Shrouding the Heavens: Starting by joining the Holy Land of Yao Guang

Chapter 102 The Holy Lord of Yao Guang
Li Yao stood up, opened his mouth and inhaled, retrieving the immortal furnace. The golden figure also flew back and sat in the center of his brow, the three becoming one, without any flaws.

The mountain range below disappeared, and the earth itself was sank hundreds of feet, becoming a terrifying, vast canyon.

"Now, even if I were to travel alone in the vast Central Plains, I would have the power to protect myself and would not fear many great sects." Li Yao felt extremely confident.

It's not just because of his strength; he now has quite a few trump cards up his sleeve. Although the Divine Furnace of Departing Fire cannot unleash its full power, the power it can unleash with his current cultivation level is enough to astound the world.

Besides that, there's also the Great Sun Golden Wheel, which is his true trump card.

"The five-colored cloud flames I collected in the Fire Domain back then have still not been used up." Li Yao sighed as he thought of the five-colored cloud flames in the Fire God Furnace.

Back in the small world, he didn't have a chance to use it. The Jiang family was right next to him then, and if he used the Divine Furnace of Departing Fire in front of them, they would definitely recognize him.

This weapon is closely related to Emperor Hengyu, and the Jiang family will absolutely not allow it to be left out. Once it is discovered, they will definitely retrieve it.

This is non-negotiable; we are willing to fight even against the Yao Guang Holy Land.

Therefore, even now, this five-colored cloud flame, which is powerful enough to burn to death a peak cultivator at the first level of the Sendai realm, has not had the opportunity to be used.

"Now that the Ruthless Clan is here, I wonder if they'll still come after me. If they do, I'll just treat it as a surprise for them," Li Yao thought with some ill intent.

It's a pity that, perhaps because he's too popular right now, the Ruthless Clan has never made a move against him again.

"It's time to leave. To fully unleash the potential of the Dragon Transformation Secret Realm, a trip to the Central Plains is indispensable." Li Yao was well aware of this.

Moreover, the Central Plains is not just about dragon marrow; that land also holds countless wonders.

However, before going to Zhongzhou, he had to return to the Yao Guang Holy Land first.

The five major regions of Zhongzhou, Beiyuan, Donghuang, Ximo, and Nanling are vast and boundless. If one were to rely solely on flying, even between adjacent large regions, it would generally take more than ten years.

This is not something an ordinary cultivator could do; it would require at least the Dragon Transformation Realm. Even if Li Yao possessed the Xingzi Secret and cultivated it to a very high level, it would still take him at least several years to cross the Great Domain.

One can only imagine how vast this land is; it is boundless and awe-inspiring the more one thinks about it.

Zhongzhou represents antiquity and mystery, with endless legends. The four great dynasties, numerous dynasties, and various schools of thought were all located there.

After traveling for several months, his cultivation level broke through from the Four Extremes Secret Realm to the second stage of Dragon Transformation. When he returned to the Holy Land, almost everyone looked at him with disbelief.

"It's been less than half a year since the Holy Son broke through to the fourth level and fourth realm, yet he has already broken through to the Dragon Transformation Realm so quickly."

"Your Highness, you're not even fifteen yet, are you? At such a young age, how many people can achieve the Dragon Transformation Realm?"

"It's not just about cultivation level; have you forgotten just how powerful His Highness the Holy Son is in battle?"

"He truly has the makings of an emperor!"

Such remarks were rampant within the Yao Guang Holy Land, with everyone from the Supreme Elders to ordinary disciples praising them.

"Junior brother." Just as Li Yao was about to return to Sunrise Island, Yao Xi's figure gracefully approached. She was like a divine lotus in bloom, like a bright pearl exhaling auspiciousness, dazzling beyond compare.

Li Yao stopped and looked at the graceful woman, and couldn't help but sigh in his heart, she was truly a combination of a demoness and a fairy.

Yao Xi, not yet twenty years old, is also changing in appearance. Compared to when she was in the small world nearly a year ago, she is undoubtedly more charming now, possessing the peerless beauty of one of the most beautiful fairies in the Eastern Wilderness in a few years.

"Junior brother has been away from the Holy Land for so long, and now that he's back, why does he seem so unhappy to see his senior sister?" Yao Xi said with a hint of resentment as she approached.

Li Yao smiled slightly and said, "That's a misunderstanding, Senior Sister. I'm just naturally not one to smile."

Yao Xi's red lips curled up slightly, almost bursting into laughter, but after a slight adjustment, she resumed her act of looking resentful.

"Junior brother is a habitual liar. He clearly smiled when he saw the Holy Maiden of Yaochi."

"That's slander! When have I ever seen the Holy Maiden of Yaochi smile?" Li Yao was speechless.

“It clearly exists.” Yao Xi’s red lips pursed slightly, looking somewhat aggrieved.

Li Yao shook his head helplessly, feeling that Yao Xi's acting skills were too superb. If someone who didn't know the inside story saw this, they would most likely misunderstand something.

"Alright, senior sister, is there something you need from me?" He decided to stop; in terms of acting, the woman in front of him was simply a master.

