Translator: CinderTL
"It's activated."
Deep within the dark horned prison, Li Chunjun sensed the sudden disturbance immediately.
Waves of repulsive force surged from the prison's depths, as if it were about to unleash all the matter and energy it had previously devoured in a supernova-like explosion.
The sheer power of this release was so immense that even Li Chunjun, in his current state, would struggle to withstand it.
Truly, this is the ruins of a collapsed Great World, Li Chunjun thought to himself. Even its residual laws remain beyond the capabilities of a Dharma Manifestation—not even one with combat power comparable to a Quasi-Tenth-Tier Dharma Manifestation!
Of course, if he were to fully activate his Void Dao Physique, he might be able to evade the prison's explosive release. Combined with his formidable cultivation, he might even manage to remain hidden within the prison.
But...
It would be pointless.
Worse than pointless, it would be detrimental.
The reason he had repeatedly escaped his enemies' schemes and traps was precisely because of his rapid growth.
Even though danger likely awaited him outside, and his enemies might no longer see him as merely a dharma manifestation but as a supreme sage, or even a top-tier supreme sage, they could never imagine he already possessed combat power rivaling a Quasi-Tenth-Tier cultivator.
This was the key to breaking free from his predicament.
However, if he didn't maintain this rapid growth, accumulating a hundred thousand years, or even a primordial cycle's worth of Qi, before other Quasi-Tenth-Tier cultivators noticed him, the news of his exploits in the Profound Yellow Great World would inevitably spread. Once the world learned he was only thirty-three years old, they would scrutinize every detail of his life with a magnifying glass.
Given enough time for investigation and research, the extraordinary nature of his existence would inevitably be exposed.
Even the Undying Flaming Phoenix bloodline couldn't conceal it.
At that point, greedy Quasi-Tenth-Tier cultivators would undoubtedly target him, plunging him into mortal danger.
Therefore, he had to seize the moment, sell off his trillions of units of materials, and exchange them for Enlightenment Divine Tree leaves. By comprehending the dao form structure of the Sovereign Dharma Manifestation, he could advance to the Supreme Sage realm.
He would purchase a massive quantity of Dao Pills to bolster his Qi.
Besides...
Fifteen years had already passed!
Having endured this long, he refused to spend another year trapped in the dark horned prison.
With this resolve, he adjusted his state, ensuring his Essence, Qi, and Spirit were at their peak, ready to face any external dangers.
Following the explosive force of the dark horned prison, he took a single step into the Void, his body transforming into a streak of light as he shot out of the prison.
Unlike his hours-long entry, his exit took only a dozen breaths.
As the Void's turbulence and the prison's explosive force subsided, the Heavenly Palace, the Wu Ji Sect, the Profound Yellow Sect, and the warships and palaces of the onlookers came into view.
Li Chunjun's gaze met those of the Supreme Sages outside the Wu Ji Sect and Heavenly Palace, and the atmosphere in the arena momentarily froze.
In the next instant...
Not a single word was spoken!
Not even a pretense of civility was necessary!
Sect Master Yuan Taiji of the Wu Ji Sect immediately unleashed his Innate Supreme Treasure—the taiji diagram—sealing off the Void around Li Chunjun.
Behind him, six Supreme Sages—Xun Feng, Kan Shan, and others—each unfurled an Array Flag.
The Liuhe Void-Severing Formation was activated!
A circle of Void Power, centered on the Wu Ji Sect members, rapidly expanded in all directions.
Its reach extended far beyond their immediate starry sky, engulfing the Heavenly Palace, the Profound Yellow Sect, and even the surrounding Void Refining, Sovereign Dharma Manifestation, and Supreme Sage cultivators who had gathered to observe.
This commotion naturally stirred unrest among the onlookers.
However, the true purpose of the Liuhe Void-Severing Formation was to intercept all fluctuations, signals, and ripples of dao form emanating from this Void, not to directly harm cultivators. After a brief period of agitation, the Void Refining, Sovereign Dharma Manifestation, and Supreme Sage observers quickly settled down.
