Forced Retreat

Standing toe-to-toe, neither side yielded an inch. Facing Void Piercing cultivators from two top sects—the Taiyi Immortal Sect and the Heavenly Dao Sect—and outnumbered three to one, Lu Li showed not the slightest hint of fear. His unyielding stance quickly caused the already guilty consciences of the three Void Piercing elders to falter, deflating their momentum. If the combined pressure of three Void Piercing cultivators could have intimidated Lu Li, that would have been ideal. Yet since it failed to intimidate him... They naturally had to rein in their arrogance. This was the Penglai Immortal Sect's territory, after all. Even with three Void Piercing cultivators, could they truly dare come to blows with Lu Li? Even if they won, chances were they might not make it out of the Deep Blue Sea in one piece. Not to mention, True Monarch Lu was said to be extraordinarily formidable. His attainments in the Void Piercing Realm were profound, and he was not far from the Void Refining Realm. In an actual clash, the three of them might not even be able to overpower him. The three Void Piercing elders exchanged glances before Hou Feng finally stepped forward, cupping his hands. "Calm your anger, Fellow Daoist Lu Li. We were merely in too much haste and unintentionally offended the Biyou Immortal Market." With an air of righteous indignation, he continued, "A villain murdered Xuan Shuang, a true disciple of our Heavenly Dao Sect's Heaven Lineage, and fled into Biyou Immortal Market. We ask True Monarch Lu to grant us convenience and hand him over to us. The Heavenly Dao Sect will be immensely grateful and remember your sect's friendship." When Hou Feng finished speaking, Jiang Tianzun also stepped forward. "Greetings, True Monarch Lu. Not only did the scoundrel Su Yaoguang slaughter a true disciple of the Heavenly Dao Sect, but he also annihilated my entire clan back in my homeland. I, Jiang Tianzun, share an irreconcilable enmity with him. Please grant us convenience, True Monarch Lu." He then added, "I once offered a bounty of one million Pure Yang Great Pills for this man, and not long ago I raised it to two million. If True Monarch is willing to give him to me, I will present those two million Pure Yang Great Pills immediately and owe True Monarch Lu a personal favor." Lu Li glanced at Hou Feng and Tongming of the Heavenly Dao Sect, then looked at Jiang Tianzun—a cultivator who, despite being only an Azure Blue Golden Core, was well-renowned as a quasi-Void Piercing figure on the Void Piercing Candidate List and a personal disciple of a Void Shattering expert. Lu Li's brow furrowed. Although the Penglai Immortal Sect had risen to immense fame by stepping over the Tianhai Sword Pavilion, that fame was concentrated entirely on Dao Lord Penglai. In that past battle, the Dao Lord had displayed matchless might and was revered almost unanimously as the foremost Dao Lord of Beihai Star. Yet this did not mean the Penglai Immortal Sect possessed the true might of a paramount sect. Aside from Dao Lord Penglai, the sect had very few Void Piercing and Void Refining masters. If they truly offended both the Heavenly Dao Sect and the Taiyi Immortal Sect simultaneously... For a moment, the Void Piercing elder could only shift his gaze to Hou Feng. "Killed a true disciple of the Heavenly Dao Sect... Do you have proof?" "True Monarch Lu has likely heard of my Heavenly Dao Sect's Myriad Immortals Compass," Hou Feng replied. "The Myriad Immortals Compass has already confirmed that Yaoguang was present at the scene when Xuan Shuang perished. Once we apprehend him and perform a soul search, the truth will come to light." "The Dao artifact, the Myriad Immortals Compass!" A flicker of wariness crossed Lu Li's eyes. At the same time, he cast a glance into the distance behind the three Void Piercing cultivators. Far off, Tushan cupped his hands in greeting from afar, but showed no intention of approaching or intervening. Lu Li pondered briefly. "The rules of my Biyou Immortal Market cannot be compromised. Let me check whether he has already leased a cave dwelling in the market. If he hasn't..." "He couldn't have arrived much earlier than us," Jiang Tianzun interjected, quickly adding, "It is impossible for him to have completed a lease so quickly. I am willing to pay to rent all the cave dwellings in the market." Seeing how tactful Jiang Tianzun was, Lu Li nodded. He was indeed reluctant to offend the Heavenly Dao Sect and a personal disciple of the Taiyi Immortal Sect's Supreme Elder Yuhuang