Breached

On the journey transporting Beihai Star and the Cangwu Realm toward the Chaos World, to prevent some among them from dying of old age along the way, Yaoguang followed his own design and assembled the Nine Cauldrons Sect's upper echelon, imparting a new method of longevity. Upon reviewing the method of longevity Yaoguang presented, the many Void Shattering cultivators were filled with continuous pleasant surprises. "Redefining Void Piercing as True Immortal, Void Refining as Heavenly Immortal, and Void Shattering as Mystic Immortal?" "Comprehending the mysteries of a Grand Dao makes one a Golden Immortal, also called a Grand Dao Golden Immortal, enjoying a lifespan of one hundred twenty-nine thousand six hundred years?" "And after Golden Immortal, attaining truth with the Dao makes one an Immortal Golden Immortal, living forever and immortal?! This... one can actually attain immortality?!" Li Hanqiu, Wan Liugui, Li Qingshan, Xu Nianhua, and the others wore expressions of sheer astonishment. Void Shattering became Mystic Immortal. In other words, they could immediately begin comprehending the mysteries of a Grand Dao and transition toward becoming Grand Dao Golden Immortals. If they successfully became Grand Dao Golden Immortals, they could live for one hundred twenty-nine thousand six hundred years—just like a Dao Lord?! That was more than a twelvefold increase in lifespan. And above all, the Immortal Golden Immortal beyond Grand Dao Golden Immortal... Eternal immortality! This was the ultimate vision everyone held for what an "immortal" should be. Su Yaoxue, however, looked over it for a moment before suddenly asking, "Supreme Elder, regarding the description of the Immortal Golden Immortal—attaining truth with the Dao—wasn't it said that... Grand Daos have limited shares? If immortality is pursued in this manner, won't problems arise over time as well?" Yaoguang naturally answered their doubts. "No matter. What I refer to as attaining truth with the Dao is not the same as the Dao Integration realm's uniting with the Dao in truth. Dao Integration completely merges oneself into a Grand Dao, whereas attaining truth with the Dao here means attaching oneself to a Grand Dao to survive, borrowing the power of the Grand Dao to achieve eternal immortality." Yaoguang added, "Attaching to a Grand Dao causes vastly less disruption to it. So long as the number of immortals is controlled, it will not interfere with the Grand Dao's operation at all. Once the Three Thousand Grand Daos fully mature, far from merely accommodating ten thousand immortals per Dao, holding a hundred thousand, a million, or even ten million will be effortless." Seeing that Yaoguang had already taken this into consideration, Su Yaoxue nodded slightly. If one Grand Dao could accommodate hundreds of thousands, millions, or tens of millions of immortals, then the Three Thousand Grand Daos could support three hundred million, three billion, or even thirty billion immortals. This upper limit was far higher than that of the Ancient Immortal Realm. It was more than enough. "Furthermore, immortals are immortal only in terms of lifespan, much like the immortal spirits of the Hunyuan Realm. If their spirits suffer exhaustion, they will still head toward self-destruction. Therefore... no living being will truly live on forever." Yaoguang explained, "This is an inescapable shackle for sentient beings and intelligent life." "Spiritual exhaustion..." Hearing this, Su Yaoxue felt reassured. Nevertheless, she added, "Though spiritual exhaustion will limit the path to eternal life for immortals, eras change, and intelligent beings may one day unravel the mystery behind spiritual exhaustion. To ensure absolute safety, it would be best to establish a mechanism akin to a 'Heavenly Tribulation' to guarantee that the number of immortals does not grow without limit." Hearing this, Yaoguang gave it genuine thought. After contemplating for a moment, he said, "Your suggestion has merit. Let us determine it according to the carrying capacity of the Three Thousand Grand Daos. If too many immortals attach themselves to the Three Thousand Grand Daos and interfere with their normal operation, culls can be carried out as appropriate. I will authorize the 'Lord of Heavenly Dao' to develop and refine the method of culling." A smile appeared on Su Yaoxue's face. "Next, I will explain the cultivation method of the Grand Dao Golden Immortal. I hope that before we reach our destination, you can successfully complete your transition, become