Fishing

"The tree that stands above the forest will be torn down by the wind." In the depths of the starry skies. A figure bathed from head to toe in starlight spoke in a slow, measured cadence. He was an illustrious, celebrated Dao Lord of the Void Path. Born with sentience from a primal cavern, he had painstakingly cultivated for three thousand years before stepping into the realm of Dao Integration, styling himself Dao Lord Hunxu. After two myriad years of accumulation and settling, deeming his cultivation accomplished, he began taking part in the Dao Contention, having endured three iterations to date. Across those three contentions, no fewer than five Void Dao Lords had suffered defeat at his hands. He had even relentlessly pursued and battered a Dao Lord who ruined his plans until he beat him to death. Thus, this operation was essentially spearheaded by him. Murmuring his assessment of Yaoguang, his gaze swept across the surrounding void. Within this expanse of space shrouded by a concealment formation stood eight other figures, each continuously radiating Void Dao rhythms. These were the Void Dao Lords who had answered the moment he raised the call to action. One had to understand that word of his intention to deal with Yaoguang had only circulated within a small circle rather than throughout the entire community of Void Dao Lords, yet it had drawn eight Dao Lords to respond. From this alone, one could see just how many feared and dreaded this young man, Yaoguang. Of course... It could also be greed. For someone who had cultivated into a Dao Lord in a mere two-hundred-odd years, who wouldn't be curious about what kind of secrets he concealed? Even if there were no other secrets, the sheer fact that he could achieve immediate Dao Integration made it worth every effort for any Void Dao Lord—or indeed any Dao Lord—to uncover the truth. After all, this was equivalent to strangling the mortal tribulation directly in its cradle. Under such circumstances, when the God race plotted against Yaoguang to lure the Dao Lord out and consulted these Void Dao Lords, the two sides naturally struck a deal immediately. Just then, one of the Dao Lords nearby seemed to receive a message, his brow twitching. "According to intelligence sent from our informant on Beihai Star, Dao Lord Penglai has left the Penglai Immortal Sect." "Penglai has moved?" Dao Lord Hunxu's expression turned solemn. "Lately, Penglai and Yaoguang have been virtually inseparable. Several schemes against other Dao Lords were carried out by the two of them working in concert. With Penglai moving, Yaoguang is bound to follow. It's just that as a Void Dao Lord, Yaoguang moves with exceptional stealth, making him difficult for us to track. Liujie, is your information reliable?" The Dao Lord addressed as Liujie nodded. "I was also quite interested in how Dao Lord Penglai managed to attain Dao Lord status in such a short time. When she founded the Penglai Immortal Sect, I planted a sleeper agent who has since risen to a sufficient rank. While I can't speak for other matters, determining whether Penglai herself is still within the sect is something they can ascertain clearly." Hearing this, Dao Lord Hunxu doubted no further. Every Dao Lord was a being who had integrated their body with a Grand Dao. Unless blocked by a formation, a Dao Lord's presence at close range was very easy to sense. And while Penglai possessed formidable cultivation and mastered numerous powerful Dao arts, she was not proficient in specialized crafts such as artifact refining, formations, or alchemy. Therefore, many likely held less dread toward her than toward Dao Lord Taiqing of the Sanqing Sacred Hall. "Notify the God race to prepare for battle. In addition, our formation must be primed. Once the God race activates the Dao artifact capable of deploying a formation across the void, we will teleport over immediately." Having said that, Dao Lord Hunxu sneered. "No matter how formidable Yaoguang and Penglai are, when facing an encirclement of fifteen Dao Integration experts—including renowned Dao Lords like myself and Dao Lord Changtian—I refuse to believe he can escape alive." Dao Lord Changtian, whom Dao Lord Hunxu mentioned, nodded slightly. Yet he did not speak. Facing two pinnacle Dao Lords, he was evidently adjusting his condition to its absolute peak to ensure nothing went awry when they struck. *** Word from the Void Path soon reached the hands of the God race. Within the God race, the Destruction God Venerable naturally took the lead. Cultivating a core Grand Dao, he had long held the reputation of a pinnacle Dao Lord, though because members of the God race suffered a decline in strength once leaving their Divine Kingdoms, his title as a pinnacle Dao Lord was not entirely rock-solid. Even so, he still commanded immense renown on Beihai Star and possessed absolute authority among the Ten Directions God Race. "The fish is swimming over," the Destruction God Venerable remarked. At the same time, he issued an order: "Slow down and wait for the prey to take the bait. Furthermore, keep a close watch on the Dao artifact Hunxu provided. The moment the fish bites, haul in the net immediately." "God Venerable, what about the Four Great Celestial Dynasties...?" A God Venerable glanced at him. It was the Thunder God Venerable. He was also one of the most battle-hardened God Venerables among the Ten Directions God Race. "No matter. The reason I targeted Tianming is that Tianming is inherently cautious. Even if they suspect something, their primary concern will be self-preservation. Moreover, the standing of the Four Great Celestial Dynasties falls far short of the Ten Immortal Sects. Under such circumstances, when facing danger, they are all the more prone to prioritize their own safety." The Destruction God Venerable paused briefly. "Besides, once the fish takes the bait, the Heavenly Demon Sect will immediately make a move against the Great Shang and True Dragon celestial dynasties. Even if they truly wished to linger in the outer starry skies to interfere, they would have no choice but to rush back to defend their home bases." Hearing this, the other God Venerables felt somewhat reassured. Better a fellow Daoist perish than oneself. For this operation, the