Translator: CinderTL
Two years later.
A terrifying sword qi storm, like a cosmic catastrophe, slammed violently into a Lesser Thousand World spanning only tens of thousands of miles.
This storm stretched for at least a million miles and had a diameter exceeding thirty thousand miles. At first glance, it resembled a long river entirely composed of sword qi, or a tempest capable of tearing apart everything in its path.
Countless strands of sword qi collided with the Lesser Thousand World, frantically slicing through its outer Dao Rhythm Barrier, layer by layer, weakening it.
Simultaneously, the storm tore apart and shredded the very substance of the Lesser Thousand World itself, sweeping it into the starry sky and reducing it to finer and finer particles until it became virtually imperceptible.
As for the living beings who had once inhabited this Lesser Thousand World...
Whether they were Heart Demons or puppets, none stood a chance of survival. All were pulverized into dust by the raging sword qi storm.
This devastating sword qi storm, capable of wiping out an entire Lesser Thousand World, raged for a full hour, finally obliterating the world completely and reducing it to cosmic dust.
Only after the Lesser Thousand World was utterly destroyed did the storm gradually converge, forming the phantom of a dark crimson longsword.
This was the High-Grade Dao Artifact, the Scarlet Sky Sword!
However, after coalescing into the Scarlet Sky Sword, it didn't immediately enter Li Chunjun's body. Instead, he sealed it within a spherical object.
Dharma Manifestation Armament.
With a flick of Li Chunjun's wrist, the spherical Dharma Manifestation Armament merged into his body, where his Qi and Dao cultivation began to nurture it, awaiting its next explosive strike.
"Though I failed to condense the Void Storm Dharma Aspect, the combined power of the Dharma Manifestation Armament and the Scarlet Sky Sword's double burst is already comparable to those of ordinary Dharma Manifestations."
Li Chunjun quietly felt the changes within him.
Not long ago, he had successfully advanced his Life Level to 37!
This advancement had elevated his Life Essence to a new level.
His progress in the Heavenly Heart Eternal Method had surpassed the halfway point!
His Qi had surged from 16,000 years to around 23,000 years, while his Dao cultivation had risen to approximately 21,000 years.
This level of power exceeded the standard for the Peak of the Void Refinement Realm.
Moreover, during his Life Level advancement, he had completely Blood Sacrificed both the Scarlet Sky Sword and the Dharma Manifestation Armament.
This was the reason he had insisted on reaching Life Level 37.
The Life Level increase itself wasn't particularly noticeable, but the complete assimilation of the Scarlet Sky Sword and the Dharma Manifestation Armament had resulted in an immediate and dramatic surge in his power.
After briefly acclimating to his new strength, he sought out a Lesser Thousand World for testing.
The results were...
Self-evident.
Li Chunjun surveyed the completely destroyed Lesser Thousand World before him, gaining a rough estimate of his current strength.
"Without relying on my Dharma Manifestation Armament or the Scarlet Sky Sword, both Superior Dao Artifacts, I should have reached the level of a 'Prodigy' among Void Refining cultivators! Of course, there's no such thing as a 'Prodigy' in the Void Refining realm. But I can confidently say I could take on dozens of ordinary Void Refining cultivators single-handedly."
Considering that ordinary Void Refining cultivators rarely venture out to explore or seek adventure, they'd likely encounter only top-tier or Peak Void Refining cultivators...
So, perhaps I could handle a dozen or so at most.
A group of eight or ten top-tier Void Refining cultivators could put me in a precarious situation.
Even three or five Peak Void Refining cultivators working together could force me to retreat.
"But if I factor in the power of my Dharma Manifestation Armament and the Scarlet Sky Sword... Even a newly formed Dharma Manifestation Realm cultivator, let alone an established one, would have to fight me to the death to determine victory or defeat."
His gaze shifted to the Lesser Thousand World before him, which spanned a diameter of 130,000 miles...
Void Refining cultivators could destroy Lesser Thousand Worlds.
But that usually referred to Lesser Thousand Worlds spanning only tens of thousands of miles.
Even ordinary Dharma Manifestation Realm cultivators couldn't harm those top-tier Lesser Thousand Worlds that spanned millions of miles.
Forcibly entering such a world would trigger its backlash, resulting in injury at best and death at worst.
Only those who have cultivated a top-tier Dharma Manifestation, or even a supreme Dharma Manifestation, can crush a Lesser Thousand World spanning millions of miles.
