Chapter 293: Decisive

Just as Yaoguang settled into his cave dwelling, the inner sect disciple who had looked at him earlier immediately began asking around for information.

Once he learned that Yaoguang was one of this year’s newly admitted inner sect disciples of Heavenly Dao Sect, he hurried to the mountain peak belonging to Xuan Shuang, ranked thirty-fourth among the eighty-eight true disciples.

Because the two were brothers, he passed through the mountain’s defenses without obstruction and quickly entered Xuan Shuang’s palace, his face brimming with excitement. "Brother, Brother, do you know who I just saw?"

"Xuan Mo?" Xuan Shuang glanced at his excited expression and calmly asked, "Did you run into Yan Huang?"

"Uh..." The Golden Core cultivator known as Xuan Mo instantly lost some of his excitement.

Yan Huang was the most outstanding supreme prodigy in the entire Heavenly Dao Sect.

Back then, three supreme elders had fought fiercely over who would take him as a disciple.

He had stepped onto the path of cultivation at sixteen, formed a Radiant Sun Golden Core by thirty, achieved an Azure Golden Core by fifty-nine, and now had become the publicly acknowledged eldest senior brother of the Heavenly Dao Sect. His combat power exceeded 1,500,000.

As for how strong he truly was, no one knew. Because no one had ever been able to force him to go all out.

The only thing known was that the number of Void-Piercing Realm battle immortals who had died by his hand could not be counted on one hand.

On the Void-Piercing Realm Candidate Rankings, jointly compiled by the Ten Great Immortal Dao Sects, he stood at sixth!

For him, the Void-Piercing Realm was practically within arm’s reach. The only reason he had yet to break through was that he was polishing his foundation, wanting to make it absolutely perfect and ensuring a one hundred percent chance of success.

By doing so, once his Golden Core collapsed, he would rapidly skip past the unstable Primordial Void stabilization phase at the early stage of the Void-Piercing Realm and directly advance to the middle stage of the Void-Piercing Realm.

"Eldest Senior Brother entered seclusion three years ago. By now, he has probably already broken through to the Void-Piercing Realm, right? It wasn’t him..." Xuan Mo said.

"Then who was it? Ren Xianyou? Zhu Tianming?" Xuan Shuang named the others.

These were all top three figures on the true disciple rankings, each personally accepted by one of the sect’s supreme elders.

"Not them. It’s related to Heavenly Venerable Jiang of the neighboring Taiyi Immortal Sect," Xuan Mo quickly explained.

"Heavenly Venerable Jiang?" Xuan Shuang’s eyes sharpened.

Naturally, he had heard of this peerless prodigy from the Taiyi Immortal Sect.

The lower ranks of North Sea Star were consumed by endless internal conflict, but at the upper levels, the great powers stood united, forming alliances to protect their shared interests.

Only through such unity could the top immortal sects protect their interests and remain prosperous, never declining.

The reason the Ten Great Immortal Dao Sects were always spoken of as one collective was that they shared the same ideology.

The Ten Great Immortal Dao Sects, the Six Great Fiendish Dao Sects, the Three Great Martial Dao Sects, and the Four Great Immortal Dynasties were all primarily composed of humans, so why were they divided into separate camps?

Because the ideologies of those various groups differed.

For that reason, while the lower levels of the Ten Great Immortal Dao Sects fought endlessly, and the middle and upper ranks also clashed, there was cooperation amid conflict.

Among sects with close ties, true disciples even addressed one another as senior and junior brothers.

As a result, every top prodigy among the Ten Great Immortal Dao Sects knew the others well; from time to time, they even gathered together to discuss the Dao.

As one of the three giants among the true disciples of Taiyi Immortal Sect, the direct disciple of the Supreme Jade Emperor, and ninth on the Void-Piercing Realm Candidate Rankings, Heavenly Venerable Jiang was always one of the central figures at such gatherings.

Nine years ago, Xuan Shuang had followed Ren Xianyou to attend one of the Dao discussions led by Heavenly Venerable Jiang. The man’s heaven-defying brilliance had left an unforgettable impression.

"What about him?" Xuan Shuang asked.

"Brother, do you remember that bounty Heavenly Venerable Jiang quietly issued in elite circles a few years ago? The one offering one million Pure Yang Grand Pills for the death of someone named Su Yaoguang?"

"I remember." As soon as Xuan Shuang said it, realization struck him, and his gaze snapped toward Xuan Mo. "You found a lead?"

