Dao Contention

"Right now?" Dao Lord Penglai gave a faint smile. "You certainly don't waste any time." "Dealing with Black Moon won't be difficult for me; I'm only concerned that his life-saving methods might take some time to unravel. The Ten Immortal Sects are bound by mutual defense, and the Six Demon Sects have their own alliance pact as well. If I can't take down Black Moon in short order, the Dao Lords among the Six Demon Sects close to him will surely come to his aid. That's why I need you to help me hold off his reinforcements for a moment." Yaoguang added, "The Shadow Moon Sect's territory is substantial. If the Penglai Immortal Sect ever tires of remaining overseas in the future, you could move inland and settle in the Shadow Moon Sect's domain. Our Nine Cauldrons Sect would welcome you warmly." "I don't mind," Dao Lord Penglai cautioned, "but there is something you must keep in mind. As soon as you stepped into Dao Integration, you directly and indirectly caused the fall of three Void Dao Lords—Wujin, Jimie, and Kunpeng. Back then, you were at the critical juncture of your Dao Integration, so however fierce your resistance was, it was only natural, and no one could fault you for it. But now, your Dao Integration is complete. If you strike at Black Moon now, it will easily arouse the suspicion and wariness of the other Dao Lords." She continued, "Especially the Dao Lords of the Void Dao. The fall of three Void Dao Lords was already enough to rattle them. If you continue to keep such a high profile... it might very well drive several Void Dao Lords to join forces and force you out of the running early." "I understand," Yaoguang nodded slightly. Peak Dao Lords were formidable, but they were by no means invincible. Take Dao Lord Penglai, for example; she could hold her own against three opponents at once without yielding ground. Yet if five Dao Lords took the field against her, she would be suppressed. If eight or ten struck together, she would even face the risk of falling on the spot. However, Dao Lords of the Origin Dao were few in number. Unless it concerned something as monumental as the Dao Contention—an opportunity for ascension to immortality—no Dao Lord would go out of their way to offend a peak Dao Lord like her. Yaoguang, however, was in a different situation. There were dozens of Dao Lords on the Void Dao. Every one of them was his natural rival. If he continued to act with fierce aggression and posed an overt threat, they would undoubtedly band together to eliminate him ahead of time. "When I was integrating with the Dao, besides Jimie and the others, Black Moon and Guangmang also took part in trying to stop me. Every debt has its debtor. Once I destroy these two Dao Integration cultivators, I will stay my hand," Yaoguang explained. "You plan to go after Guangmang as well?" Dao Lord Penglai's tone sounded somewhat helpless. "The nine Demon Venerables of the Six Demon Sects are not to be trifled with, and if you add the ten Ancestral Gods into the mix... Let me make this clear beforehand: if you truly infuriate both factions to the point where they join forces against you, I won't be able to hold them off." "These so-called alliances are only as strong as their self-interest," Yaoguang said, seeing through the matter clearly. "Only the Demon Venerables and God Venerables close to Black Moon and Guangmang, or those with shared interests, will intervene. The rest will unquestionably look on with folded arms. Even if they truly unite in retaliation, among the nineteen Dao Integration figures—seventeen by then—it would be a stretch for even half to actually strike. With our combined strength, alongside Dao Lords Juntian and Dihui who firmly stand with us, as well as the other Dao Lords of the Ten Immortal Sects bolstering our momentum, we will easily be able to beat them back." "You really have thought through all the consequences," Dao Lord Penglai remarked with a sigh. "They might not retaliate in the short term, but as more and more Void Dao Lords return from the starry skies beyond and learn of an aggressive threat like you, things may turn out very differently." "By then, I will have forged one or two semi-immortal artifacts, and our sect-protecting grand formation should already be upgraded to a quasi-immortal formation. Even if they come, I will have nothing to fear," Yaoguang said. Although Dao Lord Penglai felt Yaoguang's approach was a bit radical, still... "Very well. Vengeance is a valid reason, after all. Even though fighting these two battles will thoroughly offend the Six Demon Sects and the Ten Directions God Race, our Ten Immortal Sects were never allies with them anyway. As for the Void Dao Lords who follow... you are natural rivals and a clash is inevitable sooner or later. Since you're already prepared, I won't try to dissuade you." Estimating the time, Dao Lord Penglai added, "It should take me about an incense stick's time to reach the Shadow Moon Sect." "I'll take the teleportation formation directly to the Southern Domain, then rush from the Southern Domain to the Shadow Moon Sect," Yaoguang said straightforwardly. "Among the Six Demon Sects, Demon Venerable Xiantian of the Heavenly Demon Sect has always regarded himself as the leader of the demonic path, so he will certainly make some token move. Meanwhile, Cult Master Huangquan of the Huangquan Cult and Demon Venerable Jiuyou of the Blood River Sect share close ties with Demon Venerable Black Moon. If any of the other eight Demon Venerables of the Six Demon Sects come to his aid, it will undoubtedly be those two. You only need to hold them off for me." "Demon Venerable Xiantian, Cult Master Huangquan, Demon Venerable Jiuyou... you certainly know how to pick opponents for me," Dao Lord Penglai said. Yaoguang could even picture the helpless eye-roll on her face. Yaoguang chuckled. "Just hold them off for a short while. I trust Dao Lord is more than capable." "Fine," Dao Lord Penglai gave a resigned reply. "Then I'll head straight to the border between the Heavenly Demon Sect and the Shadow Moon Sect." Yaoguang ended his communication with Dao Lord Penglai and headed straight for the teleportation formation. While waiting for the formation to activate, however, he still sent word to Dao Lord Juntian. It was not as if he didn't know the consequences of slaying several veteran Dao Lords in quick succession right after becoming a Dao Lord himself. Rather... ...he had to