Of course, this refers to forcibly destroying the Lesser Thousand World.
If Dharma Manifestation Realm cultivators truly want to breach a Lesser Thousand World spanning millions of miles, they can first employ various methods in the surrounding area, such as triggering cosmic disasters, to erode the Dao Rhythm of the world.
By spending a few decades, or even just a dozen years, to exhaust the Lesser Thousand World's Dao Rhythm, the Dharma Manifestation Realm cultivators can then destroy it with far less backlash.
After all, a Lesser Thousand World is inanimate, while cultivators are alive.
At the Dharma Manifestation Realm level, if they choose, they have countless ways to destroy a Lesser Thousand World with minimal effort.
"My next cultivation focus will be on simultaneously forging the Void Storm Dharma Aspect and raising my Life Level to shorten the time required to complete it. Given my current Qi cultivation and Mind Realm, I should be able to compress this period to within a few decades..."
Completing a top-tier Dharma Aspect in a few decades is remarkably efficient.
But clearly...
If he could reach Level 38, this speed would increase even further.
And at Level 39, achieving Dharma Aspect completion in three to five months wouldn't be a mere fantasy.
"Besides the explosive surge in my Qi and Dao cultivation, has my Void Dao Physique... finally taken shape?"
His words were uncertain.
After all, the Void Law seemed nonexistent in this world. Without the law, there was no method to cultivate or utilize the Void Dao Physique.
At best, this physique could only reduce others' "attention" toward him and mitigate the negative effects of the world's energies.
For instance...
He could now hide within Superior Lesser Thousand Worlds, like the one he had just entered, or even larger, top-tier Lesser Thousand Worlds, without triggering a Dao Rhythm backlash.
"In a sense, the Void Dao Physique lowers a cultivator's 'sense of existence.' My Void Dao Physique is only in its nascent stage, and even Dao Rhythm backlashes barely bother with me anymore. Once my physique fully matures..."
Li Chunjun couldn't yet imagine what form it would take.
After briefly sensing his Void Dao Physique, he turned his attention to carefully examining his Destruction Dao Body and Void Dao Body.
Both physiques seemed to be stirring again.
And the next step after the Dao Bodies fully matured...
"Innate Dao Body, huh?"
A trait akin to those Innate Divine Beings destined to achieve Dao Unification!
"It's currently in its nascent stage, expected to begin gestating at Life Level 38. By Level 40... or at the latest, Level 41, the transformation will be complete..."
Li Chunjun's thoughts paused slightly.
If all went as planned, Level 40 would correspond to the Quasi-Tenth-Tier realm, comparable to the Immortal God Race's Heavenly Emperor or the Profound Yellow Ranking Spirit Liu Yu.
Level 41...
Dao Unification!
Innate Divine Being!
"Almost there, almost there," Li Chunjun thought to himself. "Return to Human Territory, use the Void Dao Physique's ability to reduce my 'presence' and evade the Heavenly Palace's surveillance. Then, sell the Cave Heaven Supreme Treasure in my possession to exchange for a large quantity of Void Dao Pills and Destruction Dao Pills. Immediately afterward, head to the Star Abyss and leverage its unique environment to raise my Life Level by two or three levels..."
Once he reached that point, even if the Heavenly Palace discovered he had stolen the Profound Yellow Dao Fruit, they would have no choice but to swallow their bitterness after weighing the pros and cons.
With that thought, Li Chunjun extended a finger and tapped.
Li Chunjun activated the Void Bridge. The Void Law rippled around him in concentric circles, quickly forming a seven-colored rainbow bridge.
The rainbow light pierced through the Star Sea, instantly landing in a Lesser Thousand World several light-years away from the one he had just left.
The Golden Crow Battleship was undergoing repairs in this Lesser Thousand World.
After two years of emergency repairs, the warship's engine room had been fully restored three months prior.
However, Li Chunjun's Life Level was still slightly lacking at the time, so he hadn't departed immediately.
"A Void Refining cultivator in the Void Dao, using the Void Bridge dao technique, can traverse distances ranging from one to a hundred light-years... Not a vast range, but when combined with Star Gates and Teleportation Arrays... a radius of several hundred thousand light-years falls within their strike range."
Li Chunjun's thoughts raced: "In a single year, he could destroy hundreds of Lesser Thousand Worlds. That's why a single Void Refining cultivator is more than sufficient to oversee a Realm Region containing hundreds of thousands or even millions of Lesser Thousand Worlds."
