Translator: CinderTL
"Good!"
Just a second ago, Zhou Wu Gou, Bai Yang, Tian Jian, and others seemed to have believed that Li Chunjun had truly left and were cursing incessantly. But now, they all smiled simultaneously.
"He finally took the bait!"
The Minor Teleportation Talisman should have been a sixth-grade talisman, extremely precious.
However, due to its universal adaptability, every major sect had Void Refining Great Powers specifically refining such talismans, making it far less rare than other sixth-grade talismans.
As a result, it could even appear on some Core Formation cultivators with special statuses.
For example, the True Inheritors of various sects!
And Li Chunjun, the Flaming Phoenix Sword Prodigy!
Therefore, the Chiyang Sword Sect's plan against Li Chunjun had to take the Minor Teleportation Talisman into account.
Zhou Wu Gou deliberately opened a gap in the formation, seemingly luring Li Chunjun to attack, but in reality, it was to provide him with an opportunity to use the Minor Teleportation Talisman.
In terms of cunning and scheming, how could the nineteen-year-old Li Chunjun compare to Core Formation cultivators who had lived for one or two hundred years, or even two or three hundred years?
And the key to restricting the Minor Teleportation Talisman—the Space Locking Array—was arranged on the woman by Bai Yang, who had requested the sect leader to use a top-tier fourth-grade array disk!
No matter how cautious a cultivator is, they would instinctively trust their closest relatives, thus overlooking the potential risks hidden on them.
Especially someone as inexperienced as Li Chunjun?
The final development of events was exactly as they had anticipated.
They...
Had finally succeeded.
In an instant, Zhou Wu Gou, Tian Jian, and others simultaneously activated the power of the royal city's formation.
One after another, fourth-grade formations radiated with dazzling light, carrying terrifying suppression and sealing forces that washed over Li Chunjun's body, making him feel as if he were being crushed by a mountain.
Even the surface of his body couldn't help but bleed.
It was evident how heavy the burden he was bearing at this moment.
"Haha, good! Mortal, you've done well. I will have the Great Shang King ennoble you! A mansion in the capital, billions in assets, a prestigious status—you shall have it all!"
Bai Yang, while manipulating the formation, couldn't help but let out a hearty laugh.
The Chiyang Sword Sect's greatest threat had finally been captured.
And it was fortunate that they had captured him now, otherwise...
Who knows what kind of damage he might have inflicted on the Chiyang Sword Sect in the future.
The woman's eyes brimmed with uncontrollable joy.
Bestowed with wealth and ennobled, rising to the top in one step! Just thinking about it made her tremble with excitement.
"So... you were also part of this grand scheme?"
Li Chunjun glanced at her.
"Don't blame me. I was forced. They found me and gave me a choice: either kill me or cooperate with them and grant me billions in assets. What could I do? If you want to blame someone, blame yourself! Why didn't you take me to enjoy the good life when you rose to prominence in the Taixu Sword Sect? If you didn't take me, I had to fight for it myself!"
As she spoke, the woman couldn't suppress the joy in her eyes at the thought of the wealth and status she was about to receive.
Li Chunjun said nothing more.
It was normal.
She was that kind of person.
Willing to abandon her husband and child for money.
For over a decade, she hadn't changed at all.
Zhou Wu Gou manipulated the formation, further strengthening the surrounding blockade, eliminating any possibility of Li Chunjun escaping the royal city, and at the same time laughed, "Li Chunjun, oh Li Chunjun, you are truly pitiful.".."
"Boom!"
Before he could finish his words, a stream of light emerged from his body, forming a halo that clashed with the mountain-like suppression force of the Mountain Moving and Sea Suppressing Formation.
The force of their collision caused the central tower of the formation to tremble violently.
"This is... the passive defensive Mystic Treasure—the Apocalypse Ring!"
Zhou Wu Gou immediately recognized the origin of this halo.
The Apocalypse Ring! Its most notable feature is that it doesn't require activation by the cultivator; it only activates passively when it senses that the cultivator is in mortal danger.
This is...
A top-tier Mystic Treasure of the Taixu Sword Sect, often carried only by the sect leader, Huan Ming, during his travels! This is a standard configuration for the leader of the Taixu Sword Sect!
