Translator: CinderTL
Heavenly Palace.
Although the Heavenly Palace's branch in the Profound Yellow Great World had escaped the Profound Yellow Sect's siege, the sudden loss of so many Dharma Manifestation Realm cultivators—dozens of whom had been their colleagues for millennia—left the Heavenly Palace's cultivators deeply demoralized.
The silence of the Demon-Quelling Great Emperor, the sect's highest authority, only deepened the disappointment among those awaiting further action from the sect.
This pervasive gloom, coupled with the loss of three-quarters of their Dharma Manifestation Realm leaders, cast a pall of deathly stillness over much of the Heavenly Palace.
While the Heavenly Palace remained shrouded in gloom, the Demon-Quelling Great Emperor, who guarded it, was in remarkably high spirits.
That old bloodsucker, Dragon-Elephant, who had been clinging to him for centuries, was finally dead.
If he had died tens of thousands of years earlier, the Demon-Quelling Great Emperor's power would have reached even greater heights. Achieving perfection in both Qi and the Dao would have been within reach.
Still...
Though his Qi and Dao remained slightly short of perfection, his Mind Realm had been advancing rapidly over the past half-year.
It had now reached the peak of the Ninth Heaven, standing at the threshold of Heart's Perfection.
While the gap between the ninth layer peak of the Mind Realm and the tenth layer of Heart's Perfection was as vast as a chasm, the Demon-Quelling Great Emperor was immensely satisfied with this progress.
This realization saved him countless years of mental refinement.
Just as his mood lightened, a subordinate's report suddenly echoed from outside: "The Heavenly Secrets Hall has replied."
"Oh? The Main Sect has responded? It seems my transfer order... no, my punishment is coming. So many Void Refining and Dharma Manifestation cultivators died during my tenure. I've requested to meditate in seclusion in the Blackwhite Sand Sea for ten thousand years. I wonder if the sect will approve..."
The Demon-Quelling Great Emperor pondered this as he swiftly arrived at the Heavenly Secrets Hall.
Activating the hall's Array Formation, streams of radiant light surged forth.
Moments later, two figures materialized within the array.
One was the Great Longevity Emperor, a top-tier supreme sage of the Heavenly Palace, just like himself.
The other...
"Great Sun Dao Lord?!"
The Demon-Quelling Great Emperor startled and immediately bowed respectfully. "Greetings, Dao Lord."
According to the Heavenly Palace's ancient customs, only Quasi-Tenth-Tier cultivators with the potential to ascend to Dao Venerable status were entitled to the title of "dao lord."
The Great Sun Dao Lord was one such individual.
Moreover, this dao lord possessed not only unparalleled power but also, like his master, the Dragon-Elephant Imperial Lord, was nearing the end of his lifespan.
A supreme sage nearing death was already loathed by gods and demons alike, let alone a Quasi-Tenth-Tier dao lord.
The destruction such a monstrous being could unleash in its death throes far exceeded the imagination of any faction.
Historically, many Quasi-Tenth-Tier cultivators had annihilated weaker factions within the Immortal Alliance for even the slightest chance at dao unification.
If members of the Immortal Alliance acted this way, one could only imagine the lengths to which forces ineligible for membership would go.
"No need for formalities, Demon-Queller," the Great Sun Dao Lord said, cutting straight to the point. "Tell me, is the rumor about the Profound Yellow Great World true? Has an innate divine being truly emerged there?"
"Innate divine being?"
The Demon-Quelling Great Emperor immediately understood he was referring to Li Chunjun.
News of this matter had spread beyond the upper echelons of the Profound Yellow Great World. Li Chunjun's extraordinary combat achievements had naturally drawn widespread attention.
Even the Demon-Quelling Great Emperor himself had thoroughly investigated the matter.
However, two factors prevented him from pursuing this opportunity. First, he was still in his growth phase, not yet ready to consider dao unification. Second—and most importantly—after witnessing Li Chunjun's overwhelming power in slaying Yuan Taiji, he knew this opportunity was far beyond his reach.
