Translator: CinderTL
For Li Chunjun, no matter how powerful a talisman was, it paled in comparison to the importance of rapidly enhancing his strength.
As long as it could elevate his cultivation, any external object could be discarded.
Thus, he used the Sky Sword Cloud Severing Talisman without hesitation.
There was not a hint of reluctance in his actions.
Ahead.
Hai Fenglie, who was presiding over the formation change, had already turned pale upon seeing the talisman in Li Chunjun's hand.
"Not good!"
The moment Li Chunjun activated the talisman, this True Inheritor Disciple roared, "Disperse the formation!"
At the same time, a Fifth-Tier Myriad Thunderbolts Talisman appeared in his hand.
Gritting his teeth, he activated his talisman with equal decisiveness.
Facing the Fifth-Tier Talisman unleashed by his opponent...
If he didn't use it, he would die!
As the Sky Sword Cloud Severing Talisman instantly transformed into a sword light that tore through the clouds and pressed down on the void, the Myriad Thunderbolts Talisman also stirred the winds and clouds, transforming into countless thunderbolts that swept across the heavens and earth.
Two attacks, each comparable to the power of a Primordial Spirit, collided in the void one after the other.
The energy within the Fifth-Tier Talismans was fully unleashed, and the resulting destructive shockwaves could only be described as overwhelming! The violent collision of sword light and thunderbolts turned the surrounding hundred miles into a hellish landscape of destruction! Scattered Sword Qi and shattered thunderbolts spread recklessly across the area.
The Four Symbols True Lord, who had just steered his Flying Boat into this zone, had no time to deploy his elite forces before being swept into the terrifying energy shockwaves.
Even though these were merely residual forces from the Fifth-Tier Talismans, they still dealt a significant blow to the many Core Formation Cultivators present.
Chaos erupted across the battlefield! Since Hai Fenglie's Myriad Thunderbolts Talisman was slightly slower, the power of the Sky Sword Cloud Severing Talisman erupted almost directly above their Dipper Calamity Dragon Formation, causing the entire formation to be overturned by the energy.
Many Core Formation Cultivators were swept by the shockwaves, their Spirit Artifacts shattered, and they spat blood.
But this was not the main issue.
The key point was that amidst the raging energy shockwaves, a sword light moved with an eerily swift speed, weaving through the collapsing formation and piercing through one Core Formation Cultivator after another who had been severely injured by the shockwaves.
This scene caused Hai Fenglie's eyes to widen in fury.
"Li Chunjun, have you gone mad!?"
To kill with Sword Flight amidst the shockwaves of a Fifth-Tier Talisman collision!?
But then, when he caught a glimpse of the figure that briefly appeared under the protection of the Grand Unity Golden Light Talisman, his expression froze.
A Fifth-Tier Protective Talisman!
Such a talisman could not only withstand the residual shockwaves of the Sky Sword Cloud Severing Talisman and the Myriad Thunderbolts Talisman but also had a high chance of preserving one's life even if directly struck by these talismans.
For a moment, Hai Fenglie clenched his teeth.
A Fifth-Tier Protective Talisman! For True Inheritor Disciples like them, having a Fourth-Tier Protective Talisman was already considered a sign of great favor.
Fifth-Tier Talismans were treasures that even Nascent Soul True Lords could use to save their lives in critical moments.
If it weren't for the immense threat posed by Li Chunjun, the Flaming Phoenix Sword Prodigy, the sect would never have been willing to bestow such treasures upon Golden Core True Inheritors like them.
And even among True Inheritor Disciples, not everyone was granted one.
For example, the True Inheritors of the Sun Province, where the Zhou Tian Sect's headquarters was located, were not given Fifth-Tier Talismans.
Because it was too close to the sect's main base.
The Zhou Tian Sect didn't believe Li Chunjun could reach the Sun Province.
The sect had been stingy in distributing Fifth-Tier Talismans to them, yet Li Chunjun had casually unleashed two Fifth-Tier Talismans in one go!
Where could they possibly go to reason this out? "Retreat! Quickly, regroup with the Four Symbols True Lord!"
Hai Fenglie's Divine Sense surged as he led the surrounding Core Formation Cultivators, charging straight toward the Four Symbols True Lord's Flying Boat.
