Planet Pulverizer: A Mortal's Ascent-Chapter 593: Change

In Shi Yiren's courtyard, Shi Keqing rushed in hurriedly.

"Sister, something big has happened!"

She frantically shared, "Just recently, the legendary Wu Tian from the Frostbound Star Abyss, along with Huang Ze and Xuan Zhi, who entered several cycles earlier, teamed up, leading their elite squads straight toward Li Pin's courtyard..."

"It's because of the secret behind his close encounter with Baili Qingfeng, right? The fact that he wasn't killed?"

Shi Yiren's expression remained calm, as though everything had already been anticipated. "He was too high-profile, too dismissive of others. Holding the secret to surviving an encounter with Baili Qingfeng, he should've acted discreetly.

"But what did he do? He moved in next door to Baili Qingfeng! This is the Void Divine Treasure! A forbidden divine treasure! The rewards it holds are enough to drive any pioneer to take risks, especially with so many Cosmic Radiance watching."

She scoffed. "Every pioneer is an ambitious adventurer, full of confidence and defiance. Knowing the stakes and the reckless people he's dealing with, instead of laying low, he made his connection with Baili Qingfeng public. If he doesn't die, who will?"

"Uh..."

Shi Keqing hesitated, unsure if she should speak further. She looked at her sister, full of confidence as though everything was under her control, and didn't know what to say.

"Fortunately, we distanced ourselves from him early on and formed alliances with other pioneers. Otherwise, we'd have been caught in the crossfire, just like Fang Chunyang, Xu Anping, and Lie Qingqing."

Shi Yiren glanced at Shi Keqing. "I know about Huang Ze and Xuan Zhi. They've mastered rare secrets, always a step ahead in reaching the Legendary Realm and ascending to True Godhood. Their legendary titles are well-earned.

"Fang Chunyang, Xu Anping, and Lie Qingqing are good, but compared to these two pioneers, they don't match up. By now, they've probably been sent into reincarnation by Huang Ze and Xuan Zhi's elite squads."

Shi Keqing took a deep breath. "The situation... didn't unfold as you expected."

"Not as expected? Impossible! Did Huang Ze and Xuan Zhi spare Fang Chunyang, Xu Anping, and Lie Qingqing?" Shi Yiren quickly corrected herself. "No, the only possibility is that they betrayed Li Pin to save themselves, exchanging his secret for their survival. Is that what happened?"

Shi Keqing fell silent. A thought crossed her mind. Prejudice is like a mountain, immovable no matter how hard one tries.

Her sister's stubbornness mirrored that mountain, a barrier standing in the way of progress.

Nevertheless, this was still her sister. Even if she understood this, she couldn't just walk away.

After a long pause, she took a deep breath and spoke solemnly. "Have you considered the possibility that... the reason Captain Li Pin was able to approach Baili Qingfeng without being attacked wasn't because Baili Qingfeng chose not to attack him, but because... Baili Qingfeng's sense of good and evil told him he couldn't defeat Captain Li Pin?"

"Baili Qingfeng... not confident in defeating Li Pin?" Shi Yiren laughed sharply. "Silly sister, are you joking? Do you know who Baili Qingfeng is!? He's the human incarnation of the Void Emperor! Based on our analysis, he's not even the first human incarnation. He could be the second, or even the third.

"The information from Blue Planet confirms this! He roams the world in human form for amusement, and to ensure it continues, he's left countless hidden means within Baili Qingfeng's body, ensuring his supremacy.

"This has been proven time and time again by the pioneers who've risked their lives across multiple cycles."

She paused slightly, looking at Shi Keqing. "And now, you're telling me that Baili Qingfeng, the Void Emperor's human form, doesn't have the confidence to defeat a Divine Being who isn't even an Astral God? Someone who has cultivated for less than twenty stellar years and only participated in one divine treasure expedition since joining the pioneer circle?"

Shi Keqing was about to speak when Chao Yang and Chao Yu rushed in. "Something terrible has happened!"

They quickly spotted Shi Keqing and immediately asked, "Keqing, you've heard, right?"

Shi Keqing nodded.

Shi Yiren said indifferently, "What's the fuss? Huang Ze and Xuan Zhi led their elite squads to hunt down Li Pin's group and sent them into reincarnation. They didn't actually die. What's so surprising about that?"

Chao Yang froze for a moment and turned to Shi Keqing. "She doesn't know?"

"I haven't had the chance to tell her yet," Shi Keqing replied.

Chao Yang hesitated briefly, then spoke bluntly, unconcerned about Shi Yiren's reaction. "It's true that Huang Ze, Xuan Zhi, and Wu Tian led over a hundred elite Pioneers to surround Li Pin's group. But the ones sent into reincarnation weren't Li Pin and his people. It was Huang Ze, Xuan Zhi, Wu Tian, and dozens of their elite followers!"

Shi Yiren's composed expression instantly stiffened.

