Translator: CinderTL
"Thirteen Void Refining cultivators, and their quality is noticeably higher than the thirteen who followed Six Harmonies Venerable before."
Li Chunjun observed the thirteen figures from afar.
Though they lacked Six Harmonies Venerable's leadership, Li Chunjun himself no longer had the Lord of Reincarnation's Divine Position to bolster him.
Facing these Void Refining cultivators with his current strength...
The outcome remained uncertain.
However...
It wasn't a major problem.
"First, I have the Source of Time, a Supreme Treasure that can grant me Ninth-Tier combat power for a short time. Second..."
He glanced at the Human Emperor Banner's status.
With eight more Void Refining cultivators—or at most nine—he could complete his Life Level upgrade.
In other words, even if he fought until he was utterly exhausted, as long as he could kill up to nine of the thirteen Void Refining cultivators, he would revive on the spot, fully healed and restored.
Therefore...
No matter what, he couldn't lose.
"Being severely wounded isn't necessarily a bad thing. Back when I was in the Core Formation realm, one crucial factor in my rapid Life Level advancement was repeatedly feigning weakness to lure out Core Formation cultivators from forces like the Chiyang Sword Sect, who were already terrified of me."
Li Chunjun planned to repeat the strategy.
With the Void Dao Physique concealing his true state, he would pretend to be weak and on the verge of death—an innate advantage.
Moreover...
When charging into the thirteen Void Refining cultivators' battle formation, he might even put on a genuine performance.
He was familiar with this tactic.
As Li Chunjun pondered, his gaze fixed on the Void Refining cultivator who seemed to be leading the group.
If he remembered correctly, this Void Refining cultivator was named Mo He.
The Mo Clan was a prominent family within the Wu Ji Sect, having produced many powerful cultivators.
Mo He's Qi was as profound and potent as Zhuo Long's, even rivaling Primordial True Martial.
If not for his age exceeding 100,000 years, limiting his potential for advancement, he might have been groomed by the Wu Ji Sect as a top-tier Dharma Manifestation seed.
At this moment, he was leading his thirteen-member team toward a rendezvous with another group.
That group consisted of nineteen cultivators, outnumbering them.
Of course, the strength of a team wasn't determined by numbers alone; quality was key.
Even though they were outnumbered, Mo He, as their leader, was confident that his team's strength, combined with his own, would not be inferior to the nineteen cultivators they were about to join.
Even after the two teams merged into a massive thirty-two-member formation, Mo He would remain at its head.
"I must admit, that Li Chunjun has pushed us to our limits. Even if he dies today, he can be proud of his accomplishment," Mo He said sincerely.
"Li Chunjun, ranked first on the Profound Yellow Cosmic Light Rankings, certainly lives up to his reputation with such power," a Void Refining cultivator sighed in admiration. "Especially his feat in the Profound Yellow Vast Land, where he faced four opponents alone: a Void Refining cultivator, a Divine Lord, a Demon Lord, and a Seventh-Rank member of the Myriad Transformations Race. Such a record is unprecedented, and even if he dies today, his name will forever be etched in the annals of the Profound Yellow Great World."
"He's just relying on external tools and Dharma Manifestation Armament," another Void Refining cultivator retorted. "Of course, I don't deny his inherent strength, but if my disciple also mastered the technique of entering the Profound Yellow Vast Land with a Dharma Manifestation Armament, he could achieve the same feat."
"Enough," a cautious Void Refining cultivator warned sternly. "Focus, and be vigilant. Don't give that rogue a chance to strike."
The other Void Refining cultivators, hearing this, immediately stilled their voices and focused their attention. In such a short time, they had already lost over a dozen Void Refining cultivators. Against such a terrifying opponent, caution was paramount.
As these Void Refining cultivators sharpened their focus, Mo He, the leader, sensed something amiss. He abruptly produced a Dao Artifact mirror.
There was a faint energy signature on the mirror.
It was so weak it was barely worth mentioning—not even at the Core Formation level.
But where were they now?
The Star Abyss!
Even the weakest beings in the Star Abyss were Primordial Spirit True Monarchs. How could a Qi Refining-level life form possibly exist there? They couldn't even withstand the Star Abyss's harsh environment!
It was like an invisible fighter jet with a radar cross-section no larger than a sparrow. But this sparrow was flying at supersonic speeds the entire time.
"Watch out!" Mo He suddenly roared.
Then, mental power surged forth: "East 13,696 miles! Dao technique barrage!"
The twelve Void Refining cultivators jolted at the command, but their battlefield-honed instincts, honed through countless battles, allowed them to react with lightning speed despite their lack of coordinated training.
Countless dao techniques materialized instantly.
Mo He pointed his hand, and the dao techniques released by the twelve Void Refining cultivators seemed to be blessed by "order," rapidly forming a powerful Battle Formation.
Finally, under the influence of "order," these dao techniques coalesced into a blazing sun that plunged toward the void, hurtling toward the target at a mere 13,696 miles—a distance that felt like it was right at their fingertips.
As these dao techniques converged on the designated area, a brilliant and dazzling sword light erupted, threatening to unleash a storm that would pierce through the blazing sun formed by the thirteen dao techniques.
But before the power of this sword qi storm could reach its peak, the sun unleashed its fury.
Terrifying energy, flames, and intense light erupted, instantly churning the Star Abyss within a radius of hundreds of thousands of miles.
