Making a Move

"Heavenly Dao Sect." After flashing out of the Heavenly Dao Sect, Yaoguang immediately sensed how "cramped" it was. Yes, "cramped" was truly the only word to describe it. He stood silently outside the Heavenly Dao Sect, looking down upon the mountain gate from above... Even though the entire Heavenly Dao Sect spanned tens of thousands of li, when Yaoguang viewed it through eyes nearing those of a Dao Sovereign, he faintly felt that this faction did not resemble a sect at all, but rather an immortal cave abode. A rather casually made, poorly decorated cave abode at that. At this moment, a sliver of suspicion even arose within him. Perhaps Dao Sovereign Hongmeng had never intended to establish a legacy here in the first place. After descending upon this region, he might have simply needed someone to handle a few trivial chores, and since there happened to be some cultivators nearby, he lent them a guiding hand with a pointer or two. During that time, someone among them was likely extraordinarily talented, attaining the rank of Dao Lord and earning Dao Sovereign Hongmeng's appreciation, after which the Dao Sovereign bestowed upon him a semi-immortal artifact—the Golden Book of the Grand Dao—before departing into the distance. Overwhelmed by the majestic, boundless power of the Dao Sovereign, that Dao Lord and those cultivators revered him as their patriarch and ultimately founded the Heavenly Dao Sect. "According to the records within the Star Sun Sect, they revere Dao Sovereign Huanyin as their patriarch for essentially the same reason, merely with a slightly romanticized version of events," Yaoguang remarked softly. After all, viewed through his current perspective, calling the Heavenly Dao Sect the cave abode of a Dao Sovereign was far too shabby. Immediately after, another thought crossed his mind, and he chuckled. "Perhaps hundreds of thousands or a million years from now, after generation upon generation of familiar old friends have passed away, the history of the Nine Cauldrons Sect will also record that they inherited the legacy of 'Dao Sovereign Yaoguang' to establish the sect, growing and flourishing until then..." History was something that inevitably warped with the passage of time, becoming more and more fantastical as tales were passed down. "If I truly were to establish a sect... the model of Yunji Starport wouldn't be a bad idea," Yaoguang mused. Then his thoughts drifted to the Fuyao Realm, home to the Fuyao Immortal Sect. "Shaohua stayed behind in the Fuyao Realm and has begun setting up a level sixteen immortal formation! The structure of the Fuyao Realm is somewhat different from Beihai Star, but with a few improvements, it wouldn't be impossible to remake it into something like Yunji Starport." Void Piercing True Immortals, Void Refining Mysterious Immortals, Void Shattering Golden Immortals. The names alone carried an ethereal, celestial air. The Shaohua avatar was connected to him mind and soul. Even their thought patterns were identical. When a thought arose here, the avatar over there naturally resonated with full agreement. Moreover, it was swiftly put into execution. However, Shaohua's primary task was still to lay down the immortal formation, so carving out spare time to transform that world would naturally take considerable time. Especially since the environment of the Fuyao Realm was vastly harsher than that of Yunji Starport. The Gate of the Immortal Realm spared no effort in absorbing energy; stars one after another, and even an entire galactic system, were pulled and swallowed by it as sources of power. With so many stars and so much matter compressed onto a single continent, that land was naturally turned into a living purgatory. Everywhere one looked, there were ionizing radiation, blazing flames, and molten lava; not a trace of scenic beauty existed. Thus, thoroughly remaking the Fuyao Realm was a colossal undertaking even for a Dao Lord. ... The Penglai Immortal Sect. With a Void Flicker, Yaoguang appeared outside Dao Lord Penglai's dwelling. Shi Lin, who served as the sect master, noticed nothing at all, but Dao Lord Penglai sensed his arrival. Waving her hand in the air, a guiding force drew him straight down into the depths of the sect. Once again, it was beside that small pond covered with lotus flowers. "Done with your seclusion?" Dao Lord Penglai looked at Yaoguang, a hint of a smile at the corner of her eyes. "Or is it that too many Dao Lords have gathered on Beihai Star, squabbling and causing a ruckus so you couldn't find any peace?" "There are quite a few newcomers among the Dao Lords, but they don't amount to much," Yaoguang replied with a smile. "It's just that during this period of seclusion, I gained some insights and refined several treasures. Certain problems that were somewhat difficult to resolve a few hundred years ago will be far easier to handle now." "A great leap in cultivation?" A glimmer of surprise flashed through Dao Lord Penglai's eyes. "Yes." Yaoguang nodded slightly. He did not directly ask her about the Creation Group or the Immortal Realm. Instead, he said, "I promised you before that when the Gate of the Immortal Realm was nearing its opening and our strength was sufficient, we would sweep through the Nine Demon Immortal Lineages to minimize the threat they pose to the Penglai Immortal Sect. I believe now is the time to strike." "Oh?" Dao Lord Penglai looked at him. "The Nine Demon Immortal Lineages have recruited external assistance as well; they currently have fourteen Demon Saints in total. While none of them are exceptionally formidable, the leading Huanshe Demon Saint has been renowned for many years. With the support of the other thirteen Demon Saints, bringing them down won't be easy. If the Six Demon Sects or the Ten God Races trip us up in the meantime... we might even find ourselves in danger." "Then we won't give the Six Demon Sects and the Ten God Races the chance to interfere," Yaoguang said calmly. "Before they can arrive, we'll crush the Nine Demon Immortal Lineages with thunderous momentum." Then, another thought occurred to him. "Though it likely won't come to that, if the Ten God Races truly dare to step out of their Divine Kingdoms to