Golden Immortals, enjoy a lifespan of one hundred twenty-nine thousand six hundred years, and usher in a new chapter," Yaoguang said with a smile. "We thank the Supreme Elder for imparting the Dao and teaching us!" Everyone stood and bowed respectfully. *** Two thousand years passed swiftly. Yaoguang brought the entirety of Beihai Star back to the Chaos World, placing it within a newly created plane. Because he had brought the entire Beihai Star, and the Three Thousand Grand Daos in this plane were directly copied by Yaoguang from those of the Ancient Immortal Realm, the people living here hardly felt any discomfort or abnormality. Of course, if an Immortal King or even an Immortal Venerable were to visit in person, they might notice discrepancies between this world's Three Thousand Grand Daos and those of the Ancient Immortal Realm. But... The only prominent figures Beihai Star had to offer were a few Dao Lords. The rest were at most Void Shattering cultivators. The Void Shattering Perfected Monarchs had the most contact with the Grand Dao of the Void. And Yaoguang had long since understood the Grand Dao of the Void inside out. Never mind Void Shattering cultivators—even if an Immortal Venerable came in person, they might not be able to tell the difference between the Grand Dao of the Void in the Chaos World and that of the Ancient Immortal Realm. As for the Grand Daos other than the Grand Dao of the Void... What could a bunch of Perfected Monarchs possibly know about the Three Thousand Grand Daos? Furthermore, after receiving Yaoguang's guidance, many had transitioned to Heavenly Immortals, Mystic Immortals, and Golden Immortals. Even if they detected subtle differences in the Great Dao, they would merely assume it was due to switching cultivation arts; they would never imagine they were already in an entirely different universe. Much less could they comprehend just how magnificent and transcendent Yaoguang had become. *** Of course, this magnificent Dao Ancestor Yaoguang was currently outside the Gate of Karma, diligently cooperating with the Nine Great Rulers and the Lord of Yuanxi to wear down the Gate of Karma. And this grinding effort had lasted for thirty thousand years! The Karma Dao Ancestor, having fused completely with the Ancient Immortal Realm, was effectively part of the Ancient Immortal Realm's very structure. And a core structure at that. Just as when one kingdom invades another, even if its march is irresistible and sweeping, fighting from one border across to the other still takes months. To say nothing of establishing complete rule over that kingdom. A war between two realms, especially one entering what was effectively the "subjugation" phase, was naturally not something achieved overnight. Especially for Rulers whose average lifespans were measured in hundreds of millions of years, thirty thousand years amounted to at most a day or two in their perception of time. To conclude a battle in a day or two—how fleeting that was to them! Consequently, all the Rulers showed immense patience. *** "To think the Lord of Yuanxi would cooperate wholeheartedly with the Nine Great Rulers to wear down the Gate of Karma was something I hadn't expected. I had assumed that under the influence of the Fate Dao Ancestor, the Lord of Yuanxi and the Nine Great Rulers would break out into direct conflict." As Yaoguang observed the seamless coordination between the Lord of Yuanxi and the Nine Great Rulers throughout the process, he truly felt somewhat surprised. One had to realize that before wearing down the Gate of Karma, the Lord of Yuanxi was the true supreme powerhouse of the Hunyuan Realm. Never mind those outside the Nine Great Conglomerates; even members within the Nine Great Conglomerates trusted the Lord of Yuanxi far more than they trusted the Nine Great Rulers. If the Nine Great Rulers and the Lord of Yuanxi had clashed and forced everyone to choose sides, sixty to seventy percent of the immortal spirits would have stood firmly with the Lord of Yuanxi, while at most thirty to forty percent would have backed the Nine Great Rulers. Yet... The Lord of Yuanxi had simply given in. "Perhaps even the Fate Dao Ancestor miscalculated, never expecting the Lord of Yuanxi to genuinely prioritize the greater good to this degree, directly yielding control over the Hunyuan Realm's countless immortal spirits... Once the Nine Great Rulers breach the Gate of Karma, their influence in the Hunyuan Realm will soar dramatically, and the trust and adoration all immortal spirits feel toward the