It was like a miniature star releasing all its internal energy in a single second.
The brilliance, comparable to a supernova explosion, instantly incinerated countless Sword Qi, reducing them to ashes and dust.
Yet Mo He showed no sign of easing his vigilance.
"Second round of dao techniques!"
He unleashed his mental power once more, his Power of Order spreading like a vast net, swiftly coordinating the Void Refining powers of the other twelve cultivators.
This time, it wasn't a sun.
It was a beam of intense light that pierced through the starry sky.
However, as this beam was about to pierce through the Void, he sensed something amiss and subtly adjusted its trajectory.
In the next moment, the light pillar transformed into a giant sword of light, stretching tens of thousands of miles long, and slashed fiercely toward a patch of starry sky.
Under the bewildered and horrified gazes of the other Void Refining cultivators, ten-thousand-zhang sword light erupted once more from that patch of Void, clashing head-on with the light pillar.
When the beam of light dissipated, a figure nearly charred to a crisp burst forth.
The familiar sword light that followed closely behind, along with the unrestrained surge of mental power, instantly revealed his identity to everyone present.
"Li Chunjun!"
"Him!? He dared to ambush thirteen Void Refining cultivators like us!? Does he truly believe our tens of thousands of years of cultivation in the Void Refinement Realm, our mastery of Qi and Dao cultivation, were all for naught?"
"He chose the path to hell when heaven offered a way out! This Major Merit rightfully belongs to us!"
"Be careful! Li Chunjun is no weakling. The slightest lapse in vigilance will make this day next year our day of sacrifice!"
The Void Refining cultivators were shocked, delighted, and enraged all at once.
But their long years of cultivation and extensive combat experience allowed them to react swiftly. Forming a Battle Formation under the guidance of Mo He, a Void Refining cultivator who cultivated the Cultivation Order Laws, they unleashed their full power.
Yet, as formidable as the thirteen Void Refining cultivators were, Li Chunjun's display of strength left them even more astounded.
The synergy between the Scarlet Sky Sword and his Dharma Manifestation Armament allowed him to hold his own even when facing the combined might of thirteen Void Refining cultivators working in perfect unison.
A sword qi storm filled the Zhou Tian, enveloping the entire region.
The occasional manifestation of "Transcending the Void" was like a fleeting sword, piercing through Void Refining cultivators one after another.
This terrifying display of power sent the Void Refining cultivators, who had just been on the verge of victory, into a state of extreme tension. They unleashed all their hidden trump cards.
This battle had become the most arduous siege Li Chunjun had ever faced since entering the Dao.
Simultaneously, it had turned into a desperate, life-or-death struggle for Mo He and the other twelve Void Refining cultivators.
One... two... three... four...
Void Refining Elders, who had fought side by side, fell one after another in this brutal and devastating battle.
Yet their deaths bought them repeated opportunities to inflict grievous wounds on their formidable opponent.
By the mid-to-late stages of the battle, not a single Void Refining cultivator wore a smile.
So strong!
Even though they had prepared themselves, Li Chunjun's power still exceeded their expectations by far!
His strength was so overwhelming that it had even robbed them of the courage to scatter and flee.
For if they scattered, certain death awaited them, along with the ignominy of deserting their comrades in battle!
In this situation, they had no choice but to fight to the death, holding out until reinforcements arrived.
Fortunately, their opponent was only a Void Refining cultivator!
A Void Refining cultivator with limited Qi!
After the eighth Void Refining cultivator of the Wu Ji Sect fell, buying the remaining few a golden opportunity, Mo He seized his chance. A beam of light that pierced the heavens struck Li Chunjun directly, the terrifying heat nearly incinerating his body.
Crippled by this devastating blow, his aura plummeted.
The weakness brought by this injury seemed to finally awaken his fear of death!
As a storm of sword light swept toward him with earth-shattering force, Li Chunjun suddenly turned...
and fled!
The moment Li Chunjun turned tail and ran, Mo He and the remaining four Void Refining cultivators, who had been fighting with grim determination, were momentarily stunned.
Was it over?
Had the battle ended?
Li Chunjun was running away?
Had they won?
A sense of survival washed over them.
Thirteen people had started this battle, and eight Void Refining cultivators had fallen. They...
Have we finally driven Li Chunjun back?
"We... survived?"
One Void Refining cultivator still seemed incredulous.
"It wasn't us who won. Our reinforcements have arrived," Mo He said, glancing at his communication artifact.
Led by Gui Xing, nineteen Void Refining cultivators were now only a few million miles away!
"Li Chunjun... he's only been cultivating for thirty years! How could he be... so strong!?"
Another Void Refining cultivator's eyes still held lingering fear.
The brutal battle had completely shattered his morale. If not for Mo He, a Void Refining cultivator who had mastered the Law of Order, he would have lost control and collapsed long ago.
But his words jolted Mo He.
"Thirty years, and he's already this strong. What will he become in another thirty years!?"
His expression gradually shifted from shock to a sinister grimace. "This boy must not be allowed to live! Otherwise, he will become a mortal threat to the Wu Ji Sect in the future!"
With a sudden wave of his hand, he roared, "Pursue! Tell Gui Xing and the others to follow! We're going after him!"
(End of the Chapter)
---
📖Read (MI) on Pa.treon@CinderTL - c434. [+3.6k]
🔑Early Access at $5.
✍Translated (6) Series, (3.6K+) Chapters, (5.1M+) Words.