Translator: CinderTL
The Great Void Ancestral Dragon's colossal true form spanned the outer reaches of the True Dragon Great World, resembling a supermassive black hole that had wandered beyond the Star River System.
Its immense gravitational pull devoured everything around it, creating gravitational tides so powerful that even civilizations tens or hundreds of millions of light-years away, with sufficiently advanced observation technology, could clearly detect them.
But the true Great Void Ancestral Dragon was more than just a physical behemoth rivaling a galaxy-spanning black hole. It also caused profound disturbances in the great dao light net.
These disturbances, transmitted through the Grand Dao Power and the interconnectedness of the great dao light nets across different Great Worlds, directly affected the operational stability of the great dao light nets in other Great Worlds.
Though the impact was subtle, it was enough for any cultivator at the Void Refinement Realm or higher, proficient in related dao techniques, to perceive these minute changes and realize that a Dao Venerable had personally descended.
With the Dao Venerable's direct intervention, not only did the Core Formation, Nascent Soul, and Primordial Spirit cultivators fall silent in terror, but even the Void Refining, Dharma Manifestation, and Supreme Sage cultivators fell silent.
This was akin to a war between two nations in the Azure Star Minor Realm. Amidst the raging flames and the common people's anxiety about their uncertain futures, the high-tier figures remained focused on their power struggles and personal gains.
But if the war escalated to the point of nuclear strikes, everyone would feel a chilling sense of mutual vulnerability, like lips and teeth facing the same fate.
Even the high-tier beings were no exception.
"The Great Void Ancestral Dragon has personally intervened! This... this is truly beyond control now! When was the last time the Dao Venerable took action? Ten thousand years ago?"
"Ten thousand eight hundred years ago, a demon ancestor emerged from the demon race, seeking to establish their independence from Human Race jurisdiction. This prompted the War Commission to dispatch members to eliminate the demon ancestor!"
"A divine sage attracting the Dao Venerable's attention isn't surprising, but I never expected the Dao Venerable to act so swiftly!"
"The Lord of Ephemeral and the others rushed to act precisely because they feared the Dao Venerable's interest in this divine sage. They hoped to exploit the time gap between Supreme Sage and Dao Unification Realm, but Li Shengsheng proved far too powerful, crushing nine Quasi-Tenth-Tier experts with unparalleled might. Alas, his very strength only piqued the Dao Venerable's curiosity further... With the Dao Venerable's intervention, everything will soon come to an end!"
These hushed discussions spread among the Supreme Sages and Dharma Aspect cultivators.
Yet no one dared to openly speculate or discuss the matter with a detached, gossipy attitude.
This stemmed from both a fear of escalating tensions and a deep respect for the Dao Venerable.
Meanwhile, as a handful of Supreme Sages and Dharma Manifestation cultivators whispered among themselves, Void Refining cultivators near the True Dragon Great World swiftly began stockpiling Dao Pills and cultivation resources.
The shifting situation was bound to cause significant economic turmoil in the surrounding regions, driving up prices for Dao Pills and cultivation resources.
Buying early would not only ensure sufficient resources for future cultivation but also allow them to sell at peak prices for a substantial profit.
Of course, whether these nearby Void Refining cultivators or the now-silent Supreme Sages and Dharma Manifestation cultivators, they all shared a common understanding the moment the Great Void Ancestral Dragon descended upon the True Dragon Great World:
It's over.
Li Chunjun, this fleeting brilliance who had defeated numerous Supreme Sages and Quasi-Tenth-Tier innate divine beings...
Would ultimately fade like a shooting star, just like those innate divine beings discovered before reaching the Dao Unification Realm.
If he was lucky, he might enter the Supreme Research Institute. If not...
He would become a stepping stone for some Heavenly Prodigy's advancement.
True Dragon Great World.
The Great Void Ancestral Dragon had already manifested his fourth Avatar and entered the Great World.
However, this time, upon entering the Great World, he didn't immediately detect Li Chunjun waiting for him.
"Hiding?"
The Great Void Ancestral Dragon was slightly surprised, but his expression quickly returned to normal. "I thought you might have some new trump card to amuse me. But... is that all?"
His powerful mental power rapidly permeated the True Dragon Great World's World Will, merging with the entire world's operation. "Hide? Can you truly hide within my True Dragon Great World?"
As the World Will flowed, the Great World's mountains, rivers, and seas materialized within his perception.
From the heavenly dragons and true dragons concealed throughout the world to the smallest insects and rodents, every creature was clearly observed, their innermost details laid bare.
Yet, after a thorough search with his mental power...
"Nothing?"
The Great Void Ancestral Dragon was mildly astonished.
He couldn't find Li Chunjun?
"Little fellow, you're quite adept at hiding."
A subtle shift flickered across the Great Void Ancestral Dragon's expression.
His Heart-Mind continued to merge with the True Dragon Great World's World Will.
His perception deepened, focusing on the area centered around the battlefield.
Law-based beings could transform into countless forms.
Shifting into snakes, insects, rodents, or ants was a trivial matter.
But as he probed deeper, he perceived not only these creatures but also their internal cellular structures.
Moreover, he continuously drew upon his Heart-Mind power from his true form, delving further into the Law structures to analyze the fundamental components of all life.
The excessive use of Heart-Mind power caused the Grand Dao Power within the great dao light net—including the great dao of the soul, the great dao of life, and the Grand Dao of Karma—to surge violently, nearly triggering a backlash.
