Apprehension

Zong Wenxian immediately unleashed his divine mind. Relying on his authority as the sect master, his formidable divine mind almost entirely bypassed the obstruction, suppression, and seals of the sect's various formations, directly "seeing" the figure piloting a warship toward Nine Cauldrons Peak. Having witnessed it with his own eyes, not a trace of wishful thinking remained in his heart. "Void Refining!" Zong Wenxian muttered those two words under his breath. Yet immediately afterward... He seemed unable to accept it. "How could this be?!" Beside him, Langya was equally incredulous. "Did he truly... reach Void Refining?!" He understood all too well what Yaoguang's breakthrough to Void Refining in such a short period implied. It meant unexpected complications would arise regarding the Southern Domain his master had reserved for him. If things went awry... It might be forcibly seized by Yaoguang. "Too fast. It is truly too fast." As Xiang Zhenlong spoke, his eyes were filled with apprehension. "This Yaoguang's cultivation speed is far too terrifying. How long has it been? Barely over ten years since he advanced to the Void Piercing Realm. In just over ten years, he has traversed the Void Piercing stage and reached the Void Refining realm in one fell swoop! Such efficiency is utterly unprecedented across the entire Beihai Star. Even Taiqingzi of the Sanqing Sacred Hall—hailed as a paragon of an entire Yuanhui—took thirty-six years to go from Void Piercing to Void Refining!" Yuan Miaoyi said nothing, but he nodded in deep agreement. Advancing to Void Piercing barely over a decade ago, and now reaching Void Refining in the blink of an eye—it was simply chilling. If he were permitted to continue growing like this, wouldn't he reach Void Shattering in mere decades or a century? And after settling his foundation for several centuries or a millennium, wouldn't he have a real chance of attempting the Dao Integration realm?! Against such a chosen one, who would dare stand in opposition? Who would dare make an enemy of him? "No matter how monstrous one's talent, it is impossible for anyone to cultivate from Void Piercing to Void Refining in ten years." At this moment, Langya, having regained his composure, suddenly chimed in. "Even Taiqingzi of the Sanqing Sacred Hall received the full, unstinting backing of his sect. Just to aid his cultivation, he was granted four Dao artifacts! All manner of Dao art insights and cultivation records were open for him to peruse at will, and more than one Void Shattering Supreme Elder gave him hands-on, personal instruction! Even then, it still took him thirty-six years to elevate his cultivation to the Void Refining realm. Ten years to go from Void Piercing to Void Refining?!" This junior sect master and direct disciple of the sect master declared with absolute certainty, "Unless a Dao Lord personally guided him, demonstrating the Grand Dao by hand and allowing him to immerse himself constantly in the ocean of the Great Dao to comprehend it to his heart's content! Only then could anyone swiftly grasp all the mysteries of the Grand Dao of the Void!" "Personal guidance from a Dao Lord?" These words gave everyone present pause. A Dao Lord! Compared to cultivators of the Void Piercing, Void Refining, and Void Shattering realms, such beings were vastly more transcendent. If a Dao Lord were willing to take in disciples, even Void Shattering experts would exhaust every possible avenue to curry favor, solely to obtain their guidance in exchange for a sliver of opportunity to achieve the Dao. However, the Dao Lords throughout Beihai Star were either deep in the planet's core awaiting the opening of the Gate of the Immortal Realm, or roaming the starry cosmos, hoping to find serendipitous encounters across diverse worlds that would stir their hearts and push their cultivation further. They sought absolute certainty of stepping through the Gate of the Immortal Realm and ascending to immortality during the fierce Dao Dispute once the gate opened. Under these circumstances, let alone ordinary cultivators, even many Void Shattering powerhouses had no means of coming into contact with a Dao Lord. In the entire Heavenly Dao Sect, at most two or three people held the standing required to reach the Dao Lord backing them. This alone demonstrated just how exalted Dao Lords were. In such a situation, was it plausible for a cultivator merely in the Void Piercing Realm to receive personal instruction from a Dao Lord? "Theoretically, instruction from