Translator: CinderTL
The Great Sun hung in the sky!
The Heart-Burning Flames, manifested as the Great Sun, though not physically present in the material world, its ten-thousand-zhang radiance was immediately perceived by nearly every living being in this Lesser Chiliocosm.
The merfolk dwelling in the ocean cities felt the gloom and coldness in their hearts rapidly dissipate under the Great Sun's light. The burdens weighing on their minds vanished completely, leaving them feeling lighter than ever before.
As for the Heart Demons...
The flames of the Great Sun were true solar fire!
Carrying terrifying heat, they scorched the heavens and earth!
The stronger Heart Demons fared relatively well, but the weaker ones, under the searing Mental Power Fire of the Great Sun, all let out pained screams and scattered in terror.
The Demonic Seeds they had sent out to control puppets were completely incinerated, vanishing into smoke and ash.
At that moment, every mermaid in this Lesser Thousand World witnessed a scene they would never forget.
A magnificent being rode the Great Sun, surveying the sky from east to west, dispelling the gloom and illuminating the land.
He was like a Creation God from ancient myths, freely pouring forth his existence and grandeur upon this world.
From that day forward, for countless millennia, legends of him spread throughout the Lesser Thousand World.
The surviving millions of mermaids, having survived the Heart Demon tribulation, swiftly rebuilt their civilization. They revered this great being who rode the Great Sun across the sky as their highest Divine Being, immortalizing his deeds in countless scriptures and historical records.
The mermaids even divided their history into distinct eras: the Age of Ignorance before the Heart Demon's arrival, the Age of Despair during its rampage, and the Divine Radiance Era, when the resplendent Great Sun shone high in the heavens, illuminating the world.
Li Chunjun's heart burned like Heart-Burning Flames as he surveyed the sky, annihilating and refining Heart Demons one after another, pushing his Mind Realm to the final step of its Fifth Layer transformation.
Meanwhile, an unexpected guest arrived among the Immortal God Race.
Immortal Maiden Luoyao, sent by Universal Transformation Venerable.
The Immortal God Race had originally been supported by the Heavenly Palace, splitting off from the Divine Race.
Though the Immortal God Race had grown in influence over time, consciously increasing its presence within the Immortal Alliance and gradually breaking free from the Heavenly Palace's control, the Heavenly Palace still wielded considerable influence within the Heavenly Court.
The one sent to receive the Void Refining Heavenly Monarch was Great God Myriad Lifespans, the personal disciple of the Antarctic Emperor.
A First-Rank Great God at the peak of the Dharma Realm, only a step away from becoming a sage.
Great God Myriad Lifespans was often seen as the Antarctic Emperor's representative, carrying out the Emperor's will within the Immortal God Race.
His personal reception of Immortal Maiden Luoyao fully demonstrated the Immortal God Race's respect for the Human Celestial Sovereign's visit.
However, upon hearing Immortal Maiden Luoyao's request, the Great God felt a chill run down his spine.
"I recall the Human Race has a rule: no one of Void Refining cultivation or higher may be harmed lightly. Any violation would be pursued to the bitter end. This matter..."
The Great God Myriad Lifespans was already searching for an excuse to evade the issue.
But before he could finish, Immortal Maiden Luoyao interrupted, "That rule applies within the Human Territory! When a Void Refining cultivator falls within the Human Territory, the False God Realm can trace every trace of their passing, giving factions the confidence to vow to pursue the matter to the end. But outside the Human Territory, where the False God Realm's influence doesn't reach, what does a Void Refining cultivator matter?"
She continued calmly, "Human Great Powers often venture out to cultivate, and even Supreme Sages have fallen. Why make such a fuss? What being in this world can truly achieve eternal life?"
Great God Myriad Lifespans was left speechless.
As members of the Human Race, such words came easily to them.
But the Immortal God Race was merely a small clan...
How could they dare involve themselves in a conflict that concerned the Void Refining realm?
"What? Has the Longevity Sect's word lost its weight among the Immortal God Race? Or has the Antarctic Emperor, after making contact with various factions within the Immortal Alliance, begun to disregard our Heavenly Palace?"
