Translator: CinderTL
"Damn it!"
Yu Jin was the first to take flight.
It was clear without guessing that the chief technology officer had been influenced by the Demonic Heart Force.
While he hadn't been turned into a puppet like True Monarch Can Yang, the Demonic Heart Force had significantly interfered with his judgment, easily leading him to approve a plan that was clearly detrimental to the Golden Crow Battleship's repair.
And the person who had provided that plan...
Most likely, they had already been corrupted by the Heart Demon and turned into a puppet.
"We've only examined a few people, and we've already alerted the enemy. Those Heart Demons are incredibly sensitive!" True Monarch Huang Tian said. "Sword Prodigy, please order everyone to evacuate the Golden Crow Battleship to prevent further damage."
"Do as you see fit," Li Chunjun waved his hand. "Also, summon all Primordial Spirit True Monarchs and Nascent Soul True Lords to meet me outside the Golden Crow Battleship."
"Everyone?" Zuo Cheng, standing nearby, seemed to have guessed something. He quickly said, "We don't yet know how many Primordial Spirit True Monarchs have been corrupted by the Heart Demons. Sword Prodigy Li's status is too important to risk appearing so openly..."
"You seem to be underestimating my strength," Li Chunjun replied.
Li Chunjun said, "Even if all seventy-plus remaining True Monarchs have been corrupted by the Heart Demon—which, based on our recent assessment, is unlikely to exceed one-third—they still wouldn't be able to harm me easily."
Zuo Cheng was about to protest, but Li Chunjun waved him off. "Go! And quickly! If the Heart Demon realizes it's been exposed and starts wreaking havoc, we can't afford the losses!"
"I'll stay with Sword Prodigy Li to ensure his safety," True Monarch Huang Tian declared.
Seeing this, Zuo Cheng and Su Fang gritted their teeth and quickly took flight.
In an instant, their Divine Senses, along with Yu Jin's, swept across the entire Golden Crow Battleship.
"By order of Sword Prodigy Li, everyone evacuate the Golden Crow Battleship immediately! All Primordial Spirit True Monarchs and Nascent Soul True Lords, assemble before me! This is a supreme command! Any who disobey will be treated as traitors and executed without mercy!"
As several True Monarchs issued the order, Li Chunjun himself ascended into the sky. His powerful Divine Sense enveloped the surrounding thousand miles.
As the True Monarchs relayed his command, most Primordial Spirit True Monarchs immediately flew out.
However, a few remained unmoved, even angrily retorting, "Why now? I'm in the middle of repairing a critical part of the Golden Crow Battleship! Interrupting me now will cause losses—who will take responsibility for that?"
"I've gained some insights in my cultivation. Just give me a moment."
"Damn it! Who told you to recklessly unleash your Divine Sense like this!? I was just entering a state of sudden enlightenment, and I had a feeling that with this breakthrough, I would have grasped Mind Power and finally have a chance to reach Void Refining! Once I achieved Void Refining, I could have led all of you back to the Human Territory! But now, you've ruined our chance to return!"
"I was on the verge of grasping Mind Power too, with Void Refining within reach! Yu Jin, what was your motive for interrupting my enlightenment!? It's clear you're trying to break away from General Xuan Mi's command, betray him, and join Li Chunjun to establish your own faction! Kill him! Kill this traitor! Kill Li Chunjun! To prove our loyalty to General Xuan Mi!"
Waves of furious Divine Sense surged from the nine Primordial Spirit True Monarchs.
More than a dozen other Primordial Spirit True Monarchs were stirred by their words, showing signs of joining the fray, their intentions wavering.
This sight ignited Yu Jin's fury. "How dare you..."
"Kill them!"
"Even if we grasp Mind Power and achieve Void Refining, we can still return to the Human Territory! As Primordial Spirits, why should we grovel before a mere Nascent Soul brat and be controlled by him!?"
"Kill!"
Before Yu Jin could even shout a warning, the six Primordial Spirit True Monarchs had already soared into the sky, unleashing their Mystical Powers.
