Countermeasures

Ling Ruogu and Chi Yu, two Void Piercing experts, solemnly reported the news concerning this rumor. "Of course, the rumor itself doesn't carry much weight on its own. For some Void Piercing elders, whether you represent Dao Lord Penglai or not doesn't matter at all. What matters is that if this rumor is taken as fact, your allegiance will become a cause of concern for everyone." Ling Ruogu explained the harm this rumor brought: "If someone hailing from the Penglai Immortal Sect becomes a deputy sect master of the Heavenly Dao Sect, will you ultimately fight for the Heavenly Dao Sect's interests, or the Penglai Immortal Sect's? If it's the Penglai Immortal Sect, that means a massive amount of profit will be siphoned away from the Heavenly Dao Sect. That is what truly concerns many Void Piercing elders and Void Refining peak masters." Yaoguang understood what Ling Ruogu meant. The people of Beihai Star did not place much stock in sect lineage and heritage. As long as it brought them sufficient benefits, whether the Heavenly Dao Sect was called the Heavenly Dao Sect or the Penglai Immortal Sect made little difference. Yet this did not mean they would idly watch a deputy sect master affiliated with the Penglai Immortal Sect grow too powerful. When someone from the Heavenly Dao Sect became deputy sect master or sect master, everyone was deeply tied to the Heavenly Dao Sect, forming a unified coalition of shared interests. But if someone who harbored little affection for the Heavenly Dao Sect and had no deep entanglement of interests within it rose to power... Their allegiance would easily tilt the wrong way. As for the Penglai Immortal Sect having a Dao Lord... It was not as if the Heavenly Dao Sect lacked one of its own. Theirs had merely departed to travel for a time. Why neglect serving their own Dao Lord, only to turn elsewhere and fawn over another? Especially a Dao Lord who had offended two top-tier factions!? The higher-ups of the Heavenly Dao Sect were not that foolish. Setting aside the factor of the Dao Lord, in what aspect could the Penglai Immortal Sect compare to the Heavenly Dao Sect? If it was truly as the rumors claimed—that the Heavenly Dao Sect was the Penglai Immortal Sect's fallback route—it meant that once Dao Lord Penglai ascended and the Penglai Immortal Sect could no longer hold its ground in the Deep Blue Sea, all its Void Piercing and Void Refining cultivators would flee to the Heavenly Dao Sect. Fleeing to the Heavenly Dao Sect was one thing, but if the Heavenly Dao Sect's leader happened to be from the Penglai Immortal Sect, wouldn't the people of the Penglai Immortal Sect end up ruling over them and riding roughshod over their heads? Although a surge in overall strength would allow them to expand their territory, who could say whether it would be the experts of the Heavenly Dao Sect or those from the Penglai Immortal Sect risking their lives to seize that land? Just picturing such a scenario was enough to turn anyone's stomach. "I do not have any deep relationship with Dao Lord Penglai," Yaoguang said. "Others might not see it that way," Ling Ruogu sighed. "After all... with your trajectory laid bare by these rumors, forget the other elders—even we feel that it was only with the vigorous nurturing of Dao Lord Penglai that you could achieve the miraculous breakthrough from the Void Piercing Realm to the Void Refining Realm in a mere dozen years." Short-sighted fools. That was the only thought in Yaoguang's mind. Then again... Did most people ever look beyond the tiny plot of land they called their own? How many truly cared about the future and looked at the world with a grander vision? In fact, in a world where supreme individual power reigned supreme, worrying endlessly about things beyond one's control without the strength to back it up was not necessarily a good thing. It was like an ordinary mortal blessed with a heart too tender to bear the sight of human suffering; running around dispensing charity and kindness everywhere would only end up dragging down their entire household. And on Beihai Star... Everyone beneath the realm of Dao Lord could essentially be classified as an "ordinary mortal." Thus, the selfish and greedy Void Refining and Void Shattering cultivators—who wouldn't hesitate to hollow out the sect like parasites for their own gain—were the ones who truly thrived. "Actually, Deputy Sect Master Yaoguang, if you truly had a profound relationship with Dao Lord Penglai, it might not even be a bad thing. Of course, when I say relationship, I mean an exceptionally deep one, not just a normal master-disciple relationship like the one Dao Lord Penglai has with the Penglai Immortal Sect's deputy sect masters." At this point, Chi Yu's eyes gleamed as he chimed in, "If you could persuade Dao Lord Penglai to come to our Heavenly Dao Sect and deliver a few Dao lectures, it would definitely sway the attitude of many higher-ups." "I have only met Dao Lord Penglai once. I could never invite her," Yaoguang shook his head. "Besides, every sect serves as a Dao Lord's foundational territory. For one Dao Lord to preach the Dao in the domain of another requires an explicit invitation from that other Dao Lord; otherwise, it is a grave provocation. In other words, unless Dao Lord Juntian of our Heavenly Dao Sect agrees to it, this cannot happen. And if things ever reached that stage, it would be a transaction between Dao Lords, having nothing to do with us." "Then that makes things rather troublesome..." Ling Ruogu said. "Over the years Zong Wenxian has governed the Heavenly Dao Sect, his suppression of the other three deputy sect masters has proven quite effective. By suppressing them, he naturally secures more benefits. When those benefits are distributed among the four lineages, everyone gets a slice of the pie. Under these circumstances, if you assume the position of deputy sect master and take over as lord of the Southern Domain, I'm afraid you will face unified opposition from all four lineages." "The Heavenly Dao Sect does not belong entirely to the four lineages," Yaoguang remarked. "I imagine there are quite a few peak masters and elders who resent the four lineages as well." "Those of us who can't enter the four lineages are essentially marginal figures, losers in the political struggle," Ling Ruogu said