But in this chaotic environment, where everything within a hundred miles was engulfed by the residual waves of two Fifth-Tier Talismans, how many Core Formation Cultivators could actually retreat and regroup with the Four Symbols True Lord? In an instant, over a dozen Core Formation Cultivators had already fallen under the sharp edge of the Scarlet Sky Sword.
After annihilating the nearest dozen or so, Li Chunjun turned his sword and pursued Hai Fenglie with deadly intent.
Every Core Formation Cultivator unfortunate enough to be in his path was no match for him. Wherever his sword passed, they turned to ash.
Not far away, the Four Symbols True Lord had now stabilized the Flying Boat. Seeing Hai Fenglie leading the group toward him, he waved his hand without hesitation, and one by one, Core Formation Cultivators leaped down from the Flying Boat.
But just as four of them had jumped down, Li Chunjun arrived first.
He reached the Flying Boat before Hai Fenglie and the others.
Without any hesitation.
Under the intimidation of his Destruction Sword Intent, the Scarlet Sky Sword moved like a You Long, piercing through the bodies of the four with incredible agility. Following their trajectory as they leaped down, it then targeted the other Core Formation Cultivators inside the Flying Boat who were preparing to jump.
On the Flying Boat, some Core Formation Cultivators launched attacks.
But Li Chunjun neither dodged nor avoided them. Relying on the power of the Grand Unity Golden Light Talisman, he withstood their assaults. As his sword light roared, several more Core Formation Cultivators perished.
This scene immediately enraged the Four Symbols True Lord, who was controlling the Flying Boat. "How dare you act so recklessly!"
His Qi surged, and a chilling killing intent instantly filled the air.
"You dare to make a move?"
Li Chunjun's gaze swept over him.
In that moment...
The True Lord's hand froze mid-action.
Make a move? A Nascent Soul cultivator attacking a Core Formation Cultivator?
And targeting someone like Li Chunjun, the Flaming Phoenix Sword Prodigy? It didn't take a genius to guess that this would completely enrage the Taixu Sword Sect.
If the Taixu Sword Sect's many Nascent Soul cultivators were to swarm in...
Whether other sects would send Nascent Soul cultivators to help the Zhou Tian Sect fight against the Taixu Sword Sect was uncertain, but the Zhou Tian Sect...
Would undoubtedly be utterly destroyed under the Taixu Sword Sect's might.
He, too, would likely become a victim of Huan Ming, Jiang Yuqiu, and others' swords.
Even if the matter were brought before the higher sects, it was the Zhou Tian Sect that had violated the rules first.
In the end, the Zhou Tian Sect's destruction would be inevitable.
For a moment, the Four Symbols True Lord forcibly suppressed his urge to act. "If you're not going to make a move, then leave. Don't stand in the way here."
"This Flying Boat is my personal property. If I leave, I'll naturally take it with me!"
With that, the True Lord rolled up the Flying Boat and swiftly charged outward.
This was the limit of what he could do.
In fact, if the Taixu Sword Sect were to make a big deal out of it, his act of taking the Flying Boat and the Core Formation Cultivators inside could already be considered interference in the battle, and he would inevitably face consequences.
However, the Taixu Sword Sect was currently focused on dealing with the Chiyang Sword Sect and the Wu Ji Sect. The Zhou Tian Sect was betting that the Taixu Sword Sect wouldn't want to fight on three fronts, which was why they dared to leave with their people.
But this scene filled Hai Fenglie and the Core Formation Cultivators around him with despair.
Especially when Li Chunjun, seeing the Four Symbols True Lord retreating with the Flying Boat, turned his attention toward them. The despair in their eyes deepened.
"Run!"
At this moment, this True Inheritor Disciple no longer dared to hold onto any hope. "Scatter and run! Whoever can escape, let them escape!"
They had already been utterly defeated.
Defeated by Li Chunjun's sword, and even more so by a Sky Sword Cloud Severing Talisman.
Recalling their reactions when they heard about Zhou Wu Gou losing the territory of Great Shang, they all laughed mockingly.
They were confident that they would never make such a mistake.
But now...
They mocked Zhou Wu Gou, understood Zhou Wu Gou, and became Zhou Wu Gou.
