Synthesis

The stream of information ceased here. Yaoguang spared a moment of his attention to take a look, only to discover that the [Artifact Crafting] branch had stopped growing after reaching 7%. Such progress... It was significantly higher than he had anticipated. "So, I thought Level 19 Artifact Crafting was the limit, or that after reaching Level 19, a single Dao Lord would only increase the progress by 0.03%. I never expected there would still be a whole 1% boost per person." Looking at the [Artifact Crafting] branch, Yaoguang was somewhat puzzled. Judging by this trend, would a hundred Dao Lords be enough to advance the [Artifact Crafting] branch to Level 20? The realm of a Universe Ruler, of a Great Dao Divine Artifact?! But weren't there three thousand Grand Daos? Yaoguang had no answer to this question. Yet what he found even more inexplicable was that Higher-Dimensional Cognition could actually deduce all the way into the realm of Level 19 [Artifact Crafting]. This ability of his... "Incredible," Yaoguang muttered to himself. In the past, Dao Lord Juntian, Dao Lord Taiqing, and even Dao Lord Penglai had all speculated whether he was the reincarnation of an immortal. With so many people saying it, even though he knew full well he had no ties to the Immortal Realm and had simply transmigrated here, he had occasionally wondered if he truly was some reincarnated immortal. More specifically, an Immortal Venerable or an Immortal King. Now, however, he could definitively rule out that theory. An Immortal King could never possess power on the level of Higher-Dimensional Cognition. A Dao Ancestor might come close. Yet if Higher-Dimensional Cognition truly could deduce his [Artifact Crafting] attainments up to Level 20, that would be something beyond what even a "Dao Ancestor" could measure. "Let's wait and see." Yaoguang glanced at the [Artifact Crafting] branch sitting at merely 7%. As a rule, once the progress surpassed 80%, he would be able to glimpse the domain of the next rank. Therefore, once he reached that point, he should be able to comprehend the concept behind "Higher-Dimensional Cognition." And... Yaoguang recalled that sensation from earlier—of his "vision" being elevated and pulled into the distance once more. That was the feeling of true "higher dimensionality." It was like an entity residing outside the universe, idly tinkering with and peering into this cosmos out of pure "curiosity," merely searching for something that caught "Its" interest. "Perhaps, when that time comes, I'll be able to see the true nature of this universe." Because... He had always felt that something was off about this universe. Yet he could never put his finger on what exactly was wrong. After a good while, Yaoguang composed his thoughts and turned his attention to the Dao fruit that had formed when the [Artifact Crafting] branch reached Level 18. "Dao Master is somewhat useless, while Dao Sacrifice is very handy, if far too sinister. The new Dao fruit is... Dao Integration?" Yaoguang stared at this Dao fruit, slightly taken aback. However, once he thoroughly digested this Dao fruit divine ability, he realized he had misunderstood. This wasn't that kind of Dao Integration. This... This was truly "Dao Integration" in the literal sense: merging the Daos. It integrated immortal artifacts carrying other Grand Daos into an existing immortal artifact, producing a "composite" effect. To put it in layman's terms, it was like adding other substances into finely forged steel to turn it into an alloy. "This is somewhat similar to a supreme sacred artifact," Yaoguang murmured. The realm of Level 19 supreme sacred artifacts. However, compared to a true supreme sacred artifact, a supreme sacred artifact forged through this "Dao Integration" divine ability was somewhat difficult to control. Just like smelting an alloy, during the trial phase, one wouldn't necessarily produce an effective alloy every time. If things went awry, it might even disrupt the original metal's stability, making its performance worse and rendering it useless. Yaoguang pondered for a moment and soon realized, "Isn't this just synthesis? And synthesis with a chance of failure, at that?" Good grief. Combined with the earlier "Dao Infusion," this Dao fruit divine ability made for a complete one-stop service. Dao Infusion upgraded ordinary magical instruments into Dao artifacts; then "Dao Master" could nurture the Dao artifact to a higher level, or one could simply use "Dao Sacrifice" to strengthen it; once it was reinforced enough, one used "Dao Integration" to synthesize it. If successful, it became a future supreme sacred artifact. And if it failed, start over from scratch? Yaoguang's expression grew slightly strange. Reflecting on the other Dao fruits he had acquired... He had the uncanny illusion of having "passive" skills and "active" skills. He turned his gaze toward the immortal artifacts on his person. He wondered what would happen if he synthesized his three immortal artifacts together. If he really could synthesize a "supreme sacred artifact"... Even an unripened "supreme sacred artifact" would still possess boundless potential. "Right now, I've reached the upper limit of the lower realm, with no room left to advance. In this great battle against the Star Slayer Alliance and the Xingri Sect, so many shares of the Void Dao Lords and other Dao Lords could only be watched dissipating before my eyes. Rather than letting that happen, I might as well give this a try to see if I can unlock a new ceiling." Yaoguang had not forgotten that a terrifying being suspected to be an Immortal King was lying in wait for him back on Beihai Star. If that Immortal King descended upon Beihai Star in the form of a "Dao Sovereign" with hostile intent, Yaoguang's current state might not be enough to contend with it. "At the very least... I must possess the strength of a true Dao Sovereign before I can confront the potential crisis over there." With this thought, Yaoguang quietly comprehended the myriad mysteries of "Dao Integration." "The divine ability of Dao Integration also requires one of the four supreme Grand Daos as its foundation, and coincidentally, I happen to be a Dao Lord of the Grand Dao of the Void... Then again, basically every Dao fruit birthed is tied to my experiences at that stage, and might even be tailored to solve