Translator: CinderTL
"The Wu Ji Sect."
Li Chunjun watched the three figures from afar.
To think...
We'd meet again so soon.
"Senior Brothers, I am Dongfang Yu of the Chiyang Sword Sect. This is my Junior Sister, Dong Changyue. The Chiyang Sword Sect and the Wu Ji Sect have always maintained friendly relations. May I ask..."
"Chiyang Sword Sect? What nonsense! If your Sect Master hadn't groveled so well and caught the Valley Master of Myriad Flowers Valley's eye, you wouldn't even be qualified to speak before the Wu Ji Sect! And you claim friendly relations?"
The Void Refining God at the head of the group's expression turned cold. A powerful surge of mental power erupted, accompanied by a sharp shout: "Get lost!"
Dongfang Yu's face paled.
However, sensing the Void Refining God's Mind Realm, which was at least at the Fourth Layer, and the potent fluctuations of Qi emanating from him, he quickly suppressed his resentment. He turned and left with his Junior Sister, abandoning the Azure Star Abyss Guard.
"A Void Refining cultivator from the Chiyang Sword Sect."
Li Chunjun glanced at the retreating pair.
He had no shortage of grievances with this sect, stretching from the Azure Star Minor Realm to the present day.
But now...
Before Li Chunjun could finish his thought, a sword light pierced through the air.
This time, it wasn't aimed at the Chiyang Sword Sect duo but directly at him.
Accompanying the sword light was a soul-shattering Divine Sense assault from the Void Refining God.
"Are you deaf!? I told you to get out! Didn't you hear me!?"
Buzz!
A sword light flashed.
The Sword Qi aimed at Li Chunjun's chest was instantly shredded by the Scarlet Sky Sword's sword light within him.
"Hmm!?"
This sight instantly chilled the expression of the swordsman.
"I kindly warned you with a single strike, and you dare to retaliate!?"
"You have quite a lot of courage," Li Chunjun said, looking at the three figures.
Among them, the one who had attacked possessed formidable cultivation. He was undoubtedly a top-tier Void Refining cultivator. Even if slightly weaker than a peak Void Refining cultivator like Luo Yao, he could still retreat unscathed. His Dao Cultivation and Qi cultivation had surely surpassed fifteen thousand years.
Such cultivation placed him among the elite Void Refining cultivators, capable of manifesting a Superior Dao Artifact-level Dharma Manifestation.
With over fifteen thousand years of Dao Cultivation and Qi backing him, and the other two not appearing weak either, their Qi cultivation exceeding ten thousand years, this trio's combined strength...
was only slightly inferior to a peak Void Refining cultivator like Luo Yao.
In a special environment like the Star Abyss, where only Void Refining cultivators were permitted, they could practically walk sideways as long as they didn't encounter another group of Void Refining cultivators.
Unfortunately...
"Not long ago, the Wu Ji Sect lost the Six Harmonies Venerable and thirteen Void Refining cultivators. It seems this tragedy hasn't taught you Wu Ji Sect disciples the meaning of respect. You still act with such arrogance and conceit."
Li Chunjun said.
At these words, the Void Refining expert whose expression had turned cold narrowed his eyes.
The simultaneous deaths of a Dharma Manifestation Venerable and thirteen Void Refining cultivators—even within the Wu Ji Sect, which held the advantage of being native to this world and boasted a vast number of experts—was a major event, something that might not occur even once in several centuries. These Void Refining cultivators had naturally heard of it.
After all, while the Star Abyss was somewhat distant from the Profound Yellow Great World, it wasn't a foreign land.
Hearing Li Chunjun mention this now...
Combined with his somewhat familiar appearance, the Void Refining cultivators immediately made a connection.
"You're Li Chunjun!?"
Recognizing Li Chunjun's identity, the expert showed no fear. Instead, an irrepressible joy surged in his eyes. "Excellent! In the Immortal God Race's territory, you had their protection and that of the Profound Yellow Sect. But here in the Star Abyss, you're completely on your own. Today, let's see who can protect you now..."
