A New Branch

Within the Ten Immortal Sects, every force possessed at least one Dao Lord. Factions without a Dao Lord had long since been reduced to second-rate powers across cycles of Dao Contention, or had been absorbed as vassals by close peak great sects. Yet the faction with the largest number of Dao Lords remained the Sanqing Sacred Hall. The three Dao Lords Taiwei, Taiqing, and Taixuan stood side by side. It was precisely because of this that the Sanqing Sacred Hall had forged its illustrious prestige over the past tens of thousands of years, making it the undisputed foremost sect among the Ten Immortal Sects. Through his exchanges with Dao Lord Juntian, Dao Lord Dihui, Dao Lord Taiwei, Dao Lord Qingya, and the others, Yaoguang gained a profound understanding of the circle of Dao Lords. Forty-nine Grand Daos were circulated around the Gate of the Immortal Realm on Beihai Star. Yet of those forty-nine Grand Daos, more than a dozen had not produced a Dao Lord for a very long time. In each cycle, the Dao Lords who truly managed to ascend smoothly into the Immortal Realm numbered only around thirty-odd. However, those who came to participate in the Dao Contention generally numbered one to two hundred, and in peak cycles could even reach three to four hundred. While the probability of ascension was not strictly one in ten, it was not far off. In a grand war of Dao Lords involving one to two hundred—or even two to three hundred—combatants, one or two isolated Dao Lords were far too insignificant. Under such circumstances, Dao Lords who felt a lack of security naturally banded together on their own initiative to enhance their ability to resist risks. Over time, factions of varying sizes sharing aligned interests and values took shape on Beihai Star. For instance, there was the Thirteen Dao Lords Alliance of the Ten Immortal Sects. The Five Dao Lords Alliance of the Three Immortal Martial Sects. The Six Dao Lords Alliance of the Four Great Celestial Dynasties. The Nine Demon Venerables Alliance of the Six Demon Sects, and so forth. Before a Dao Contention arrived, these minor alliances and circles would essentially sign common defense treaties, agreeing that if one party came under attack, the others were obligated to lend support. This cycle was no exception. However, because the Dao Contention had not yet officially arrived and the Dao Lords of the Ten Immortal Sects had not gathered to renew their defense agreements, several Dao Lords had withheld their hands when Yaoguang was ambushed. After their exchanges, the various Dao Lords returned to their respective sects under the reception of their sect masters. Even the shortest absence among them had lasted over a millennium, leaving a great deal of business to attend to. If there was anything of true import to discuss, waiting until they had dealt with their respective affairs and meeting again at Yaoguang's Dao Lord celebration would not be too late. Moreover, as the Dao Contention drew near, the Ten Immortal Sects typically convened a conference requiring all Dao Lords to attend, which would provide another precious opportunity for dialogue. *** Aboard the battleship returning to the Heavenly Dao Sect, Dao Lord Juntian could not help but sigh with deep emotion. "I received reports about you, Dao Lord Yaoguang, on more than one occasion—from Zong Wenxian, from Zhen Xuanyuan, and from Venerable Golden Book as well. Though their words varied, they all conveyed the same truth: your talent was extraordinarily rare in this world." The Dao Lord showed a mixture of joy and wistfulness. "Back then, I wondered whether the next Dao Lord of our Heavenly Dao Sect would fall upon you. But I believed at the time that even if you could reach the level of a Dao Lord, it would be thousands of years later, or a few centuries at the very least. I never imagined that after so short a time, you would have already reached this step, achieving Dao Lord on your own without the help of anyone from our Heavenly Dao Sect. It is truly unbelievable." Yaoguang caught the faint trace of unease in Dao Lord Juntian's words. Although Yaoguang hailed from the Heavenly Dao Sect and even sat in the seat of its sect master, the truth was... The Heavenly Dao Sect had offered little meaningful assistance to his cultivation. Even in that final step of achieving Dao Lord, Dao Lord Juntian, his foremost Dao protector, had not fully fulfilled his duties. Under such circumstances, if Yaoguang chose to cast aside the Heavenly Dao Sect and establish his own lineage, no one would have the standing to utter a single word of criticism. However... "Had Dao Lord not intervened in the battle earlier, facing the siege of four Dao Integration experts—Jimie, Kunpeng, Black Moon, and Guangmang—all at once would have placed us in rather grave danger. I shall remember this favor." As Yaoguang spoke, he added, "It is just that achieving Dao Integration so swiftly came as a surprise to me as well. When the time comes, I will see how things stand. If this cycle's Dao Contention for the Void path is not overly fierce, I will test whether there is a chance to ascend to the Immortal Realm. If it proves too intense... I shall naturally wait until the next cycle." Hearing Yaoguang's words, Dao Lord Juntian understood his meaning. Yaoguang would ascend sooner or later. In that case, whether he chose to remain tied to the Heavenly Dao Sect under the title of its Dao Lord or not made little difference. For a moment, regret welled in Juntian's heart. Fortunately, Yaoguang acknowledged his favor. Coupled with his position as the Sect Master of the Heavenly Dao Sect, the ties between them remained intact. In the future, becoming mutually beneficial allies would naturally pose no issue. "Haha, ascending to the Immortal Realm is indeed the pursuit of us all. When an opportunity presents itself, one naturally must seize it," Dao Lord Juntian said with a laugh. Immediately following that, he produced a supreme storage treasure and handed it over. "As I mentioned earlier, thirteen thousand years ago I acquired a batch of fine immortal artifact crafting materials. I now present this material to you as a gift of congratulations on your advancement to Dao Integration. I hope you will not find it meager." "Immortal artifact materials?" Yaoguang was taken aback. The cost of immortal artifact materials generally started at a hundred billion, equivalent to the greater