Seeing Myriad Lifespans' hesitant and evasive demeanor, a hint of displeasure flickered in Luo Yao's brow.
Realizing this, Great God Myriad Lifespans quickly said, "Absolutely not! Our lineage owes its current prosperity entirely to the Great Emperor's assistance. We will never forget this debt of gratitude. However... the Celestial Sovereign you mentioned has entered the Land of Buried Demons. That place is fraught with Heart Demons and perilous dangers. It's entirely possible he has already perished at their hands, making it unnecessary for us to intervene personally..."
"You'd have been better off not mentioning the Land of Buried Demons at all," Immortal Maiden Luoyao said coldly. "Li Chunjun's astonishing mental cultivation is entirely due to your Land of Buried Demons. If his Mind Realm hadn't been so extraordinary, how could he have disrupted our Longevity Sect's plans and achieved Void Refining in such a short time?"
"Even the Immortal God Race is powerless to control natural disasters like Starquakes," Great God Myriad Lifespans said helplessly.
"Enough idle talk! We need to see him alive or his corpse. Since he's gone to the Land of Buried Demons, we'll pursue him there!" Immortal Maiden Luoyao waved her hand impatiently.
How dare a small clan of "Immortal Gods"—who had only gained independence from the Divine Race by relying entirely on their Heavenly Palace—bargain with them?
"We're not asking you to act within Human Territory. If you kill a Void Refining cultivator within your own Land of Buried Demons, what evidence could possibly remain?"
"This... Not long ago, a Human Void Refining cultivator entered the Land of Buried Demons. If a Void Refining battle truly erupted there, the resulting fluctuations would surely be noticed. If that Human Void Refining cultivator sensed something amiss... the entire Antarctic lineage of the Immortal God Race would be held accountable by the Human Race."
Myriad Lifespans continued to stall.
"A Human Void Refining cultivator entered the Land of Buried Demons?"
"Yes! It was Elder Hong Qianjue of the Wu Ji Sect!"
"The Wu Ji Sect..."
Immortal Maiden Luoyao's expression remained calm upon hearing the name of this power.
The Wu Ji Sect was also a Council-level Power within the Immortal Alliance.
She could easily dismiss the Immortal God Race's influence. Even if she ordered them to sacrifice themselves, as long as it didn't cripple them, this small clan had no right to refuse.
But if they were caught killing a Human Void Refining cultivator and the Wu Ji Sect found out...
The consequences could be either minor or catastrophic.
Seeing Immortal Maiden Luoyao hesitate, Great God Myriad Lifespans immediately said, "The Immortal Great Wall is the only exit from the Land of Buried Demons. If the Holy Daughter isn't in a hurry, we could go directly to the Immortal Great Wall and wait there in ambush..."
"It seems you're too afraid to act and need me to take the lead."
Luo Yao spoke with displeasure.
"After all, he's a Human Void Refining cultivator. We of the Immortal God Race are but a small clan; how could we dare provoke such a figure?"
Myriad Lifespans quickly added, "Moreover, Human Void Refining cultivators possess vast Mystical Powers. Even if we sent High Gods or Heavenly Gods to intercept him, we couldn't guarantee a hundred percent success. What if he has hidden trump cards? Only with Immortal Maiden Luoyao's personal intervention can we ensure absolute certainty, wouldn't you agree?"
Luo Yao glanced at Great God Myriad Lifespans.
As a peak Void Refining cultivator of the Human Race, currently focused on crafting her Dharma Idol, she was confident she could hold her own against even a Third-Rank High God of the Immortal God Race, equivalent to a Dharma Idol cultivator.
Therefore, she didn't doubt his words, which might have carried a hint of self-deprecation.
She also realized that as the Heavenly Court's interactions with the Immortal Alliance grew, the influence of the Heavenly Palace's Great Emperors over the Immortal God Race had diminished significantly, though they still held considerable sway.
Ungrateful wretches, she thought to herself.
She knew perfectly well that if she resorted to some schemes, invested some effort, and leveraged her authority to coerce them, the Immortal God Race would have no choice but to intervene.
However, her arrogance as a peak-level Void Refining cultivator of the Human Race prevented her from stooping to such tactics against these minor clans, none of whom had even reached Dao Unification.
