Chapter 413: High Regard
The upheaval within the Heavenly Dao Sect, with even Supreme Elder Jing Yuntian dying on the spot and the Jing family's tens of thousands of years of inheritance uprooted, had played out before the entire sect's eyes. There was no hiding it.
Even as Yaoguang pored over his files and selected his targets, the news swept like a storm through all Ten Great Immortal Dao Sects and spread rapidly across the human race and beyond it.
With the Dao Lords rarely showing themselves in the current age, Void-Shattering cultivators stood at the peak of the North Sea Star; the birth or fall of such a power would have the whole star trembling.
When Yaoguang had destroyed the Eight Desolations and Dark Fiend Lords with an array's aid, that alone had spread his name across the world. This battle, fought without any array, a pure clash of combat strength that ended with a Void-Shattering cultivator's death, moved more Void-Shattering cultivators' hearts than anyone could count.
Above all, Yaoguang had needed only three strikes to slay Jing Yuntian. Afterward, he had fought two supreme elders, Zhen Xuanyuan and Gu Li, who had tried to stop him, and beaten them both, one against two.
Such combat strength stood above the peak of the Void-Shattering Realm, allowing Yaoguang to truly be considered as strong as those cultivators in the Dao Lord Candidate Rankings.
Overnight, countless powers quietly swapped out the gifts they had prepared for richer ones. Even Void-Shattering cultivators who had neither planned to attend the advancement ceremony at all nor intended to send a representative set out in person with lavish presents, making straight for the Heavenly Dao Sect.
Several years after last time, Yaoguang's name rang out across the North Sea once more.
In the months that followed, Void-Piercing elders and Void-Refining peak masters came calling on Yaoguang in an unbroken stream, all doing their best to declare their loyalty.
With things having come this far, anyone could see that Yaoguang's rise to replace Zong Wenxian as the Heavenly Dao Sect's new sect master was inevitable.
More than that, he had real hope of climbing beyond the Void-Shattering Realm to the Dao Lord Realm. And once he became a Dao Lord, the powers and families that had pledged themselves early would rise with him; "even the chickens and dogs ascend" would be no exaggeration.[1]
So it was not only Yaoguang; the Chi and Ling families were also flooded with countless visitors extending their best wishes for the families' future prospects.
It was in this atmosphere that the day of Yaoguang's Void-Shattering Realm advancement ceremony formally arrived.
That day, the whole Heavenly Dao Sect bustled as never before. Nearly every faction from the Ten Great Immortal Dao Sects, the Three Great Martial Dao Sects, and the Four Great Immortal Dynasties sent at least one Void-Shattering expert as its representative to attend and offer congratulations.
Even the Six Buddhist Temples, a system apart from the Immortal Dao but human-centered all the same, were no exception.
There were countless Void-Piercing, Void-Refining, and Void-Shattering cultivators. Figures that most Golden Core cultivators might never lay eyes on in a lifetime seemed to be as common as cabbages.
Nor was it merely Void-Shattering representatives; several factions sent their sect masters in person, among them the master of the Three-Qing Temple, Grand Perfected Lord Xuan Du himself.
Such treatment would not have been out of place at Yaoguang's investiture as sect master of the Heavenly Dao Sect.
Watching the Three-Qing Temple's master seated among the guests, the Void-Piercing elders who had pledged themselves early, like Chi Yu and Ling Ruogu, swelled with borrowed pride.
After all, when Zong Wenxian had assumed the sect master's seat all those years ago, the Three-Qing Temple had sent a mere elder.
For Perfected Lord Xuan Du, the temple master, to come in person showed that the strongest sect of the Immortal Dao now regarded Yaoguang above the Heavenly Dao Sect's actual sect master.
In all likelihood, a word spoken by Yaoguang on behalf of the Heavenly Dao Sect was likely to carry more weight across the North Sea Star than one from Zong Wenxian.
***
The Taiyuan Perfected Lord watched Xuan Du and Yaoguang chat and laugh together, and could not help but exclaim, "Xuan Du in the flesh! The Three-Qing Temple truly thinks highly of Yaoguang."
"Didn't you come in person as well, Sect Master?" The Supreme Jade Emperor smiled. "Besides, Perfected Lord Xuan Du coming himself is only reasonable. If compared against Zong Wenxian's, Deputy Sect Master Yaoguang's potential is simply too vast. Just after advancing to the Void-Shattering Realm, he is already strong enough to overpower Zhen Xuanyuan and Gu Li together. Across all Ten Great Immortal Dao Sects, how many can claim to be that strong?"
The Taiyuan Perfected Lord nodded. Zhen Xuanyuan already represented the peak an ordinary Void-Shattering cultivator could reach; the sect masters of the Ten Great Immortal Dao Sects, the Four Great Immortal Dynasties, and the Three Great Martial Dao Sects all belonged to that tier, himself included.
If Yaoguang could defeat Zhen Xuanyuan, he could defeat the Taiyuan Perfected Lord without any more effort.
Indeed, since Yaoguang had subdued Zhen Xuanyuan and Gu Li one against two, then even he and the Jade Emperor together would fare no better.
The Supreme Jade Emperor's combat strength, after all, was basically on par with Gu Li's, around seventy to eighty million; whatever edge he had was thin.
Just then, from the Penglai Immortal Sect's delegation, the acting sect master Shi Lin smiled and spoke up, "Deputy Sect Master Yaoguang, beyond offering my congratulations, I've also been entrusted by Palace Masters Zheng Yang and Xuan Yin to deliver you a gift."
"Oh?" Yaoguang turned to Shi Lin with interest. "What gift might that be?"
