Translator: CinderTL
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The twenty-six Dharma Manifestations of the Wu Ji Sect barely managed to form a Battle Formation, only to be utterly crushed by the tempestuous Sword Qi Long River unleashed by Li Chunjun.
Even as each of the twenty-six Dharma Manifestations of the Wu Ji Sect resolutely burned their Essence, instantly boosting their combat power to over 100,000 units...
Against this terrifying Void storm, capable of shaking the balanced zone of the dark horned prison, they could only prolong their resistance by a mere instant.
The outcome remained unchanged.
Before Li Chunjun, whose Life Level had risen to 41 and whose combat power had surged once more, their Dharma Manifestations were shattered, and their bodies were torn to dust.
This domineering power, displayed even without manifesting his Dharma Manifestation, sent chills down the spines of Venerable Fengxing, Universal Transformation Venerable, and the other Heavenly Palace members.
Venerable Fengxing stared wide-eyed at Li Chunjun...
Watching Li Chunjun's Essence, Qi, and Spirit instantly recover completely, he felt as if he had plunged into an icy abyss.
Because...
According to his senses, Li Chunjun hadn't been weakened by burning his Essence, Qi, and Spirit. Instead...
He had grown even stronger!
Just as he had done over eight months ago, after enduring two days of relentless combat, Li Chunjun's combat power had surged again!
His cultivation was skyrocketing!
An unnaturally rapid surge!
"How could this be...?" Venerable Fengxing's body trembled slightly. "What... what kind of monster is he?!"
"It seems my earlier speculation was correct."
Nearby, the Universal Transformation Venerable also sensed the drastic change in Li Chunjun's aura. His face was filled with bitterness and helplessness. "An Innate Divine Being!"
He cried out in despair, "We're fighting an Innate Divine Being born from the very essence of the Grand Dao!"
"Bullshit about Innate Divine Being!"
By now, the Boss of the Three Blood Eagles, knowing Li Chunjun would never spare them, cursed fiercely. "What Innate Divine Being?! More like an Innate Demon God!"
He gritted his teeth. "Didn't you notice the change in his Mind Realm?! It was only at the sixth layer at most, but now it's at least the eighth, maybe even the ninth! It's precisely because his Mind Realm has advanced that he's reforging his Dharma Manifestation! And the key to his Mind Realm's advancement... lies in refining divine souls!"
The Venerable whose Dharma Manifestation had been destroyed snarled, his face twisted in fury. "He's refining our divine soul power to enhance his cultivation!"
A hoarse, desperate roar echoed through his Divine Sense, its source unclear—was it resentment or terror?
Refining divine souls?!
Enhancing cultivation?!
This ability...
Demonic Race?!
Only the Demonic Race could devour the emotional energy that leaked from others' minds. Some powerful demons could even directly invade a Cultivator's Mind Realm, consuming and refining their divine soul to bolster their own strength.
Could Li Chunjun truly be a demon?!
But...
Unless a demon transformed into a human, how could they possibly follow the Human Race's cultivation system?
Moreover, even the Demon Gods of the Demonic Race couldn't advance this rapidly.
Breaking through two minor cultivation realms in less than a year?
For a moment, the Dharma Manifestations couldn't discern whether the three blood eagles' elder brother was telling the truth or merely trying to smear Li Chunjun's reputation before his death, ensuring he would never find acceptance among the Human Race again.
However, they soon had no time to dwell on these questions.
The void storm that had shattered and devoured the Wu Ji Sect was now surging toward them.
This time, fueled by the void origin crystal—a Void Treasure of supreme power—the storm's expansion far exceeded anyone's expectations.
The Void Storm, propelled by the void origin crystal, instantly swept through the Heavenly Palace's Dharma Manifestations, tearing their bodies apart in an instant.
"No! Don't!"
"This has nothing to do with us! Venerable Li, show mercy! I've already prepared 15.4 billion Spirit Crystals—please spare me!"
"Li Chunjun! I'll haunt you even in death!"
"Hahaha, Li Chunjun! I knew you wouldn't let this go! You want my resources? You want my Dharma Manifestations? Dream on! I'd rather destroy them all than let you have them! After slaughtering so many of our Dharma Manifestations, prepare for the Heavenly Palace's endless pursuit!"
"Escape! Flee beyond the balanced zone! Maybe we can find a weak point and break through!"
Desperate, resentful divine sense power emanated from the Dharma Manifestations.
Some begged for mercy, some wailed in despair, some raged in fury, and some fled for their lives. But most chose to go all-in, embracing the principle of "Jade and Stone Burn Together."
Faced with the true arrival of death, these Dharma Manifestations finally revealed their courage and resolve.
One by one, they burned their Qi and self-destructed their Dharma Manifestations, hoping to inflict even the slightest harm on Li Chunjun.
Even if they couldn't wound him, they would at least splatter him with blood!
But alas...
If only their bravery and resolve had come sooner, the outcome might have been different.
But many people only shed tears when they see their own coffin, and refuse to turn back until they've crashed into the southern wall.
Or perhaps...
Caught in the grand scheme of things, they simply couldn't clearly see the predicament they faced, and were swept along by the tide.
By the time death loomed, their desperate attempts to resist were futile.
["Killed a Level 35 creature, Experience +6636!"]
["Killed a Level 35 creature, Experience +6711!"]