"The Liuhe Void-Severing Formation? The Wu Ji Sect is making a grand move, wasting the combat power of six Supreme Sages just to prevent information about the Profound Yellow Key from leaking out and attracting Liu Yu's descent?!"
"Now things are getting serious! A full-scale war between the Wu Ji Sect and the Profound Yellow Sect—this is the first major conflict between top-tier sects since the Wu Ji Sect and the Taixu Sword Sect settled their feud!"
"The Wu Ji Sect and Profound Yellow Sect are inevitably going to clash. The question is, what's the situation with the Heavenly Palace? Will the Demon-Quelling Great Emperor and Dragon-Elephant Imperial Lord intervene? The Dragon-Elephant Imperial Lord is one thing, but if the Demon-Quelling Great Emperor joins the battle, the Profound Yellow Sect might never recover."
"Not necessarily. Li Chunjun actually survived the dark horned prison, and it seems the Heavenly Palace and the rest of the Wu Ji Sect were completely wiped out. His combat power is monstrous! He might yet surprise us with an even more astonishing performance."
Countless Divine Senses flowed among the Void Refining, Dharma Manifestation, and Supreme Sage cultivators who had gathered to observe.
Many eyes quickly turned toward the Heavenly Palace's direction, including Yuan Taiji's.
He had secretly communicated with the Demon-Quelling Great Emperor earlier, proposing that the Wu Ji Sect and Heavenly Palace split the opportunities Li Chunjun possessed.
However, the Demon-Quelling Great Emperor had yet to give a definitive reply, even now...
"Third brother! What are you standing there for?! Are you trying to anger me to death?! Attack!"
The Dragon-Elephant Imperial Lord roared in fury, yet he relentlessly pursued Yuan Taiji, charging straight toward Li Chunjun.
He feared that if he delayed, Yuan Taiji would steal the kill.
"Since Master has given the order, I shall act," the Demon-Quelling Great Emperor declared, leaping into action. "However, the greatest threat to our mission against Li Chunjun lies in the profound yellow spirit lapis jade. As your disciple, I cannot shirk this most perilous task. I will intercept her, buying Master the time needed to deal with Li Chunjun! Master, spare your words—I'm already on my way!"
With that, the Demon-Quelling Great Emperor surged forward, advancing and retreating in tandem with the Dragon-Elephant Imperial Lord as they flew toward the Profound Yellow Great World.
Those in the know understood he was heading to intercept Liu Yu outside the Liuhe Void-Severing Formation.
But the uninformed might have mistaken his actions for a cowardly retreat, fleeing the battlefield.
This spectacle infuriated the Dragon-Elephant Imperial Lord.
Who told you to intercept Liu Yu?
If you're going to intercept Liu Yu, what was the point of setting up the Wu Ji Sect's Liuhe Void-Severing Formation?
Are you playing dumb?!
He could almost predict that if Liu Yu didn't appear, this disciple would merely dawdle at the formation's edge. But if she did arrive, the Demon-Quelling Great Emperor would likely suffer a "severe injury" and be routed in a single exchange.
As expected, this disciple is utterly unreliable in a crisis.
In the end, one can only truly depend on oneself.
Fueled by this anger, the Dragon-Elephant Imperial Lord swiftly caught up with Yuan Taiji, arriving at the starry sky outside the dark horned prison where Li Chunjun was trapped.
Li Chunjun was completely enveloped by the taiji diagram.
Unlike the last time, when the diagram had inverted Yin-Yang, disrupted the laws, and nearly immobilized him, forcing him to almost unleash the Source of Time to break free, this time...
His expression remained calm and unhurried.
Though the taiji diagram's power seemed poised to reshape the region's order, the absolute control granted by his Sovereign Dharma Manifestation and the Great Dao Resonance inherent in his Innate Dao Body allowed him to effortlessly command the forces of the Void and Destruction.
With a mere struggle, he could shatter the diagram using these two Grand Dao Powers.
But...
