Pinnacle

The materials within Dao Lord Penglai's storage treasure were extraordinarily precious. Yet... Preciousness had its own advantages. Namely, superior effectiveness. With Yaoguang pouring in materials equivalent to over two billion Pure Yang Great Pills, both of his great Dao artifacts—the Two Realms Ruler and the Heaven-Sealing Stele—transformed into high-grade Dao artifacts one after the other in under five years. "Done." Yaoguang gazed at the two high-grade Dao artifacts, delight gleaming in his eyes. The transformation of a high-grade Dao artifact was not as earth-shattering as that of a pinnacle Dao artifact, but wielding them in tandem with their corresponding Dao arts would now be vastly smoother and far more effortless. 'You truly get what you pay for. It finished half a year earlier than the five years I anticipated,' Yaoguang thought to himself, holding the two Dao artifacts and sensing them carefully. 'Forging pinnacle Dao artifacts won't be nearly so simple. Either I must be willing to pour in tens of billions' worth of materials, or invest over a century of time. Otherwise, nurturing the Two Realms Ruler and the Heaven-Sealing Stele into pinnacle Dao artifacts through the cost-effective methods I used in the past would take a few centuries at the very least. If things go poorly, by the time they are finished, the Gate to the Immortal Realm will have already opened, wasting an immense amount of cultivation time for nothing.' A material cost on the scale of tens of billions! With the Southern Domain's current earning capacity, saving ten billion would probably take a hundred years. Yet if he could bring over the artifact refiners of the Heavenly Dao Sect and dramatically boost the production capacity of battleships and flying swords... That century might be cut down to sixty or even thirty years. Furthermore... While certain pinnacle refining materials were not for sale in the outside world, the Heavenly Dao Sect might well have them in its private vaults. Therefore... The position of Heavenly Dao Sect Master was something he was determined to claim. Next, he simply had to wait another half year. Once he retrieved the Wuji Sword, he could begin preparing his return to the Heavenly Dao Sect to contend for the sect mastership. "Someone come here. Have Wan Liugui see me." Tang Fenghua, who resided at the foot of Hundred Refinings Peak, received the order, acknowledged it, and swiftly transmitted the message to Wan Liugui. Before long, the Void Piercing Battle Immortal arrived atop Hundred Refinings Peak. "Sect Master," Wan Liugui greeted with cupped hands. "I have attained Void Shattering. One year from now, I will hold a Void Shattering Grand Feast at the Nine Cauldrons Peak of the Heavenly Dao Sect, inviting fellow Daoists from the Ten Immortal Sects, the Three Immortal Martial Sects, and the Four Great Celestial Dynasties to attend." Yaoguang stated succinctly, "This time, we will make it a grand spectacle, ensuring that my attainment of Void Shattering is known across the world." "Void Shattering?!" Wan Liugui froze. Although he had never doubted that Yaoguang would achieve Void Shattering, and had even believed it would not take him very long—a hundred years if fast, or a few centuries if slow—yet... How much time had actually passed?! Thirty years! Barely over thirty years had elapsed since his breakthrough to Void Refining! And he had already reached Void Shattering?! "Go, make the arrangements without delay. Issue invitations to all the Void Piercing and Void Refining cultivators friendly to us, as well as factions with whom we share commercial ties. Complete this task within half a year, leaving the remaining six months to prepare for the feast," Yaoguang instructed. A jolt ran through Wan Liugui, snapping him back to his senses. "Understood!" After all, he had long prepared himself mentally for Yaoguang reaching Void Shattering, so even though the timeline was vastly ahead of schedule, he quickly composed himself. "Six months is plenty. I shall see to it immediately and will not disappoint you, Sect Master," the Void Piercing Battle Immortal responded solemnly. His tone was solemn, but tinged with an unspeakable fervor. In ten years, from Void Piercing to Void Refining! In thirty years, from Void Refining to Void Shattering! At this rate, in another century, wouldn't he achieve