Giving Up

"Gu Li, Wenxian provided your Gu family with such massive resources to sustain you, and at this crucial juncture, you actually..." Watching Gu Li turn and walk away, True Monarch Buzhou's eyes filled with wrath. What he failed to notice, however, was that True Monarch Jinghong had also glanced in his direction. After quite a while, this True Monarch stowed away the Grand Dao essence in his hand. "I came on this trip with no intention of contending against you. Of course, I cannot deny that my style of doing things has always been to fight the other party first when an issue arises. As long as I beat them into submission, subsequent communication and negotiations will undoubtedly go much smoother." True Monarch Jinghong said, "Truth is practiced and realized through repeatedly triumphing over opponents and then convincing them. Persuading others through reason, so that every word and action becomes truth—such is our path of cultivation." "Then did you never consider what would happen if you couldn't defeat your opponent, unable to present your truth to convince them? How would things be resolved then?" Yaoguang asked. "Which is why... we tend not to make a move against targets we cannot overcome." True Monarch Jinghong let out a sigh as he spoke. "Alas, walking by the river too often, one's shoes are bound to get wet. Although you defeated Zhen Xuanyuan and your strength was remarkable, I still refused to believe that someone who has cultivated for barely a century could possess strength on par with an expert from the Dao Lord Candidate List like me. Thus, I still struck—and ran straight into an iron plate." He looked up at the sky, his gaze seeming to pierce through the void toward the boundless depths of the starry cosmos. "My master always said that while I could be considered a genius, my defining trait is diligence and perseverance; compared to true peerless prodigies, I am more than a cut below. Originally, I could never truly understand it. Only upon seeing you and fighting you did I truly realize what constitutes a timeless maxim, and what constitutes supreme truth." Yaoguang glanced at True Monarch Jinghong. This True Monarch was not True Monarch Buzhou's junior brother. He was the eldest among Dao Lord Juntian's surviving disciples, having cultivated to this day for nearly nine thousand years. He was older even than True Monarch Buzhou. Nine thousand years to scrape into the Dao Lord Candidate List... To say he was inadequate, he had surpassed almost all Void Shattering cultivators across the world. To say he was brilliant... He was nine thousand years old and still merely a Void Shattering cultivator. It seemed Dao Lord Juntian's assessment of him was quite fair. Yet thinking of this, Yaoguang suddenly realized something. "Are you repairing the impact of this defeat on your Dao of Truth?" Yaoguang asked. True Monarch Jinghong smiled faintly. "This battle did not yield a clear victor, but the Dao of Truth that I practice has suffered a setback and will inevitably incur backlash. Relying solely on my mastery over the Grand Dao of Truth to weather this backlash would undoubtedly affect my cultivation. However, if I borrow my master's teachings to withstand it, the impact will be far smaller—at most, I will feel somewhat dejected for a time. If it can inspire the courage that comes from knowing shame deep within my soul, I might even make further progress." He paused. "The strengths and weaknesses of the Grand Dao of Truth are both very pronounced. The key lies in how the practitioner treats this Grand Dao." Yaoguang nodded. In a one-on-one scenario, the Grand Dao of Truth was indeed an immense headache. However, its conspicuous shortcomings also explained why True Monarch Jinghong, despite being on the Dao Lord Candidate List and within the top ten, always lingered near the bottom of those top ten. As for the candidate Dao Lords ranked higher, which of them was not proficient in multiple Grand Daos and had not mastered several, or even a dozen, perfected Dao arts? "Yaoguang, your talent is great—extraordinarily great. With such immense talent and ability, you shouldn't squander precious time vying for power within the Heavenly Dao Sect." True Monarch Jinghong said, "I can take you to cultivate at the star core. Although the Gate of the Immortal Realm has not yet opened, simply facing it directly will be of tremendous benefit to your enlightenment. Moreover, with your strength, no one would dare object if you claimed a spot in the innermost ring before the Gate of the Immortal Realm." "There is no need for you to worry about that," Yaoguang said. "Let us talk instead about the impact your actions have had on my Southern Domain." "The impact..." True Monarch Jinghong pondered briefly before replying, "How about I announce within the Heavenly Dao Sect that I will support you as the sect master from now on?" Yaoguang was slightly surprised. True Monarch Jinghong surrendered his allegiance so decisively? He glanced at True Monarch Buzhou again. Knowing what Yaoguang wanted to say, True Monarch Jinghong spoke directly: "To me, the most important thing for the Heavenly Dao Sect is stability. Zhen Xuanyuan, Zong Wenxian, Chiyun, Liaochen, Gu Li, Buzhou—it does not matter which of them serves as sect master. The reason I chose to support Zong Wenxian had partly to do with my junior brother Buzhou's influence, but that was never the primary reason." He said calmly, "At the end of the day, Zong Wenxian does possess ability. At least under his governance, the Heavenly Dao Sect hasn't fallen into any turmoil for thousands of years." "Oh? I thought you would fight me to the bitter end for True Monarch Buzhou's sake," Yaoguang said. "How could that be?" True Monarch Jinghong said indifferently, "I have known full well what kind of person my junior brother is over thousands of years. In the past, I indulged him because his actions aligned with the goal of the Heavenly Dao Sect's stable development. But now, if I continue to support him, the sect will soon descend into turmoil, perhaps even