Translator: CinderTL
Li Chunjun and Lan Jing reunited after seven days.
During those seven days, he still hadn't found a single Star Abyss Guard.
Instead, he encountered two groups of Cultivators.
The saying "more people than monsters" played out perfectly in this Star Abyss, which had been excavated for over ten thousand years.
No wonder many Cultivators who ventured into the Star Abyss felt that the greatest danger wasn't the Star Abyss Guards, but other Cultivators from rival factions.
The Primordial Spirit cultivators' survival rate, a tragic one in a thousand, wasn't due to the Star Abyss Guards either, but to the Void Refining cultivators from other factions.
"Supreme Elder Li," Lan Jing greeted Li Chunjun with a bow.
Though her gesture might not have been entirely sincere, her posture was impeccable.
As she bowed, the Void Refining cultivators accompanying her followed suit.
But their gazes at Li Chunjun held a hint of unease.
Li Chunjun didn't dwell on it, simply asking, "Where are they?"
"Over here. We've been secretly monitoring that group of Void Refining cultivators for the past few days," Lan Jing replied, then continued, "There are six of them in total. The leader is Zhuo Long, a powerful Void Refining cultivator determined to cultivate a Top-Tier Dharma Manifestation. His Dao cultivation and Qi are likely close to two millennia! The other five are no slouches either—all top-tier Void Refining cultivators. Together, they could probably defeat an ordinary Dharma Manifestation."
As she spoke, she glanced at Li Chunjun.
Dharma Manifestation...
She had received news that Li Chunjun had recently slain the Wu Ji Sect's Dharma Manifestation—the Six Harmonies Venerable—within the Immortal God Race's territory, along with thirteen Void Refining cultivators.
If this news was true and he had done it without external assistance, then he should have no trouble facing Zhuo Long and his group.
Otherwise...
He was either bluffing.
Or the sect was deliberately exaggerating his strength for reasons she didn't understand.
"Zhuo Long."
Li Chunjun didn't recognize every Void Refining cultivator from the Wu Ji Sect.
But he had naturally seen the information on this famous and powerful Void Refining cultivator.
"Take me there."
He spoke without hesitation.
"Please."
Lan Jing responded, leading Li Chunjun quickly in a certain direction.
Within an hour, a streak of light shot toward them from ahead.
It was the Void Refining cultivator from the Profound Yellow Sect who had been monitoring Zhuo Long and his party of six from the Wu Ji Sect.
"Junior Brother Fang," Lan Jing called out.
"Senior Sister," the Void Refining cultivator replied, then turned to Li Chunjun. "Supreme Elder Li, they're just ahead."
"Stand by and provide support," Li Chunjun instructed, not intending for them to intervene. He activated his Void Law, accelerating his form and charging straight ahead.
The other Void Refining cultivators beside Lan Jing turned their gazes toward her.
Compared to this sudden arrival, a Supreme Elder who was also at the Void Refinement Realm, they naturally lacked close familiarity and trust.
Especially in the relatively dangerous environment of the Star Abyss.
Sensing their gazes, Lan Jing hesitated for a moment before saying, "Follow him and provide support as Supreme Elder Li instructed. If the situation turns unfavorable, step in to assist."
"Understood."
"We'll follow Senior Sister Lan's instructions."
They nodded in agreement and quickly followed Li Chunjun.
Li Chunjun had been walking for only a few minutes when six figures suddenly appeared before him.
Their distinctive Wu Ji Sect robes immediately identified them.
While the Immortal Alliance boasted over six hundred Council-level Powers, not every one extended its influence into the Profound Yellow Great World.
The expansion of the Human Territory had occurred in all directions, with powerful Great Sects responsible for each. Consequently, only a dozen Council-level sects had established Branch Sects in the Profound Yellow Great World, along with a hundred or so ordinary member sects like the Eternal Light Hall.
As a Council-level sect and a native power, the Wu Ji Sect was one of the most influential sects in the Profound Yellow Great World, if not the most.
Under such circumstances, the Wu Ji Sect Elders naturally took pride in their affiliation, using their status to intimidate lesser powers and reap countless intangible benefits.
As Li Chunjun approached the six figures, his gaze immediately locked onto Zhuo Long, the leader, whose combat prowess rivaled Luo Yao's.
The Void Dao Physique's profound mysteries manifested, silently closing the distance between them.
Ten thousand miles... three thousand miles... one thousand miles!
When they were within a thousand miles of each other, practically face-to-face, Zhuo Long finally sensed something amiss.
A mental warning flashed through Zhuo Long's mind.
But by the time he realized something was amiss, Li Chunjun had already struck.
The sword emerged!
A storm erupted!
Transcending the void!
Utilizing the Void Dao Physique's unique properties, this strike—from its initial burst to its transcendence of the void and piercing assault—was impossibly swift.
It was a textbook ambush.
But...
Whether Zhuo Long's mental warning was too sharp or Li Chunjun's Void Dao Physique lacked the support of Law Mysteries, its concealment effect fell short.
Just as the Scarlet Sky Sword transcended the void and was about to strike Zhuo Long, a halo suddenly materialized around the Void Refining cultivator, instantly blocking the sword that had torn through the void.
Boom!
The collision between the halo and the sword unleashed a brilliance akin to a supernova's explosion.
Amidst the flames and radiant light, the halo shattered.
But the Scarlet Sky Sword's blade was also blocked, unable to harm Zhuo Long in the slightest.
