Translator: CinderTL
Azure Sea Domain.
After half a year of preparation, the Xuan Clan finally completed the arrangements for a grand celebration in honor of their Nascent Soul Prodigy, Xuan Zhu. The event was scheduled to begin soon.
The Xuan Clan's ancestors had once produced Void Refining Great Powers who held high positions within the Eternal Light Hall.
Although the clan's influence had waned since that Void Refining Great Power perished in battle beyond the domain, the Eternal Light Hall still treated the Xuan Clan with considerable favor in recognition of their sacrifice for the sect and the Human Race. This support allowed the Xuan Clan to maintain a significant presence.
In the current generation, the Xuan Clan publicly boasted thirteen True Monarchs.
Among them, Patriarch Xuan Zha was a Seven Tribulation True Monarch who had survived seven Thunder Tribulations.
His Late-stage Primordial Spirit cultivation made him a renowned figure throughout the Azure Sea Domain.
The Xuan Clan not only held independent control over two Lesser Thousand Worlds but also wielded influence over hundreds of surrounding Lesser Thousand Worlds.
The industries and forces within these Lesser Worlds, managed by thousands of Nascent Soul True Lords, had fueled the Xuan Clan's prosperity and dominance.
In this situation, the Xuan Clan had produced a Nascent Soul Dao Prodigy. With the clan's influence certain to soar to new heights within a few centuries, those with even a slight connection to the Xuan Clan naturally scrambled to attend the congratulatory banquet, hoping to make a favorable impression.
Even some powers with no business dealings with the Xuan Clan but who considered themselves influential within the Azure Sea Domain arrived uninvited, bearing gifts and extending their congratulations to forge a bond of goodwill.
Three days before the official start of the banquet, the Xuan Clan's Lesser World, specifically designed to accommodate distinguished guests, was already filled to capacity across its dozen or so cities.
Representatives from hundreds of Lesser Thousand Worlds and tens of thousands of powers throughout the Azure Sea Domain and its surrounding areas had flooded several cities.
After all, these representatives rarely traveled alone. Even if each brought only ten or eight companions, the total number of attendees still reached hundreds of thousands.
Moreover, Cultivators often had high standards for their Immortal Abodes. A city that could accommodate tens of thousands was considered exceptional.
Flying Boats, celestial birds, and Cloud Carriages streamed in and out of each city in an endless procession.
As for ordinary Cultivators who lacked Flying Boats, celestial birds, or Cloud Carriages and could only rely on Sword Flight, they weren't even eligible for the Xuan Clan's hospitality.
They would pay for their own lodging and arrive at the banquet to present their gifts and ask for a drink.
Guests of the Xuan Clan were hosted by the Xuan Clan.
Guests of Xuan Zhu were hosted by Xuan Zhu himself.
At this moment, Xuan Zhu's Immortal Abode was already filled with no less than a hundred people.
Half of them were friends Xuan Zhu had made in the Azure Sea Domain. The other half were Nascent Soul True Lords who had fought alongside him on the Two Worlds Mountain Battlefield.
In a Lesser Thousand World, the status of a Nascent Soul True Lord was unquestionable.
In some relatively backward Lesser Thousand Worlds, a Nascent Soul True Lord might even be the one in charge.
They could declare themselves a patriarch, establish their own sect, and have dozens of Core Formation disciples found different branches. Each branch could then recruit hundreds or thousands of Qi Refining disciples. After a few centuries of development, a thriving Immortal Cultivation World would emerge.
Therefore, Xuan Zhu was honored to receive congratulations from Nascent Soul True Lords, and he naturally welcomed them all.
The gathering of so many Nascent Soul True Lords facilitated the smooth flow of information.
Moreover, the influence of the Star Brilliance List's top-ranked individual was so immense that anyone who paid even the slightest attention to such news couldn't possibly avoid being notified.
By the time Li Chunjun had already stepped through the Star Gate back to the Azure Sea Domain, the Nascent Souls scattered far from the core of the Profound Yellow Great World finally noticed the shocking changes on the Profound Yellow Star Brilliance List!
"Sword Prodigy Li! Sword Prodigy Li! Sword Prodigy Li has made it onto the Star Brilliance List!"
