The Scramble

"Forging pinnacle Dao artifacts!" Hearing Yaoguang's words, Dao Lord Taiwei's eyes lit up in spite of himself. The other Dao Lords were similarly stirred. Yet remembering that Yaoguang was a Dao Lord of the Void path, they secretly felt regretful. A pinnacle Dao artifact that lacked alignment would not offer much of a boost to a Dao Lord's strength. Unless they happened to be able to trade a Void-attribute pinnacle Dao artifact with another Dao Lord. Seeing the expressions of the Dao Lords, Yaoguang guessed their thoughts. After a brief consideration, he smiled and said, "Aside from Void Dao artifacts, I am also well-versed in several other Grand Daos, such as the Grand Dao of Flowing Light, Grand Dao of Stars, Grand Dao of Origin, and Grand Dao of Destruction. Lately, I have also been studying the Grand Dao of Truth and Grand Dao of the Soul." As soon as these words left his mouth, the eyes of the Dao Lords, who had initially felt a bit disappointed, instantly brightened. Indeed! Essentially, no Dao Lord practiced merely a single Dao art or comprehended only one Grand Dao. Even the Void Shattering cultivators on the Dao Lord Candidate List often mastered several Dao arts, and some even mastered over a dozen. Take True Monarch Tianxiao, who had mastered fourteen Dao arts encompassing four different Grand Daos. If even Void Shattering True Monarchs were like this, how much more so for them, Dao Integration Dao Lords? To avoid being countered by someone else's Grand Dao or Dao art, studying three or four Grand Daos and comprehending a dozen Dao arts was completely normal. Although the number of Grand Daos Yaoguang grasped was a bit high... Effectively five plus two... Still, Dao Lords who researched seven Grand Daos simultaneously were not unheard of. Stones from other hills could serve to polish jade. With the Dao shares of all Dao Lords being nearly identical, the gap between renowned Dao Lords and ordinary Dao Lords was precisely widened by such things. Well... Amidst their surprise and pleasant shock, looking at Yaoguang's "young" face, the Dao Lords still felt an indescribable sense of awe. The youth are to be held in awe. Just as Taiqing had said, one must never view true peerless geniuses through ordinary eyes. "Whew!" Dao Lord Danding exhaled a long breath. "I finally understand why Fellow Daoist Yaoguang was able to receive Dao Lord Penglai's unsparing support. Dao Lord Penglai must have recognized your talent long ago and invested heavily in you." Yaoguang reflected for a moment, and considering that he had indeed received much help from Dao Lord Penglai before achieving Dao Integration, he nodded slightly. "Dao Lord Penglai did indeed assist me greatly in achieving Dao Integration so rapidly." "If it were me who discovered such a peerless genius, I would have spared no effort to aid him as well," Dao Lord Dihui could not help but sigh with emotion. Beside him, Dao Lord Juntian blushed slightly. Such a peerless genius had been delivered right to their Heavenly Dao Sect, yet he, the sect's Dao Lord, had known nothing of it. Instead, Dao Lord Penglai had claimed the lion's share. Even though Yaoguang held the title of sect master of the Heavenly Dao Sect, anyone could see that compared to him, the Heavenly Dao Sect's Dao Lord, Yaoguang was clearly much closer to Dao Lord Penglai. Dao Lord Taiwei was also a bit envious. At the same time, hearing Dihui put it this way, he felt somewhat better about Yaoguang's brilliant achievements. With a pinnacle Dao Lord like Penglai fully supporting him from behind, reaching this level of achievement in just over two hundred years... Well, it was still hard to swallow. Yet at least he would not harbor unwarranted jealousy or twisted feelings anymore. "Fellow Daoist Yaoguang, may I ask how much time it would take for you to forge a pinnacle Dao artifact of the Grand Dao of Flowing Light?" At that moment, Dao Lord Taiqing suddenly asked. With his question, Dao Lord Qingya and Dao Lord Danding, who had harbored similar intentions, secretly lamented. Dao Lord Danding minored in the Grand Dao of the