Translator: CinderTL
"Such overwhelming power..."
"It's terrifying!"
"The enemy we've been fighting all along... is this kind of monstrously powerful being?!"
"Over ninety percent of Supreme Sages who enter the dark horned prison meet their end! Even the Sect Great Emperor himself gains no advantage! How can we possibly win? I surrender! I yield!"
As Li Chunjun unleashed his full might without restraint, the dharma manifestations' will to resist instantly crumbled.
Their gazes toward Li Chunjun were filled with abject terror.
It wasn't just the ordinary Heavenly Palace Dharma Manifestations; even the elite, specially selected for their unwavering loyalty to the Wu Ji Sect, lost all morale in that moment.
Some even harbored resentment.
Resentment toward the sect for provoking such a terrifyingly powerful expert.
Resentment toward the sect for sending them to fight a dharma manifestation that was practically a monster.
Were they being sent to their deaths?
Yuan Shaoyang, the three blood eagles, and the others sensed the shift in the dharma manifestations' morale, and bitter expressions involuntarily crossed their faces.
"What he said... it was actually true. He was using the pressure from over two hundred Dharma Manifestations from our two sects to take a crucial step forward and break through his cultivation again. Our best chance to defeat him was the moment he entered the dark horned prison, but... our greed prevented us from giving our all from the start, and we squandered the perfect opportunity..."
"Even the Sect Master of the Wu Ji Sect himself... might not possess such overwhelming power. Li Chunjun, what level has his combat power reached? 350,000? 360,000? Or even higher?!"
"To be this strong in the Dharma Manifestation Realm... if he reaches the Supreme Sage Realm, wouldn't he become the strongest being below dao unification?"
It's over.
Completely over.
The difference in strength is like a firefly compared to the full moon!
The disparity in fighting spirit is as vast as heaven and earth!
As they sensed the terrifying aura emanating from Li Chunjun, they had to admit, however reluctantly, that regardless of their remaining will to fight or morale, the outcome would remain unchanged.
It was meaningless.
Even among the Supreme Sages, Li Chunjun was a top-tier existence, far beyond the capabilities of these Dharma Aspects to contend with.
Unless they subjected the hundred Dharma Aspects to brutally rigorous training, enforcing absolute obedience, even if their fighting spirit remained, Li Chunjun would easily crush them one by one.
"Against absolute power, all schemes and calculations are futile."
The leaders of the Three Blood Eagles and the Six Wind Catchers exchanged glances.
Finally, the leader of the Three Blood Eagles spoke: "We are willing to accept Venerable Li's conditions, but... we implore Venerable Li to grant us some security guarantees first, considering our need for safety..."
Before he could finish, the Void Storm Dharma Aspect, which had been coalescing behind Li Chunjun, suddenly lunged forward, using its transcending-the-void ability to instantly appear before the Three Blood Eagles.
The top-tier Dharma Manifestation, with a combat power exceeding 100,000, paled in terror. Barely managing to summon its own Dharma Aspect, it was immediately engulfed by the Void Storm's terrifying power, its Dharma Aspect pulverized into dust on the spot.
"Elder Brother!"
"Brother!"
The other two dharma manifestations, along with several other Venerables nearby, instinctively summoned their own dharma manifestations in response.
Perhaps they merely sought self-preservation in their panic.
Or perhaps they simply aimed to bolster the morale of the three blood eagles' elder brother.
But the void storm that had annihilated the leader of the three blood eagles' dharma manifestation now roared with void-rending fury, surging toward their manifested dharma manifestations.
Wherever the storm struck, the dharma manifestations shattered into fragments.
The absolute dominance of 400,000 combat power meant that neither top-tier nor high-grade dharma manifestations stood a chance. None could withstand a single exchange.
The storm reduced everything in its path to dust.
Li Chunjun's sudden eruption terrified the Heavenly Palace Dharma Manifestations, sending their souls fleeing in terror. Some summoned their dharma manifestations, while others scattered in disarray.
However, the Venerables who had instinctively summoned their dharma manifestations soon realized that Li Chunjun...
had merely destroyed the three blood eagles' dharma manifestations, leaving them severely weakened and their cultivation realms diminished, but had not completely killed them.
Moreover, the dharma aspects they had summoned seemed to provoke Li Chunjun's Void Storm Dharma Aspect, which began to sweep toward them. Terrified, they hastily retracted their dharma aspects and retreated far from the battlefield, daring not to reveal even a trace of their dharma aspect power.
Only after the rampaging Void Storm had torn through over twenty dharma aspects did the battle gradually subside.
Yet, unlike previous engagements where the aftermath left everyone in shock, horror, and unease, this time...
Many breathed sighs of relief.
No one had been killed.
Li Chunjun hadn't killed anyone this time!
In a sudden burst of fury, he had merely destroyed the dharma aspects of the three blood eagles and their followers, leaving them all severely wounded.
Simultaneously, a chilling wave of Divine Sense radiated from him, permeating the entire battlefield.
"Understand your position! You have no right to negotiate with me! Whether you resist or not, whether you wield Dao Artifacts or not, every single one of you will die! None of you will leave the dark horned prison alive!"
The oppressive force of Li Chunjun's Divine Sense reverberated through the Void, silencing everyone into a terrified stillness. Not a single breath dared to escape their lips.
