Choice

"Yaoguang... if he had such incredible talent, why didn't he tell us sooner? If he had just spoken up earlier..." Li An sounded somewhat resentful. "Did he not speak up?" His words were rudely cut short by an elderly Void Piercing expert. "I think cultivating has addled your brain. Back then, Li Hanqiu explicitly told Wan Liugui that Yaoguang possessed extraordinary talent, and Wan Liugui suggested more than once that we provide Yaoguang with some nurturing—if only to forge a good relationship. And what did you all say? What did you do? You even drove Wan Liugui onto the battlefield!" This highly senior Void Piercing elder let out a cold snort. "It's fortunate Yaoguang was smart enough not to seek you out the moment he arrived on Beihai Star. Otherwise, he probably would have ended up a pile of dried bones you used to gain Jiang Tianzun's trust, wouldn't he?" These merciless words instantly left those who had stood firmly at Jiang Tianzun's side thoroughly disgraced. Fortunately, they understood that now was not the time to worry about saving face. Xie Xiong said, "We let a golden opportunity slip through our fingers. What is done is done, and our only choice now is to make amends as quickly as possible!" He turned his gaze toward the old man. "Elder Juekong, you have always maintained good relations with Elder Wan. We must ask you to make a trip on our behalf and invite Elder Wan and the others back. Only through Elder Wan's intervention, by reaching out through Elder Li Hanqiu, can we have any hope of turning hostility into friendship. We all belong to the Cangwu lineage. There is truly no need to let matters escalate beyond repair. That would do neither of us any good." "Indeed, Elder Juekong. We traveled thousands of leagues from the Cangwu Great World to Beihai Star. If we cannot unite as one, we will eventually be completely wiped out in Beihai Star's intensely cutthroat environment." "Elder Juekong, whether the Cangwu lineage can see a turn for the better depends entirely on you." Several other Void Piercing Battle Immortals spoke up one after another. "A turn for the better? What turn for the better? What kind of turnaround do you even want?" Elder Juekong swept a frigid glance across everyone present. "Not long ago, you sent people to assist Jiang Tianzun in capturing and killing Yaoguang in the Biyou Immortal Market. Given that, you surely can't expect Yaoguang to help our Cangwu lineage, can you? On what grounds?!" Gelin's face flushed crimson. It was he who had issued the order dispatching Void Piercing Battle Immortals to aid Jiang Tianzun in killing Yaoguang... He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but only after a long pause did he shift his tone: "At... at least for the sake of belonging to the same Cangwu lineage, we should keep Yaoguang and Jiang Tianzun from killing each other." "When Jiang Tianzun held the upper hand, I didn't see you jumping forward to say you belonged to the same Cangwu lineage and shouldn't kill each other! Now that Yaoguang has attained the Void Piercing Realm, become the junior sect master of the Heavenly Dao Sect, and demonstrated boundless potential, suddenly you remember you belong to the same lineage?" Juekong waved his sleeve aggressively. "Hoping to turn hostility into friendship with an attitude like that? Whoever wants to go can go, but leave me out of it." "Alright, alright, Elder Juekong. We are merely trying to find a way to keep our Cangwu lineage from fracturing. Let us not act out of spite," Xie Xiong hastily urged. "Trying to find a way among yourselves is likely useless. It requires that Jiang Tianzun himself speak up." At this moment, another Void Piercing Battle Immortal chimed in. "After all, you were dead set on standing with Jiang Tianzun before. Right now, even if you wish to turn swords into plowshares—even if Yaoguang were persuaded by Elder Wan Liugui and agreed—what if Jiang Tianzun refuses? What if he insists that our Cangwu lineage exert all our strength to destroy Yaoguang, forcing us to choose between the two? When that time comes, will you strike or not?" Xie Xiong, Gelin, Li An, and the others felt their hearts sink. Those words sounded somewhat incredible, but... Jiang Tianzun was entirely capable of it. "We can only blame ourselves for investing too much in Jiang Tianzun over the