Chapter 266: Leaving
"Elder Wan, it seems like you have already made your decision." Heavenly Venerable Jiang spoke, a trace of indifference in his eyes. "All this time, you have said that I am the only hope of the Cangwu lineage, pouring all your resources into me, supporting my cultivation and growth. And I, carrying that expectation, have not dared to slack off for even a moment over the years, diligently striving to improve myself... Now, through my own efforts, I have finally achieved success, lived up to your expectations, gained the favor of the Supreme Jade Emperor, and become his direct disciple... Yet now that I ask you to act... this is the attitude you show me..."
At this point, a hint of distance entered his tone. "This attitude of yours... disappoints me."
Before Wan Liugui could respond, Susan, Yang Han, Hera, and the other Golden Core cultivators could no longer remain seated.
Now that Heavenly Venerable Jiang had been accepted as a direct disciple by the Supreme Jade Emperor, once he stepped into the Void-Piercing Realm and competed for the position of vice sect master, the Cangwu lineage would finally have true backing, firmly establishing itself within the colossal Taiyi Immortal Sect. If anything went wrong at this moment, the entire Cangwu lineage would regret it beyond measure.
Why had they rushed to the Great Cangwu World ahead of time? It was to rebuild the Artifact Sect to curry favor with Heavenly Venerable Jiang.
They had even discussed renaming the Great Cangwu World to the Heavenly Venerable World for this very purpose.
Naming rights themselves existed to strengthen the bond between the strong and the weak.
And in their interactions with Heavenly Venerable Jiang, especially after he became the Supreme Jade Emperor’s direct disciple, the balance of power between the two sides had already reversed.
If, because of Yaoguang, Heavenly Venerable Jiang were to become completely disappointed in the Cangwu lineage and cease caring about their interests, everything they had done and all their investments over the years would be for nothing.
At worst, in a few decades at most, once the first batch of Void-Piercing Realm battle immortals perished, the Cangwu lineage might be expelled from the Taiyi Immortal Sect altogether. At that time, everyone would become rootless drifters, struggling for survival.
Thinking of this, Susan and the others no longer cared that Wan Liugui’s status was above theirs and hurriedly said, "Elder Wan, what are you hesitating for?! Don’t forget your status, you are the protector of True Disciple Jiang!"
"The interests of True Disciple Jiang are the interests of our Cangwu lineage! Your disciple Li Hanqiu opposing him is severing himself from our lineage! He deserves death!"
"Elder Wan, do not make a mistake! You have more than just Li Hanqiu as your disciple, think of your descendants in the Taiyi Immortal Sect! And even if you do not act today, do you think Li Hanqiu and Yaoguang will survive!? With a single command from True Disciple Jiang, even if they flee to the ends of the heavens, they will still face death. It is only a matter of sooner or later!"
The Golden Core cultivators shouted furiously.
If not for the fact that Li Hanqiu had already taken that final step and reached the Void-Piercing Realm, making any intervention from them equivalent to suicide, they would have already acted.
Already tormented, Wan Liugui could no longer endure their incessant clamor and suddenly roared in anger, "Silence!"
Even the slightest display of a Void-Piercing Realm expert’s authority instantly silenced the Golden Core cultivators, none daring to utter another word.
On the North Sea Star, hierarchy was absolute.
It was common for subordinates to be killed on the spot for showing disrespect to those above them. Even those from the same sect were no exception.
Such a brutally competitive environment ensured that every superior possessed ruthless methods.
Without ruthlessness, one could never become a powerhouse on the North Sea Star.
After rebuking them, Wan Liugui turned his gaze toward Heavenly Venerable Jiang. But Heavenly Venerable Jiang merely looked at him indifferently.
As if the matter at hand was no longer about whether Yaoguang would be killed, but whether he could subdue the Void-Piercing Realm battle immortals of the Cangwu lineage and completely bring them under his control in the future.
Wan Liugui then turned toward Li Hanqiu, took a deep breath, and stepped forward. "One thing they said is correct. The interests of Heavenly Venerable Jiang represent the interests of our Cangwu lineage... To stand against him is to stand against the entire Great Cangwu World. I will give you one breath of time. Withdraw immediately, and I may spare your life. Otherwise, with your barely stabilized Void-Piercing Realm strength, killing you will not require much effort."
"So you intend to fight me to the death?" Li Hanqiu replied in a low voice. "I am already prepared to die in battle. What about you, Master? Perhaps you can kill me, but after doing so, will your Primordial Void state settle again? Will this battle end in mutual destruction? Instead of forcing things to this point, why not give Yaoguang a chance? I believe he will not be inferior to Heavenly Venerable Jiang! And Yaoguang’s character is certainly not as overbearing as Heavenly Venerable Jiang!"