How could such a treasure be bestowed upon Li Chunjun!?
Moreover, their intelligence had not caught wind of this at all! In fact, not even Li Chunjun himself knew that he possessed such a powerful protective Mystic Treasure.
Jiang Yuqiu and the others had never mentioned it to him.
And as a Sword Cultivator with limited experience, he wouldn't recognize the Apocalypse Ring, which appears unremarkable when not activated.
Although the appearance of this protective Mystic Treasure was unexpected, it came at the perfect moment.
As the Apocalypse Ring was activated, the power of the Mountain Moving and Sea Suppressing Formation was barely held at bay, and Li Chunjun's Divine Sense and Sword Qi began to flow once more.
He immediately sensed the two fifth-grade Talismans within his Storage Bracelet.
The Sky Sword Cloud Severing Talisman, for offense.
The Grand Unity Golden Light Talisman, for defense.
Without any hesitation, he activated the power of both Talismans simultaneously!
In the next moment, a powerful sword light, capable of tearing through the clouds, erupted from Li Chunjun, shooting straight into the sky.
The overwhelming and terrifying sword pressure, formed in an instant, caused Zhou Wu Gou, Bai Yang, and the others to change their expressions drastically.
"The Sky Sword Cloud Severing Talisman!"
Zhou Wu Gou let out a long roar: "Combine the formation! Suppress the demon!"
His powerful Divine Sense instantly merged with the Divine Senses of the other twenty-plus Core Formation cultivators present, channeling all the power of the formation, and collided head-on with the Sky Sword Cloud Severing Talisman unleashed by Li Chunjun.
As the power of multiple fourth-grade formations combined, manifesting the might of a fifth-grade formation, the entire sky above the Great Shang Dynasty seemed to invert, crashing down toward the sword light unleashed by Li Chunjun. The moment they collided, it was as if a nuclear bomb had been detonated in the heavens.
An unprecedented burst of light, accompanied by an energy storm capable of destroying everything, instantly spread from above the tower.
The top of the tower, which served as the formation's foundation, was like a sandcastle before a tsunami, instantly reduced to dust under the terrifying light and shockwave.
The terrifying shockwaves, carrying an unparalleled destructive force, tore through the clouds and formed a visible atmospheric ring, spreading across hundreds of miles.
The sky above the entire Great Shang Dynasty was as if it had been ravaged by a storm of over ten levels, and countless tall buildings were destroyed in that moment.
Even though this clash actually erupted two to three thousand meters above the ground.
This destructive force, spanning hundreds of miles...
Nascent Soul!
This was a confrontation comparable to the Nascent Soul level!
Li Chunjun's counterattack was decisively executed.
Zhou Wu Gou and the others could react, but for mortals...
In a collision of this magnitude, even the slightest ripple could reduce them to dust.
As the energy erupted, Li Chunjun could clearly "see" the woman's expression shift from surprise to terror, and in the next moment, she was engulfed by the unprecedented burst of light.
Along with the towering structure, it was completely shattered in the violent torrent.
He saw it.
But he took no action.
After all, he was just a Sword Cultivator! Faced with the residual energy waves at the Nascent Soul level, a Sword Cultivator, unparalleled in offense but lacking in defense, could do nothing.
As the two energies collided, creating a shockwave that shook the heavens and the earth, he had already taken to the skies on his sword, streaking like a beam of light towards the horizon, rushing to escape the array.
"Stop him!"
Zhou Wu Gou roared.
He quickly activated several Tier 4 Talismans, frantically hurling them towards Li Chunjun's figure.
At the same time, he exerted all his strength to manipulate the array, trying to suppress and seal Li Chunjun once more.
However, under the power of the Sky Sword Cloud Severing Talisman, the array was trembling everywhere, and it would take at least a couple of breaths to recover.
For now, he could only do his utmost to maintain the power of the Space Locking Array, preventing Li Chunjun from escaping with the Minor Teleportation Talisman.
Without the array's power, the blade lights and Sword Qi transformed from these talismans were all shattered upon hitting the layer of golden light on his body.
