Translator: CinderTL
Profound Yellow Grotto-Heaven.
The reception hall on Li Chunjun's mountain peak.
Compared to the lonely visit of Huang Daozhen, the Sect Master of the Profound Yellow Sect, the hall was now bustling with activity.
There were five people present.
Besides Huang Daozhen, the other four were all Supreme Sages, top-tier experts who had cultivated their Law-based Life Forms.
"Senior Brother Li is the first disciple outside the Void Refinement Realm I've ever heard of in history! And to reach the peak of the Void Refinement Realm from a mere mortal in just thirty years... If such talent can't achieve Dao Unification, I can't imagine how difficult it must be to succeed."
"If Senior Brother Xuyang were here, we'd truly have nothing to worry about."
"I've already sent a message to Senior Brother Xuyang. If he receives it, he'll definitely rush over to witness the miracle that's bound to happen with Senior Brother Li."
The four Supreme Sages were now gathered around Li Chunjun, showering him with smiles and praise.
Three of them were the Three Sages of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity, who had always remained in seclusion within the Profound Yellow Grotto-Heaven, unwilling to get caught up in the conflicts of major powers.
The Profound Yellow Sect had tried repeatedly to meet with Li Chunjun without success. These individuals had faced similar challenges.
However, they had been slightly more concerned about their dignity, unwilling to resort to Huang Daozhen's tactic of practically camping outside Li Chunjun's door.
"Are you all really not concerned about the trouble I've stirred up with the Wu Ji Sect and the Heavenly Palace by killing Luo Yao and Six Harmonies Venerable?"
Li Chunjun looked at the three Supreme Sages of the Profound Yellow Grotto-Heaven.
He had already informed Huang Daozhen about his conflict with the Wu Ji Sect and the Heavenly Palace, and then he had also told these three Supreme Sages.
The result?
Junior Brother Li had immediately become Senior Brother Li.
"Haha, what we fear isn't risk, but the absence of hope! So what if we've offended the Heavenly Palace and the Wu Ji Sect? Unless their Dao Unification founding ancestors personally intervene, we can simply hide in the Profound Yellow Grotto-Heaven. Who can touch us then?"
"Before hearing this news, my confidence in Senior Brother Li's future Dao Unification was barely one or two out of ten. But this news... has doubled that confidence! It's now more like three or four out of ten!"
"Indeed. Achieving Void Refining at thirty is already incredible! And to reach the Peak of the Void Refinement Realm immediately after, and then kill someone like Six Harmonies Venerable, who possesses Dharma Manifestation Realm strength... If he cultivates for another thirty years, won't he become a Supreme Sage!? And after another thirty years, invincibility in the Holy Realm won't be a fantasy! Once he becomes invincible among Supreme Sages, he'll gain access to vast resources, and his chances of achieving Dao Unification will surely double again!"
The three Supreme Sages laughed heartily.
Among them, the eldest, the Heavenly Sage, had been cultivating in the Profound Yellow Grotto-Heaven for a hundred thousand years. The youngest, the Human Sage Venerable, had also been in seclusion for nearly eighty thousand years.
The passage of countless years had made them realize that, with their talents, even a lifetime of relentless cultivation would offer little hope of achieving Dao Unification.
They had to rely on external forces.
These forces included both material resources and human connections.
Three thousand years ago, the Supreme Sage's direct disciple, Xuyang, had left the Profound Yellow Great World in search of an opportunity for Dao Unification. They had missed their chance, failing to accompany him.
Now, Li Chunjun...
A mere Void Refining cultivator had become a direct disciple of the Supreme Sovereign.
Moreover, he had reached the peak of the Void Refining Realm in just thirty years and had even slain a Dharma Manifestation cultivator!
Such an unparalleled genius stood before them. They would not miss this opportunity to walk alongside him, hoping to ride his coattails to enlightenment.
"Senior Brother Li," the Heavenly Sage Venerable said, "your next step is to begin cultivating your Dharma Manifestation. With your two-thousand-year foundation in Dao Cultivation and Qi, you should be able to forge your Dharma Manifestation within a few decades."
As a Supreme Sage, he repeatedly addressed Li Chunjun as "Senior Brother" to distinguish their roles and because of Li Chunjun's status as a direct disciple.
"Supreme Elder Li, if you have any material needs, please don't hesitate to ask. While the Profound Yellow Sect can't compare to the Taixu Sword Sect, we've accumulated some resources over countless years. I'm confident we won't disappoint you," Huang Daozhen quickly added.
Heavenly Sage Venerable nodded in agreement. "We three brothers have also gathered some materials. I'll sort them and prepare a list for Senior Brother Li to review. Hopefully, it will be of some help."
"I'll let you know if I need anything," Li Chunjun replied with a slight nod.
He was slightly short on resources for forging his Sovereign Dharma Manifestation, but not by much. With some careful planning and resourcefulness, he could likely gather enough. The only challenge was that he couldn't afford any mistakes; he had to succeed on the first try.
However, Li Chunjun believed that sharpening the blade before chopping wood was crucial. He wanted to raise his Life Level as quickly as possible to build a stronger foundation, which would make forging his Dharma Manifestation easier. Therefore, the Star Abyss expedition was still necessary.
"Then let's announce Supreme Elder Li's entry into the Profound Yellow Sect to deter the Heavenly Palace and the Wu Ji Sect," Huang Daozhen suggested.
Heavenly Sage Venerable nodded. "We'll also finalize our own entry into the Profound Yellow Sect. This will greatly enhance the sect's prestige. With sixteen Supreme Sages now under its banner, the Profound Yellow Sect will boast the largest number of Supreme Sages in the Profound Yellow Great World. No one will dare underestimate the sect or Senior Brother Li again."
