Of One Mind

Seven Void Shattering experts! A full seven Supreme Demon Lords of the Void Shattering realm from the Shadow Moon Sect! All dead! If something like this had occurred in the Heavenly Dao Sect, it would be equivalent to wiping out half of their Supreme Elders. In that instant, Supreme Elder Gu Li could not help but shudder. Even though Yaoguang was merely a projection of divine sense cast through a formation at this moment, it still filled him with an indescribable dread. Beside him, Zhen Xuanyuan was hardly in any better state. While he was not terrified to the point of trembling, he had finally come to truly grasp just how formidable Yaoguang was. Seven Void Shattering demon lords of the Shadow Moon Sect! "No! Wait! It's not just seven Supreme Demon Lords!" At that moment, Supreme Elder Chiyun suddenly cried out. Zhen Xuanyuan and Gu Li quickly caught on as well. If one included the two demon lords Bahuang and Darkness who had previously fallen by Yaoguang's hand, the number of Void Shattering demonic cultivators he had slain alone... ...amounted to as many as nine?! For a moment, the three Supreme Elders of the Heavenly Dao Sect stared at Yaoguang in horror. What kind of harbinger of slaughter was this?! And if one also factored in Jing Yuntian, as well as... ...True Monarch Buzhou, whose exact killer only the ghosts knew, Yaoguang—who had arrived on Beihai Star less than a century ago—had already slain a staggering eleven Void Shattering Supreme Elders! Eleven of them! Neither the Four Great Celestial Dynasties nor the Three Immortal Martial Sects possessed eleven Void Shattering experts across their entire sects, did they? That was practically equivalent to slaughtering the entire Void Shattering echelon of any of those powers! Equivalent to wiping out a top-tier Dao lineage in its entirety, barring their Dao Lord! Shadow Moon Sect demon lords? Who was the true demon lord here?! "I summoned the three of you here today simply to inform you of this matter. The vengeance for True Monarch Buzhou has been exacted. As for what comes next—whether to escalate the war against the Shadow Moon Sect, or even report to Dao Lord Juntian to launch an annihilation war to wipe them out entirely—you three may discuss and decide among yourselves. Once you have reached an agreement, just let me know..." Yaoguang said. "No, no, no, an annihilation war is completely unnecessary. The Dao Contention draws near, and at a time like this, the Dao Lord will never lightly wage an all-out war with the Shadow Moon Sect. Even if a war is fought, it will be after the Dao Contention," Zhen Xuanyuan hurriedly said. Hearing this, Yaoguang nodded. The period leading up to the opening of the Gate of the Immortal Realm, the period while it remained open, and the period immediately following its closure—a span of over a millennium—had always been the most chaotic era on Beihai Star. Many top-tier Dao lineages would be utterly destroyed or disbanded amidst this grand turmoil. Likewise, new Dao lineages would emerge on Beihai Star, carving up the territories and resources left behind by those fallen factions. Whether the Shadow Moon Sect could be destroyed... ...would also largely depend on this timeframe. If Dao Lord Juntian succeeded in the Dao Contention and stepped through the Gate of the Immortal Realm, or if he unfortunately perished... ...the Heavenly Dao Sect would immediately adopt a defensive strategy of consolidation. Relying on the Golden Book of the Great Dao to defend the Heavenly Dao Sect to the death, they would not expand outward in the slightest, no matter how weakened the Shadow Moon Sect or surrounding factions might be. If Demon Venerable Heitian of the Shadow Moon Sect entered the Immortal Realm or died in the battle of the Dao Contention, the Shadow Moon Sect's doom could be pronounced then and there. Naturally, if neither Dao Lord Juntian nor Demon Venerable Heitian managed to enter the Gate of the Immortal Realm, yet both survived... ...whether the two great sects would clash would depend entirely on the Dao Lord's will. Yet regardless of the outcome, neither the sect master nor the Supreme Elders of the Heavenly Dao Sect had the authority to declare a war of annihilation against another faction. "So be it, then," Yaoguang said. "Spread word of this matter to bolster the morale of our Heavenly Dao Sect. It will also reduce resistance when my Southern Domain annexes sixteen provinces from the Shadow Moon Sect next. I leave these matters to the three of you." "We shall announce the news immediately," Zhen Xuanyuan responded without