Translator: CinderTL
"Damn it!"
This news finally shattered Yuan Taiji's composure, forcing him to curse aloud.
After cursing, he glared at the stunned and shocked Primordial True Martial, shouting angrily, "What are you waiting for? Get up there!"
"Sect Master, I..."
A flicker of barely perceptible fear flashed in Primordial True Martial's eyes. "If I go up now... won't I just be falling right into Li Chunjun's trap? Won't he take advantage of us being isolated to pick us off one by one?"
"Isolated?!"
Those two words nearly sent Yuan Taiji into a rage. "Thirty Void Refining cultivators against Li Chunjun alone, and you call that isolated?!"
Primordial True Martial's heart trembled. Only then did he realize the numerical disadvantage he faced!
"I understand. I'll go right now..."
This Void Refining cultivator, Wu Ji Sect's great hope, performed in a way that left everyone dumbfounded. He quickly led his thirty Void Refining cultivators toward the battlefield where one man was facing thirty-four opponents.
At the same time, to prepare for the fierce battle, he seemed to have cut off all communication.
This scene made Yuan Taiji, the Wu Ji Sect's Sect Master, feel as if he were wearing a mask of agony.
He had never imagined that Primordial True Martial, who usually appeared so calm, domineering, decisive, and courageous—a true Heaven's Chosen—would crumble so utterly when confronted by another Peerless Prodigy who was even more domineering and powerful.
All that talk of decisiveness and courage seemed like a mere show, vanishing like smoke when the farce ended.
But...
When he put himself in Primordial True Martial's shoes, leading just over thirty people against a terrifying madman who had slaughtered hundreds of Supreme Sages, he might...
not have fared much better.
He might even have been tempted to think, "If we can preserve the green hills, there'll always be firewood."
The human heart is the most complex thing of all.
After a moment, Yuan Wuji's expression calmed.
Relying on others is never as good as relying on oneself.
Based on the current trends, Li Chunjun and the Profound Yellow Sect had been plotting for a long time. Their true strength had also far exceeded their initial estimates. Killing Li Chunjun through conventional means was clearly no easy task.
If Primordial True Martial's team failed to kill Li Chunjun, and he returned to the Profound Yellow Sect with all his treasures to forge a high-grade dharma manifestation, it would become a major threat to the Wu Ji Sect.
The thought sent a wave of urgency through Yuan Taiji.
"We need a contingency plan! Relying solely on Primordial True Martial and the Aurora Special Forces isn't enough. I need more backup to ensure Li Chunjun doesn't leave Star Abyss alive!"
Having calmed down, he regained the sharp intellect and rationality befitting the leader of a top-tier Great Sect.
He had a growing premonition that Primordial True Martial and the Aurora Special Forces couldn't be relied upon.
This Li Chunjun...
He was too sinister.
"The safest method would be for me to personally intervene, or to lead many of our sect's Supreme Sages to the Star Abyss and crush Li Chunjun with overwhelming force. But that's clearly impossible. If a Supreme Sage moves, the Profound Yellow Sect's Supreme Sages will inevitably follow. At that point, it would truly be an all-out war between the Wu Ji Sect and the Profound Yellow Sect."
Yuan Taiji knew that if the Supreme Sages of the two sects truly clashed bloodily, the Taixu Sword Sect and other sects would undoubtedly cheer and then kick them while they were down.
Yet, thanks to the Profound Yellow Supreme's legacy, the Profound Yellow Sect was bound to preserve a sliver of its heritage.
They couldn't completely destroy it, and any attempt would inflict heavy losses on themselves.
If the Taixu Sword Sect couldn't accomplish this in the past, he didn't believe the Wu Ji Sect could.
Therefore, a Supreme Sage-level war was absolutely out of the question.
"Wait... the Wu Ji Sect wouldn't dare to engage in an all-out war with the Profound Yellow Sect, and the Profound Yellow Sect lacks the courage to do the same. In other words, if we simply establish a standoff with the Profound Yellow Sect, we can neutralize Li Chunjun's greatest support, leaving other forces free to act. And that force..."
