Translator: CinderTL
"Lord Zhuo..."
A cold light flashed in Bai Ou's eyes as he prepared to pilot a war machine and charge alongside the other Primordial Spirit True Monarchs toward the Profound Yellow Ancient Tree.
But Zhuo Lie called out, "Wait!"
He glanced at the other Primordial Spirit True Monarchs, who were also growing restless, and said in a deep voice, "Since this Celestial Sovereign is so confident in his cultivation and believes he can defeat all the Foreign Races, let's just stand aside and watch."
"Watch?" Bai Ou was taken aback.
"The Profound Yellow Vast Land is protected by restrictions laid down by Void Refining and Dharma Manifestation Great Powers. Entering from the outside is easy, with no obstacles. But trying to leave from within the Profound Yellow Vast Land will be met with its own pull and restraints... just like mortals overcoming gravity to fly."
Zhuo Lie continued, "He thinks he's so powerful. Let's let him clash with the Divine Race, the Demonic Race, and the Myriad Transformations Race down there. No matter who wins, both sides will be severely weakened. We'll stay above the Profound Yellow Vast Land, waiting for the opportune moment to strike and reap the rewards."
Bai Ou knew this plan was fraught with potential variables.
For example, the Profound Yellow Dao Fruit could be destroyed during the battle, or someone might suddenly swallow it.
But it must be said, it would be best to let the experts from the Divine Race, Demonic Race, and Myriad Transformations Race teach this arrogant Celestial Sovereign a lesson first. They could wait until all the Dao Fruits of the Profound Yellow Ancient Tree had fully ripened before making their move.
The worst-case scenario...
The Dao Fruits would remain in the hands of the Human Race.
They wouldn't gain any rewards for failing to seize the Dao Fruits, but they wouldn't be punished either.
Thinking this, Bai Ou agreed, "Then let's follow Lord Zhuo's suggestion. We'll wait here for a moment, conserving our strength. Once all the Profound Yellow Dao Fruits have been picked, or if the Foreign Races gain the upper hand, we must act immediately to prevent any unforeseen complications."
"Naturally," Zhuo Lie nodded.
He knew that Bai Ou appeared to be deferring to him not because of his superior strength, but simply to use him as a shield.
However, Zhuo Lie needed this "first in command" facade to establish his authority, and they both understood this unspoken arrangement.
If the opportunity arose to seize all the Profound Yellow Dao Fruits, Bai Ou wouldn't hesitate to turn on him, fleeing the Profound Yellow Vast Land with the Dao Fruits to claim glory before his Dharma Manifestation Venerable.
A cold smile played on his lips as he steered his war machine, leading the Human Race experts to retreat slightly, though not too far.
They maintained the pretense of providing support for the Human Race Celestial Sovereign.
Their retreat made it clear to the Divine Race, Demonic Race, and Myriad Transformations Race that the Human Race was not a united front.
Internal factions within the Human Race had always been rife, never a monolithic entity.
This situation was perfectly normal.
If it weren't so, how could smaller races like theirs have survived against the Human Race's overwhelming strength?
Seeing Bai Ou, Zhuo Lie, and others retreat, Sixth-Tier Foreign Race members immediately stepped forward.
"Fellow cultivators, remember why you're here! Only by seizing the Dao Fruit can we leave the Profound Yellow Vast Land alive! Now, tell me, do you want to live as cowardly deserters, or do you want to be heroes for your families and tribes? Even if it's just for a few minutes!"
"The time has come to demonstrate our courage to the great God Emperor! In times like these, we must show His Majesty our valor and loyalty! Kill!"
"No matter how powerful he is, he's just one person! He can't kill us all! Charge!"
These Sixth-Tier Foreign Race members unleashed their divine sense, their voices imbued with a power that stirred the hearts of the remaining Fifth-Tier Foreign Race members, instantly igniting their morale and fighting spirit.
With over a dozen Sixth-Tier Foreign Race members leading the charge, tens of thousands of Foreign Race members simultaneously crossed Li Chunjun's three-thousand-li red line, charging toward the Profound Yellow Ancient Tree.
