Translator: CinderTL
[Life Level: 35 (211/500,000)]
Above a desolate, gray wasteland resembling the aftermath of a massive nuclear war, Li Chunjun held the corpse of a humanoid creature with three eyes.
Within his Spiritual World, he had refined a Perfected Heart Demon of the upper tier, but the Human Emperor Banner remained unresponsive.
"Nothing left," he sighed.
Neither the early-stage First to Third Tribulation Primordial Spirit True Monarchs (equivalent to Life Level 27) nor the mid-stage Fourth to Sixth Tribulation True Monarchs (Life Level 28) could stimulate the banner any further.
"Only Seventh to Ninth Tribulation True Monarchs might still yield 1,200-1,350 experience points each."
Advancing from Life Level 35 to 36 required 500,000 experience points, meaning an average of 400 Seventh to Ninth Tribulation True Monarchs would be needed.
Even though the Lesser Thousand Worlds within the Land of Buried Demons had been "filtered" by the Starquake, leaving behind only the most resilient survivors, each world typically housed over a hundred Primordial Spirit True Monarchs—or Fifth-Tier lifeforms. Yet, only about 3% of these met the standard for Seventh to Ninth Tribulation True Monarchs.
"Not only do Life Levels 27 and 28 no longer grant experience, but the efficiency of using Heart Demons to advance the Heavenly Heart Eternal Method has also plummeted. While not entirely ineffective, relying solely on Heart Demons to reach the fifth layer would require refining several thousand of them, inevitably leading to severe Mind Contamination..."
He couldn't endure that!
Of course, with his Heart-Burning Flames attribute, he could purify the residual contamination from the Heart Demons if he was willing to spend centuries, or even decades, on it.
But he clearly had no intention of wasting so much time on cultivating Mind Power.
The best approach would be to return to the Land of Buried Demons just before his next Life Level advancement. There, he could use the Heart Demons to temper his mind until he could no longer withstand the contamination. Then, by advancing his Life Level, he could simultaneously push the Heavenly Heart Eternal Method to the fifth layer.
Li Chunjun steeled his resolve.
However, finding over 400 True Monarchs ranging from the Seventh to Ninth Tribulation wouldn't be easy. Assuming that these elites comprised only 3% of all True Monarchs, one would need to gather 12,000 Primordial Spirit True Monarchs to assemble such a force.
Twelve thousand Primordial Spirit True Monarchs...
His first thought turned to the Sea Sacrifice Battlefield.
But then...
"Perhaps the Profound Yellow Vast Land is the truly suitable place."
The Sea Sacrifice Battlefield was merely one of the most perilous battlefields within the Profound Yellow Great World, where even Primordial Spirits faced a significant risk of perishing.
But the Profound Yellow Vast Land...
That was a place that struck fear into the hearts of every True Monarch across the entire Profound Yellow Great World.
Especially during the ripening season of the Profound Yellow Dao Fruit, the entire region transformed into a Primordial Spirit meat grinder, with an unimaginably high mortality rate.
Zuo Cheng himself had once ventured into the Profound Yellow Vast Land!
He was accompanied by three thousand True Monarchs, but fewer than three hundred returned alive—a staggering 90% casualty rate!
This starkly illustrated the battlefield's extreme danger...
And...
The sheer number of Primordial Spirits that both sides would inevitably deploy there.
"To secure victory on the battlefield of the Profound Yellow Vast Land, the Void Refining Great Powers have cultivated countless True Monarchs specifically for slaughter, employing secret arts and forging numerous weapons of war. Even I wouldn't dare claim absolute safety venturing into such a conflict."
Li Chunjun shook his head. "I still need to reach the Void Refining stage as soon as possible."
Achieving Void Refining would represent a monumental leap in his power.
While he might lag behind other Void Refining cultivators in Sword Force, Law comprehension, Mystical Powers, or Dao Artifacts, the inherent advantages from his Life Level and the Mind Power of the Fourth Layer would still make him a formidable force within the Void Refinement Realm.