Among the remaining dozen or so Primordial Spirit cultivators, six followed suit, while the remaining seven hesitated, locked in a fierce internal struggle.
Clearly, though they had been corrupted by the Demonic Heart Force, they had not yet become completely mindless puppets.
"Seeking your own doom!"
Divine light swirled around Yu Jin.
But beside him, Li Chunjun, having already grasped the situation, drew his sword without hesitation.
The Scarlet Sky Sword shot into the heavens.
Void Sword Intent erupted.
The profound Sword Intent, the mysteries of the Dao, and the Scarlet Sky Sword's transformation into a quasi-Dao Artifact after being inscribed with Void Dao Runes—all these factors combined to make the sword pierce through the Void the instant it was unleashed. It then passed through one of the True Monarchs with astonishing speed.
With a flick of its blade, the sword light vanished into the Void again, hurtling toward the second Primordial Spirit True Monarch.
Though this True Monarch, controlled by a Heart Demon, had clearly sensed the Scarlet Sky Sword's deadly trajectory, he had no time to activate his Mystical Powers. The sword light pierced through his skull, destroying his puppet body.
It was as if...
being locked onto by the sword light and being pierced by the Flying Sword had happened at the exact same moment.
"This is Void Power!"
Yu Jin was stunned.
"Capture them!"
Li Chunjun swept his Divine Sense across the battlefield, quickly marking the six Primordial Spirit True Monarchs who had moved to intercept him.
At the same time, his Flying Sword crisscrossed the sky, piercing the third Primordial Spirit True Monarch with the same Void-piercing momentum.
Yu Jin, Su Fang, Zuo Cheng, and Huang Tian, understanding the situation, didn't hesitate for a moment. They immediately charged toward the six True Monarchs.
As for the remaining Primordial Spirit True Monarchs...
They exchanged bewildered glances, utterly clueless about what had just happened.
However, some rational True Monarchs realized something was amiss with the attackers and swiftly moved to intercept the "rebellious" True Monarchs.
But when they actually clashed with these "rebellious" True Monarchs, they discovered that while their Mystical Powers seemed somewhat clumsy to wield, the combat power they unleashed was even greater than before!
Su Fang, Zuo Cheng, and Yu Jin fared relatively well, but True Monarch Huang Tian, whose Mystical Powers were weaker, found himself facing a Sixth Tribulation True Monarch. He was completely suppressed, falling into a disadvantageous position.
This scene left him and the other True Monarchs utterly astonished.
"Mind Power! It's Mind Power! Rakshasa True Monarch... has he truly comprehended Mind Power?!"
A Primordial Spirit True Monarch exclaimed in surprise.
"Wait, it's not just Rakshasa True Monarch and Jade Beauty True Monarch. Their Mystical Powers and Qi are also flowing with terrifying stability, as if they've also grasped the mysteries of Mind Power?"
Another Primordial Spirit True Monarch was visibly moved.
Seeing this, the Primordial Spirit True Monarch currently locked in battle with Su Fang, Zuo Cheng, Huang Tian, and Yu Jin roared, "Fellow True Monarchs, assist me quickly! My Mind Power has taken form, and Void Refining is within reach! When I achieve it, I will lead all of you back to the Human Territory together! How long will you wait for Li Chunjun to reach Void Refining? He's just an outsider! I am your comrade, bound by life and death! Will you trust an outsider over me?"
"Fellow True Monarchs, I am willing to share the secrets of my Mind Power cultivation with all of you!"
As they unleashed their Divine Sense, Mind Power also leaked out, seemingly imbued with a seductive power.
Three of the seven Primordial Spirit True Monarchs, already wavering, immediately attacked.
Even those who had been watching from the sidelines, unsure of what was happening, began to show signs of being swayed.
Before the True Monarchs could react, the Scarlet Sky Sword's sword light pierced through the Void, instantly killing Rakshasa True Monarch, who was locked in combat with True Monarch Huang Tian!