The Heavenly Palace!
Yuan Taiji's thoughts raced.
The Wu Ji Sect had suffered heavy losses, and the Heavenly Palace had also lost many Void Refining cultivators.
"While our Wu Ji Sect sends a Supreme Sage to hold off the Profound Yellow Sect's Supreme Sage, engaging in a standoff and even direct confrontation, the Heavenly Palace will dispatch a dharma manifestation to strike Li Chunjun with overwhelming force, leaving him no chance to react."
Since the start of the war, Li Chunjun had slain over a hundred Void Refining cultivators. Even if he excelled at feigning weakness and manipulating conspiracies, his own strength must be formidable.
But...
Even if he were treated as a Void Refining cultivator with 30,000 years of Millennial Magic Power, there were still plenty who could kill him if a dharma manifestation intervened.
An ordinary dharma manifestation, after cultivating for 100,000 years, could accumulate 40,000 to 50,000 years of Dao cultivation.
High-grade dharma manifestations could easily reach 60,000 to 70,000 years.
As long as they didn't send a Venerable who had only just entered the Dharma Manifestation Realm, with just one or two millennia of cultivation, there were plenty of dharma manifestations who could kill him.
"We can't be careless. How could a Heavenly Prodigy like this, pushed to the forefront by the Profound Yellow Sect, not have any life-saving treasures? Considering the variables these treasures introduce, only a cultivator with 60,000 to 70,000 years of Dao cultivation can truly guarantee a fatal strike."
His thoughts settled, and he made a decision.
Turning to the old man beside him, he said, "Contact the Heavenly Palace's Universal Transformation Venerable. It's time for their dharma manifestation to take action."
"Universal Transformation Venerable?"
The old man paused, slightly startled. "The Universal Transformation Venerable is a member of the Heavenly Palace Elder Council. His every action essentially represents the Heavenly Palace's decisions. If he were to act against Li Chunjun, it would be no less significant than a Supreme Sage taking action..."
"The Heavenly Palace lost thirty Void Refining cultivators in the Star Abyss. I refuse to believe the Universal Transformation Venerable will remain indifferent."
Yuan Taiji's voice was cold. "We of the Wu Ji Sect have already agreed to hold back Li Chunjun's greatest backer, the Profound Yellow Sect. If, even under these circumstances, they still can't find a way to deal with Li Chunjun, then the execution capabilities of this Council-level Power are truly disappointing."
The old man said nothing more, immediately making arrangements.
At the same time, he couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
In just a short time, Li Chunjun, a native of a Lesser Thousand World, had grown from an insignificant figure to a major threat to the Wu Ji Sect, requiring them to rely on other powers to ensure his elimination.
Truly, one must treat a person with new eyes after just three days apart.
Star Abyss.
Primordial True Martial braced himself and led reinforcements to Zhuo Long's aid.
However, when they finally arrived, they found a sword qi storm raging across tens of thousands of miles of battlefield. Within the storm, Zhuo Long's thirty-four Void Refining cultivators were utterly overwhelmed by the relentless onslaught of Sword Qi, falling at a rate of nearly one per breath.
Throughout this, Zhuo Long's Void Refining cultivators fought back with all their might. The dazzling light of dao techniques and Dao Artifacts filled the sword qi storm, but despite piercing through some of the Sword Qi, they made little impact on the storm itself.
Instead, their attacks provided openings for the storm to seize upon, exploiting their vulnerabilities to unleash a furious maelstrom of destruction, grinding one figure after another into dust.
By now, only Zhuo Long's six-member squad, protected by the Myriad Realms Compass and Dharma Manifestation Armament, could guarantee their safety. The remaining Void Refining cultivators were reduced to lambs awaiting slaughter, their complete annihilation merely a matter of time.
"A sword qi storm! It's the nascent form of the Void Storm Dharma Aspect! This dharma aspect excels at fighting outnumbered! But... in my understanding, even cultivators a tier lower in strength should be able to withstand this technique. Those two tiers lower could easily break through the storm and retreat unscathed, even if they couldn't defeat it. Only those three or four tiers lower would suffer this grass-cutting fate... But..."
