Translator: CinderTL
TL/N: The phrase "掌上明珠" (zhǎng shàng míng zhū) literally means: "a bright pearl in the palm of one's hand." Translated to "beloved daughter" for simplicity.
Li Chunjun's command spread throughout the Profound Yellow Great World with unprecedented speed.
Coupled with his unparalleled popularity in the False God Realm, the news was quickly shared and amplified, reaching every corner of the virtual world.
The Human Race had always harbored fervent enthusiasm for external wars, especially those against Foreign Races.
However, the gap between dao unification cultivators, even between those at the Supreme Sovereign and Ultimate Powerhouse levels, rarely provided an overwhelming advantage.
Furthermore, most Dao Venerables at the dao unification stage preferred to immerse themselves in the great dao river, directly observing the Dao's operation and evolution. With little time for territorial expansion, the Human Race's advance often stalled when facing Foreign Races led by their own dao unification cultivators.
While such stagnation might only last tens or hundreds of thousands of years for dao unification cultivators, for Nascent Soul, Primordial Spirit, and Void Refining cultivators, it represented their entire lifespan or even multiple generations—akin to the rise and fall of civilizations or the cycles of dynasties in the eyes of mortals.
Many even struggled to understand why the Human Race, despite its immense power, had refrained from outward expansion. How could they be held back by forces with only one or two dao unification experts, or even none at all?
Against this backdrop, the Human Race, dormant for so long, suddenly declared war, instantly capturing the attention of countless factions.
This was especially true given that the war's initiator was the sole new dao unification expert to emerge in hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of years.
In an instant, countless forces rallied to the cause.
After all, conquering a Great World would bring immeasurable benefits. Many factions, their development stalled at bottlenecks, had been waiting for just such an opportunity.
With Dao Venerable Li Chunjun leading the charge, support flooded in from all sides.
If external forces were so eager, it went without saying that factions like the Celestial Qin Dynasty, Heavenly Principles Sect, Heavenly Palace, and Eternal Light Hall—all of which had stationed powerful experts in the Profound Yellow Great World and had long coveted the Great World of the Gods—would be even more enthusiastic.
They had already planned to pay homage to the newly ascended Dao Venerable Li Chunjun. Now, seizing this opportunity, they brought lavish gifts and sought to learn the specific plans for his campaign against the Great World of the Gods.
Of course, some forces doubted Li Chunjun's ability to conquer the Great World of the Gods.
After all, the god above gods of the Great World of the Gods had been besieged countless times, with the Profound Yellow Supreme Sovereign himself participating in several of these campaigns. Yet even the Supreme Sovereign had failed to subdue the Great World of the Gods.
Under these circumstances, Li Chunjun, a newly ascended Dao Venerable, rashly launching a war against the Great World of the Gods risked a catastrophic defeat...
Such a defeat would undoubtedly tarnish the prestige of the Human Race.
News of this inter-realm war, a matter of paramount importance, quickly spread even to the most remote realms bordering the Profound Yellow Great World.
While the news didn't particularly affect most, the cultivators of the Azure Sea Domain who had fought alongside Li Chunjun were utterly bewildered.
Since they all resided within the Azure Sea Domain, they maintained regular contact. Upon hearing the news, they swiftly convened in the False God Realm.
"Wait... Dao Venerable Li?! Dao Venerable?!"
Xuan Zhu, who had recently assumed leadership of his clan, was completely stunned by the news.
"In my memory, it hasn't been long since Heavenly Monarch Li broke through to the venerable realm. Later, I heard he clashed with the Wu Ji Sect, a top power in the Profound Yellow Great World, displaying combat power comparable to a Supreme Sage. But I haven't heard any news of him reaching the Supreme Sage realm yet. And now... he's already a Dao Venerable?! Is this the Dao Venerable I'm thinking of? Could it just be another title for a Venerable?"
