Translator: CinderTL
Taixu Sword Sect.
For nearly two years, all Nascent Soul cultivators within the Blue Star Minor Realm, as well as those within the sect itself, had been cut off from the outside world.
Two years was nothing to Nascent Soul True Lords, whose lifespans often stretched into the hundreds or even thousands of years.
The isolation didn't disrupt their daily lives, but the underlying issues behind it kept everyone in the Taixu Sword Sect on edge.
Even as they reassured themselves that no news was good news, anxiety etched itself onto the faces of every Nascent Soul True Lord.
It was in this tense atmosphere that the Golden Crow Battleship and a War Commission vessel simultaneously arrived above the Taixu Sword Sect. This immediately triggered the sect's already heightened alert, prompting the Nascent Soul cultivators to gather at once.
"Two ships! And one of them looks extraordinary! Its class seems even higher than the War Commission's Void Warships!"
"What's really going on? We can't contact the sect, learn about changes in the outside world, or even find out the progress of the Star Gate's construction. Can't True Monarch Wang Li, who's overseeing the project, send us some news?"
"The Wu Ji Sect and Chiyang Sword Sect have already been sealed and their members arrested. Now these people are gathering in force at our Taixu Sword Sect. Could it be..."
True Lords Huan Ming, Bai Lian, Lei Yuan, and You Long quickly gathered.
They exchanged information rapidly.
It was in this tense atmosphere that the Golden Crow Battleship's main gate suddenly opened.
Immediately, two teams of twenty-two cultivators in golden armor leaped out from the warship.
Each of these twenty-two cultivators radiated an aura of immense power, causing the Nascent Soul True Lords of the Taixu Sword Sect to stiffen.
Their expressions darkened further when the cultivators' powerful Divine Senses swiftly enveloped an area spanning thousands, even tens of thousands of miles, eliminating all potential dangers within that zone.
"True Monarchs! They're True Monarchs!"
A suppressed gasp escaped the lips of the Nascent Soul True Lords of the Taixu Sword Sect below.
Primordial Spirit True Monarchs!
These were the pillars of power even within the Main Sect!
For almost every cultivator in the world, reaching the Primordial Spirit True Monarch realm was their ultimate goal.
Every Nascent Soul True Lord present had spent their entire lives hoping to one day achieve that level.
But now...
The number of Primordial Spirit True Monarchs who had suddenly appeared was even greater than the number of Nascent Soul True Lords present!
"This... this is an overwhelming force! When the War Commission sealed off the Wu Ji Sect and the Chiyang Sword Sect not long ago, they only mobilized a few True Monarchs. Yet now, this single warship has unleashed twenty-two True Monarchs at once?"
"More than twenty-two True Monarchs! I sense there are more within this Void Warship who haven't revealed themselves yet. Including those inside, the final number could easily reach fifty, sixty, or even seventy or eighty!"
"True Monarchs clearing the path!? What kind of colossal figure is about to grace our Taixu Sword Sect with their presence!?"
Huan Ming, Bai Lian, Lei Yuan, You Long, and a dozen other True Lords wore expressions of profound unease.
It was amidst this tense atmosphere that Li Chunjun emerged, accompanied by True Monarch Huang Tian, Zuo Cheng, Yu Jin, and Su Fang.
The moment Li Chunjun appeared, every eye in the Taixu Sword Sect turned to him.
Astonishment and delight flashed across every face.
Yet beneath the surface of their joy lay a subtle undercurrent of unease.
Especially considering Li Chunjun's current position.
Zuo Cheng, Yu Jin, and Su Fang, who accompanied him, were all top-tier figures in the Primordial Spirit Realm.
In the eyes of many Primordial Spirit True Monarchs from ordinary forces and families, they were towering giants wielding immense power.
Yet here they were, several Nine Tribulation True Monarchs, all falling half a step behind Li Chunjun, content to serve as his supporting cast. It was clear he was the leader.
And most notably...
None of the other True Monarchs present found anything amiss about this arrangement.
