Translator: CinderTL
Yu Die, a master of Illusion Art, had chosen a special space entirely constructed of mirrors and crystal shards. This environment clearly amplified her Illusion Art significantly.
If the combat environment had allowed the use of Spirit Stones and other treasures, she would have chosen a natural array formation to further enhance her Illusion Art.
Even so, when Li Chunjun entered this mirrored space, he couldn't immediately sense Yu Die's presence. As he swept his Divine Sense across the space, all he saw were countless reflections of himself in the countless mirrors.
As he focused his search, the countless reflections of himself in the mirrors seemed to come alive, their gazes converging on him.
An indescribable sense of dread washed over him.
Following the instinctive warning from his Mind Power, Li Chunjun immediately retracted his Divine Sense.
As he did so, all the "people" in the mirrors seemed to charge toward him.
It was like turning around to find an unspeakable terror closing in from behind.
But...
Just as Li Chunjun's retracted Divine Sense had condensed to a radius of a few dozen meters around him, it underwent a profound transformation. A black flame, infused with a world-shattering, terrifying power, erupted violently, sweeping outward with unstoppable force.
Crack!
As Li Chunjun unleashed his Sword Intent, he distinctly heard sounds like shattering glass echoing in his mind.
The surrounding Mirror World shattered into fragments.
Simultaneously, Profound Phoenix Sword Qi erupted from Li Chunjun's body, transforming the perceived fragmentation into reality.
The entire Mirror World truly collapsed like autumn leaves swept away by the wind, rapidly descending into destruction.
"The power of this Illusion Art... rivals the might of a fully realized Sword Intent. Even ordinary Perfected Great Lords of the Late Nascent Soul Stage might struggle to withstand it. Truly worthy of the top spot on the Star Glory List," Li Chunjun mused.
In the next moment, his Heart-Mind stirred. "I've found you."
Whoosh!
The Scarlet Sky Sword pierced through the air, cutting through the rapidly collapsing Mirror World as if shattering illusions. It materialized directly before a woman clad in battle armor, wielding a scepter, and adorned with numerous accessories—rings, necklaces, bracelets, and more.
Astonishingly, every single one of these accessories...
was a Spirit Treasure!
Spirit Treasures, often considered weapons by True Monarchs, were equivalent to Primordial Spirits!
"Do you truly believe you can defeat me!?" the woman sneered.
She pointed the scepter-like Spirit Treasure at the charging Scarlet Sky Sword.
A completely transparent mirror materialized before the sword.
The moment the mirror formed, it was shattered by the Scarlet Sky Sword.
As the Scarlet Sky Sword shattered the mirror, even more interception methods materialized.
In fact, just as the sword pierced through all defenses and reached Yu Die, poised to pierce her through, her form flickered, instantly appearing in another location.
"Illusion Art, Spirit Treasure, and a Great Completion-level Mystic Art Essence..."
Li Chunjun quickly realized the true value of the Star Glory List's top-ranked cultivator!
A Great Completion-level Mystic Art Essence combined with Illusion Art, further amplified by a Spirit Treasure.
Moreover, her Divine Sense strength was astonishing.
His estimate placed her Divine Sense range at over three hundred miles!
And the necklace-like Spirit Treasure she wore clearly enhanced her Divine Sense...
Ultimately, her Divine Sense surpassed four hundred miles, placing her above even ordinary Perfected Great Lords of the Late Nascent Soul Stage—no exaggeration.
Too bad...
"Still not enough," Li Chunjun murmured.
His gaze shifted, abandoning the "Yu Die" who had materialized before him and turning toward another mirror.
At that moment, the Scarlet Sky Sword suddenly vanished.
No!
Not vanished!
It had simply slipped beyond Yu Die's perception.
Then, a torrent of Sword Qi mixed with terrifying energy fluctuations erupted from the mirror before Li Chunjun, its power rivaling a direct collision of Nascent Soul Mystical Powers.
"A passive defensive Spirit Treasure?" Li Chunjun was slightly surprised.
Whether offensive or defensive, Spirit Treasures typically require a Cultivator's Divine Sense to fully activate.
Passive Spirit Treasures...
often rely on the assistance of an Artifact Spirit.
And Artifact Spirits are, at the very least, equivalent to Sixth-Rank Materials.
It must be said, Yu Die's backers are truly generous.
Of course, Yu Die herself isn't weak. Leaving aside her Spirit Treasures, she could easily defeat a Perfected Great Lord of the Late Nascent Soul Stage in combat.
With the power of several Spirit Treasures added, she could even rival Xuan Zhu and Xu Yu.
If this were the Li Chunjun before entering the Two Worlds Mountain Battlefield, he wouldn't stand a chance against her.
But now...
With a casual gesture, the Scarlet Sky Sword, which had flashed like a shooting star, vanished once more.
Yu Die, realizing her true form had been exposed, paled slightly. A bracelet slipped from her fair wrist, instantly transforming into a lotus flower composed of golden Hua Guang. It rapidly expanded, shielding her while also illuminating the surroundings, creating a radiant domain.
The moment this radiant domain formed, the Scarlet Sky Sword suddenly reappeared, its speed escalating dramatically.
The Great Void Destruction Sword Intent instantly transformed into Destruction Sword Intent, erupting alongside Profound Phoenix Sword Qi. Like a torrential storm, it slammed against the golden Hua Guang lotus, shattering it instantly.
"Not good!"
The moment the Hua Guang shattered, Yu Die activated another Spirit Treasure, her body spinning rapidly.