reinforce the Nine Demon Immortal Lineages, all the better—we can eliminate them together. That way, we avoid excessive turmoil from a prolonged war that could undermine Beihai Star's stability and delay the opening of the Gate of the Immortal Realm." "So confident?" Dao Lord Penglai was somewhat astonished. "You'll see once we try," Yaoguang said with a chuckle. Hearing this, Dao Lord Penglai wasted no more time. "Since you've said so, I certainly won't shrink back. Let's give it a try and see if the two of us have the power to flatten the Nine Demon Immortal Lineages." Yaoguang nodded. Dao Lord Penglai immediately sent a divine sense message to Shi Lin, instructing her to prepare for a potential all-out counterattack from the Nine Demon Immortal Lineages. At the same time, she ordered the various palace masters to lead their elites and stand on standby. If the two of them truly broke through the Nine Demon Immortal Lineages, those forces would move in and sweep up all the precious resources within the lineages, preventing any remaining demons from using the remnants to stage a resurgence. Once the orders were given, the two hesitated no longer. Rising into the air together, they flew straight toward the Nine Demon Immortal Lineages. ... As two of the publicly acknowledged invincible Dao Lords on Beihai Star, every move made by Yaoguang and Dao Lord Penglai drew immense attention. As a Void Dao Lord, Yaoguang had always been elusive and difficult to track, but Dao Lord Penglai's Grand Dao of Origin was renowned for its vast, grandiose momentum. Countless spies lay hidden around the Penglai Immortal Sect. The moment the two soared into the sky and breached the clouds, the news instantly shook every high-level power on Beihai Star. Whether native Dao Integration experts from the Ten Immortal Sects, the Four Great Celestial Dynasties, the Six Demon Sects, the Ten God Races, and the Nine Demon Immortal Lineages, or external Dao Lords who had arrived on Beihai Star for the first time, all turned their gazes toward the direction of Yaoguang and Penglai. "Are those the two strongest, invincible Dao Lords of Beihai Star?! From the looks of it, are they heading for the Nine Demon Immortal Lineages? I thought Yaoguang would strike the Ten God Races first." "Heh, invincible Dao Lords? Among Dao Lords, how much stronger can anyone truly be than the rest? Who dares speak of invincibility, and who dares claim to be undefeated?" "The Nine Demon Immortal Lineages are no pushovers. Led by Huanshe, the fourteen Demon Saints are all seasoned and battle-hardened. Let's wait and see. If these two Dao Lords truly live up to the rumors, I'll turn around and leave, taking no further part in Beihai Star's Dao Contention. But if the local powers of Beihai Star have no truly formidable masters, then don't blame us, the Six Saints of the Star Radiance Sea, for asserting ourselves and usurping the host's place." "They're targeting the Nine Demon Immortal Lineages first?! Shalu, gather our forces immediately! If an opportunity arises, we must find a way to keep at least one of them behind!" Furtive strands of divine sense crossed repeatedly through the void. At the very first signs of this battle involving two invincible Dao Lords, it had drawn everyone's attention. Over a hundred Dao Lords stirred upon hearing the news, turning their eyes toward the battlefield of the Nine Demon Immortal Lineages. Upon receiving the news, the Nine Demon Immortal Lineages swiftly went on high alert. Their joint defense pact was not mere empty words. Faced with danger, all the Demon Saints acted swiftly. Using teleportation formations, they gathered in the territory directly facing the Penglai Immortal Sect. This was the domain of a Taotie Demon Saint! Because Yaoguang was in no rush and even intended to let the fourteen Demon Saints gather together—and perhaps lure out the other God Sovereigns of the God Races—by the time they arrived at the Taotie Demon Saint's territory, all fourteen Demon Saints had already assembled. Formidable auras intertwined, piercing the clouds and churning the heavens. The mere upheaval of their momentum and the resonance of their Daos caused lightning, thunder, howling winds, and torrential rains to engulf an area spanning over a hundred thousand kilometers, presenting a scene that looked like the end of the world. Yet, though these fourteen Demon Saints stood side by side, there was no coordination to speak of between them. Evidently, they usually fought independently and shared little trust with one another. To Yaoguang, who had witnessed the battle formations of the Star Sun Sect, it seemed almost comical. Then again, whether they had a battle formation mattered little. Even if they had formed a formation, with Yaoguang's current mastery of formations, he could break it with ease. Consequently, his face showed neither gravity nor dread. Seeing this, Dao Lord Penglai grew curious. "Is there really no problem?" "You should have some faith in me," Yaoguang said with a laugh. "How do we fight them?" Dao Lord Penglai asked. "Should I sweep over them with the Grand Dao of Origin to separate them first? Or will you use that treasure capable of interfering with souls to divide them?" "Although my cultivation hasn't grown drastically during this time, I've forged several powerful ultimate treasures." "Ultimate treasures?!" Dao Lord Penglai was pleasantly surprised. "Immortal artifacts?!" Yaoguang smiled. "You could say that." Behind him, the Grand Dao Pagoda manifested, projecting a colossal silhouette that rapidly expanded and grew larger. "Watch closely!" In the next second, the phantom of the Grand Dao Pagoda seemed to evolve an entire world. With the majestic power to engulf all creation, it swept toward the fourteen Demon Saints of the demon race. Among the fourteen Demon Saints, those who also cultivated the Grand Dao of the Soul reacted in time, but against the void-binding power inherent to the Grand Dao Pagoda, they could not break free at all. Instead, while fully conscious, they could only watch helplessly as all fourteen Demon Saints were directly swept inside by the pagoda. Before the battle had even truly begun, it had already ground to an abrupt halt.