It wasn't as if his lifespan was nearing its end.
Compared to the chance at dao unification, he valued his own life far more.
With these thoughts in mind, he replied without hesitation, "I cannot definitively confirm if he is an innate divine being. However, there is indeed a Dharma Manifestation cultivator of extraordinary talent. During his Void Refining stage, he leveraged the unique environment of the Star Abyss to slay hundreds of opponents at the same level, earning him the title of 'Invincible in Void Refining.' In the Dharma Manifestation Realm, he single-handedly defeated two hundred enemies, demonstrating combat power surpassing even top-tier supreme sages."
"A Dharma Manifestation Realm cultivator with top-tier supreme sage combat power?"
"Yes. My misjudgment of his strength led to devastating losses for the Heavenly Palace Dharma Manifestation. The sect has ordered me to be imprisoned in the Blackwhite Sand Sea for ten thousand years."
As the Demon-Quelling Great Emperor spoke, he immediately turned to the Great Sun Dao Lord with a pleading look. "I've heard you have close ties with the Hall Master of the sect's Hall of Law Enforcement... Would you consider interceding on my behalf? I would be eternally grateful if you could help me avoid this punishment!"
"I'll inquire about this matter, but whether it succeeds depends on whether you can prove your worth," the Great Sun Dao Lord said coolly. "I'm setting out for the Profound Yellow Great World, a journey that will take a year or two. During this time, thoroughly investigate Li Chunjun's specific details for me. If the information you provide proves valuable, I'll personally plead your case with the Hall of Justice."
"Thank you, Dao Lord! Before the sect's official order arrives, I will devote all my efforts to gathering information about Li Chunjun for you," the Demon-Quelling Great Emperor replied immediately.
"Then I'll await your performance. Keep a close watch on Li Chunjun," the Great Sun Dao Lord instructed before ending the communication.
As soon as the communication ended, the Demon-Quelling Great Emperor immediately summoned his subordinates. "Quick! Pack up! We're leaving now!"
"Leaving?" A subordinate blinked in surprise. "The sect hasn't issued any orders yet. If you leave without authorization, you'll be charged with dereliction of duty. Besides, didn't you ask the Great Sun Dao Lord to plead your case...?"
"Great Sun is no saint either. That old... Anyway, do you really think he'd go to the hall master of law enforcement? He clearly wants me to do all the work without owing him any favors! Gathering intelligence? Let someone else handle it. If they come after me, I'll just say the sect punished me. What, am I supposed to defy a direct order?"
The Demon-Quelling Great Emperor waved his hand dismissively. "Besides, dereliction of duty? How could they call it that? I'm deeply remorseful for the Branch Sect's heavy losses during my tenure and am voluntarily going to the sect to plead for punishment! If they still insist on charging me with dereliction of duty, the worst they'll do is confine me to the Blackwhite Sand Sea for twenty thousand years."
His subordinate listened to this explanation, recalling his master's usual behavior...
Well, he's certainly capable of pulling something like that.
"Let's go, let's go! The Profound Yellow Great World is about to become the front line in the war against the Divine Race. I never want to set foot in this wretched place again."
Inquiries similar to the Demon-Quelling Great Emperor's were not uncommon.
The Chiyang Sword Sect, Xian Tian Sect, Piao Miao Sect, Fu Hai Sect, and especially the Wu Ji Sect, had all sent their most influential figures to question Li Chunjun about his true nature, seeking to confirm or deny the speculation that he was an innate divine being.
While these inquiries were underway, countless other powerful figures were undoubtedly mobilizing behind the scenes.
The storm is brewing, and the wind fills the tower.
As time passed, it became clear that within a year or two, the Profound Yellow Great World would inevitably become the epicenter of this impending storm.
The Profound Yellow Sect would face unprecedented challenges.
