Translator: CinderTL
"Second-stage objective."
Within a simple concealment Array Formation, Li Chunjun was refining the Scarlet Sky Sword in his hand.
Under the fusion of Essence, Qi, and Spirit, condensed to their absolute limit, particles from the void were rapidly integrating into the Scarlet Sky Sword.
This efficiency surpassed even the combined effects of ten or eight portions of Creation Spirit Liquid.
Moreover, using Essence Blood Sacrifice created an unparalleled bond between the sword and its cultivator, as if they were extensions of the same body. Controlling the sword became effortless.
Even the physical strain and energy expenditure during sword flight combat were significantly lower than when refining the sword with external resources like Creation Spirit Liquid.
After refining the flying sword with Essence Qi, Li Chunjun glanced at the Divine Spirit, now bound by various restraints and unable to exert any power.
This Divine Spirit had overheard Li Chunjun and Zhao Yu Pan's conversation.
Though Li Chunjun's method of refining the sword with Essence Blood had initially startled him, when their gazes met, the Divine Spirit sneered coldly.
Rebellious and untamed.
That expression...
It was as if he were practically saying, "I'd like to see what methods you have to force me to speak."
It was utterly provocative.
He seemed to truly have cast his own life and death aside.
And so...
Whoosh!
Li Chunjun raised his hand, and a streak of Sword Qi shot forth, piercing through the Divine Spirit's skull.
Instantly, the Divine Spirit's expression froze.
At the moment the Sword Qi pierced his head, his eyes widened in disbelief.
What about the interrogation?
Alas, no one could provide him with an answer.
Perhaps if he had held out a little longer, witnessing the changes in Li Chunjun might have sparked some insight. But alas...
As long as he remained alive, the "experience" on the Human Emperor Banner wouldn't increase.
Now that he was dead, he wouldn't see what came next.
"Defeated a Level 24 creature! Experience +571!"
[Life Level: 30 (81/100000)]
The familiar sensation surged through Li Chunjun once more.
Along with it came a surge of vitality, energy, and spirit throughout his entire being.
For any cultivator, Essence is the foundation of everything.
Whether it's the Qi Refining cultivator's Qi or the Sword Cultivator's Sword Qi, they all fundamentally rely on harnessing Essence.
Even Divine Sense requires cultivating Essence to its peak before nurturing the spirit to cultivate it.
Even the mysterious power of the "Mind" is inextricably linked to Essence.
Before reaching a certain level of cultivation, Essence forms the fundamental basis of existence for all intelligent life.
Li Chunjun's Life Level increase didn't directly boost his Sword Qi or Qi, but it made his Essence even more vast and potent.
It was like an elephant.
Even if it moved slowly, had a gentle temperament, and might even be hunted by a tiger far smaller in size, no one could deny its massive size and profound Essence.
In this state, Li Chunjun felt not only that his Profound Phoenix Sword Qi had reached a new level of power but also that his Divine Sense had surged in strength.
Especially deep within his mind, the feeling of something about to sprout, a bud waiting to bloom, grew even stronger.
It felt as though only a slight trigger was needed to bring it forth.
"Mind Power," Li Chunjun murmured.
He had sensed this power when his Life Level reached 29.
Moreover, in subsequent battles, Mind Power had proven superior to Divine Sense in perceiving his surroundings, locking onto targets, and other aspects.
That's why he had planned to exchange for a cultivation technique to train Mind Power when he reached the Great Camp.
Unfortunately, even the most basic Mind Power cultivation techniques typically cost tens of thousands of Minor Merit points, an amount Li Chunjun couldn't afford at the time. He had to abandon the idea with regret.
Now...
This feeling had intensified.
"Mind Power is one of the prerequisites for the Void Refining Realm, just as Divine Sense is for the Spirit Refining Realm. Back when I was at Life Level 18, I sensed the nascent form of 'Divine Sense' and could crudely use my mental energy to create an effect similar to it. Later, at Level 19, I obtained a Divine Sense cultivation technique and cultivated Divine Sense Power in one go."
Based on this, at his current level 30, if a cultivation method for Mind Power truly existed, his chances of cultivating it would be far from empty talk.
In fact, even without a specific method, he might naturally grasp the mysteries of Mind Power upon reaching level 31.
"Divine Sense, I can understand. But Mind Power... it's even more profound, akin to a sense of intuition from the depths of the unknown."
Li Chunjun recalled his battles against other enemies.
In moments of life-or-death peril, his rational mind was still calculating whether he could strike first to eliminate his opponent. Yet, Mind Power had already provided him with a precise answer, guiding him to thrust his sword without hesitation.
That feeling told him that with this strike, he would inevitably emerge as the ultimate victor.
This was the wonder of Mind Power.
"If I were to take out a coin, even before I flipped it, I could already determine whether it would land heads or tails... This is a form of precognition, the ability to know the future. If I could master this now, my combat prowess would undoubtedly soar to new heights."
Li Chunjun pondered.
Moreover, the "step" he spoke of meant climbing another level beyond his current state.
If he truly reached that stage, it wouldn't be far-fetched for him to reach the Profound Yellow Star Brilliance List while still in the Golden Core Realm.
After a moment, Li Chunjun shook his head.
There was no need to be so extreme.
Would reaching the Star Brilliance List in the Golden Core Realm even be meaningful?
Yes, it would.
But the ultimate rewards might not outweigh the risks involved.
Therefore, he decided to postpone challenging the Profound Yellow Star Brilliance List until he had cultivated to the Nascent Soul Realm.
"First, let's see how far my Divine Sense has reached."
Collecting his thoughts, Li Chunjun quickly unleashed his Divine Sense.
