The battles continued, and the worlds they journeyed to became increasingly difficult.
The Ice Sword mercenary group had experienced more than a few failures, and they no longer dwelled on them with excessive guilt, though anger was still present.
This group was now known to everyone within the Shitian race, and their strength was visibly growing. Every encounter required them to reassess their opponents, as the shared memories from previous battles were no longer a reliable measure of their current power.
This prompted the Supremes of the Shitian race to personally intervene and eliminate them. They had indeed tried, but whenever they sensed a threat to their lives, they would immediately retreat to Blue Star.
However, this relentless targeting also diminished the Ice Sword mercenary group's enjoyment of their battles. In some worlds, when the Shitian race was particularly ruthless, they even sacrificed those at the peak of the eighth realm to forcibly confront the Ice Sword mercenary group.
On one occasion, three individuals at the peak of the eighth realm simultaneously activated the [Demon Body Offering to Heaven] technique, breaching Chen Xiaohan's defensive line and nearly killing her. Fortunately, Meng Zibin had retreated quickly, shielding her from a fatal blow.
But this act directly cost him a life. His Vermilion Bird bloodline activated, transforming him into an egg and entering a state of Nirvana.
This was the greatest crisis they had faced; Chen Xiaohan and Meng Zibin had come perilously close to perishing on the spot.
Meng Zibin's near-death experience, in turn, ignited an even greater fury in Chen Xiaohan. She irrationally burned her own life force, and the entire battlefield, under her control, was filled with wailing ghosts and surging poison gas.
The others rushed to stop Chen Xiaohan.
"Don't be rash! Zibin isn't dead!"
"It's not time to burn your life force; he can still Nirvana!"
"Calm down, you'll easily fall into qi deviation like this!"
"..."
Under their intervention, Chen Xiaohan finally regained her composure.
This battle left them all severely injured, clearly indicating the Shitian race's intense desire to kill them, even surpassing their own yearning for victory in the war.
This period of Nirvana rebirth proved fortunate for Meng Zibin, as he was propelled to the late stage of the Mahayana realm, temporarily topping the cultivation rankings of Blue Star cultivators.
However, such a fortunate turn of events could easily lead to utter annihilation. If the phoenix egg that resulted from his Nirvana had been destroyed, he would have truly perished.
Fortunately, his teammates were formidable, protecting him with all their might.
Such opportunities were forged through constant life-or-death struggles on the battlefield; this was their method of cultivation.
As they successively reached the late stage of the Mahayana realm, it meant they were not far from ascending to immortality.
Wang Teng was deeply impressed by Su Tianye's ascension, where he used the heads of the Shitian race to knock open the immortal gate.
In a way, Su Tianye was the person who influenced Wang Teng the most. He even viewed Su Tianye as an idol, not because of his immense power, but because of his composure and decisiveness on the battlefield, his unparalleled courage, which was a significant reason for Wang Teng's current title as the [Assault Vanguard].
Two years and one month into the immortal cultivation era on Blue Star, Li Qingyun finally surpassed Meng Zibin once again on the cultivation rankings. He had reached the bottleneck of the Mahayana realm.
"Are you preparing to ascend?"
Everyone gathered around Li Qingyun, inquiring.
Li Qingyun carefully recalled his experiences and said, "While I feel I could do so at any time, don't forget that opening the immortal gate requires condensing the Dao Fruit. This step is extremely important for us. I've gained some clarity on my Dao, but I need to ponder and refine it carefully. You all also need to start defining your own Daos. The Dao Fruit you condense will determine your future limits!"
Everyone fell into contemplation, realizing that now was indeed the time to consider such matters.
Ascension to immortality was a crucial step. They were not overly concerned about the path leading up to it; they possessed considerable experience in overcoming tribulations. They were also confident in their ability to open the immortal gate, not believing they would fail to open such a minor gate. The only aspect that required careful consideration was the condensation of the Dao Fruit.
Upon reaching the Mahayana realm, ascension was imminent. This was the most significant choice in their cultivation journey.
Li Qingyun entered his [Azure Lotus Realm].
He gazed at this small world, evolved from the [Creation Azure Lotus]. Most cultivators in the late Mahayana stage could create such a world.
However, condensing a small world was a troublesome and protracted process, potentially taking up to a century for the rules to become complete. The members of the Ice Sword mercenary group did not have the leisure to undertake such a task.
Their time was pressing; by Blue Star's reckoning, they had only eleven months remaining.
"I will definitely pursue the path of vitality. Life signifies creation... I will use the [Azure Lotus Realm] as my Dao foundation, and when condensing my Dao Fruit, I will incorporate this world into it..."
Having resolved this, Li Qingyun no longer hesitated and closed his eyes.
A massive Enlightenment Ancient Tree materialized.
He forcefully separated his divine soul, allowing the soul of the Enlightenment Tree to be extracted and serve as the World Tree supporting this [Azure Lotus Realm].
Once rooted, the Enlightenment Tree merged with the world according to Li Qingyun's wishes.
Instantly, the entire world seemed to awaken, with mountains, rivers, and vegetation gradually evolving.
The detachment of the Enlightenment Tree's soul, which constituted the most significant portion of his "heaven-defying posture," represented a temporary weakening of Li Qingyun's combat power. However, this was not a major concern, as it would return to him when he condensed his Dao Fruit.
The Azure Emperor had repeatedly hinted to Li Qingyun that he could directly refine his Dao Fruit; after all, he embodied the Azure Lotus Dao, which was centered around killing and warfare.
But geniuses, as they were, possessed pride and wished to choose their own paths.
During a break, Chu Yang noticed Li Qingyun's condition.
"Are you preparing for ascension?"
"Yes, I've decided. Once the [Azure Lotus Realm] is fully evolved, I will begin my ascension..."
Chu Yang surveyed Li Qingyun, feeling a peculiar sensation. He was the first person on Blue Star to come into contact with immortal cultivation techniques and the first to prepare for ascension.
"Will you ascend on Blue Star?"
"No, the lightning tribulation is the greatest weapon on the battlefield!"
Upon hearing this, Chu Yang fully respected his decision. They would respect the paths each of them chose. His role now was simply to provide them with sufficient support.
"Take out the [Creation Azure Lotus]; I'll upgrade it for you."
Chu Yang directly used the [Upgrade] ability on the [Azure Lotus Realm]...