Chapter 351: Response

Ling Ruogu and Chi Yu, the two Void-Piercing cultivators, reported the news about this rumor with grave expressions.

"Of course, the rumor itself does not hold much meaning. In fact, to some Void-Piercing cultivators, whether you represent the Penglai Dao Lord or not is not important. What matters is that once this rumor is confirmed, your stance will make everyone worried." Ling Ruogu was currently explaining the possible harm that gossip about that matter could cause. "They are allowing someone from the Penglai Immortal Sect to become a deputy sect master of the Heavenly Dao Sect. In the end, will you fight for the interests of the Heavenly Dao Sect, or for the interests of the Penglai Immortal Sect? If it is the Penglai Immortal Sect, that means a large amount of profit will be separated from the Heavenly Dao Sect. That is what many Void-Piercing elders and Void-Refining peak masters are truly concerned about."

Yaoguang understood what Ling Ruogu meant.

The people of the North Sea Star did not value the inheritance of their sect that much. As long as it could bring them enough benefits, whether the Heavenly Dao Sect was called the Heavenly Dao Sect or the Penglai Immortal Sect was not important.

But this did not mean they would watch helplessly as a deputy sect master from the Penglai Immortal Sect grew powerful.

If someone born in the Heavenly Dao Sect became deputy sect master or sect master, then they would be deeply tied to the Heavenly Dao Sect, and their interests would be mostly aligned with those of others within the sect.

However, if someone who did not have much affection for the Heavenly Dao Sect, and whose interests were not deeply intertwined with those of the sect, rose to power, it would be very easy for them to become biased.

As for the Penglai Immortal Sect having a Dao Lord, it was not as if the Heavenly Dao Sect did not have one. He had merely gone out traveling.

Why would they throw themselves onto another path and curry favor with another Dao Lord? And one who had offended two top-tier forces at that?! The Heavenly Dao Sect’s higher-ups were not that stupid. Properly serving their own Dao Lord was the smartest choice.

And putting aside the factor of Dao Lords, what part of the Penglai Immortal Sect could compare to the Heavenly Dao Sect?

If things truly were as the rumor claimed, and the Heavenly Dao Sect was the Penglai Immortal Sect’s escape route, then it meant that after the Penglai Dao Lord ascended and the Penglai Immortal Sect could no longer hold on in the Deep-Blue Sea, all its Void-Piercing and Void-Refining cultivators would flee to the Heavenly Dao Sect.

It would be one thing if they simply came to the Heavenly Dao Sect, but the problem was that the Heavenly Dao Sect’s sect master would also be from the Penglai Immortal Sect. In that case, wouldn't those from the Penglai Immortal Sect directly surpass them in status and take what belonged to them?

Although their strength would increase and they could expand their territory, who knew whether the ones forced to risk their lives to conquer territory would be the experts of the Heavenly Dao Sect or the people of the Penglai Immortal Sect?

Just thinking about that scene was enough to make one feel disgusted.

"I do not have any deep relationship with the Penglai Dao Lord," Yaoguang said.

"Others may not believe that," Ling Ruogu answered, sighing. "After all... Yaoguang, the speed at which you've been growing has been revealed. Forget the other elders. Even seeing it in person, we felt that you were only able to complete the miraculous breakthrough from the Void-Piercing Realm to the Void-Refining Realm in a little over ten years because of the Penglai Dao Lord’s guidance."

Short-sighted. This was the only thought in Yaoguang’s mind.

But then again, wasn’t what most people saw limited to the interests within their own tiny patch of land? How many people could truly care about the future and look upon the world as a whole?

In fact, for a world focused on personal strength, worrying too much about the future without sufficient strength was not necessarily a good thing.

It was like an ordinary person with a compassionate heart who could not bear the suffering of the world, constantly doing good and acting benevolently wherever they went. In the end, they would only drag down their entire family.

And on the North Sea Star, everyone below the Dao Lord Realm could be considered ordinary people.

Therefore, selfish Void-Refining and Void-Shattering cultivators who didn't care about sucking the sect dry of resources for their own interests were the ones who could truly thrive

"Actually, if you really had a deep relationship with the Penglai Dao Lord, it might not necessarily be a bad thing. Of course I mean an extremely deep relationship, not an ordinary master-disciple relationship like that between the Penglai Dao Lord and the several deputy sect masters of the Penglai Immortal Sect." Chi Yu’s eyes flickered as he suddenly spoke. "If you could persuade the Penglai Dao Lord to come to our Heavenly Dao Sect and lecture on the Dao a few times, it would absolutely make many higher-ups change their attitude."

"I have only met the Penglai Dao Lord once. I cannot invite her." Yaoguang shook his head. "Besides, every sect is equivalent to a Dao Lord’s foundation. If one Dao Lord comes to another Dao Lord’s territory to lecture on the Dao, they must first receive an invitation from the other Dao Lord. Otherwise, it would be considered an extremely serious provocation... In other words, unless our Heavenly Dao Sect’s Central Heaven Dao Lord agrees to it, she wouldn't be able to come. And if things really reach that step, then it will be a transaction between Dao Lords. It will have nothing to do with us anymore."

"Then things are a bit troublesome..." Ling Ruogu said. "Zong Wenxian has governed the Heavenly Dao Sect over these years, and he's been effectively oppressing the three deputy sect masters. By doing that, he naturally obtained more benefits. These benefits were then distributed among the four lineages, allowing everyone to get a share. If you want to take the position of deputy sect master and take over as lord of the southern domain, you will probably be targeted jointly by the four lineages."