over someone of unknown origin. "If he has not leased a cave dwelling, he will naturally have to leave after staying in Biyou Immortal Market for a few days." As he spoke, he was about to contact the cultivator in charge of cave dwelling leases. Right then, Ye Hongyu's divine mind resonated in Lu Li's perception: "True Disciple Ye Hongyu greets Elder Lu." "Hongyu? What is it?" "Elder Lu, Perfected Yaoguang saved my life. Furthermore, he is brimming with extraordinary talent and will likely ascend to Void Piercing before long. I intend to invite him to join our Penglai Immortal Sect, and I have already reported his information to Vice Sect Master Fang Yiyun. The Sect Master also intends to observe him. If you can shield him now, Elder, he will surely be filled with gratitude and smoothly join our Penglai Immortal Sect, allowing us to gain another Void Piercing master before long." Ye Hongyu explained briskly and concisely. Hearing this, Lu Li paused. "He saved your life?" "Yes, not only mine, but also eight other disciples of our sect." "Mm, I understand." Lu Li then asked, "Does he intend to lease a cave dwelling in Biyou Immortal Market to take refuge?" "Yes, and he is already processing the relevant formalities." "I have sent word to Deacon Liu to handle this as a special case. Go and settle it as quickly as possible," Lu Li said. Ye Hongyu immediately understood his meaning and said with delight, "Thank you, Elder Lu! We will find Deacon Liu right away. I will thank you in person afterward, Elder." "No matter. This matter was balanced on a knife-edge either way. If Yaoguang had not yet leased a cave dwelling, our Penglai Immortal Sect would naturally be unwilling to offend the Heavenly Dao Sect and the Taiyi Immortal Sect for his sake. But since he is already in the process of leasing one, our Penglai Immortal Sect will naturally uphold the rules of Biyou Immortal Market," Lu Li replied. He spoke the truth. How this matter was handled was indeed ambiguous either way. It was merely the words of Ye Hongyu, a true disciple, that swayed his decision toward protecting Yaoguang. While having Ye Hongyu expedite the formalities for Yaoguang, Lu Li turned his attention back to Hou Feng, Jiang Tianzun, and the others. With a cold, insincere smile, he said, "My apologies, gentlemen. I just inquired with Deacon Liu, who oversees cave dwelling leases. Su Yaoguang has already leased a cave dwelling for a period of ten years. I believe you are all well aware of the rules of Biyou Immortal Market. If you wish to make a move against him, I'm afraid you will have to wait ten years." At those words, the three Void Piercing elders and Jiang Tianzun all changed color simultaneously. "Impossible!" Jiang Tianzun blurted out without hesitation, "We have been pursuing Su Yaoguang the entire way. At most, he arrived only a day or two ahead of us! To prevent refugees from being cultivators aligned with foreign forces like the Ten Directions Ancestral Gods or the Nine Lineages of Celestial Demons, Biyou Immortal Market conducts a thorough background check. Even if expedited, this process takes nearly half a month! How could Yaoguang have completed a cave dwelling lease so fast?! You—" "Insolence!" Before Jiang Tianzun could finish, Lu Li barked sharply, "Jiang Tianzun, know your place! A mere Golden Core—who gave you the audacity to speak to me like that?!" Though furious, Jiang Tianzun quickly cooled down under the reprimand. Along the way, whether it was Mo Shan—who served as his Dao protector on his master's orders—or Hou Feng and Tongming of the Heavenly Dao Sect, they had all treated him with utmost politeness, practically treating him as an equal Void Piercing peer. This had lulled him into a misplaced sense of reality. In truth, the gap between Void Piercing and Golden Core was as vast as heaven and earth. Brilliant talent though he possessed, with nearly a fifty percent certainty of breaking through to Void Piercing, as long as he had not attained Void Piercing, he could never be compared to a true Void Piercing powerhouse. For a Void Piercing cultivator to kill an Azure Blue Golden Core, it would take no more than a single strike. Now, as a mere Golden Core, questioning a Void Piercing elder... Even though he knew this Void Piercing master was lying to his face, speaking with such disrespect was tantamount to gambling with his life. "It was my lapse in composure. Please forgive me, True Monarch Lu," Jiang Tianzun said, cupping his hands. "It is truly because this man destroyed my clan and