"The Holy One wishes to see you." When it came to business, Yao Xi became serious.

"Does Your Majesty wish to see me? Is there any instruction you wish to give?" Li Yao asked, somewhat puzzled.

Having been a disciple of the Yao Guang Holy Land for so long, he has never met the Holy Lord Li Daoqing even once.

As the ultimate holy land on the boundless Eastern Wilderness, Yao Guang Holy Land is undoubtedly ruled by its Holy Lord Li Daoqing.

Although he had never met Li Daoqing, he was certainly not unfamiliar with him. In fact, no one on the entire Rising Sun Island would be unfamiliar with Li Daoqing.

Xun Zhan, the most powerful figure on the surface of Rising Sun Island, was once very close to becoming the Holy Lord.

But he was only close; throughout his life, he was always suppressed by Li Daoqing, who was nearly two hundred years younger than him.

Many people on Rising Sun Island feel regretful, believing that if it weren't for Li Daoqing's existence, the position of Holy Lord should belong to Rising Sun Island.

Therefore, Li Yao had absolutely no idea what the holy man was thinking when he wanted to see him.

He wanted to ask Yao Xi for details, but Yao Xi replied that she didn't know either. Li Yao couldn't tell whether this woman was acting or genuinely didn't know, because she was such a good actress.

"Please lead the way, Senior Sister." Unable to figure it out, Li Yao simply stopped thinking about it. He figured he would know what was going on once he met the person.

Mount Yaoguang, suspended in the air, has a much richer spiritual energy than other parts of the sacred land. As a sacred mountain named after the Yaoguang Sacred Land, Mount Yaoguang is naturally an excellent place for cultivation.

Mount Yaoguang is shrouded in mist. Although it is called a mountain, it covers a vast area with plains, lakes, and numerous peaks, as well as thousands of feet of flowing springs and waterfalls.

Within the mountains, various cranes circled and danced, and countless strange and exotic beasts roamed about, including phoenixes with traces of ancient phoenix blood, and numerous rare and exotic beasts containing the bloodline of true dragons, such as dragons, suanni, and baxia...

Although they are all part of the Twelve Lineages of Yaoguang, Yaoguang Mountain's strength far surpasses that of the other lineages, excluding the Holy Mountain.

Li Yao followed Yao Xi, traveling freely within Yaoguang Mountain, and his journey was quite eye-opening.

Soon, Yao Xi led him to a temple. Above the temple gate was an ancient plaque with three large, elegant characters written on it: Yao Guang Temple.

The ancient characters contained a powerful Daoist aura that had not dissipated even after tens of thousands of years. The main hall was not luxurious, and its building materials were not dazzling gold or jade, but the most ordinary bronze. From the outside, it did not even seem particularly extraordinary.

"The Bronze Palace!" Li Yao was slightly taken aback.

When it comes to bronze palaces, the first thing that comes to mind is definitely the bronze immortal palace that the ruthless man possessed.

As the oldest main lineage, the original inhabitants of Yaoguang Mountain must have been the first villagers of the town. They knew a great deal about the ruthless man, and even knew that he possessed a bronze immortal palace.

This bronze palace is most likely a replica of that celestial palace, but unfortunately, it's all just a superficial imitation; it's merely an empty shell.

Upon entering the main hall, as Li Yao had expected, it was not luxurious. The main pillars of the hall were not dragon pillars with carvings of real dragons, but simply bronze pillars with few carvings, only some ancient Taoist patterns.

At the far end of the main hall stood a middle-aged man surrounded by 108 divine rings, his entire body radiating a dazzling light and exuding an incomparably powerful aura.

"Holy Lord." At this moment, Yao Xi was very serious, all the alluring feeling on her body disappeared, leaving only holiness.

Li Yao also bowed, because the person in front of him was the highest-ranking person in the Yao Guang Holy Land. A single word from him could shake the Eastern Wilderness, and his status and power far exceeded his cultivation level.

Li Daoqing turned around, waved his hand, and helped the two up. He had a thin face and was not particularly handsome, but his more than a thousand years of rule over the Yao Guang Holy Land gave him an imposing presence.

Power breeds authority, and high position breeds influence.
This has nothing to do with cultivation level; it's purely because of that supreme power. Just like an emperor among mortals, power can also breed a terrifying aura.

Li Daoqing's eyes were weathered, as if he had witnessed countless years, observing the rise and fall of dynasties and the decay of the world.

"Yao Xi, you can go now. I have something to discuss with Li Yao." Li Daoqing waved his hand.

Yao Xi turned around gracefully and left the bronze hall, leaving the two of them alone in the hall staring at each other.

"Your cultivation is quite good. After breaking through the Dragon Transformation Realm, you have actually taken another step forward and achieved the second transformation of the Dragon Transformation Realm." Li Daoqing did not use any divine techniques, but he saw through Li Yao's cultivation.

Li Yao clasped his hands in thanks: "Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty."

Li Daoqing shook his head: "Don't be restrained. You are naturally unruly. If you keep restraining yourself like this, your body and spirit will not be in harmony. In the long run, this will not be conducive to your cultivation."

