Translator: CinderTL
Li Chunjun quietly digested the Void Refining technique.
Compared to Ultimate Annihilation, Void Ring, and even the Great Void Kunpeng Art, this method, which heavily emphasized innate Dao aptitude, was practically...
"Child's play."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
If he had chosen Ultimate Annihilation, he feared it would take him decades, perhaps even centuries, to fully comprehend the cultivation technique.
Of course, for a Void Refining cultivator with a lifespan of 129,600 years, a century was merely a negligible fraction of their existence—less than a month by ordinary human reckoning.
But Li Chunjun's perception of time differed vastly from that of Void Refining cultivators, and even those in the Nascent Soul and Primordial Spirit Realms.
Compared to Ultimate Annihilation, Shattering the Void could be mastered quickly.
Moreover, this technique directly targeted the essence of the Void and Annihilation, greatly aiding his comprehension of the profound mysteries within these two Laws.
Furthermore, the Void Storm Dharma Aspect was easy to manifest and covered a vast area, making it an unparalleled crowd-control skill.
Even if this cultivation technique might not ultimately propel him to the pinnacle of the Supreme Sage realm, its exceptional cost-effectiveness was undeniable.
"If I cultivate Ultimate Annihilation, I might still be struggling to fully comprehend it decades from now. Perhaps in another few decades, I'll have perfected my Dharma Aspect, and with my foundation, I could dominate the Dharma Aspect realm and even the Supreme Sage realm. But if I choose Shattering the Void... in a few centuries... I might even have a chance to attempt Dao Unification."
Given this, why not choose the method that allows for the fastest advancement? Once his cultivation level rises, he can simply overwhelm others with his superior power.
Liu Yu was slightly surprised by Li Chunjun's choice of technique but remained silent.
"Alright, next I'll go challenge the Cosmic Light List," Li Chunjun announced.
"The Cosmic Light List?" Liu Yu paused, puzzled. "You're still aiming for that?"
"If I don't climb the Cosmic Light List, will you just give me a Dao Artifact?" Li Chunjun countered.
"Of course," Liu Yu replied immediately. "Every Official Disciple is entitled to a custom-made Dao Artifact in addition to their cultivation technique. As a personally mentored disciple, your privileges are even greater—your custom-made Dao Artifact can be upgraded to a Superior grade!"
"A custom-made Superior Dao Artifact?"
The surprise struck him like a bolt from the blue.
Li Chunjun immediately thought, "If I challenge the Cosmic Light List again, would I get another Dao Artifact? And given that I've cultivated for less than thirty years and surged to the top spot in one go, receiving a Superior Dao Artifact seems perfectly reasonable, right?"
"This..." Liu Yu hesitated, unsure how to respond.
"Just tell me if this approach complies with the rules," Li Chunjun pressed.
After a moment's contemplation, Liu Yu nodded. "It does."
"Then that settles it."
Li Chunjun took a step into the void and materialized before the mountain housing the Cosmic Light List.
Liu Yu watched him with a peculiar expression. Theoretically, anyone qualified to become an official disciple, let alone a personal disciple, of the Profound Yellow Supreme, should already be at the Void Refining stage. Yet here was Li Chunjun, who had cultivated the Heavenly Heart Eternal Method to the fourth layer—a man who could effortlessly comprehend the Law Mysteries—still stubbornly stuck in the Primordial Spirit Realm.
She had never encountered such a case before. This wasn't even ordinary cultivation suppression.
Li Chunjun focused his divine sense power on Lu Jiuyang, the current number one on the Cosmic Light List.
Meanwhile, Li Chunjun glanced back at the peaks representing the Star Brilliance List and the Star Glory List.
Those two peaks...
Li Hentian had reclaimed the top spot on the Star Brilliance List. Despite being knocked off the first rank, he had surprisingly chosen not to advance to the Primordial Spirit Realm.
The Star Glory List, however, no longer belonged to Yu Die. Instead, an unfamiliar name now occupied the top position.
Whether it was the Star Glory List or the Star Brilliance List, from Li Chunjun's current vantage point, gazing back at them truly gave him a sense of surveying all the lesser peaks.
