"The true Heavenly Dao..."
In the void, the half-human, half-dragon human-dragon dharma aspect murmured, a trace of solemnity appearing on his face.
What he feared was not Sun Zhuo himself. Although Sun Zhuo had ascended to heaven tier, that had owed more to his status and authority than to any exceptional talent or outstanding strength of his own.
Any qualified expert at the pinnacle of earth rank, any Legendary Expert, could have ascended smoothly if given the position of Sect Master of the Azure Cloud Sect. With that being as a fellow sect member, they could naturally oversee the greater situation on his behalf and command the assembled heroes, piling up their cultivation with an endless supply of heavenly treasures and opportunities.
To put it bluntly, even a pig could have reached heaven tier with that identity and a seat in that position.
Moreover, although Sun Zhuo had undergone several trials since ascending to earth rank, they had mostly been intended to groom him for the sect's upper leadership.
What the Azure Cloud Sect needed was his grasp of the bigger picture, his ability to handle people and affairs-or, rather, his breadth of character, judgment, reputation, and prestige.
They had never considered that he might need to face a powerful enemy in earnest.
Thus, Sun Zhuo was truly the most peaceful of Peaceful Cultivators, the most carefree of carefree true immortals.
For decades, he had scarcely fought anyone, nor had he ever needed to.
Even after ascending to heaven tier, such a man could only reach so high. To this day, he remained in the early-to-middle stages. Even if he stood at the same peak as Ye Tianming, or had even touched the Heavenly Dao, Ye Tianming would not have feared him in the slightest.
He was a genius of