hesitation. As long as Yaoguang did not insist on forcing the Heavenly Dao Sect into a full-scale war with the Shadow Moon Sect, everything could be resolved amicably. "Will you require our assistance in annexing the Shadow Moon Sect's sixteen provinces?" "You need only dispatch a few contingents to show support. The military campaign itself will be handled by the Southern Domain. Over these years, the Southern Domain has developed rapidly, its strength growing by the day. Moreover, the Shadow Moon Sect's Void Shattering, Void Refining, and even Void Piercing experts have all retreated into their sect headquarters, leaving essentially no notable masters across the provinces. With the strength of the Southern Domain alone, taking these sixteen provinces will not be difficult," Yaoguang remarked. "Then we shall do as Sect Master Yaoguang says." The Supreme Elders nodded in unison. "Make your preparations swiftly. In three months, the annexation campaign will officially begin." Having delivered his directives, Yaoguang departed at once. The three Supreme Elders nodded one after another. Even though Yaoguang was still only a deputy sect master—a rank below Supreme Elders like them—none of the three felt anything amiss about his commanding tone, one that even the sect master wouldn't dare use with them. The fundamental truth of Beihai Star was that the strong ruled. It was only natural for the strong to command the weak. Those who refused to accept this principle or failed to read the situation... ...their corpses were already stone-cold. Jing Yuntian and Buzhou were the finest examples. Once everyone left alive was compliant, the orders of Deputy Sect Master Yaoguang would naturally be carried out without question. ... Within the Heavenly Dao Sect. Seeing Yaoguang's projection dissipate, the three Void Shattering Supreme Elders—Zhen Xuanyuan, Chiyun, and Gu Li—involuntarily let out a breath of relief. None of them had expected that merely facing the projection of someone also in the Void Shattering realm would exert such crushing pressure. Right at this moment, as if having received a message, Zhen Xuanyuan swiftly retrieved a transmission jade talisman. Scanning it for only an instant, he couldn't help but cry out in shock: "The Shadow Moon Sect... has sealed their mountain?!" "Sealed their mountain?!" Supreme Elder Chiyun blinked in surprise and quickly used his transmission jade talisman to contact the sleeper agents he had planted in the Shadow Moon Sect. Before long, he received a definitive confirmation and exclaimed in astonishment, "They really sealed the mountain?!" He looked up in disbelief at Zhen Xuanyuan and Gu Li. "The Shadow Moon Sect, one of the Six Demon Sects, was beaten into sealing their mountain by Yaoguang alone?!" Zhen Xuanyuan felt an overwhelming sense of absurdity and disbelief. Yet, recalling how over these past decades Yaoguang had first slain the two demon lords Darkness and Bahuang, and now had stormed into the Shadow Moon Sect, carving his way through their ranks to execute a full seven Void Shattering demon lords... Nine Void Shattering masters had died directly at his hands. With such catastrophic losses, the Shadow Moon Sect being forced to seal their mountain... ...seemed entirely logical and reasonable, didn't it? Upon realizing this, Zhen Xuanyuan stood frozen in place, unable to collect his thoughts for a long time. And Gu Li... ...immediately sent a message to the disciples who had prepared apology gifts to take to the Southern Domain. No! The gifts were far too meager; they couldn't begin to convey his sincerity in making amends. He had to significantly increase the value of the gifts. At this time, Zhen Xuanyuan, having collected himself, turned his gaze back to Gu Li. "So... Yaoguang truly possesses the strength to contend with Supreme Elder Jinghong?!" "Yes," Gu Li gave a bitter smile. "I told you when I returned that Sect Master Yaoguang indeed fought Supreme Elder Jinghong. Moreover, relying on conventional methods, Supreme Elder Jinghong seemed to have no certainty of subduing Sect Master Yaoguang. To avoid a mutually destructive outcome... he was already unwilling to continue fighting at that point. Seeing how unfavorable the situation was, I hurried away first. Upon returning, I immediately prepared gifts to apologize to this expert on the Dao Lord Candidate Roll. Who could have imagined... barely any time has passed, and he has pulled off another earth-shattering feat like this." Hearing this, Zhen Xuanyuan let out a long breath. Although he had already realized after the previous battle