The Protagonist

"Pluck the ripe fruit of the Ancient Immortal Realm, allowing the Nine Great Groups to become the true Dominators ruling above the Lord of Yuanxi?!" Yaoguang's heart stirred. In that instant, he felt as though he had grasped something crucial. The relationship between the Nine Great Groups and the Lord of Yuanxi had never been one of subordination, but of cooperation. Yet throughout this partnership, it was the Lord of Yuanxi who had consistently held the dominant position. Because... The Lord of Yuanxi represented the collective will of all living beings in the Hunyuan Realm. He and the Nine Great Groups had never truly walked the same path. For that very reason, within the seemingly unified Hunyuan Realm, situations where the Nine Great Groups dragged their feet cropped up time and again. Yet if the Nine Great Groups managed to breach the Ancient Immortal Realm this time and emerge as the greatest beneficiaries, two, three, or perhaps even four or five Dominators would be born from their ranks! The emergence of so many Dominators would severely dilute the Lord of Yuanxi's authority and interests. If all went smoothly... The Nine Great Groups would completely eclipse the Lord of Yuanxi, reducing Him to a puppet ruler under their thumb. Just like... a government dominated by corporate conglomerates. Furthermore, the Lord of Yuanxi was extraordinarily powerful. If He truly became a mere puppet for the Nine Great Groups' dominion over the Hunyuan Realm, the Hunyuan Realm would entirely become the realm of the Nine Great Groups, and no living being would ever be able to defy their will. *Could the Lord of Yuanxi be blind to this? Would He permit such an outcome? And what kind of countermeasure would He have in place?* Yaoguang pondered incessantly. He felt himself drawing ever closer to the underlying truth of this inter-realm war. Once he grasped this dynamic, the key realization that had just brushed his mind swiftly snapped into focus. *Could this be the power of fate?* Inspirations flashed through his mind. *United as one, the Hunyuan Realm was something the Ancient Immortal Realm could never hope to defeat. But if the Hunyuan Realm is fractured from within, split in two, or even plunged into civil war... The truly impregnable fortresses are always breached from the inside.* At this thought, a chill ran through Yaoguang's heart. He knew it. For the Ancient Immortal Realm to have held out for three million years after the total collapse of its front lines without being eradicated, it had to have hidden cards up its sleeve. And such a card... If all went smoothly, it truly might achieve what Immortal King Tianming of the Ancient Immortal Alliance had claimed: reversing the tides of fate and snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. *So, without even realizing it, have I become the most critical pawn in this grand struggle?* Having untangled the cause, effect, and stakes, a sudden smile crept onto Yaoguang's lips. It seemed... things were getting increasingly interesting. If everything matched his deductions, this was truly an immaculate gambit, a breathtaking clash of wits. And he, as the core pawn, would participate from beginning to end in the pinnacle struggle behind this war of two realms. *A pawn, yes—but the protagonist among pawns?* Yaoguang mentally applauded the higher-ups of both the Hunyuan Realm and the Ancient Immortal Realm. *Very well. I will play along with your wishes and watch how this unfolds, to see who among you claims the ultimate victory.* He would watch it through. Of course, while watching, he would also reap some benefits for himself. For instance, the Three Thousand Grand Daos governed by the Gate of Fate, which would accelerate the evolution of his own chaos world. Or the Lord of Yuanxi's Level 20 authority, along with the Level 21 authority architecture He sought to ascend toward. If he could upgrade the Lord of Heavenly Dao to Level 20 or Level 21, having it coordinate the evolution of his chaos world would cause its efficiency to skyrocket once more. Reducing the timeline from several hundred thousand or over a hundred thousand years down to just several tens of thousands was well within the realm of possibility. *As a pawn, one should possess a pawn's awareness. So what I must do next is satisfy everyone's expectations, follow the guidance of the power of fate, and before the eyes of all, trigger a resonance of the Daos using the Grand Dao of Time and the Grand Dao of the Void to shake the Gate of Karma.* Yaoguang made up his mind. At the same time, with a thought, the chaos world that was his true form began to quietly survey its surroundings. When his role as a pawn was truly set in motion, the Ancient Immortal Realm would launch an all-out counterattack under the guidance of the Gate of Fate. At that moment, he could seize the opportunity to thoroughly master the Three Thousand Grand Daos through Fate. Once he completed the Three Thousand Grand Daos and raised his Lord of Heavenly Dao authority to Level 20, his chaos world would grow within tens of thousands of years to rival both the Hunyuan Realm and the Ancient Immortal Realm. No! Because his chaos world would possess both the Three Thousand Grand Daos and a Lord of Heavenly Dao equipped with Level 20 authority, his power... would equal the sum of the Hunyuan Realm and the Ancient Immortal Realm combined. At that point, unless the Ancient Immortal Realm and the Hunyuan Realm could put aside all prejudices and join hands in seamless unity against him, they would stand no chance of victory whatsoever. "Chairman Yuxiao, what do you think?" Immortal King Shenyu spoke with grand conviction. "Rest assured, I can guarantee that if one person among all the chairmen of the Nine Great Groups is destined to become a Dominator with Level 20 authority, that person will certainly be you." Yaoguang glanced at Immortal King Shenyu. Before realm-defining interests of such magnitude, the promise of a single Immortal King was worthless. However, having already formed his own plans, he naturally had no intention of flatly refusing. "It will not be too late to give you a definitive answer once it is confirmed that Immortal King Nizhuan has made no progress on his end." Yaoguang paused, then added, "Besides, I do not believe Xiyu Group alone can withstand the hostility of