Attack

Although Su Yaoxue's breakthrough was fraught with a degree of peril, she ultimately weathered the ordeal without mishap. Practicing the Mystic Origin Creation Technique, with its balanced and harmonious nature, she inherently enjoyed a forty-to-fifty-percent chance of success. Decades ago, a Dao artifact kept within the Nine Cauldrons Sect had also been passed down to her, adding another ten percent to her foundation. On top of that, Yaoguang had personally stood guard over her. With his current comprehension at the Dao Integration level and his mastery of the Grand Dao of the Void, while he could not guarantee absolute certainty, boosting her success rate by another thirty to forty percent was entirely within his power. Under these circumstances, Su Yaoxue naturally traversed the greatest hurdle on a practitioner's path, opening her grotto-heaven in a single stroke and smoothly stepping into the Void Cavern realm. The moment she attained the Void Cavern realm, cheers erupted across the entire Nine Cauldrons Sect. At this juncture, she was the sect's most dazzling rising star, her breakthrough signaling a brand-new beginning for the Nine Cauldrons Sect's development on Beihai Star. The older generation had two Void Cavern experts in Li Hanqiu and Wan Liugui, while the new generation now saw the powerful rise of Su Yaoxue. Even if Yaoguang were to depart from the Nine Cauldrons Sect for special reasons in the future, the sect would still be able to maintain a firm foothold in the Southern Domain. "Good, good, marvelous! Our Nine Cauldrons Sect now has a third Void Cavern cultivator. This is truly wonderful!" Li Hanqiu beamed with delight. Li Qingshan, Lou Yuyu, Murong Hui, Xu Qiexing, and Wu Qingying also crowded around Su Yaoxue at the earliest opportunity to offer their congratulations. In theory, these people belonged to the same generation as Yaoguang—or were even a generation senior to him. Yet because Yaoguang's "talent" was too monstrous and his cultivation progressed at such an astonishing pace, he had already left everyone in the dust and stood atop the world back in the Cangwu Realm. After arriving at Beihai Star, he had pulled so far ahead that they could not even catch a glimpse of his back, inevitably creating a certain sense of distance and reverence between them. Su Yaoxue, on the other hand, had rather modest talent, but everyone bore witness to her relentless diligence. A cultivator from such an exalted background who nonetheless worked so tirelessly was bound to earn anyone's admiration and friendship. Consequently, their relationship with Su Yaoxue was extraordinarily harmonious. Watching Su Yaoxue surrounded by the crowd, Yaoguang pondered for a moment before turning to Li Hanqiu and Wan Liugui. "For the coming period, have Su Yaoxue cultivate by my side." "Hmm?" Li Hanqiu and Wan Liugui froze, followed immediately by a blend of pleasant surprise and astonishment. "Sect Master Yaoguang, do you intend to instruct her personally?" "Yes," Yaoguang nodded slightly. "After all, I am now the Sect Master of the Heavenly Dao Sect. While I could oversee the Southern Domain just as Zong Wenxian once did, doing so is somewhat awkward in name. Having Su Yaoxue stay by my side so I can guide her cultivation personally will be enough to help her take another step forward and reach the Void Refining realm within a hundred years. She can then assume the role of deputy sect master over the Southern Domain. Only in this manner can the Nine Cauldrons Sect continue to properly safeguard its interests there." Reaching the Void Refining realm within a hundred years?! Hearing Yaoguang's words, Li Hanqiu and Wan Liugui were thoroughly shaken. Aside from a Dao Lord, who would dare claim absolute certainty in having a Void Cavern cultivator step into the Void Refining realm in such a short span? Naturally, shaken though they were, neither harbored the slightest doubt regarding Yaoguang's declaration. What was Void Refining in a hundred years, after all? Back then, Dao Lord Penglai had taken a mere century to forcibly elevate Shi Lin from the Core Formation realm all the way to Void Shattering. Compared to that Dao Lord, Yaoguang's claim of raising Su Yaoxue from Void Cavern to Void Refining within a hundred years was already remarkably modest. "We shall follow the Sect Master's arrangements," Li Hanqiu and Wan Liugui bowed with cupped fists. "Mainly, I see