Overpowering those ancient Void Refining Great Powers, with their tens or even hundreds of thousands of years of cultivation, was out of the question. After such extended periods, even a pig would possess unimaginable Mystical Powers.
However, dealing with those who had only recently ascended to Void Refining—those with shallow foundations or those who had achieved Void Refining through sheer luck—would be trivial.
As for slaughtering Primordial Spirit True Monarchs...
Forget twelve thousand; even one hundred and twenty thousand would merely require a bit more time.
Having obtained a relatively precise estimate of the Cosmic Aftershock's arrival, Yu Jin and the others who were away from the Azure Star Minor Realm swiftly returned.
The Cosmic Aftershock's reach was immense. Even if they remained outside, they couldn't escape its influence. It was better to pool their strength and confront this ninth-level cataclysm together.
As they returned to the Lesser Thousand World, Li Chunjun distributed a considerable number of Heart Demons as rewards. He had grown much more cautious in refining these entities, resulting in a surplus. These remaining Heart Demons enabled many to develop Mind Power even without prior cultivation. Others, like Yu Jin and Su Fang, built upon their existing Mind Power, advancing further in their cultivation.
With their enhanced cultivation, their efficiency in tasks like repairing the Golden Crow Battleship improved significantly. As they prepared for the impending disaster, the day of the Cosmic Aftershock's arrival drew ever closer.
Within the Azure Star Minor Realm, Yu Jin piloted the Golden Crow Battleship, using its defensive systems to harness the realm's Dao Resonance Power and create a barrier against the approaching Cosmic Aftershock.
Meanwhile, Li Chunjun...
Yu Jin, Zuo Cheng, Huang Tian, Su Fang, and the others watched from a thousand miles away as the figure, already positioned at the periphery of the Azure Star Minor Realm, prepared to face the Cosmic Aftershock head-on. Their expressions were a mixture of concern and profound admiration.
As Swordmaster Li had explained, he intended to confront the Cosmic Aftershock directly, using its power to catalyze the transformation of his Destruction Sword Intent and Void Sword Intent into Destruction Sword Force and Void Sword Force.
Sword Force!
A power exclusive to the Void Refining Realm!
Those who could master Sword Force while still in the Primordial Spirit stage were virtually guaranteed a place on the Cosmic Light List.
Although Sword Intent was often claimed to be the domain of Nascent Soul cultivators, Primordial Spirit True Monarchs who wielded Sword Force were countless times rarer than Golden Core experts who possessed Sword Intent.
If Li Chunjun truly managed to comprehend Sword Force during this Cosmic Aftershock...
Yu Jin and the others would no longer harbor any doubt about his future ascension to the pinnacle of the Cosmic Light List.
In the starry sky, Li Chunjun was completely immersed in profound insights into the Law Mysteries of Void and Destruction.
He could clearly sense that as the Cosmic Aftershock drew closer, the Law Mysteries of Void, Destruction, and others like Order, Creation, and Chaos grew increasingly active.
Comprehending the Law Mysteries in this heightened state of activity allowed for astonishingly rapid progress, comparable to facing a Heavenly Thunder Tribulation head-on.
This profound stimulation...
"If someone could trigger a Starquake, allowing True Monarchs specializing in Destruction, Void, Order, Chaos, Death, and Creation to comprehend the Law Mysteries, wouldn't their progress be extraordinary?" Li Chunjun speculated boldly. "And it's not just True Monarchs! Void Refining, Dharma Manifestation, and Supreme Sage cultivators also need to comprehend Law Mysteries until their chosen Law reaches perfect mastery. In other words, they too could harness the power of a Starquake to seize this rare cultivation opportunity..."
The thought lingered briefly in his mind before he dismissed it.
Firstly, triggering a Starquake was no easy feat. Even within the original Starquake Belt, Void Refining Great Powers required millennia—or even tens of millennia—of meticulous planning to initiate such an event. Moreover, many ordinary Void Refining cultivators might lack the capability entirely.
