Translator: CinderTL
Taixu Sword Sect.
When Li Chunjun and Jiang Yuxue returned to the sect, Jiang Yuqiu and Huan Ming, both Nascent Soul cultivators, personally came to greet them.
On one hand...
Li Chunjun had made significant contributions by expanding the territory, helping the Taixu Sword Sect conquer Great Shang, making it the tenth state under their control.
On the other hand...
They also needed to carefully gauge Li Chunjun's attitude.
After all, he had now truly grown into the Flaming Phoenix Sword Prodigy.
Yet, during his growth, the Taixu Sword Sect had not provided much assistance beyond material support.
Because of this, a rift had formed between them over the "Inheritance Battle" incident involving the Chiyang Sword Sect.
After meeting, seeing that Li Chunjun's emotions were relatively calm, Jiang Yuqiu and Huan Ming both breathed a sigh of relief.
Huan Ming stepped forward and said, "Sword Prodigy Chunjun, rest assured, we will ensure the Chiyang Sword Sect is brought to justice!"
Jiang Yuqiu also spoke with a cold expression, "The Chiyang Sword Sect has done such a thing. If they don't give us an explanation, do they think our Taixu Sword Sect's rule of 'reciprocal retaliation' is just empty words?"
"I naturally trust the Sect Master and the Peak Lord," Li Chunjun responded.
"Good. Take some rest now, and leave the rest to us," Huan Ming said.
Li Chunjun nodded.
However, instead of heading to Flaming Phoenix Peak, he went straight to the Inheritance Peak.
Watching his departing figure, Jiang Yuqiu sighed, "He still harbors resentment."
"It was our oversight," Huan Ming admitted. "We thought that, given his past experiences, his mother wouldn't have much influence on him. So, when we learned that the Chiyang Sword Sect was using her to threaten him, our resolve and actions were far from sufficient. This forced Sword Prodigy Chunjun to act on his own. Now it seems..."
He looked regretful. "No matter how you put it, Sword Prodigy Chunjun is only nineteen. Despite his unpleasant past experiences, how could he truly remain indifferent when it came to his own mother?"
Jiang Yuqiu also nodded.
These cultivators, who had lived for centuries, naturally approached problems with rationality and a focus on maximizing benefits, instinctively viewing Li Chunjun's issues through their own lens.
As a result, they overlooked the fact that Li Chunjun had only been a cultivator for a year.
His true age was just nineteen.
He was prone to acting on impulse, which could lead to mistakes.
"Given the situation, we must do our best to handle the aftermath properly," Huan Ming said with a heavy expression. "Our Taixu Sword Sect has produced a second Flaming Phoenix Sword Prodigy, who, upon descending the mountain, slew sixty-nine Core Formation cultivators from the Chiyang Sword Sect. Such astonishing combat power has shaken the other eight sects. At the same time, because he broke the rules of the Inheritance Battle, the eight major sects seized the opportunity... and now, all eight sects have come forward."
Jiang Yuqiu also felt the weight of the situation, thinking about how the eight major sects had almost united in their aggressive stance.
The reason Peak Lord Bai Lian had spoken so harshly was because the Chiyang Sword Sect and the Wu Ji Sect, along with six other sects, were simultaneously pressuring the Taixu Sword Sect.
No matter how strong the Taixu Sword Sect was, it couldn't withstand the combined force of eight sects.
Of course, they knew this wasn't Li Chunjun's fault.
Ultimately, it was a legacy issue left by the previous Flaming Phoenix Sword Prodigy, who had dominated the world and forced the eight sects to submit.
The eight major sects, recalling the scene from thirty years ago, feared it might happen again...
How could they sit still? This was why they spontaneously united, making a big deal out of Li Chunjun's disregard for the "Inheritance Battle" rules.
Next, it would depend on how well the Taixu Sword Sect could maneuver their alliances and strategies.
...
Taixu Inheritance Peak.
The core inheritance peak of the Taixu Sword Sect.
Not only did it house the core lineage of the Taixu Sword Sect, but it also collected the most detailed and comprehensive materials related to the Immortal Cultivation World.
These materials...
Were exactly what Li Chunjun needed the most.
Thus, Li Chunjun, who had immersed himself in the task, quickly began searching through them.
He didn't just look for information on the Chiyang Sword Sect or the Nine Great Immortal Sects; he also searched for details about the Immortal Alliance.
This search lasted for several hours.
So engrossed was he that he didn't even notice when Jiang Wanyu arrived by his side.
It wasn't until her voice rang out that Li Chunjun paused slightly.
"The headquarters of the Immortal Alliance is located in the Profound Yellow Great World. Similarly, the Immortal Alliance is one of the greatest forces of the human race, connecting almost all major human factions and uniting them as one to resist the invasions of all alien races."
Jiang Wanyu spoke softly.
Then, she looked at Li Chunjun and asked, "What is Junior Brother looking for? Perhaps I can help."
Li Chunjun listened and fell silent for a moment before replying, "Though it may not hold much significance..."
As soon as he spoke, he paused.
Not much significance?
Was it truly of little significance? The doubt lingered for less than three seconds before he swiftly crushed it.
Yes.
It was meaningless.
In the face of the goal of "ascending to immortality," everything else was utterly insignificant.
Including life itself.
"I just wanted to see how the Nine Great Immortal Sects came to the Blue Star Minor Realm."
"How they came to the Blue Star Minor Realm..."
Jiang Wanyu pondered for a moment and said, "Let me tell you about our understanding of the world."
"Alright."
Li Chunjun nodded. "This is the world as you perceive it."
Jiang Wanyu waved her hand, and a vast, boundless cosmic starscape appeared before him.
