Arrangements

Within the Heavenly Dao Sect, a series of overt and covert power struggles erupted over Yaoguang's promotion to Void Refining as the junior sect master. Yet within the Taiyi Immortal Sect, all remained calm and quiet. At most, people were slightly surprised that the Heavenly Dao Sect had gained such a remarkably young Void Refining expert. However, once the inside story came to light—revealing that Yaoguang was very likely a pawn of Dao Lord Penglai—some high-ranking figures even gloated, eager to watch the drama unfold for their rival sect. Only Supreme Elder Yuhuang immediately summoned Mo Shan. "How are things with Sixteenth? Has he finished making the necessary preparations to make a break for the Void Piercing Realm?" He had taken in sixteen disciples in total. Jiang Tianzun was the youngest, which was why he was often addressed as Sixteenth. "Reporting to Master: the young master had originally settled his state of mind and was preparing for the final sprint, but not long ago he obtained a secret technique. It provides immense assistance when opening a grotto-heaven, raising the chances by ten percent. Therefore, he intends to spend a dozen or so years mastering this secret technique," Mo Shan answered truthfully. Yet Supreme Elder Yuhuang was clearly displeased by these words. "A dozen years? Just to increase his success rate by a mere ten percent?" Mo Shan froze slightly, unsure where his master's displeasure stemmed from. Still, having followed Jiang Tianzun for decades, he intended to say a few good words on his behalf: "The young master has cultivated for barely over a century. Trading a dozen years for an extra ten percent chance of success is still exceptionally worthwhile. Backed by Master's personal protection at the crucial moment, his chances of a breakthrough will reach as high as fifty to sixty percent—not far from practically guaranteed. In the future, he will have an excellent chance of reaching Void Refining within a millennium and becoming a deputy sect master of the Taiyi Immortal Sect." "Delaying for over a decade just for a fifty to sixty percent success rate, where nearly half the chances still spell failure..." Supreme Elder Yuhuang gave a soft scoff upon hearing this. "What a useless waste!" Mo Shan knew that Jiang Tianzun's talent undeniably placed him among top-tier geniuses; calling him a waste made no sense. In all likelihood, something had occurred to sour his master's mood. And it was related to Jiang Tianzun... "Is it the Cangwu lineage? Or did that Yaoguang stir up trouble again?" "Stir up trouble?" Supreme Elder Yuhuang sneered. "It is far more than just stirring up trouble. Had something like this happened in our Taiyi Immortal Sect, it would have set off an enormous uproar!" He glanced at Mo Shan. "Do you know that Yaoguang has already harmonized his Dao seed with his grotto-heaven and broken through to the Void Refining Realm?" "Harmonized his Dao seed with his grotto-heaven?! Void Refining?" Mo Shan was stunned, and then his pupils constricted violently. "Void Refining?!" "Indeed." The Void Shattering Supreme Elder nodded. "Granted, he took the most common Path of the Void, which offers abundant experience to draw upon, and the cultivation resources related to Void Refining cost somewhat more than others. But Void Refining is Void Refining! On top of that, he is a Void Refining cultivator at only a hundred years of age—enough to assume the role of deputy sect master in any major sect! Hmph! Sixteenth was blind enough to make an enemy of such a genius... It seems I have indulged him far too much over the years!" "This... this..." For a moment, Mo Shan could not recover from the shock. After a long pause, he could not help but ask, "Didn't Yaoguang only break through to Void Piercing ten years ago? How... how is he already at Void Refining?!" "It is said to be related to Dao Lord Penglai..." Supreme Elder Yuhuang frowned as he spoke. "However, catching the eye of a Dao Lord is a testament to ability and talent in itself. Regardless of the reason, the fact remains that he has achieved Void Refining and seized tangible benefits!" What did a few idle rumors matter? People whose cultivation had reached their level saw through many things with absolute clarity. Rewards and risks always went hand in hand. As long as one held real, solid