Conceit

"Fellow Daoist Po Suo?" Yaoguang looked slightly surprised upon hearing this. Yet on second thought, he understood why Dao Lord Yunmiao had jumped to such a conclusion. Aside from Daoist Po Suo, which Dao Lord would mobilize with such fanfare and risk offending the Xingri Sect just to rush to Yunji Starport and rescue Sun Xing? More importantly... The mastery of the Void he had just displayed was far superior to Yunmiao's. This made the Dao Lord lean even more toward associating him with the enigmatic Daoist Po Suo—or rather, Dao Sovereign Po Suo. Not only him, but True Monarchs Huangfeng and Fuhai also saw the light upon hearing Dao Lord Yunmiao's words. At this moment, they finally realized why Yaoguang had been able to travel billions of light-years unscathed, and why he could rescue Sun Xing from Yunji Starport as if walking through an uninhabited land! "The Xingri Sect is utterly tyrannical! Fellow Daoist merely saw a promising junior at Yunji Starport and offered a word or two of guidance, yet the Xingri Sect moved to suppress him. They clearly have no regard for you—nor, for that matter, for any Dao Lord under heaven! Above all, their monopolization of the Gate of the Immortal Realm, denying all Dao Lords any opportunity to ascend, demonstrates their brute arrogance to the absolute extreme. You are also a Dao Lord born of this starry sky. Can you truly bear to stand by and watch this happen, letting the Xingri Sect continue to run rampant?" Dao Lord Yunmiao spoke with righteous indignation. "You have the wrong person," Yaoguang remarked calmly. "However... with your strength, how do you expect to stand against the Xingri Sect?" Dao Lord Yunmiao paused slightly upon hearing Yaoguang's reply. He had not admitted his identity. Still, whether he admitted it or not hardly mattered. The fact that he asked this question proved that he was indeed concerned about the Xingri Sect's tyranny—and that was what counted. "Since you are unwilling to admit your identity for the time being, Fellow Daoist, then allow me to address you as Fellow Daoist Yaoguang for now." Dao Lord Yunmiao smiled faintly. "The world has suffered under the Xingri Sect for too long. I, Yunmiao, am far from the only one who wishes to rebel against them. The Dao Lords disgruntled with their monopolization of the gate number in the hundreds. What is more, the Gate of the Immortal Realm has already entered its opening phase. Under such circumstances, no fewer than a hundred Dao Lords have already made their stance clear and are willing to stand up against the Xingri Sect." "Oh?" Yaoguang was somewhat surprised to hear this. The Gate of the Immortal Realm had already begun opening? Depending on various factors, the opening phase often lasted for a considerable period—several decades at the fastest, or over a century at the slowest. On Beihai Star, this period was when the Dao Contention was at its fiercest. Particularly in the final moments before the gate swung fully open, every Dao Lord would do their utmost to drive away all others within its vicinity, ensuring that once it unsealed, they would be the first to merge into their corresponding Grand Dao within the Gate of the Immortal Realm and ascend under the guidance of its power. Since the immortal gate held by the Xingri Sect was already opening... Not much time remained for the rebel forces. Still... "If you have no fewer than a hundred Dao Lords, defeating the Xingri Sect shouldn't be difficult. After all, no matter how many Dao Lords the Xingri Sect possesses, fielding thirty to fifty would be their absolute limit. The advantage lies on your side," Yaoguang said. "That may be true in theory, but our force of over a hundred Dao Lords has, after all, been hastily gathered. Though our momentum is impressive, we do not hail from the same sect like the Xingri Sect, nor do we share their tacit coordination. On top of that, the Xingri Sect has deployed layer upon layer of grand formations across their sect grounds and around the Gate of the Immortal Realm. At the gate's location in particular, they have converged six pinnacle grand formations into one, capable of unleashing power approaching that of an immortal formation. With the Xingri Sect's invincible figure, Dao Sovereign Jinguang, presiding over it... the deterrent force is simply too immense..." Dao Lord Yunmiao paused for a moment before continuing, "Therefore, we need a powerful leader to confront Dao Sovereign Jinguang and rally the morale of all our Dao Lords..." "Wait! A Dao Sovereign? The Xingri Sect has a Dao Sovereign in this era as well?" Yaoguang asked, then added, "And Dao Sovereign Po Suo? Two Dao Sovereigns existing in the same era?" Dao Lord Yunmiao was taken aback, then quickly explained, "'Dao Sovereign' is an umbrella title for those who can hardly be overcome by sheer numbers alone. If Dao Sovereign Jinguang were to step outside the Xingri Sect, facing Dao Lords like us, he might only be able to fight ten at once. But within the sect, bolstered by the might of their formations, his strength indeed rivals that of a Dao Sovereign." With that, he cast a glance at Yaoguang. Judging from his reaction... Did he truly not know that the title 'Dao Sovereign' was merely an honorific bestowed upon the pinnacle figures among invincible Dao Lords? So... Was he truly not Dao Sovereign Po Suo? "Is that all?" This explanation left Yaoguang rather disappointed. He had originally held some expectations for this Daoist Po Suo. Yet in the end... The 'Dao Sovereigns' of this starry sky were merely using an honorific? That was all they amounted to? People here truly loved piggybacking on the prestige of a Dao Sovereign to flatter themselves. Furthermore, Yaoguang had clearly understood Dao Lord Yunmiao's earlier remarks. Over a hundred Dao Lords had answered the call to oppose the Xingri Sect. It sounded grand, but in truth... They were nothing more than a motley mob. The sort who charged faster than anyone when it came to looting a burning house, yet dragged their feet and hung back when tasked