At the Yaoguang Holy Lord's command.
Several hazy figures wreathed in radiance vanished one after another.
"Holy Lord, should we give this matter more careful consideration?"
A Supreme Elder spoke, his voice hesitant.
"Indeed, he was merely a junior. Ordering the Yin-Yang Sect to surrender the culprit and give our Yaoguang Holy Land an accounting should suffice..."
Someone immediately agreed. "The Yin-Yang Sect is, after all, one of the few ancient great sects of the Central Plains. Its strength is second only to the Four Great Immortal Dynasties. If we were to mobilize our forces over this, I fear..."
"What a joke! Since when did our Yaoguang Holy Land need to fear a mere Yin-Yang Sect?"
Someone soon objected, his tone forceful. "This concerns our Yaoguang Holy Land's reputation and prestige. If we do not strike back with the force of thunder, how will we maintain our foothold in the Eastern Wasteland?"
"If they want an all-out war, our Yaoguang Holy Land has no fear of them!"
"Exactly! Unless that old bastard Wang Yangzhan, who already has one foot in the grave, comes to our gates in person to apologize, he can forget about sweeping this matter aside. Our Yaoguang Holy Land will never let it rest!"
"The Yin-Yang Sect's Yin-Yang Mirror might intimidate others, but it cannot intimidate our Yaoguang Holy Land. Do they really think the Dragon-Patterned Black Gold Cauldron is just for show?"
Chapter 33: Candidate Holy Son? The Ruthless One's Lineage?
"There is no need for further discussion. It is decided!"
Carved balustrades and jade masonry gleamed with magnificent splendor.
Within the mysterious, ancient Yaoguang Main Hall.
The Yaoguang Holy Lord waved a hand, signaling for the Supreme Elders to stop arguing. "This concerns the Holy Land's reputation and dignity. We absolutely cannot let it pass so easily, lest they try to take a mile after gaining an inch!"
"Taking this opportunity to bolster Yaoguang's prestige and intimidate those increasingly arrogant powers itching to make a move would be no bad thing!"
"Otherwise, they might really believe that their meager reserves are enough to put them on equal footing with our Yaoguang Holy Land!"
With the Yaoguang Holy Lord's decisive ruling.
The assembled Supreme Elders said no more.
As the Holy Land's senior leadership, they could certainly influence the Holy Lord's will to some extent.
But that did not mean the Holy Lord was merely for show. Besides, they were not truly launching an all-out war against a great Central Plains sect like the Yin-Yang Sect; they were merely striking back with thunderous force.
It was the Yin-Yang Sect that had broken the rules and crossed the line, not the Yaoguang Holy Land.
A great sect from the Central Plains had actually come to the Eastern Wasteland without restraint to gather Immortal Seedlings in droves. How could they, who considered themselves the overlords of the Southern Region, swallow that insult?
As for assassinating the geniuses of other powers.
Strictly speaking, it was nothing unusual.
Even the Yaoguang Holy Land had done its fair share of such things in the past.
But everyone tacitly understood that these underhanded methods were to be carried out in secret.
Once someone caught you red-handed, however, it became an entirely different matter.
If they failed to respond harshly with iron and blood.
How would the Eastern Wasteland's great sects, Holy Lands, and Desolate Ancient Families react when they heard of it?
Someone might someday decide that the Yaoguang Holy Land was weak and easily bullied, then take a mile after gaining an inch.
They might even rise against it together without prior agreement.
Or go so far as to target it openly.
"Still, I never expected Martial Uncle Danyangzi to take a Personal Disciple..."
The Yaoguang Holy Lord, Li Daoqing, had a stern countenance and profoundly deep eyes.
Standing with his hands behind his back, he gazed at the young figure Elder Wang Peng had manifested in the hall earlier through a secret technique. A strange gleam crossed his eyes. "Taiyi, the Dao... What an ambitious little fellow!"
"Reporting to the Holy Lord, Junior Brother Taiyi truly possesses unparalleled talent. In the letter my master Danyangzi left me, he mentioned that Taiyi had already gained an initial grasp of the Holy Light Technique while still in the Divine Bridge Realm..."
Inside the hall.
Wang Peng wore a solemn expression as he bowed respectfully to Li Daoqing and spoke frankly. "Although he is currently only in the Dao Palace Realm, he has already cultivated the Holy Light Technique to minor mastery!"
"Oh?"
Li Daoqing's pupils contracted.
He believed Wang Peng could not possibly lie about such a thing.
Unless the man truly had a death wish, how could a mere elder dare fabricate a story to deceive the Yaoguang Holy Land's senior leadership?