part of a Dao Lord's wealth. To offer such materials so readily... He glanced at Dao Lord Juntian, realizing that this Dao Lord clearly wished to repair and draw closer their relationship as quickly as possible. After a moment of thought, he did not turn down the goodwill Dao Lord Juntian extended. His next step was precisely to upgrade the three pinnacle Dao artifacts on his person straight to immortal artifacts in a single stride, for which he needed corresponding materials. This gift from Dao Lord Juntian arrived at just the right time. "My thanks, Dao Lord," Yaoguang said, pondering briefly before continuing. "Having just achieved Dao Integration, I must now thoroughly consolidate and settle my foundation in the Dao Integration realm. I intend to delay the Dao Integration celebration somewhat, holding it a century from now. Once my cultivation has stabilized, I will also have a piece of good news to share with you, Dao Lord." "Haha, good news? Then I shall look forward to it a century in advance," Dao Lord Juntian chuckled. Yaoguang gave a slight nod. Seeing the Heavenly Dao Sect draw closer and closer, Dao Lord Juntian promptly said, "Very well. Next, Dao Lord Yaoguang, go and thoroughly enjoy the congratulations and cheers of the elders and peak masters." Yaoguang smiled faintly. Under the envious and reverent gazes of Zhen Xuanyuan, Gu Li, True Monarch Nichang, and the others, he flew out from the battleship. The moment he emerged, the honor guard members who had originally been assembled merely to welcome Dao Lord Juntian cried out in unison, "Congratulations to Sect Master Yaoguang on attaining Dao Integration and becoming a Dao Lord!" A mighty fluctuation of divine sense rippled across the Heavenly Dao Sect, resounding in every corner. *** Half an hour later, Yaoguang returned to Tianqi Valley. He did not immediately head back to the Southern Domain. On the one hand, he still had numerous matters to handle within the Heavenly Dao Sect, at the very least yielding the position of sect master. On the other hand, he truly favored the artifact crafting environment here in Tianqi Valley. Furthermore... He needed to properly sort through his recent gains. Going to Nandu would inevitably consume another day or two entertaining the visits and congratulations of the Nine Cauldrons Sect's members. "Guard the valley for me. I will receive no outside guests for the time being," Yaoguang instructed Tang Fenghua directly upon landing. "Yes!" Tang Fenghua looked at Yaoguang with fervent devotion. After answering, he bowed deeply. "This disciple shall respectfully obey the Dao Lord's decree." Watching his somewhat exaggerated bow, Yaoguang knew it was merely born of immense excitement. He did not reprimand him, only smiling faintly. "Very well, go on." Tang Fenghua promptly soared into the air. Watching Yaoguang activate the formations and disappear back into Tianqi Valley, the turbulence in Tang Fenghua's heart refused to settle for a long time. Though he had never doubted whether Yaoguang could become a Dao Lord, and had even blindly believed that there was nothing in this world Sect Master Yaoguang could not accomplish... Now that he knew Yaoguang had completely crossed the final hurdle on the path of cultivation, awaiting only an opportunity to ascend to the Immortal Realm, the reverence and fervor in his heart still surged to an unprecedented peak. In the future, if he could attain even one ten-thousandth of Sect Master Yaoguang's achievements, he could die with no regrets. *** "Dao Integration..." Inside Tianqi Valley, Yaoguang sat beside a precipice, quietly watching the magma churning endlessly below from the flow of earthfire. His smooth attainment of Dao Integration this time had also been within his expectations. Yet achieving Dao Integration and truly standing atop the universe brought no small number of transformations to him. Among them, the most critical was... "A new branch has grown once more." Yaoguang focused his mind. Just as the [Alchemy] branch had sprouted when he broke through to Void Piercing, now that his cultivation had stepped into the Dao Integration realm, a new branch grew upon this glazed treasure tree once again. Moreover, the moment it sprouted, the branch expanded rapidly, its progress pushed straight to the consummate rank. [Void Shattering · Time] Progress: 100%! "So... what does this mean? Could it be... that I can undergo Dao Integration a second time along the path of Time?" A peculiar look surfaced in his eyes. Immediately afterward, he focused his thoughts on the divine ability Dao fruit that had formed and ripened after the branch blossomed. "Second Life." Yaoguang sensed the nature of this talent. Second Life. A special-class talent. Can only be manifested by one who possesses two souls in one body. Through the Second Life Dao fruit, the other soul among the two souls in one body is separated and placed into a Time Dao seed, using the Dao seed as a vessel to form a second life. "Two souls in one body..." Yaoguang murmured the phrase. Such a circumstance... Was not a split personality. He quietly reviewed all the cultivation-related knowledge stored within his mind, and ultimately discovered... Within the immense database of knowledge he had gathered, which nearly rivaled that of an Immortal Venerable, there were indeed extremely rare mentions of "two souls in one body." Many unique beings possessed an extra soul or spirit beyond the conventional three ethereal souls and seven corporeal souls. If such people mastered the proper methods, they were born with the potential to refine those extra souls into an avatar. Such an avatar was virtually equivalent to a cultivator's second life. However, his condition of having two souls in one body was obviously not innate. "It is Su Yaoguang," Yaoguang reflected inward. The other smaller half among the two souls in one body was Su Yaoguang. When he transmigrated here, Su Yaoguang's soul had merged into his own. Now... Relying on this talent of twin souls, he could extract that soul once more, put it to use again, and inject it into a Dao seed of the Grand Dao of Time—using the Dao seed as a vessel to forge a second life. In other words, an avatar. Except that the talent of Second Life was far more complete and potent than an ordinary avatar. "I was still hesitating over whether to ascend to the Immortal Realm or not. Now, that problem has been resolved completely."