forces actually taking action were not limited to the God race and the Void Path Dao Lords—the Six Demon Sects... the Five Demon Sects would likewise cooperate. With such a grand lineup, Dao Lords of other factions would never dare intervene lightly. Even the Four Great Celestial Dynasties, already entangled in the incident, were no exception. The hardest part of the entire plan had been luring the fish out. Once the fish showed itself, with the roster they had prepared, fifteen Dao Integration figures swarming two pinnacle Dao Lords was practically a guaranteed victory. "Today, this brat Yaoguang cannot escape his doom. All the secrets he conceals—including external rumors that he possesses the ability to craft pinnacle Dao artifacts—will be brought to light," the Destruction God Venerable declared with absolute certainty. *** History often repeats itself with striking similarity. And the only lesson sentient beings ever learn from history is that they never learn from history. On the other side, Yaoguang had already rendezvoused with Dao Lord Penglai. The two pinnacle Dao Lords piloted a Dao artifact battleship in pursuit at full speed. However... Looking at the trail left along the way, which was practically deliberate, even Dao Lord Penglai sensed something was amiss. "I suspect this operation by the Ten Directions God Race is a trap—a trap aimed at you," Dao Lord Penglai said in a tone that could hardly be called mere speculation anymore. "And behind this trap are two factions: one is the God race, and the other is those Void Path Dao Lords who dread your power and talent." "No matter." Yaoguang glanced at several other transmission jade talismans in his hand. The Heavenly Dao Sect, Taiyi Immortal Sect, Sanqing Sacred Hall, Golden Crow Sect... The Dao Lords behind these factions had all sent him messages of warning upon learning he had left Beihai Star in pursuit of the Ten Directions God Race. Yaoguang had not replied, instead utilizing those factions' channels to track the movements of other Dao Lords. As they pursued at top speed, intelligence from the various Dao Lords flowed back. Yaoguang stated plainly, "Those setting the trap also include members of the Five Demon Sects. However, the demon venerables of the Five Demon Sects have likely not taken action in person. They're surprisingly cautious on that point—though reasonably so, since the God race isn't trustworthy to them either. Aside from these organized factions and alliances, the rest are independent Void Path Dao Lords fighting for themselves." He summarized and calculated briefly: "Based on the compiled intelligence from various sects and estimates of the previous generation's Void Dao Lords, the number of Void Dao Lords coming to ambush me is between eight and ten. Of course, we cannot rule out Void Dao Lords rushing over from other star domains. If there are such figures, the number ambushing me should exceed ten." "Ten Void Dao Lords!?" Dao Lord Penglai was slightly startled. "Isn't that too many?" "Not just ten Void Dao Lords; the God race's six God Venerables must be counted as well," Yaoguang said. "Once Dao Lord Tianming and the others from the Four Great Celestial Dynasties realize the Destruction God Venerable is actually coming for me and doesn't genuinely intend to deal with them, there is a very high probability they will stand by with folded arms." Dao Lord Penglai furrowed her brow. The chances of them stepping in to help... were indeed slim. Anyone capable of cultivating into a Dao Lord was a thoroughly self-serving existence. "Then that's trouble," Dao Lord Penglai said, glancing at Yaoguang. "Should we turn back?" "No matter," Yaoguang said calmly. "To me, ten Void Dao Lords are even less trouble than the six God Venerables." An indescribable confidence showed in his expression. "With my advantage in realm, Void Dao Lords at full strength can display thirty to forty percent of their power before me at best. Anyone who can muster more than half could be considered extraordinarily gifted." "The realm suppression is that severe?" Dao Lord Penglai was somewhat astonished. Her attainment in the Great Dao of Origin was also a cut above other cultivators of the Dao of Origin, but... such suppression reaching ten or twenty percent was the limit. Suppressing fifty to sixty percent of someone's combat strength?! Just how vast was the disparity in realm between the two sides?! Or rather, how high had Yaoguang's attainment in the Void Path reached? At the very least... it had to rival a True Immortal, right? Mulling it over, Dao Lord Penglai said, "If you truly can contend with ten Void Dao Lords, I can help you hold back the God race's six God Venerables." "You can hold them back?" Yaoguang looked at her, somewhat surprised. "Over these years you've been growing, but my progress hasn't been small either." Dao Lord Penglai smiled faintly. "Of course, I can only barely stall them. If they abandon fighting me and turn on you, I won't be able to completely stop them." "That is enough," Yaoguang said. After a moment's thought, he stated directly, "I possess a supreme treasure capable of projecting a heavenly realm that causes severe cognitive distortion to outsiders. When the time comes, we will face the Void Dao Lords and the six God Venerables within that heavenly realm. To avoid that realm's cognitive distortion affecting you, separate a strand of divine sense. We will maintain a state of spiritual communion so we can better coordinate against the enemy." Separating a strand of divine sense... If Yaoguang possessed some special soul Dao art or curse Dao art, he could easily injure Dao Lord Penglai's soul origin through that divine sense. However, recalling how they had fought side by side multiple times over the years, the Dao Lord hesitated for only an instant before agreeing. "Alright." At once, a strand of divine sense was separated out. Soon, their divine senses converged and intertwined. In a single thought, they understood each other's minds, their coordination completely seamless. Just as the two were acclimating to this state, spatial fluctuations rippled through the void ahead. Under the control of the Void God Venerable, a battleship belonging to the God race tore through the void to intercept them.