When his Life Level had risen to 29, his Divine Sense had expanded from 246 miles to 365 miles, a gain of 119 miles.
Now, with his Life Level at 30...
His Divine Sense effortlessly crossed the 400-mile barrier and continued to extend at an astonishing speed.
420 miles... 450 miles... 480 miles... 500 miles...
500 miles was still not the limit!
Li Chunjun's Divine Sense quickly surged past 520 miles, then 540 miles...
Finally, it soared all the way to 550 miles!
Only at this point did his Divine Sense encounter resistance, and the information it gathered became increasingly blurred.
"550 miles!"
Li Chunjun exhaled deeply.
A gain of 185 miles.
The enhancement to his Divine Sense had an immediate and profound impact on his control of Sword Qi and the refinement of his Sword Intent.
Now, when facing Early-stage Nascent Soul Cultivators whose Divine Sense extended only a hundred or two hundred miles, he could crush their Mystic Art Essence and Sword Intent with sheer Divine Sense strength alone, without even needing to unleash his Sword Intent.
Even the Great Void Destruction Sword Intent, which had gradually become ineffective against Apex Divine Spirits, was revitalized by his superior Divine Sense.
And with the Scarlet Sky Sword on the verge of transformation, this improvement...
Was astonishingly significant.
At this moment, Li Chunjun sensed something.
A sudden inspiration struck him.
His Essence, Qi, and Spirit rapidly surged through his Lifebound Flying Sword, instantly imprinting the mark of the Grand Ruins Sword Intent onto it.
Under the influence of these sword marks, the Sword Qi, Sword Intent, and resonance of his Lifebound Flying Sword completely fused, becoming indistinguishable.
With a mental command, he channeled them into a terrifying Sword Qi that shot straight into the clouds.
Though merely a single strand of Sword Qi, as it pierced the sky, it evoked a sense of doomsday collapse, of all things returning to the void.
Far away, True Lord Zhi Yuan, who was patrolling the area, felt the anomaly. Due to his weaker cultivation, he was patrolling closer to the ground. He glanced back and was immediately struck by...
A sense of apocalyptic destruction, a soul-deep impact that shattered his consciousness. A despair unlike anything he had ever known crushed his will to fight.
The universe had already fallen silent.
All things had turned to ashes.
Let him join them, let him follow the end of all things into oblivion, into nothingness.
In that moment, he even abandoned his aerial flight, forsaking all protective measures. He allowed gravity to pull his body downward, plummeting towards the ground.
"Grand Ruins Sword Intent!"
A flicker of joy crossed Li Chunjun's eyes.
He hadn't expected that his Life Level reaching 30, his Essence, Qi, and Spirit surging, and the heightened perception granted by his improved Mind Power would allow him to grasp the true, correct cultivation method for this Mystical Power. This breakthrough had instantly brought him to the introductory level of cultivation.
And...
He hadn't just reached the introductory level!
He had a feeling that with his current foundation, he could quickly achieve mastery of this Mystical Power if he continued practicing.
Reaching the introductory level of a Mystical Power provided the foundation for advancing to the Nascent Soul realm. The growth of an Early-stage Nascent Soul Cultivator was essentially the growth of their first Mystical Power.
In other words, at this moment, if he wished, he could immediately break through to the Nascent Soul realm and become a true Nascent Soul True Lord.
The entire process would unfold naturally, far less perilous than Refining Sword into Core.
"Nascent Soul..."
Li Chunjun murmured the words, his eyes closed.
He suppressed the Grand Ruins Sword Intent.
He couldn't allow this Mystical Power to continue evolving just yet.
The rewards for the top ten on the Profound Yellow Star Brilliance List were enough to make Primordial Spirit True Monarchs envious, indicating a value of at least several thousand Spirit Crystals.
What about the number one spot?
Ten thousand Spirit Crystals wouldn't be an exaggeration.
He might even directly inherit the legacy left behind by the Profound Yellow Supreme.
Moreover, the Child of the Stars who topped the list could personally request any item they desired, and the Profound Yellow List would automatically match their needs.
If he were lucky, he might even receive a top-tier Mind Power inheritance left by a figure like the Profound Yellow Supreme...
Worth over ten thousand Spirit Crystals—more than a hundred thousand Minor Merits.
There's only half a year left. No need to rush, Li Chunjun thought.
He decided to spend the remaining time practicing the Great Dark Heaven and Void Flicker, striving to reach the introductory level in both Mystical Powers.
As he settled his mind, he noticed True Lord Zhi Yuan plummeting through the air. Fortunately, when Li Chunjun retracted his Grand Ruins Sword Intent, the True Lord had already broken free from his despair and self-destructive tendencies, narrowly avoiding a fatal fall.
However, the earlier eruption of Grand Ruins Sword Intent had alarmed Zhao Yu Pan, True Lord Yuanhai, and the others, who were now rushing back to defend their position.
Li Chunjun immediately sent a message through Divine Sense: "I'm fine. The Divine Spirit resisted too fiercely during the Secret Arts, causing a bit of commotion. I accidentally killed it. I'll take a moment to compose myself. You all continue your patrol."
Hearing this, Zhao Yu Pan and the others relaxed. They weren't surprised that he had accidentally killed the Divine Spirit. After all, these creatures, who dared to offer half their souls to a Divine Being, were notoriously uncooperative during interrogation.
At that moment, Li Chunjun's command came again: "Exterminate all Divine Spirits and their Servitors on Continent 84. Then..."
His Divine Sense paused. "Proceed to Continent 6. We will meet the Divine Spirit Envoy there."
(End of the Chapter)
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