Forbidden

The Xingri Sect. Even though the Xingri Sect had been destroyed two thousand years ago by Yaoguang, most of its architecture and formations had remained generally intact. Furthermore, with Dao Lord Zongmai and the others moving in and developing the area, the world housing the Xingri Sect and the region around its Gate of the Immortal Realm had once again regained their bustling prosperity. Now, however, this flourishing world had clearly welcomed a new master. As the founder of the Xingri Sect, Dao Sovereign Huanyin commanded peerless prestige across this starry sky, even though millions of years had passed since his ascension. In the mere decade or so since he reclaimed the Xingri Sect, a vast number of Dao Lords had flocked to join him upon hearing the news. Today, counting Dao Sovereign Huanyin, Dao Sovereign Ronglian, and the others, the number of Dao Lords throughout the Xingri Sect had already surpassed twenty. While this had not yet returned to the glory days of the Xingri Sect at its peak, either Dao Sovereign Huanyin or Dao Sovereign Ronglian alone possessed the strength to single-handedly overwhelm the entire Xingri Sect of the past. Consequently, even with just twenty Dao Lords, the Xingri Sect was far more formidable than it had been over two thousand years ago. Were it not for the fact that the Lord of Yuanxi's power was about to project into the lower-realm starry sky—drawing greater attention to the lower realm from various factions—a lineup featuring two Level 18 immortal spirits and two Level 17 immortal spirits would have had no trouble unifying the entire starry universe, just as the Yongsheng Sect once had. At that moment, Dao Sovereign Huanyin was charting the cosmic star map he had downloaded from the Lord of Yuanxi. This star map not only encompassed the entire starry universe, but also marked every void node. Its completeness far exceeded the map Yaoguang had obtained from the Yongsheng Sect. After all, the information in the Lord of Yuanxi's database was constantly updated and refined. To say nothing of the Yongsheng Sect's star map being tens of thousands of years out of date, even an update every few centuries could reveal several new connecting routes for a single path. Dao Sovereign Huanyin's purpose in mapping it out was simple: when the time came, other immortal spirits and even local Dao Lords could use this star map to bring surrounding stellar domains under the Xingri Sect's jurisdiction one by one, better preparing for the arrival of the Lord of Yuanxi's power. *Whoosh!* Dao Sovereign Ronglian's figure manifested inside the palace. Seeing him arrive, Dao Sovereign Huanyin asked without looking up, "Has it been confirmed?" "While we haven't obtained definitive proof, there was no other Dao Sovereign in existence during that period aside from him," Dao Sovereign Ronglian said. "So the Dao Sovereign who wiped out our Xingri Sect and the one who destroyed the Yongsheng Sect really are the same person?" "Indeed." Dao Sovereign Ronglian gave a firm nod. "Barring any unexpected developments, it is none other than Immortal King Yuxiao, who caused quite a stir in Creation Group." "Then that makes things simple." Dao Sovereign Huanyin smiled faintly. "Had that Immortal King Yuxiao, using the alias Yaoguang, only destroyed our Xingri Sect, forcing him to bleed enough to compensate for our sect's annihilation would have been quite troublesome. But now, not only has he offended our Star Sun Group, he has also offended Changsheng Group. When both our factions apply pressure together, we need not worry that he won't be stripped down to his last copper." With that, he let out a cold laugh. "After all, he himself is extraordinarily valuable." "He is valuable beyond our wildest imagination." Dao Sovereign Ronglian gave a cold sneer. "The newcomer who arrived recently brought the latest news from the Immortal Realm. That Immortal King Yuxiao seems far from simple. Rumors are spreading outside that this time, he didn't just walk the Dao of the Void—he walked the Dao of Time as well." "Dual cultivation in both the Dao of the Void and the Dao of Time?" Dao Sovereign Huanyin was somewhat astonished. "Did he also stumble upon a fortuitous encounter in the Gate of Karma and master the technique of two souls in one body?" "No, that isn't it. Has Your Highness forgotten? According to our previous investigation, when this Immortal King Yuxiao went by the alias Yaoguang after becoming a Dao Sovereign, where did he spend most of his time?" Dao Sovereign Ronglian asked. "The Dao Obliteration Land?!" Dao Sovereign Huanyin froze, his pupils instantly constricting. "Don't tell me you suspect he discovered something in the Dao Obliteration Land that allowed him to walk both the Dao of the Void and the Dao of Time simultaneously?" He immediately followed up, "Impossible. Over millions of years, no fewer than a hundred immortal spirits have searched the Dao Obliteration Land. Even among Level 18 immortal spirits—Immortal Kings like myself—no fewer than ten have visited the Dao Obliteration Land. Yet none of them ever found a single thing, not even a trace of a clue. How could Yuxiao possibly..." "Who can say for sure when it comes to fortuitous opportunities? Especially since Yuxiao perished while contemplating the Gate of Karma, yet swiftly restored his clearance level after falling. For all we know, he truly did discover something in the Gate of Karma. Thus, I intend to go take a look as well. In any case, at our speed, it won't take many years," Dao Sovereign Ronglian said. Hearing this, Dao Sovereign Huanyin let out a quiet breath. He had journeyed through the Dao Obliteration Land in the past and similarly found nothing. If Immortal King Yuxiao had still managed to obtain some inheritance there after his departure... A chilling glint flashed in the Immortal King's eyes. "We will leave the matters here to the two juniors. I will go with you to the Dao Obliteration Land," Dao Sovereign Huanyin said in a deep voice. "The last time we searched the Dao Obliteration Land, we were far too gentle and careless. This time, we will dig three feet into the ground and turn the entire Dao Obliteration Land upside down." Dao Sovereign Ronglian looked