Translator: CinderTL
"Hisss!"
Even though Jiang Yuxue, Zhang Weiqian, Qin Zhou, and others had already informed her, preparing her mentally, when Jiang Yuqiu personally heard Li Chunjun admit that his Sword Intent had reached the Minor Achievement stage, the Peak Master of Flaming Phoenix Peak couldn't help but suck in a sharp breath.
Minor Achievement!?
His Sword Intent has reached Minor Achievement!?
Breaking through from Qi Refining to Core Formation, with a surge in Essence Qi, Spirit, and Vitality, propelling his Sword Intent into Minor Achievement!? Since when could Sword Intent be broken through so easily? If that were the case, cultivators with Minor Achievement, Major Achievement, or even Perfection in Sword Intent would be everywhere.
It must be known that even she, a True Lord who had lived for over six hundred years and had been in the Nascent Soul stage for more than four centuries, had yet to elevate her Sword Intent to the Minor Achievement stage.
Those who could achieve Minor Achievement in Sword Intent were all exceptional among Nascent Soul cultivators.
In the entire Taixu Sword Sect, the number of experts who had cultivated their Sword Intent to this level could be counted on one hand.
And yet, Li Chunjun, a cultivator at the early Core Formation stage, had accomplished this, leaving many Nascent Soul cultivators of the Taixu Sword Sect far behind.
This was simply...
"Good!"
All the thoughts in Jiang Yuqiu's heart condensed into this single word.
She looked at Li Chunjun, her eyes gleaming with brilliance: "I believe you now have the strength to face Golden Core cultivators head-on, rivaling the true disciples!"
Li Chunjun did not deny it.
"Although you now possess combat power comparable to a true disciple, some resources originally intended for you may no longer be of use. However, these are still rightfully yours. To avoid waste, if you have any material needs, speak up as soon as possible. As long as it's available, I believe the Sect Master will not refuse."
Jiang Yuqiu said.
"Needs..."
Li Chunjun pondered slightly, then said, "I need a void-type material to refine into my Lifebound Flying Sword to enhance its attack speed. I would appreciate it if the Peak Master could apply for it on my behalf."
"Void-type material..."
Jiang Yuqiu was momentarily stunned, as if she had thought of something.
After a moment, she said, "I'll go right away."
She looked at Li Chunjun: "Use the Myriad Spirits Divine Light as soon as possible. If all goes well, it should indeed allow you to advance your cultivation further in the near future, achieving the True Core stage. At that time... even the true disciples of other sects will likely be slightly inferior to you."
Li Chunjun nodded: "I will prepare to go into seclusion and begin my advancement to the True Core Realm."
"Good, then I won't disturb you further. I'll go find the Sect Master now."
After speaking, Jiang Yuqiu left on her Flying Sword.
Li Chunjun also nodded to Jiang Wanyu, who was following behind Jiang Yuqiu: "Senior Sister, rest early."
With that, he headed toward his courtyard.
Jiang Wanyu had originally wanted to pull Li Chunjun aside and share in the joy of his breakthrough to Core Formation.
But seeing him turn and leave, seemingly eager to cultivate...
She could only suppress the myriad words in her heart for now.
"Well, Junior Brother, you don't need to push yourself too hard. In the path of cultivation, it's important to balance exertion and relaxation. Otherwise, it will only backfire. You've already achieved Core Formation; taking a short break and slowing down the pace a bit is perfectly fine."
Jiang Wanyu said.
"It's fine."
Li Chunjun smiled and said, "I understand. However, for me, cultivation is a very enjoyable thing, so Senior Sister, you don't need to worry about me."
"Cultivation... is enjoyable?"
Jiang Wanyu had heard of such people, but she had never met one before.
Seeing Li Chunjun speak in this manner, although she couldn't fully comprehend it, she nodded nonetheless. "Junior Brother, if you have any questions about your cultivation, feel free to ask me. Even though you've already reached the Core Formation stage, I believe my experiences from Core Formation to True Core can still offer you some valuable insights."
"If I need guidance, I will certainly seek your advice, Senior Sister."
Li Chunjun gave a slight nod.
After their exchange, he turned and returned to his courtyard.
Once back, he took a moment to wash away the dust and fatigue of his journey.
That day, he had traveled over ten thousand miles, and the exhaustion from the journey was undeniable.
However, having gone through more than one intense battle, the weariness from the journey had been somewhat suppressed.
Now, after cleaning up, he truly felt a hint of fatigue in his mind.
He knew that this fatigue was partly due to his own state and partly due to the weakness brought on by the severe damage to the Scarlet Sky Sword.