Soul, while Dao Lord Qingya minored in the Grand Dao of the Void. Although a pinnacle Dao artifact's enhancement for a secondary Grand Dao was not as pronounced as for a primary one, it still offered a ten percent increase in combat power. Do not underestimate a mere ten percent boost; in the Dao contention, it could very well be the key factor determining whether one successfully stepped through the Gate of the Immortal Realm. "If immortal artifact materials are provided, I can forge a pinnacle Dao artifact in about a century. If only pinnacle Dao artifact materials are available, it will take a thousand years." Yaoguang was not surprised by Dao Lord Taiqing's question. The reason he had included the Grand Dao of Flowing Light among his secondary Daos was aimed directly at Dao Lord Taiqing. After all, as the leader of the Ten Immortal Sects, the Sanqing Sacred Hall had been one of the strongest overlords on Beihai Star for nearly a million years. Their foundation and wealth far exceeded anything other top factions could imagine. Sects like the Heavenly Dao Sect and Taiyi Immortal Sect had to scrape together everything they had just to scrounge up one or two immortal artifact materials, but the Sanqing Sacred Hall... Three to five portions would likely be well within their means. The remaining materials needed to upgrade several of his own pinnacle Dao artifacts would likely have to come from the Sanqing Sacred Hall. However... Priorities had to be set. Lest Dao Lord Taiwei, a Dao Lord of the Void path, also request him to forge a pinnacle Dao artifact, Yaoguang added, "However, I currently have two pinnacle Dao artifacts in the process of being forged. Finishing them will likely take several hundred years, so I do not plan to craft any new pinnacle Dao artifacts in the coming centuries." "Several hundred years?!" Hearing this, the Dao Lords' expressions changed slightly. "Yes," Yaoguang said, glancing at Dao Lord Dihui. "Back before I achieved Dao Integration, the Taiyi Immortal Sect invested heavily in my artifact crafting. I promised True Monarch Taiyuan that once I possessed the ability, I would forge a pinnacle Dao artifact for the Taiyi Immortal Sect. Presumably, this artifact will end up with Dao Lord Dihui?" At these words, Dao Lord Dihui was overjoyed. He had never imagined that the investment, made with a hint of a gamble back then, would yield returns so quickly. "Many thanks, Fellow Daoist Yaoguang," Dao Lord Dihui cupped his hands. "Mm. Once I return from the Shadow Moon Sect, I will have to trouble you to visit me, Dao Lord. I will learn your specific details and tailor a pinnacle Dao artifact specifically suited to the Dao arts you practice," Yaoguang said. Dao Lord Dihui nodded repeatedly. A custom-tailored pinnacle Dao artifact! And delivered right to his doorstep with the Dao contention drawing near—this was simply the greatest pleasant surprise he had received since returning to Beihai Star. Yaoguang turned back to Dao Lord Juntian. "After forging the artifact for Dao Lord Dihui, I will properly study the Grand Dao of Truth. Only after I have forged a pinnacle Dao artifact for you as well will I accept outside commissions." These words naturally made Dao Lord Juntian overjoyed. "Good! Good! Good!" The Dao Lord uttered the word three times in succession. "Fellow Daoist Yaoguang, if you have any needs regarding the Grand Dao of Truth, just say the word. I will hold nothing back and share everything I know." At the end, he hastily added, "Furthermore, regarding trivial matters outside of cultivation, if you don't mind, Fellow Daoist, I can help handle them so as not to disturb your comprehension of the Grand Dao." "Then I thank you, Fellow Daoist," Yaoguang smiled and nodded slightly. "In this manner, in two or three centuries at the earliest, or four or five centuries at the slowest, both Dao Lords' custom pinnacle Dao artifacts should be completed." Two to three centuries! Four to five centuries! Hearing this, Dao Lords Qingya, Danding, Taiwei, and Taiqing could hardly sit still. Two to three centuries was one thing. If it really