Wu Gang, Chu Ci, and the other Primordial Spirit True Monarchs who primarily developed in the Azure Sea Domain fared no better.
They had been somewhat mentally prepared for Li Chunjun to become a Celestial Sovereign.
After all, he had achieved the Triple First-Rank Achievement, topping all three lists. If such a Heavenly Prodigy couldn't become a Celestial Sovereign, who could?
Even when he later reached the venerable realm...
They could accept it.
At most, they thought his breakthrough speed to the venerable realm was a tiny bit too fast.
But after reaching the venerable realm, Li Chunjun's growth showed no signs of slowing down. He continued his momentum, surging to Supreme Sage, and then immediately becoming a Dao Venerable?
For someone from the same era, wasn't this a bit... excessive?
The memories of fighting side-by-side on the Two Worlds Mountain Battlefield felt like yesterday. Yet, just over a decade after the war ended, they had barely progressed from Nascent Soul to Primordial Spirit.
Meanwhile, Li Chunjun had advanced from Nascent Soul...
Not only had Li Chunjun advanced from the Golden Core to the Nascent Soul, but he had immediately leaped across the vast chasm from the Primordial Spirit stage to become a Void Refining Heavenly Monarch.
Without the slightest pause, he had further cultivated into a Dharma Aspect and then a Supreme Sage.
And now, he had even broken through to become a Dao Venerable?!
"I recently saw news in the False God Realm suggesting Li Chunjun might be an innate divine being," Xu Yu said rationally. "There were also reports of many Quasi-Tenth-Tier cultivators hunting him, only to be defeated one by one. These reports seemed too unbelievable to be true, but given the scale of the commotion... it seems they might actually be true."
"Could it be that his battle with those Quasi-Tenth-Tier cultivators led to his breakthrough?" Xu Yu speculated. "By breaking through his limits in the heat of battle, he achieved Dao Venerable status?"
"That..."
Xuan Zhu, Wu Gang, Chu Ci, and the others exchanged bewildered glances.
They had also heard about Li Chunjun's battle against a group of Supreme Sages.
But even Supreme Sages and Quasi-Tenth-Tier cultivators seemed impossibly distant to them, as if they existed in a completely different world.
While they knew there was a gap between Supreme Sages and Quasi-Tenth-Tier cultivators, they couldn't even begin to comprehend the true scale of that difference.
If the gap between Supreme Sages and Quasi-Tenth-Tier cultivators was so vast, how much greater must the gap be between Quasi-Tenth-Tier cultivators and Dao Venerables?
Hearing Xu Yu's analysis, they found themselves strangely convinced by her logic.
Li Chunjun likely achieved Dao Venerable status through life-and-death battles with those claiming to be Quasi-Tenth-Tier Supreme Sages, breaking through his limits to rebuild himself anew.
"That seems the most plausible explanation," Wu Gang said, his voice tinged with awe. "Back when we fought side-by-side at Two Realms Mountain, our enemies were merely Divine Race Believers. Who could have imagined that Dao Venerable Li would now be preparing for a full-scale war against the Divine Race? He truly lives up to his reputation as the undisputed champion of our generation on the Two Worlds Mountain Battlefield."
Chu Ci nodded in agreement.
A hint of regret crossed his face. "It's a pity I likely won't be able to join this war against the Divine Race. I'll miss witnessing Dao Venerable Li's peerless might."
Xuan Zhu nodded with a touch of helplessness. "I'm in the same boat. I'm burdened with countless responsibilities. Besides..." He glanced at Xu Yu with a warm smile. "After much effort, we've finally made progress in our plans to have children. I can't afford to leave now."
Chu Ci and Wu Gang exchanged surprised glances before their faces lit up with joy. "Congratulations! Xuan Zhu, you truly act decisively!"
"Hahaha, this is truly joyous news!"
The two men rushed to offer their congratulations.
Judging by their genuine delight, this news seemed even more cause for celebration than Li Chunjun's ascension to Dao Venerable status.