Dao Integration?! Perhaps in the future... Their Cangwu Lineage would produce a Dao Lord?! A great existence capable of leaving behind a pinnacle heritage on Beihai Star and standing as a galactic hegemon in the boundless cosmos?! Carrying this burning excitement, Wan Liugui quickly departed. With Yaoguang openly planning a Void Shattering Grand Feast, and with Wan Liugui and the others making no attempt to conceal it, the news swiftly swept across Nandu and began spreading beyond the city into the broader Southern Domain. Just like Wan Liugui, everyone had believed that Yaoguang would inevitably reach Void Shattering in the future. However... How could taking centuries to break through compare to doing so in thirty years?! The capabilities Yaoguang displayed now were already on par with a Dao Lord seed; before long, he would likely earn a spot on the Dao Lord Candidate Rankings. Even though he had only just broken through to Void Shattering. Just as this joyful news was rippling through Nandu and outward into the Southern Domain, another event occurred within the Domain Lord Manor—one that was smaller in scale compared to Yaoguang's breakthrough, yet brought immense joy to countless people. Li Hanqiu had successfully completed the Nine Refinements of the Star Ring! Not only had he completed the Nine Refinements of the Star Ring! Having thoroughly stabilized his primal cavern, a sudden spark of inspiration struck him. Drawing upon the Wuji Sword's Grand Dao projection-like insights into the Grand Dao of the Void, his accumulated foundation erupted, carrying him into the Void Piercing realm in a single breath. When his breakthrough stirred celestial phenomena, all the high-ranking members of the Domain Lord Manor were alerted. Yaoguang personally appeared, using his Void Shattering power to protect him during the process. In just ten days, having opened his grotto-heaven and transitioned from death to life in a total metamorphosis, Li Hanqiu reappeared before everyone. When he saw Li Hanqiu's grotto-heaven, indistinguishable from that of a legitimate Void Piercing cultivator, Wan Liugui—a veteran 'Transformation God' who had suffered as a Void Piercing Battle Immortal for so long—could not help but burst into hearty laughter. "Hahaha! Good! Good! Wonderful!" Yaoguang also smiled and offered his congratulations to Li Hanqiu: "As of today, True Monarch Li truly lives up to the title! Congratulations, True Monarch Li, on opening a true grotto-heaven and stepping into the Void Piercing realm!" Huang Tianhao, Lou Yuyu, Shen Qinglian, and the others originally from the Nine Cauldrons Sect shouted with spirited excitement: "Congratulations to the Supreme Elder on achieving Void Piercing! May you roam the starry rivers from this day forth, blessed with longevity without bound!" Humble though Li Hanqiu was, in this moment he accepted everyone's congratulations. The Cangwu Lineage... Had had it too difficult. Especially during the early days after arriving on Beihai Star, when they had lived cautiously, walking on thin ice. Yet at this very moment, having attained Void Piercing, he had truly stepped into the ranks of Beihai Star's powerhouses. Even if Yaoguang ascended to the Immortal Realm through the Gate in the future and upheaval struck the Heavenly Dao Sect, with a Void Piercing cultivator like him, the Nine Cauldrons Sect could roam freely wherever they wished in this vast world. "Thank you," Li Hanqiu said to Yaoguang from the bottom of his heart. "No need to thank me. This is the reward you earned through your many years of bitter cultivation," Yaoguang replied with a smile. Li Hanqiu glanced quietly at Wan Liugui, who stood nearby with eyes full of envy. Yet he did not mention any request for Yaoguang to lend the supreme treasure, the Wuji Sword, to Wan Liugui. Although... With Wan Liugui's deeper foundation in the Nine Refinements of the Star Ring and as a Void Piercing Battle Immortal, receiving the Wuji Sword would certainly have allowed him to step into Void Piercing as well, Li Hanqiu understood all too well just how precious the Wuji Sword was. A supreme treasure carrying the power of a Grand Dao... Would likely drive any Void Shattering cultivator mad with desire. If word got out... Countless Void Shattering experts would undoubtedly set their sights on Yaoguang. Yaoguang trusted him, lending him