For him now, those two peaks had already been conquered, relics of the past.
And it wasn't just those two. The peak before him, representing the Cosmic Light List, would soon fall beneath his feet as well.
As he erased Lu Jiuyang's mark as the Cosmic Light List's top ranker, Li Chunjun asked Liu Yu, "If there are lists representing the Core Formation, Nascent Soul, and Primordial Spirit Realms—the Star Glory, Star Brilliance, and Cosmic Light Lists—then shouldn't there also be rankings for the Void Refining, Dharma Aspect, and Supreme Sage stages?"
He added, "It wouldn't be difficult for those at the very pinnacle of cultivation to establish such lists, would it?"
"There's no longer a universally recognized, authoritative ranking system with rewards," Liu Yu stated plainly. "However, there are plenty of unofficial, less credible rankings, though they offer no tangible prizes."
"Really?" Li Chunjun asked, surprised.
"Yes, but you'll have to judge their accuracy for yourself," Liu Yu replied.
"Since the Dharma Aspect Realm is the most crucial and pivotal stage of the Void Refining process, the Dharma Manifestation Rankings are the most numerous and popular," she explained. "There are three main ones: the Immortal Alliance Dharma Aspect Ranking, the Dharma Aspect Data Ranking, and the Supreme Dharma Aspect Ranking."
She added, "Of these three, the Immortal Alliance Dharma Aspect Ranking is biased toward its members. Dharma Aspect cultivators with decent strength but a craving for fame can simply pay to get listed. Those who prefer anonymity can even demand their names be kept off the record. The Dharma Aspect Data Ranking is similarly flawed, with lax data standards and rampant inflation of entries."
Li Chunjun was speechless. How is that even possible?
"Every Dharma Aspect cultivator is a powerful figure with great influence," Liu Yu continued. "What organization would dare casually reveal their information or abilities without their consent? Especially those listed in the rankings—no matter how inflated their status might be, they're still among the elite of the Dharma Aspect Realm. Offending such individuals would have dire consequences."
"Therefore," Liu Yu explained, "even the most authoritative Dharma Manifestation Ranking is meaningless without sufficient incentives. Those who make the list might not be weak, but the truly exceptional Dharma Aspects will never appear on it."
Hearing this, Li Chunjun abandoned his intention to inquire about the Void Refining, Dharma Manifestation, and Supreme Sage Rankings. He had naively assumed these rankings would be like the Profound Yellow Three Rankings, where top-ranked cultivators could obtain Superior Dao Artifacts, Top-Tier Dao Artifacts, or even materials for Immortal Artifacts and Quasi-Immortal Artifacts.
But now it seemed...
His hopes were dashed.
After a moment, Li Chunjun shifted his attention to the Cosmic Light List.
His divine sense and Mind Power had grown significantly stronger since his days of erasing Li Hentian's influence in the Nascent Soul Realm. Within an hour, he had obliterated most of the divine sense imprint left by the Cosmic Light List's top cultivator.
"Still no response?"
At this rate, he estimated he would completely erase Lu Jiuyang's divine sense imprint in another half-hour at most.
Fortunately, Lu Jiuyang seemed to realize he couldn't hold out much longer. A surge of divine sense emanated from within the list, laced with furious indignation: "Who are you?! If you wish to claim the top spot on the Cosmic Light List, you must consult His Majesty the Eastern Emperor! How dare you disregard the proper channels?!"
Li Chunjun glanced at Liu Yu beside him. "Look at the state the Cosmic Light List has fallen into."
Liu Yu could only sigh helplessly. She was merely an Artifact Spirit, bound by the rules. As long as one's actions remained within those boundaries, she had no power to intervene.
"The first rank on the Cosmic Light List belongs to the most capable. What's the problem with that?" Li Chunjun stated.
His words left Lu Jiuyang utterly dumbfounded. The most capable? Shouldn't it be the most powerful?
After a long pause, Lu Jiuyang finally roared, "You reckless fool! Who is your Master? Have your Master speak to the people behind me! Then we'll see if you're worthy of even being on the Cosmic Light List!"