This weakness and fatigue indeed gave rise to a desire to "take a short rest."
But...
This thought was swiftly and decisively crushed by Li Chunjun within a second.
Take a rest!? If he couldn't even kill Bai Yang and Tian Jian, let alone destroy the Chiyang Sword Sect, what right did he have to rest!?
Moreover...
The path of immortality is a fierce competition!
There is only progress, no retreat; only life and death. If he chose to rest now, then in the future, when faced with greater challenges, he would inevitably develop a sense of laziness, leading him to rest again.
And if this became a habit...
Could he still maintain his current drive and urgency!?
He couldn't guarantee it! He couldn't! Because, having lived for eighteen years, he knew very well that he...
Was an ordinary person!
Someone prone to laziness, procrastination, and excuses, always finding ways to slack off and justify it.
Once he became complacent and lazy, he feared he would never be able to work hard again.
He feared he would no longer be able to maintain this belief, to charge relentlessly toward that nearly impossible goal.
So...
He had to keep moving.
He had to keep himself busy.
No room for any slack.
No room for any stagnation.
Don't look, don't listen, don't think.
Just keep moving toward that goal...
Forward, forward, forward, onward!
...
Chiyang Sword Sect.
Compared to the recently jubilant and enthusiastic Taixu Sword Sect, the atmosphere within the Chiyang Sword Sect was oppressively heavy.
"Seven Core Formation Elders! A total of seven Core Formation Elders! Including two Golden Core Elders!"
At this moment, in the grand hall, Zhan Chiyang, the sect leader of the Chiyang Sword Sect, was coldly scanning the dozen or so Nascent Soul and Core Formation Elders present.
Among them were Wan Jinzhao, the head of the War Conquest Hall responsible for external campaigns, Zhou Chixin, in charge of intelligence and diplomacy, and Zhou Wu Gou, the True Inheritor Disciple stationed in Great Shang.
Additionally, Bai Yang and Tian Jian, two elders who normally wouldn't have the right to enter the hall, had been summoned here for special reasons.
Zhan Chiyang's gaze now fell on Zhou Wu Gou and the other Core Formation Elders. "In the past month of friction between our Chiyang Sword Sect and the Taixu Sword Sect, the number of Core Formation Elders we've lost doesn't even come close to what we lost in just one day today! Seven in a single day! With 322 Core Formation Elders in our sect, how long can we sustain such losses?" He spoke heavily, "A month and a half! In a month and a half, all our Core Formation Elders will be slaughtered! Is this the result you all want!?"
Zhou Wu Gou remained silent.
Bai Yang and Tian Jian, under the sect leader's fury, didn't dare to even breathe loudly.
At the same time, they were still unable to completely suppress the shock and fear that had gripped them since receiving the news not long ago.
Core Formation!?
Li Chunjun…
Had he really reached Core Formation!? How long had it been since he fled their Chiyang Sword Sect and joined the Taixu Sword Sect!?
Less than a year!
In less than a year, he not only overcame the most difficult hurdle for all Sword Cultivators—Refining Sword into Core—but also leaped to become the most powerful early-stage Core Formation cultivator, using the sharpness of his Flying Sword and the edge of his Sword Intent to kill seven Core Formation cultivators from their sect!?
Although the deaths of these seven Core Formation cultivators must have been aided by his Dao Protector…
Still…
Daring to step onto the front lines and daring to fight Golden Core cultivators was itself a testament to his confidence in his own strength.
This kind of monster…
"This is our oversight…"
Zhou Wu Gou admitted the mistake.
But Zhan Chiyang ignored him and directly turned his gaze to Zhou Chixin, who was in charge of diplomatic intelligence: "Hall Master Zhou, shouldn't you explain why your intelligence department failed to provide any information about Li Chunjun's breakthrough to Core Formation?"
"Li Chunjun's breakthrough to Core Formation must have occurred during a moment of sudden enlightenment, a stroke of fortune that allowed him to step into the Core Formation realm. Not only did we receive no news of it, but as far as I know, even the Taixu Sword Sect was completely unaware of his achievement."
Zhou Chixin spoke solemnly.
"Fine, his breakthrough to Core Formation was too sudden. But how do you explain his Sword Intent reaching the Minor Achievement stage?"
As Zhan Chiyang spoke these words, even he found them somewhat unbelievable, so he added: "This information was transmitted by several True Core cultivators before their deaths—it cannot be false!"
Zhou Chixin immediately fell silent.
Sorry.
He couldn't understand it.
He truly couldn't understand it.
