The Curtain Rises

"Good!" Immortal King Taiyi nodded. "Which Gate of the Grand Dao do you wish to comprehend first?" Yaoguang did not answer immediately. Instead, he quietly communed with his surroundings at this moment. To that end, he even channeled some energy into the Artifact Refining branch of the tree, activating the perception of his Higher-Dimensional Cognition. Through this heightened sight, he instantly perceived that the traces of the power of fate circulating through him seemed to have reached an apex at this very instant. Countless mysterious forces—originating from somewhere within the Immortal Realm, yet permeating every corner of the Ancient Immortal Realm—wove together all manner of external circumstances, subtly steering his thoughts and judgment. For instance... The Gate of Fate stood as the head of the Three Thousand Grand Daos, the mightiest of them all. Once he shook one Gate of the Grand Dao, he would grant all the Dominators a glimmer of hope, drawing them to descend onto the field in person. When that happened, all Nine Great Groups would spare no effort to support him in shaking the other Gate of the Grand Dao. And to secure the most support, one should naturally start with the easier target. He had encountered Dao Child Zhuanlun long ago, capturing the aura of the Wheel of Karma from him and using the Glazed Treasure Tree to cultivate the branch of [Dao Integration · Karma]. His understanding of the Grand Dao of Karma far surpassed his comprehension of the Grand Dao of Fate. Although he had obtained the Gate of All Mysteries from Immortal King Tianming, the Grand Dao of Fate remained unfathomably profound. Even holding the Gate of All Mysteries, said to wield the authority of fate, he could not fathom the subtleties of fate in the slightest, leaving him with an indescribable reverence toward its power. All these factors and circumstances converged, ultimately nudging him toward an obvious decision. First, trigger the resonance of the Grand Dao of Karma to shake the Gate of Karma. Then, after the Hunyuan Realm's camp united their strength to shatter the Gate of Karma, gather all their might to break the Gate of Fate. A final showdown with the Grand Dao of Fate would deliver the fatal blow to the Ancient Immortal Realm's last line of defense. *Perfect.* Yaoguang quietly observed the thought. Even he felt that it was only natural for him to think this way, and that it truly was the best course of action. He felt these mysterious forces, which could not directly touch him, yet constantly influenced him from all directions through every kind of external condition... Never before had the feeling been so vivid. Intriguing. Truly intriguing. *I thought fate was 'me,' yet in truth, what this 'me' eventually grows into is continuously shaped by all manner of external factors. These perpetual arrangements and influences forge everything 'I' experience! So... what exactly is fate?* An enlightenment dawned in Yaoguang's heart. He saw it clearly now. *Fate is the entire life of 'me.'* In that instant, he almost felt like clapping his hands in admiration. He could not help reaching out, seemingly wanting to grasp something. Clearly, nothing was there. Yet... That was the fate of "me." "Hahahahaha!" Yaoguang could not hold back a burst of laughter. Fate truly was exquisite beyond measure and omnipresent. Its grand designs were utterly magnificent, vast and breathtaking, inspiring nothing but awe. "Er..." Just then, a voice interrupted Yaoguang's hearty laughter. "Chairman Yuxiao, did I say something amiss?" Immortal King Taiyi looked bewildered. Interrupted by his words, Yaoguang finally pulled himself back from the joy of this intimate brush with fate and the realization of its true essence. Withdrawing from the state of Higher-Dimensional Cognition, he gathered his thoughts and explained, "My apologies, my apologies. I merely thought of something amusing and couldn't contain my delight, which led to a momentary lapse in composure." Even as he spoke, an irrepressible smile still lingered on his face. Seeing this, Immortal King Taiyi joined in with a chuckle. "It seems to be a good omen, presaging smooth sailing for our upcoming endeavor." "When fortune smiles, all of heaven and earth unite in one's favor. It shall surely be so." Yaoguang nodded and continued, "As for the two portals... the portal formed by the Grand Dao of Fate is known as the head of the Three Thousand Grand Daos, while the Gate of Karma formed by the Grand Dao of Karma is intrinsically tied to all Three Thousand Grand Daos. Though both are Supreme Grand Daos, judging by their respective natures, the Grand Dao of Karma—connected as it is to the Three Thousand Grand Daos—is clearly far easier to resonate with and shake through the other daos. Therefore..." At this moment, even though he was no longer in the state of Higher-Dimensional Cognition and his essence of Chaos had already been detached from his body and placed within the chaotic void, he could still surmise that the convergence of fate's power upon him had reached its zenith. And he... Would not disappoint fate's expectations. "I choose the Gate of Karma," Yaoguang said, a faint smile gracing the corners of his lips. Immortal King Taiyi showed not the slightest surprise. The think tank within Xiyu Group had already deliberated on this. Taking all factors into account, shaking the Gate of Karma first was undoubtedly the more prudent course. Even if Yaoguang had not chosen the Gate of Karma, they would have stepped in to persuade him. Now that Yaoguang had made this choice... It was clear he had given the matter deep consideration. Only through mature, steady reflection would he arrive at a conclusion identical to their own. "Very well, the Gate of Karma it is. I will have the arrangements made immediately. Once Chairman Yuxiao has settled matters within your group, set out alongside Shenyu." Immortal King Taiyi nodded. "Much obliged." "Haha, it is only what