would cause no small amount of trouble. More importantly, it would easily draw attention and spawn complications. His leaving the sect on his own... couldn't be better!*
He immediately sent word of this to Wang Daoshu.
Wang Daoshu wasted no time either.
His Wang clan was in dire straits under pressure from the Chi clan. For the sake of his family, even though he knew full well he was being used as Xuan Shuang's pawn, he had no choice but to comply.
Now that he had boarded Xuan Shuang's ship, there was naturally no room for hesitation.
He set off in close pursuit.
Considering that making a move too close to the sect was ill-advised, he did not trail him too closely, intending to strike for the kill only once they were a hundred thousand li away.
***
High in the void, Yaoguang sensed something shortly after flying out of the sect.
Though Xuan Mo's concealment arts were remarkable, his cultivation was limited after all.
Yaoguang's mental strength was already on the verge of the Void Piercing realm, and he had cultivated the mind-type supreme divine ability, Taishang Emotion Severing. When he had been inside the sect, surrounded by countless people, it was difficult to tell. But now that he was outside...
He detected the pursuer behind him almost immediately.
*Jin Yuliu? Did he arrange for someone to tail me out of fear that I'd slip away halfway through?*
Yaoguang furrowed his brow.
He slightly restrained his aura, then executed the Nine Heavenly Transformations, vanishing into the far horizon in a few swift bounds.
*I've been spotted?*
Xuan Mo took a sharp breath, feeling a wave of chagrin.
Fortunately, it was not long before Wang Daoshu caught up.
Xuan Mo immediately explained the direction in which Yaoguang had fled.
This Void Piercing Battle Immortal wasted no words. He no longer bothered to conceal his aura, and amid ripples spreading through space, he crossed dozens of li with every step, chasing directly toward Yaoguang.
*Whoosh!*
Shortly after Wang Daoshu left, Xuan Shuang's figure arrived in close pursuit.
"Brother, that Yaoguang truly harbors a massive secret!"
Xuan Mo said excitedly, "I know my talent is poor, and my usual duty is gathering intelligence for you. For intelligence work, perception and concealment are paramount. Yet not only did Yaoguang spot me, but the movement technique he displayed when fleeing was also exceedingly exquisite! Coupled with your insistence that he obtained a great fortuitous encounter, I boldly guess that it's very likely a supreme divine ability!"
"A supreme divine ability?!"
A glimmer of delight flashed in Xuan Shuang's eyes as well.
Acquiring a supreme divine ability was one thing.
Successfully cultivating it was entirely another.
To master such a divine ability, one had to possess an authentic Daoist manual. Yaoguang had entered the sect only a day ago; it was impossible for him to have accumulated enough sect contribution to read an authentic manual. Yet he had mastered a supreme divine ability... which proved that he possessed at least one authentic Daoist manual of his own!
Even if such an authentic work were incomplete, depicting only the minor or entry-level stages, it could fetch a price of millions of Pure Yang Great Pills.
"This Yaoguang is truly my lucky star! Stay right here and don't wander off. I'll go seize this great opportunity, and when the time comes, both of us will become true disciples."
With that, Xuan Shuang hurried off in pursuit.
***
Meanwhile, because Wang Daoshu was pursuing at full speed, Yaoguang quickly noticed him.
*Distorting space? A Void Piercer?! These fluctuations... a Void Piercing Battle Immortal?!*
Yaoguang was startled.
Jin Yuliu had actually sent a Void Piercing Battle Immortal?!
One had to understand that although many true disciples at the Azure Blue Golden Core level looked down upon Void Piercing Battle Immortals, in truth, no one could deny their strength.
Certain battle-hardened Void Piercing Battle Immortals could even secure elder titles in top-tier sects.
For Jin Yuliu to send such a powerhouse after him...
*It's a test!* Yaoguang quickly realized.
An Incandescent White Golden Core erupting with combat power rivaling an Azure Blue Golden Core—who wouldn't be curious?
Who wouldn't want to see what secrets he was hiding?
On Beihai Star, the word "struggle" permeated the entirety of every cultivator's existence.
If one did not fight upon finding an opportunity, or seize resources upon finding them, why cultivate the Dao? Why seek longevity?