"Bring him up." The Void-Shattering cultivator clapped her hands.
Soon, Lu Li, guardian of the Biyou Immortal Market, whom Yaoguang had met once before, escorted a figure forward.
"That's..."
The moment the prisoner appeared, his grotto-heaven seemingly already collapsed, every Void-Piercing cultivator of the Heavenly Dao Sect present recognized him.
"Hou Feng?"
"Isn't that Elder Hou Feng of the immortal lineage? How did the Penglai Immortal Sect capture him?"
"Elder Hou Feng vanished decades ago. Word was he'd gone off on some secret mission. How could he..."
Some eyes were merely puzzled. But those in the know paled slightly. If they remembered correctly, the mission Hou Feng had been tasked with was...
"We happened to rescue this Elder Hou Feng while slaying a demon emperor. Except he hadn't been captured by the demon emperor. He had sought one out deliberately. As for his purpose..." Shi Lin produced a Recording Stone. "He was acting on certain parties' instructions, colluding with the demon race to move against you, Deputy Sect Master Yaoguang."
The words set the uninformed half of the hall abuzz, while the four lineage leaders, who were attending the celebration, turned ashen.
"I now hand him over to you, together with this Recording Stone." Shi Lin passed the stone to Yaoguang, also sharing the full story by discreet psychic thought.
Yaoguang quickly grasped the implications. By Shi Lin's estimation, the Recording Stone, together with Hou Feng, could topple Zong Wenxian if used well. It was a handsome gift indeed.
In truth, Yaoguang could hollow out Zong Wenxian's authority whenever he pleased; the evidence was nice to have but hardly essential. Still, the goodwill was real, so he nodded and accepted the stone with a smile. "Thank you."
He waved a hand, and men of the Heavenly Ruin Hall led Hou Feng away.
From then on, the ceremony became Yaoguang's stage.
Void-Piercing, Void-Refining, and even Void-Shattering cultivators toasted him in waves, offering their admiration to this newly advanced cultivator, strong enough to deserve a spot on the Dao Lord Candidate Rankings.
Further in the distance stood Golden Core cultivators like Ling Xi, Xu Nianhua, and Shu Wuya, who lacked the standing to come forward with toasts. Still, watching the leaders of the greatest powers—the master of the Three-Qing Temple, the sect master of the Taiyi Immortal Sect, the Penglai Immortal Sect's sect master, the Golden Crow Sect's sect master, and the Immortal Martial Sect's sect master—laughing and talking with Yaoguang, their hearts swelled with boundless pride.
This was the lord of the southern domain they had pledged themselves to! Deputy sect master in name, yet sect master of the Heavenly Dao Sect in everything but title. To stand in his camp left these Golden Core cultivators happy beyond measure.
While even the Golden Core cultivators of Yaoguang's camp were thrilled by it all, the four lineage leaders who ran the sect's operations for Zong Wenxian's faction were feeling miserable.
Yuan Miaoyi and Xiang Zhenlong especially, two Void-Refining cultivators completely loyal to Zong Wenxian, watched Yaoguang and the parade of leaders conversing with him, and their eyes filled with dread.
This was not even Yaoguang's investiture as sect master, yet the Ten Great Immortal Dao Sects and the other powers had already sent this many important figures. When Yaoguang really took the sect master's seat, what would that day look like?
There was no real need to wait for that day. Even now, if the Heavenly Dao Sect were to start a joint operation with some outside power, would that power coordinate with Deputy Sect Master Yaoguang first, or with Zong Wenxian, the actual sect master? No one could say.
"Unless Sect Master Zong can produce something to win back the hearts of all the elders, peak masters, and supreme elders, I fear that from today onward he may keep the sect master's throne in name only. The power that comes with it has already been taken from him," Yuan Miaoyi said, bitterness apparent in his voice.
"Didn't Supreme Elder Bu Zhou go with Supreme Elder Gu Li to the stellar core, planning to summon Perfected Lord Jinghong? Why is there still no word? If they no longer plan to contest Deputy Sect Master Yaoguang, they could at least inform us, so we can change course in time and avoid ending like the Jing family." Yue Kuhai frowned.
"Perfected Lord Jinghong is in secluded cultivation within the stellar core. Unless the Gate of the Immortal Realm opens, he may not emerge at all. Even if Perfected Lord Bu Zhou reaches out, an immediate answer is far from guaranteed..." Xiang Zhenlong explained.
"I don't want reasons. I hope Sect Master Zong can understand my position. I cannot refuse any lawful order from Deputy Sect Master Yaoguang, and I dare not refuse..." Zhou Xingdou said gravely.
Clearly, though he had not formally defected, he meant to obey every command Yaoguang issued to preserve himself and the family behind him, and wanted no further part in opposing the man.
"I doubt the sect master will blame you." Yuan Miaoyi sighed. "Be patient. Formidable as Yaoguang is, he is still only at the Void-Shattering Realm. Once Perfected Lord Bu Zhou brings out Perfected Lord Jinghong, the tables might turn."
Xiang Zhenlong nodded. But Yue Kuhai and Zhou Xingdou said nothing. For their own lives and their family lines, there would be some matters they would have no choice but to turn a blind eye to.
And as Perfected Lords Bu Zhou and Gu Li stayed quiet day after day, with two of the four lineage leaders already bowed beyond recovery, the dynamic of the Heavenly Dao Sect shifted for good.
Yaoguang's era had formally begun.
1. There is a story in ancient China about when someone ascended to become an immortal, even their dogs and chickens ascended by taking the pills he left behind. This story is used to describe the phenomenon of related people rising together with the person who rose to glory. ☜