Someone shouted the news first.
In the next moment, the already lively gathering erupted into chaos.
"He really did it! Half a year ago, when the Great War of the Two Realms had just ended, we were all speculating how long it would take Sword Prodigy Li to make it onto the Star Brilliance List! Some even doubted whether he could ever reach it. And yet, in just half a year, he's already on the list!"
"Quick! Pinch me! Am I seeing things? Why isn't Sword Prodigy Li just on the Star Brilliance List, but directly at the top?!"
"You're not mistaken. It's the number one spot! Sword Prodigy Li took the top spot the moment he entered the list!"
Dozens of Nascent Soul True Lords' Divine Senses darted around the room, the atmosphere buzzing with excitement, even bordering on chaos.
And at the center of this pandemonium...
Undoubtedly, the closest allies of Li Chunjun, those who had fought alongside him in the Two Worlds Mountain Battlefield, were Xuan Zhu, Chu Ci, and Wu Gang.
But unlike those three, this time Xu Yu had also come, along with Pu Shi An, who had never met Li Chunjun but had consistently ranked in the top ten on the battlefield's achievement list.
Yet no matter how outstanding their records in the Two Worlds Mountain Battlefield, all eyes remained fixed on the Star Brilliance List.
Specifically, on the name at the top: "Li Chunjun."
Even after experiencing the shock of his previous ascent to the top of the Star Glory List, the crowd still felt their minds buzzing with disbelief.
After a long moment, Wu Gang finally spoke, "Number one on the Star Brilliance List... How long has it been since he topped the Star Glory List?"
"Half a year!" Xuan Zhu declared firmly. "Less than half a year, to be precise! I still remember the feeling of my mind going blank when Sword Prodigy Li first reached the top of the Star Glory List—my thoughts were frozen for several seconds!"
He glanced at the Star Brilliance List. "In such a short time, Sword Prodigy Li hasn't just made it onto the Star Brilliance List, he's already reached the peak! He's become the number one big shot?!"
Xu Yu's expression shifted rapidly.
First, his face turned deathly pale, then flushed crimson. Gradually, as if convincing himself, he regained his composure, revealing an expression of unsurprised resignation.
"So... this is the demeanor of a Peerless Prodigy."
Chu Ci, the Nascent Soul Dao Prodigy who was usually treated like a star surrounded by the moon, muttered to himself in a daze.
After a long moment, he stared at the name at the very top of the list and the familiar Divine Sense fluctuation, his expression growing bitter. "Tired of being number one on the Star Glory List? Want to try playing around on the Solar Radiance List?"
And he...
Despite having been hailed as a genius since childhood, achieving Sage-level status in both Core Formation and Nascent Soul, he had never even made it onto the Star Glory List, let alone the Solar Radiance List.
It turned out that the gap between mediocrity and genius wouldn't gradually narrow over time; it would only widen further.
The commotion here naturally drew the attention of others.
Several Nascent Soul True Lords from the Azure Sea Domain, who had some acquaintance with Xuan Zhu, gathered around.
When they learned from others what they were discussing, each of these Nascent Soul True Lords couldn't help but be deeply shocked.
"Number one on the Star Brilliance List? Dao Prodigy Xuan Zhu, you actually know such a big shot?!"
"The Star Brilliance List! As far as I know, no one from our Azure Sea Domain has ever made it onto that list in nearly a thousand years!"
"I remember over six hundred years ago, a Star Brilliance List powerhouse visited our Azure Sea Domain. His ranking wasn't particularly high, but some of our Quasi-Sage Nascent Soul geniuses at the time were still unconvinced. In response, he challenged thirteen of our top geniuses to a duel and defeated them all in less than ten breaths, displaying near-absolute dominance!"
"That's nothing! Just nine years ago, Qin Zhenlong, ranked fourth on the Star Brilliance List, was watching a life-and-death arena match when a Primordial Spirit True Monarch provoked him. Qin Zhenlong immediately dragged the True Monarch onto the arena and beat him to death right there! And that True Monarch had already survived six Thunder Tribulations, just one step away from the Late-stage Primordial Spirit Realm!"