In any case, he was merely an inner disciple; with Jin Yuliu's status, he could easily manipulate him at will.
Not to mention that Jin Yuliu hadn't stepped onto the field in person, which was already showing deference to that non-existent "mysterious powerhouse" backing him.
"Total mobsters," Yaoguang scoffed under his breath.
No, this was even worse than mobsters.
It was straight out of the demonic path.
The Six Demonic Sects would hang their heads in defeat before the conduct of these people.
Then again, the Ten Immortal Sects and the Six Demonic Sects had always differed only in cultivation methods and ideology. When it came to competing for opportunities and plundering resources, there was truly no difference between them.
"Looks like I won't get by without showing some real methods."
Yaoguang's gaze turned chillingly cold. *If you had sent an Azure Blue Golden Core, I might have found them tricky to deal with. But a Void Piercing Battle Immortal...*
His divine mind spread outward, swiftly locking onto the location of that Void Piercing Battle Immortal.
At the same time, he summoned the Two Realms Ruler, pairing it with the Nine Heavenly Transformations to keep the closing distance between them at a relative standstill.
This sight briefly stunned the pursuing Wang Daoshu.
An Incandescent White Golden Core was actually keeping pace with his speed?
*That treasure?!*
A glint of greed crossed his eyes.
Yet immediately afterward, recalling Xuan Shuang's hold over his primal cavern frequency, he swiftly suppressed that burgeoning greed.
*No wonder Xuan Shuang wanted me to make a move against him. This inner disciple must have stumbled upon an encounter and let it slip, catching his eye... Still, with such a treasure in hand, True Disciple Xuan Shuang will surely be overjoyed, and he'll put far more effort into resolving the Chi clan's threat for me.*
With that in mind, Wang Daoshu ramped up the operation of his primal cavern power.
Amid rippling waves of space, his traversal speed increased by another notch.
Yet while Wang Daoshu circulated his primal cavern power, Yaoguang's consciousness was probing the workings of that primal cavern without a single moment's pause.
Inside his mind, every scrap of knowledge regarding the primal cavern of the Void Piercing realm flowed continuously, laying itself bare.
Coupled with his Child of the Void talent, it was rapidly put to use, searching out the black hole frequency of the Void Piercing Battle Immortal behind him.
Wang Daoshu, charging forward in hot pursuit, was completely oblivious to this.
With a few bounds, Wang Daoshu tore through the void and finally caught up behind Yaoguang after several dozen breaths. From afar, he clenched an ethereal hand toward the space where Yaoguang was, causing the surrounding void to cave in upon itself.
The space seemed to transform into an hourglass of shifting sand. Though Yaoguang was flying forward, his body slid inexorably toward Wang Daoshu's direction.
This was the divine ability—Void Sand Sea.
"Young man, I will not kill you. Answer a few of my questions obediently, and I can spare your life! Otherwise... only death awaits you!"
The Void Piercer's divine mind broke into Yaoguang's awareness.
Judging by its intensity, it was only a fraction weaker than Yaoguang's own.
Yet Yaoguang did not answer. He abruptly galvanized the Two Realms Ruler, and amid an explosive burst of ripples, he actually tore himself free from Wang Daoshu's Void Sand Sea.
"Insolence!"
Wang Daoshu's face darkened. With a fierce bark, he ran his inner primal cavern at full capacity. A violent gale whipped up within the Void Sand Sea divine ability, every grain of sand transforming into a wind blade that hurled forward to pummel and slice through Yaoguang's flesh.
Yet precisely as Wang Daoshu pushed his primal cavern to its utmost limits, Yaoguang, who had pushed his Child of the Void talent to its absolute peak, finally captured the rhythm he sought.
*So, it's really that simple,* he remarked to himself.
The next instant, trapped amidst the Void Sand Sea and its tempest of sand blades, Yaoguang spun around rapidly. As he turned, a burst of golden light erupted violently from his body, casting ripples through the void. These ripples cascaded and multiplied layer upon layer, ultimately forming a tsunamilike spatial collapse. Constrained into a single concentrated point by his formidable divine mind and the golden beam, it crashed down thunderously upon the Void Piercing Battle Immortal behind him.
Sky-Cleaving Strike!
Chapter 292