Translator: CinderTL
"Number One on the Star Glory List!"
"Just as expected!"
"To think that someone we know, a Core Formation Cultivator, has actually reached the top of the Star Glory List... It's still shocking to witness, like a legend come to life."
"Twenty years of diligent cultivation went unnoticed, but now his name will echo throughout the Profound Yellow Great World for a long time to come!"
In the Frigid Jade Fortress, Primordial Spirit True Monarchs like Lu Xiu Yuan and Zuo Cheng gathered, buzzing with discussion.
In the Profound Yellow Great World, Void Refining Great Powers and those above them held supreme authority and influence. Ordinary cultivators rarely dared to gossip about them, and even secret information rarely leaked out, remaining beyond their reach.
The real news and gossip circulated almost exclusively within the Core Formation, Nascent Soul, and Primordial Spirit circles.
As for Qi Refining...
Those beings with lifespans of only two cycles of sixty years were too insignificant to warrant much attention from other cultivators.
"I doubt anyone here doubts Li Chunjun's ascension to the Profound Yellow Star Brilliance List," Zuo Cheng said, smiling. "Perhaps we're only slightly surprised that he claimed the top spot outright, but even that's perfectly reasonable."
"What I'm truly looking forward to is Li Chunjun's moment of ascending the Profound Yellow Star Brilliance List!" Zuo Cheng said with a smile. "Among the three major lists today, the Star Brilliance List undoubtedly holds the highest prestige!"
His words sparked excitement among the other True Monarchs.
"Solar Radiance! The benefits of Cosmic Light are immense, so great that Void Refining Great Powers would personally intervene to arm their favorite Primordial Spirit Heavenly Prodigies, even resorting to underhanded tactics to weaken potential challengers!" Lu Xiu Yuan remarked with a hint of emotion. "Only in the Nascent Soul Realm... so many Nascent Souls linger before the Heavenly Tribulation, waiting to accumulate power for a breakthrough. This list truly tests one's innate talent."
The others nodded in agreement.
"Li Chunjun's strength ranks among the top among the Prodigy. The question is whether he can even secure a Challenger Qualification for the Star Brilliance List."
"Even if he does, there's no need to rush. It's still quite difficult for him to climb the Profound Yellow Star Brilliance List right now. Whether he can even reach it is uncertain, and even if he does, he could easily be knocked down."
"Being knocked down doesn't matter. Once he's on the Star Brilliance List, he'll receive the initial reward. Even the reward for being outside the top hundred is comparable to the Star Glory List's top spot."
The Primordial Spirit True Monarchs exchanged thoughts.
Zuo Cheng listened, his own anticipation growing.
"Now it depends on Li Chunjun's choice," he thought. "But no matter what, we've already gained the upper hand. With Yuan Xiao accompanying him, a Nascent Soul cultivator, Li Chunjun won't feel threatened, and Yuan Xiao can effectively convey our intentions."
He had deliberately avoided sending Lu Xiu Yuan or personally escorting Li Chunjun to the Profound Yellow Great World, fully considering Li Chunjun's emotions.
The Primordial Spirit True Monarchs at Frigid Jade Fortress wore smiles.
Meanwhile, Xuan You, Liang Meng, Zhuo Guang, and others from the Taixu Sword Sect camp wore bitter expressions as the rankings were announced.
"Li Chunjun... he actually reached the top of the Profound Yellow Star Brilliance List..."
"This is a disaster."
"We must act quickly to rectify the situation before the higher-ups learn of Li Chunjun's Taixu Sword Sect origins. That fool Xuan You! If she hadn't repeatedly bungled her tasks, how could we have become so passive? I was a fool to think she could keep an eye on a genius who practically fell into our laps! Why did I even send her to recruit the Child of the Stars?"
With this thought, Zhuo Guang, the Vice Hall Master in charge of the Branch Sects, personally led a force directly to Blue Star.
At this point, they had to quickly play the emotional card with the Blue Star Taixu Sword Sect to lure the Child of the Stars back into their fold.
Unlike the Primordial Spirit True Monarchs, who had access to more reliable information channels, Xuan Zhu, Chu Ci, Zhao Yu Pan, Wu Gang, and True Monarch Dong Xuan, while also eagerly anticipating Li Chunjun's appearance on the Profound Yellow List, were far less invested than the Primordial Spirit True Monarchs.
In their eyes, Li Chunjun was merely a Nascent Soul Perfection True Lord.