"Fourth on the list could kill a Six Tribulation True Monarch?! Then the number one must be able to fight a Seventh-Tier True Monarch! Nascent Soul... can actually be that powerful?!"
As the Nascent Soul True Lords gathered, their faces were alight with excitement and exhilaration.
Those who had once fought alongside Li Chunjun on the Primordial Spirit Battlefield were especially quick to boast about his past exploits: his sweeping victories, his effortless slaying of Divine Spirits, their faces flushed with pride.
The discussion spread beyond the courtyard, even reaching the ears of True Monarch-level guests, who began to inquire about the matter.
This commotion alerted Patriarch Xuan of the Xuan Clan and other True Monarchs.
Within an hour, the Seven Tribulation True Monarch, accompanied by a dozen other True Monarchs, rushed to Xuan Zhu's courtyard.
"Xuan Zhu, is it true that Li Chunjun, the number one on the Star Brilliance List, is the same person who fought alongside you at Two Realms Mountain?" the True Monarch demanded as soon as they met, ignoring the younger generation's greetings.
"Of course it's true," Xuan Zhu replied, straightening his back and speaking with conviction. "The name might be a coincidence, but the Divine Sense fluctuations are unmistakable."
"Excellent! Excellent! Excellent!" Patriarch Xuan exclaimed, unable to contain his excitement.
Someone nearby remarked enviously, "The Xuan Clan has connections with Sword Prodigy Li, the number one on the Star Brilliance List. Truly, their network is vast."
"Every number one on the Star Brilliance List has a high chance of reaching Void Refining in the future. Even if they don't, they'll be invincible figures in the Primordial Spirit Realm. Old Brother, you're blessed."
"To have a Sage-level genius among your descendants, plus connections with the number one on the Star Brilliance List—the Xuan Clan is truly remarkable."
The Primordial Spirit True Monarchs showered the Xuan Clan with praise.
Their words puffed up Patriarch Xuan so much that he could barely close his mouth.
As the Primordial Spirit True Monarchs praised the Xuan Clan, the Nascent Soul True Lords also gave Xuan Zhu their thumbs-up.
The atmosphere in the hall reached a fever pitch.
At that moment, a Xuan Clan True Monarch seemed to receive some news and quickly exchanged words with Xuan Zhu.
Moments later, a Xuan Clan member escorted someone into the hall.
When Xuan Zhu saw the newcomer, he exclaimed, "Yuan Xiao? Is that really you? Weren't you with Sword Prodigy Li in the Profound Yellow Great World?"
"That's right."
Yuan Xiao smiled faintly. "Sword Prodigy Li went to the Profound Yellow Great World to compete for the Profound Yellow List. Now that he's reached number one on the Star Brilliance List, that matter is settled. It's time to return."
"Returning?"
Xuan Zhu's eyes lit up. "He's reached the Azure Sea Domain?"
"He has."
Yuan Xiao nodded. "Your Xuan Clan's celebration is quite grand. He spotted it on the local news feed the moment he arrived at the main star. He originally intended to congratulate you in person, but he's currently being pursued by numerous factions eager to recruit him. He decided to return to the Frigid Jade Fortress to avoid being cornered."
With that, he produced a box. "He didn't have time to prepare a gift, so he simply sent a gift of 10,000 Spirit Crystals."
Hearing their conversation, Xuan Zha quickly approached, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "This is a gift from Sword Prodigy Li?"
"The number one on the Star Brilliance List... he actually..."
"Xuan Zhu and Sword Prodigy Li are... this close!?"
The other True Monarchs were equally astonished and delighted.
As for Xuan Zhu, he gazed at the box Yuan Xiao offered. Though it contained mere Spirit Crystals, such mundane treasures were insignificant compared to the sender!
This was a gift from the number one on the Star Brilliance List!
With countless Nascent Soul cultivators and Primordial Spirit True Monarchs showering him with praise, the newly appointed Dao Prodigy couldn't help but eagerly accept the jade box.
"Excellent! Li Chunjun, my brother, you're the best! I accept it!"
Overwhelmed with joy, he raised the box for everyone to see. "Thank you to my top benefactor for this gift!"
(End of the Chapter)
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