"They're coming," Li Chunjun murmured to himself.
He glanced at the Profound Yellow Ancient Tree...
Due to the forced cultivation, this harvest of Profound Yellow Dao Fruits wouldn't reach the abundant level of a dozen or more.
Li Chunjun thought to himself, Here they come.
He glanced at the Profound Yellow Ancient Tree...
Due to the forced ripening, this harvest of Profound Yellow Dao Fruits wouldn't reach the peak of a dozen or more.
But there were still eight.
The earliest one was already ripe, ready to be picked.
The slowest one...
would need another two or three hours.
"Two or three hours..."
He turned his gaze to the surging tide of Fifth-Tier Foreign Races, tens of thousands strong, crashing toward him like a flood.
I can hold them off!
In the next instant, the Scarlet Sky Sword erupted like a celestial maiden scattering flowers. Thousands upon thousands of Sword Qi shot forth in a blinding flash, weaving through the air with Void and destructive power, piercing the tens of thousands of Fifth-Tier Foreign Races attacking from all directions.
Each Fifth-Tier Foreign Race unleashed their own unique abilities.
Mystical Powers, Arcane Arts, and Spirit Treasures were unleashed in a dazzling display of light and energy.
The moment the two sides clashed, explosions, roars, and energy beams instantly illuminated a radius of three thousand Li.
It was as if tens of thousands of high-yield hydrogen bombs had detonated simultaneously. The dense, blinding light was so intense that it could be seen clearly even from outside the Profound Yellow Vast Land.
The terrifying energy surge from the explosions then violently erupted outward.
Any Core Formation or Nascent Soul cultivator caught within this maelstrom would be instantly shredded to dust, leaving no trace behind.
However, the intensity of the Profound Yellow Vast Land was far too high for Core Formation or Nascent Soul cultivators to even qualify for entry.
Even so, Fifth-Tier Foreign Races who lacked strong defensive Mystical Powers were torn to pieces by the inescapable torrents of energy that surged from all directions.
With a single strike...
Thousands of Foreign Races perished, their bodies littering the path toward the Profound Yellow Ancient Tree.
Yet even more Foreign Races managed to withstand the onslaught of tens of thousands of Sword Qi blades, rapidly encircling Li Chunjun, who stood near the Profound Yellow Ancient Tree.
This flood of Fifth-Tier Foreign Races...
Stretched as far as the eye could see!
Their escaping light, blazing as they flew at full speed, filled the entire field of vision. Anyone who looked out would see nothing but a dense mass of Fifth-Tier Foreign Races, packed together like a swarm of locusts.
Their numbers were so overwhelming that they could drive any Sixth-Tier Cosmic Radiance or even Seventh-Rank lifeform to the brink of collapse.
Facing this onslaught of tens of thousands of Foreign Races, Li Chunjun poured all his strength into maneuvering his sword light through the dense ranks of Fifth-Tier Foreign Races, tearing through their bodies one after another. But...
Even if he could kill hundreds or thousands of targets with each strike, how many could he possibly kill against tens of thousands of Foreign Race warriors, with more constantly pouring in from the distance?
Moreover, a distance of Three Thousand Li was far too close for a Primordial Spirit.
It was so close that it didn't even give Li Chunjun a chance to launch consecutive attacks.
Even though many Fifth-Tier Foreign Race warriors took a moment to prepare their Mystical Powers and Arcane Arts, after the Scarlet Sky Sword's myriad Sword Qi had swept through the crowd twice, these Foreign Race warriors had still closed to within Two Thousand Li of him.
And that distance was shrinking relentlessly!
One Thousand Eight Hundred Li... One Thousand Six Hundred Li... One Thousand Four Hundred Li...
The battle circle was growing narrower!
His range of movement was shrinking!
At this rate...
He would be overwhelmed, crushed, and exhausted by these Fifth-Tier Foreign Race warriors, who were either fearless in the face of death or already sentenced to death, their only hope of survival the acquisition of the Profound Yellow Dao Fruit.