Yet even with his Heart-Mind power pushed to its limits, after repeatedly scouring the battlefield and expanding the search area, the result remained the same: nothing.
"Where is he?"
For the first time, the Dao Unification Divine Sage lost his composure, the air of effortless superiority he had maintained since his arrival.
His Heart-Mind merged completely with the World Will, scrutinizing every inch of the world, determined to overlook no detail.
But no matter how thoroughly he searched, Li Chunjun...
...had vanished as if he had never existed.
Li Chunjun remained completely undetectable.
If not for the lingering destructive energy from the battlefield, it would have seemed as if Li Chunjun had never existed in this world.
"Impossible!"
The Great Void Ancestral Dragon's brow furrowed, his expression one of utter disbelief. "How could such a massive innate divine being suddenly vanish?"
He unleashed his Void Law Power, amplifying it to a level that shook the very foundations of the Dao.
Concentric ripples of the great dao of the void, subtly infused with the power of the great dao of the soul, emanated from him, sweeping outward in all directions. As they spread, he compressed the surrounding space, as if trying to turn the entire Void inside out, plowing through it layer by layer.
No!
Not just once!
After searching for half a day without finding the slightest trace of Li Chunjun, the dao unification expert finally lost his composure.
"This can't be happening!"
He unleashed his full power, even resorting to destructive searches of the surrounding space.
Currently merged with the World Will and with the breach in the True Dragon Great World still unrepaired, his repeated violent plowing of the Void immediately...
The region's spatial fabric was collapsing, hurtling toward destruction!
Yet the world's sovereign paid it no heed.
An innate divine being!
Moreover, an innate divine being who harmonized two great Daos!
If he could study and refine such a being himself, he would not only gain the great dao of destruction, completing the trinity of Daos and achieving Supreme Sovereign status, but also leverage its innate talent for the Void Dao to ascend to the pinnacle of the Void Dao, becoming its high-tier master!
The benefits such a divine sage could bestow were immeasurable.
Even if the Supreme Research Institute intervened and he ultimately lost the innate divine being, his merit in capturing it would secure him a position as a primary researcher, granting him firsthand access to research results and immense rewards.
Such rewards might rival those of an Immortal Artifact!
An Immortal Artifact that could potentially enable him to unify the three Daos and attain Supreme Sovereign status!
Yet just as everything seemed to be unfolding according to his grand design, an unforeseen twist shattered his plans.
Li Chunjun had vanished!
He had vanished right under the nose of this Dao Unification Realm expert!
"How is this possible?!"
The Great Void Ancestral Dragon's face was filled with disbelief.
Had he truly allowed a Supreme Sage whose Heart-Mind and Qi were still incomplete to escape right before his eyes?
"Nothing is impossible!"
At that moment, a surge of mental power materialized within the Great Void Ancestral Dragon's perception.
This mental power...
"Li Chunjun?!"
The Great Void Ancestral Dragon was both shocked and elated!
Li Chunjun had reappeared!
He abruptly turned toward the source of the mental power.
But...
There was still nothing there!
"Wait! That's wrong!"
In that instant, the Great Void Ancestral Dragon seemed to realize something, his mind snapping back to awareness in horror.
The direction from which Li Chunjun's mental power originated wasn't from around his Avatar, but rather...
Outside the True Dragon Great World!
The Great Void Ancestral Dragon's colossal eyes, dwarfing even the largest stars, snapped forward.
Even his perfected realm Mind Power seemed unable to contain the surging shock.
Li Chunjun!
There, standing before him, was Li Chunjun himself!
Without him noticing, this innate divine being had left the True Dragon Great World and appeared directly before him, at the boundary between the world's interior and exterior.
What terrified and baffled him most was that even with Li Chunjun standing right before his true form, he hadn't sensed him in the slightest.
This wasn't an Avatar!
It was his true form!
Li Chunjun was truly standing before him!
He was right there!
Yet neither the great dao of the void nor the great dao of the soul, which he had fused with, could lock onto his presence.
It was as if he were merely a projection...
No!
Even a projection would require a trace of mental power.
With the power of his soul dao, he could easily trace the projection back to Li Chunjun's true form through that faint mental power.
But...
He couldn't lock onto him.
Though Li Chunjun could be "seen" through simple visual means, the remaining methods—Heart-Mind perception, Great Dao Resonance of the Soul—acted as if he didn't exist at all.
This divine anomaly...
"You..."
"If I want to leave, you can't stop me," Li Chunjun stated bluntly.
The Great Void Ancestral Dragon glared intently at Li Chunjun, its mental power surging, the Great Dao of the Void and the Great Dao of the Soul vibrating ceaselessly.
It seemed to be employing every possible method to pinpoint Li Chunjun's true location.
"However... this alone probably won't make you—make all of you—listen to me properly and answer the questions I want to ask. So..."
Something materialized in Li Chunjun's hand.
The instant this object appeared, the Great Void Ancestral Dragon finally sensed his presence.
At the same time, it recognized the object's origin:
The Source of Time!
"Let's just beat you up first."
(End of the Chapter)
---
📖Read (MI) on Pa.treon@CinderTL - c504. 💠FINISHED💠
🔑Early Access at $5.
💥Translated (6) Series, (4.1K+) Chapters, (5.8M+) Words.