that Su Yaoxue gets along quite well with Li Qingshan and the others. Having her oversee the Southern Domain and the Nine Cauldrons Sect in the future shouldn't provoke much opposition," Yaoguang explained. "Sect Master Yaoguang's permission for the Nine Cauldrons Sect to preserve our lineage within the Heavenly Dao Sect is already the greatest magnanimity granted to us," Li Hanqiu hurriedly replied. Yaoguang nodded, producing two scripture tomes. "These are two cultivation techniques for the Void Cavern realm that I have newly compiled. Unlike the Core Formation realm, where virtually every step poses a bottleneck, there are almost no real bottlenecks between Void Cavern and Void Shattering; rather, it depends heavily on comprehension and resources. We lack no resources, and as for comprehension... these two techniques are already quite comprehensive." Li Hanqiu received the tomes. The two techniques were the Void Dao Canon and the Origin Dao Canon. From their titles alone, one could discern the respective paths they mapped out. "The reason the path of the void is so fiercely contested is ultimately that it is the earliest and most accessible Dao for cultivators to encounter. Therefore, those with slightly lower comprehension and talent can follow the Grand Dao of the Void, while those gifted with higher comprehension and talent can pursue the Grand Dao of Origin," Yaoguang explained. These two manuals had likewise been compiled from the vast repository of records within his mind. Each scripture came equipped with over ten Dao arts, allowing practitioners to choose according to their preferences. "This technique... appears to bear the shadow of an advanced version of the Mystic Origin Creation Technique?" Li Hanqiu noted in wonder. "I was merely worried that making it too profound would hinder comprehension, so I wrote it somewhat more straightforwardly," Yaoguang said with a smile. "The two of you have also reached the Void Cavern realm. You may switch to this technique; in the future, you might very well stand before the threshold of Dao Integration." "Many thanks, Sect Master, for bestowing this dharma upon us." Li Hanqiu sighed with emotion. "With these two great canons, our Nine Cauldrons Sect truly has hope of contending for a place among top-tier factions in the future." Yaoguang smiled faintly. If circumstances permitted, once he attained the Dao Lord level in the future, he would not mind reclaiming all the territory of the Shadow Moon Sect to serve as a foothold for the Nine Cauldrons Sect. However, the extent of his aid would depend on how the Nine Cauldrons Sect developed by the time the Gate of the Immortal Realm opened. If they possessed the foundation of a top sect, he would gladly lend them a helping hand. If the sect could not even produce a handful of Void Shattering cultivators... Then they might as well continue sheltering under the Heavenly Dao Sect. If their ability was lacking, Yaoguang had no intention of pulling up seedlings to help them grow. *** Having just broken through to the Void Cavern realm, Su Yaoxue would enter seclusion for three years to stabilize her cultivation. Yaoguang also intended to honor his promise and personally host a Void Cavern celebration for her three years later. Of course, since it was merely a celebration for advancing to the Void Cavern realm, he did not plan on making it an extravagant affair. The scale would be limited to within the Heavenly Dao Sect; as for other sects, having their leadership dispatch one or two Void Cavern disciples would already be considered giving ample face. *** After speaking with the members of the Nine Cauldrons Sect, Yaoguang wasted no more time and returned to Heaven Abandoned Valley, devoting his energy to forging the two top-grade Dao artifacts, the Endless Pagoda and the Human Sovereign Sword. "In another dozen years, these two top Dao artifacts will take shape and enter their final forging stage." Amidst his busy schedule, Yaoguang maintained precise command over the forging progress of both artifacts. Less than two years after Su Yaoxue stepped into the Void Cavern realm... On this day, just as Yaoguang finished nourishing a portion of top Dao artifact materials and was utilizing the Treasure Refining Technique to temper them into the Human Sovereign Sword, he suddenly felt his transmission jade talisman vibrate. Yaoguang swept it with his divine sense. Upon