"Being overbearing is not a flaw on the North Sea Star. It is a necessary trait for those who achieve great things. As for your claim that Yaoguang is not inferior to Heavenly Venerable Jiang..." Wan Liugui stopped less than ten thousand kilometers before Li Hanqiu. "Perhaps it's true, but it is too late. Even if he truly possesses comparable talent, without sufficient time to grow, when danger arrives, it is still too late."
"Too late?" Li Hanqiu looked at his master, memories of their centuries together surfacing in his mind. He had never imagined things would come to this.
Time truly changed everything.
Just as he resolved to fight to the death to secure even a sliver of survival for Yaoguang, a strand of psychic consciousness quietly reached him. "My attack will devour tens of thousands of kilometers of surrounding space. Use that moment to distort the void and send Yaoguang away. If you move quickly, you may escape Heavenly Venerable Jiang’s pursuit."
"Master?!" Li Hanqiu was shaken.
But Wan Liugui offered no further response. He slowly raised his hand, and a terrifying devouring force began to gather at his fingertips. "One breath has passed. It seems like you have chosen the path of death..."
"Master, in truth, it may not be too late. What if Yaoguang not only has talent in cultivation comparable to Heavenly Venerable Jiang, but is even more exceptional in other areas such as artifact refinement and array construction?" Facing Wan Liugui, Li Hanqiu made his decision.
He knew that even if his master showed mercy, they might not survive Heavenly Venerable Jiang’s judgment.
After all, that was an Azure Golden Core cultivator whose combat strength likely rivaled a Void-Piercing Realm battle immortal!
Therefore, only with Wan Liugui’s help could they grasp even a sliver of survival.
As he transmitted this thought, a faint, elusive fluctuation spread from him. The moment Wan Liugui sensed that fluctuation, his pupils constricted sharply.
"Dao resonance?! The Dao resonance of a Dao Artifact?!" Wan Liugui exclaimed.
Even Heavenly Venerable Jiang, standing nearby, seemed to sense something. His previously indifferent expression changed into a serious one, and a trace of uncertainty flickered in his eyes.
"Yes. The Dao resonance of a Dao Artifact!" Li Hanqiu’s psychic consciousness responded. "I have... a Dao Artifact."
"That’s impossible!" Wan Liugui rejected it without hesitation. "How could a Dao Artifact exist within the Great Cangwu World?!"
A Dao Artifact was an invaluable existence. Even Void-Piercing Realm elders of the Taiyi Immortal Sect, one of the ten great Immortal Dao sects, might not possess such a supreme treasure. How could such an artifact possibly appear in the hands of a newly advanced Void-Piercing Realm battle immortal?!
"If I said that this Dao Artifact was refined by Yaoguang, then would his value be enough to rival Heavenly Venerable Jiang?" Li Hanqiu said.
"Yaoguang refining a Dao Artifact?! Impossible! Without reaching the Void-Piercing Realm, it is fundamentally impossible to refine a Dao Artifact!" Wan Liugui replied decisively.
"Do not judge true peerless geniuses with our shallow understanding. There are many mysteries about them that we simply cannot comprehend," Li Hanqiu said. "Now, Master, do you think Yaoguang is worth us doing everything to protect?"
Wan Liugui looked at Li Hanqiu, then glanced at Yaoguang...
Although he did not believe Yaoguang could refine a Dao Artifact, the fact that Li Hanqiu possessed one was almost certainly true.
And a Dao Artifact, as a strategic resource, was personally controlled within the Taiyi Immortal Sect by hall masters of the six halls and leaders of the nine lineages!
No one knew just how much power such a treasure could unleash in the hands of a Void-Piercing Realm battle immortal. Especially when that battle immortal had already resolved to stake everything on a desperate fight.
At this thought, Wan Liugui seemed to realize something. He suddenly retreated slightly and transmitted a message to Heavenly Venerable Jiang. "True Disciple Jiang, a Void-Piercing Realm battle immortal and a talented genius... It would be a pity for them to die like this."
"So..." Heavenly Venerable Jiang looked at him. "You intend to betray me?"
"I have no such intention." Wan Liugui replied quickly. "It is only that our Cangwu lineage is in dire need of capable people. Why not allow Li Hanqiu to atone through merit? He is, after all, a Void-Piercing Realm battle immortal. We do not have many such experts... And Yaoguang has decent talent. If properly nurtured, he could become a valuable asset to our lineage..."