Nine Great Conglomerates will surpass their devotion to the Lord of Yuanxi..." Yaoguang himself possessed abilities equivalent to Tier 20 authority, so he could naturally sense the shifting winds within the Hunyuan Realm. Seeing the Gate of Karma on the verge of complete dissolution, the Nine Great Rulers conducted extensive propaganda, claiming the credit for breaching the Gate of Karma for themselves. Since this was grounded in fact, support for the Nine Great Rulers and the Nine Great Conglomerates had likely exceeded sixty percent. If they could subsequently break through the Gate of Fate and completely refine and devour the Ancient Immortal Realm, armed with such merits and contributions, they would undoubtedly secure the support of eighty or even ninety percent of the Hunyuan Realm's immortal spirits. By then, the Lord of Yuanxi, born of the collective will of all beings, would truly become a puppet of the Nine Great Rulers, acting according to their will, assisting them in deceiving the populace, and turning all immortal spirits into utter slaves of the Nine Great Conglomerates. "The Fate Dao Ancestor must have some hidden card left, right?" Yaoguang gazed at the Gate of Karma, which was on the verge of collapse. The Gate of Karma was merely the beginning. It was equivalent to bait used to lure the enemy in a clash of two armies. Only when the Gate of Karma fell and the Hunyuan Realm truly stepped into the trap would the decisive battle erupt. Only then would it become clear which of the two worlds would claim ultimate victory. While Yaoguang was pondering this, he suddenly sensed the spiritual power erupting from the Nine Great Rulers surge countless times over. Under the Lord of Yuanxi's control, this spiritual power condensed into a single beam, like a pillar of spiritual light piercing through heaven and earth, crashing violently into the Gate of Karma that had been worn down for thirty thousand years and stood on the brink of ruin. This blow... became the final straw that crushed the Gate of Karma! *Rumble!* Accompanied by a roar that shook heaven and earth, the colossal Gate of Karma collapsed right before everyone's eyes, like a planet struck by a planet-killer cannon. An unprecedented wail and wave of destruction spread tempestuously from the void where the Gate of Karma once stood, echoing throughout the entire Immortal Realm. No! Not just the Immortal Realm! The entire Ancient Immortal Realm shuddered at that moment. If anyone looked toward the edge of the Ancient Immortal Realm with "Higher-Dimensional Cognition" at this moment, they would clearly see vast areas of its outermost reaches already collapsing. All matter, energy, and laws collapsed and shattered into fragments, having lost their connection to the Grand Dao of Karma. They were then devoured and refined into nothingness by the power of the Hunyuan Realm, which had already permeated every corner of the Ancient Immortal Realm. The Karma Dao Ancestor had transformed into the Gate of Karma and merged completely into the Ancient Immortal Realm. Destroying this Gate of Karma was equivalent to shaking the very foundations of the Ancient Immortal Realm, naturally causing it to collapse and contract. From this moment forth, the Nine Great Rulers and the Lord of Yuanxi had effectively raised the curtain on the destruction of the Ancient Immortal Realm. "The Gate of Karma has fallen." "Great! Splendid! The Gate of Karma is broken!" "The great Rulers joined forces and shattered the Gate of Karma, dealing a heavy blow to the Ancient Immortal Realm! Of the four Supreme Grand Daos, only the Gate of Fate formed by the Fate Dao Ancestor lingers on... Ultimate victory is within our grasp!" At that moment, countless immortal spirits cheered in jubilation. Yet just as many native beings living near the outer universe of the Ancient Immortal Realm wailed in agony amidst catastrophes on a cosmic collapse scale. Beneath an overturned nest, no egg remains intact. The fate of the Ancient Immortal Realm was sealed at this moment. Yaoguang looked on with a mix of emotions. Yet he showed little outwardly, instead focusing his mind on that branch: [Dao Integration: Karma]. The instant the Gate of Karma shattered, with a thought from him, the progress of this branch completed its final transformation. 10,000/10,000. At the same time, a Dao Fruit representing the level of "Karma Dao Lord" was conceived and brought forth. At this moment, his comprehension of the Grand Dao of Karma truly reached the level of the Karma Dao Ancestor.