A fifth-grade protective talisman—the Grand Unity Golden Light Talisman!
A trump card even for a Nascent Soul True Lord! With the power of this talisman, he withstood five or six Tier 4 Talisman attacks that could be considered lethal for Core Formation cultivators.
Under such relentless attacks, the talisman's glow only dimmed by a third.
Li Chunjun glanced at the golden light on his body, then at the still unrecovered royal city array, and suddenly changed his course just as he was about to break free.
This scene brought a flash of joy to Zhou Wu Gou's eyes.
But then he thought of something, and his pupils contracted sharply.
"Be careful!"
As he shouted, the Scarlet Sky Sword shot out, accompanied by a Sword Intent so powerful it could freeze all things.
Under the lock of this Sword Intent, Zhou Wu Gou, Bai Yang, Tian Jian, and others at the forefront felt a soul-piercing coldness pass through them, making it difficult to even circulate their Qi.
However, they knew this coldness wasn't real but a mental shock from the Sword Intent, reducing their mental activity and making their use of their own powers extremely sluggish.
Just as the Scarlet Sky Sword was about to strike them, a force similar to Sword Intent, with a certain decisiveness, instantly formed an Arcane Arts phantom...
No! It could no longer be called Arcane Arts, but Mystical Powers! This phantom of Mystical Powers, with an unshakable will, collided with the Scarlet Sky Sword.
Although it was instantly crushed by the Sword Intent within the Scarlet Sky Sword, it barely woke up Bai Yang, Tian Jian, and the others.
"Mystic Art Essence!?"
This was Mystic Art Essence comparable to Sword Intent! It was Zhou Wu Gou!
This True Inheritor, not yet a Nascent Soul, had already cultivated Mystic Art Essence, truly deserving of the title of True Inheritor.
Moreover, while forcibly breaking free from Li Chunjun's Sword Intent with his Mystic Art Essence, he immediately activated his protective Mystic Treasure!
Yes, a Mystic Treasure! Every True Inheritor Disciple was the strongest among the Core Formation cultivators of their sect, naturally equipped with Mystic Treasures.
However, he was ultimately forced to shatter his Mystic Art Essence by the Scarlet Sky Sword, and under the backlash of the essence, activating his protective Mystic Treasure was the limit. Under the impact of the Scarlet Sky Sword piercing through the void, it was like being hit head-on by a cannonball.
Fierce flames mixed with a violent energy shockwave exploded and scattered.
The True Inheritor Disciple's Mystic Treasure shattered, his internal organs burned, and he spat out blood as he was sent flying backward, crashing into the royal city's formation.
Li Chunjun, in perfect harmony with his sword, pursued Zhou Wu Gou, who was plummeting toward the royal city, like a streak of light. With a flick of his hand, the Scarlet Sky Sword once again tore through the void, aiming straight for Zhou Wu Gou's body.
But...
A flash of brilliance! The True Inheritor's body seemed to transform into an illusion, vanishing without a trace.
His true form had already flown in another direction.
Tier 4 Talisman—Shape Shifting.
Just like him, the Flaming Phoenix Sword Prodigy, every True Inheritor had too many life-saving techniques at their disposal.
Seeing that as the earth's energy of the Great Shang royal city circulated, the formation that had been severed by the Sky Sword Cloud Severing Talisman was beginning to close again, Li Chunjun redirected his sword light and directly charged toward a nearby Golden Core cultivator.
The sword light howled!
This Golden Core cultivator, who had no significant protective measures to speak of, was instantly torn to shreds by the sword light that pierced through the void.
Then, the sword light shifted again, piercing through the body of another True Core cultivator.
Right in front of everyone, including Zhou Wu Gou, Li Chunjun went on a killing spree, unstoppable.
After slaying two in a row, taking advantage of the gap in the formation's recovery, Li Chunjun, with his crisscrossing Sword Qi, soared into the clouds and in an instant, broke through the royal city's formation.
(End of the Chapter)
---
Read (MI) on Pa.treon@CinderTL - c222. [+4k Words]
Early Access at $5.
Translated (5) Series, (2.6K+) Chapters, (3.5M+) Words.