Moreover, if she were to force Myriad Lifespans and the others to personally capture Li Chunjun, they might simply feign compliance.
For safety's sake, it was best to have the Immortal God Race provide auxiliary support while she took direct action herself.
"Arrange a Teleportation Array immediately! We're heading to the Immortal Great Wall!"
The Void Refining cultivator rose to her feet without hesitation.
The process of Great God Myriad Lifespans coordinating with Luo Yao quickly reached the ears of the Antarctic Emperor, who stood behind him.
After reading the report, the Supreme Sage-level Imperial Lord remained silent for a long time.
Finally, he let out a long sigh. "Just a Void Refining cultivator."
Just a Void Refining cultivator, yet on their Immortal God Race's territory, facing a First-Rank Great God, this Human Void Refining cultivator was so arrogant and overbearing...
And yet, throughout the entire process, their Immortal God Race's First-Rank Great God, who was only one step away from Great Perfection of the Law, could only endure it, unable to show the slightest dissatisfaction.
All because of the Heavenly Palace!
A colossal entity with a Dao Unification Dao Venerable at its core!
What was even more terrifying was that even this formidable behemoth didn't rank among the top powers within the Human Race!
Above them were Supreme-level Powers and countless Ultimate-level Powers!
At that moment, a phantom projection appeared, swiftly presenting a Jade Talisman.
"Imperial Lord, this contains information on that Void Refining cultivator... Time was short, so we could only gather limited data, and... its authenticity remains unverified."
"Hmm?"
The Antarctic Emperor glanced at him. "What do you mean by 'unverified'?"
"The information is scarce... and... utterly absurd... bizarre..."
The phantom responded, seemingly at a loss for words.
After a long pause, it finally said, "The Imperial Lord will understand when he sees it."
The Antarctic Emperor picked up the Jade Talisman and scanned it with his mental power.
Even though he wasn't currently in a state of Divine Position fusion, and thus less affected by its influence, a look of astonishment still crossed his face. "Less than thirty years of cultivation!? Void Refining in thirty years!? Heavenly Mansion!? Is this all you've found?"
"Though it's hard to believe, the information we've gathered confirms it."
The phantom known as Heavenly Mansion replied.
"What about the forces behind him?"
"Unknown. We suspect the Profound Yellow Sect, but can't confirm it."
"What do you mean, 'can't confirm'?"
The Antarctic Emperor frowned. "The Heavenly Court allocates you more funding each year than even the Divine Race receives. And this is the uncertain result you provide?"
"This... based on all the information we've gathered, we believe he's either secretly supported by the Profound Yellow Sect... or... backed by an even more astonishing entity..."
Heavenly Mansion Celestial God Dao.
At this moment, as if he had received another piece of information, he suddenly said, "Our intelligence agents, who have infiltrated the Human Race, have made a bold speculation based on the data they've gathered... Not long ago, a new Personal Disciple Peak appeared in the Profound Yellow Grotto-Heaven. The timing of its emergence closely coincides with Heavenly Monarch Li's ascent to the top of the Cosmic Light rankings..."
"The Profound Yellow Grotto-Heaven!? The grotto-heaven left behind by that Supreme Sovereign!?"
Antarctic Emperor's pupils contracted. "Are you saying... he might be a personal disciple of the Supreme Sovereign!?"
"It's just a speculation..." Heavenly Mansion Celestial God quickly clarified.
"The Supreme Sovereign... but one who hasn't appeared in a million years..." Antarctic Emperor's expression shifted.
He recalled the Immortal God Race's fruitless efforts over the years, as they had infiltrated various sects within the Immortal Alliance, showering them with gifts in a desperate attempt to secure a true patron...
An idea seemed to form in his mind.
He suddenly issued an order: "I grant you the highest authority. Mobilize all manpower and resources and focus them entirely on Heavenly Monarch Li. Uncover the truth behind this rumor!
(End of the Chapter)
---
📖Read (MI) on Pa.treon@CinderTL - c406. [+3.7k]
🔑Early Access at $5.
✍Translated (6) Series, (3.6K+) Chapters, (5.1M+) Words.