that Yaoguang's strength exceeded all normal expectations and rivaled those on the Dao Lord Candidate Roll, ...the Dao Lord Candidate Roll held thirty-six places. Those on the roll varied in strength and cultivation realm, while Dao Lord Jinghong ranked in the top ten... ...undoubtedly among the very pinnacle of candidate Dao Lords. Thus, he had believed that no matter how strong Yaoguang was, he had only recently broken through to Void Shattering after all and could not possibly be powerful enough to rival True Monarch Jinghong. But now... "Even Supreme Elder Jinghong couldn't achieve the feat of charging into the Shadow Moon Sect single-handedly and slaying seven of their Void Shattering experts in succession, could he?" Supreme Elder Chiyun couldn't help but chime in. It wasn't that he was incapable of killing seven Void Shattering experts. An expert of the Dao Lord Candidate Roll caliber, so long as they were not encircled by several or a dozen Void Shattering cultivators, could completely wear down and kill those experts one by one through hit-and-run distance tactics. However... Void Shattering cultivators were no fools. Realizing an opponent was invincible, they would flee and summon reinforcements. Especially on the Shadow Moon Sect's home turf, those Void Shattering experts adept at survival techniques would only need to hold out for a moment before other demon lords arrived via teleportation formations to reinforce them. Furthermore, while experts on the Dao Lord Candidate Roll could fight ten ordinary Void Shattering experts at once, if they faced peak figures like Zhen Xuanyuan, several working in tandem could still hold them in check. Under such circumstances, even someone as mighty as True Monarch Jinghong would have to retreat swiftly after barging into the Shadow Moon Sect and catching one or two demon lords off guard to slay them. Otherwise, once surrounded, even he would face the risk of falling. Yet Yaoguang had slain seven demon lords in one continuous stroke... "Don't forget, Sect Master Yaoguang's natal Dao art is Void Flicker!" Gu Li said in a deep voice, "When others face True Monarch Jinghong, even if they can't win, they can at least flee, or rely on life-saving techniques to hold out until other demon lords arrive if they're lucky. But before Sect Master Yaoguang's Void Flicker... if you can't defeat him, death is virtually your only fate." Having said that, he added, "Especially since Sect Master Yaoguang also wields that formidable Dao artifact, the Heaven-Sealing Stele. Its power to suppress the void leaves those demon lords with nowhere to run." As Zhen Xuanyuan and Supreme Elder Chiyun listened to his words... ...a chill gripped their hearts. It was truly so. Facing Yaoguang, who had cultivated Void Flicker into his natal Dao art... In a certain sense, it was even more terrifying than facing True Monarch Jinghong. "The Shadow Moon Sect lost seven Void Shattering demon lords and was battered into sealing their mountain, hiding behind closed doors... The last person to achieve such a magnificent feat was Dao Lord Penglai of the Penglai Immortal Sect..." Supreme Elder Chiyun took a deep breath. "When Sect Master Yaoguang took on the Shadow Moon Sect, their Dao Integration Demon Venerable wasn't present, so it doesn't quite compare to Dao Lord Penglai overwhelming the Tianhai Sword Pavilion. But... once this battle record spreads, who knows what rank Sect Master Yaoguang will hold on the Dao Lord Candidate Roll." Zhen Xuanyuan gave a slight nod. Regardless of rank, however, having two Void Shattering cultivators from a single sect placed on the Dao Lord Candidate Roll—an honor usually reserved only for the likes of the Sanqing Sacred Hall—was enough to make the Heavenly Dao Sect renowned across the world. "Alright, without further ado, let us spread the news immediately. That way, when Sect Master Zong returns... the handover of power within the sect can proceed smoothly, without making any waves," Supreme Elder Chiyun said. Zhen Xuanyuan and Gu Li understood that he intended to rapidly build up Yaoguang's prestige, establishing a fait accompli that Yaoguang was already in control of the Heavenly Dao Sect. Yet neither of them had the slightest intention of stopping him. For one, they couldn't stop it even if they wanted to. And on the other hand... Having someone with Yaoguang's sheer strength and capability serve as the Heavenly Dao Sect's sect master was indeed far more beneficial to the sect's growth than Zong Wenxian, who knew only how to suppress other deputy sect masters to safeguard his own position.