Translator: CinderTL
Though Ri Ang and his companions harbored a natural affinity for humans, they wouldn't have so readily brought Li Chunjun and his group back to their Great Camp under normal circumstances.
But their situation had become precarious.
Many of their kin and cities had already fallen.
Only a handful remained, clinging to life by a thread.
And even this tenuous existence couldn't last much longer.
The Heart Demon they had suppressed threatened to break free at any moment, consuming them completely.
In this desperate state, they had no choice but to place their hopes on outsiders like Li Chunjun.
If these newcomers proved trustworthy, all the better.
But if they couldn't be trusted...
At worst, it would simply hasten the inevitable.
Li Chunjun and his group soon arrived at a place resembling a mass burial ground, the final resting place of countless living beings. For various reasons, the lingering spirits of these beings roamed ceaselessly, easily disrupting the Divine Sense probes of cultivators. Beneath the burial ground lay a bottomless tunnel.
Li Chunjun's Divine Sense had previously swept across this area without detecting any anomalies. Only upon entering the site did he discover the hidden realm beneath the mass grave.
"This is a refuge," Ri Ang explained, forcing himself to maintain a composed demeanor as he watched Li Chunjun survey the surroundings. "My clan has been at war with the Evil God Race for ages. To prevent our people from being corrupted by the Evil Gods in the event of defeat, we often construct such facilities near major cities."
Li Chunjun nodded. He was familiar with the war between the Immortal God Race and the Divine Race from the Wood Spirit Clan's records. The Divine Race would never easily tolerate the Immortal God Race's secession. However, being essentially a civil war and compounded by the Divine Race's ongoing conflict with the Human Race, neither side could commit significant forces to this front, keeping the war's intensity relatively low.
Led by Ri Ang, the group soon entered this subterranean world. The underground realm housed a relatively small population of around several hundred thousand, but their cultivation levels were remarkably high. Even the weakest among them possessed Second-Tier cultivation.
Second-Tier beings, still not fully mastering their bodies, might appear perfectly human at first glance after practicing the Transformation Art. However, upon closer inspection, subtle features betrayed their non-human origins.
The arrival of Li Chunjun and his group visibly astonished and delighted the Second-Tier Foreign Races.
"Humans! True humans!"
"So this is the Human Race? Their features and physiques are utterly flawless! No wonder they're the most powerful race in the world! I wonder when I'll ever become like them?"
"The Qingqiu Clan can transform into human form at the Second-Tier because their ancestors repeatedly interbred with humans to improve their clan's genetics! I wonder if our Hanyujia Clan will ever have such an opportunity?"
The underground air buzzed with excited whispers and speculation.
Ri Ang initially wanted to silence them, fearing they might overwhelm the guests.
But then...
Seeing the humans had clearly boosted everyone's morale, bolstering their confidence in resisting the Demonic Seeds within them, he ultimately chose to remain silent.
After apologizing to Li Chunjun, he swiftly led the group into the heart of the underground world.
"If I'm not mistaken..." Li Chunjun observed for a moment, then said, "You've used a secret art to link everyone's spiritual consciousness together, drawing upon their collective power to combat the Heart Demon?"
Ri Ang paused, taken aback by Li Chunjun's question. "True Monarch," he said, "you probably aren't aware of the differences between our cultivation system and that of the Evil God Race, are you?"
"I've heard of them," Li Chunjun replied, "but I'm not clear on the specifics. After all, I've always lived in a remote Realm Region of the Profound Yellow Great World."
"We understand," Ri Ang said, a hint of envy in his voice.
The mighty Human Race wouldn't bother remembering insignificant races that hadn't even achieved Dao Unification. Unlike his own people, who were taught from childhood which races to avoid provoking and which terrifying entities to steer clear of at all costs.
As a Fifth-Tier cultivator, Ri Ang was already among the elite of his race, widely regarded as his people's hope. His prestige had soared after he led his race to join the Immortal God Race as an affiliate.
Yet the higher he climbed, the more keenly he felt his own insignificance. The Immortal God Race, whom his people saw as providers of security and strength, were merely tiny shrimp in the vast Cosmic Void, unworthy even of mention in the Human Race's records of foreign races.
"Our Immortal God Race," Ri Ang explained, "broke free from the brutal rule of the Evil God Race. Compared to their direct methods of mind control, we champion harmony, fairness, and equality."
As Ri Ang led the way, he explained, "The Immortal God Race welcomes all clans and teaches without discrimination. As a result, the cultivation methods for First and Second-Tier beings vary greatly. Some focus on Body Refining, others consume Pills, while still others delve into their bloodlines. However, once they develop Divine Sense, their cultivation paths converge upon a single method: contemplation."
"Contemplation?" Li Chunjun raised an eyebrow. The Divine Race also begins their cultivation with meditation, he thought.
"Most people contemplate the Six Extremes Sovereign! But this contemplation is neither absolute nor mandatory! You can contemplate other Immortal Gods as well! The Immortal Gods are merely spiritual role models for us! By contemplating them and subtly emulating their virtues, we receive the seeds of power they bestow, which we then nurture through our own efforts!"
"Divine Arts," Li Chunjun remarked.
"You could think of it that way, but our power doesn't come entirely from the Immortal Gods. Once we obtain the seeds of power, our cultivation depends entirely on our own efforts."