The Void Refining cultivators who had followed Primordial True Martial immediately recognized Li Chunjun's technique, their eyes filled with disbelief.
Four tiers lower!?
They were already seasoned Void Refining cultivators, the best of the best, with Qi cultivation ranging from five thousand to ten thousand years.
Above them, one tier higher, were peak void refining cultivators with around twenty thousand years of Qi cultivation. Two tiers higher were the Supreme Dharma Aspect seeds, with Qi cultivation ranging from twenty thousand to thirty thousand years. Three tiers higher, their combat power would rival that of Venerables who had manifested high-grade dharma manifestations, requiring over thirty thousand years of Dao cultivation.
Four tiers...
"How is this possible!?"
The Void Refining cultivators felt their scalps tingle.
Forty thousand years of Qi cultivation!?
Could a Void Refining cultivator truly cultivate that much Qi!?
"It's not his Qi that's powerful, but his dao technique. He has unparalleled mastery of the sword qi storm dao technique derived from the first form of the Void Storm Dharma Aspect, even innovating upon it. That's why, despite having only thirty thousand years of Qi cultivation, he can unleash power comparable to forty thousand years!"
A dao technique expert immediately saw through the truth behind Li Chunjun's combat prowess.
But...
Thirty thousand years of Qi cultivation is still terrifying, isn't it?
He was undoubtedly destined to become a Supreme Dharma Aspect seed.
Adding to this, his dao technique mastery was far beyond human comprehension...
The top-tier void refining cultivators might fare slightly better, but what about the veteran void refining cultivators with less than ten thousand years of qi? Wouldn't they just be walking to their deaths?
A wave of commotion swept through the void refining cultivators following Primordial True Martial.
"This is a power we can't contend with! This is a battle only a dharma manifestation can handle!"
"King against king, general against general. Charging in now is just suicide. Such pointless deaths aren't heroic, they're foolish!"
The veteran void refining cultivators weren't the only ones in turmoil. Even the top-tier void refining cultivators wore expressions of fear, halting their advance.
While they might fare slightly better than the veterans, their fate wouldn't be much different.
Touch and die, brush and be wounded.
Seeing the situation, a void refining cultivator with a close friendship with Primordial True Martial immediately suggested, "Senior Brother Yuan, Li Chunjun's power far exceeds our expectations. The Sect Master and others don't know the truth, which is why they issued the order to eliminate Li Chunjun at all costs. But the reality is, even if we pour out everything we have, we can't kill him. In such a situation, why sacrifice ourselves in vain?"
Primordial True Martial's expression shifted, but he remained silent.
Seeing the situation, another Void Refining cultivator who knew charging in would be futile also tried to dissuade him. "Senior Brother Yuan, it wouldn't matter if we died. But you are destined to become a Top-Tier Dharma Manifestation, perhaps even a Supreme Dharma Aspect. If you were to perish before reaching your full potential, it would be a loss not only for the Wu Ji Sect but for the entire Profound Yellow Great World. Our world's chances of achieving Dao Unification would be diminished!"
The others chimed in, echoing his sentiments. "Yes, Senior Brother Yuan, as long as the green mountains remain, there's no need to worry about firewood!"
"Only by living can we have a future. We must obey the Sect Master's orders, but we must also assess the situation ourselves. In this case... we see no hope of success!"
Their words echoed in Primordial True Martial's ears.
Moreover, as he gazed at the dense sword qi storm, a chill ran down his spine.
His mental warning kept screaming at him: if he charged in, he...
Would die!
Die!
It was clear Yuan Taiji knew Primordial True Martial well.
Under the weight of this terrifying thought, the Heaven's Chosen shuddered and seized the opportunity to retreat.
"You're right," he said, nodding heavily. "A pointless sacrifice is indeed meaningless!"
With a decisive wave of his hand, he ordered, "Retreat! Withdraw! We'll wait for the Aurora Special Forces to arrive, then we'll avenge Junior Brother Zhuo and the others!"
(End of the Chapter)
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