The number one ranked on the Profound Yellow Star Brilliance List.
Simply being able to walk alongside him was an honor.
In many situations, he would be treated with the respect reserved for Void Refining cultivators.
The unsettling surprise that had gripped Jiang Yuqiu until Li Chunjun spoke was finally broken.
"Sect Leader Huan Ming," he said.
"Sword Prodigy Li... Chunjun? What... is this about?"
Huan Ming carefully chose his words, his mind flooded with questions but unsure where to begin.
Jiang Yuqiu of Flaming Phoenix Peak, however, immediately understood the significance of Li Chunjun's arrival. Her eyes lit up with anticipation as she asked, "Sword Prodigy Li, you... you've made it onto the Profound Yellow Star Brilliance List?"
"Not the Profound Yellow Star Brilliance List," Li Chunjun replied without hesitation. "The Profound Yellow Solar Radiance List."
"The Profound Yellow Solar Radiance List!?"
At these words, Jiang Yuqiu paused, momentarily stunned.
But then, the true weight of the words "Solar Radiance List" struck her like a thunderbolt!
Her body began to tremble uncontrollably. "The Profound Yellow Solar Radiance List!? The Nascent Soul Realm's Profound Yellow Solar Radiance List!?"
"Yes," Li Chunjun confirmed.
"What rank?"
"First," Li Chunjun stated.
First!?
Star Brilliance First Rank!?
In that instant, Jiang Yuqiu felt as if a deafening bell had exploded in her mind, its powerful sound waves crashing against her thoughts and consciousness, shattering all reason and leaving only a void of emptiness.
Dizziness and vertigo.
These two simple words struck a Nascent Soul True Lord so hard that she reeled, nearly collapsing.
It wasn't just her. Sect Leader Huan Ming of Radiant Dusk, Bai Lian, True Lord You Long, Peak Lord Lei Yuan, and even Shadowless True Lord and Qi Qian Yu, who had appeared in the distance due to the arrival of the Golden Crow Battleship, were all stunned by this brief but utterly clear exchange. Their minds reeled.
What had they just heard!?
Li Chunjun had made it onto the Profound Yellow Star Brilliance List!
The Profound Yellow Star Brilliance List, one of the three most prestigious rankings in the entire Profound Yellow Great World, left behind by the Profound Yellow Supreme!
The Profound Yellow Ranking Spirit had selected the top 108 Nascent Soul True Lords from among the countless billions of Nascent Soul cultivators across the Profound Yellow Great World, as well as the countless Realm Regions and Lesser Worlds within its Great World boundaries!
And even more astonishingly...
He was ranked first on the Star Brilliance List!
The strongest among the 108 most powerful Nascent Soul cultivators!
Just the thought of these numbers, this weight, sent shivers down the spines of these Nascent Soul True Lords.
"Impossible! How could this be possible!?"
Lei Yuan seemed to have lost the ability to think, repeating these words over and over.
How could Li Chunjun have made it onto the Star Brilliance List!?
And even taken first place!?
In his mind, Li Chunjun reaching the Starry Sky List would have been a remarkable achievement. If he could have climbed into the upper ranks of the Starry Sky List, it would have been enough to send the entire Taixu Sword Sect into rapturous celebration and bring them untold benefits.
The Star Brilliance List?
That was something they hadn't even dared to dream of.
Yet here it was, this feat so extraordinary that even the word "unfathomable" couldn't do it justice. And Li Chunjun had not only achieved it but surpassed their wildest expectations!
"How could such a Peerless Prodigy have appeared on Blue Star, in our Taixu Sword Sect?"
True Lord You Long, fiercely loyal to the Taixu Sword Sect and unwavering in his belief that it was the greatest sect in the world, clutched his head in anguish.
Unworthy!
The Taixu Sword Sect of their Blue Star Minor Realm was utterly unworthy!
A Nascent Soul True Lord capable of reaching the Profound Yellow Star Brilliance List and claiming the Star Brilliance First Rank should only be found among the Council-level Powers of the Immortal Alliance.