with storming heavily fortified positions. The instant the tides turned against them, before an outcome was even reached, they would scatter in all directions to save their own skins. Better that a fellow Daoist perish than oneself. Every single one was self-serving, eager to reap every benefit while shirking every hardship. Faced with such an alliance, the united Dao Lords of the Xingri Sect could naturally shatter a force over twice their size with ease. "Fellow Daoist, our side has already assembled a vast number of Dao Lords. Once our preparations are complete, we will launch an assault against the Xingri Sect. Seeing you roaming across the cosmos, you are evidently seeking an opportunity to ascend to the Immortal Realm as well. In that case, why not join us, breach the Xingri Sect, and test their true mettle?" Dao Lord Yunmiao offered an earnest invitation. "Join forces with you?" Yaoguang glanced at the disciple who had just rushed over in haste. "No rush. Just now, this disciple of yours had an exceedingly atrocious attitude." The Void Shattering cultivator's complexion instantly paled. Dao Lord Yunmiao gave an easy smile upon hearing this. "Those beneath me lack tact. Allow me to apologize on his behalf, Fellow Daoist. Please be magnanimous and do not lower yourself to the level of these juniors." "A flimsy apology, and that's it? I truly see no sincerity in your invitation. Strictly speaking, rescuing Sun Xing was me doing you a favor, yet this was the treatment I received in return. To be frank, I am quite disappointed," Yaoguang remarked. Dao Lord Yunmiao's brow furrowed. A Void Shattering cultivator kept by a Dao Lord's side was invariably someone deeply valued and trusted, with a genuine prospect of becoming a Dao Lord in the future. Moreover, the two of them had merely exchanged a few sharp words earlier... "Then what does Fellow Daoist propose...?" "At the end of the day, you believe that because you have rallied over a hundred Dao Lords while I am merely a solitary traveler from the depths of the cosmos, I can do nothing to you. That is why your words have carried a hint of condescension all along. I assumed you would already understand that no matter how vast a motley mob is, without sufficient conviction to fight, it amounts to nothing." "A motley mob?" At that moment, a voice drifted over from the side. "It seems this fellow Daoist has a grievance against us." "Yaoguang? I have never heard of such a name. Could he be a secretly nurtured pawn of the Xingri Sect? Only Dao Lords hailing from the Xingri Sect would carry such an insufferable, haughty demeanor, looking down on those of us who clawed our way through nine deaths to attain Dao Integration through sheer effort." Another strand of divine mind rang out in quick succession. Two Dao Lords emerged from two separate rooms in the control chamber, flanking from the left and right. The second speaker shook his head at Dao Lord Yunmiao. Upon seeing this, even though Dao Lord Yunmiao had already harbored suspicions, he could not help but feel a twinge of disappointment. Yaoguang looked at the two of them, his expression utterly unperturbed. The moment he arrived, he had already sensed both Dao Lords. Particularly the one who had spoken second. Yaoguang sensed the aura of the Grand Dao of Destruction radiating from him. Cultivating such a core Grand Dao meant his frontal combat prowess was bound to be formidable. If he also possessed a complete set of pinnacle Dao artifacts, his combat strength would likely rival that of a pinnacle Dao Lord. As for their exchange... It was merely confirming that he was not Daoist Po Suo. Yaoguang's countenance remained impassive. "I apologize for describing you as a 'motley mob' earlier," he said calmly. "Oh? Then I shall grant you an opportunity," the Dao Lord who cultivated the Grand Dao of Destruction remarked indifferently. Hearing this, Yaoguang straightened his posture and continued earnestly, "You are clearly in a disadvantaged position, so in theory, you ought to unite every possible force to resist the Xingri Sect. Yet when facing me, the attitude you have shown... is simply laughable." With that, he could not help but chuckle. "You are not a motley mob. Calling you that would be an insult to the phrase. You are... nothing more than a pack of ignorant, conceited fools." The moment those words fell, the faces of Yunmiao and the two newly arrived Dao Lords twisted in unison. "Yaoguang, how insolent!" The Dao Lord cultivating the Grand Dao of Destruction barked, his majestic aura surging forth violently. The crushing pressure rolling off his frame... Indeed rivaled that of a pinnacle Dao Lord. Beside him, the other Dao Lord's aura began to climb as well, and the fluctuations of the Grand Dao emanating from him felt quite familiar to Yaoguang. The Grand Dao of Truth! Yet his mastery was a notch more refined than Dao Lord Juntian's. He was at least at the caliber of a renowned Dao Lord. Compared to these two, Dao Lord Yunmiao, who had first made contact with Yaoguang, seemed rather ordinary. Merely an ordinary Dao Lord. "Since you have already embroiled yourself in our conflict with the Xingri Sect over Sun Xing, do not blame us for pressing the issue! Now, you have only two choices. First, join us and participate in the upcoming assault against the Xingri Sect. Second..." "I choose the second." Before the Dao Lord cultivating the Grand Dao of Destruction could finish, Yaoguang cut him off with his answer. At once, the aura of this pinnacle Dao Lord of Destruction erupted furiously. A pitch-black battleaxe manifested above his crown in an instant, radiating a destructive might capable of tearing open heaven and earth. "I give you one final chance—" "Here, allow me to teach you an idiom..." Without giving the Destruction Dao Lord the chance to finish his sentence, Yaoguang stepped through the void and materialized directly before him, pressing down a palm carrying the Great Collapse Art straight against his form. "It's called: viewing the sky from the bottom of a well!"