Whoosh!
Before the Void Refining expert could finish speaking, the Scarlet Sky Sword, empowered by its Dharma Manifestation Armament, shot forth like a bolt of lightning.
The moment it launched, the sword's form multiplied—one becoming a hundred, a hundred becoming ten thousand, ten thousand becoming a million—instantly forming the phantom of a Sword Qi Long River that surged toward the three Void Refining cultivators of the Wu Ji Sect with overwhelming force.
He had grown too lazy to continue conversing with these ignorant and fearless individuals, lost in their Grand Sect's Dream.
The Sword Qi Long River surged forward, and despite facing immense resistance in the Star Abyss, it still rolled relentlessly toward the three Void Refining cultivators.
"Junior brother and junior sister, join me in capturing this man!"
The leading Void Refining cultivator roared, his giant sword swelling in the wind and erupting with ten thousand zhang of thunderous light. Like a thunder dragon roaring and crashing down, it slammed into the Sword Qi Long River.
The other two, having learned Li Chunjun's identity, hesitated not a moment.
They immediately unleashed their Dao Artifacts.
One wielded an invisible blade that seemed to merge completely with the Void as it shot forward, moving at a speed that transcended space itself, aiming to strike him down.
The other held a golden bell-like Dao Artifact whose ringing seemed to possess the power to bewitch the mind.
And why "seemed to"...?
Because, with his Fifth Layer of the Mind Realm and the "Resilience" trait, he was virtually immune to this attack.
The bell's chime failed to even slightly disrupt his Heart-Mind, let alone diminish his control over the Sword Qi Long River.
The thunderous sword, crashing into the Sword Qi Long River, barely caused a ripple before being swallowed whole.
The invisible blade imbued with Void Power was about to strike Li Chunjun when he casually flicked his fingers, unleashing a wave of Sword Qi that swiftly intercepted, collided with, and shattered the blade!
The moment the two forces clashed, the sharpness and resilience of the Scarlet Sky Sword's Sword Qi caused the three Void Refining cultivators from the Wu Ji Sect to simultaneously pale.
"This is bad!"
"This sword... is a Superior Dao Artifact!?"
"It's more than just a Superior Dao Artifact. There's something else at play here... Retreat! Send a signal for reinforcements!"
Their Heart-Minds reeling, the three immediately retreated.
Simultaneously, they combined their efforts, conjuring a protective light barrier to shield themselves from the surging Sword Qi Long River.
The Wu Ji Sect had controlled the Star Abyss for ten thousand years. Even though the Supreme Truth Sovereign hadn't yet cleared the Star Abyss of its many traps, restrictions, and Array Formations back then, and their exploration range was limited, they still possessed a deeper understanding of the Star Abyss than any other sect.
As a result, the Wu Ji Sect sent far more disciples to venture into the Star Abyss than any other sect.
The signal was sent, and it wouldn't be long before nearby Wu Ji Sect disciples, alerted by the message, arrived to reinforce them.
Confident in this, the three poured their Qi into a protective Dao Artifact, allowing the Sword Qi Long River to relentlessly batter it. For a time, they managed to barely hold their ground.
"Heh, still clinging on with such a weak dao technique."
Li Chunjun made a grasping motion with his empty hand.
Millions of strands of Sword Qi rapidly converged, condensing into over ten thousand individual Sword Qi blades.
Simultaneously, the Sword Qi Long River's rotation accelerated, gradually transforming into a sword qi storm. Spinning at high speed, it relentlessly slammed against the protective Dao Artifact sustained by the three Void Refining cultivators.
The concentrated Sword Qi, combined with the transformation into a sword qi storm, amplified the impact force exponentially. In an instant, the protective Dao Artifact sustained by the Wu Ji Sect's three Void Refining cultivators began to teeter on the brink of collapse.
Countless streaks of light shattered under the Sword Qi's assault, exploding into ten thousand zhang of radiant brilliance.