civil war and splintering. Under these circumstances, only supporting you can allow the Heavenly Dao Sect to stabilize swiftly and return to the proper track." Yaoguang looked at this foremost True Monarch of the Heavenly Dao Sect. One had to admit that his perspective on matters was vastly different from others'. "In fact, I find it somewhat puzzling that someone with your talent would be keen on the position of Heavenly Dao Sect Master," True Monarch Jinghong noted curiously. "To us, our own strength is the only reality, the sole absolute. Power and benefits... once we possess sufficiently formidable strength, they will naturally fall into our hands. Conversely, if our strength is lacking, even if we forcibly seize certain benefits, they will sooner or later be snatched away, slipping through our fingers." Upon hearing this, Yaoguang did not elaborate, merely saying, "Go make the announcement. As for sect master of the Heavenly Dao Sect, I truly do have a bit of interest." True Monarch Jinghong had laid his cards on the table. True Monarch Buzhou was not nearly as important to him as outsiders believed, and there was no direct conflict between him and True Monarch Jinghong. That being the case, there was naturally no need to fight to the death. Besides, the battle between the two had essentially stopped short of life-and-death consequences, without either party truly pressing for the kill, which left room for discussion. "As you wish." True Monarch Jinghong nodded slightly. Immediately following that, he added, "Now that I know the Heavenly Dao Sect has a powerhouse like you present, the matter of the Light God race on the extraterrestrial battlefield will be left to you to resolve. I shall return to the star core to cultivate in seclusion..." At this point, he let out a long sigh. "The time left for me is already running short." "Fine. But when to take action will be decided by me," Yaoguang said. "So long as the Heavenly Dao Sect does not suffer catastrophic losses that compromise stability. I don't want to be pulled out of the star core again after some time. After all, positions in the inner ring close to the Gate of the Immortal Realm are in high demand; once vacated, reclaiming one inevitably takes considerable effort," True Monarch Jinghong said. "I know what I am doing. With me around, the Heavenly Dao Sect will not fall into chaos," Yaoguang said calmly. "Of course, if you cannot trust that and insist on rushing out every time someone sways you with a few words, you cannot blame me." "I naturally trust you." True Monarch Jinghong cupped his hands in salute. Without sparing another glance at True Monarch Buzhou, his figure flashed, departing straight toward the horizon. Having lived for nine thousand years... He truly was not far from the limit of his lifespan. "Senior Brother!?" Seeing that True Monarch Jinghong, just like Gu Li, had abandoned him and left, True Monarch Buzhou's expression turned exceedingly ugly. Recalling Yaoguang's immense strength... He dared not utter any harsh words. Summoning his flying Dao artifact, he soared into the air, about to chase directly after True Monarch Jinghong. Yet the moment he moved, Yaoguang had already intercepted him, blocking his path. "True Monarch Buzhou, you must give me an explanation for your previous slander against me. Otherwise... even if I spare your life, I will still shatter your grotto-heaven so you understand the price of reckless words," Yaoguang said calmly. Shatter his grotto-heaven!? Such a fate... Would definitely be worse than death! "Yaoguang, I am a personal disciple of Dao Lord Juntian! Would you dare treat me like this over a few verbal offenses?" "As long as your life is spared, I doubt Dao Lord Juntian will object," Yaoguang replied. "Impossible! When the time comes, my master will surely uphold justice for me! If you don't want to cut yourself off from the Dao Lord, let me leave!" Having said that, he immediately shifted direction and retreated in wild haste. Seeing this, Yaoguang followed unhurriedly behind him. He neither overtook him nor turned to leave. True Monarch Buzhou grew frantic at the sight. Yet facing such a formidable foe, aside from fleeing with all his might, there was no one left he could turn to for aid. Yaoguang continued to trail unhurriedly behind him, his thoughts inscrutable. "Damn it!" True Monarch Buzhou cursed inwardly. He couldn't fathom what Yaoguang's goal was! Was Yaoguang injured in his battle with True Monarch Jinghong, or... *No! I can't take that gamble!* True Monarch Buzhou's expression turned grim and cold. *Gu Li has also betrayed Wenxian, while Zhen Xuanyuan and Chiyun defected to Yaoguang's side long ago. Within the Heavenly Dao Sect, there are no Supreme Elders I can turn to for help. Only by leveraging an external force can I intimidate him into retreating...* And around the Southern Domain, an external force capable of intimidating Yaoguang into retreating... Who else could it be besides the Shadow Moon Sect? Not long ago, Yaoguang had slain two Void Shattering demonic cultivators and five Void Refining demonic cultivators of the Shadow Moon Sect. The Shadow Moon Sect was bound to be plotting revenge against him. Once Buzhou fled into Shadow Moon Sect territory, it would surely draw out the Shadow Moon Sect's Void Shattering demonic cultivators to besiege Yaoguang. Only then would Buzhou have a chance to escape with his life. With this thought, True Monarch Buzhou increased his speed once more, heading straight toward the Shadow Moon Sect. "The direction is right," Yaoguang remarked placidly. If the Heavenly Dao Sect lost a Supreme Elder in the Shadow Moon Sect—especially one who was a personal disciple of a Dao Lord... Then no matter how much slaughter he unleashed upon the Shadow Moon Sect, it would be entirely justified. Especially when it concerned a personal disciple of a Dao Lord... Even the Shadow Moon Sect's Dao Lord would not dare easily intervene in person, lest it ignite a war between Dao Lords. This was the sole remaining value of keeping True Monarch Buzhou alive.