"Defend!"
Following this, Zhuo Long's mental power, laced with furious intent, surged outward.
The five Void Refining cultivators beside him immediately assumed defensive stances, their movements as practiced as if they had undergone a thousand trials.
"Hmm!?"
Li Chunjun's expression faltered.
"Mind Power... Unless one's Mind Realm holds an absolute advantage, ambushing an opponent who has also cultivated Mind Power and whose realm is roughly equal is no easy feat."
His thoughts raced.
If a surprise attack fails, then a direct assault will suffice.
With a wave of his hand, the Scarlet Sky Sword, which had shattered Zhuo Long's halo, instantly split into a hundred, then a thousand, then ten thousand, erupting into a sword qi storm that swept toward Zhuo Long and the other five Void Refining cultivators.
"Li Chunjun!"
Zhuo Long's eyes flashed with determination. Under his guidance, the other five Void Refining cultivators formed a Battle Formation.
Dao techniques, centered around him, were drawn together, coalescing into a massive grinding wheel that relentlessly collided with and eroded the oncoming sword qi storm.
The dao technique grinding wheel and the sword qi storm clashed violently in an instant, colliding hundreds of thousands of times in a single breath.
Countless sparks, energy fluctuations, and Sword Qi exploded outward with each impact.
The energy released by each direct collision was enough to bring utter destruction to the civilization of a Lesser Thousand World.
In some ordinary Lesser Thousand Worlds, the impact would have instantly incinerated every substance on the surface, turning the entire world into a scorched wasteland.
Yet this intense energy collision remained confined within a few thousand miles of Void, unable to harm either Li Chunjun, who had unleashed the sword qi storm, or Zhuo Long, who had orchestrated the Battle Formation.
This Void Refining cultivator, whose true combat strength was actually inferior to Luo Yao and Liuhe, managed to barely withstand Li Chunjun's sword qi storm with the aid of his five companions.
Although prolonged defense inevitably falters, for the moment, this sword qi storm proved ineffective against Zhuo Long.
"These six..." Li Chunjun was taken aback.
The Dao Artifacts on the six figures seemed like a matching set. Their coordination was seamless, and their power levels were remarkably consistent. Zhuo Long, the leader, possessed Dao Cultivation and Qi equivalent to roughly 18,000 years of cultivation. The other five ranged between 14,000 and 15,000 years!
They were the elite of the elite!
Moreover, their vigilance and reflexes suggested they had anticipated an ambush.
Was this level of combat proficiency standard for top-tier Void Refining cultivators in the Wu Ji Sect, or...?
"Supreme Elder Li, be careful! This could be a trap!" Lan Jing's mental power suddenly reached him from afar. Her transmission was urgent: "Our outer perimeter scouts report that dozens of Void Refining cultivators from both the Wu Ji Sect and the Heavenly Palace are converging on our location from all directions! They're already incredibly close—they'll all arrive within an hour! It's as if they've been lurking nearby all along, hidden and waiting for us to walk into their trap!"
"A trap?" Li Chunjun's gaze immediately returned to Zhuo Long.
Suddenly, many of his lingering doubts vanished.
If this is a trap, and Zhuo Long and his group are merely bait...
Then all his lingering questions would finally make sense.
Seeing that Li Chunjun seemed to have figured out their plan, Zhuo Long let out a cold snort. "Did you really think your clumsy tracking methods could escape our notice?"
He couldn't help but laugh. "The moment we realized we were being watched, we knew you were planning to strike! The people of the Profound Yellow Sect wouldn't dare kill someone from the Wu Ji Sect! So, the only one who could be behind this was you, Li Chunjun! And here we are, waiting for you! Hahaha!"
Amidst his laughter, the massive grinding stone suddenly expanded, shattering the sword qi storm.
At the same time, a blinding light containing countless characters erupted from the grinding stone, rapidly enveloping the Dao Artifact of unknown grade.
The grinding stone's structure underwent a dramatic transformation, morphing from a heavy, primordial disc into a multifaceted compass containing countless profound Law Mysteries.
This was...
"Dharma Manifestation Armament!?"
Li Chunjun's pupils contracted.
"Do you truly believe only your Profound Yellow Sect can produce Superior Dao Artifacts and Dharma Manifestation Armaments? Li Chunjun, today you will not escape this tribulation!"
Zhuo Long unleashed his mental power, causing the massive Compass to rapidly expand, threatening to form a Compass-Heaven-and-Earth of its own.
In this realm, all rules were twisted and space itself was thrown into chaos. Even a single glance at this world left Li Chunjun's Heart-Mind reeling, as if he were about to become lost within its depths.
"Supreme Elder Li, be careful! This is the Wu Ji Sect's Superior Dao Artifact, the Myriad Realms Compass! Even a Dharma Manifestation trapped within would struggle to escape for some time!"
At that moment, Lan Jing's panicked mental power surged through the air.
Even a Dharma Manifestation trapped within would struggle to escape for some time?
Meanwhile, dozens of Void Refining cultivators from the Wu Ji Sect and the Heavenly Palace were rapidly closing in from all directions, poised to arrive within an hour!
In other words, Zhuo Long only needed to hold Li Chunjun off for an hour using this Superior Dao Artifact and the Dharma Manifestation Armament used to enhance it!
This...
Was a meticulously planned trap, a perfect ambush!
(End of the Chapter)
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