"How... how can these Sword Qi blades be so powerful!?"
"We can't hold out!"
"Li Chunjun! We've already sent a distress signal! Wu Ji Sect has over a hundred Void Refining Elders braving the Star Abyss! Even Elder Primordial True Martial entered the Star Abyss three years ago! If you retreat now, you still have a chance of survival. Otherwise, when our sect's experts arrive to surround and kill you, even with your heaven-defying abilities, you'll be doomed!"
With the protective Dao Artifact on the verge of shattering, the three Void Refining cultivators could no longer remain calm. They unleashed their mental power, their expressions grim.
"Remember to bring plenty of people," Li Chunjun said calmly, his Fifth Heaven mental power surging forth.
The intensity of the sword qi storm intensified, causing the already crumbling protective Dao Artifact to shatter with a loud bang.
At the instant the protective Dao Artifact collapsed, the leading Void Refining cultivator roared, "Li Chunjun! Since you insist on leaving none alive, today I'll burn jade and stone together with you!"
His entire body's Qi burned fiercely, transforming him into a blazing meteor hurtling straight toward Li Chunjun.
But in his Heart-Mind, he quickly sent messages to his two companions.
"Flee!"
"Senior Brother!"
This scene moved the other two Void Refining cultivators deeply.
Unfortunately...
It was futile.
Against such a stark disparity in power, even though the Void Refining cultivator burned his Qi, boosting his aura to rival Luo Yao's, he still couldn't break through the sword qi storm formed by the Scarlet Sky Sword.
It was like a meteor crashing against an energy shield. Though it exploded with blinding light that illuminated the heavens and scattered hundreds of sword qi fragments, it ultimately failed to shatter the sword qi barrier.
In the Void Refining cultivator's despairing gaze, his burning form was quickly consumed.
After annihilating this Void Refining cultivator, the remaining sword qi, its momentum undiminished, swept toward the remaining two.
Even though these two Void Refining cultivators also resolutely burned their Qi in a desperate final stand, they couldn't escape the sword qi storm's relentless slaughter.
"The Wu Ji Sect will avenge us!"
As the final echoes of the battle faded into the Void, the great war swiftly drew to a close.
Li Chunjun waved his hand, and the remaining spoils of war from the three Void Refining cultivators were swept up by the Sword Qi Long River, falling into his palm alongside the Scarlet Sky Sword.
He glanced at the distance...
And saw Chang Yue and Dongfang Yu of the Chiyang Sword Sect, their souls fleeing in terror, burning their Qi without hesitation as they fled towards the horizon.
And their escape route...
Was none other than beyond the Star Abyss.
Li Chunjun frowned at this. It made pursuit more difficult.
The faster one tried to escape the Star Abyss, the stronger the binding force became.
With Dongfang Yu and Chang Yue already having gained a significant head start, intercepting them would require several times, even ten or twenty times, the amount of Qi.
For a moment, Li Chunjun turned his gaze away and, riding a wave of Sword Qi, charged towards the Azure Star Abyss Guard.
After a dozen breaths, the battle concluded.
"Killed a Level 33 creature! Experience +16,014!"
"Killed a Level 33 creature! Experience +13,411!"
"Killed a Level 33 creature! Experience +13,255!"
[Life Level: 37 (254,665/700,000)]
Li Chunjun glanced at the Human Emperor Banner.
"As I suspected, Star Abyss Guards, which are essentially residual consciousnesses that only gather and disperse according to specific rules, don't provide any experience."
He wasn't surprised.
But...
"Even though they don't offer experience, the captured residual consciousnesses are incredibly useful to me!"
He refined a fragment of residual consciousness left behind by the Azure Star Abyss Guard's demise.
No cultivation resources dropped, nor was it a dao technique inheritance.
Instead, the consciousness recorded the combat experience of a Void Refining battle!
For Li Chunjun, this combat experience was more valuable than ordinary cultivation resources, even Dao-infused materials.
(End of the Chapter)
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