Chapter 150

Chapter 150: Devotion Unto Death

Sea of All Realms.

Dao King wore a gray robe, his posture upright. Under his feet was a single green bamboo leaf, ordinary-looking, yet it floated atop chaos without being destroyed.

Beside him stood a young man dressed in black, with thick eyebrows and starry eyes. His cultivation had reached the Saint King level. He was precisely the senior brother Bu Linglong had spoken of.

The young man in black remained silent, his eyes revealing a look of reverence.

The person before him possessed vast divine abilities. Even an unintentionally leaked wisp of aura made him tremble, and he dared not gaze directly at Dao King.

“Heaven’s Secret Pavilion is hosting the Hidden Dragon Gathering. Xiao Ni, what do you think?” Dao King asked lightly.

The young man in black, Xiao Ni, hardened his tone and said, “The master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion emerged only a few months ago, but his fame has spread across several realms; it can be called truly renowned.”

“In my view, the so-called Hidden Dragon Gathering is just Heaven’s Secret Pavilion trying to flaunt its authority.”

“Correct.”

Dao King said lightly, “The master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion was unfathomable; I could not see through him either.”

“One day, he might become a great threat to our Taihao Heavenly Sect.”

Xiao Ni’s gaze abruptly shifted.

According to his knowledge, the master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion only handled business and avoided factional conflicts. How could he threaten the Taihao Heavenly Sect?

But Dao King said no more, and Xiao Ni dared not ask further.

“Sect Master, Junior Brother Meng, Junior Brother Yue, and others all died by the hands of a native from Godfall Ridge. How do we handle this matter?” Xiao Ni changed the subject.

“Kill.”

Dao King’s face turned expressionless.

Splash splash!

At that moment, the waters of the Sea of All Realms suddenly turned turbulent. Undercurrents surged beneath, and the bamboo leaf boat rocked unsteadily as if waves would flip it any second.

“Could it be ancient ferocious beasts attacking?” Xiao Ni exclaimed in surprise.

Numerous ancient ferocious beasts lay hidden in the Sea of All Realms, emerging now and then to attack cultivators.

This was common knowledge.

“No.” Dao King shook his head, his eyes narrowing slightly as he scanned the empty expanse and said, “Hiding like rats is the act of mere cowards. Get out!”

He gave a cold snort, and the void kept collapsing, transforming into chaos.

However, no figure appeared.

Boom!

Suddenly, a strand of divine light shot skyward. In an instant, beams of divine light surged upward like a vast net, trapping Dao King and his companion.

Nine colossal divine pillars stood between heaven and earth as the Sea of All Realms churned violently.

Infinite divine patterns intertwined. Each divine pillar bore unique divine patterns, with wind and thunder roiling, and the five elements thrown into chaos.

Xiao Ni stared in horror. How dared someone attack their Sect Master?

Dao King smiled, “It had been many years since anyone was so bold.”

"Very well, this seat shall first shatter your formation, then force you to show yourself!"

Boom! Boom! Boom!

As his voice fell, nine towering divine pillars suddenly slashed downward like interlocking sword light, slicing the Chaotic Sea into nine portions, cleaving chasms thousands of miles long, shattering the ferocious beasts concealed deep beneath the sea.

Thunder resonated throughout heaven and earth, yin and yang reversed, as the nine forces of the Great Dao simultaneously slashed towards the Dao King.

"A mere formation dares to imprison this seat?"

A look of disdain surfaced on Dao King’s face. He raised his great hand, blocking all nine streaks of sword light with a single palm. Not a single hair on his body was harmed.

The physiology of a Half-Immortal—was it so easy to deal with?

"Break!"

Dao King channeled his magic power. His great hand suddenly clenched, grasping all nine streaks of sword light at once. Relying solely on the power of his physical body, he forcibly ground the nine powers of the Great Dao to nothing.

Divine radiance swirled in his eyes as he scanned heaven and earth, searching for the one who had ambushed him.

"No need to search. This humble Daoist is here."

The next instant, a voice rose from the depths of the sea. The ocean surface split apart, and a ferocious beast with three heads clad in dragon scales emerged.

Its eyes were lifeless, yet it spoke with a human voice.

Dao King narrowed his eyes and chuckled scornfully.

This beast was merely at the emperor realm cultivation level, as flimsy as paper before him, posing not the slightest threat.

"Since sir can subdue an emperor realm beast to use as your puppet, why hide and skulk? Why not come out and face this seat in a fair and honorable battle?"

The three-headed beast before him was nothing but a puppet, its spirit and soul long ago erased. The one who had just spoken was merely a trace of Divine Sense residing within the beast.

Swoosh!