On the other hand...
The power of a Starquake is notoriously difficult to control.
If it spirals out of control into a massive Starquake, even Void Refining Great Powers would perish within its chaotic embrace.
Conversely, if the Starquake is too small, the Law Mysteries it unleashes might be enlightening for Primordial Spirit True Monarchs, but would be utterly underwhelming for Void Refining Great Powers.
As Li Chunjun pondered this, he suddenly sensed the already potent Laws of Destruction, Void, Chaos, and Order surging to a new critical threshold.
At this juncture, the Law of Order receded.
The influence of Destruction, Chaos, and Void skyrocketed.
In that instant, visible distortions rippled through the space within Li Chunjun's perception.
The distorted space resembled concentric waves spreading from a droplet's impact, radiating outward from the horizon in luminous arcs.
Due to the scarcity of matter in the Land of Buried Demons—with only a hundred Lesser Thousand Worlds scattered across its vast expanse, each possessing formidable defenses—Li Chunjun had never witnessed widespread annihilation on this scale.
At most, he had observed a dozen Lesser Thousand Worlds, similar to the Jade Hill Clan's, gradually transforming into desolate realms, succumbing to destruction under the onslaught of the space-distorting waves.
Yet, this desolate scene of scattered destruction, where vast swathes of the Cosmos lay in silent ruins, struck Li Chunjun with an indescribable force.
It was like plunging into the depths of the Cosmic Void, confronting its darkest, most profound abyss.
Even though there were no colors or images to fill the void and construct a narrative of terror...
This very darkness and depth, and the unknowable vastness and insignificance they represented, sent a primal shock through his soul.
Li Chunjun felt it acutely.
Years ago, when he first faced the Starquake, the seeds of understanding the Destruction Sword Stance had already begun to sprout within him.
Now, as the Starquake Force surged once more, engulfing him completely, that nascent power finally blossomed.
His Destruction Sword Intent soared skyward, relentlessly compressed by the churning ripples of the Starquake.
At that moment of compression, Li Chunjun was reminded of the transformation from Mind Power to Heart Manifestation.
Instantly...
Sword Intent, once a subjective construct of personal will, transcended its ethereal nature and solidified into reality.
It materialized as a tangible force against the starry sky, clashing endlessly with the overwhelming tide of the Starquake Force.
In that moment, amidst the ceaseless waves of cosmic aftershocks, a steadfast reef seemed to emerge. No matter how the Void's distortions raged, nothing could shake its unyielding presence.
"He's done it!"
Below, Yu Jin, sheltering within the Dao Resonance Barrier of the Azure Star Minor Realm and the Golden Crow Battleship, was the first to witness the breakthrough. He couldn't help but pump his fist in excitement. "Swordmaster Li has succeeded!"
"Destruction Sword Stance!"
Zuo Cheng had mentally prepared for this moment, yet he still felt a surge of awe and elation. "A Primordial Spirit comprehending a Sword Force! Is there anything Swordmaster Li can't achieve in this world?!"
"And it's only been two years!" True Monarch Huang Tian declared emphatically. "Swordmaster Li's strength has undergone a complete transformation in less than two years! I guarantee you, Void Refining is far from his limit! His future lies in becoming a Dharma Manifestation expert, perhaps even a Great World Overlord—a Supreme Sage! Only such a peerless powerhouse could truly live up to Swordmaster Li's unparalleled talent!"
Yet, even as Li Chunjun comprehended the Destruction Sword Stance outside the Azure Star Minor Realm, he had not yet reached his full potential.
As Li Chunjun's mastery of the Destruction Sword Stance neared completion, and his confrontation with the Starquake Force approached its climax, a completely new power erupted from within him.
This force clashed head-on with the Void distortions caused by the Starquake, neutralizing them and miraculously smoothing the space around him.
What was this...?
"Void Sword Force!"
(End of the Chapter)
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