helplessly. "Our opinions can't cause much of a splash. We can only rely on ourselves, using the title of Heavenly Dao Sect elder to earn a bit on the side out in the world." Yaoguang understood this well. There was a clear division of interests within the Heavenly Dao Sect. The Sect Master, the Supreme Elder Council, and the four lineages—Dao, Heavenly, Immortal, and Battle—undoubtedly occupied the core interests. They were the true rent-seekers of the Heavenly Dao Sect. Next came the deputy sect masters and peak masters. As for the elders outside the four lineages... most merely held the title of "Heavenly Dao Sect" and relied on that prestige to run a few personal enterprises outside. The direct benefits they drew from within the sect amounted to perhaps a few hundred thousand Pure Yang Great Pills a year at most. "This rumor, at its core, is nothing more than that Sect Master being unwilling to part with the profits of the Southern Domain in his grasp. The Heavenly Dao Sect has been passed down for so many years and possesses its own system of resource distribution. If I am to counterattack, I cannot play by their rules; I must strike at this very system." Yaoguang glanced at the two of them. "If they want to spread rumors, we can do the same. I want the two of you to circulate a rumor throughout the sect on my behalf: say that Sect Master Zong Wenxian intends to centralize all power. The evidence is that he intends to flout the established rules and seize complete control over all four domains—East, South, West, and North—for himself. From now on, every resource will be allocated solely by him. Once he finishes consolidating the sect's resources, everything will be held in his hands. Anyone in the sect who dares defy his will will be cast aside to the margins." Continuing, he added, "Even say that he wants to establish a whole new ruling class within the Heavenly Dao Sect—one belonging exclusively to his own faction of disciples and clan. From then on, everyone will have to act at the beck and call of this ruling class. Whether elders or disciples of the Heavenly Dao Sect, all will be reduced indirectly to his servants through his centralized control over resources, serving him and his faction of master and disciples for generations to come." "This..." Ling Ruogu's eyes widened. Chi Yu could not help but say, "The true ruler of the Heavenly Dao Sect has only ever been the successive generations of Dao Lords. Everyone knows this. No matter how bold Zong Wenxian might be, he would never dare attempt such a thing..." "It is merely a rumor. If it isn't explosive, how can it grab everyone's attention?" Yaoguang smiled faintly. "Just like the rumor they spread—wasn't it also using Dao Lord Penglai as a gimmick? But what kind of figure is a Dao Lord? Even ordinary Void Shattering Supreme Elders find it difficult to catch a glimpse of one, let alone a mere Void Refining cultivator like me." Ling Ruogu and Chi Yu exchanged a glance. If Yaoguang truly unleashed this rumor to strike back... No matter how unwilling or begrudging Zong Wenxian was, he would have to relinquish the Southern Domain as quickly as possible to prove he harbored no ambitions of centralizing power. The doubts and speculations of the elders and disciples were one thing, but if the Supreme Elder Council caught wind of this rumor, certain Supreme Elders eyeing the position of sect master would undoubtedly pass word along to the Dao Lord at the earliest opportunity... If that Dao Lord happened to have some free time and ordered an investigation... The sect indeed had four deputy sect masters. And the Southern Domain was indeed vacant. Yet this newly minted deputy sect master was not sent to govern the Southern Domain... Hah. What colossal audacity. Zong Wenxian's days as sect master would be numbered. "If this rumor really spreads, the Sect Master will definitely launch a secret investigation..." Ling Ruogu hesitated. Hearing this, Yaoguang smiled faintly. "Once I go to the Southern Domain, I will certainly need many people at my side to handle matters both great and small. The Tianshang Battle Hall may be skilled at fighting external battles, but when it comes to internal administration... they are out of their depth. Therefore, I would like to invite your two clans to relocate to the Southern Domain to assist me in maintaining the normal operations of its forty-nine prefectures. What do you two think?" Upon hearing this, their spirits soared. They had actively attached themselves to Yaoguang back when he broke through to the Void Piercing Realm. Wasn't this precisely the day they had been waiting for? Now, hearing Yaoguang's promise, the two stood up without hesitation. "We stand ready to follow the Deputy Sect Master's every command!" "Then I will await your good news." Yaoguang nodded slightly. With that, the two departed in high spirits to spread the rumors. Though their two families were not prominent clans within the Heavenly Dao Sect, they had operated within it for a long time. They possessed no small amount of connections and influence. Furthermore, rumors being what they were... Especially one concerning Sect Master Zong Wenxian centralizing power, which directly touched upon everyone's vested interests—once it was seeded, it spread like wildfire. Before long, it had swept across the entire Heavenly Dao Sect. It even overshadowed the earlier rumor about Yaoguang. After all, even if Yaoguang intended to pull the Penglai Immortal Sect into the Heavenly Dao Sect, that would be a matter for a thousand years in the future. But Zong Wenxian's centralization of power... That was happening right here and now. The Southern Domain had indeed been held tightly in his grip for a very long time. Word had it that even the deputy sect master of the Northern Domain was completely under his control. If some mishap befell that deputy sect master, would the Sect Master conveniently step in to manage that domain as well? Faced with the spread of such rumors, Zong Wenxian could no longer sit still. He immediately ordered the rumors suppressed while launching a thorough investigation into their source. Shortly after, he made another announcement: at the grand ceremony celebrating Junior Sect Master Yaoguang's promotion to deputy sect master, he would publicly announce Yaoguang's appointment to govern a domain.