Then, she pointed again. "This is the world as we perceive it."
The cosmic starscape immediately transformed.
An enormous, intricately complex network became clearly visible to Li Chunjun.
It was like a massive web of light woven from millions, billions, trillions, or even quadrillions of threads of light.
Countless threads of light traversed through it, intersecting with numerous points of light.
Some of these points of light, due to the sheer number of intersecting threads, appeared extraordinarily radiant and dazzling.
"The world as you perceive it allows you to see the sun, the moon, and the stars. But in reality, almost all celestial bodies are merely insignificant, ordinary matter—essentially, flawed remnants of the concept of 'world.'"
Jiang Wanyu thought for a moment and added, "Like bricks that are left unused when building a house."
"Unused bricks."
"Exactly. These stars are not connected to this web of light. They are like dead stars excluded from the cosmic system. Their existence holds no significance beyond containing some trivial, low-level matter. Only the worlds connected to this web of light are considered complete worlds for cultivators."
Jiang Wanyu glanced at Li Chunjun. "Only then does it resemble a fully constructed house that can be inhabited."
Li Chunjun turned his gaze to the web of light.
"What is this?"
"It is the Dao!"
Jiang Wanyu said solemnly. "It is the foundation upon which all things escape their muddled existence and seek longevity, even immortality!"
"The Dao!"
Li Chunjun gazed at the countless rays of light, so numerous that even a Primordial Spirit True Monarch couldn't count them all.
These...
Are they the Dao?
The Dao of paths?
The Dao of the Great Path?
"Only worlds illuminated by the 'Dao' can give birth to cultivation systems and nurture cultivation civilizations. The extent of the 'Dao's illumination determines the upper limit and ultimate level of that world!" Jiang Wanyu explained.
"Blue Star's 'Dao' illumination intensity can only support the activities of a Primordial Spirit at most, which is why it's called a Lesser World, or a Lesser Chiliocosm."
"Lesser Chiliocosm."
Li Chunjun had heard similar terms before.
Even in Blue Star's history, there were legends of immortals and demons.
Now that he thought about it, those were likely traces left by other cultivators who had inadvertently passed through the Blue Star Minor Realm.
However, at that time, the Blue Star Minor Realm had limited value, unable to attract Primordial Spirit or even Nascent Soul-level experts to stay. Thus, many legends appeared briefly before fading into the river of history, leaving no significant legacy behind.
Even if there were any, they were probably only at the Qi Refining level.
And cultivators at the Qi Refining level...
In ancient times, they could summon wind and rain, but in modern times, facing guns and cannons, their legacies inevitably died out.
"If a Lesser Chiliocosm can only support the activities of a Primordial Spirit, what does that imply?" Li Chunjun asked.
"The Dao," Jiang Wanyu replied. "Above the Primordial Spirit is the Void Refining realm. Void Refining involves touching the Dao of the Void. Such beings, once they enter a Lesser Chiliocosm, will trigger a backlash from the 'Dao.'"
She paused for a moment, then continued, "A falling leaf drifting down from the heavens remains intact, but a meteorite falling from the heavens will shatter upon impact with the ground. Similarly, a Primordial Spirit in a Lesser Chiliocosm and a Void Refining cultivator in a Lesser Chiliocosm are like the leaf and the meteorite—the impact they bring is naturally vastly different."
Li Chunjun nodded in understanding.
A Lesser Chiliocosm.
It could only accommodate a Primordial Spirit!
Although the Primordial Spirit True Monarchs had swept through Blue Star with overwhelming force...
"If Blue Star's technology develops for another thousand years, couldn't it potentially rival a Primordial Spirit True Monarch? How should a sect in such a Lesser Chiliocosm respond to this situation?"
Li Chunjun couldn't help but ask this question.
And this question undoubtedly proved...
That his identification as a "Blue Star person" surpassed his identity as the "Flaming Phoenix Sword Prodigy of the Taixu Sword Sect."
Considering that Li Chunjun had only been in the Taixu Sword Sect for a year, Jiang Wanyu patiently answered.
"First, you underestimate the means of a Primordial Spirit True Monarch. A True Lord who has cultivated a Primordial Spirit can roam the heavens and earth, and the mystical powers they can unleash far exceed ordinary imagination. Second... over ninety-nine percent of Lesser Worlds lack the internal resources to develop technology capable of opposing a Primordial Spirit True Monarch, let alone a Nascent Soul True Lord."
She smiled and said, "A civilization capable of opposing a Nascent Soul True Lord would at least have to step out of its own world, beyond the range of the 'Dao's illumination. At that point, the sect's Void Refining experts would have plenty of ways to seal and suppress it."
Resources.
Li Chunjun nodded.
That was indeed a problem.
"And even if technology advances to the most advanced levels, it still depends on who controls it."
Jiang Wanyu smiled slightly: "Not to mention the Primordial Spirit or Nascent Soul, even with Core Formation, one can easily control mortals and alter their perceptions through Divine Sense. In other words, even if he were alone, he could manipulate the leaders of major nations to incite internal wars, leading to their self-destruction. Thirty years ago, he swept through the world with his Primordial Spirit, but the Nine Sects were unwilling to cause too much loss of life."
Li Chunjun remained silent.
So...
Should the mortals on Blue Star be grateful for the mercy of the Nine Immortal Sects?
Jiang Wanyu, realizing that her words might have made Li Chunjun uncomfortable, quickly added, "I didn't mean anything by it..."
"I know."
Li Chunjun nodded slightly: "Thank you for your explanation."
Jiang Wanyu breathed a sigh of relief in her heart.
(End of the Chapter)
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