a Dao Lord is naturally impossible. But what if that Dao Lord has no capable hands available and urgently needs to nurture someone usable?" Langya said in a deep voice. Having heard this, Yuan Miaoyi and Xiang Zhenlong instantly realized which Dao Lord he was referring to. For a moment, both lineage masters fell into contemplative silence. Right at that moment, two more streaks of light descended. Lineage Master of the Dao Lineage Yue Kuhai and Lineage Master of the Battle Lineage Zhou Xingdou had arrived as well. Seeing the grim expressions of the group gathered together, the two quickly deduced what was going on. "It seems the Sect Master and the two lineage masters already know," Zhou Xingdou said. "A peerless genius has emerged in our Heavenly Dao Sect—advancing from Void Piercing to Void Refining in just ten years... While I dare not call such an achievement unprecedented and unmatched for all time, across the present Beihai Star, I doubt anyone can compare to him. For such an extraordinary figure, our Heavenly Dao Sect ought to nurture him thoroughly. Sect Master, lineage masters, shouldn't we draft a course of action as soon as possible?" Yue Kuhai added. Zong Wenxian glanced at him and pondered for a moment. "That such a peerless figure has appeared in our Heavenly Dao Sect is a blessing for us. If his heart is truly dedicated entirely to the Heavenly Dao Sect, we should naturally spare no effort to assist his growth. However..." He glanced at Langya. "My disciple here just voiced an intriguing conjecture. It is impossible for anyone to comprehend the Grand Dao of the Void to such an extent in so short a time, unless... a Dao Lord personally instructed him. What do you all think?" Hearing this, Yue Kuhai and Zhou Xingdou exchanged glances, faintly discerning Sect Master Zong's underlying implication. "Actually, I have found several things peculiar as well," Langya followed up. "Right after achieving Void Piercing, Junior Sect Master Yaoguang sold a Dao artifact... Setting aside what it implies for a Void Piercing cultivator to produce a Dao artifact, even if he truly possessed one, he shouldn't have sold it. Everyone knows how vital a Dao artifact is to our cultivation. Selling it was one matter, but the Junior Sect Master actually traded everything he obtained from the sale for materials to craft Dao artifacts..." At this point, he smiled faintly. "It was as if our Junior Sect Master could forge Dao artifacts himself and needed a vast amount of materials just to practice his hand." Yuan Miaoyi glanced at Sect Master Zong Wenxian. Taking his cue, he chimed in, "Now that you mention it, I also had my doubts. After selling the Dao artifact, Junior Sect Master Yaoguang did not immediately enter secluded cultivation in the sect to refine Void Dao Pills and deepen his mastery of the Grand Dao of the Void. It was as though... he had no need to cultivate at all. He rushed straight to the Deep Blue Sea under the Penglai Immortal Sect's control to help them slay demons... What is more, the moment he entered the Deep Blue Sea, he slew three demon kings, exchanged them for over a billion contribution points, and promptly went into consecutive seclusions..." He looked at Zhou Xingdou, Yue Kuhai, and the others. "After secluding himself for three to five years, he emerged directly at Void Refining. This speed..." He gave a self-deprecating smile. "Compared to our bitter study of the Grand Dao of the Void, our arduous training in lifebound Dao arts, and our repeated repairs and remodellings of our grotto-heavens while in the Void Piercing Realm, Junior Sect Master Yaoguang's rapid advancement... makes us feel as though our thousand years of painstaking cultivation have gone to the dogs." Though his words were grating, the lineage masters understood what he was driving at. Only... Ten years to cultivate from Void Piercing to Void Refining?! Was that something a human could accomplish?! Without personal instruction from a Dao Lord, who could possibly achieve such a thing? After a long silence, Yue Kuhai, Lineage Master of the Dao Lineage, who understood the hardships of cultivation better than most, exhaled a breath. "That one from the Penglai Immortal Sect... has gone too far. Does she think that because our ancestor is roaming beyond our realm, she can bully our Heavenly Dao Sect as if we have no one left?" "Our Heavenly Dao Sect is different from other sects. With the Golden Book of the Great Dao in place, even when we know something is amiss, we are compelled to follow