At that moment, those who had sensed his arrival stepped forward, bowing respectfully to greet him.
"Sword Master!"
"Welcome back, Celestial Sovereign!"
"Swordmaster Li, you've arrived."
Li Chunjun didn't greet everyone individually. He simply issued an order: "Let's depart for the Immortal Great Wall. We'll use the Teleportation Array and Star Gate to return to the Profound Yellow Great World."
"Yes, sir."
Yu Jin and the others immediately sprang into action.
The Golden Crow Battleship activated and continued its journey toward the Immortal Great Wall.
As for Li Chunjun...
He swept his mental power across everyone aboard the Golden Crow Battleship.
Over forty True Monarchs had cultivated Mind Power.
Several of them, with a few more decades or even just a decade or two of cultivation, would likely break through to the second realm of Mind Power.
However, this level of Mind Power and cultivation was insignificant to him now. He didn't pay them special attention.
Considering they were still about half a month away from the Immortal Great Wall, he turned his attention to refining the Void Storm Dharma Aspect.
Once completed, this Dharma Aspect would have three forms—or rather, three attack methods.
The first was an advanced version of the Sword Qi Long River, which Li Chunjun had used frequently: the sword qi storm. This was the Void Storm Dharma Aspect's primary attack form.
The second was Transcending the Void!
Based on the conventional dao technique Void Blade, this variation harnesses the power of the Void Storm to continuously accelerate the blade, ultimately channeling all its energy into the Void Blade. This amplifies its power beyond the original, allowing for a strike that tears through the Void and transcends its boundaries—Transcending the Void.
The third technique...
Storm Cataclysm!
A variation of the Starquake attack.
It disrupts the balance of the Void Law using the power of the Void Storm, triggering a cataclysmic storm within the Void itself.
This dao technique, when used in unstable Void regions, can produce unexpected amplification effects. The intensity of the amplification depends on the degree of instability in that particular area of the Void.
Due to its uncontrollable nature, this technique is considered a desperate move and is regarded as the Void Storm Dharma Aspect's ultimate killing strike.
"During the creation of the Void Storm Dharma Aspect, I should focus on sword qi storms and Void Rifts to maximize the Scarlet Sky Sword's power. The sword qi storm needs no explanation. As for Transcending the Void, the Scarlet Sky Sword itself can serve as the Void Blade's core, ultimately determining the strike's true might..."
Li Chunjun pondered, quickly delving into the intricacies of Transcending the Void.
His contemplation lasted less than ten days. With about ten days' journey remaining to the Immortal Great Wall, the Golden Crow Battleship suddenly detected something.
Soon, Yu Jin arrived to report: "Sword Master, a warship is rapidly approaching our position... Judging by its design, it appears to be an Immortal God Race vessel."
"The Immortal God Race?"
Li Chunjun was surprised.
"Yes. The warship hasn't concealed its movements, and all its main cannons are deactivated... It doesn't seem hostile..." Yu Jin reported.
Considering the Immortal God Race likely wouldn't dare attack a Human Void Refining cultivator like him, and that he needed to pass through their territory to return to Human Territory, Li Chunjun immediately replied, "Charge the shields, but don't fire yet. Maintain alert status. Let them approach and see what they want."
"Understood."
Yu Jin quickly executed the order.
Moments later, a warship gradually approached the Golden Crow Battleship, stopping about a dozen thousand miles away.
Once it reached this relatively close range, a wave of mental power quickly spread out, which Li Chunjun immediately sensed.
"Are you Heavenly Monarch Li Chunjun? Tianlu greets you respectfully."
"Heavenly God Tianlu?"
A Heavenly God.
This rank wasn't low within the Immortal God Race.
Among humans, such a figure would possess combat power comparable to an established Dharma Manifestation Realm cultivator.
Considering Tianlu seemed to be a close confidant of the Immortal God Clan's Antarctic Emperor, he might even possess strength rivaling a Superior Dao Artifact-level Dharma Manifestation Realm cultivator.
"I am Li Chunjun. What guidance does Heavenly God Tianlu have for me?" Li Chunjun replied.
After briefly sensing Li Chunjun's mental fluctuations, Heavenly God Tianlu breathed a sigh of relief and quickly said, "Heavenly Monarch Li, the Immortal Great Wall is extremely dangerous! You absolutely must not go there!"
(End of the Chapter)
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