Ri Ang's expression filled with reverence. "The crucial difference between our contemplation and the Divine Race's meditation lies in our freedom of choice! True contemplation requires freedom of choice; forced contemplation is nothing more than mental enslavement! This fundamental distinction separates us from the Evil God Race!"
One chooses for oneself...
A glimmer of understanding dawned on Li Chunjun.
"We need Immortal Gods, and they need us in equal measure. In terms of personhood, we stand as equals. We receive the seeds of power from these great beings, emulate their virtues, practice their ideals, and in doing so, fulfill our own ambitions, achieve greatness, advance our cities, and propel our entire race forward, becoming heroes and legends in the hearts of all..."
The Fifth-Tier Cultivator spoke with resounding conviction, his voice brimming with optimism for the future. "Only those who make monumental contributions to our people can ascend to the Heavenly Palace and attain a Divine Position! Only those who bring prosperity to the world and earn the reverence of all can wield Divine Power!"
From his words, Li Chunjun began to grasp the underlying principles of their beliefs.
"The Immortal God Race originated from the Divine Race, inheriting certain divine traits. Yet you have forged your own path, uniting the collective will of your people to cultivate a 'Heavenly Emperor'-level existence. This Heavenly Emperor then distributes the mental power—or is it Mind Power—among everyone?"
He paused, then continued, "You could interpret it that way," the cultivator replied.
Ri Ang nodded. "Our wills are united as one. We can even summon Immortal Gods to possess us through a special ritual, though this drains our mental power and leaves us utterly exhausted."
He paused. "It's thanks to this method that we've managed to withstand the Heart Demons' corruption and persevere until now."
As he finished speaking, Li Chunjun, combining Ri Ang's explanation with his understanding of the Divine Race, pieced together the essence of their technique.
The collective will of all living beings...
It was indeed an effective weapon against Heart Demons.
If all the inhabitants of the Azure Star Minor Realm could unite their wills, they too could significantly resist the Heart Demons' corruption.
Moreover, if a Cultivator served as the focal point of this unified will, they could harness the collective mental power of all those beings to unleash far greater power.
This was how the Divine Spirits of the Divine Race came into being—each one a manifestation of collective will.
Compared to the Divine Race, the Immortal God Race possessed an additional element: Divine Positions.
These Divine Positions could be understood as special types of Dao Artifacts.
The advantage of this system was that as long as a suitable "heroic" figure filled a Divine Position, they could even create a new Immortal God.
The fundamental weakness of this system was the limited number of Divine Positions.
Unless the Immortal God Race continued to grow stronger, allowing their collective will to intensify and forge more Divine Positions, their potential was essentially capped.
Even the strength of individual Immortal Gods didn't depend on their personal mastery of Mystical Powers, but rather on the rank of their Divine Position. The higher the position, the greater their power.
This system...
Li Chunjun remained noncommittal.
As they spoke, the group reached the deepest part of the underground palace: a temple. A vast plaza stretched before it, filled with tens of thousands of beings ceaselessly praying and releasing their mental power. This mental power was drawn into the temple by thirty-two figures within, who were locked in a desperate struggle against the Heart Demons clinging to them.
"True Monarch Li..." Ri Ang pleaded, his gaze anxious and imploring, "Even if you could help us subdue just one Heart Demon, it would greatly extend their lifespans..."
"They might endure for a while longer, but your Lesser Thousand World is already dying. If you don't relocate soon..." Li Chunjun trailed off, leaving the rest unspoken.
Ri Ang, Bi Yan, and Liu Su wore bitter expressions.
They weren't unaware of the problem, but...
They were powerless to solve it.
Li Chunjun approached the cultivator whose Heart-Mind had been most severely corrupted. "Open your Heart-Mind," he ordered.
The cultivator frowned deeply.
Left with no choice, Li Chunjun enveloped his Divine Sense with Mind Power and probed into the cultivator's Heart-Mind.
But this intrusion seemed to agitate the cultivator. His eyes snapped open, his face contorted with rage. "Audacious demon! How dare you assume human form to corrupt my will? I'll..."
Slap!
Li Chunjun struck him hard, instantly suppressing the Qi that was about to erupt uncontrollably.
Then, unleashing his Divine Sense, Li Chunjun forcibly invaded the cultivator's mental world, brutally tearing apart the Heart Demon that had nearly fused with the man's psyche.
The excruciating pain of separation, caused by the profound entanglement between the two, forced a bloodcurdling scream from the cultivator, who immediately lost consciousness.
Yet Ri Ang, Liu Su, and Bi Yan stared with elation. "He did it! He actually did it!"
Whoosh!
Li Chunjun swiftly captured the Heart Demon, refined it with his Mental Power Fire, and within a single breath, the creature was completely annihilated.
Having already suppressed eight Heart Demons, Li Chunjun knew that attempting to subdue any more would hinder his ability to wield his full power. The thirty-two Heart Demons before him were no longer necessary.
After annihilating one of the Heart Demons, Li Chunjun stroked his chin.
The nearby cultivators simultaneously knelt in fervent gratitude. "Thank you, True Monarch Li..."
"This is just the beginning," Li Chunjun said, waving them off dismissively. He turned to the next cultivator. "Continue."
(End of the Chapter)
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