"Captain Li Pin is far stronger than we ever imagined!" Chao Yang said firmly. "The reason he dared to face Baili Qingfeng head-on, even challenging the human form of the Void Emperor, wasn't arrogance. It was because... he actually has the strength to do so!"

"Impossible!" Shi Yiren's expression froze for a moment before she quickly snapped back, rejecting the idea outright. "Absolutely impossible! Huang Ze and Xuan Zhi have been renowned Divine Beings for over ten thousand stellar years!

"Do you know how long they've refined their power at this level? Even compared to newly ascended Astral Gods, their control over their strength is hardly inferior!

"In the tens of thousands of stellar years they've existed, the number of divine treasure worlds they've conquered can't even be counted on one hand! With their experience and power on equal footing, how could they possibly lose to Li Pin?!"

She flicked her sleeve sharply. "That's absolutely impossible!"

Chao Yang said, "I know it's hard to believe, but it's the truth. With so many witnesses, there's no way Huang Ze, Xuan Zhi, Wu Tian, and the elite squads they led would risk their one cycle to stage a deception. What could they gain from it?"

Upon hearing Chao Yang's confirmation, Shi Yiren's forehead creased, confounded. She seemed to struggle to turn her neck, glancing at Shi Keqing. "Is... this real?"

Shi Keqing nodded. "It's real."

Shi Yiren staggered, as if struck by lightning. Her legs wobbled, and she took three unsteady steps back before managing to steady herself.

"How is this possible...? Li Pin and his team... How could they possibly defeat the elite squads led by Huang Ze, Xuan Zhi, and Wu Tian...?"

"It wasn't Li Pin and his team. It was just Li Pin alone," Chao Yu clarified. "He single-handedly crushed over a hundred elite pioneers, including Huang Ze, Xuan Zhi, and Wu Tian. The three captains died on the spot, and most of the other members were either dead or severely injured."

She paused for a moment. "If Captain Li Pin hadn't held back, unwilling to cause unnecessary slaughter, not a single one of those elite pioneers would have made it out of Xiaya City alive."

Shi Yiren looked up, her expression dazed. "Aren't we all pioneers? How could the gap be this wide...?"

Chao Yang and Chao Yu remained silent.

Because... that was the very question on everyone's mind.

After a long pause, Chao Yu spoke again. "Judging by Captain Li Pin's strength, he's clearly above Huang Ze, Xuan Zhi, and Wu Tian. While it's hard to say if he surpasses Mu Yunsheng or Yan Ling'er, his achievements have already proven his abilities. In everyone's eyes, he is now the most likely pioneer to break through the Void Divine Treasure World."

She couldn't help but sigh. "This is the forbidden Void Divine Treasure World that's drawn intense attention from countless Cosmic Radiance beings."

Chao Yang nodded and added, "My sister and I have discussed this. Recently, Xu Anping, Fang Chunyang, and others have been investigating Baili Qingfeng's past. By chance, we obtained detailed intelligence about his time on Blue Planet from a pioneer who had been there. We plan to take this information to find Captain Li Pin and seek his forgiveness."

Shi Yiren was shocked. "You..."

Then, as if realizing something, her words shifted. "Even if you go now, you might not earn Captain Li Pin's trust again."

"Even being an external member like Zhao Tiangang is better than walking away with nothing," Chao Yang said, nodding at Chao Yu.

The two turned and left the courtyard.

Watching them leave, Shi Yiren's expression shifted between pale and dark. Yet, thinking of Li Pin's overwhelming feat—defeating over a hundred elite pioneers, including Huang Ze, Xuan Zhi, and Wu Tian, all by himself—she found herself unable to speak.

"Sister... should we go as well?" Shi Keqing asked tentatively.

Shi Yiren remained firm. "Go? Setting aside pride, can you really guarantee he can break open the Void Divine Treasure World?"

Shi Keqing fell silent for a moment before replying, "Then I'll gather more information."

With that, she left the courtyard as well.

As everyone departed, silence settled over the yard.

Shi Yiren's expression was a storm of shifting emotions, revealing her inner conflict. Yet, the more she struggled, the stronger her sense of helplessness grew.

"How could he... be this strong?"

***

Shi Yiren, a pioneer, was deeply shocked by the power Li Pin displayed. The same shock was felt by Xiya and the entire native forces of the Celestial Barren Domain.

With three Quasi-Legends, more than a dozen tier ten powerhouses, and a large number of tier nine martial artists, their lineup rivaled that of any major faction in the Celestial Barren Domain. Yet, Li Pin alone crushed such overwhelming strength.

This made the native factions realize that Li Pin's power might rival Baili Qingfeng's.

And for someone this powerful to be so closely tied to Baili Qingfeng?

For those with ulterior motives, this only added to their frustration. They became more discreet and cautious in their actions.

Despite the shock, Xiya was also delighted. Having a powerhouse of unknown origin stationed in their nation was no small matter, but months of interaction had shown that he bore no ill intentions.

Under these circumstances, Xiya's attitude shifted dramatically.

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