Although his strength far surpassed that of Prodigies, and he should have qualified for a challenge on the Profound Yellow Star Brilliance List, this was still just their speculation.
Moreover, even if he did earn a Challenger Qualification, whether he could actually ascend the Star Brilliance List remained uncertain.
Perhaps in another decade or two, or even several decades, when Li Chunjun's strength had advanced further, his chances of reaching the Star Brilliance List would greatly improve. But for now...
They only glanced at the Star Brilliance List from time to time to see if anything had changed.
Xuan Zhu, for instance, didn't even bother to focus on the Star Brilliance List.
Upon returning to the main star of the Azure Sea Domain, his family immediately decided to host a grand banquet for relatives and friends to celebrate the birth of a Prodigy in their lineage, given that he now possessed Prodigy-level strength.
Naturally, invitations had to be sent out.
The older generation was invited by elders of Xuan Zhu's family, while the younger generation was personally invited by Xuan Zhu himself.
As a member of the younger generation, Xuan Zhu had no patience for excessive formalities. He gathered a dozen of his closest friends in a virtual courtyard within the False God Realm and announced directly, "Every single one of you is expected to attend my celebration ceremony as Dao Prodigy Xuan Zhu!"
"Dao Prodigy Heng Guang, congratulations!"
"Another genius has emerged from the Eternal Light Hall! Hahaha, I can't wait to see the faces of those rivals of yours."
"It's only natural that Xuan Zhu has become a Dao Prodigy. You risked your life in the Two Realms Mountain for this goal. If you didn't become a Dao Prodigy, who would?"
Great True Lords, all at least in the Late-Stage Nascent Soul realm, kept toasting him.
Among them were Xu Yu and Wu Gang.
They represented influential forces from the Azure Sea Domain, even having risen to prominence within larger sects and institutions. Even if they weren't particularly close before, Xuan Zhu had invited them out of respect for their shared experiences in the Two Realms Mountain, hoping to maintain these connections.
Besides, he and Xu Yu were already old acquaintances.
Xu Yu couldn't stand Xuan Zhu's smug demeanor. She scoffed, "You just got there a step ahead. I also gained significant rewards from the Battle of Two Realms Mountain. I'll be advancing soon, and I'd like to see just how much weight this Dao Prodigy Heng Guang of yours truly carries."
"You think you can just say 'try' and I'll do it? Dao Prodigy Xuan Zhu's moves aren't that cheap."
Xuan Zhu raised an eyebrow.
"Heh, I see you're afraid."
"Afraid? A Dao Prodigy like me? Afraid of you?"
Xuan Zhu stood up. "How about we settle this right now? Let's have a contest and see who's superior."
"In ten years, if you still dare to be this arrogant, I, Xu Yu, will be ready to face you anytime!"
Xu Yu retorted sharply. "What? Are you only brave for a moment? Do you think you'll inevitably be my defeated opponent in ten years?"
"Defeated opponent? You're talking about yourself, aren't you? Don't forget, you're ranked behind me on the Two Realms Mountain Merit Points Ranking!"
"You're speaking so proudly, anyone who doesn't know better would think you'd taken first place on the Merit Points Ranking!"
Xu Yu snorted. "You call yourself a Dao Prodigy, but in the end, you still couldn't surpass Chu Ci and claim the top spot on the Merit Points Ranking."
"What's the Merit Points Ranking worth? Anyone can quickly climb it by lucking into hordes of Servitors. The real test is who can kill the most powerful enemies during the Battle of Two Realms Mountain! And I, Xuan Zhu, have indirectly killed two Divine Spirit Envoys!" Xuan Zhu declared proudly.
"As if you were the one who killed him..." Xu Yu sneered.
Wu Gang, watching the two of them bicker, stepped in as a peacemaker. "Alright, alright, you two, stop arguing."
He immediately turned to Xuan Zhu. "Speaking of which, Daoist Chu Ci seems to still be at the Frigid Jade Fortress and hasn't returned to the Profound Yellow Great World yet. Shouldn't you invite him as well?"
"Chu Ci?" Xuan Zhu's attention was immediately diverted.
Compared to him, a newly appointed Dao Prodigy, Chu Ci's fame far surpassed his own, and his circle was half a tier higher.
"Given their shared experience fighting side by side at Two Realms Mountain, Daoist Chu Ci is unlikely to refuse," Wu Gang continued.