["Killed a Level 36 creature, Experience +15985!"]
Within the Human Emperor Banner, countless streams of energy were drawn in, refined, and transformed into what Li Chunjun perceived as "experience," causing his progress to surge rapidly.
As his Life Level increased, the amount of "experience" he gained from even elite Dharma Manifestation Venerables plummeted. Ordinary Dharma Manifestations with Life Levels equivalent to 34 or lower ceased to provide any experience at all.
However...
The abundance of peak Dharma Manifestations—those at the sixth layer of the Mind Realm with Qi reserves of 30,000 to 40,000—ensured that his experience continued to accumulate at an astonishing rate.
The crucial factor was...
Even as these Dharma Manifestations fought to the death, their lack of coordination rendered them utterly helpless against Li Chunjun, who had already attained the most formidable form of a Dharma Manifestation. Their efforts were as futile as a mantis trying to stop a chariot.
Under the crushing force of the sword qi storm, the remaining hundred-plus Dharma Manifestations still capable of fighting, along with the incapacitated three blood eagles and others, were all pulverized into dust by the surging torrent of Sword Qi.
Amidst the carnage, Universal Transformation Venerable watched as the figures around him were torn apart by the storm of countless Sword Qi, his eyes burning with hatred.
"Why?! Why did I have to encounter such a monster?! I cultivated a Top-Tier Dharma Manifestation, served on the Heavenly Palace Elder Council, held a position of great power and influence, and was destined to refine a dao form and ascend to Supreme Sage! Why... why did this happen? The heavens are unjust!"
An endless torrent of resentment surged from his body.
He hated Li Chunjun, who sought to take his life! He hated the Demon-Quelling Great Emperor, who had forced him into the dark horned prison! He hated Luo Yao, who had failed to crush Li Chunjun before he could rise to power! Most of all, he hated the Heavenly Palace for not investing more resources in him, allowing him to cultivate into a Supreme Sage sooner and avoid this tribulation!
He hated heaven, earth, and all living beings!
But he never reflected on himself.
He never considered whether his past arrogance and disregard for the lives of others had led to this fate.
However...
For Li Chunjun, none of that mattered.
Whether the Elder hated him or whom he hated was irrelevant.
All he needed to do was crush him, annihilate him.
With a sweep of his sword qi storm, he engulfed the Elder's position.
After a violent eruption of flames, blinding light, and dao tremors, both the Heavenly Palace Elder's Dharma Manifestation and his physical body were swiftly reduced to nothingness.
The sword qi storm had utterly pulverized them into dust, leaving not a trace behind.
Having accomplished this, the sword qi storm didn't even pause, continuing its relentless assault on the remaining Dharma Manifestations.
Whether they were Heavenly Palace Elders or the three heroes of the Yuan Clan, all were equal before the raging void storm, indistinguishable in its path of destruction.
In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the battle had subsided.
Of the over one hundred and thirty Dharma Manifestations, only a few self-destructed or recklessly charged out of the balanced zone. The rest perished beneath the Void Storm.
The sky-filling sword qi storm rapidly converged upon Li Chunjun, merging into his body.
The essence of the Sovereign Dharma Manifestation lies in the cultivator's own being.
He is both the Dharma Manifestation and the Sovereign.
And through this unique characteristic...
He could clearly sense the profound changes brought about by his Life Level ascending to 41.
Compared to Level 40, the most significant difference lay in his resonance with the great dao.
The great dao of the void and the great dao of destruction.
"They are calling me," Li Chunjun murmured.
It was like parents summoning their wandering child home.
This call gave him the illusion that if he simply "merged" with the Dao, he could effortlessly achieve dao unification.
But...
"My Mind Realm is insufficient, as are my Qi and my comprehension of the dao form," Li Chunjun acknowledged inwardly.
If he rashly chose to "merge" with the great dao of the void or the great dao of destruction without achieving perfection in all aspects, he would be assimilated by the Grand Dao Power.
This was the outcome most feared by all Quasi-Tenth-Tier cultivators striving for dao unification—dao transformation.
They would merge with the Dao, becoming part of the Grand Dao, and amplifying its power.
But they would also completely lose their individuality, becoming like a drop of water merging into a river, indistinguishable from the great dao river.
No wonder it's said that Innate Dao Bodies are born from the Grand Dao itself, Li Chunjun mused. With this innate resonance, if I can truly maintain perfection in Qi, Dao principles, and Mind Realm, achieving dao unification will be as natural as water flowing into a channel.
Li Chunjun felt a surge of awe and apprehension.
The assistance Innate Divine Beings provided in achieving dao unification was so significant...
That meant their allure to Quasi-Tenth-Tier cultivators would be unparalleled.
Fortunately, it will take some time for news to spread and attract Quasi-Tenth-Tier cultivators. If I can seize this window of opportunity, I might yet swiftly cultivate a dao form.
Li Chunjun pondered.
He had been preoccupied with forging the Sovereign Dharma Manifestation and hadn't had time to thoroughly study how to transform it into a dao form.
What a waste of those half-month of "sudden enlightenment"!
If Yuan Shaoyang, Universal Transformation Venerable, and the others had acted at the last moment, he could have remained in that state of "perfection" for at least another half-month.
With that time, even if he couldn't achieve anything more, comprehending how to transform the Sovereign Dharma Manifestation into a dao form would have been no problem.
(End of the Chapter)
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