Translator: CinderTL
The Wu Ji Sect lost nineteen Void Refining cultivators!
The Heavenly Palace lost seven!
Such losses were catastrophic for both the Wu Ji Sect and the Heavenly Palace.
In percentage terms, the Wu Ji Sect had lost nearly 0.19% of its total Void Refining cultivators!
The Heavenly Palace had lost 0.07%!
If these figures were scaled to a mortal nation, it would be equivalent to a population of one hundred million losing 190,000 people!
A population of one billion would lose 1.9 million!
A population of ten billion would lose 19 million!
Even a full-scale global war would likely have a lower mortality rate than this.
Especially considering that...
Every Void Refining cultivator in the Star Abyss was an elite.
There were almost no newly ascended Void Refining cultivators with less than five thousand years of Qi experience among them.
The impact and shock of such losses were doubled by this fact!
Under these circumstances, both the Wu Ji Sect and the Heavenly Palace erupted in chaos.
"War! War! This is an act of war! The Profound Yellow Sect has directly declared war on the Wu Ji Sect!"
Sect Master Yuan Wuji's agitated Heart-Mind echoed through the hastily convened high-level meeting.
"Nineteen Void Refining cultivators! That Li Chunjun has gone too far! To wantonly slaughter our Wu Ji Sect's Void Refining Elders is indeed an act of war! I propose we petition the Heavenly Principles Sect to open the Star Abyss and allow Dharma Manifestations to delve deep within... or even, I'll go myself! I'll strike with the force of thunder to kill this young upstart on the spot!"
A Top-Tier Dharma Manifestation from the Council of Elders declared.
"Indeed! At such a young age, he's already running amok, slaughtering Void Refining cultivators just because he has a bit of strength. Does he have any sense of the bigger picture? Each Void Refining cultivator is the Human Race's most precious treasure. To have them slaughtered like this... what will we do when we go to war with the Foreign Races? Will he fight them alone?!"
His words quickly gained the approval of other Elders. "This traitor, who undermines the unity of the Human Race, must be executed on the spot to serve as a warning!"
"Agreed!"
"We must not only contact the Heavenly Principles Sect but also impeach the Profound Yellow Sect within the Immortal Alliance! Ideally, we should strip them of their Immortal Alliance membership and brand them a local rebel force!"
One Elder after another spoke up.
Seeing the situation, Yuan Wuji didn't waste time. He turned to the Vice Sect Master in charge of diplomacy and said, "Summon the envoy from the Profound Yellow Sect. They must give us an explanation. Otherwise, even if it means sparking a war, the Wu Ji Sect will make them pay an unbearable price!"
The Vice Sect Master in charge of diplomacy nodded slightly.
Before he could speak, an Elder in charge of intelligence interjected, "The Profound Yellow Sect's Vice Sect Master in charge of diplomacy has spoken through the False God Realm!"
"They still have the audacity to speak?" Yuan Wuji snorted coldly and waved his hand. "Bring it in."
As soon as he finished speaking, the False God Realm's image quickly projected before Yuan Wuji and the others.
They saw a Profound Yellow Sect Vice Sect Master making a righteous and impassioned public statement: "The Wu Ji Sect and Heavenly Palace have jointly deployed over two hundred Void Refining cultivators, including ninety-four Void Refining cultivators who ambushed our sect's candidate for Supreme Elder, Li Chunjun. This act is unacceptable, intolerable, and a flagrant violation of the rules! In defense of our Supreme Elder's life, the Profound Yellow Sect will resolutely defend his rights to the very end!"
These words fully demonstrated the Profound Yellow Sect's determination, yet they left the Wu Ji Sect Elders with grim expressions.
"We have already issued a summons, calling all Supreme Sages, Dharma Aspect Realm cultivators, and Void Refining cultivators to gather. We have also dispatched our elite Void Refining cultivators to Star Abyss to provide support!"
The voice of the Profound Yellow Sect's Vice Sect Master still echoed: "We solemnly warn the Wu Ji Sect and the Heavenly Palace not to bully the weak under the pretense of their status as Great Sects. The Star Abyss is governed by rules established by the Heavenly Principles Sect, and all must abide by them! Those who manipulate the rules will ultimately be consumed by them..."
"Damn it!"
At this moment, an Elder couldn't help but curse: "The Profound Yellow Sect truly has grown bold!"
"They've gone too far! Are they actually trying to provoke a war with our Wu Ji Sect?"
"Sending elite forces to the Star Abyss for support? Fine! I'd like to see just how many people they can spare! The Wu Ji Sect is not to be trifled with!"
One Elder after another snorted coldly, their killing intent palpable.
However, after reading these statements, some Elders suddenly regained their rationality.
"The Profound Yellow Sect's words... something's off! Instead of portraying themselves as victims, expressing their grievances and weakness to garner sympathy and support from other powers in the Immortal Alliance, they're acting incredibly tough, as if they're determined to stand against us to the end... This doesn't align with their usual style..."
"They just sent people directly to the Star Abyss? No protests? No condemnations? Just sent them in? What's going on with the Profound Yellow Sect?"
"Two Extremes Elder, please investigate the Profound Yellow Sect's current personnel deployment. Verify whether their claim of summoning all Supreme Sages, Dharma Aspects, and Void Refining cultivators is true."
The elders' words gradually calmed the restless atmosphere in the hall.
Even Yuan Wuji ordered the elders to contact the Heavenly Principles Sect and request permission for Dharma Aspects to enter the Star Abyss.
Although Dharma Aspects entering the Star Abyss risked destabilizing its internal structure...
The Star Abyss was formed from the fall of a Dao Unification Realm great being. Dharma Aspects clashing within it only might cause the abyss to collapse—the probability was less than one percent.