As the Holy Lord who has ruled a sacred land for a thousand years, Li Daoqing has never relied on anything other than his cultivation, but also on the wisdom he has honed over two thousand years by experiencing the wickedness of human nature.

Perhaps he wasn't that amazing in the path of cultivation, but in terms of vision and understanding, Li Daoqing was definitely first-rate.

"When the Holy Lord first met me, he knew that I was inherently arrogant. I have always thought that I am a very humble person." Li Yao did not quite agree with Li Daoqing's assessment of him.

Li Daoqing chuckled and shook his head, saying, "Of all things in this world, human nature is the most multifaceted and the most complex."

“You are very arrogant, otherwise you would not have forcefully undergone your tribulation in front of everyone in the entire Yao Guang Holy Land. But you are also very sincere. If someone is kind to you, you will repay them threefold. This is true of Rising Sun Island and Hengyang Cave Heaven.”

“Sunrise Island nurtured you and protected you, so you offered up the Earth Life Fruit. Hengyang Cave Heaven was merely a guide, yet you gave Hengyang Cave Heaven a full 50,000 catties of source.”

"There are very few people in this world who are so grateful and repay kindness."

Li Daoqing paused for a moment, then continued.

"Not only that, you also possess something that is rare among cultivators these days: compassion..."

"Many bandits in the northern region were suppressed and killed. From the beginning, they went north, and later they went south. Along the way, there was a mysterious person who wiped out all the bandits wherever he went."

"That person, isn't that you?"

Li Yao's eyes shifted; he realized that the Holy Lord had figured out exactly what he had done.

"The events before are easy to investigate, but how did the Holy Lord know about the events afterward?" Li Yao did not deny it, but instead asked curiously.

“Every action leaves a trace. The reason you were caught by the Supreme Saint lineage is because you used the Yao Guang Secret Technique when you first attacked the bandits. This allowed them to locate you and track you all the way to the Primordial Ancient Mine.”

“That’s how I found out. Not only that, but through what you did, I roughly understood what kind of person you are. Later, based on the casualties of the bandits, I found your route. Although you didn’t use the Yao Guang Secret Technique later, it was too similar to your initial methods.” Li Daoqing explained in detail.

This is similar to the methods of ordinary people, constantly searching for clues and analyzing them, and then finding a general direction based on the analysis results. It is not like that of a cultivator, without deduction or relying on aura to lock on.

Li Yao nodded in admiration. Li Daoqing had taught him a lesson today. He had concealed his true nature perfectly, changing his aura, appearance, and physique, but he had overlooked this most ordinary detail.

"I have learned a great deal," Li Yao said sincerely. After a pause, he added, "I wonder what brings the Holy Lord to see me? It must be more than just instructing a disciple, right?"

“Of course not.” Li Daoqing asked solemnly, “Are you willing to join my Yaoguang Mountain? The Supreme Saint lineage will not allow your existence. Although you now have eight major lineages behind you, you should know that they are not of one mind.”

“If things go smoothly, they will stick close to you, but if there are setbacks, they may have other choices. At that time, Sunrise Island will not be able to protect you. But if you join my Yaoguang Mountain, then none of this will be a problem.”

As the oldest main lineage, Yaoguang Mountain is so powerful and profound that even the Supreme Saint lineage dares not underestimate it.

As long as Li Yao makes a choice, his status will not only not decline, but will rise even higher.

However, he refused without hesitation, saying, "This disciple has been deeply nurtured by Rising Sun Island and will not switch to another main lineage."

“You are a disciple of Rising Sun Island, but you are also a disciple of Yao Guang Holy Land. Changing your allegiance to Yao Guang Mountain will not have any impact, and no one will think you have forgotten your roots,” Li Daoqing continued to persuade.

"The Holy Lord also said that I am a person of utmost sincerity, so he should understand that I will not make such a choice." Li Yao said resolutely and firmly.

Silence fell over the hall, but Li Daoqing was not angry at all. Instead, he smiled with satisfaction. Perhaps this was the answer he really wanted.

"You're quite good. Come with me," Li Daoqing praised, then strode towards the inner hall.

The Bronze Hall consists of a main hall, numerous side halls, and an inner hall.

Li Yao followed behind Li Daoqing and entered the deepest part of the bronze hall.

The place is spacious and majestic, almost devoid of any decorations; it is an empty hall.

With a flick of his sleeve, Li Daoqing activated the Dao patterns in the hall, sealing off the void. No one could enter the hall without permission.

Such a grand display? Li Yao was somewhat puzzled, not understanding what Li Daoqing was trying to do.
"What I'm about to tell you is the deepest secret hidden by the Yao Guang Holy Land. After you hear it, can you guarantee that you won't reveal even a single bit of it?" Li Daoqing's expression was extremely serious, and he was very earnest.

Li Yao pondered for a moment before speaking, "I can guarantee that I will not speak aloud what I heard about today's events."

Updating 10,000 words a day for nineteen consecutive days is almost as consistent as Li Yao's cultivation speed. Therefore, I'm asking for monthly votes and recommendation votes!

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(End of this chapter)