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Time flowed on. As the day of the Dao Contention drew near, Beihai Star grew noticeably more bustling. Every few years, almost without fail, a new Dao Lord returned to Beihai Star from the vast starry cosmos. Most of these returning Dao Lords kept a low profile to avoid becoming a thorn in everyone's side or drawing too much attention, lest they be ganged up on at the onset of the Dao Contention. Yet a select few Dao Lords who had reaped immense fortunes and extraordinary encounters in the vast cosmos openly forged alliances and consolidated power, making early preparations for the impending contention. Furthermore, some Dao Lords with preexisting grudges could not hold back upon crossing paths and clashed violently. The cataclysmic collisions of Grand Daos shook Beihai Star and the surrounding starry expanse. Had Beihai Star not been anchored by the Gate of the Immortal Realm, the battles between Dao Lords would likely have reduced it to cosmic dust long ago. *** The arrival of numerous outside Dao Lords drew everyone's attention, causing the scrutiny focused on Yaoguang to ease slightly. Unperturbed, he spent a tranquil two hundred and thirty years within the Heavenly Dao Sect. At this moment, within Heaven-Forsaken Valley, a place in the Heavenly Dao Sect dedicated specifically to artifact forging. Two figures were bustling about. These two figures appeared slightly different in appearance and features. Even their auras and the Grand Dao fluctuations radiating from them were distinct, making them seem like two entirely separate beings. Yet if a Dao Lord proficient in the Grand Dao of the Soul were present to scrutinize them with soul Dao arts, they would discover that the fundamental essence of the two figures' souls shared the exact same origin. They appeared to be two individuals, but were in truth one. This was none other than Yaoguang's true body and the time avatar he had refined over the past two-plus centuries. At a certain moment during their ceaseless toil, a mass of mist exuding a profound aura suddenly unfurled outward, centered on Yaoguang. Though it looked merely like mist, it seemed to have evolved into a world unto itself. Inside and outside the mist's perimeter, two entirely different sets of laws held sway. Anyone who entered would find not only their perception of the outside world altered, but their understanding of Grand Dao rules interfered with as well. While desperately trying to mobilize the Grand Dao of the Void, what one actually connected to might instead be the Grand Dao of Destruction. Blind to this deception due to their clouded soul, they would still strain with all their might to wield the power of Destruction through a body integrated with the Void, only to end up suffering a catastrophic backlash from the Grand Dao of Destruction. "Ten Directions Heavenly Mirror... No, for now it can only be considered the Eight Desolations Heavenly Mirror." Sensing the misty world around him, Yaoguang murmured with some emotion, "Following the Endless Tower's transformation a century ago, a full hundred and thirty years have passed... and it is finally complete." In a hundred and thirty years, he had finally upgraded the Eight Desolations Mirror from a pinnacle Dao artifact into a semi-immortal artifact. "I underestimated the difficulty of refining a soul-type semi-immortal artifact. If Shaohua hadn't been nurtured into being twenty years ago, allowing the two of us to join forces in reforging the Eight Desolations Mirror, the time required for its transformation might have stretched to a hundred and fifty or even two hundred years." As Yaoguang spoke, he glanced at the time avatar he had named "Shaohua." Shaohua replied, "Stop looking. Our [Artifact Forging] progress has only reached 39%. The Grand Dao of the Soul is among the most difficult core Grand Daos to cultivate. To transform a pinnacle soul Dao artifact into a semi-immortal artifact in just a hundred and twenty years is already impressive. Besides, over these two-plus centuries, you spent time forging pinnacle Dao artifacts and practicing other Dao arts, and in the end only fell behind schedule by a few decades. You should be satisfied." Yaoguang paused slightly upon hearing that. His expression turned rather odd. This strange feeling seemed to spread to Shaohua as well. In the end... Both figures found themselves somewhat speechless. The two of them shared a connection closer than two souls in one body. Two souls in one body could still be considered distinct thinking individuals, but he... He had entirely separated a portion of his soul and anchored it within the part belonging to "Su Yaoguang." This was not a mere avatar; it was the borrowing of a corpse to resurrect a soul. Whether Yaoguang or Shaohua, they shared a single line of thought. There was no need for conversation to understand what the other was thinking or experiencing. It was like having dual monitors running; in truth, the person watching both screens was still the exact same individual. Conversing between the two of them was essentially talking to oneself. Yet here they were, having a seemingly formal back-and-forth. This bizarre habit... left both the true body and the avatar speechless. Shaohua turned and walked straight into the depths of Heaven-Forsaken Valley. Meanwhile, after experiencing the various wonders of the Eight Desolations Heavenly Mirror, Yaoguang nodded in satisfaction. "It truly lives up to the name of a semi-immortal artifact. Beyond reflecting its surroundings, the heavenly domain it forms can unleash relentless waves of soul strikes against enemies. Anyone who fails to withstand these soul attacks will have their perception warped." Naturally, these features were secondary. The foremost function of the Eight Desolations Heavenly Mirror was anchoring the soul, granting substantial immunity against soul and curse-type attacks. In other words, it was a defensive semi-immortal artifact. First forge the Endless Tower, then the Eight Desolations Mirror. Only at the very end would it be the Wuji Sword's turn. Survival came before firepower. "Now that the Eight Desolations Heavenly Mirror is finished, I'm in good spirits. Let's call Dao Lord Juntian over and share the good news that the Book of True Words is ready," Yaoguang remarked, sending a strand of divine sense to Tang Fenghua, who was waiting outside. Having received his orders, Tang Fenghua swiftly departed. By the time Yaoguang put away the