A misstep in handling this matter could lead to consequences far more catastrophic than a full-scale war with the Wu Ji Sect.
Under these circumstances, with only three months remaining until the trade fair in the Star Ring Great World, Huang Daozhen, Supreme Sage Wu Chen, and the Three Sages of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity had once again located Li Chunjun, who was refining the Void Dao Pill to enhance his Qi.
"Supreme Elder, we must depart soon," Huang Daozhen urged. "Although the Star Ring Great World is relatively close to our Profound Yellow Great World, three months is still a tight schedule."
Li Chunjun materialized into view.
Having cultivated into a Lawful Lifeform, Li Chunjun's form could now shift into countless variations.
Yet, out of human habit, he appeared no different from before.
Of course, Huang Daozhen and the other Supreme Sages had already sensed the changes in Li Chunjun when they first saw him after his transformation.
This discovery...
While surprising, also felt perfectly logical.
On one hand, Li Chunjun had mentioned preparing for his post-Lawful Lifeform cultivation before entering the dark horned prison.
On the other hand...
Yuan Taiji, a supreme sage wielding a Quasi-Immortal Artifact, had fallen at Li Chunjun's hands. Was it not natural for him to have become a Supreme Sage himself?
The only surprise was the speed of his ascension.
But when they recalled that Li Chunjun was only thirty-four years old...
Having broken through to the Dharma Manifestation Realm less than three years ago and now ascending to Supreme Sage, it didn't seem so unbelievable after all.
After all, he was an innate divine being.
Any miraculous feats were to be expected.
"Then let's go," Li Chunjun said directly. "Sell everything we have and convert it all into Void Dao Pills and Destruction Dao Pills."
"Supreme Elder Li, we entrust the rest to your care," Supreme Sage Wu Chen said, cupping his hands in a respectful bow.
Originally, the Three Sages of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity had planned to accompany Li Chunjun, as they were his Dao Protectors. However, the awkward truth was that the one they were supposed to protect was now stronger than they were.
Moreover, like Huang Daozhen, they served as indicators of Li Chunjun's whereabouts. Therefore, Li Chunjun insisted they remain behind.
As Li Chunjun prepared to depart, Liu Yu's Heart-Mind fluctuations reached his senses.
"Senior Disciple Li, you can proceed to the Zhou Tian Great World without worry," she said directly. "I know your concern is the Dao Venerable, but according to my connection with Dao Lord Di Jiang, he is currently not in the Zhou Tian Great World. He has accepted an invitation from a friend to explore a secret realm similar to the Star Abyss. He won't return for some time. However, when I contacted him about exchanging a void-grade quasi-immortal artifact, he readily agreed."
"Not in the Zhou Tian Great World?" Li Chunjun visibly relaxed.
"Yes, he has already informed Holy Venerable Chi Ming, the sect leader of the Imperial Witchcraft Sect, who will oversee the exchange of the quasi-immortal artifact."
Liu Yu's mood lightened considerably. "Since he's not in the Zhou Tian Great World, your concerns will be lessened. However, any hope of obtaining a quasi-immortal void artifact by displaying your Sovereign Dharma Manifestation... is naturally gone."
"As long as the exchange goes smoothly, that's all that matters," Li Chunjun replied. "In that case, I will visit the Zhou Tian Great World at the appropriate time."
"Very well. If you need anything else, you can contact me through the False God Realm," Liu Yu said.
She was genuinely pleased to assist Li Chunjun. As his strength grew and he approached the Dao of Separation and Union, she had worried he might neglect the search for the Profound Yellow Supreme after achieving dao unification. To strengthen their bond, she was determined to help him in any way she could.
The Zhou Tian Great World and the Star Ring Great World lay in the same direction, though the journey was considerably longer.
Without further delay, Li Chunjun and Supreme Sage Wu Chen discreetly set out for the Star Gate, heading straight for the Star Ring Great World.
(End of the Chapter)
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