...
"Whoosh!"
With the enhancement of the Transverse Golden Light Talisman, the Flying Boat traveled thirty miles in an instant.
At this moment, a Divine Sense message came from within: "Hall Master, let us disembark."
It was the voice of Kai Yang, another True Inheritor of the Zhou Tian Sect.
"Enough!"
The Four Symbols True Lord said sternly, "The true opponents of the Taixu Sword Sect should be the Chiyang Sword Sect and the Wu Ji Sect, not us. We shouldn't be locked in a death struggle with them."
"This is not just about the sect's face, but also about its interests. If this Flaming Phoenix Sword Prodigy truly becomes unstoppable, it's only a matter of time before the eight sects are eliminated."
Kai Yang said, "After all, Li Chunjun is different from Jiang Lingyun. He's only at the True Core Realm. You don't have a strong enough reason to remove him."
The Four Symbols True Lord glanced at this True Inheritor who was stationed in Sun Province and snorted lightly, "Do I have to spell it out for you? The golden light surrounding him is from the Grand Unity Golden Light Talisman! With eight people missing from your Eight Desolations Dragon Locking Formation, how can a formation of forty-one people possibly deal with him?"
"The key is the Grand Unity Golden Light Talisman! I've observed carefully, his Flying Sword already shows signs of damage. As long as we can break his Grand Unity Golden Light Talisman, we can definitely destroy his foundation and ruin his future today."
Kai Yang said heavily.
He looked at the Four Symbols True Lord, "Six years ago, the Hall Master exchanged sect contributions for a fifth-grade Law Suppression Talisman, right? That talisman will surely be able to break the Grand Unity Golden Light Talisman."
"Do you really want that Nascent Soul Pill that much?"
The Four Symbols True Lord's eyes flickered.
"It's not just about the Nascent Soul Pill. I also want to contribute to the sect, to repay the sect for its cultivation over the years."
Kai Yang said, "I've heard that the eight sects have privately reached a consensus. Each sect will offer a reward no less valuable than a fifth-grade material. Whoever can kill Li Chunjun will receive all eight rewards. I promise the Hall Master, if we destroy Li Chunjun's Flying Sword, all the credit will go to the Hall Master."
The Four Symbols True Lord glanced at Kai Yang.
Then he looked at Li Chunjun, the Flaming Phoenix Sword Prodigy, who was currently slaughtering Hai Fenglie and his men.
Soon, he made a decision.
A jade talisman was handed over.
"I'm waiting to see your performance!"
"I won't let the Hall Master down."
Kai Yang said respectfully.
He waved his hand at the Core Formation cultivators behind him, "Li Chunjun has not only been slaughtering among us just now, but now he's also mercilessly killing our fellow sect members! We cannot tolerate this! Follow me, and let us make contributions for our sect!"
The forty Core Formation cultivators in the Flying Boat, though some had already begun to feel a trace of fear towards Li Chunjun's strength, under the watchful eyes of Kai Yang, the True Inheritor, and the Four Symbols True Lord, could only grit their teeth and disembark from the Flying Boat. They formed a formation and charged straight towards Li Chunjun.
This scene was quickly noticed by Li Chunjun, who was currently chasing down the fleeing Nascent Soul cultivators.
"Their desire to destroy me remains unyielding."
He muttered softly.
He glanced at the Lifebound Flying Sword in his hand...
After breaking through Star Province, then Moon Province, and engaging in continuous battles, the Flying Sword was indeed already quite damaged.
It would take at least a year or half to nurture.
If slower, it could even take three to five years.
This gave the Core Formation cultivators of the Zhou Tian Sect the confidence to defeat him.
However...
He focused his senses to perceive the state of the Human Emperor Banner.
...
"Killed a Level 23 creature, experience +511!"
"Killed a Level 23 creature, experience +1408!"
...
[Life Level: 27 (67416/70000)]
...
At the moment, he glanced at Hai Fenglie, the True Inheritor who was not his primary target due to the "cost-effectiveness" being lower, and then at Kai Yang and his group who were forming a formation to attack.
"You can take your time setting up the formation and finishing up. I'll come back next time!"
(End of the Chapter)
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