He chose not to reveal his strength.
Instead, his gaze swept over Yuan Taiji, the Dragon-Elephant Imperial Lord who had followed closely behind, and the furious attacks of Huang Daozhen, Wu Chen, Wild Earth, and the Three Sages of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity, all desperately blocked by Vermilion Bird, Xuan Wu, the black sea, crimson soul, and others.
"Including the two from the Heavenly Palace, there are only thirteen Supreme Sages," Li Chunjun observed, his eyes sweeping over them one by one. "With so few, you think you can trap and kill me—the one who single-handedly annihilated over two hundred Dharma Manifestations in the dark horned prison?"
His gaze settled on the Sect Master of the Wuji Sect before him. "Yuan Taiji, what gives you such audacity?!"
Yuan Taiji remained silent, calmly summoning another taiji diagram.
When this taiji diagram was summoned, it seemed to resonate strangely with the one already enveloping Li Chunjun, merging into a single entity.
Instantly, the Top-Tier Dao Artifact's power to invert Yin-Yang, disrupt laws, and reshape order surged dramatically, completely suppressing Li Chunjun's control over the laws of nature!
The dao form emanating from Yuan Taiji's body also intensified rapidly.
"This is..." Li Chunjun's gaze fell upon the taiji diagram. His powerful Heart-Mind, honed in the Ninth Heaven, quickly recognized its nature.
"A Quasi-Immortal Artifact?!"
A hint of astonishment flickered in his eyes.
A Quasi-Immortal Artifact!
Yuan Taiji had actually produced a Quasi-Immortal Artifact?!
Supreme Sages who wield Top-Tier Dao Artifacts typically possess Dao cultivation and Qi exceeding a hundred thousand years, their Qi and comprehension of the laws of nature nearing perfection. In such cases, even Top-Tier Dao Artifacts offer only marginal enhancements to their combat power.
After all, when one is already approaching perfection, there's little room for further improvement.
But Quasi-Immortal Artifacts...
Though not true Immortal Artifacts capable of channeling the Grand Dao Power, they can still tap into power at the Grand Dao level.
This elevated foundation allows Quasi-Immortal Artifacts to amplify a Supreme Sage's combat power by at least thirty percent.
Some exceptionally well-suited, custom-crafted Quasi-Immortal Artifacts—or those incorporating multiple Immortal Artifact materials—can even achieve forty or fifty percent amplification!
Yuan Taiji already possessed a combat power of 330,000. Even a minimum 30% boost from his Quasi-Immortal Artifact would raise his combat power to 430,000.
"Li Chunjun, your arrogance has blinded you!"
With two taiji diagrams summoned, Yuan Taiji finally spoke.
"I can sense that your strength has grown significantly since you entered the dark horned prison. Even if you were to unleash combat power comparable to a top-tier supreme sage, I wouldn't be surprised. In fact... I'm treating you as if you were one."
The Sect Master of the Wu Ji Sect continued, "To prevent you from immediately fleeing or stalling for time, I only summoned the yin aspect of the taiji diagram, withholding the yang aspect specifically bestowed upon me by the Supreme Truth Sovereign. This was to give you a chance—a chance to directly shatter my taiji diagram and avenge your humiliation in the Star Abyss, where I captured you with it."
Li Chunjun listened, somewhat surprised.
When the taiji diagram enveloped him, he hadn't evaded it, and the thought had indeed crossed his mind.
Yuan Taiji's assessment was remarkably accurate.
"Your hubris has completely forfeited any hope of escape. Otherwise, with a top-tier supreme sage focused on fleeing and the Profound Yellow Sect providing support, I might not have been able to hold you. But now..."
Yuan Taiji rolled up the Yin-Yang taiji diagram, which had merged into a single entity. "It's over. Come with me."
(End of the Chapter)
---
📖Read (MI) on Pa.treon@CinderTL - c482. [+3.7k]
🔑Early Access at $5.
✍Translated (6) Series, (4.1K+) Chapters, (5.8M+) Words.