But just as she tried to escape the battlefield, Li Chunjun, with his keen Heart-Mind, had already locked onto her form again. He twirled the Scarlet Sky Sword and thrust it straight at her.
The chilling sharpness and the destructive Sword Intent, powerful enough to crush her effortlessly, sent a shiver through her very soul.
All her protective Spirit Treasures were exhausted!
Every trick she knew had been used!
She couldn't defend against it!
Absolutely no way to stop it!
"Stop!"
Yu Die's Divine Sense trembled. "Do you even know what you're doing? Daring to steal my first-place position is declaring war on the Thirteen Void Refining Powers! I..."
"Before you threaten someone, you should at least know who they are. Declaring war on thirteen Void Refining cultivators? Is that supposed to be scary?" Li Chunjun said.
Yu Die's pupils contracted.
"You... who exactly are you?" she demanded fiercely.
Then, as if something had clicked, she exclaimed, "Wait... the Sword Qi you're using... Profound Phoenix Sword Qi? The Flaming Phoenix Bloodline!?"
Boom!
The Scarlet Sky Sword followed through, shattering Yu Die's last remaining, now dimming protective Spirit Treasure.
The instant the Spirit Treasure shattered, the Star Glory List's first-place champion, as if finally finding an excuse for her defeat, unleashed her Divine Sense.
"I concede!"
The next moment, space seemed to freeze.
Then, this realm, created solely for combat, gradually dissipated.
Before it vanished completely, Yu Die's lingering Divine Sense echoed: "Are you from the Taixu Sword Sect? Losing to a Core Formation Sword Prodigy meticulously cultivated by the Taixu Sword Sect is no disgrace."
Li Chunjun found this somewhat laughable.
At that moment, he vaguely understood why Yuan Xiao had said the Star Glory List and Cosmic Light List had become "corrupted."
Not just somewhat corrupted!
They had long since been utterly corrupted.
It was only because Yuan Xiao hadn't entered this circle that he still saw the Heavenly Prodigies on the Star Glory List and Cosmic Light List through a halo of "prodigy" glory.
Once you truly encountered these so-called Profound Yellow List Heavenly Prodigies, you'd realize they had all fallen into the mire of greed.
Driven by the benefits and legacies left behind by the Profound Yellow Supreme, they resorted to all sorts of underhanded methods.
But then again...
Where there's profit, there's conflict!
Especially in a place like the Profound Yellow List, which held the opportunity for Void Refining cultivation?
Hadn't he, too, come here for fame and fortune when he challenged the Profound Yellow List?
"The world is never truly pure," Li Chunjun thought to himself.
The combat space dissolved.
Li Chunjun returned to the mountain peak.
On the peak, the name Yu Die had been replaced by his own: Li Chunjun.
Powerful fluctuations of Divine Sense emanated from the summit, far surpassing the aura of a Perfected Great Lord of the Late Nascent Soul Stage. This alone was enough to deter any challenger hoping to test their luck.
After all...
This was just the Star Glory List.
Almost as soon as Li Chunjun's name was etched onto the mountain, a figure materialized, taking the form of a woman who resembled Li Wanqing by seven parts and Jiang Wanyu by three.
But at the instant he saw her, Li Chunjun's expression turned cold.
The newly formed figure, sensing his reaction, quickly said, "I apologize. I sensed that this form would be your favorite, so I manifested in this way. But it seems you're unwilling to face her."
As soon as she finished speaking, she began to change again. The traces of Li Wanqing rapidly faded, leaving a form that was now six parts Jiang Wanyu and four parts a young girl with a hint of Ling Zhi's aura.
As she transformed, she continued to sense Li Chunjun's emotional fluctuations. Only after his emotions had completely calmed did she speak: "I am the Profound Yellow Ranking Spirit. You may simply call me Profound Yellow. However, I have also given myself a name: Liu Yu."
Li Chunjun stared at her in silence.
After a long moment, he finally spoke: "For high-level cultivators, do low-level cultivators have no secrets?"
"You could say that," Liu Yu nodded slightly. "Cultivators who haven't mastered Mind Power cannot stabilize their mental state. Therefore, to high-level cultivators, even a minor obsession becomes immediately apparent."
She explained, "It's like how ordinary people skilled in reading microexpressions can easily discern the information they seek from the words and actions of those who don't know how to conceal their emotions. It's the same principle."
"Mind Power," Li Chunjun nodded, then asked directly, "As the number one cultivator on the list, am I entitled to a reward?"
"That's right."
Liu Yu smiled. "And because your performance has been so outstanding—not only did you make the Profound Yellow Star Brilliance List at the tender age of twenty-one, but you also claimed the top spot right away—you even have the potential to challenge for the top position on the Star Brilliance List in the future. Therefore, your reward will be even more generous."
She added, "That's why I'm here."
Li Chunjun nodded.
Indeed, the Profound Yellow Ranking Spirit wasn't someone just anyone could meet.
Moreover, from her assessment of him, he could guess that there were some things she couldn't actually see.
"Now, you may state your request. Resources? Mystical Powers? Cultivation Techniques? Secret Arts? Mystic Treasures?"
"Cultivation Technique."
Li Chunjun spoke directly. "I want a cultivation technique that cultivates Mind Power!"
"Mind Power is often a power Primordial Spirit True Monarchs strive to master. Are you certain?" Liu Yu asked, slightly surprised.
"Certain."
Li Chunjun nodded.
Liu Yu inclined her head slightly, having fulfilled her duty to warn him. She didn't try to dissuade him further.
"Then, as you wish."
(End of the Chapter)
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