"Accept the challenge," Li Chunjun said, brooking no further argument. "If you refuse, I'll erase your name from the list within half an hour."
"Insolent!" Lu Jiuyang's Divine Sense surged with fury. "Do you think you can defy the rules jointly established by thousands of powerful factions on the Cosmic Light List? Do you understand the consequences?!"
Li Chunjun remained silent. He was well aware of the Cosmic Light List's corruption—how thousands of factions conspired to monopolize its rankings, leeching off the Profound Yellow List like parasites.
This situation had persisted for tens of thousands of years. If not for the Profound Yellow Supreme's immense legacy and profound foundation, the Profound Yellow List would have been drained dry long ago by these parasitic factions.
Li Chunjun had no intention of proactively changing anything. In his current state, he was still somewhat weaker compared to the thousands of powerful factions, each backed by at least one Void Refining expert. However, now that this opportunity had presented itself, he wouldn't willingly surrender what rightfully belonged to him.
Sensing Li Chunjun's resolve, Lu Jiuyang scoffed coldly. "Such audacity! I'll see which sect dares to produce such a reckless fool!" With that, he stormed away.
Li Chunjun turned his gaze to Liu Yu. "Entrusting the Profound Yellow Supreme's Dao Artifacts to someone like that... you're failing as an Artifact Spirit."
"I've already minimized the rewards as much as possible," Liu Yu replied. "Originally, the top-ranked individuals on the Cosmic Light List—the truly exceptional ones—could even obtain Profound Yellow Dao Fruits. Now, at most, they'll receive Superior Dao Artifacts."
"I can't violate the standards set by the Supreme Sovereign," she added.
"Profound Yellow Dao Fruits?" Li Chunjun's heart stirred at the mention.
This...
It seemed to be a supreme treasure for comprehending the laws of the Dao.
Its effects were profound, not just for cultivators in the Primordial Spirit Realm, but even for those in the Void Refining, Dharma Aspect, and Supreme Sage stages.
This was because the Dao Fruit didn't point to mere laws, but to the Great Dao itself!
In other words, even a Supreme Sage who consumed it might experience a slight increase in their chances of achieving Dao Unification.
The value of such a Dao Fruit likely rivaled that of a Superior Dao Artifact.
"Is the Profound Yellow Dao Fruit only effective for cultivators focused on creation and life, or does it benefit everyone?" Li Chunjun asked.
"Profound Yellow Dao Fruits were personally planted in the Profound Yellow Vast Land by the Profound Yellow Supreme himself for his cultivation," Liu Yu explained. "Naturally, they primarily benefit those who cultivate the Great Daos of Creation and Life."
As she spoke, an idea struck her. "When the Immortal Alliance seized control of the Profound Yellow Great World, they used the Divine, Demonic, and Myriad Transformations Races to wrest the Profound Yellow Vast Land from our hands. But these resources rightfully belong to the Profound Yellow Lineage. As an official disciple, you're entitled to one Dao Fruit per harvest. Since you haven't yet reached the Void Refining stage, why not venture to the Profound Yellow Vast Land and claim this season's entire harvest?"
"The Immortal Alliance seized the Profound Yellow Vast Land from you? I thought..." Li Chunjun was taken aback by Liu Yu's words. He had always believed the Profound Yellow Vast Land had originally belonged to the Divine Race, Demonic Race, Myriad Transformations Race, and other foreign races, and that the Immortal Alliance had helped the Profound Yellow Great World reclaim it.
"Hmph," Liu Yu scoffed, "many foreign races persist not because humans lack the power to eradicate them, but because they serve a purpose."
Li Chunjun remained silent, his mind racing.
"The Profound Yellow Dao Fruit ripens every three hundred and sixty years, and we're still over a decade away from the next harvest. However, the Profound Yellow Lineage possesses a secret art to accelerate their maturation by fifteen to twenty years." Liu Yu's eyes gleamed intensely as she stared at Li Chunjun. "The question is, do you dare venture there and claim every single Dao Fruit in one fell swoop?"
(End of the Chapter)
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