identifying the sender, his expression instantly turned grave. "Dao Lord Penglai?!" The message from Dao Lord Penglai was exceptionally blunt: "While pursuing Yulin, I fell into an encirclement by the Divine Kingdom of Light and Demon Venerable Black Moon. Nine times out of ten, a Dao Lord is making a move against you! Hold on for the time it takes an incense stick to burn—I will reach the Heavenly Dao Sect!" Almost the moment this message arrived, Yaoguang abruptly sensed the power of the Grand Dao of the Void being drawn by a force so immense that he could not resist it in the slightest. This sensation... Was like the receding tide before a tsunami! "Enemy attack!" Yaoguang barked a low shout, immediately bringing forth the sect master's seal talisman in an attempt to activate the Twelve Fiendgod Sky-Sealing Formation as swiftly as possible. At the same time, he urgently contacted Venerable Golden Book! The entire process took less than half a breath. Yet in that fleeting sliver of time, the sky above the Heavenly Dao Sect underwent a colossal upheaval. Across the firmament, a heavenly abyss spanning a hundred thousand li seemed to manifest, crashing down with world-destroying momentum. Even before the abyss descended, the void power unleashed by its manifestation agitated the surrounding spiritual energy, churning into a terrifying spiritual storm that instantly shredded all spiritual energy within hundreds of thousands of li, reducing the entire region to a vacuum. The sheer majesty of the shockwave rippled out past a million li, alarming every top sect possessing perceptual secret arts in an instant. "A Dao Lord!" "This is the might of a Dao Lord striking?!" "A Dao Lord is attacking our Heavenly Dao Sect?!" *Whoosh!* Amidst the cries of alarm and horror, the figure of Venerable Golden Book rapidly projected into the sky above the Heavenly Dao Sect. Simultaneously, a colossal tome unfurled above him, seemingly poised to swallow heaven and earth as it sought to absorb the entire collapsing heavenly abyss. "Yuanxu! Do you wish to wage war on my Heavenly Dao Sect?" A vast surge of divine sense shot straight into the sky. Within the heavenly abyss, a figure manifested. He seemed entirely fused with the abyss itself. Even as he drove the abyss downward toward the Heavenly Dao Sect, his powerful divine sense swept out, engulfing the entire sect. "I come only for this brat Yaoguang. He offended me in the extraterrestrial starry sky, and today, I will have him answer for it! If the Heavenly Dao Sect dares harbor him, do not blame me for leveling the Heavenly Dao Sect to the ground!" "Nonsense!" Venerable Golden Book's expression remained utterly impassive. The supreme elders within the Heavenly Dao Sect were likewise unmoved by these words. Dao Lord Yuanxu! A madman through and through, who had lived for nearly one hundred and twenty thousand years and had directly or indirectly slaughtered dozens of void geniuses standing before the threshold of Dao Integration. His strike against Yaoguang this time... Was born of nothing other than sheer jealousy. Of course, Yaoguang's recent meteoric rise and the vast wealth he had displayed were also critical factors. Yet regardless of the reason, since an enemy dared storm the Heavenly Dao Sect to execute its Sect Master, the Heavenly Dao Sect had to demonstrate an uncompromising stance! Otherwise, what meaning was there for the Heavenly Dao Sect to exist in this world? "What a... decrepit old bastard!" Yaoguang was equally aware of the severity of the situation. As early as when he revealed his talent and wealth, he had foreseen the possibility of provoking narrow-minded void Dao Lords intent on strangling him in his infancy. That was why he had orchestrated various coincidences to engage Dao Lord Penglai as his Dao protector. He simply had not anticipated... That before launching his strike, this Dao Lord would take the preemptive measure of pinning down Dao Lord Penglai. Demon Saint Yulin, Demon Venerable Black Moon, and the Divine Kingdom of Light? *A backlash of karmic fortune?* Thoughts raced through Yaoguang's mind, yet his hands did not slow in the slightest. Seizing the precious window while Venerable Golden Book parried Dao Lord Yuanxu's onslaught, he swiftly merged with the Twelve Fiendgod Sky-Sealing Formation, fully activating this grand formation that had been upgraded to rank fifteen over the past several decades.