"What exactly are you trying to say?"
"No matter what, they both come from the Cangwu lineage. Heavenly Venerable, you have always valued loyalty and righteousness. You came here to perform ancestral rites, yet if you were to carry out a massacre in the Great Cangwu World... If the Supreme Jade Emperor were to learn of it, he might think you were abusing his authority... that you have become arrogant and disregardful of others..." Wan Liugui said.
These words made Heavenly Venerable Jiang frown slightly. His reputation... If he were to slaughter indiscriminately in what was effectively his home world, it would indeed be inappropriate.
Even if he wanted to kill, he should not do it personally.
"This is what I propose. Li Hanqiu has offended you and should be sent to the Immortal-Slaying Hall to go to the front lines and atone through merit. As for Yaoguang..." Wan Liugui carefully chose his words. "Yaoguang has committed a grave offense, yet if you are willing to spare him in consideration of his talent, such magnanimity would earn praise from all who hear of it. Of course, this is only if his talent truly proves worthy."
He added, "Within ten years, if Yaoguang can form a Radiant Sun Golden Core, it will prove his exceptional talent. At that time, he could serve under you. If you do not wish to keep him, he may be sent into the Taiyi Immortal Sect to make his own way. But if he fails within ten years... a person without value can be dealt with, and no one will object."
Heavenly Venerable Jiang seemed to listen quietly. His expression did not change, but his heart was filled with coldness. How detestable!
The protector he had chosen appeared, on the surface, to be acting in his best interests, yet his defiance was unmistakable.
If he continued to force the issue and insisted on killing Li Hanqiu and Yaoguang, passive resistance would be the least of it. It might even escalate into open defiance.
Moreover, he recalled the fluctuation he had sensed earlier... It resembled the Dao resonance of a Dao Artifact.
But it was impossible for a Dao Artifact to exist in the Great Cangwu World. Compared to a Dao Artifact, it was far more likely to be some one-time, devastating treasure.
After all, the Great Cangwu World had once been invaded by the Lunar Fiend Empire, which stood behind the Yin Lunar Sect, one of the six great Fiendish Dao factions. They specialized in plundering resources from surrounding worlds, and no one knew what might have been left behind.
Though these were merely speculations, perhaps even unlikely ones... Heavenly Venerable Jiang still had to consider Wan Liugui’s shifting stance and Li Hanqiu, who carried an unknown artifact and was prepared to die. If anything were to happen to him, then even if these lowly battle immortals died a thousand or ten thousand times, it would not compensate for a single strand of his hair.
I was blinded when choosing this traitorous protector, thinking him loyal! Heavenly Venerable Jiang’s thoughts churned.
A wise man does not stand beneath a collapsing wall.
Li Hanqiu and Yaoguang... Once he returned to the Taiyi Immortal Sect, a single command would be enough for others to deal with them. At that time, Li Hanqiu would die, Yaoguang would die, and Wan Liugui would die as well.
Now that he felt a sense of danger, Heavenly Venerable Jiang no longer dared to press further. His expression appeared to soften slightly. "Since you have pleaded for them repeatedly, I will grant them a chance for his sake."
He looked at Yaoguang. "Ten years. If you form a Radiant Sun Golden Core, I will allow you to serve under me. If not... take your own life."
With that, he waved his hand. A flying vessel appeared before him.
At the same time, a vast surge of energy spread from the vessel, distorting the surrounding space.
"Let's go, Elder Wan. There is nothing left to see in the Great Cangwu World. We return to the North Sea," Heavenly Venerable Jiang said calmly.
"True Disciple Jiang, you are indeed magnanimous and righteous. Thank you." Wan Liugui gave a fist-and-palm salute, visibly moved.
But deep down, he knew this matter was far from simple.
Once he returned, he would have to spread the word of Heavenly Venerable Jiang’s magnanimity and tolerance, raising his reputation and forcing him to maintain that image, all to prevent him from openly dealing with Yaoguang and Li Hanqiu. Only then could he buy Yaoguang some time to grow safely.
He only hoped that Yaoguang truly possessed the extraordinary talent Li Hanqiu claimed.
He cast a subtle glance at Li Hanqiu and Yaoguang, sending a final message, while outwardly assisting in controlling the flying vessel.
As the spatial distortion intensified, the Starry Sky Vessel gradually activated.
In less than ten breaths, it suddenly accelerated, plunging into the distorted void. Like a drop of water falling into a lake, it vanished instantly as ripples spread outward.
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