The others present chimed in one after another. "Daoist Chu Ci is the pride of our entire Azure Sea Domain. We've all heard of him for ages but never had the chance to meet him. If Senior Brother Xuan Zhu can truly invite him, it would greatly enhance your 'Prodigy' celebration."
"Indeed, indeed. I've long heard of Daoist Chu Ci's name but never had the opportunity to see him. If Dao Prodigy Xuan Zhu can bring him, that would be wonderful." Several others echoed the sentiment.
As a newly minted "Prodigy," Xuan Zhu's fame couldn't compare to Chu Ci's.
Xuan Zhu pondered for a moment. Considering he would soon be joining the ranks of the Prodigies himself, he said, "I'll try inviting him."
He quickly sent the message.
Within moments, Xuan Zhu received a reply, and a smile spread across his face. "Daoist Chu Ci is coming."
These words sent a wave of excitement through the crowd, eager to witness the Dao Prodigy in person.
As Xuan Zhu and the others rose to their feet, Chu Ci's figure materialized at the entrance of the virtual courtyard.
"Xuan Zhu," Chu Ci greeted him warmly. "Congratulations. The Eternal Light Hall is investing heavily in cultivating Dao Prodigies. If you maintain this momentum, you might even have a chance to etch your name on the Star Brilliance List in the future."
"The Star Brilliance List..." Xuan Zhu, though confident, was well aware of the gap between himself and the Heavenly Prodigies on that list. "Among everyone I've met in my circles, only Li Chunjun might have a chance of making it onto the Star Brilliance List."
This remark might have seemed impolite to say in front of Chu Ci, but the Dao Prodigy showed no sign of offense.
Becoming a Dao Prodigy had already exhausted their talent and effort. As for the Stellar Radiance Prodigy...
They were still two steps away!
Either of these two steps represented an insurmountable chasm for them.
"Sword Prodigy Li does indeed have potential," Daoist Chu Ci nodded.
Intrigued, he opened the interface related to the Profound Yellow List. "I wonder if Sword Prodigy Li has reached the Profound Yellow Great World yet. Will he be able to secure the Challenger Qualification for the Star Brilliance List right away?"
"With his strength, he should have a high chance of obtaining the Challenger Qualification, wouldn't you say?" Xuan Zhu chimed in, glancing at the Profound Yellow List and its related information.
"I don't deny Li Chunjun's strength, but I'd estimate he's only at the peak level among the 'Prodigies.' He's still a bit short of securing the Challenger Qualification for the Star Brilliance List," Xu Yu added.
However, Chu Ci and Xuan Zhu, who had already opened the Profound Yellow List interface, were stunned to find that the information feeds were flooded with the name "Li Chunjun," with every topic revolving around him.
"Li Chunjun...?"
"He's on the list!?"
At that moment, both men couldn't help but cry out in shock.
"He made the list!?"
Wu Gang also leaped to his feet. "Impossible!"
He couldn't believe it and split his Heart-Mind to enter the Profound Yellow List interface. "This doesn't make sense. His strength... he still has a good chance of breaking into the Star Brilliance List after some time to cultivate. But to say he's already made the list now... he's still a bit short, isn't he?"
"He made it! He really made the list, and..."
Xuan Zhu gasped, drawing in a sharp breath. "First place on the Star Glory List!? First place!?"
For a moment, his thoughts seemed to freeze.
But before this momentary lapse could fully take hold, it was shattered.
"Wait! The Star Glory List!?"
Almost simultaneously, Chu Ci, Wu Gang, and Xu Yu's suppressed shouts rang out.
"The Star Glory List!?"
"The Star Glory List for Core Formation Cultivators!?"
"Number one on the Star Glory List!?"
The three exclaimed almost in unison, their voices filled with barely contained shock.
The Star Glory List!?
The Star Glory List!?
What did this mean!?
In the next moment, several top-tier geniuses in the Nascent Soul Realm exchanged glances.
"Sword Prodigy Li...?"
"Golden Core Realm!?"
"By the Supreme Sovereign! How is this possible!?"
At that moment, the group felt as if their entire understanding of the world had been shattered.
The barriers and hierarchies constructed by Core Formation, Nascent Soul, and the Profound Yellow List had all crumbled.
A Golden Core cultivator, rampaging through the Two Worlds Mountain Battlefield!? Slaughtering countless Divine Spirits, killing five Divine Spirit Envoys, and achieving a record that would make even a Nascent Soul Sword Master feel ashamed!?
"This world has finally gone completely mad!"
(End of the Chapter)
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