"Besides your support, I can also leverage Supreme Elder Li's name and connect with Nominal and Official Disciples scattered across the major powers within the Profound Yellow Grotto-Heaven. These disciples, spread throughout various factions, will naturally show some deference to Supreme Elder Li. This will undoubtedly elevate the Profound Yellow Sect's prestige even further."
Huang Daozhen glanced at Li Chunjun. "So, Supreme Elder Li, rest assured. Even if the Heavenly Palace or the Wu Ji Sect harbor ulterior motives, they wouldn't dare act recklessly."
Li Chunjun nodded.
In truth, within the Profound Yellow Great World, he wasn't particularly concerned about his safety.
As for outside the Profound Yellow Great World...
"I will be departing for the Star Abyss soon. I would be grateful if the three of you would accompany me."
Li Chunjun turned to the Three Sages of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity.
"Since Senior Brother Li trusts us to serve as your Dao Protectors, we will give our utmost effort," Heavenly Sage Venerable immediately responded with a bow.
The Profound Yellow Sect and the Sage Venerables each had their designated roles.
The Profound Yellow Sect was responsible for building Li Chunjun's reputation.
The Three Sages of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity would serve as his Dao Protectors until he matured.
However, their relationship wasn't one of subordination but rather a cooperative partnership, a transaction of sorts.
Their cooperation was deeper than that of Yu Jin, Zuo Cheng, and others, extending beyond mere surface-level collaboration.
After finalizing all the arrangements, Li Chunjun wasted no time. He didn't even bother to personally visit the Profound Yellow Sect to experience the privileges afforded to a Supreme Elder. After requesting some Void Dao Pills and Destruction Dao Pills, he boarded Heavenly Sage Venerable's private warship and set course directly for the Star Abyss.
He understood that status, position, and power were all fleeting illusions. True strength was the only thing that mattered. As long as he could grow rapidly, he would never lack investors like the Profound Yellow Sect or the Three Sages of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity. Similarly, if he could quickly gain formidable power, threats like the Heavenly Palace and the Wu Ji Sect would be easily dealt with, without needing to rely on the Profound Yellow Sect to intimidate them.
Just as Li Chunjun arrived at the Star Gate, he suddenly sensed something. He split off a Heart-Mind fragment, which immediately materialized within the Profound Yellow Space.
"The first design plan is complete," Liu Yu's figure appeared just in time.
"So soon?"
"Among the cultivation techniques the Supreme Sovereign collected, some he had studied and experimented with extensively. For him, these experiments were merely superficial explorations, but for a Void Refining cultivator, they would undoubtedly have revealed the full depth of their mysteries. The Void Storm Technique was among these."
Liu Yuxu flicked her finger, and a massive model of a Dharma Aspect gradually materialized. "Based on the Supreme Sovereign's experimental data on the Void Storm Technique and your current condition, I've designed the first draft..."
Li Chunjun glanced at Liu Yuxu.
Designing a Dharma Aspect was no quick task. Even with Liu Yuxu drawing on the experience of the Profound Yellow Supreme, it was impossible to have completed it so quickly.
Most likely, she had been preparing to forge the Void Storm Dharma Aspect for him long ago. However, the significant fluctuations in his data had rendered the design incomplete, making it unsuitable for presentation.
Now that Li Chunjun had asked for her help, she decided to present this initial draft for his reference. Whether he chose to use it, or whether he would need to refine it further, was entirely up to him.
"The core components remain the Scarlet Sky Sword and the Dharma Manifestation Armament..."
Li Chunjun examined the design carefully, then nodded slightly. "Thank you."
"Modify it as you see fit. This is the first draft. Once you're done, send me the data, and I'll integrate it into the second draft. We'll aim to have a flawless plan ready within ten years."
Liu Yu sighed, then added, "It seems you've decided against creating the Sovereign Dharma Manifestation."
"It's fine," Li Chunjun replied calmly. "Let's focus on building the Void Storm Dharma Aspect first. Once I have the means to fully comprehend the Sovereign Dao Canon, I can always recast the Dharma Aspect later."
"Recasting a Dharma Aspect isn't simple. It's like severing a limb... you could easily damage your Primal Qi..." Liu Yu shook her head. "Ultimately, it's your decision."
Li Chunjun nodded slightly.
The power of the Sovereign Dao Canon had been verified not only by Liu Yu but also by the Profound Yellow Supreme. It was said that once mastered, it granted the ability to command the Great Dao itself, making one virtually invincible below Dao Unification. This naturally stirred Li Chunjun's heart.
However...
He had possessed the Cultivation Technique for years and had studied it countless times, yet he still couldn't grasp its core True Intent: "Dominator."
Thus, it wasn't that he didn't want to forge a Sovereign Dharma Manifestation; he simply lacked the conditions.
Perhaps only upon reaching the peak of Life Level 40, aided by sudden enlightenment, would he qualify to cultivate such a manifestation.
But if he truly reached Life Level 40's peak, his focus should be on comprehending the bottleneck between Void Refining and Dao Unification. If he could grasp the key to that breakthrough, he could directly ascend to Dao Unification using his Void Storm Dharma Aspect. Why bother with the Sovereign Dharma Manifestation at all?
"It all depends on how this Star Abyss journey goes," Li Chunjun thought, calming his mind.
He withdrew his Heart-Mind from the Profound Yellow Space. A massive Star Gate loomed before him.
Passing through the gate, Li Chunjun and Heavenly Sage Venerable instantly arrived in a distant region of the starry sky, far from the Profound Yellow Great World. After navigating this expanse for a full half month aboard their top-tier warship, a strange distortion in the Void appeared in his perception.
After another day of flying through this distorted Void region, a "Star Abyss" materialized before Li Chunjun's eyes, resembling a scar across the Void.
They had arrived at the Star Abyss.
(End of the Chapter)
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