benefits in their hands, that was all that mattered. Take him, for instance: if Dao Lord Penglai promised to keep him by his side and give him personal guidance, he would be willing to betray the Taiyi Immortal Sect immediately. However, if it were merely joining the Penglai Immortal Sect as a Void Shattering elder and waiting for some day when he might earn enough merits to receive a pointer or two from the Dao Lord, then he would pass. In the final analysis, they cared only about whether the benefits were sufficient and the stakes grand enough. "Forget it." Seeing that Mo Shan did not know how to respond, the Void Shattering Supreme Elder waved his hand. "If he wants to practice that secret technique, I will give him time. But he cannot keep dragging his feet like this. Twenty years. I will give him twenty years. When the time is up, he must assault the Void Piercing Realm." He scoffed coldly. "Both of you were geniuses emerging from the Cangwu Great World, competing with each other and causing quite a stir back then. But now, one has already reached Void Refining, while the other is still idling away in the Golden Core Realm... I cannot afford to lose that kind of face!" "Understood. I will pass the message to the young master at once," Mo Shan answered in haste. *** Word of Yaoguang's breakthrough to Void Refining swept through the Heavenly Dao Sect like wildfire, and the Cangwu lineage within the Taiyi Immortal Sect naturally learned of it as well. At that moment, the assembled Cangwu Battle Immortals looked at one another, each wearing a bitter smile. "Short-sighted! What utter short-sightedness! A peerless prodigy stood right before our eyes, yet we failed to see it, pouring all our efforts into someone who harbored half-hearted loyalty instead... Laughable. Truly laughable." Xie Xiong claimed it was laughable, yet not the slightest trace of a smile showed on his face. "Fortunately, Wan Liugui didn't attack Yaoguang back then and even left room for amicable relations. Otherwise... our Cangwu lineage would have become the greatest laughingstock under heaven." Gelin was filled with relief at this moment. Li An cast a glance at him. Did they really need an 'otherwise'? In the eyes of many, the Cangwu lineage was probably already a laughingstock; people just had not said it to their faces. He was not the only one who thought so; the other Void Piercing Battle Immortals felt the same. After a long silence, Xie Xiong exhaled a drawn-out breath. "Forget it, forget it. Our present Cangwu lineage has split from Wan Liugui's branch after all. From here on, whether we fare well or ill, let each submit to fate." Neither Gelin nor Li An answered. There was nothing else they could do. What choice did they have? *** Meanwhile. After ten days of preparations, the Immortal Lineage, responsible for managing the Heavenly Dao Sect's affairs, arranged his celebration banquet for becoming deputy sect master properly. The emergence of a Void Refining deputy sect master called for a grand, magnificent affair, ideally with invitations extended to fellow cultivators across the Ten Immortal Sects. However, on the one hand, Yaoguang himself had no desire for a lavish spectacle; on the other, Zong Wenxian harbored his own designs. Most importantly, this newly minted deputy sect master's ties to the Penglai Immortal Sect were murky. If they made a massive show of throwing a grand celebration for him now, only for him to defect to the Penglai Immortal Sect in eight or ten years, where would the Heavenly Dao Sect hide its face? Under these circumstances, the banquet appeared exceptionally grand on the surface, with the entire sect enveloped in cheers and celebration. Yet in truth... Compared to banquets for other cultivators advancing from Void Piercing to Void Refining, there was an unmistakable, unspoken shabbiness to it. *** The Sect Main Hall. Peak masters and elders who were free arrived one after another. The three deputy sect masters each dispatched representative figures to attend. Even four Supreme Elders made an appearance. One was Chief Supreme Elder Zhen Xuanyuan, the most influential figure within the Supreme Elder Council, who held the privilege of directly contacting Dao Lord Juntian. Another was True Monarch Chiyun, a renowned Void Shattering expert of many years. He was the very