Planet Pulverizer: A Mortal's Ascent-Chapter 577: Coincidence

In the wilderness, Li Pin and Zhao Tiangang were running for their lives.

The massive influx of pioneers had triggered the "Accident" rule, plunging the underground world into chaos.

Ferocious beasts and monsters, rarely seen before, now roamed freely, making the area far more dangerous than usual.

Fortunately, the number of high-tier beasts was limited.

There were few commander-level beasts, comparable to tier nine martial artists, giving the two a slim chance to catch their breath.

This was normal. If the region had been overrun by lord-level beasts, the cavern dwellers would never have been able to thrive, let alone build cities and develop a civilization.

***

After covering less than sixty miles, Zhao Tiangang was already gasping. "We can't keep this up. Our bodies are too weak. Running sixty miles through this terrain is pushing us to the limit. If we don't stop, we'll collapse. Even a minor beast could kill us in this state."

"This world's rules are too strict with energy conservation. Even Gold Pioneers need at least a year, nearly a stellar month, to temper their bodies, refine their qi and blood, and nurture their mental spirits, just to regain their tier nine strength. freeωebnovēl.c૦m

"Most can't reach the Ancient God level within a stellar year. Only Gold Pioneers or lucky Silver Pioneers ever reach the True God level, which rivals Legends."

Li Pin glanced at him, feeling the weight of his own exhaustion. They hadn't reached their limit yet, but another fight could be fatal. Avoiding beasts was impossible. They'd already killed over ten tier four and five beasts in the past sixty miles.

"Let's find a place to hide," Li Pin suggested. "This beast tide is the rule's way of eliminating pioneers who might threaten the Void Emperor's growth. Once enough pioneers die, it should calm down."

Zhao Tiangang nodded grimly. This was a brutal, rule-driven survival trial.

Li Pin frowned as he watched the waves of beasts still surging ahead.

Shi Yiren had failed to share this critical information. Because of that, the Void Divine Treasury Hall had sent down 130,000 pioneers. Of those, fewer than 10,000 would likely survive this tide.

Freshly arrived, they were still too weak.

Given a month, they could have easily reached tier six or seven. Facing the beast tide then, their survival rate would have exceeded ninety percent.

Li Pin wondered, Can Fang Chunyang and Xu Anping hold out? I hope they landed far from the Void Emperor.

As he pondered, four figures came sprinting toward them. Over thirty Blood Wolf-like beasts were hot on their heels.

The leader of the group called out urgently upon spotting Li Pin, "Please, help us! We'll be grateful!"

"Run," Zhao Tiangang muttered to Li Pin. He immediately took off again, leading Li Pin swiftly in another direction.

Li Pin didn't hesitate, avoiding the group entirely.

"In the Void Divine Treasure World, one cycle lasts 111 stellar years. Even the strongest Legends only live for a thousand stellar years. Getting trapped in a cycle is like wasting a hundred years, a tenth of your life.

"Under these conditions, pioneers value survival above all else. They'll do whatever it takes to live, just like in the outside world."

Zhao Tiangang spoke quickly. "If we had stopped to help them, they would've figured out a way to use us as bait to cover their escape. We'd be throwing our lives away for nothing—"

Li Pin cut him off, "I know. Stop talking. Move faster."

Before entering the world, Astral God Mi Meng had already warned him about this.

Besides... those four didn't seem trustworthy.

***

Li Pin and Zhao Tiangang had made a quick escape, but four beasts broke away from the main group to pursue them.

Unlike before, these beasts didn't close in immediately. Instead, they kept their distance, trailing behind as if waiting for the main pack to finish off the other four pioneers before turning their attention to the two.

Li Pin noticed this and stopped after running a few more miles. "Let's take care of them."

"But—"

Zhao Tiangang was about to say something, but Li Pin had already raised his spear. "They're just tier five and six beasts. It's nothing to worry about."

"Tier five and six..." Zhao Tiangang muttered.

A month from now, such beasts would be insignificant. But now, less than a day after everyone had been reset and thrown back into this world, they were anything but.

Swoosh!

A wooden spear tore through the air!

Before Zhao Tiangang could say another word, one of the four trailing beasts was impaled.

The sheer Force behind the throw, the precision, the unwavering stability, it all left him shaken to his core.

When Li Pin had saved him earlier, he had already sensed something unusual about Li Pin.

Li Pin's control over power surpassed even his own as a Silver Pioneer.

That was why Zhao Tiangang had been so open with him earlier. Li Pin seemed like someone worth relying on, a strong ally, far superior to himself. Clinging to Li Pin first was the best choice.