my pressing predicaments. Naturally, it wouldn't birth divine abilities that I cannot use or master." After a moment, his gaze fell upon the Heavenly Abyss Pagoda and the Ten Directions Heavenly Realm. When it came to Dao Integration, he would take it one artifact at a time; he certainly wasn't going to gamble his entire fortune in a single breath. Especially considering that these immortal artifacts were directly tied to the Human Immortal path he walked. "Hmm?!" At that moment, Yaoguang seemed to sense something, a look of surprise crossing his face. "They actually came over? Do they really think we fought to mutual exhaustion?" Evidently, he had detected the approaching Dao Lords of the Star Slayer Alliance. Pondering for a moment, he had no intention of clashing with them head-on right now. "Let me first see if I can synthesize a supreme sacred artifact that solves the lower realm's power limit. If I can, then finishing off these Dao Lords of the Star Slayer Alliance prematurely would be a terrible waste!" Yaoguang's eyes narrowed slightly. "At the same time, this will serve as a chance for them. If they are willing to back off after this, then for the sake of the Xuanguang Boat, I can let bygones be bygones regarding Huijin, Quanzhen, and the others besieging me. But if they remain obstinate..." He opened his hand in the void, and the Ten Directions Heavenly Realm quickly collapsed toward his palm. As the Ten Directions Heavenly Realm dissipated, Dao Lord Jiugong and the others seemed to sense something and promptly adjusted their course. Paying them no mind, Yaoguang stowed the Ten Directions Heavenly Realm and unleashed consecutive Void Flickers, quickly vanishing from that stretch of void. Right after he vanished, the Dao Lords of the Star Slayer Alliance accelerated sharply, arriving at the battlefield before long. Because of the Ten Directions Heavenly Realm, the starry void bore few major traces of destruction, other than making the already desolate space somewhat more dilapidated. Yet that was not the point. The point was... "He ran!" one Dao Lord declared, somewhat exhilarated. Fleeing meant he was lacking confidence. If he had enough strength to face their Star Slayer Alliance, why would he leave in such a hurry? After all, the two sides had already clashed before and were in active hostility. "Judging by the distance, he must have fled immediately upon sensing us! The alliance leader's judgment was spot on—after breaking the Xingri Sect, he is indeed at the end of his rope and has lost the courage to keep opposing our Star Slayer Alliance!" a Dao Lord who prided himself on shrewdness spoke up. "Strictly speaking, having wiped out the core forces of the Xingri Sect, he ought to be considered an ally of our Star Slayer Alliance. In the future, even making him our vice alliance leader would not have been out of the question. But his grave mistake was seizing our alliance's Xuanguang Boat! Therefore, whatever reasons or hardships he may have, he must pay the price for his actions!" "Then what are we waiting for? Quick, after him!" Eyes gleamed among the Dao Lords. Yaoguang and the Xingri Sect had supposedly fought to mutual destruction, making this the prime opportunity to slay him. Right now, nearly all of the Xingri Sect's top experts had been wiped out. Once Yaoguang died, no one would be left to stop the Star Slayer Alliance from seizing the Gate of the Immortal Realm. Once they secured the Gate of the Immortal Realm, ascending to the Immortal Realm themselves or securing an ascension path for their descendants would no longer be an issue. Not only that, without the Xingri Sect, the Star Slayer Alliance could replace them entirely. Riding the momentum of toppling the Xingri Sect, wherever the Star Slayer Alliance pointed its spearhead, who would dare resist? They would surely conquer the Xingri Sect's territory with ease, ruling over this starfield and becoming a second Xingri Sect. This was a foundation for tens of thousands of generations to come. It was precisely because of this that the Dao Lords who had been wavering moments ago suddenly turned eager. When facing headwinds, they naturally only sought self-preservation. But once the wind blew in their favor... They charged faster than anyone else. "Pursue!" Dao Lord Jiugong hesitated not in the least, waving his hand vigorously as he led the chase. ... On the other side, Yaoguang's figure flickered repeatedly, quickly leaving Dao Lord Jiugong and company far behind. With his speed, if he traveled at full tilt, perhaps not even a Dao Sovereign outside the Dao of the Void could keep up with him. Nearly half a month later, Yaoguang came to a halt beside a massive black hole. The black hole was colossal enough to drag countless stars into its orbit; viewed from further away, the swirling stars resembled an entire galaxy. "Next, it's time to see just how miraculous this 'Dao Integration' divine ability truly is." Standing in the void, Yaoguang brought out the two immortal artifacts: the Heavenly Abyss Pagoda and the Ten Directions Heavenly Realm. Compared to the Wuji Sword, which belonged entirely to the Dao of the Void, the Ten Directions Heavenly Realm contained a trace of the Grand Dao of the Soul's traits. Furthermore, despite possessing traits of the Grand Dao of the Soul, the heavenly realm space projected by the Ten Directions Heavenly Realm bore certain similarities to the heavenly abyss world opened by the Heavenly Abyss Pagoda. The two possessed both differences and commonalities. This was precisely why Yaoguang chose to perform "Dao Integration" with these two immortal artifacts first. He quietly attuned himself to the commonalities between the two immortal artifacts while synchronizing them. When this attunement reached a certain critical junction, the power of the Grand Dao of the Void suddenly surged forth, instantly triggering a resonance with the Grand Dao of the Soul. Under the power of the Grand Daos, the two immortal artifacts rapidly fused together. During this process, Yaoguang felt as though he were standing face-to-face with the Grand Dao itself, his comprehension of the Grand Dao of the Soul advancing by leaps and bounds. After a long while! The tremors of the Grand Dao subsided. A pagoda slightly altered from before appeared in front of him. "Ten Directions Heavenly Abyss Pagoda."