C1540 Taishi's Words

After the sword light soared into the heavens from the Sword Sect, a hush fell over the Moon Temple.

The once lively hall became eerily silent, so much so that the drop of a pin could be heard.

Duan Yisheng slowly slumped in the seat symbolizing the leadership of the Star Sect, his eyes vacant as he gazed at the hollow expanse of the dome above.

Immense sorrow swelled within his Heart Lake, making each breath he took sound as if it were laced with sobs.

Lee Sha was his chosen one.

He had covertly brought her into the Starmoon Sect from the Silvermoon Empire. In fact, when she was born with Otherkin heritage, many within the Lee family were unaware.

Duan Yisheng was cognizant of Lee Sha's Otherkin lineage, but her resonance with the moon at birth was undeniably potent.

He had taken a gamble on Lee Sha.

He had gone to great lengths to conceal her mixed heritage, exhausting the sect's resources to elevate Lee Sha to her current level of prowess and prestige.

Yet, this was the outcome.

Tan Junshan stood there, his broad shoulders quivering ever so slightly as he fought back his grief. He repeatedly summoned her using the mystique that only he and Lee Sha shared.

To Tan Junshan, Duan Yisheng was merely the Sect Master of the Star Sect.

But to him, Tan Junshan, he had always been of the Moon Sect, and the reigning sect master of the Moon Sect was none other than his senior sister, Lee Sha.

Lee Sha had returned from beyond the stars to prevent Ji Ningshuang from ascending to divinity, not only for the sake of the Starmoon Sect but also for Tan Junshan himself.

He knew it wasn't the right course of action, yet he chose to honor Lee Sha's decision, whether she was right or wrong.

Thus, despite Duan Yisheng's pressing entreaties, he merely listened, refraining from acting on them or persuading Lee Sha to relinquish her pursuit as Duan Yisheng had hoped.

His own ambition to claim a sacred way played a part, of course, but it was overshadowed by his deep affection for Lee Sha.

How could he fail her when she had shown him such loyalty?

But how had things come to this?

Tan Junshan's chest ached with a piercing pain.

Just as young as Lee Sha, he had gravely miscalculated Lin Daoke's combat strength and resolve. It wasn't until the sword light pierced the sky that he grasped the full extent of his misjudgment.

After leaving the Starmoon Sect to become the premier counselor of the Skyreach Consortium, Jun Chen remained silent.

He harbored no affection for Lee Sha, hardly even knowing her, so her death left him indifferent.

His silence stemmed from a sudden realization: his father's first message in years, his first seemingly illogical request, was truly for his benefit.

Had he stepped forward to contest, he would likely share Lee Sha's fate—utter annihilation.

Jun Chen watched the previously indignant sect elders now speechless beside him. He bowed respectfully to Duan Yisheng, slumped in his chair.

Without uttering a single word, he turned and strode out of the Moon Temple, never looking back.

The onlookers watched his retreating figure, saw the unmasked agony in Tan Junshan's eyes, and the lifeless Duan Yisheng, unsure of what to say.

Time passed in silence.

Eventually, Duan Yisheng wiped the tears from his eyes and inhaled deeply. With a shaky voice, he addressed Tan Junshan with grave seriousness, "Don't harbor thoughts of revenge for your Senior Sister! Even if one day you ascend to divinity through the Path of the Moon, don't attempt it!"

Tan Junshan, with a look of anguish, seemed lost.

"You can't do it, Jun Chen can't, none of us can," Duan Yisheng said, his face etched with sorrow as he glanced toward the Sword Sect. "Since time immemorial, no one has surpassed him in the art of swordsmanship. For years, Mr. Han has determined who would occupy the thrones of the gods."

"Mr. Han's power comes from his sword!"

"Many of Mr. Han's policies and proposals, whenever met with resistance, were enforced by the might of his sword!"

"This sword is the insurmountable Holy Mountain for our Starmoon Sect."

Duan Yisheng was overwhelmed with pessimism.

Lee Sha was gone, his centuries of meticulous planning undone by a single stroke of the sword.

Yet he still needed to dissuade Tan Junshan from seeking vengeance, even if Tan Junshan were to become divine, he would not allow him to make the attempt.

Lin Daoke truly frightened him.

...

Within the grand palace of the Moonfall Sanctuary, constructed from extraterrestrial rare stones, Tianqi sat before a table strewn with uneaten remnants of a meal. His thick, dark eyebrows knitted together as he gently set down his silver chopsticks.

Facing him, alongside the God-Kings Gui Xu and Tian Zang, was Yan Qiling, who had only recently returned from the Domain Channel leading to the Hellmouth.

Tianqi and Gui Xu had been locked in a debate over who should inherit Gu Xingkui's divine seat. With Lee Sha's sudden appearance, Tianqi began to fervently urge Gui Xu to support him in backing Lee Sha and the Starmoon Sect in their bid for the divine seat.

While Gui Xu resisted and counseled Tianqi to stay calm and communicate with Lee Sha, their discussion was cut short. A sword light from the Sword Sect pierced the sky, resulting in Lee Sha's complete annihilation over the Rainbow Ocean.

In the aftermath, Tian Zang and the freshly returned Yan Qiling joined the God-Kings.

"I never imagined he'd be stronger than the Sword Sect Master who perished at the hands of Taiyin," Gui Xu's phantom spoke somberly from within the stone pillar. "We've spent years at the fringes of the cosmos, exploring countless enigmatic forbidden areas, yet our grasp of the Everlands is woefully inadequate."