Tianyuan, Shenluo, Xingri, and Changsheng." "If Xiyu Group alone is insufficient, what if we add Huanghun Group? Moreover, Creation Group still possesses its own foundation. If that foundation is brought to bear, merely ensuring that Chairman Yuxiao can smoothly contemplate the Gate of Fate and the Gate of Karma, and shake the two portals through Dao resonance, will be child's play," Immortal King Shenyu said with utmost confidence. Finally, he glanced at Immortal Venerable Penglai beside him. "I understand that Chairman Yuxiao wishes to see how matters develop with Immortal King Nizhuan. In that case, I shall have Penglai remain here at Creation Group for now to serve as a liaison between our two sides. Once Chairman Yuxiao has definite word, simply convey it to us through Penglai. Xiyu Group will act immediately to clear a path for you to the Gate of Fate or the Gate of Karma." "Very well," Yaoguang replied. Immortal King Shenyu bowed once more, transmitted instructions regarding specific details to Immortal Venerable Penglai via divine sense, and took his leave with a smile. Yaoguang had Immortal Taiqing see him out in his stead. Once the two departed, only Yaoguang and Immortal Venerable Penglai remained upon Yunjing Terrace. The Immortal Venerable offered a warm smile. "No wonder Immortal King Yuxiao looked down on my invitation back then. It turns out you had obtained such tremendous fortune. Barely two thousand years after returning to Creation Group, you have stirred up such astonishing storms, even shaking the Nine Great Groups. Truly, a great figure commands the attention of the world wherever they go." "You flatter me; it was merely a stroke of fortune." Yaoguang smiled. "Your own cultivation has progressed remarkably fast. You have already reached the realm of an Immortal Venerable—truly astounding." "In truth, being able to achieve this so quickly is partly thanks to your reflected glory. During your open and covert struggles with Creation Group's board of directors, you once displayed an inclination to defect to Xiyu Group. Though it was only to force Xuanqing and the others to concede, Xiyu Group's upper echelon felt that the friendly ties between us ought to be preserved." Immortal Venerable Penglai smiled faintly. "And to maintain friendly ties, the gap between us naturally could not be too vast, or I wouldn't even have the standing to converse with you. Thus, through continuous nurturing, I was cultivated to the realm of an Immortal Venerable under the highest priority." "Is that so?" Yaoguang looked at her. "So, if I truly cooperate with Xiyu Group, you will also be included in this team. When the time comes, will the experience shared with you be enough to elevate your authority to Level 18?" "How could it be so easy? You possess Level 18 authority, and those you interact and communicate with are all Level 18 or even Level 19 authority holders, so you might not feel it acutely. But to us, any Level 18 authority holder is akin to a regional governor who holds dominion over an entire territory in the Hunyuan Realm. In the Ancient Immortal Realm, that corresponds to the pinnacle Immortal Venerables or even the realm of Immortal Kings." She gave a self-deprecating laugh. "Even for a Level 17 immortal spirit like me, without a special opportunity, faithfully completing minor tasks and accumulating points and contributions wouldn't be enough to reach Level 18 in hundreds of thousands or even millions of years." "So you chose to come to the Ancient Immortal Realm to take a gamble?" Yaoguang asked, then pressed, "What if you fail?" "Fail?" Immortal Venerable Penglai shook her head. "I spend most of my time within Xiyu Group's territory. The safety here is far higher than outside." "Not necessarily. If the Hunyuan Realm suffers a total defeat in the Ancient Immortal Realm, all immortal spirits, including the Dominators, might well be left behind here to become nourishment for the Ancient Immortal Realm. At that time, the Ancient Immortal Realm will become even stronger—perhaps even capable of reversing the tides, launching a desperate counteroffensive, and devouring the Hunyuan Realm in turn!" Yaoguang remarked. Immortal Venerable Penglai looked at Yaoguang in surprise. Was he truly so pessimistic about the prospects of this war? The Hunyuan Realm clearly still held an overwhelming advantage. Sensing that his words were somewhat untimely, Yaoguang quickly added, "I am merely positing a possibility." "If it is only a possibility..." Immortal Venerable Penglai pondered for a moment before speaking. "Well... in life, one must have some pursuits of their own. Even if one must shoulder some risks for these pursuits, for these so-called ideals—if one doesn't even possess this shred of ambition, purpose, or desire, life would simply be too dull." With that, she glanced at Immortal King Yuxiao again. "Perhaps an ancient and mighty existence like Immortal King Yuxiao cannot understand thoughts as naive and childish as mine." Hearing this, Yaoguang chuckled. "So, in your eyes, I am an old relic who has lived for millions of years?" "No, no, that wasn't what I meant at all." Immortal Venerable Penglai waved her hands hurriedly. But then, as if reorganizing her words, she said, "It is just that before a senior like you, Immortal King, juniors like us cannot help but feel a bit constrained, and our speech naturally turns formal." "Is that so? You were hardly like this back on Beihai Star." Yaoguang spoke with a hint of teasing. "Back then, Dao Lord Penglai roamed the mortal world, bold and spirited. I still remember that dashing poise vividly." Immortal Venerable Penglai flushed with embarrassment. "Back then, I did not know your true identity, Immortal King, nor did I know your status was so exalted." "Did you think a Level 18 authority holder was merely one level above you? Full of high spirits and youthful vigor?" "More like having boundless arrogance and blind conceit," Immortal Venerable Penglai admitted frankly. Yaoguang smiled faintly. Seeing her demeanor, he did not press any further. Differing statuses inevitably dictated different modes and dynamics of interaction. In the end, he merely said, "Regarding my cooperation with Xiyu Group, you need only follow along in the initial stages. When it is time to withdraw, step back. The waters run deep here—far deeper than you can handle."