Only a Council-level Power with a Dao Unification Supreme Sovereign at its helm could cultivate a Stellar Radiance Prodigy whose combat prowess far exceeded the standards of the Nascent Soul Realm.
The main branch of the Taixu Sword Sect was indeed a Council-level Power!
But the problem was...
Li Chunjun had never trained at the main branch!
"Star Brilliance First Rank... Star Brilliance First Rank..."
Huan Ming's lips trembled uncontrollably.
He was thinking far more deeply.
And in that moment, all the questions that had plagued him were answered.
Why had the Multiverse Hegemony War Committee suddenly mobilized to seal off the Blue Star Minor Realm?
Why had the Hall of Justice intervened in the Immortal Alliance's affairs, imprisoning numerous cultivators from the Wu Ji Sect and the Chiyang Sword Sect?
Why had Li Chunjun returned this time with so many Primordial Spirit True Monarchs in tow?
First Rank!
Because...
Li Chunjun had claimed the Star Brilliance First Rank!
To ensure the secrecy of the Star Brilliance First Rank's information, what was sealing off the Blue Star Minor Realm?
To curry favor with the Star Brilliance First Rank holder, what was sealing off and imprisoning the Wu Ji Sect and Chiyang Sword Sect's branch sects in a Lesser World?
To safeguard the Star Brilliance First Rank holder's safety, what was having dozens of Primordial Spirit True Monarchs accompany him as protectors?
Faced with the weight of being "Star Brilliance First Rank," all the events that had previously seemed earth-shattering and caused widespread panic on Blue Star now seemed insignificant.
If this "Star Brilliance First Rank" chose to act on their will and destroy the entire Blue Star Minor Realm, wiping out its ten billion inhabitants, not a single person or power would dare to raise a voice of protest.
Huan Ming remained stunned for a long moment before finally regaining his composure.
"The Blue Star Taixu Sword Sect... has actually produced a Star Brilliance First Rank..."
His expression seemed on the verge of laughter.
Yet his eyes held a hint of tears.
A Star Brilliance First Rank had emerged from the Taixu Sword Sect.
But this Star Brilliance First Rank...
...had been driven away by the sect's decisions regarding the Wu Ji Sect and Chiyang Sword Sect incidents, severing the deep bond that should have formed between them.
They weren't complete strangers, but expecting this Star Brilliance First Rank to sacrifice everything for the sect's development, even their personal interests for the sect's benefit...
But it was already a distant dream.
"Sigh."
In the distance, Shadowless True Lord seemed to have recalled something, letting out a long sigh.
"We forced a Peerless Prodigy to enter the Two Worlds Mountain Battlefield to forge his own path... The key is..."
A flicker of pain crossed the old man's eyes. "The key is that after this Peerless Prodigy went out on his own, his cultivation progress surpassed our Taixu Sword Sect's meticulous cultivation by countless times! He shot straight from the Star Glory List to the Star Brilliance List, and... he's now ranked first!"
Star Brilliance First Rank!
How absurd and ironic!
They had believed everything they did was for Li Chunjun's own good. They had considered every decision from his perspective, even resorting to harsh criticism.
But the reality had slapped them in the face.
A true Peerless Prodigy like Li Chunjun didn't need the Taixu Sword Sect to shine brilliantly. In fact, the light he now emitted was even more dazzling than when he was within the sect.
"The blockade on the Blue Star Minor Realm will be lifted soon, and order will be restored," Li Chunjun said, addressing the question that had been on everyone in the Taixu Sword Sect's minds for the past two years.
But at this moment...
The crowd was still reeling from the revelation that he was the Star Brilliance First Rank. Their expressions were dazed.
"I've come to take someone to the Chiyang Sword Sect. As I promised, I will make him witness its destruction with his own eyes."
Li Chunjun turned his gaze toward Flaming Phoenix Peak.
There, imprisoned since he had crippled him, was Zhou Wu Gou, the Chiyang Sword Sect's True Inheritor Disciple.
(End of the Chapter)
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