prepare for the worst-case scenario. Ever since learning that cultivators of the same Dao progressed by competing for shares of the Dao, he had known that he stood naturally opposed to all other Dao Lords of the Void Dao. Moreover... When the Dao Contention erupted, the nail that stuck out was the first to be hammered down. Regrettably, he was that very nail right now. If he hadn't demonstrated formidable strength and secured the backing of three Dao Lords—Juntian, Dihui, and Penglai—the reaction of the Nine Demon Immortal Lineages after he slew Demon Saint Kunpeng would never have been so muted. Reasons? There were plenty! He refused to believe that no one wanted to discover his secret for integrating with the Dao in the span of a single cup of tea. During Dao Integration, aside from Dao assimilation, the greatest peril came from the mortal tribulation. If the time required for Dao Integration could be reduced to the span of a single cup of tea—or even an hour, a day, a month, or a year—the danger of the mortal tribulation would be rendered virtually nonexistent. Under such circumstances, should ill-intentioned figures someday demand he surrender this secret using that as a pretext, countless people would rally behind them at once. The only reason no one had made a move yet was that they were biding their time, unwilling to be the first to stick their necks out. Therefore, before such a confrontation erupted in full, he needed sufficient strength to weather the storm. "A tree that towers above the forest is bound to be battered by the wind," Yaoguang murmured softly. Yet... Deep down, he felt no sense of dread toward the approaching peril. In fact, he even found himself looking forward to it. Because as long as he moved fast enough, every crisis would become a wellspring for his growth. Just like the myriad dangers he had faced along this journey. What did not destroy him would only make him stronger. In the future, he would be like Dao Sovereign Hongmeng, holding sway over an entire era, revered by the world above Dao Integration itself, bestowed with a separate title, hailed as... Dao Sovereign Yaoguang! "Fellow Daoist Yaoguang!" As Yaoguang weighed the pros and cons, Dao Lord Juntian rushed over in person. "You intend to strike at Black Moon?! With the Dao Contention fast approaching, if you slaughter fellow Dao Integration masters in rapid succession, you risk causing everyone to fear for their own safety. If an agitator with ill intentions rallies the crowd, numerous Dao Lords might join forces to attack you! Therefore, when it comes to killing Black Moon, please think twice!" Dao Lord Juntian hurried to dissuade him. Hearing this, Yaoguang remained composed. "I understand that striking repeatedly will arouse the wariness of many Dao Lords on Beihai Star. But when I integrated with the Dao, Jimie, Kunpeng, and Yulin attacked me one after another, while Black Moon and Guangmang held back you and Dihui. They were the ones who attempted to harm me first. Now that I have successfully attained Dao Integration, taking revenge is only right and proper. Even if word spreads, it will be seen as justified, and will not necessarily leave the other Dao Lords filled with dread." "Be that as it may, with the Dao Contention at hand, several Dao Lords have already fallen because of you... If you strike again now, you will inevitably be pushed into the limelight. Every move you make could cause a miscalculation that sends the situation tumbling into an unknown abyss." Dao Lord Juntian said earnest, well-meaning words: "If you truly must take revenge on Black Moon, why not wait a bit longer? In three or four hundred years at most, even if the Gate of the Immortal Realm has yet to open, it will still fall into the tacit period of Dao Contention. By then, battles between Dao Lords across Beihai Star will be commonplace. If you move against Black Moon then, it won't draw nearly as much attention." "Waiting three or four hundred years until the Dao Contention arrives would indeed cause less of a stir," Yaoguang explained patiently. "However, by then, the nine Demon Venerables of the Six Demon Sects will have formally signed their mutual defense treaty. If we strike at Black Moon then, even if the other Demon Venerables are reluctant, they will have no choice but to come to his aid. Right now, on the other hand, although there is a consensus regarding the treaty, it hasn't been formally signed. Those Demon Venerables with only lukewarm ties and no shared interests with Black Moon can easily stay out of it. Killing him now is actually much simpler." "That is true, but..." Dao Lord Juntian hesitated for a moment before saying, "As a Dao Lord, you have surely weighed the pros and cons of your decision. Saying any more is pointless. Still, on the eve of the Dao Contention, no one wants to enter the fray first. Whoever jumps in first is easily crushed to dust by the impending tide. I still hope you will reconsider." "My mind is made up," Yaoguang replied firmly. Seeing this, Dao Lord Juntian refrained from further persuasion. "I will activate the Twelve Fiendgods Sky-Sealing Formation immediately. If things go awry, so long as you retreat within the formation, even if all nine Demon Venerables arrive together, my Heavenly Dao Sect, backed by the strength of the Ten Immortal Sects, will keep you safe." Hearing this, Yaoguang smiled. Dao Lord Juntian's meaning was crystal clear. He did not support Yaoguang going to kill Demon Venerable Black Moon. Yet if Black Moon and the Demon Venerables behind him pursued Yaoguang, as long as Yaoguang made it back to the Heavenly Dao Sect's territory, Juntian would rally the other Dao Lords of the Ten Immortal Sects to fight the nine Demon Venerables of the Six Demon Sects to the end. "Then I offer my thanks to Dao Lord," Yaoguang said with a smile. "It is I who should be thanking you. If you hadn't improved the Twelve Fiendgods Sky-Sealing Formation, I wouldn't have had the confidence to make such a promise," Dao Lord Juntian replied, also smiling. With that, Yaoguang cupped his hands in greeting, turned around, and stepped into the activated teleportation formation. Dao Contention! Dao Contention! For others, the Dao Contention was a struggle for the chance to enter the Gate of the Immortal Realm, reaching its climax only when the gate finally opened. But for him... His Dao Contention had already begun the very moment he integrated with the Dao.