Witnessing Li Pin's mastery over his physical body in such a short time, Zhao Tiangang couldn't help but gasp, even after four cycles and encounters with numerous Gold Pioneers.

In the Material World, all Tier Four Legends walked the path of absolute control, but that required both immense mental and inner spirit.

Here, however, both were obscured. While this world had its own version of inner spirit power, it leaned more toward explosive bursts rather than stability and enhancement.

For Li Pin to achieve such a level in less than a day under these conditions... he was undoubtedly a powerhouse, at least on par with a Gold Pioneer.

Li Pin hurled two spears in quick succession, instantly killing two beasts. The remaining two, intimidated by the lethality of his attacks, whimpered and hesitated, unwilling to advance.

Seeing this, Li Pin didn't bother pursuing them and simply remarked, "The beasts in this world seem different from other wild creatures. They're more aggressive but also more capable of assessing situations."

"It's the influence of the Violet-Silver Twin Moons," Zhao Tiangang explained. "They've altered the beasts' instincts, making them more aggressive. Their ability to assess situations is a survival trait. Without it, stronger species would have wiped them out long ago."

"The Violet-Silver Twin Moons? The two Planet Lord Demigods outside the Twin Moon Domain?" Li Pin asked. "They maintain their influence over this world constantly?"

"Likely a habit they developed during the True God era," Zhao Tiangang's status wasn't high, so he could only speculate. "Many True Gods in this world pursue power through collective will.

"Because of this, even True Gods and God Kings with relatively low realms can leverage the strength of collective will to suppress others, displaying power comparable to Tier One and Two Legends."

Li Pin nodded.

After dealing with the beasts, they slowed their pace and soon found a hidden underground fissure. They took shelter inside to recover, consuming some Blood Wolf meat to replenish their energy.

***

"The improvement in physical strength is too slow," Zhao Tiangang said with a bitter smile, feeling the pervasive weakness and exhaustion in his body.

"It's already quite fast," Li Pin replied.

He circulated the Innate-Qi Refining Technique and used true qi to nourish himself, though it was more suited for enhancing explosive power than recovery. For physical restoration, the primordial qi from the Innate Qi-Nurturing Technique would have been more effective.

"Is there no human city nearby where we can take refuge?" Li Pin asked.

"This is the cavern dwellers' world. Aside from their cities, there are no human settlements here," Zhao Tiangang explained. "If you want to find a human city, you'll need to return to the surface or pass through the spatial passage in Tianzhu Plains. Beyond that lies the Wasteland Domain. It's safer there, enough for us to endure the first few months of weakness."

He paused, then added, "However, the Wasteland Domain lacks the gravity of the Twin Moon Domain, and its energy levels are lower. Training to become a tier nine martial artist there would take much longer."

Li Pin was surprised. "No human cities at all?"

He had assumed the underground world was dominated by cavern dwellers, with humans surviving in small pockets. But it seemed humans had no presence here.

"None," Zhao Tiangang confirmed. "Unless they're knights or martial artists here for training, humans rarely come to the underground world, let alone establish settlements."

Li Pin quickly recalled something. "Baili..."

He quickly reconstructed the four characters written by the young man he had encountered earlier. "What does this mean?"

"Baili Qingfeng!" Zhao Tiangang recognized it immediately. "That's the name the Void Emperor used while walking this world in human form."

A sudden realization struck him, and his pupils dilated. "Pioneer Li, you couldn't have..." He paused, disbelief coloring his tone. "You came out unharmed?"

"So it really was him?" Li Pin was surprised. "I thought it was strange. Isn't he supposed to be highly aggressive?"

Zhao Tiangang speculated. "Perhaps it's because you didn't know his identity at the time."

He frowned. "But that doesn't make sense! The Void Emperor naturally exerts a rule-correcting effect. Many Pioneers, even without the emperor himself being aware of their presence, end up encountering deadly coincidences around him, forcing them into early reincarnation."

Li Pin was intrigued. "Is that how it works?"

"Perhaps that's why this divine treasure is considered forbidden," Zhao Tiangang mused.

Li Pin's interest in the Void Emperor and the rules of this world grew. "What's his combat strength like in his current human form?"

"He's comparable to a tier-nine martial artist."

"Good." Li Pin clapped his hands, making a decision. "I'll train in the underground world until I reach tier nine. Then... I'll go meet this Void Emperor."

Foll𝑜w current novℯls on fre𝒆web(n)ovel.co(m)