Planet Pulverizer: A Mortal's Ascent-Chapter 381: Exchange

Li Pin was gazing down below from a scenic overlook on Hualong Mountain as Shi Shihu and Xing Ying reported on the latest developments. They too enjoyed the lively scene below.

Their hearts were full of nostalgia. How many years had it been?

How many years had it been since there was such a bustle in this vast land of Great Moon, this part of the world which had nearly been forgotten?

The lively scene only grew more exciting as the awaited day drew closer. Now, with only a day away from the Skill Crystal Trade Conference, every nation interested in the crystals had already sent envoys.

Numerous Master Astral Cultivators filled the Celestial Martial God Hall at the foot of the mountain, drawing the world's attention to the land for the first time in over sixty years.

It was like a throwback to those glorious days of the once mighty Great Moon.

The only difference was that there was no Great Moon anymore, only the Celestial Martial God Hall.

Shi Shihu said, "As of now, nations from across the Six Extremities, along with factions that have Legendary figures and those seeking to cultivate their own Legends, have all sent envoys to the Celestial Martial God Hall. Many have submitted invitations, hoping to meet with you, Hall Master."

"We won't be meeting anyone. We'll stick to the original plan and auction the crystals through a silent bidding process," Li Pin replied.

He had chosen not to auction the ten Skill Crystals in the traditional manner. Instead, he would hold ten rounds of silent bidding, with the highest bidder winning.

This way, direct conflicts between nations and factions could be avoided, and unnecessary attention on the Celestial Martial God Hall would be minimized.

"Understood," Shi Shihu nodded. "The bidding will take place tomorrow, with over forty Master Astral Cultivators responsible for bidding. Hall Master, do you have any instructions?"

"You handle the hosting. I'll keep an eye on the bidding from Hualong Mountain. If anyone dares to disrespect the hall by causing trouble, I won't mind using them as an example," Li Pin said.

Shi Shihu's expression grew serious. "Understood."

He couldn't help but feel guilty.

By now, Li Pin's Legendary combat strength had been widely recognized, and he was subtly revered as the thirteenth Supreme Expert of the current era.

So far, 13 people had been recognized as Supreme Experts, but that number dropped when excluding the three Legendary figures whose strength came from the Divine Rings—Xiao Donghai of the Royal Empire with the Destruction Ring, Wu De of the Star Alliance with the Frost Ring, and Ji Xuanyuan of Great Shang with the Mental Spirit Ring.

Them aside, only nine individuals possessed genuine Supreme Expert-level strength independent of the Divine Rings. Among them were Ge Lin, Zhao Kunwu, and Fan Xiu, as well as the Solar Radiance Sovereign of the Solar Radiance United Empire, who wielded the Rebirth Ring, and Tianyuan’s Fu Qingtian, who carried the Void Ring.

Actually, there were supposed to be ten others who held the title of Supreme Expert, including Tianyuan's Yuan Zhenchuan, Wan Guliu, and Tu Tan, the bearer of the Oblivion Ring from the East Sea's Thirty-Six Countries. However, none of these individuals had gained universal recognition—not even Tu Tan, despite his Oblivion Ring.

Many demonic creatures possessed the ability to glimpse into the void, and even the Detection Treasure Necklace could track the bearer of the Oblivion Ring.

Because of this, Tu Tan couldn’t remain truly invincible while hidden, preventing him from being recognized as a Supreme Expert. However, as one of the holders of the Six Divine Rings, excluding him from their ranks seemed illogical, sparking endless international debates.

Since Li Pin’s title as a Supreme Expert had yet to gain universal recognition, his status remained on par with figures like Yuan Zhenchuan, Wan Guliu, and Tu Tan. But once he achieved even greater feats, his position would be firmly cemented.

As for themselves, the martial artists of the Celestial Martial God Hall, even with the Skill Crystals, they were still only at the Martial God level. They couldn't even match Top-Tier Astral Cultivators.

In terms of power, they were far behind Li Pin. In the major nations across the Six Extremities, even Top-Tier Astral Cultivators would struggle to meet a Legendary figure.

"After this trade conference, the Celestial Martial God Hall will have all the resources it needs," Li Pin said, as though he had sensed their thoughts.

Xing Ying stepped forward and said sincerely, "We know. We are fortunate to live in the best of times. You, Hall Master, have paved the way for us to ascend from Martial Saints to Martial Gods. You even discovered the Skill Crystals, saving us decades of effort in understanding the movements of the celestial bodies.

"After becoming Martial Gods, when we encountered the challenge of slow progress in the Celestial Force Field, the Lin Clan provided us with a Thunder Stone Mine. Recently, Taibai even gifted us with the technology to extract Primordial Electric Crystals and Thunder Stones."

She bowed respectfully. "All the hardships we have encountered on this path... you have smoothed over for us. By failing to make progress, we fail to repay your guidance. How could we face the world?"

"Then hurry and catch up," Li Pin replied. "I'm waiting for the day when someone among you can walk beside me, or even surpass me, and clear the way for me."

Yes, surpassing him. That was truly one of his hopes.

***

As expected, the trade conference went smoothly.

This chapter is updat𝙚d by freeweɓnovel.cøm.

