Translator: CinderTL
The Imperial Witchcraft Sect accorded Li Chunjun the highest possible honor.
Not only did Sect Leader Chi Ming personally greet him outside the mountain gate, but nearly all the elders, hall masters, peak lords, and those not in seclusion were present.
At a glance, there were dozens of Supreme Sages, accompanied by thousands of Dharma Aspect and Void Refinement Realm cultivators forming a grand welcoming party.
As soon as they met, Chi Ming warmly stepped forward, and the two exchanged pleasantries.
Seeing Chi Ming's demeanor, Li Chunjun felt somewhat...
Relieved?
It wasn't that he feared danger in the Zhou Tian Great World, but he preferred to avoid confronting Dao Venerable-level figures too soon.
After all, he had been wandering abroad for years, drawing the attention of countless top-tier experts. If a Dao Venerable were to intervene suddenly, it would inevitably frighten away all the Supreme Sages and Quasi-Tenth-Tier cultivators. In that case, relying solely on the Imperial Witchcraft Sect might not be enough to compensate for his losses.
Hmm?
Li Chunjun subtly scanned the dozens of Supreme Sages present.
Perhaps... this isn't so bad after all.
While Li Chunjun was sizing up the Imperial Witchcraft Sect's members, Chi Ming was secretly assessing Li Chunjun himself.
Observing Li Chunjun's calm and unhurried demeanor, Chi Ming knew this supreme disciple wouldn't dare flaunt himself so openly without a formidable foundation. His gaze, in particular, resembled that of a hawk surveying its prey or a wolf eyeing its quarry, sending a chill of danger down Chi Ming's spine.
This man was clearly no pushover.
After all, considering the sheer number of Void Refining and Dharma Aspect Realm cultivators Li Chunjun had slain since reaching Void Refinement, who would dare underestimate him? For him, mountains of corpses were merely commonplace.
Even if the Imperial Witchcraft Sect hadn't been forbidden by their progenitor from attacking Li Chunjun, Chi Ming couldn't be certain of victory. Until this supreme disciple revealed his true hand, the outcome remained uncertain.
After a moment's contemplation, Chi Ming dismissed his doubts and bowed with a warm smile. "Swordmaster Li, please come inside. I've already prepared the items for exchange since receiving word of your arrival. Seeing your eagerness for the Quasi-Immortal Artifact, I'll escort you there first. After the exchange, we'll return to properly welcome you and wash away the dust of your journey."
"Thank you for your trouble," Li Chunjun said.
Immediately, Chi Ming led Li Chunjun straight toward the most central of the thirty-three mountain peaks.
Along the way, the Supreme Sages and Dharma Aspect cultivators who had come to greet them curiously sized up Li Chunjun.
Even though the essence of these beings was rooted in humanity, they still possessed emotions and curiosity.
The elders of the Imperial Witchcraft Sect were naturally intrigued by Li Chunjun, the legendary figure who had stirred up such a storm in the False God Realm over the past few years.
As Li Chunjun followed Chi Ming directly into the main peak, the Void Refining and Dharma Aspect cultivators outside couldn't help but start whispering among themselves.
"What do you think Swordmaster Li's current cultivation level is? And what's his combat power?"
"I ran a large-scale simulation based on his battle against Yuan Taiji. To so easily defeat Yuan Wuji, who wielded a quasi-immortal artifact, his combat power must be at least 530,000!"
"Gasp! 530,000 combat power?! That's practically Quasi-Tenth-Tier territory! And he was only at the Dharma Aspect Realm back then? To have Quasi-Tenth-Tier combat power at the Dharma Aspect Realm... truly worthy of being called..."
Everyone knew the unspoken reason for his reputation, but no one dared voice it aloud.
Some with keen insight offered alternative explanations:
"I've cultivated the Profound Heaven Pupil Art. Under my observation, Swordmaster Li has already transformed into a Law-Based Lifeform. In other words, he has shattered his mortal shackles and transcended into sagehood. Without these limitations, and considering his gains in the dark horned prison, increasing his Qi and Dao cultivation by several thousand, or even ten thousand, within these past few years shouldn't be difficult."
"Another several thousand, or even ten thousand, in Qi and Dao cultivation?! His combat power must be approaching 600,000!"
