Chapter 260 - Is Dao Emperor the Pinnacle?
The two Peak Dao Venerables of the Wang Family were named Wang Daoyuan and Wang Xiangu.
The two looked nothing alike. Wang Daoyuan stood eight feet tall with a solemn, imposing face. His upper body was bare, revealing muscles of terrifying definition.
Wang Xiangu, by contrast, was a kindly-looking elder with an aura of ethereal grace — white hair, a long beard, and a perpetual, gentle smile.
"Who dares break through to the Late Dao Venerable Realm near my Wang Family?"
Wang Daoyuan's brow furrowed deeply.
In the Dao Realm, any breakthrough above the Immortal Emperor Realm required the absorption of vast quantities of Great Dao power and Dao Resonance. A breakthrough to the Late Dao Venerable Realm would inevitably affect the local Great Dao.
Therefore, if someone broke through to a realm above the Immortal Emperor near another's territory, it was either an ally or an enemy.
Now, someone had dared break through to the Late Dao Venerable Realm in the vicinity of the Wang Family. That was no small matter.
Wang Xiangu, on the other hand, simply smiled his perpetual smile.
"A trifle. We simply invite this person to join the Wang Family. If they refuse — kill them and return their essence to the Dao Realm."
"Fair point."
Wang Daoyuan considered it and agreed. He then turned his gaze toward the direction of the aura.
But the moment he looked, his frown deepened.
"They appear to have concealed themselves."
"No matter. We'll find them. There are only a handful of Mid Dao Venerables in the entire Dao Realm. It's not as though one can appear out of thin air."
Wang Xiangu was unconcerned.
Though cultivating to the Immortal King Realm granted one an undying, indestructible existence, Dao Practitioner and beyond were not realms one could reach simply by accumulating time. Talent, fortune, opportunity — all were indispensable.
Thus, even across the Dao Realm's immensely long history, those who had broken through to the Dao Venerable Realm numbered merely in the tens.
A cursory investigation would reveal who had broken through to the Late Dao Venerable Realm near the Wang Family.
On the other side, Lu Tianyuan and Lu Nianfeng had also felt the aura, their expressions deeply grave.
But just as they tried to trace it, the aura vanished as though it had never existed.
"The Wang Family seems to have grown even stronger."
Lu Nianfeng stared solemnly toward the Wang Family's territory.
In the Dao Realm, with Peak Dao Venerables staying out of affairs, a Late Dao Venerable was an invincible existence.
Lu Tianyuan nodded in agreement.
"Indeed."
Relations between the Lu Family and the Wang Family, while not openly hostile, were far from friendly.
Another Late Dao Venerable in the Wang Family was decidedly bad news for the Lu Family.
But there was nothing he could do about it. He was merely a Peak Dao Practitioner. Forget a Late Dao Venerable — even an Early Dao Venerable could crush him with ease.
"Let's not dwell on it. The Patriarchs have surely sensed this as well. Leave it to them."
Lu Nianfeng said nothing further, and the two returned to the Dao Vessel.
Inside, Lu Xuanxian's expression was grave.
"Good thing I concealed the aura in time. Otherwise, I'd have been discovered."
Though possessing a Dao Emperor Inheritance at the Late Dao Venerable Realm meant he could hold his own even against a Peak Dao Venerable, that only held true if the number of Peak Dao Venerables was small. Three to five of them striking together would be beyond his ability to handle.
And across the entire Dao Realm, forces with a Peak Dao Venerable at their helm were known as the Ten Great Forces.
The Wang Family stood as their undisputed leader precisely because it was the only force with two Peak Dao Venerables.
"Now I can at least protect myself. But I still need to be cautious. Once I reach the Peak Dao Venerable Realm, then I'll be truly invincible within the Dao Realm."
Lu Xuanxian mused silently.
No Dao Emperor existed within the Dao Realm. As for worlds beyond the Dao Realm, he knew nothing — but he was certain Dao Emperor-level beings existed out there.
Otherwise, how would the System have granted him a Dao Emperor Inheritance?
Previously, Lu Xuanxian had tested this with Feng Qingyu. He had gifted her an Immortal Venerable Inheritance, yet the System's repayment had only yielded a Dao Emperor Inheritance.
This led him to a bold hypothesis: either the System's limit was the Dao Emperor Realm, or the Dao Emperor Realm was the absolute pinnacle of cultivation.
As for the System itself — from the Immortal Emperor Realm onward, one could use the Power of Laws to easily construct a system.
Of course, that only applied to ordinary systems. The System within his own body, even at his current level, remained beyond his ability to replicate or even comprehend.
But Lu Xuanxian only filed this away as a minor concern.
After all, back when he had been a nobody with nothing to his name, if the System had wanted to scheme against him, why go to all the trouble of binding itself to him and lavishing him with gifts, raising him all the way to the Late Dao Venerable Realm?
He simply didn't yet have the strength to investigate the truth.
But one day, he would.
"The next time I break through, the System probably won't be able to conceal my realm. When that happens, my existence will be known to all."
Lu Xuanxian reflected quietly.
This latest aura leak had occurred because the breakthrough to the Late Dao Venerable Realm produced fluctuations too powerful for the System to fully suppress, resulting in a brief leak that had drawn the attention of the Dao Realm's great powers.
Of course, the System had quickly re-concealed his realm, which was why Wang Daoyuan and Wang Xiangu had been unable to locate him.
At that moment, a figure appeared before Lu Xuanxian. Sensing the shift in his aura, the newcomer spoke in shock.
"You broke through to the Late Immortal Emperor Realm?"
"Mm. The battle with Wang Teng gave me an epiphany, and combined with the many strong opponents I faced during the second stage, I managed to break through just now."
Lu Xuanxian replied with perfect composure.
Lu Tianyuan gave him a look that said he wasn't buying it for a second.
He could go ahead and spin his tale. Those ten rounds of opponents might have been decent challenges for others, but for Lu Xuanxian, they were small fry at best.
But everyone had their secrets, and Lu Tianyuan had no interest in prying. He simply waved his hand and spoke.
"In any case, keep a low profile. If you advance too quickly, you'll attract the attention of those with ill intentions — and they might decide to nip you in the bud."
What Lu Tianyuan didn't know was that by the time Lu Xuanxian publicly "broke through" to the Peak of the Immortal Emperor Realm, he would be far beyond anyone's ability to suppress.
Still, Lu Xuanxian nodded earnestly.
"Thank you, Clan Elder. I'll take your words to heart."
"Good. Now settle in, consolidate your gains, and then — beat Wang Teng for me in the finals!"
As he said this last part, Lu Tianyuan's eyes shone with anticipation, his excitement barely contained.