Li Pin—having burst into the capital city, fought Xiao Qianyuan, and finally recognized by Ge Lin as a Supreme Expert—was a figure no one dared to disrespect. His prestige had soared to a level that deterred anyone from daring to cause trouble.

Despite Li Pin's absence as the auctioneer, the bidding was conducted in a very organized manner. Everyone followed the rules, calling out their bids one after another.

Skill Crystals weren't just useful for training genius Astral Cultivators; for the top factions, they presented an opportunity to help those at the Master Astral Cultivator level seize control of the Atomic Will and break through to the Legendary realm.

Given this, the competition among various powerful factions was even fiercer than Li Pin had expected. Almost every Skill Crystal sold for over 800 billion, with the most expensive Skill Crystal fetching over 1 trillion.

Of course, Li Pin wasn't after money—he needed resources. These resources would be used for various means, including building bridges, repairing roads, and constructing infrastructure.

This could be seen as a form of welfare he provided for the people of this land.

In addition to infrastructure development, the primary resources he needed were things like Primordial Electric Crystals, Astral Crystals, astral equipment, and Spirit-Restoring Incense.

These items would be used in large quantities across various aspects.

Besides these abundant resources, there were also many rare and valuable treasures, like the Essence-Gathering Pearl, Azure Water, and so on.

What truly opened Li Pin's eyes—and what he found genuinely precious—was a treasure known as the Spirit-Essence Orb, a supreme treasure for tempering the mental spirit.

Why were Master and Legendary Astral Cultivators able to raise their mental spirit attribute into the triple digits so swiftly? It was due to the existence of this treasure, which was nearly monopolized by the legendary factions.

Why couldn't Martial Saints simply use this material to enhance their mental spirit, instead relying on life-and-death battles to temper it? Because it was simply too expensive!

This pearl could only be condensed by lord-level or legendary creatures with intelligence. It served as the seed for these creatures to transform from dull beings to those possessing "wisdom."

It was so rare that even Master Astral Cultivators could hardly get their hands on them.

Using it on an Extreme Martial Saint would be a colossal waste—ten Extreme Martial Saints' lives wouldn't be enough to exchange for even a fragment of a Spirit-Essence Orb.

Of the ten Skill Crystals, the Star Alliance placed the highest bid, offering over 100,000 portions of Spirit-Restoring Incense, with a market price nearing 1.1 trillion!

Even at such an astronomical price, the Skill Crystals were only able to exchange for six Spirit-Essence Orbs. This alone reflected the orb's immense value.

In fact, the Spirit-Essence Orb became the only legendary treasure Li Pin obtained at this auction, in very limited quantities.

In other words, he hadn't managed to get the Legendary figures to reveal their most prized treasures.

However, Li Pin wasn't worried; in a year or two, once the effects of the Skill Crystals were widely known, he'd host another round of sales. He had no doubt he'd secure those hidden cultivation treasures held by the legendary powers by then.

***

After the auction ended, the Celestial Martial God Hall hosted a celebratory banquet, which Li Pin attended to fulfill his role as the host.

As he arrived, numerous Master Astral Cultivators stepped forward to express their goodwill, each representing a Legendary figure or faction. These people were far more influential than ordinary Master Astral Cultivators. There were even Master Astral Cultivators from the Royal Empire, Great Shang, and Tianyuan faction among them.

Following the banquet, Li Pin calculated the resources he'd need to achieve the title of Supreme Martial God and generously distributed whatever was left.

Through this transaction, he had acquired an abundance of Primordial Electric Crystals and some lesser treasures, with a combined worth exceeding 150 thousand units in terms of the crystals alone.

Thanks to Taibai's extraction technology, Li Pin's daily consumption of Primordial Electric Crystals was around two hundred.

Assuming he needed half a year to reach Supreme Martial God, he would require around 30,000 Primordial Electric Crystals. Accounting for further cultivation after reaching this stage, he set aside 50,000 Primordial Electric Crystals and distributed the remaining 100,000.

It was easy to foresee that the Martial Gods of the Celestial Martial God Hall would undergo a massive surge in strength before long. This was why Xing Ying felt, from the bottom of her heart, that they had encountered the best era—and the best person.

***

After distributing the cultivation materials, Li Pin handed over the task of hosting the remaining Astral Cultivators to Shi Shihu and the others.

He then went into the training room with the six Spirit-Essence Orbs.

The legendary cultivation resource was something he had been anticipating for a long time.

After a few preparations, he began refining one of the orbs. He pushed his "Clairvoyance" gift to its limit throughout the process.

Unfortunately... the nourishment and cultivation of the spirit differed from the strengthening and tempering of the body. Even with his powerful "Clairvoyance" gift, it offered little assistance—merely allowing him to memorize the neural activity points involved.

Yet as Li Pin gradually refined the Spirit-Essence Orb, he keenly sensed that the orb's effect went beyond simply enhancing the mental spirit.

***

At a certain point of time, Li Pin suddenly extended his arm and made a shallow cut. A single drop of blood fell from his palm. As the drop hit the ground, it seemed to come to life. It wriggled about with a strange vitality.

With a sweep of his right hand, the blood actively climbed back into the wound. In the blink of an eye, the cut on his palm had completely healed.