Xuan Mo immediately handed over the information he had just gathered.

Xuan Shuang scanned it, then quickly produced a jade talisman containing a strand of divine thought left behind by Heavenly Venerable Jiang, simulating the aura of the bounty target.

After comparing the two, he was almost ninety percent certain. It was him.

"Good! Excellent! The bounty target was said to have mediocre cultivation, at most a Radiant Sun Golden Core cultivator. The only reason Heavenly Venerable Jiang offered one million Pure Yang Grand Pills was that he had a Void-Piercing Realm battle immortal by his side... But according to what Senior Brother Jiang said, it's been long enough that this Void-Piercing Realm protector should already be dead. In other words, all I need to do is capture a mere Radiant Sun Golden Core cultivator, and I’ll earn one million Pure Yang Grand Pills for free. Better yet, I’ll gain Senior Brother Jiang’s favor and make one of the supreme prodigies on the Void-Piercing Candidate Rankings owe me a debt!" Xuan Shuang was both shocked and overjoyed.

"A Radiant Sun Golden Core? That assessment is no longer accurate..." Xuan Mo quickly said. "While investigating him, I discovered he has already become an inner sect disciple of the Heavenly Dao Sect. And..."

He produced another jade talisman. "I bought his assessment records from others. This man’s strength is astonishing. He is probably already not much weaker than a newly advanced Azure Golden Core cultivator. If he is allowed to grow, he may have a chance at becoming a true disciple."

Xuan Shuang took the jade talisman and swept it with his spiritual consciousness. The next instant, he shot to his feet. "How is that possible?!"

"Brother?" Seeing his older brother react so strongly, Xuan Mo was stunned.

But Xuan Shuang ignored him, muttering to himself, "Blazing White Golden Core Realm yet combat power approaching the Azure Golden Core Realm..."

He kept shaking his head. "Impossible... This is impossible..."

"What’s impossible?" Xuan Mo finally asked.

That question snapped Xuan Shuang back to his senses. "Where is he?"

"In the inner sect. I confirmed it later. He’s living in Cave Dwelling Yi-366," Xuan Mo answered immediately.

"Stay here. I need to verify this personally." With that, Xuan Shuang turned and left at once.

Xuan Mo had no idea what was going on, but everything he had today came from his brother’s support. Knowing his own limits, he obeyed every instruction without question.

Since Xuan Shuang told him to wait here, he simply remained there obediently.

Half an hour later, Xuan Shuang returned.

Though his expression remained calm, Xuan Mo, who knew him better than anyone, clearly saw the shock in his eyes, shock that Xuan Shuang wasn't able to suppress.

"So it really is him," Xuan Shuang muttered.

He suddenly swept out a hand. His psychic thought moved, activating the array art, and within moments, the area where the two stood was completely enveloped, isolating it from all outside probing.

"Brother, what exactly is going on?" Seeing him make such a grand show of caution, Xuan Mo could not help but press for answers.

"What’s going on?" Xuan Shuang looked at Xuan Mo and said gravely. "Do you know what cultivation level this Su Yaoguang was at fourteen years ago, according to Heavenly Venerable Jiang?!"

He immediately answered his own question. "The Heavenly Fire Realm! Fourteen years ago, he was only a Heavenly Fire Realm cultivator!"

"The Heavenly Fire Realm?" Xuan Mo froze for a moment, then his pupils constricted sharply. "Fourteen years?! From the Heavenly Fire Realm to the Blazing White Golden Core Realm in fourteen years?! And with battle strength comparable to a newly advanced Azure Golden Core cultivator?! How is that possible?!"

"Yes, how is that possible?!" Xuan Shuang muttered. "As far as I know, this man really has extraordinary talent. Otherwise, Heavenly Venerable Jiang would never have sent people to his hometown a second time, intending to strangle him in the cradle. Of course, Su Yaoguang was extremely vigilant and fled early to the North Sea Star, hoping to reverse his fate. That was why Heavenly Venerable Jiang put out a bounty of one million Pure Yang Grand Pills within certain circles. His talent, the Void-Piercing Realm battle immortal protector, and Heavenly Venerable Jiang’s own prestige, all made him worth that price..."