this supreme treasure to aid his cultivation; he could not betray that trust. Seeing Li Hanqiu's restraint, Yaoguang likewise had no intention of lending the Wuji Sword out again. In the future, once he became a Dao Lord, forging bespoke pinnacle Dao artifacts for them would be effortless. But for now... He could not afford to carelessly attract the gaze of too many Dao Lords. Even with Dao Lord Penglai having agreed to serve as his Dao Protector, caution was paramount. "Achieving Void Piercing is a major event for any faction. We could host a Void Piercing Grand Feast for you in advance here in Nandu. It could serve as a prelude to my Void Shattering Grand Feast, and also answer the rest of the Cangwu Lineage," Yaoguang suggested with a smile. "There's no need for a Void Piercing celebration feast." Li Hanqiu shook his head. "With your Void Shattering Grand Feast ahead, I believe that alone will be enough to make those people in the Cangwu Lineage regret their choices." "The nature of it is different. You are a true Void Piercing cultivator who transitioned from a Void Piercing Battle Immortal," Yaoguang said with a laugh. "Your Void Shattering Grand Feast will be a massive affair, and the Taiyi Immortal Sect will certainly send attendees. Perhaps members of the Cangwu Lineage will come as well. When they see me and discover that I have already attained Void Piercing, wouldn't such a sudden sh... ahem, pleasant surprise have an even better effect?" Li Hanqiu replied in high spirits. "Fair enough." Seeing this, Yaoguang did not insist. "We'll do as you say." He glanced around. "Going forward, the handling of all matters in Nandu, large and small, will be entrusted to you. Having attained Void Piercing, handling them should be considerably easier." Li Hanqiu nodded. At present, the daily affairs of Nandu were indeed overseen by Li Hanqiu and Wan Liugui. Yet... The two were, after all, Void Piercing Battle Immortals. Even with Yaoguang's prestige looming over them, preventing any faction from daring to show the slightest dissatisfaction, they would still encounter inadvertent slights when receiving outside visitors. When Wu Changfeng, a Void Refining cultivator, assisted them previously, things had been smoother. But once Wu Changfeng took full charge of the Southern Domain's Skynet system, handling matters became noticeably less seamless for Wan Liugui and Li Hanqiu. The other parties might not have harbored malice, but the attitude they showed at times... Simply lacked the attentiveness present when Wu Changfeng was around. A Void Piercing Battle Immortal was still just a Void Piercing Battle Immortal! Now that he had become a true Void Piercing cultivator... From this point on, the world would be entirely different. ... After achieving Void Piercing, Li Hanqiu returned the Wuji Sword to Yaoguang and went into secluded cultivation to consolidate his realm. Yaoguang accepted it without protest. The time to return to the Heavenly Dao Sect was fast approaching. He needed to re-refine the Wuji Sword as soon as possible to ensure that, upon his return, he could leverage the intelligence in his hands to slaughter a chicken to warn the monkeys, intimidate the entire Heavenly Dao Sect, and further cement absolute control over it. While he was re-refining the Wuji Sword, the news that Yaoguang had ascended to Void Shattering and would host a grand celebratory feast spread from the Southern Domain and swept across the entire human territory. Although many people had heard Yaoguang's name more than once over the years and were mentally prepared for his eventual breakthrough to Void Shattering, to reach this realm in a mere thirty years... When Nandu's cultivators arrived at each faction and delivered the invitations, the news still sent shockwaves through all human cultivators. Especially since, even now, Yaoguang had barely passed the age of one hundred! Such speed was superior even to Dao Lord Penglai in her earlier years. For a time, people began likening him to a second Dao Lord Penglai. Some even hailed him as the foremost expert of the new generation. Even the alien races beyond human borders took note of this name for the very first time. At this moment, the name of Yaoguang took center stage across the entirety of Beihai Star, standing truly upon the pinnacle of Beihai Star by virtue of his own strength.