The sword delivered by Lin Daoke served as a rude awakening for the God-Kings Gui Xu and Tianqi. They suddenly recognized that even when allied with Zu Ann and the Untamed, their power paled in comparison to the five paramount forces of the Everlands, a realization that came shortly after they had inadvertently alienated Youyu, the God of Ghosts.

Yan Qiling cleared his throat subtly.

Tianqi, the God-King, turned his attention, "Taishi, do you bring a message?"

"Lord Taishi is willing to postpone Gu Xingkui's demise, and it's not solely because of Yu Yuan," Yan Qiling began, aware that both Gui Xu and Tian Zang were intently listening. "Taishi never intended to vie for Gu Xingkui's divine seat. You two are unaware of the Sword Sect Master's dreadfulness due to your absence from the Everlands. Despite being confined to the Moonfall Sanctuary, Lord Taishi has swayed Nie Qingtian to our cause."

"Lord Taishi, through Nie Qingtian's insights into the Everlands, you're aware of the formidable nature of that individual."

"Understanding the threat they pose, the divine seat that rightfully belongs to the Sword Sect was deemed unworthy of contention by you, Lord Taishi."

"Nie Qingtian's demise was a sacrifice to aid your escape, to free you from this place."

"After the fall of the Titanblade, the God Throne was passed to Gu Xingkui solely because Han, that cunning old fox, intended to use him to obstruct your path to divinity."

"Among the Grand Sword Immortals of the Sword Sect, Gu Xingkui was relatively weaker."

"Gu Xingkui's ascension was purely the old fox Han's contingency plan, fearing your eventual escape from the Moonfall Sanctuary."

"The old fox believed that with Gu Xingkui in place, even if you were released, you'd be unable to claim godhood."

"Yet, you were aided by others to attain divinity through different means, not relying on the fortunes of the Everlands."

"Therefore, Gu Xingkui's already dull blade lost its purpose once it could no longer suppress you, Lord Taishi, sealing his fate."

Yan Qiling paused briefly.

He then continued, "Gu Xingkui's death, while directly caused by you, Lord Taishi, was likely a welcome outcome for Han. Gu Xingkui, who only became a god to control you, became a liability and occupied a divine seat within the Sword Sect, thereby diminishing its strength."

"Taishi wished for his death, and Han desired the same, to clear the way; thus, his death was inevitable."

"Han is utterly dispassionate, concerned only with what he deems correct and beneficial for the Everlands, regardless of who must be sacrificed."

Yan Qiling glanced at Gui Xu within the pillar, reflecting for a moment before saying, "Given Lin Daoke's resolve to claim the seat and Han Miaoyuan's comprehensive preparations, our withdrawal is the prudent choice. And having Ji Ningshuang take over, whether for Yu Yuan's sake or our own, is indeed the optimal decision."

"The best choice?" Gui Xu was somewhat perplexed.

"Within the Sword Sect, aside from Ji Ningshuang, there are others like Lu Hongpeng with his Sword of Seven Emotions, Su Qingmo with her Frostflower Blade, and Van Heqing with his Shatterblade, who all harbor aspirations of divinity. If any of them were to ascend, it would pose a greater problem for us."

"Their swordsmanship doesn't stem from that extraterrestrial entity."

Yan Qiling's tone became markedly cautious when discussing the Titan Spinosaurus. "Ji Ningshuang's ice magic is derived from it. So, when Lord Taishi incubates its offspring in Ionodios, any sacred way born from it will be somewhat constrained by the young beast's power."

"Tan Xiaotian's dark energy originated from a dark dragon, yet he has transcended it, merging with nearly all forms of darkness known in the extraterrestrial realms. Nevertheless, should its offspring emerge, they could still exert influence over Tan Xiaotian."

"The same principle applies to Yuwen Hao, who has gleaned his sacred way from the fire dragon," Yan Qiling explained with a smile.

Gui Xu, Tianqi, and Tian Zang, who were just learning of these matters, were visibly shaken by the revelation.

"Since we can't preemptively claim it, allowing Ji Ningshuang to ascend to godhood is indeed our optimal strategy," Yan Qiling mused, pausing briefly. "She's quite astute. She must have instinctively picked up on something, which is why she's clinging so tightly to her two Stardust sacred ways."

"Nevertheless, even if her divine throne bears the mark of ice magic, Ji Ningshuang will face limitations once the young beast is born."

"We have no such leverage over the swordsmanship mastered by the other Grand Sword Immortals."

God-King Tianqi interjected, "What about Lin Daoke?"

After a prolonged silence, Yan Qiling responded, "Lin Daoke's Path to Godhood isn't linked to it, and currently, there's no trace to follow. Even the birth of that young beast in the future won't have the slightest impact on him."

"Taishi, is there any strategy to counter Lin Daoke?" Gui Xu inquired gravely.

Ghost King Tian Zang, observing the silhouette within the stone pillar and then glancing at Tianqi, understood that Lin Daoke's swordsmanship had left a profound impression on the two God-Kings present.

They didn't understand Lin Daoke and were aware they couldn't defeat him, so they sought to secure a protector through Taishi.

Taishi, for his part, had never left the Everlands. Even when he was confined within the Moonfall Sanctuary, he remained aware of all the changes in the world.

"Taishi said..."

Yan Qiling's face was a mix of emotions as he faltered.

"What did he say?!" demanded Tianqi and Gui Xu together.

"We must wait for Taiyin to emerge," Yan Qiling declared quietly.

"How could that be?" Tianqi huffed in exasperation.

Gui Xu, on the other hand, stayed quiet.

Tian Zang, too, kept his silence.

​