"More than that! Li Chunjun came to our Imperial Witchcraft Sect specifically to exchange the Yin-Yang Limitless Diagram, a Quasi-Immortal Artifact seized from Yuan Taiji, for our sect's void-grade Quasi-Immortal Artifact—the Heaven-Opening. If he obtains this artifact, his combat power will increase by another twenty to thirty percent!"
"Another twenty to thirty percent?! Even a mere twenty percent increase would push him past 700,000! With a higher boost, he might even surpass 750,000!"
Many cultivators gasped at this revelation.
Cultivators associated with Quasi-Tenth-Tier figures like the Lord of Profound Fire felt a chill run down their spines.
If Li Chunjun truly possessed over 700,000 combat power...
Even the Lord of Profound Fire might struggle to defeat him.
Of course, if the Imperial Witchcraft Sect truly intended to eliminate Li Chunjun, they would never have exchanged the Heaven-Opening Quasi-Immortal Artifact for him. Without it, his combat power would barely reach 600,000, allowing the Lord of Profound Fire to easily suppress him.
Especially since the battlefield was the Zhou Tian Great World, the Imperial Witchcraft Sect's home territory.
"Judging by the sect leader's elaborate preparations and his immediate exchange of the Quasi-Immortal Artifact for Li Chunjun to reassure him, it's clear he doesn't plan to interfere in the competition for the Dao Unification opportunity..."
A Supreme Sage who hadn't followed the main group to the peak mused, "Though I can't fathom the sect leader's motives, if he truly remains neutral and even helps Li Chunjun obtain the Quasi-Immortal Artifact..."
He glanced toward the Star Gates. "Then we're in for quite a show."
700,000, perhaps even 750,000 combat power!
Even among Quasi-Tenth-Tier cultivators, Li Chunjun was considered a top-tier powerhouse.
Those Quasi-Tenth-Tier cultivators who had been eyeing Li Chunjun, scheming to seize the dao unification opportunity he carried, might very well find themselves capsizing in the gutter.
Their resources and Dao Artifacts would ultimately become Li Chunjun's advancement capital, allowing him to rapidly accumulate Qi and Dao cultivation and launch his assault on the Dao Unification Realm.
Outside the main peak, Dharma Aspect cultivators and Supreme Sages harbored their own thoughts.
Inside the peak, Chi Ming, unwilling to defy the progenitor's will, led Li Chunjun directly toward the sect treasury.
After passing through layers of Array Formations and verifications, they swiftly arrived at a vast cavern within the mountain's core.
Upon entering the cavern, Li Chunjun immediately sensed an anomaly in the Void Mysteries swirling through the space.
Following the core of these Void Mysteries, his gaze fell upon a colossal sword, ten meters tall and two meters wide, resembling a metallic tombstone engraved with intricate patterns at its center.
The greatsword drew upon surrounding Void Power, isolating the space and creating a separate realm.
At that moment, the concepts of world, space, and greatsword blurred into one.
The greatsword was a space.
The space had evolved into a world.
And the world had ultimately manifested as the greatsword.
"A Quasi-Immortal Artifact!" Li Chunjun declared.
No explanation was needed. Its divine aura alone confirmed its status as a Quasi-Immortal Artifact.
If sixth-tier treasures represent the pinnacle of standardized equipment, then this Quasi-Immortal Artifact represents the highest level of human artifact crafting.
True Immortal Artifacts and Supreme Immortal Artifacts beyond this are merely manifestations of Dao Venerables and Supreme Sovereigns.
"Indeed, this is the void-grade Quasi-Immortal Artifact of our Imperial Witchcraft Sect—the Heaven-Opening Divine Sword!" Chi Ming said with a smile, gesturing with a void hand to invite Li Chunjun forward. To avoid misunderstandings, he even took a few steps back, fully demonstrating his sect's sincerity.
Li Chunjun, bold due to his exceptional skill, stepped forward and approached the Quasi-Immortal Artifact. Even without activating his innate void dao physique, its latent advantages were evident.
Relying on his keen perception of the Void, the divine resonance capable of triggering Great Dao Resonance, and the Sovereign Dharma Manifestation's mastery over Void Power, he effortlessly grasped the Heaven-Opening Divine Sword.
As Void Power compressed and world power converged, the ten-meter-tall greatsword quickly shrank to about 1.6 meters.