"The Heavenly Dao Sect does not belong to the four lineages. I imagine there are many peak masters and elders who are dissatisfied with the four lineages," Yaoguang said.

"People like us, who cannot enter the four lineages, are essentially marginal figures of the sect and losers in the struggle. Our opinions cannot create any major waves. We can only rely on ourselves and use the title of Heavenly Dao Sect elder to make some extra income on the outside." Ling Ruogu sounded helpless.

Yaoguang understood this point.

The internal interests of the Heavenly Dao Sect were also divided.

The sect master, the Supreme Elder Council, and the four lineages were undoubtedly the ones with the most interests. They were the true rentiers of the Heavenly Dao Sect.

The rest were the deputy sect masters and peak masters.

As for elders who did not belong to the four lineages, most of them only had the title of "Heavenly Dao Sect elder" and relied on that title to establish some of their own industries.

The income they could directly obtain from within the Heavenly Dao Sect probably only amounted to a few hundred thousand Pure Yang Grand Pills a year.

"Ultimately, the reason this rumor is spreading is that the sect master is unwilling to give up the interests he holds in the southern domain. The Heavenly Dao Sect has been passed down for so many years, so it naturally has its own system for distributing benefits. If I want to counterattack, I cannot follow their way of thinking. I must strike at this system."

Yaoguang glanced at the two of them. "Since they want to spread rumors, we can do the same. I hope the two of you can help me spread the word within the sect that Sect Master Zong Wenxian intends to centralize power. He wants to violate the rules and fully bring the eastern, southern, western, and northern domains under his control. From now on, all resources will be distributed by him alone. Once he completes the integration of the sect’s resources, all resources will be in his hands. Anyone in the sect who dares to defy his will will be pushed to the borders.

"You can even say that he wants to create another faction within the Heavenly Dao Sect, one that belongs entirely to him as sect master, his disciples, and his family line. From now on, everyone will have to act according to this faction's desires. Whether they are elders or disciples of the Heavenly Dao Sect, all of them will indirectly become his servants because of the resources he controls through centralization, and will be forced to serve him and his faction for generations."

"Uhh..." Ling Ruogu widened his eyes.

Chi Yu could not help but say, "The Heavenly Dao Sect has only one true ruler, and that is the Dao Lord. Everyone knows this. No matter how bold Zong Wenxian is, he would never dare to do such a thing..."

"It’s just gossip. If it isn’t explosive enough, how can it attract attention?" Yaoguang smiled faintly. "Just like the rumor they spread. Didn’t they also use the Penglai Dao Lord as a gimmick? But what kind of figure is a Dao Lord? Even ordinary Void-Shattering supremes would not find it easy to meet one, let alone a mere Void-Refining cultivator like me."

Ling Ruogu and Chi Yu looked at each other.

If Yaoguang really released this rumor as a counterattack, no matter how unwilling Zong Wenxian was, he would have to release the southern domain as soon as possible to prove that he had no intention of centralizing power.

It would be one thing if only the elders and disciples harbored suspicions, but if the Supreme Elder Council heard this rumor as well, some supreme elders who hoped to become the sect master in the future would absolutely pass the news to the sect's Dao Lord at once.

If the Dao Lord happened to have some free time and had someone investigate...

He'd see that the sect had four deputy sect masters, and that the southern domain was vacant. And yet, the new deputy sect master had not been assigned to oversee the southern domain...

Hah. How bold.

Zong Wenxian’s time as sect master would come to an end.

"If this rumor really spreads, the sect master will definitely investigate it in secret..." Ling Ruogu was somewhat hesitant.

Yaoguang smiled faintly when he heard this. "If I go to the southern domain, I will naturally need many people by my side to help handle matters. The Heavenly Ruin Hall is good at fighting external threats, but when it comes to internal management, they are not capable enough. Therefore, I would like to invite your two families to move to the southern domain and help me maintain the normal operation of the southern domain’s forty-nine states. What do the two of you think?"

The two of them immediately felt their minds relax.

They had taken the initiative to lean toward Yaoguang as early as when he reached the Void-Piercing Realm. Wasn’t this the exact day they had been waiting for?

Now that they had heard Yaoguang’s promise, the two stood up without hesitation. "We are willing to follow your command in all matters."

"Then I will wait for an update." Yaoguang nodded.

The two immediately left in high spirits to spread the rumor.

Although these two families were not major families within the Heavenly Dao Sect, they had operated there for a long time. They still had some connections and influence.

On top of that, rumors would always spread quickly, more so if related to Sect Master Zong Wenxian centralizing power and involving everyone’s interests.

Before long, it had already swept through the entire Heavenly Dao Sect. It even surpassed the earlier rumor about Yaoguang.

After all, even if Yaoguang wanted to bring the Penglai Immortal Sect into the Heavenly Dao Sect, that would happen a thousand years later. But Zong Wenxian’s attempt at centralizing power was happening right now.

The southern domain had indeed been held in his hands for a long time.

It was said that even the deputy sect master of the northern domain was under his control. If something happened to that deputy sect master one day, would the northern domain naturally fall under the sect master’s management as well?

With this rumor spreading, Zong Wenxian could no longer sit still. He immediately had people ban the spread of the rumor while thoroughly investigating its source.

Immediately afterward, he once again announced that during Young Sect Master Yaoguang’s promotion ceremony to deputy sect master, Yaoguang’s appointment to oversee a domain would be announced.