He simply had not expected Danyangzi's Personal Disciple to be so extraordinary.
No wonder experts of the Yin-Yang Sect had hunted him.
"What!?"
"Is that true?"
"He mastered the Holy Light Technique in the Divine Bridge Realm? Utter nonsense!"
"Even the past sages of our Yaoguang Holy Land only attained minor mastery of the Holy Light Technique after reaching the Four Extremes Secret Realm or even the Dragon Transformation Secret Realm!"
"Hmph! You are merely an elder. How dare you weave such an absurd lie to make fools of us?"
"In the hundred-odd to two hundred thousand years since Yaoguang was founded, no one has ever achieved anything like this..."
"Surely he cannot truly be a Young Great Emperor whose talent is unmatched throughout the ages?"
Many of the Supreme Elders present felt their pupils contract sharply. They were inexplicably shocked, unable to believe it.
Even some figures who had been sitting cross-legged with their eyes closed, utterly indifferent, opened their eyes and exuded terrifying auras.
One horrifying gaze after another, almost tangible, fell upon Wang Peng in the hall.
Indifferent, astonished, doubtful, mocking, sneering...
Some among them had cultivated the Primordial Origin Scripture and the Holy Light Technique, and had once been Holy Sons or Candidate Holy Sons of their respective generations.
Naturally, they knew how difficult the Holy Light Technique was to master. It was easy to learn but difficult to perfect, and many had only barely attained minor mastery after reaching the Dragon Transformation Secret Realm or even the Immortal Platform Secret Realm.
Even the extraordinarily gifted Yaoguang Holy Son had only cultivated the Holy Light Technique to minor mastery after breaking through to the Four Extremes Secret Realm.
Such a performance from Danyangzi's Personal Disciple was far too astonishing.
Was he going to compete with the Yaoguang Holy Son for the position of Holy Lord?
"This is absolutely true. I would not dare deceive the Holy Lord or any of the Supreme Elders..."
Under those incomparably terrifying, piercing gazes.
Even Wang Peng, an elder at peak Dragon Transformation, could not help trembling slightly. Immense pressure bore down on him, and his face turned pale.
Yet he forced himself to remain calm and said in a deep voice, "If there is even the slightest falsehood in my words, I, Wang Peng, willingly accept punishment!"
"In that case..."
Seeing this-
A strange gleam appeared in Li Daoqing's eyes, and he immediately gave an order. "Pass down my command: Taiyi, Supreme Elder Danyangzi's Personal Disciple, is to be appointed a Candidate Holy Son!"
To have already cultivated the Primordial Origin Holy Light Technique to minor mastery at merely the Dao Palace Third Heaven truly marked him as a dazzling, extraordinary talent.
Perhaps he really would qualify to compete with the immensely gifted Yaoguang Holy Son in the future.
He did not mind lending a hand.
"We respectfully obey the Holy Lord's decree!"
Several days passed.
Taiyi continued traveling through the Qian Kingdom.
As usual, he cultivated as he traveled, experiencing the mortal world.
Naturally, he knew nothing of the Yaoguang Holy Land's response, though he could still guess what it would be.
If it simply swallowed the insult and made peace, then the Yaoguang Holy Land's Dragon-Patterned Black Gold Cauldron truly would be nothing more than a decoration.
A power guarded by an Extreme Dao Emperor Weapon and a power without one.
Ultimately, the confidence of the two was different.
One day, while flying over a mountain range.
"Hm?" Taiyi suddenly sensed something.
He descended at once, landing on a barren mountain peak.
He had detected traces of formation patterns.
Boom!
He swept his broad sleeve.
Divine power surged outward.
Large swathes of dust and rock were flung away.
An ancient formation platform was revealed.
"An abandoned ancient formation?" Taiyi carefully examined the platform.
Judging by the Dao patterns and coordinates upon it, he determined that it was undamaged.
This was a large Teleportation Ancient Formation, capable of crossing boundless territories and even traveling directly to the Central Plains, Southern Ridge, Northern Plains, and other regions.
Exploring the surrounding areas, he discovered traces of ancient buildings one after another, confirming that, long ages ago, this place had likely been one of an ancient power's outposts.
Beyond that, he found nothing else.
"The Central Plains, the Yin-Yang Sect..."
Taiyi's eyes flickered, and a cold smile appeared on his face.
He made a bold decision and immediately began modifying the coordinates. "Damn it, didn't you want to hunt me down? Then I won't stand on ceremony about taking the Yin-Yang Sect's inheritance!"
"This is the perfect chance to borrow the Ancient Yin-Yang Scripture for a look!"
Before you continue