Under such circumstances, the rule against Dharma Aspects entering the Star Abyss wasn't absolute.
Unfortunately...
News soon arrived from the Heavenly Principles Sect.
They would strictly adhere to the rules: Dharma Aspects were not to enter the Star Abyss lightly.
Even with less than a one percent chance of collapse, they weren't willing to gamble.
At the same time, Two Extremes Elder quickly responded: "A large number of Void Refining and Dharma Aspect cultivators from the Profound Yellow Sect, including Supreme Sages, are indeed converging on their sect. Furthermore, on the periphery of the Star Abyss, the Three Sages of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity, who recently joined the Profound Yellow Sect as honorary elders, have directly revealed their auras, declaring their stance to protect Li Chunjun!"
Upon hearing this, the agitated atmosphere that had only just begun to settle down among the Elders fell completely silent.
Sect Master Yuan Wuji's pupils contracted sharply.
"The Three Sages of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity..."
These three, though not among the top-tier Sage Venerables, were far from weak.
If the Wu Ji Sect truly intended to send Supreme Sages to deal with Li Chunjun, they would first need to neutralize these three Sage Venerables.
To ensure absolute certainty, they would need to dispatch no fewer than six Supreme Sages!
Adding to this the Profound Yellow Sect's firm stance...
The final outcome seemed inevitable: all-out war!
Despite the Wu Ji Sect Elders' earlier bluster and their confidence in their overall strength being superior to the Profound Yellow Sect's...
If they were to truly engage in war with the Profound Yellow Sect, even if they ultimately won, it would be a pyrrhic victory.
High-level cultivators would be lost, and their Primal Qi would be severely depleted!
The Wu Ji Sect had become a Council-level Power because of its formidable influence within the Profound Yellow Great World and its role as a banner against the Taixu Sword Sect, which had earned it significant influence throughout the world.
Once its power plummeted, it might not be expelled from the Immortal Alliance, but...
It would undoubtedly be ousted from its Council-level seat.
Furthermore, it would be reduced to a puppet of a major power, just like the Chiyang Sword Sect, Xian Tian Sect, and Piao Miao Sect.
"The Profound Yellow Sect!"
Yuan Wuji took a deep breath and sneered. "It seems that old Huang Daozhen is really betting everything on Li Chunjun. What, do they actually believe that Li Chunjun can achieve Dao Unification?"
However, his words drew no response from the others.
As for Yuan Wuji...
He considered Li Chunjun's rapid progress.
At thirty years old, he had already reached the Peak of the Void Refining Realm!
Even with the Profound Yellow Sect's unwavering support, such talent remained exceedingly rare.
To claim that Li Chunjun, like over ninety percent of Supreme Sages, had no hope of achieving Dao Unification...
Yuan Wuji himself couldn't believe it.
After a long moment, the Sect Master turned to the Vice Sect Master in charge of diplomacy and asked, "What did the Heavenly Palace say?"
"They're willing to help but unable," the Vice Sect Master replied. "The Heavenly Palace only has one Supreme Sage stationed in the Profound Yellow Great World, and that Supreme Sage is focused solely on cultivation, unwilling to get involved in the conflicts between sects. Furthermore, the Heavenly Palace is riddled with internal factions... If we were to truly go to war with the Profound Yellow Sect, they clearly wouldn't be able to offer much assistance."
Yuan Wuji's heart sank.
He had anticipated this outcome.
Ever since the ambitious Great Longevity Emperor had departed a thousand years ago, the Heavenly Palace had nominally replaced him with the even more powerful Demon-Quelling Great Emperor. But in reality...
They had essentially become complacent.
They maintained the status quo, rarely making any significant moves.
Of course, due to the Demon-Quelling Great Emperor's formidable reputation, no major power dared to underestimate them.
"The Heavenly Principles Sect refuses to violate their established rules, and unleashing a full-power Dharma Aspect in the Star Abyss could indeed destabilize it. That leaves us with no choice but to focus our efforts on the Void Refining realm," Yuan Wuji said grimly. "Send another elite force into the Star Abyss under the command of Primordial True Martial to hunt down Li Chunjun. Also, recall the Aurora Special Forces and have them enter the Star Abyss!"
"Aurora Special Forces!"
The Elders' spirits soared.
This was the Wu Ji Sect's most elite team!
The entire team consisted of six "people." Two were pure humans, while the other four were special lifeforms with astonishing combat talents.
Moreover, the Wu Ji Sect had specifically tailored tactics and equipment to complement their unique abilities. When the six members united, they had once annihilated a veteran Dharma Manifestation Realm cultivator who had been cultivating for sixty thousand years.
"Even I would need to expend considerable effort to capture the Aurora Special Forces. With them on the case, success is virtually guaranteed."
"The Sect Master's wisdom is unparalleled. Deploying the Aurora Special Forces after the Heavenly Principles Sect refused to violate its own rules was indeed the optimal choice."
"It seems we can now await good news from the Aurora Special Forces. If possible, it would be best to capture Li Chunjun alive. I still believe he holds a great secret."
One by one, the Elders and Vice Sect Masters relaxed.
Yuan Wuji remained silent.
With the Aurora Special Forces deployed, the situation in Star Abyss was unlikely to pose a major problem. However, they still needed to be wary of the Profound Yellow Sect, which might resort to desperate measures.
They had to prepare sufficient countermeasures.
Even as the Wu Ji Sect was finalizing its countermeasures, Li Chunjun's figure had already appeared near another Wu Ji Sect team.
Alerted to the danger, the Wu Ji Sect teams had already completed their assembly.
Though they hadn't fully converged due to the time constraints, there were virtually no teams of fewer than ten members left isolated.
Like the team before him...
It boasted a staggering thirteen Void Refining cultivators!
(End of the Chapter)
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