years. The sunk cost is too vast—so vast that it has become a burden we cannot afford to lose," Elder Juekong said slowly. "In particular, we left ourselves no room to maneuver. We severed our own arms, voluntarily banishing every force that might threaten Jiang Tianzun. Now, Jiang Tianzun has us completely under his thumb." The elders fell silent. Sunk costs. That was the true reason everyone understood perfectly well yet refused to mention. Even knowing Jiang Tianzun's demands were growing increasingly excessive, they could only humor him and let him have his way, precisely because the Cangwu lineage could not afford the loss. Once they failed... The Cangwu lineage would be left with nothing. "Things have come to this; further talk is pointless." Elder Juekong shook his head. "Let us proceed just as Elder Wan initially suggested: do not put all our eggs in one basket." He looked at Xie Xiong, Gelin, Li An, and the others. "We split our forces into two. One part will continue supporting Jiang Tianzun, while the other will go pledge allegiance to Elder Wan. Through Elder Wan, they can use Li Hanqiu's connection to reach Junior Sect Master Yaoguang. That way, if something truly goes wrong with one side someday, the incense of the Cangwu lineage will not be extinguished entirely." "Our Cangwu lineage was already the weakest among the nine. If we split into two again... how will we maintain a foothold in the Taiyi Immortal Sect?" Li An asked with some worry. His words caused many present to nod inwardly. In truth, this was what everyone in the Cangwu lineage feared. A lack of security. At the end of the day, they were not genuine Void Piercing cultivators—merely a group of Void Piercing Battle Immortals. It was precisely this lack of confidence and foundation that had made them so desperate to cultivate Jiang Tianzun and push him, accepted as a direct disciple by Supreme Elder Yuhuang, to break through to the Void Piercing Realm. So desperate that... In many instances, even knowing they were in the wrong, they could only double down and persist to the bitter end. "Actually..." At this moment, Jian Hanzhou suddenly raised a hand to signal that he wished to speak. "I feel that if we truly split into two parts and one part goes to support Yaoguang, then as long as we can genuinely gain Yaoguang's acceptance, our lineage won't encounter any problems at all." "Hm?" The gazes of Xie Xiong, Li An, Gelin, and the others instantly converged on him. "What do you mean?" "In reality, when the Taiyi Immortal Sect took in our Cangwu forces and permitted us to form our own branch, much of it was akin to buying the bones of a swift horse for a thousand pieces of gold to demonstrate their broadmindedness. Supreme Elder Yuhuang accepting Jiang Tianzun also carried public relations considerations. Under these circumstances, so long as our lineage commits no major offenses, the Taiyi Immortal Sect will not move against us simply because our strength has diminished," Jian Hanzhou said deliberately. His words stirred the hearts of many. "Furthermore, even if the strength of our Cangwu lineage within the Taiyi Immortal Sect weakens, as long as Jiang Tianzun can achieve the Void Piercing Realm, he can still protect our branch by relying on his relationship with Supreme Elder Yuhuang and the talent he has displayed." Jian Hanzhou's train of thought was crystal clear. "Even if Jiang Tianzun cannot achieve the Void Piercing Realm anytime soon, as long as Junior Sect Master Yaoguang accepts us, we can bask in his reflected glory. If Junior Sect Master Yaoguang can take another step over the next few centuries and reach Void Refining, then for Yaoguang's sake, the Taiyi Immortal Sect will not drive us to extinction either..." He paused and looked at the assembled Void Piercing Battle Immortals. "Instead, it will effectively grant us an extra layer of security." Everyone grasped Jian Hanzhou's meaning. Following this line of reasoning, they began to ponder it as well. Jiang Tianzun and Yaoguang had their grievances. Between major sects, however, there was only mutual benefit. If Yaoguang could truly attain Void Refining over the next few centuries and become a deputy sect master of the Heavenly Dao Sect, the Cangwu lineage could serve as a bridge of communication between the Taiyi Immortal Sect and this deputy