backer standing behind Shen Junyan, one of the Heavenly Dao Sect's three deputy sect masters. The other two Supreme Elders were also pivotal figures in the sect, each having at least one peak master serving as their spokesperson. As for the true disciples and inner disciples... They attended the feast out on the square outside the hall, lacking the qualifications to enter the main hall itself. Throughout the early and middle stages of the banquet, the atmosphere was naturally vibrant and heated. No matter what the Void Piercing elders and Void Refining peak masters truly thought inside, they would never openly offend a Void Refining powerhouse like Yaoguang—especially one suspected of having a Dao Lord's backing. Outward appearances had to be maintained. During this process, Yaoguang gradually gained a deeper appreciation for the foundation of a powerhouse sect like the Heavenly Dao Sect. In the Penglai Immortal Sect, there were only three Void Shattering experts in the entire sect. One of them was Shi Lin, whose cultivation had been forcibly elevated by Dao Lord Penglai through unnatural means. Yet here in the Heavenly Dao Sect... Four had arrived for a single banquet. And this was by no means the entirety of the sect's Supreme Elders. From this alone, it was evident that if war ever truly broke out, setting aside the power of Dao Lords, the Heavenly Dao Sect could easily crush the Penglai Immortal Sect using merely half its strength. Amid the harmonious congratulations, Yaoguang received numerous gifts of varying value. As the banquet drew to a close, Zong Wenxian, the sect master of the Heavenly Dao Sect, finally stood up. "With the aid of a peerless figure such as Yaoguang, our Heavenly Dao Sect will undoubtedly achieve even greater glory in the future. As a deputy sect master of our Heavenly Dao Sect, while enjoying the sect's myriad privileges, one must also shoulder the responsibility of guarding and defending the sect." The moment he rose and spoke, the crowd seemed to guess his intent, and the murmurs died down in unison. Some even looked toward him with a trace of intrigue. "The territory of our Heavenly Dao Sect is broadly divided into five great regions: east, south, west, north, and central. Aside from the sect master directly overseeing the central region, it has long been our tradition to have deputy sect masters preside over the four domains to safeguard the core! Deputy Sect Master Yaoguang, it is time for you to take up this mantle as well." Zong Wenxian wore a warm smile. "It is thanks to the sect's nurturing that I stand here today. Since the sect has need of me, it is my inescapable duty!" Yaoguang stood up as well, cupping his hands in salute to go through the motions. "Good. Deputy Sect Master Yaoguang's sincerity is truly touching. Thus, I can rest easy entrusting the governance of a domain to you." Having said this, Zong Wenxian shifted the topic: "Over the past several decades, Deputy Sect Master Shen of the Eastern Domain has voiced his grievances to me on more than one occasion, stating that demonic paths from the outside world have descended upon the Eastern Domain, stirring up trouble and causing immense devastation. Although our main sect has dispatched numerous reinforcements, the situation in the Eastern Domain remains far from optimistic. In fact, the tribute from the Eastern Domain during the last cycle dropped to eight hundred and sixty million when converted to Pure Yang Great Pills." The Eastern Domain? Hearing Zong Wenxian abruptly steer the conversation in this direction, Supreme Elder True Monarch Chiyun's face changed. Yet Zong Wenxian spoke rapidly without pause: "Every indication suggests that Deputy Sect Master Shen has begun to lose control over the situation in the Eastern Domain, which is truly regrettable. Meanwhile, back when Deputy Sect Master Yaoguang achieved Void Piercing, he ventured into the Deep Blue Sea to sweep away hordes of demons, slaying more Void Piercing demon kings than one could count on one hand. His terrifying prowess and formidable combat strength are plain for all to see. Therefore..." He smiled warmly. "Let Deputy Sect Master Yaoguang be stationed in the Eastern Domain to eradicate the demons, slay the fiends, and restore peace to the East! This will also allow the Eastern Domain's tribute to return to normal!"