At this point, he drew a deep breath. "That one million Pure Yang Grand Pills was mainly aimed at the Void-Piercing Realm battle immortal by Su Yaoguang’s side. In Heavenly Venerable Jiang’s eyes, Su Yaoguang reaching the Radiant Sun Golden Core Realm after ten or twenty years should already have been his limit. He would have never expected..."

"For him to reach the Blazing White Golden Core Realm," Xuan Mo said. "And not just that, but he's an exceptionally powerful Blazing White Golden Core cultivator!"

At that, he could not help drawing in a sharp breath. "In fourteen years, he went from Heavenly Fire Realm to the Blazing White Golden Core Realm... perhaps even not far from the Azure Golden Core Realm. T-This makes even Senior Brother Yan Huang look inferior. It took Senior Brother Yan Huang eleven years just to go from the Radiant Sun Golden Core Realm to the Blazing White Golden Core Realm, and another eighteen years to advance from the Blazing White Golden Core Realm to the Azure Golden Core Realm. But this... Is this even possible?!"

"It’s impossible!" Xuan Shuang declared with certainty. "Eldest Senior Brother Yan Huang is extremely talented. Yet even he consumed vast amounts of resources to cultivate so quickly to the Azure Golden Core Realm. No matter how gifted Yaoguang is, he cannot possibly be more talented than Senior Brother Yan Huang. Yet he accomplished what even Senior Brother Yan Huang could not... There is only one explanation."

His brow filled with irrepressible delight and excitement. "He had a fortuitous encounter! A heaven-defying fortuitous encounter!"

"A fortuitous encounter!" Xuan Mo suddenly understood, but then another thought struck him. "Then, do you think Heavenly Venerable Jiang offered such a staggering bounty of one million Pure Yang Grand Pills because he also knew Su Yaoguang is hiding a great secret?"

"Most likely." Xuan Shuang sneered. "One million Pure Yang Grand Pills is no small sum. Besides, someone like Heavenly Venerable Jiang would rather kill by mistake than let a possibility slip away. Even if there were only a chance, he would still gamble on it."

"Then we..." Xuan Mo’s voice carried unconcealed excitement.

"Keep an eye on him. The moment he intends to leave the sect, report to me immediately..." Xuan Shuang paused, then abruptly shook his head. "No. Speed is paramount in war. Quite a few people know about Heavenly Venerable Jiang’s bounty. Someone else might recognize his identity as well. I’ll make a trip personally, find some excuse, seize him, and force him to reveal his secrets. He’s only an inner sect disciple. As long as I don’t kill him immediately, and merely detain him, the sect will not interfere."

"Brother, be careful. Since Yaoguang carries such a great secret, he may very well have hidden trump cards." Xuan Mo’s expression turned solemn. "Even a lion uses its full strength when hunting a rabbit."

Hearing that, Xuan Shuang calmed down. "The Wang family attached to us offended the Chi family last year. They have been wanting me to mediate with the true disciple who backs the Chi family, but they have never shown enough sincerity. Conveniently, their pillar, Wang Daoshu, is a Void-Piercing Realm battle immortal. He is the perfect one to test the waters. He will act as the vanguard while I secretly support from the shadows and wait for the right moment. That way, nothing can go wrong."

Xuan Mo nodded. This Void-Piercing Realm battle immortal’s Primordial Void frequency is already under Brother’s control. If Brother wishes to get rid of him, it would be effortless.

"You go watch Yaoguang. His talent is remarkable. At the Blazing White Golden Core Realm, he already possessed battle strength close to the Azure Golden Core Realm. Don’t let anyone else take notice of him and complicate matters. If necessary, you may use my name." Xuan Shuang gave his orders.

"Understood." Xuan Mo quickly stood up and left.

Meanwhile, Xuan Shuang immediately sent a message to Wang Daoshu, without the slightest delay.

Only three hours later, Wang Daoshu, the Void-Piercing Realm battle immortal, hurried over.

"True Disciple Xuan!"

"Capture an inner sect disciple who just entered the sect. Once you seize him, I will settle the Chi family matter for you. Bring him back alive." Xuan Shuang issued the command directly.

"A newly admitted inner sect disciple? Alright!" Wang Daoshu agreed at once. "The moment he leaves the sect—"

"Go now. If anything happens, I’ll bear the responsibility." Xuan Shuang waved his hand decisively.

Wang Daoshu hesitated for a moment, then quickly nodded. "I’ll go at once."

"My younger brother is already watching him. Go quickly and return quickly."

"Leave it to me." Wang Daoshu nodded heavily.