Eight Desolations Heavenly Mirror, brought out the Book of True Words—which had already been completed for some time—and walked over to a pavilion on the outer edge of Heaven-Forsaken Valley meant for hosting guests, Dao Lord Juntian was already rushing over, full of delight. Although the Heavenly Dao Sect possessed the Golden Book of the Grand Dao, that semi-immortal artifact belonged to the sect as a whole, not to any individual, Dao Lords included. Naturally, a Dao Lord could break the rules and forcefully carry off the Golden Book of the Grand Dao. However, upon ascending to the Immortal Realm in the future and encountering the elders of the Heavenly Dao Sect, they would have to face a day of reckoning. Under such circumstances, the significance of a pinnacle Dao artifact entirely one's own was easy to imagine. "Greetings, Dao Lord," Yaoguang said. "Fellow Daoist Yaoguang, I heard..." Dao Lord Juntian asked eagerly. Yaoguang cleanly handed over a book. Dao Lord Juntian took the book and quickly submerged his Grand Dao power within it. As his Grand Dao resonated with the Book of True Words, he immediately felt an increase in his strength. In mere moments, the Dao Lord's face was brimming with pleasant surprise. "It can amplify the might of my True Word Dao arts by at least sixteen, perhaps even seventeen percent! Excellent, truly wonderful!" "As long as Dao Lord is satisfied," Yaoguang smiled. "Satisfied? Beyond satisfied! Fellow Daoist Yaoguang's forging skills are truly magnificent! Not only did you craft a Book of True Words with such outstanding efficacy, but the forging speed was astonishing as well." Dao Lord Juntian said excitedly, "In the previous Dao Contention for the Grand Dao of Truth, there were only three contenders. I was only marginally weaker than the Dao Lord who claimed the spot for the Immortal Realm. If my opponents in this contention are still the remaining two, with the Book of True Words, I will surely stand out and ascend smoothly to the Immortal Realm." "Then allow me to congratulate Dao Lord in advance on entering the Immortal Realm, attaining True Immortality, and enjoying a lifespan equal to the heavens," Yaoguang said with a smile, cupping his hands. "This is all thanks to Sect Master Yaoguang. My gratitude," Dao Lord Juntian said sincerely. Yaoguang nodded slightly. Immediately following that, he felt a twinge of envy toward Dao Lords cultivating relatively niche Grand Daos like Juntian. For Dao Lords of such Grand Daos, each Dao Contention often had only three to five competitors. As long as one defeated their opponents, and provided the other parties were unwilling to fight to the death, they would voluntarily concede, allowing the victor to ascend naturally. By contrast, popular paths like the Void or Flowing Light easily saw a dozen or even dozens of contenders. The level of difficulty was vastly higher. Yaoguang was even considering whether he should simply let his avatar Shaohua ascend to the Immortal Realm when the time came. If Shaohua could achieve Dao Integration, as a Dao Lord of the Grand Dao of Time... he wouldn't have a single rival and could simply stride straight through the Gate of the Immortal Realm. "The quota for Dao Integration is limited, and precisely because there are no Dao Lords of the Grand Dao of Time, I dare not let Shaohua recklessly attempt Dao Integration," Yaoguang sighed inwardly. He recalled the star chart he had compiled, which originated from Dao Lord Yuanxu... Perhaps it was time to go take a look at that Gate of the Immortal Realm. There were no Dao Lords of the path of Time here on Beihai Star, but who knew if there were any at the Gate of the Immortal Realm three billion light-years away? In addition... Among the top factions on Beihai Star, there were records of three other Star Gates. Yet without exception, all three were monopolized by overlord factions; ordinary Dao Lords had no right to even approach those Gates of the Immortal Realm. He wondered if any of those overlord factions had a Dao Lord of the path of Time. While Yaoguang was pondering, Dao Lord Juntian finished experiencing the profound subtleties of the Book of True Words and gradually calmed down. "Since Dao Lord's artifact is complete, why not show it off outside? You can consider it spreading the word on my behalf," Yaoguang said with a smile. "Over two hundred years have passed, so the Dao Lords of the Ten Immortal Sects should be mostly back by now, right? I'd like to take on a few more commissions to hone my skills." "What about Dao Lord Danding and Dao Lord Qingya...?" Dao Lord Juntian asked. "No rush," Yaoguang replied with a smile. Dao Lord Juntian instantly grasped his meaning. To the highest bidder, of course. Although the prices Dao Lord Danding and Dao Lord Qingya offered were by no means low, they merely aligned with standard market value. With the Dao Contention approaching, however... there was no telling whether some Dao Lords who were confident in their cultivation might be willing to pay a premium to have him rush out a pinnacle Dao artifact, all to better vie for a spot to pass through the Gate of the Immortal Realm and ascend. Especially since everyone had just returned from their travels in the starry cosmos, having accumulated a fair share of treasures over several millennia. When one had wealth in abundance, one was naturally willing to spend it. Perhaps some Dao Lord would present an eye-catching treasure to commission him. "I shall pay visits to our fellow Daoists with the Book of True Words at once." For such a minor matter, Dao Lord Juntian naturally agreed without hesitation. "Thank you for the trouble," Yaoguang said. Dao Lord Juntian waved a hand with a chuckle and quickly took his leave. Yaoguang settled his mind and turned his attention to the final pinnacle Dao artifact that needed upgrading: the Wuji Sword. However, just as Yaoguang had spent a few days setting to work on upgrading the Wuji Sword, the messaging jade talisman on his person vibrated. He glanced at it, only to find a message from Dao Lord Penglai. "Yaoguang, there's a side matter I think you might be interested in." "Oh? What is it?" "Shang Tianming, the ancestor of the Great Shang Celestial Dynasty among the Four Great Celestial Dynasties, offended the Destruction God Venerable over a treasure while traveling in the starry cosmos. Right now, the Destruction God Venerable has led five God Venerables out of the God race's territory into the cosmos to intercept Dao Lord Tianming."