A divine light flickered in Dao King’s eyes. A wisp of purple beam flashed past, severing one of the beast’s heads.

"Hahaha…"

The beast laughed wildly, "Since you know this is only a puppet, why waste your effort?"

Dao King did not answer.

He said lightly, "Very few in this world are worthy of being this seat’s opponent."

"You refuse to show yourself, meaning you are likely not one of those few."

"This seat has many enemies. The weak ones have all been subdued by me. The strong still remain in the world. Even if they wished to strike at this seat, there would be no need to skulk like a rat in hiding."

"Perhaps… this seat should guess your identity."

Dao King stirred his magic power, grasping the ferocious beast in his palm. He slowly unfurled his hand. The immense, incomparable emperor realm beast lay in his palm like a pet.

"Should I call you…Grandmaster?"

Dao King stared at the beast in his palm, sensing the wisp of Divine Sense, and asked mockingly.

"Hahaha…"

The laughter of Duobao Daoist came from within the beast. "My disciple’s disciple truly is clever."

Xiao Ni, standing nearby, froze as if struck by lightning.

Disciple’s disciple?

Xiao Ni’s heart trembled violently. Dao King’s master was Withered Wood Daoist—wouldn’t that make his master the sect master from two generations prior?

If so, why were they fighting?

Addressed as “disciple’s disciple,” Dao King didn’t show the slightest anger. A faint smile curved his lips. “Grandmaster, you must have already learned about what happened in the Shadow Realm. Did you come here to test my abilities?”

“Correct.”

Duobao Daoist sighed deeply. “When Withered Wood took you as his disciple, I knew your future would be limitless. With his capabilities, he was not fit to be your master.”

“Therefore, I predicted he would face calamity because of you.”

“Last time, you shattered his body and obliterated his divine soul. I endured countless hardships only to collect the fragments of his broken divine soul and rebuild his physical form.”

“It’s a pity you still refused to let him be.”

Duobao Daoist’s voice gradually turned icy and severe, brimming with killing intent.

Xiao Ni’s mind went blank.

The rumor about Dao King slaying his master to seize power… was actually true?

Furthermore, the previous sect master seemed to have been brought back to life but then met his end at Dao King’s hands once more.

“It’s over…”

Despair gripped Xiao Ni’s heart.

This was the ultimate secret of the Taihao Heavenly Sect. Now that he knew Dao King’s secret, he likely wouldn’t survive.

Dao King chuckled lightly. “In all matters, I do nothing half-heartedly. Either I do nothing at all, or I pursue it ruthlessly to the end. Since I failed to kill him the first time, a second attempt was inevitable.”

“Grandmaster, Withered Wood is dull-witted and utterly unworthy of practicing your techniques. It would be better if you passed them to me instead. I will undoubtedly bring glory to them!”

Though he spoke shameless words, Dao King remained calm and composed, showing not a trace of guilt.

“A wolf in sheep’s clothing I could never tame…”

Duobao Daoist’s tone carried a hint of helplessness.

“Actually, I can’t be blamed entirely.”

Dao King said indifferently, “Had the master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion not revealed Withered Wood’s whereabouts, how could I have killed him in the first place?”

“I wasn’t the only one responsible for his death.”

However, Duobao Daoist fell silent.

The aura of the fierce beast in his palm also gradually faded.

Duobao Daoist was gone.

“He was testing me.”

Dao King furrowed his brow. “If he were strong enough to take revenge, he wouldn’t have hidden in the shadows. This grandmaster of mine possesses the Xuanjing and displays such methods… his origins are certainly extraordinary.”

Dao King continuously contemplated and assessed the situation in his mind.

“As things stand, he should be no match for me presently.”

“Having someone of his calibre as an enemy will only make the days ahead more… interesting.”

Far from feeling fear, a thrill of excitement stirred within Dao King.

“Xiao Ni.”

After several moments, Dao King turned his gaze to Xiao Ni.

Xiao Ni was utterly terrified. Hearing Dao King’s voice, his entire body trembled.

Dao King frowned, displeasure coloring his expression. “Is the senior brother of the younger generation in our Taihao Heavenly Sect really only this courageous?”

“Since you now know the truth, I won’t make things difficult for you.”

“Life or death. Choose for yourself.”

“This disciple is willing to serve the sect master with all my heart and soul for life!”

Xiao Ni thudded to his knees and kowtowed repeatedly like pounding garlic.

He knew exactly which choice to make.

Boom!

An explosion sounded. Xiao Ni’s head blew apart with a resounding burst. He couldn’t have been more dead.

“Since you chose to serve me ‘with heart and brain spilled onto the earth,’ I grant your wish.”