we ought to do!" Immortal King Taiyi laughed heartily. "The members of Xiyu Group and Dusk Group will await Chairman Yuxiao's arrival near the Gate of Karma. Let us join hands to end this stalemate that has lasted over three million years and launch the final strike against the Ancient Immortal Realm." Yaoguang gave a slight nod. Immortal King Taiyi's avatar dispersed. Only Immortal King Shenyu remained in the hall. "We can depart at any time," Immortal King Shenyu said. Yaoguang nodded and began giving out a series of instructions. Still, the only ones who truly required instructions were Taiqing, Yuanyi, and at most... Immortal Venerable Penglai. As for the others... They were too far away. Even if he wanted to make arrangements for them, he could not. Besides, the outcome of this great war would be decided soon enough. If the Ancient Immortal Realm ultimately fell, whether those people could survive until the day they needed his arrangements remained an open question. Thus... In less than an hour, Yaoguang summoned Immortal King Alpha and Immortal King Nizhuan, joining Immortal King Shenyu. "Let us go." "We obtained an item from Dusk Group that can somewhat conceal Chairman Yuxiao's aura. I must ask the chairman to bear with it for a while." As Immortal King Shenyu spoke, he summoned a spherical treasure roughly ten meters in diameter. It contained the auras of numerous Grand Daos, including Void, Soul, Mind, Phantasm, Darkness, Chaos, Yin-Yang, and Creation. All of them served the purpose of concealment, interference, distortion, and obfuscation. "A supreme sacred artifact," Yaoguang remarked with a touch of sentiment. To think that aside from himself, someone in Dusk Group was capable of forging such a pinnacle treasure. Indeed, one must never underestimate the people of this world. Without hesitation, Yaoguang, Nizhuan, and Alpha entered the artifact. Under Immortal King Shenyu's manipulation, the treasure sent out a ripple and vanished from Creation Group without a sound, flying at full speed toward the Gate of Karma suspended high in the heavens. The Gate of Karma and the Gate of Fate appeared to hang side by side in the sky, but in reality, the distance between them was vast. Even flying in this sacred artifact, it would take nearly half a month. Inside the artifact, Yaoguang looked at the three Immortal Kings beside him... Last time, when they had plotted against Immortal King Tianyu, as many as nine people had joined the operation, including Xuanqing, a Level 19 chairman. But this time... Only four remained. Of course, others from Dusk Group and Xiyu Group were waiting near the Gate of Karma. Once they met, the number of Immortal Kings would easily reach more than a dozen, surpassing their previous numbers. Even though ten Immortal Kings had fallen in the recent battle, the two great groups still surged forward, wave upon wave. In the end, it was profit that stirred men's hearts. A prize vast enough to nurture dozens of Level 19 authority holders and several Level 20 authority holders was more than enough to drive any Immortal King or conglomerate to advance relentlessly, despite knowing full well the immense danger. Since these Level 18 authority holders had chosen to enter the Ancient Immortal Realm and cultivate step by step to the rank of Immortal King, they naturally possessed far more of an adventurous spirit than those Level 18 authority holders who remained sheltered within the Hunyuan Realm. Compared to the ultimate harvest, a little risk would never deter them. *** Half a month passed swiftly. However, events did not unfold as smoothly as Xiyu Group and Dusk Group had envisioned. Yaoguang was already a figure under intense scrutiny. His meeting with Immortal King Shenyu had sent a distinct signal in itself. And several years after meeting Immortal King Shenyu, Chairman Taiyi of Xiyu Group had led numerous Immortal Kings from his group to arrive at the Gate of Karma in succession, and quite a few Immortal Kings from Dusk Group were also moving toward Xiyu Group's position. With that, anyone could guess that the chairman of Creation Group had allied with Xiyu Group and Dusk Group, intending to rely on their protection to forcibly comprehend the Gate of Karma. In truth, at such a high level, petty schemes rarely succeeded, and decisions made between massive conglomerates could hardly be concealed. Therefore, when Yaoguang, Immortal King Shenyu, and the others arrived outside the Gate of Karma, no fewer than twenty Immortal Kings had already gathered, with even more rushing over at high speed. The moment Yaoguang arrived, Immortal King Yuankun, chairman of Tianyuan Group, immediately detected something. He pointed a finger across the void, stirring the Grand Dao of Chaos. Ripples spread out in concentric rings, quickly forcing the spherical supreme sacred artifact to reveal itself. "Over there!" "Immortal King Yuxiao? An Immortal King who was utterly unremarkable five thousand years ago has managed to stir the winds and clouds of the Ancient Immortal Realm to such an extent? What sheer good fortune!" "Heh, good fortune? Whether it is a blessing or a curse remains to be seen." "Yuxiao, your Creation Group slaughtered Immortal King Wumu of our Shenluo Group. You must give us an accounting for this today! Otherwise, the ten Immortal Kings of our Shenluo Group will never let this rest!" The instant Yaoguang's group appeared, a dozen Immortal Kings from Shenluo Group, Tianyuan Group, Star Sun Group, and Changsheng Group encircled them at once. The remaining Brahma Group and Aoshu Group stood by for the moment to watch the show, waiting until one side could no longer hold out so they could demand an exorbitant price and reap sufficient benefits before stepping in. "Pay them no heed, Yuxiao! Go straight to the Gate of Karma—leave these people to us!" Immortal King Taiyi swung his hand forcefully. Yaoguang gave a slight nod. Wasting no time, he charged straight toward the Gate of Karma.