"Lao Chu, you're next," Xuan Zhu said with a smile, glancing at him. "Didn't you and the Su family patriarch's beloved daughter become Dao Companions just a few years ago? You should secure your bloodline soon. Once you reach Void Refining, it'll be much harder to conceive."
"I'm not in a rush," Chu Ci replied with a chuckle. "There's plenty of time. After all, we're not like Dao Venerable Li. Even if we could break through to the Void Refinement Realm, it would likely take centuries."
Xuan Zhu nodded in agreement.
He sighed wistfully. "For us, reaching Void Refining is no easy feat. And if we fail to ascend... in a thousand years, we'll simply reach the end of our natural lifespan, fading back into the fabric of the cosmos..."
"Pah!" Xu Yu spat dismissively. "Why bring up such grim thoughts on such a joyous occasion?"
"Exactly, Xuan Zhu! You're about to become a father. You need to be more composed in your words and actions. A penalty drink for you!" Wu Gang immediately declared.
"My mistake, my mistake," Xuan Zhu quickly admitted, accepting the punishment without protest.
The group continued to laugh and chat, the atmosphere filled with warmth and camaraderie.
Frigid Jade Fortress stood on the front lines, where the Profound Yellow Great World bordered the Great World of the Gods.
At this moment, Xuan Mi, the fortress's highest commander, found his right hand trembling slightly as he held the intelligence report.
"Dao unification! Dao unification!"
Xuan Zhu, Chu Ci, Xu Yu, Wu Gang, and the others were of too low a cultivation level. Although they knew the Dao Venerable was immensely powerful—so powerful as to be considered the pinnacle of the cosmos—such a great figure was so far beyond their reach that he seemed almost unreal. As a result, they weren't particularly moved by the news.
But Xuan Mi...
He was a Void Refining cultivator!
And a Void Refining cultivator holding a high-ranking position within the War Commission!
Such a cultivator had access to levels of information far beyond what newly advanced Primordial Spirit True Monarchs could even imagine. He fully understood what a Dao Venerable truly represented.
"I, Xuan Mi, am truly fortunate to have met a Dao unification cultivator!"
Xuan Mi took a deep breath.
Staring at the message from the False God Realm, it took him a long time to finally calm himself.
Dao unification!
These were great beings whom many Supreme Sages might never encounter in their entire lives.
Their life spans were so vast that their mere presence in the great dao river could span the entire lives of Void Refining cultivators, Dharma Aspect cultivators, and even Supreme Sages.
Even...
Let alone a lifetime.
It was perfectly normal for Void Refining, Dharma Manifestation, and Supreme Sage cultivators from some of the top Great Sects—spanning two, three, or even four or five generations—to never witness their sect's Dao Unification cultivator in their entire lives.
Yet here he was, not only having met a Dao Unification cultivator, but also having helped this cultivator during their humble beginnings. He could only imagine that, with this favor owed, he could now walk with impunity even among the Supreme Sages.
Of course, he must never casually invoke this favor, reserving it for the most critical moments. After all, even the bare minimum of this favor could enable him, or even his descendants, to cultivate a Void Refining cultivator with a lifespan of 129,600 years!
"Not only must I not casually invoke this favor, but on the contrary..."
Xuan Mi watched in the False God Realm as Dao Venerable Li declared war against the Great World of the Gods.
"I must perform exceptionally well in this war! If I can earn merit and catch Dao Venerable Li's eye, then even forging a Dharma Manifestation or transforming into a Lawful Lifeform will be far from a pipe dream!"
This was the most precious opportunity of his life—his closest chance to achieve meteoric success!
While the outside world buzzed with fervent discussions about Li Chunjun's ascension to Dao Venerable and his impending war with the Divine Race, a year swiftly passed.
The day had finally arrived for the Profound Yellow Great World, led by Li Chunjun, to formally declare war against the Great World of the Gods!
(End of the Chapter)
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