"A Heart Demon is wreaking havoc here! These True Monarchs have been corrupted by it! Everyone, retreat immediately and avoid being ensnared by the Heart Demon's influence!"
Li Chunjun's Divine Sense, infused with Mind Power, spread out like a tidal wave.
The Heart Demon had already erupted.
At this point, concealing the truth and acting in secret was no longer viable. He decided to expose the Heart Demon's presence.
As his Divine Sense spread, the Scarlet Sky Sword never faltered, striking like lightning at the fifth... and then the sixth Primordial Spirit True Monarch!
And it was this single strike, or rather the Mind Power radiating from it, that snapped the remaining Primordial Spirit True Monarchs out of their Heart Demon-induced stupor.
"A Heart Demon!? I've heard of them! They're a branch of the Heavenly Demon Clan, specializing in corrupting Cultivators' minds! They then devour their souls, turning them into puppets!"
"Rakshasa and the others... have they been corrupted by a Heart Demon?"
"I've long suspected something was amiss with them! Could they have been controlled as puppets by a Heart Demon!? The so-called Mind Power they wielded was merely a simulation created by Demonic Heart Force!?"
Once they realized what had happened, the True Monarchs immediately obeyed the command and retreated, each cautiously watching their surroundings.
Even the few True Monarchs who had been itching for a fight managed to regain a sliver of sanity. Their faces pale, they withdrew from the battlefield, desperately searching for the Heart Demons within them and fighting against them.
The Scarlet Sky Sword whistled through the air.
Li Chunjun swiftly slew all six True Monarchs who had been completely controlled and turned into puppets.
As soon as he killed these puppet True Monarchs, his Mind Power swiftly swept the Heart Demons into his mental world, where he used his Mind Power to suppress them.
In the blink of an eye, all six Heart Demons were sealed deep within his mental world.
At that moment, he was immensely grateful that he cultivated the Heavenly Heart Eternal Method—a golden Mind Power Technique that granted his mind the property of "resilience" upon completion.
Without it, even with his Mind Realm at the second level, suppressing six fully formed Heart Demons at once would have been a deadly gamble.
He might have ended up paying the ultimate price himself.
After suppressing the six fully-formed Heart Demons, Li Chunjun instructed Huang Tian and the others, "Stay alert!"
He immediately activated the Heavenly Heart Eternal Method, focusing his Mind Power to grind down the Heart Demons one by one.
During this process, the Thirteen Venerables, sensing danger, intensified their efforts to corrupt the Primordial Spirit True Monarchs they had possessed.
Fortunately, Primordial Spirit True Monarchs had cultivated Divine Sense.
While Divine Sense wasn't as profound as Mind Power, it was an advanced application of Divine Sense. Relying on their Divine Sense and Divine Sense, they managed to hold their ground, barely enduring the onslaught for the time being.
After all, if a fully-formed Heart Demon of the Heart Demon Clan could forcibly corrupt a Primordial Spirit True Monarch, they wouldn't need to be so cautious.
As the Primordial Spirit True Monarchs struggled to resist, Li Chunjun gradually refined the Heart Demons within his Mind World.
After nearly half an hour, Li Chunjun finally ground down all the fully-formed Heart Demons.
With the Heart Demons destroyed, Li Chunjun immediately activated the Heavenly Heart Eternal Method to refine the residual Demonic Heart Force.
Another half hour passed...
A flicker of joy crossed Li Chunjun's eyes.
It's improved!
Counting the initial Heart Demon, there are now seven complete Heart Demons in total. This has directly increased his progress in the third layer of the Heavenly Heart Eternal Method by approximately 2%!
This is still because he hasn't fully "digested" these Heart Demons yet.
Once he finishes digesting them, his progress in the third layer of the Heavenly Heart Eternal Method will increase by 3%, or even 4% wouldn't be out of the question.
By this calculation...
With just two or three hundred complete Heart Demons, his Mind Realm will leap to the third level in one fell swoop!
(End of the Chapter)
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