slaughtered my relatives and friends. My hatred for him runs as deep as the sea, an irreconcilable feud unto death. That was why I failed to control my emotions and offended True Monarch with my words." With that, he produced a spirit treasure whose value was likely no less than three million Pure Yang Great Pills. "I hope True Monarch can grant us convenience." "Put your item away." Lu Li waved his sleeve sharply. "Are you trying to make me violate the rules of Biyou Immortal Market?" "True Monarch Lu, this Yaoguang is extraordinarily vicious," Hou Feng spoke up with clear displeasure from the side. "Not only did he exterminate Jiang Tianzun's clan residing in their homeland, but he also murdered a true disciple of our Heavenly Dao Sect! Can you truly make no exception?" "The rules of Biyou Immortal Market were set by my sect's Dao Lord herself," Lu Li sneered. "Or would you like me to send you to meet our Penglai Immortal Sect's Dao Lord, so you can see if you can persuade her?" Seeing Penglai Immortal Sect refuse to give them any face, Hou Feng, Tongming, and Jiang Tianzun were in foul moods. At the thought that the Dao artifact might slip through his fingers because of this, Hou Feng could not hold back: "Fine! Fine! Fine! Since True Monarch Lu refuses to give us any face at all and is determined to use these so-called market rules to shield the murderer of a Heavenly Dao Sect true disciple, my sect will remember what happened today! We have plenty of time ahead of us!" Having spoken, he still lacked the courage to charge into Biyou Immortal Market and seize Yaoguang by force. Turning around, he shot off into the distance. Jiang Tianzun also cast a somber, chilly glance at Lu Li, his eyes filled with unwillingness. However, Mo Shan behind him remained silent the entire time, clearly having no intention of clashing with this Void Piercing elder guarding Biyou Immortal Market over the matter. Jiang Tianzun could only turn around and leave alongside Hou Feng and Tongming. Watching them depart, Lu Li showed neither joy nor anger on his face. At the end of the day, Biyou Immortal Market was simply acting by the rules. Although this would offend a few Void Piercing elders from the Heavenly Dao Sect and the Taiyi Immortal Sect, it would not escalate to inciting outright hostility from the two sects. Furthermore, once word spread that Biyou Immortal Market had openly turned away Void Piercing elders from two top sects to uphold its established rules, the cave dwelling leasing business would only flourish further, serving as excellent publicity for the Penglai Immortal Sect's reputation. There were both pros and cons. "Alright, they have left. But by the look of things, they won't let the matter rest so easily. Tell Perfected Yaoguang to be careful in the coming days," Lu Li transmitted via divine mind to Ye Hongyu upon returning to Biyou Immortal Market. "Thank you, Elder," Ye Hongyu immediately replied. "From what I can tell, his advancement to Void Piercing is not far off. If he succeeds, this crisis will naturally resolve itself." "I hope this Yaoguang is truly as outstanding as you claim, enough to justify our Penglai Immortal Sect offending three Void Piercing elders from two top sects for him," Lu Li said, withdrawing his divine mind. ... On the other side, Ye Hongyu let out a quiet sigh of relief. She smiled at Yaoguang. "For the next ten years, you can cultivate in peace here in Biyou Immortal Market, Fellow Daoist. As long as you don't leave the market's boundaries, your safety is guaranteed." "Thank you," Yaoguang said. If Biyou Immortal Market had been pressured by the Heavenly Dao Sect and the Taiyi Immortal Sect into failing to uphold its rules, he would have had no choice but to activate the Longxiang Flying Ark and flee through the void. With the power of this Dao artifact, the Void Piercing cultivators behind him would never have been able to catch up. However, a mere Golden Core carrying a Dao artifact... Once word got out, it would inevitably attract endless trouble. Having Biyou Immortal Market turn away the pursuers from the Heavenly Dao Sect and the Taiyi Immortal Sect was by far the best outcome. Though his safety might only last ten years... Ten years was more than enough time for him to break through to the Void Piercing Realm. Once he reached Void Piercing, he could cultivate void-type Dao arts. Moreover, he could unleash the full power of a Dao artifact. When that time came, the ones who had to worry would no longer be Yaoguang, but those Void Piercing elders.