the rules," Xiang Zhenlong, Lineage Master of the Heaven Lineage, sighed. "This is precisely why that one from the Penglai Immortal Sect dared to act so unscrupulously with us. She took for granted that we would have no choice but to hold our noses and accept it." "Heh... She underestimates the resolve of our Heavenly Dao Sect," Yuan Miaoyi said. "All she relies upon are the rules of the Golden Book of the Great Dao. But as long as we operate strictly according to the rules, I refuse to believe that after offending the Tianhai Sword Pavilion and while locked in war against the Yulin Demon Saint, that one from the Penglai Immortal Sect would dare interfere in our Heavenly Dao Sect's affairs again!" "Oh? What do you propose?" Zong Wenxian's gaze fell upon him. "According to the rules of the Golden Book of the Great Dao, if a junior sect master attains Void Refining within a thousand years, he must be appointed a deputy sect master, and a deputy sect master must preside over one of the domains. These rules recorded in the Golden Book of the Great Dao cannot be changed. However..." Yuan Miaoyi paused. "I recall that the Eastern Domain has been somewhat restless lately. Hasn't Deputy Sect Master Shen requested our aid several times? Although his true motive was to reduce the decennial sect tribute, why don't we turn his scheme to our advantage? If he lacks the ability to maintain the situation in the Eastern Domain, let someone capable go. Yaoguang would be a fine choice. As for Deputy Sect Master Shen, we can reassign him to the Southern Domain..." "Wait," Zhou Xingdou interjected at this point. "Everything before us is based on our speculation. What if Yaoguang truly relied on his own ability to cultivate from the Void Piercing realm to the Void Refining realm in ten years? Wouldn't our actions needlessly antagonize a peerless figure? If things go wrong... it might even cause the tragedy of the Tianhai Sword Pavilion to repeat itself!" "So, when a person already steeped in crime stands over a corpse holding a bloodstained blade with no one else around, simply because you didn't witness the murder with your own eyes, you assume he isn't the culprit and should be acquitted without charge?" Yuan Miaoyi scoffed coldly. "I merely believe we shouldn't jump to conclusions so hastily," Zhou Xingdou said with a frown. In truth, he understood that Yuan Miaoyi was essentially acting as Zong Wenxian's mouthpiece. His words were practically the Sect Master's own intentions. And the Sect Master's decision... Was primarily driven by an unwillingness to relinquish the Southern Domain. Reassigning Deputy Sect Master Shen from the Eastern Domain to the Southern Domain served a clear purpose. On one hand, Deputy Sect Master Shen might not readily agree, which would stall the matter for a while and potentially divert trouble by sparking conflict between Yaoguang and Deputy Sect Master Shen. On the other hand, the Sect Master had operated the Southern Domain for a very long time. Even if Deputy Sect Master Shen dutifully relocated there, fully consolidating control over the territory would take decades. During that interval, the Sect Master could devote vast resources to nurturing Langya, and as long as Langya also broke through to Void Refining... Four territories and five deputy sect masters—who had the right to govern a region would naturally become a contest. When that time came, the Sect Master could even use the competition between Deputy Sect Master Langya and the other deputy sect masters as justification to openly intervene in the affairs of the four domains. Zhou Xingdou could clearly see the entanglements of interest and political maneuvering at play. "Therefore, Lineage Master Yuan Miaoyi, go speak with Junior Sect Master Yaoguang. If Junior Sect Master Yaoguang truly has no other motives and still intends to remain in secluded cultivation within the sect, the Heavenly Dao Sect will naturally accord him the treatment due to a deputy sect master. But if he cannot contain himself and insists on immediately heading out to his domain to stage sweeping maneuvers..." Zong Wenxian did not finish his sentence. Yet everyone present grasped his meaning. Moreover... Yuan Miaoyi, Xiang Zhenlong, and Yue Kuhai nodded in agreement. Their own interests were on the line. In particular, having largely concluded that Yaoguang's breakthrough to Void Refining within a decade was thanks to that figure from the Penglai Immortal Sect, they naturally chose to stand firmly on the Sect Master's side.