Translator: CinderTL
"Just a Void Refining..."
Tianlu Heavenly God fell silent for a long moment after hearing Li Chunjun's self-description.
Void Refining...
Could he really describe it as "just"?
Especially a Human Void Refining!
Even the weakest Human Void Refining could rival a Fifth-Rank True God!
Powerful Peak Void Refining cultivators were on par with Third-Rank High Gods within the Immortal God Race.
Just as Tianlu Heavenly God was struggling to respond, he seemed to receive some news.
A hint of reverence flashed across his face. "Heavenly Monarch Li, His Majesty the Antarctic Emperor, one of the Immortal God Race's leaders, wishes to speak with you."
"The Antarctic Emperor!"
Li Chunjun's expression turned solemn.
A Ninth-Tier Lifeform!
The Immortal God Race had six Great Emperors in total.
The strongest was naturally the Golden Citadel Jade Sovereign Heavenly Emperor. Not only did he possess power comparable to the peak of the Supreme Sage realm, but he could also harness the power of the entire Immortal God Race to form the Heavenly Emperor Authority, allowing him to unleash Quasi-Tenth-Tier combat strength.
Below him were the Antarctic and Arctic Emperors, who respectively governed the Immortal God Race's internal affairs and external warfare. Both possessed the power to contend with Human Supreme Sages.
The remaining three were also formidable, standard Ninth-Tier Lifeforms of foreign races, capable of surpassing their cultivation levels by manifesting supreme or top-tier Dharma Forms.
"Very well."
Li Chunjun acknowledged.
He was curious to hear what this high-ranking member of the Immortal God Race had to say.
Tianlu Heavenly God quickly set up the bridge.
He not only reinforced the perimeter's lockdown but also deployed a Reception Array Formation.
As the formation activated, Li Chunjun felt a surge of powerful mental power projected across this territory through a method similar to a Heart Seed.
However, compared to his own Heart Seed, this technique seemed more subtle and refined.
Soon, a figure materialized from the Reception Array Formation Tianlu Heavenly God had set up.
A middle-aged man, appearing both gentle and dignified, stood before Li Chunjun.
"Heavenly Monarch Li," the Imperial Lord greeted him first, a hint of apology in his voice. "Originally, I planned to wait until Heavenly Monarch Li passed through our Heavenly Court to borrow a Star Gate before having a proper conversation. However, I worried that such an invitation might be too presumptuous. Since we are currently separated by vast distances, communicating through mental projection allows us both to maintain a safe distance."
"Such high regard from the Imperial Lord leaves me quite flattered," Li Chunjun replied.
"With Heavenly Monarch Li's status... you would be treated with reverence not only among the Immortal God Race but in any Great Sect of the Human Race."
The Antarctic Emperor sighed slightly. "After all, a direct disciple of a Dao Unification expert is implicitly treated as a Supreme Sage. As a direct disciple of a Supreme Sovereign, your status should theoretically be even more esteemed, deserving a personal welcome from the Sect Master even at a sect considered Council-level within the Immortal Alliance. However, since the Profound Yellow Supreme has been absent for tens of thousands of years, the weight of your Supreme Sovereign disciple status has diminished somewhat. But... I believe that with your retinue, any sect would be justified in having a Supreme Sage personally receive you."
"Supreme Sovereign disciple..."
Li Chunjun finally understood the Antarctic Emperor's words.
No wonder this Supreme Sage of the Immortal God Race treated him with such respect.
This status of Supreme Sovereign disciple...
He hadn't really taken it to heart.
For one thing, the Profound Yellow Supreme had been gone for far too long.
Tens of thousands of years...
Even a Void Refining cultivator, who could live for 129,600 years, would struggle to comprehend such a vast expanse of time.
For another...
He had never considered relying on anyone.
His age was a factor.
He lacked experience.
He simply didn't know how to face or handle many situations.
What if he joined a sect, only for that sect to later obstruct his path to Ascension to Immortality for various reasons? What would he do then?
He would try to persuade them. If they remained obstinate, he would have no choice but to crush them without mercy!
But...
Crushing this force didn't mean he had no emotional investment in it.
The Taixu Sword Sect was the best example.
If he couldn't handle something, he simply avoided it.
That way, he wouldn't have to face such problems.
The Antarctic Emperor before him...
"So, your Immortal God Race's show of goodwill is meant to forge a bond with me, hoping to leverage my status as a direct disciple of the Supreme Sovereign to help your race weather future tribulations?"
Li Chunjun paused. "If that's the case, I accept this bond. There's no need to go out of my way."
He continued calmly, "It's not as if Universal Transformation Venerable himself has come. Can his Peak of the Void Refinement Realm disciple really hope to deal with me? He's not even qualified."
At these words, both the Antarctic Emperor and Tianlu Heavenly God were visibly shocked!
Not even a Peak of the Void Refinement Realm cultivator was qualified!?
They knew that even an Eighth-Tier Immortal God Race member, equivalent to a Third-Rank High God, might not gain an advantage against a Human Void Refining cultivator capable of forging a Dharma Idol.
To suppress Luo Yao...
It would take the personal intervention of Second-Rank Heavenly Gods like Tianlu and True Martial!
As for Universal Transformation Venerable himself...
Even a First-Rank Great God from the Immortal God Race would only stand a chance, and that would depend on whether Universal Transformation Venerable had cultivated a top-tier Dharma Idol!
Otherwise, the outcome of the battle would still be uncertain.
Li Chunjun had only recently achieved Void Refining, yet he already possessed such formidable combat power. What level of strength would he reach once he cultivated his Dharma Idol?
A Second-Rank Heavenly God?