sect master of the Heavenly Dao Sect. That way... Their lineage would hold genuine value, and their treatment might even improve. Once they figured this out, many present felt their hearts race with excitement. How long had it been since Yaoguang arrived on Beihai Star from the Cangwu Great World? Twenty years! Cultivating from the Heavenly Fire realm to the Void Piercing Realm in just twenty years—such terrifying talent... No matter how highly they favored Jiang Tianzun, they had to admit that Jiang Tianzun's talent could not hold a candle to Yaoguang's. Yaoguang... ...was not just slightly stronger than Jiang Tianzun; he surpassed him by a margin vast enough to overturn their decision. Furthermore, Yaoguang was suspected of possessing a special void constitution. His progress in comprehending the power of the void was bound to advance by leaps and bounds compared to other Void Piercing cultivators, making his chances of attaining Void Refining exceptionally high. The probability of him achieving Void Refining within a few centuries and becoming a deputy sect master of the Heavenly Dao Sect was... ...tremendous. A figure of such caliber was indeed worthy of the Taiyi Immortal Sect extending an indirect courtesy. "Elder Juekong and Jian Hanzhou's suggestion is workable!" "Pushed to the brink, one must seek change; we truly cannot continue down this path." "We staked all our bets on Jiang Tianzun... yet he treats all our favors as a matter of course. Rather than truly losing everything and regretting it when it's too late, it is high time we try another approach." Having grasped the cause and effect, the Void Piercing Battle Immortals voiced their agreement one after another. "Then for now, only one question remains," Juekong remarked blandly. "How do we get Yaoguang to accept us?" These words brought many of them back down to earth. Yaoguang might accept Wan Liugui and the others, but as for them... "Perhaps... we can play the Cangwu Great World card? What if we return everything belonging to the Nine Cauldrons Sect in the Cangwu Realm back to him?" Gelin tentatively suggested. "Return it? Do you honestly think that if Yaoguang wanted the Nine Cauldrons Sect's territory in the Cangwu Great World now, he would need us to give it back? Even if he were to seize the Cangwu Great World by force, do you think the Taiyi Immortal Sect would offend Yaoguang over such a trivial matter? And could we... fight Yaoguang to the death over it?" Juekong scoffed. "Then what should we do?" Gelin knitted his brows tightly. The others racked their brains as well, yet no answer presented itself. After a solid ten minutes, Xie Xiong finally exhaled a long breath. "Anyone who does wrong must bear the consequences, and we are no exception. Yaoguang refusing to accept us is only natural. In fact, given what our Cangwu lineage did in the Biyou Immortal Market not long ago, even if he were to strike and annihilate our branch, we would have brought it entirely upon ourselves." These words left many Void Piercing cultivators looking dejected. "The only thing we can do now is have Elder Wan and his companions take a group of promising individuals to see if they can gain Yaoguang's acceptance, preserving a few sparks of hope so that even if we suffer catastrophe, the Cangwu lineage's trace on Beihai Star will not be completely erased." As Xie Xiong spoke, he glanced at Li An and Gelin. "Regardless, for our Cangwu lineage to produce a peerless talent like Yaoguang is a blessing for us all. Perhaps the future of the Cangwu lineage no longer rests with us, but with Yaoguang... As for old relics like us who have already embarked upon the Battle Immortal path... we will simply be buried alongside our mistaken past as time flows on, bearing whatever consequences our actions demand." Listening to this, Gelin, Li An, and the others fell into silence. After a long while... Li An finally spoke. "Indeed. When you commit a wrong, you must take your punishment. Thinking you can wipe the slate clean and live happily ever after just by offering an apology and gifts... things in this world are never that simple." "Alas." Gelin let out a heavy sigh as well. At a critical juncture, they had made the wrong choice. One wrong step had led to another. Things had come to this, and there was nothing left to do but sigh in futility.