took four or five centuries... The Dao contention would have effectively begun. In whatever time remained after that, how many pinnacle Dao artifacts could Yaoguang possibly forge?! Three would be the absolute limit. Considering that he would also have his own affairs to attend to, at best he would only have enough time left to forge two pinnacle Dao artifacts. At once, Dao Lord Taiqing spoke up, "I already have ample crafting materials prepared, and the primary material can even be used to forge immortal artifacts. The forging difficulty should not be too high. If Sect Master Yaoguang can forge this Dao artifact for me, I am willing to offer a portion of 'Lijin Star Crystal' as a gift." Lijin Star Crystal? Yaoguang's heart stirred. This was a naturally refined product born only under extreme cosmic conditions following the destruction of a celestial body. It was an immortal artifact-grade material and the optimal item for upgrading the Wuji Sword. If he could obtain this treasure, while he couldn't guarantee upgrading the Wuji Sword directly into an immortal artifact, advancing it to a semi-immortal artifact was practically assured. "Very well. After I finish forging the pinnacle Dao artifacts for Dihui and Juntian, I will forge the artifact you desire, Dao Lord," Yaoguang agreed. Seeing yet another spot taken, Dao Lords Qingya, Danding, and Taiwei grew increasingly restless. Every additional pinnacle Dao artifact meant one more fraction of a chance to win the Dao contention, and the Dao contention determined whether one could ascend to the Immortal Realm. To achieve that goal, any price was worth paying. Immediately, Dao Lord Qingya hastily said, "Fellow Daoist, I have also prepared a portion of materials—specifically Void path materials, your greatest specialty. If you can forge this Void-attribute pinnacle Dao artifact for me, I will present a 'Golden Cicada' as a gift." Golden Cicada. A supreme treasure used to forge life-saving items. It was virtually equivalent to giving a cultivator an extra life. In terms of value, it was not in the least inferior to the Lijin Star Crystal. To cultivators who favored venturing into dangers, its value was even greater than a portion of immortal artifact-grade crafting material. Dao Lord Danding spoke up immediately as well: "I also have materials for a Soul-attribute pinnacle Dao artifact, with plenty to spare. If Fellow Daoist Yaoguang is willing to forge a Soul Dao artifact for me, all the remaining materials will belong to you. In addition, I am willing to gift Sect Master Yaoguang three bottles of Void-Nourishing Grand Dao Pills." Void-Nourishing Grand Dao Pills. To Void Piercing and Void Refinement cultivators, these were legendary divine elixirs. Provided one's talent was not completely abysmal, a single bottle of pills could basically cultivate a Void Shattering expert. Three bottles were practically equivalent to three Void Shattering cultivators. Back then, Dao Lord Penglai had been able to nurture Shi Lin from the Golden Core realm to the Void Shattering realm within a century precisely because the looted treasury of the Tianhai Sword Pavilion had contained a bottle of Void-Nourishing Grand Dao Pills. Seeing the two Dao Lords speak, Dao Lord Taiwei could also no longer hold back. "I also possess materials for a Void Dao artifact and would like to request Fellow Daoist Yaoguang's assistance. Furthermore, I can promise you, Fellow Daoist, that should you participate in this Dao contention, I, Taiwei, will willingly withdraw and never make things difficult for you!" Having said this, the Dao Lord hesitated for a moment. Considering that every Dao Lord of the Void path was essentially a direct rival to any other Void Dao Lord... If he truly wanted to persuade Yaoguang, a fellow Void Dao Lord, to forge a Void Dao artifact for him, he would have to pay an enormous price. At that moment, he reached a resolve in his heart. "Moreover, if Fellow Daoist Yaoguang agrees to forge this pinnacle Dao artifact for me, upon its completion, I am willing to present twenty grains of 'Golden Sands of Time' as a gift."