At this moment, even a Void Refining cultivator would likely sigh, acknowledging the limits of human endurance and the futility of trying to overcome the impossible.
"He can't hold out!"
Not far away, Bai Ou sneered. "Is that all?"
"No one can withstand such a desperate charge. These Foreign Race warriors are even more ferocious than we imagined."
Zhuo Lie's eyes were filled with seriousness. "We're ready. Main Cannon charging. The moment he falls, we strike!"
Bai Ou nodded, not arguing. He knew the difference between urgent and less urgent matters.
Tens of thousands of Foreign Race warriors, led by several Sixth-Rank elites, were closing in on Li Chunjun.
But just as the foremost Sixth-Tier Foreign Race warrior finally reached within a thousand Li of Li Chunjun—a distance that, for top-tier True Monarchs, was practically point-blank range—a surge of powerful Mind Power stabilized his divine sense power and rapidly spread outward.
Fifth-Tier Foreign Race warriors and ordinary Primordial Spirit True Monarchs barely noticed it, but for those who had cultivated Mind Power, their "perception" revealed a river flowing around the Profound Yellow Ancient Tree.
A swiftly flowing river, as if trying to encompass the entire three thousand Li radius around the ancient tree.
But instead of water or waves, this river was filled with...
Sword Qi!
Countless, numbering in the millions, tens of millions, or even hundreds of millions!
The sheer density of the Sword Qi made the Primordial Spirit True Monarchs who had cultivated Mind Power feel their scalps prickle just from a single glance.
Especially the way this Sword Qi had formed...
"Manifestation of Sainthood!? Heart Manifestation!?"
Bai Ou, who had been preparing to strike from above, widened his eyes in disbelief.
"This is Heart Manifestation!?"
"Impossible!"
Zhuo Lie's heart-mind trembled as well. "Heart Manifestation... this is a sign of reaching the Fourth Layer of the Mind Realm! Cultivating the Mind Realm to the Fourth Layer makes breaking through to Void Refining effortless, with almost no chance of failure! Why would such a guaranteed Void Refining Primordial Spirit even set foot on the perilous Profound Yellow Vast Land Battlefield!?"
Not only they, but also the Sixth-Tier Foreign Race leaders erupted in a sudden commotion.
Even the fierce, fearless Divine Sense, conviction, and battle intent that had been unwavering until now began to waver in confusion.
But...
Li Chunjun's attack wouldn't halt because of this confusion and disbelief.
After Heart Manifestation, the Scarlet Sky Sword's Sword Qi, which had been weaving through the crowd of Cultivators, swiftly converged, becoming the vessel for this Heart Manifestation power.
In a sense, Li Chunjun had summoned his own Dharma Manifestation at this moment!
The difference was that a Dharma Manifestation Venerable's Dharma Manifestation stemmed from their own power, their profound understanding of the laws of the universe, and their connection to the vast, boundless Cosmos.
Li Chunjun's Dharma Manifestation relied on the Scarlet Sky Sword, an external object.
Yet even with this reliance, the sword's own power was undeniable.
When the Scarlet Sky Sword, a Superior Dao Artifact, merged with Li Chunjun's Heart Manifestation power, the Sword Qi Long River—previously only perceptible through mental perception and Divine Sense—materialized.
It was as if someone had conjured images of the sun scorching the heavens or a supernova destroying the world in their mind's eye. No matter how awe-inspiring such visions might be, they could only exist within the realm of imagination.
But Li Chunjun...
had brought this scene into reality.
The long river flowed, resembling a water dragon thousands of miles long, nourishing all things without contention.
Yet even a slight movement from such a colossal entity could unleash a catastrophe, turning a thousand-mile radius into a flooded wasteland.
Even now, as the Sword Qi Long River merely flowed through this Void, each droplet of Sword Qi that brushed against any living being within its reach instantly erupted into a suffocating mist of blood.
With a single sweep of the river, tens of thousands of Fifth-Tier Foreign Race members within a three-thousand-Li radius were shredded into bloody waves.
(End of the Chapter)
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