It was already outrageous enough for someone to develop Sword Intent at the Core Formation stage, but to also achieve Minor Achievement in Sword Intent?
This made those Nascent Soul cultivators, whose Sword Intent was still stuck at the beginner stage, feel as though they had wasted centuries of their lives.
So…
This matter, Zhou Chixin truly couldn't explain.
Not just him.
Shortly after asking this question, Zhan Chiyang also fell silent.
It seemed…
Even he, the sect master, had not yet elevated his Mystical Powers to the Minor Achievement stage?
"Alright, this isn't your fault."
Zhan Chiyang sighed: "Li Chunjun's mastery of Sword Intent is indeed unparalleled…"
He exhaled deeply.
At this moment, he felt a twinge of regret.
If only they hadn't been so harsh in their treatment of Li Chunjun back then…
But in just a moment, Zhan Chiyang crushed that thought.
There was no room for regret.
Li Chunjun had already been determined to join the Taixu Sword Sect, and he would inevitably become a major threat to their Chiyang Sword Sect.
If there was anything to regret, it should be why they hadn't sent more cultivators to eliminate him before he could escape the Chiyang Sword Sect's territory.
"This matter requires an explanation from you."
Zhan Chiyang's gaze fell on Bai Yang and Tian Jian.
Zhou Chixin was a Nascent Soul True Lord like him, and Zhou Wu Gou was indeed unrivaled among Golden Core cultivators.
But these two Core Formation cultivators…
"Sect Master, the emergence of a Flaming Phoenix Sword Prodigy in the Taixu Sword Sect is not only a major threat to our Chiyang Sword Sect but also to the other sects. At this time, we must unite with the other sects…"
Tian Jian quickly interjected.
Before he could finish, Zhan Chiyang interrupted, "There's no need for you to say that. What I want is for you to come up with a practical and feasible plan to deal with Li Chunjun! We absolutely cannot allow this boy to become the true Flaming Phoenix Sword Prodigy!"
"Elder, I recall that Elder Ge Li of the Xian Tian Sect is proficient in the Bloodline Curse Killing Art?" Bai Yang suddenly interjected.
"That is indeed the case," Zhan Chiyang nodded slightly.
"Our Chiyang Sword Sect, Zhou Tian Sect, Piao Miao Sect, Xian Tian Sect, and Wu Ji Sect all border the Taixu Sword Sect. The five sects are as close as lips and teeth. In the matter of eliminating the Flaming Phoenix Sword Prodigy, the Xian Tian Sect also has a stake in contributing, right?" Bai Yang continued.
"Naturally, they would not hesitate to act if given the opportunity," Zhan Chiyang replied accurately. After a moment, he realized something, "You are suggesting..."
"Li Chunjun's father is already dead, but..." Bai Yang smiled slightly, "I have found Li Chunjun's mother! We can use her as a hostage to force Li Chunjun into the game!"
"Difficult," Zhou Chixin shook his head, "Li Chunjun was abandoned by his parents at a young age and was raised by his sister. He has no emotional attachment to his mother."
"It's just an attempt," Bai Yang said, "If Li Chunjun is unwilling to comply for his mother's sake, we can always resort to the Bloodline Curse Killing Art later!"
"Li Chunjun has cultivated Sword Intent. The curse might not take effect, and even if it does... If Ge Li were to curse Li Chunjun, wouldn't that be equivalent to a Nascent Soul expert personally intervening!? The Taixu Sword Sect would never let it go, and the intensity of the war would escalate directly into a full-scale conflict!" Zhou Chixin rejected the proposal, "This is an outcome that our Chiyang Sword Sect does not wish to see, the Xian Tian Sect does not wish to see, and the higher sects would never allow such a rule-breaking act to occur."
Zhan Chiyang nodded, "Nascent Soul experts must not intervene. This is a rule witnessed by the higher sects and cannot be broken!"
"I understand that, but what if the caster is at the Core Formation stage?" Bai Yang asked.
"A Core Formation caster? How could they possibly handle Li Chunjun, who has cultivated Sword Intent?" Zhan Chiyang frowned.
"Under normal circumstances, they couldn't, but if Li Chunjun is in the midst of a critical moment and unable to pay attention... and then suddenly struck by the Bloodline Curse Killing Art..." Bai Yang hinted.
His words made Zhan Chiyang, Zhou Chixin, and the others think of something, their eyes lighting up.
"This method... could indeed be a surefire way to eliminate Li Chunjun before he grows into the true Flaming Phoenix Sword Prodigy."
(End of the Chapter)
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