We are the fish on the chopping block, and he wields the knife!
They had no choice but to comply.
The three blood eagles, their dharma manifestations shattered, hesitated no longer. Forcing themselves to stabilize their Essence, Qi, and Spirit, they stammered, "We... we'll give it to you..."
A Top-Tier Dao Artifact and seventeen Superior Dao Artifacts flew from their hands, swept away by the Void Storm's power.
Yes, seventeen Superior Dao Artifacts.
Eleven of these belonged to the Dragon-Elephant Imperial Lord, while the remaining six came from the three blood eagles, the six wind catchers, the cloud mountain three venerables, and others.
In addition to the Superior Dao Artifacts, they also surrendered numerous ordinary Dao Artifacts.
Unfortunately, Superior Dao Artifacts offered only a marginal boost to the combat power of high-grade and Top-Tier Dharma Manifestations. Venerables who had cultivated such manifestations often melted down Superior Dao Artifacts into Dao-infused materials, fusing them into their dharma manifestations to enhance their overall capabilities.
Consequently, these individuals possessed few Superior Dao Artifacts to offer.
Despite this, the various Dao Artifacts they surrendered still yielded Li Chunjun over 1.6 trillion Spirit Crystals.
In this world, there truly is no faster way to make money than robbery.
"Alright, you can all carefully consider how much your lives are worth."
Li Chunjun took the Dao Artifacts but refrained from further slaughter. Instead, he added a warning: "Don't think that just because your cultivation realms have fallen, your lives are worthless. If the prices you offer don't satisfy me, I won't hesitate to relieve you of the pain of lifelong debt."
He then swept his gaze across the entire assembly: "The same goes for all of you! There are nine months until the dark horned prison reopens and begins dispersing resources again! Use these nine months wisely to contemplate what price will satisfy me."
Nine months?
Did that mean Li Chunjun wouldn't kill them for the next nine months?
But...
If he didn't act for nine months, it would prove he wasn't lying.
Otherwise, he could have simply struck immediately. Why waste the next nine months?
Venerable Fengxing and the others quickly replied, "We will certainly not disappoint Venerable Li."
Li Chunjun acknowledged with a nod.
The Heavenly Palace forces were nothing more than a motley crew.
Especially now that the Three Blood Eagles, Six Wind Catchers, and others had their dharma manifestations shattered and Dao Artifacts confiscated.
Next...
His gaze fell upon the members of the Wu Ji Sect.
"Hand over your Dao Artifacts!"
The moment he spoke, Yuan Shaoyang acted without hesitation, swiftly producing two Superior Dao Artifacts and twelve other Dao Artifacts with varying properties.
He held nothing back.
Simultaneously, he urged his companions, "Quickly, hand over your Dao Artifacts!"
He feared that even the slightest delay would give Li Chunjun an opportunity to completely destroy their dharma manifestations as well.
The current situation...
Offered no room for resistance.
Even if they harbored any thoughts of defiance, they would have to wait until the fear in their hearts subsided somewhat.
In truth, Yuan Shaoyang's assessment was not without merit.
Though the Heavenly Palace outnumbered them, they were a disorganized rabble, lacking cohesion.
The Wu Ji Sect, on the other hand...
Despite having lost more than half their members, leaving only twenty-six survivors, Yuan Shaoyang remained their steadfast leader. Li Chunjun had indeed intended to crush Yuan Shaoyang's dharma manifestation as a show of force to deter the Wu Ji Sect members, should he hesitate or attempt to negotiate.
He hadn't anticipated Yuan Shaoyang's remarkable pragmatism.
Then, I'll just have to wait a little longer.
With a sweep of his void hand, he collected the Dao Artifacts from the Wu Ji Sect members one by one.
Immediately afterward, he raised his hand, forming a sword-like gesture with his fingers, and slashed through the void before him.
A visible rift tore through the air, extending deep into the balanced zone, as if cleaving the region in two.
"To avoid conflict... or, if you prefer, to prevent miscalculations that might lead to the accidental demise of a dharma manifestation, I will remain east of this rift for the next nine months. All of you will stay to the west."
Li Chunjun swept his gaze across the assembled cultivators. "There are still quite a few of you—one hundred and thirty-three in total, with one hundred and six retaining full dharma manifestation combat power. During this time, you may negotiate among yourselves for Spirit Crystals, or secretly plot a desperate gamble. It's up to you. Just remember: you have only nine months."
"We wouldn't dare! Venerable Li's benevolence is unparalleled. We are already deeply grateful for this chance at survival. How could we harbor any rebellious thoughts? That would be the height of ingratitude!" Venerable Fengxing waved his hands frantically.
"Rest assured, Venerable Li, we will offer you a satisfactory price."
"Venerable Li repays malice with kindness. We will never forget this. When the time comes, we will willingly present a generous gift as an apology."
The other dharma manifestations echoed their agreement one by one.
"Then the choice is yours."
Li Chunjun responded noncommittally.
Immediately afterward, under the anxious gazes of the hundred-plus surviving dharma aspects from the Heavenly Palace and Wu Ji Sect, he transcended the void, riding the Void Storm Dharma Aspect, and vanished from everyone's sight.
(End of the Chapter)
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