This was the Heaven-Opening Divine Sword's minimum form, maintained without compromising its power.
He could clearly sense the immense power boost the Quasi-Immortal Artifact provided.
After refining thirteen thousand Dao Pills, his Qi and Dao cultivation had surged to over one hundred thousand years!
His final combat power had barely broken through the one million mark!
However, because his Qi, Dao cultivation, and Heart-Mind were all still imperfect, the diminishing effect of the Heaven-Opening Divine Sword's amplification remained minimal. As a result, this Quasi-Immortal Artifact directly boosted his combat power to 1.2 million!
Moreover, as his compatibility with the sword gradually increased, surpassing 1.2 million became a realistic prospect.
"Finally, I feel a little safer," Li Chunjun thought to himself.
He added mentally, "At least, within the Great World."
His gaze returned to the Heaven-Opening Divine Sword, and he activated his Void Power.
The Quasi-Immortal Artifact quickly shrank again, eventually being absorbed into his body, where it would be continuously nourished by his Heart-Mind and Qi.
Having stored the Quasi-Immortal Artifact, Li Chunjun turned around.
Behind him, Chi Ming smiled at the opportune moment. "It seems this divine sword resonates deeply with Swordmaster Li. Congratulations, Swordmaster Li."
"Thank you, Sect Leader Chi Ming, for your generosity," Li Chunjun said, immediately producing the Yin-Yang Limitless Diagram. "Please examine it."
"I naturally trust Swordmaster Li," Chi Ming replied with a smile, accepting the Quasi-Immortal Artifact.
Li Chunjun pondered for a moment. He could clearly sense that, despite both being Quasi-Immortal Artifacts, the Heaven-Opening Divine Sword possessed a slightly superior quality compared to the Yin-Yang Limitless Diagram.
He then produced the void escape pearl. "Exchanging the Yin-Yang Limitless Diagram for the Heaven-Opening Divine Sword was already to my advantage. Consider this item as compensation."
Chi Ming mused for a moment before smiling. "Compensation isn't necessary. If it's a gift, however, I'd be happy to accept it."
"Then consider it a gift, Sect Leader Chi Ming," Li Chunjun replied.
Chi Ming chuckled and pocketed the void escape pearl.
"Although I understand Swordmaster Li's current precarious situation and urgent need to return to the Profound Yellow Great World, I still hope you'll stay for a few days so I can extend proper hospitality. What do you say, Swordmaster Li?"
Li Chunjun didn't mind delaying his departure by a few days.
The longer he delayed, the more powerful experts he would attract, allowing him to raise his Life Level in one fell swoop.
Level 43 was already within reach.
If he could reach Level 44...
The many crises he faced would likely be resolved with ease.
Nodding, he said, "Then I'll delay Sect Leader Chi Ming for a few more days."
"Haha, Swordmaster Li is decisive! This way, please."
Chi Ming led Li Chunjun straight toward the main hall.
Over the next few days, though ostensibly showing hospitality, the sect leader mostly accompanied Li Chunjun on tours of the sect grounds and discussed the current world, highlighting the truly renowned Quasi-Tenth-Tier experts who were qualified to compete for the title of the strongest below Dao Unification.
After six days of this, having covered all the prominent Quasi-Tenth-Tier experts in the Human Race's territory, the sect leader suddenly said, "News from the False God Realm has spread. Many now know Swordmaster Li is in our Zhou Tian Great World. To prevent anyone from blocking your path and hindering your return journey, I won't keep you any longer."
Li Chunjun found the sect leader's actions somewhat unpredictable, but since the man had spoken, he naturally wouldn't linger in the Zhou Tian Great World.
He didn't want to attract too many top-tier experts and disrupt the peace and stability of the Zhou Tian Great World.
"In that case, I'll take my leave now. Perhaps we'll meet again in the future," Li Chunjun said.
Chi Ming nodded, then produced a storage treasure. "Take this."
"What's this?" Li Chunjun asked, puzzled.
"An exchange of courtesies," Chi Ming replied with a smile. "Swordmaster Li generously gifted me a substantial gift, so I couldn't let you leave empty-handed. Obtaining Void Dao Pills—a single type of pill—quickly is no easy task, and time was limited. I managed to gather twelve thousand. I hope Swordmaster Li won't find them lacking."
(End of the Chapter)
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