surprised. "Your Highness, you mean..." "Refine the Dao Obliteration Land!" Dao Sovereign Huanyin said with heavy emphasis. "We will refine every planet, world, meteorite, nebula, and even all matter and energy throughout the entire Dao Obliteration Land into a single sphere. If those two Dao Ancestors truly left something behind in the Dao Obliteration Land, I refuse to believe we won't uncover it!" "Refine the Dao Obliteration Land!" Dao Sovereign Ronglian drew in a sharp breath. "The Dao Obliteration Land spans a billion light-years! How much time would it take to refine it all?" "Even if it is merely an inheritance, maintaining it unextinguished for millions of years still demands substantial environmental conditions. Therefore, we can focus our targets on worlds possessing energy grades. Wouldn't that make things far easier? If all goes well, we can refine the bulk of it within ten thousand years!" As Dao Sovereign Huanyin spoke, he waved his hand, projecting the star map. The very first location marked was a world containing a Gate of the Immortal Realm. And that... Was none other than Beihai Star, which Dao Sovereign Huanyin had visited long ago. "We start here!" "My thoughts exactly." Dao Sovereign Ronglian nodded. "This is the world where Immortal King Yuxiao was situated. If we investigate this world first, we might very well uncover something." Right then, without either of the two Level 18 immortal spirits noticing in the slightest, an aggressively intrusive strand of divine sense forced its way into their conversation. "Why bother investigating? If there is anything you wish to know, just ask me directly." The moment those words rang out, the expressions of both Dao Sovereigns changed drastically. Leveraging their immense computational power, they swiftly invoked the power of the Grand Dao, causing the void to shudder. Facing a formidable enemy, both Dao Sovereigns pushed their spiritual perception to the absolute limit. Within the area where they had been conversing, a figure had appeared at some unknown moment. The instant they saw this figure, Dao Sovereign Ronglian and Dao Sovereign Huanyin, who had investigated him for quite some time, cried out his names in unison. "Yuxiao!" "Yaoguang!" Yet that was not the point. The point was that even though Yaoguang was standing right before them, a void barrier seemed to exist between them and him, leaving them utterly incapable of sensing even a shred of his aura with anything other than their naked eyes! "How is this possible?!" Disbelief filled Dao Sovereign Huanyin's eyes. "Level 19?! Your clearance level climbed to Level 19?!" Dao Sovereign Ronglian cried out in shock, but then immediately realized something. "No! The great, supreme intelligence, the Lord of Yuanxi, has yet to project His power into the lower-realm starry sky! Even if you possessed Level 19 clearance, you couldn't exert much of it! In the lower realm, the only power one can rely on is the power of the Grand Dao nurtured by the Ancient Immortal Realm! You..." He stared at Yaoguang, completely unable to discern what kind of method he was currently employing. "If you have questions, ask them," Yaoguang said. Yet immediately afterward, he felt as though doing so would be a waste of time. "Never mind. I'll just send you on your way directly." "Insolent boast!" Dao Sovereign Huanyin regained his composure. With Yaoguang suddenly launching a surprise arrival, he knew this matter could not be resolved peacefully. His realm as an Immortal King allowed him to swiftly invoke the power of the Grand Dao, rapidly preparing to manifest an immortal art! Not only him, but Dao Sovereign Ronglian reacted just as swiftly. The moment Dao Sovereign Huanyin invoked the Grand Dao to unleash an immortal art, Ronglian made his move as well. Although Ronglian had downloaded cultivation methods and experiences that led directly to the Immortal King level, he had not yet truly cultivated to that realm. Therefore, he chose not an immortal art, but a Dao art—one that could be cast almost instantaneously. The moment he raised his hand, a raging flame carrying violent, berserk power pierced through the void and struck Yaoguang's body in an instant. However... When this Dao art landed on Yaoguang, it was like a clay ox plunging into the sea, failing to stir the slightest ripple. Yaoguang did not suffer the slightest harm. With a mere wave of his hand, the phantom of the Grand Dao Pagoda manifested. The radiant glow formed by dozens of Grand Dao powers cascaded down in a rolling torrent. In an instant, Dao Sovereign Huanyin, who was just about to unleash his soul Dao art, felt the soul Dao art he had invoked being suppressed. Before he could erupt with even greater power to break free from this suppression, an even greater flood of Grand Dao powers swept down, instantly battering and scattering the Grand Dao of the Soul he had invoked. "How could this be?!" Dao Sovereign Huanyin's eyes widened in horror. Although Yaoguang's sudden appearance beside him—an Immortal King of the Grand Dao of the Soul—had made him feel a strong sense of threat, he had never imagined that the gap between them would be so vast once they actually clashed. The sweeping torrent of the Grand Dao conjured by that Grand Dao Pagoda phantom... Made it as if he were facing the concerted onslaught of dozens of Dao Sovereigns of the same realm all at once! How could anyone fight against that?! "A supreme sacred artifact! You obtained the supreme sacred artifact left behind by the Time Dao Ancestor and the Void Dao Ancestor?!" Dao Sovereign Huanyin let out a cry of shock and fury. Though reluctance flashed in his eyes, he made a decisively swift choice. "Ascend! Ascend to the Immortal Realm! Yuxiao, that is our true battlefield! I will wait for you there!" This Dao Sovereign unleashed power far exceeding what the lower realm could accommodate, instantly merging with the omnipresent traction force of the Immortal Realm. "Ascend?" Yaoguang smiled faintly. "Did I give you permission?!" Pressing down with his hand, his Dao Master-level mastery over the void instantly solidified space, forcibly severing the connection between this stretch of void and the Immortal Realm's traction force. "Ascension forbidden!"