Or perhaps even a First-Rank Great God, second only to the Six Great Emperors?
In that moment, the Antarctic Emperor's mind raced through Li Chunjun's rapid growth.
At twenty-eight, he had already reached Void Refining!
And not just Void Refining, but the Peak of the Void Refining Realm!
How long would it take him to condense his Dharma Idol?
A century or two?
No!
That was the pace of others!
If Li Chunjun could maintain his current rate of progress, it wouldn't be far-fetched to imagine him cultivating his Dharma Idol in a decade or two, or even within a year or two!
Once his Dharma Idol was complete, he could then strive for Supreme Sagehood...
"Hiss!"
As this thought struck him, the Antarctic Emperor gasped sharply.
He suddenly realized that investing in Li Chunjun himself might yield even greater returns than investing in his status as the Supreme Sovereign's personal disciple.
Especially...
He glanced covertly toward the Golden Crow Battleship.
Li Chunjun was only twenty-eight years old!
At this age, even among cultivators, he was still in his prime, full of passion and loyalty—a stark contrast to those Void Refining, Dharma Idol, and Supreme Sages who had become mere profit-driven creatures!
This was evident from the fact that upon returning to the Profound Yellow Great World and achieving Void Refining, his first act was to return to the Land of Buried Demons to retrieve those he had left behind.
What profound loyalty and righteousness!
How could the Immortal God Race possibly suffer under his leadership?
The Antarctic Emperor, who had initially planned to approach Heavenly Monarch Li to foster understanding, made an immediate decision.
"Heavenly Monarch Li, for tens of thousands of years, though we of the Immortal God Race have separated from the Divine Race, our situation has remained precarious. No faction has ever truly welcomed us. Despite our fervent desire to assimilate into the Human Race and become one of its members, those factions have consistently treated us as slaves and cannon fodder..."
As the Imperial Lord spoke, recalling their plight over the years, his voice grew heavy with sorrow.
Li Chunjun remained impassive.
He knew the Immortal God Race's situation was dire.
Which small clan in the starry sky didn't face hardship?
But as a mere Void Refining cultivator, he could hardly change anything.
"In truth, before meeting Heavenly Monarch Li, we hesitated and agonized over whether to risk offending the Heavenly Palace by confiding in you. But..."
The Antarctic Emperor's Heart-Mind surged with sincerity. "After learning of Heavenly Monarch Li's deeds and discovering his identity, we realized that the Immortal God Race might have finally found its turning point! Now, having met Heavenly Monarch Li in person, this conviction has only grown stronger!"
Li Chunjun was stunned.
What's going on?
After a long moment, he finally asked, "Are you saying the Immortal God Race wants to use my Supreme Sovereign's influence to integrate into the Human Race and become part of the Immortal Alliance?"
"No!"
Antarctic Emperor shook his head. "We're not borrowing Heavenly Monarch Li's influence. We're borrowing Heavenly Monarch Li himself!"
He emphasized, "The Immortal God Race is willing to follow Heavenly Monarch Li and become his personal subordinate clan!"
Li Chunjun was no longer merely surprised by this statement; he found it utterly unbelievable.
The Immortal God Race!
Even without a Dao Unification expert, their unique clan structure and cultivation system had elevated the Golden Citadel Jade Sovereign Heavenly Emperor to the Quasi-Tenth-Tier level.
Such beings...
were essentially Law Beings transformed from the most powerful Dharma Forms.
They had perfected a fundamental Law, breaking through the shackles of their Mind Realm to achieve Heart's Perfection!
Between the Primordial Spirit and Void Refining stages, there was a Sixth-Rank realm known as the Cosmic Light Realm.
The "Quasi-Tenth-Tier" stage between Void Refining and Dao Unification is also known as the Immortal Realm.
This refers to the tenth level of the Mind Realm, the stage of Heart's Perfection!
Lifeforms at this level are, in a sense, unkillable.
As long as people still know their names, they can revive from death.
Legend has it that the Progenitor of the Heart Demon Clan was an Immortal, which is why their lineage possesses so many extraordinary abilities.
Among the Immortal God Race, besides one Quasi-Tenth-Tier powerhouse, there are also five Supreme Sages, along with numerous Great Gods, Heavenly Gods, High Gods, and True Gods at the Void Refining level.
Such power...
Across the entire Profound Yellow Great World, only a handful of forces like the Taixu Sword Sect and the Wu Ji Sect could surpass them.
Even the Profound Yellow Sect couldn't compare.
As for forces like the Heavenly Palace and the Celestial Qin Dynasty, which had limited influence in the Profound Yellow Great World, they were out of the question.
Yet now, such a formidable force was saying they wanted to follow him?
To follow a mere Void Refining cultivator?
"Antarctic Emperor, do you realize what you're saying?" Li Chunjun asked.
"I do," the Antarctic Emperor replied firmly. "And I'm perfectly clear about what I'm doing."
His expression was resolute. "With Heavenly Monarch Li's talent, we believe that if someone provides you with sufficient assistance and protects your growth, you have a high chance of achieving Dao Unification in the future!"
He spoke with conviction: "If Heavenly Monarch Li can achieve Dao Unification and become a Dao Venerable, the Immortal God Race will bask in your glory, leaping to become a top-tier power in the starry sky and completely escaping our current precarious existence."
Dao Unification...
Li Chunjun listened to the Imperial Lord's words. He had to admit, the man truly had high expectations for him. With the Human Emperor Banner in his possession, Li Chunjun did have some confidence in achieving Dao Unification. However, whether he could succeed 100 percent, he couldn't say for sure.
As for the Immortal God Race...
How dare they place such a massive bet on him, even risking the fate of their entire race!?
(End of the Chapter)
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