Planet Pulverizer: A Mortal's Ascent-Chapter 617: Resonance

"Li Pin!?" Yan Ling'er couldn't believe it. "Didn't you challenge the Void Emperor and get killed by him?"

"He emerged a stellar year earlier than you," Hall Master Bai Chao explained briefly. Then, sounding somewhat surprised, he added, "So he lost against the Void Emperor? I thought he managed to kill him, causing a disruption in the divine treasure world's operation, which gave him the chance to escape."

Yan Ling'er was puzzled.

"What happened after my battle with the Void Emperor?" Li Pin asked.

"What happened?" Yan Ling'er glanced at him. "The usual plot—you lost, the Void Emperor imprisoned Baili Zhu. He wanted Baili Zhu to admit her mistakes, but she refused. The two of them had a silent standoff in front of us survivors..."

She sighed, feeling a bit exasperated. "I've had enough of this divine treasure world. I'm not some idle spectator, and I really couldn't care less about their petty lovers' quarrels."

Li Pin didn't know how to respond to her take on the situation. After a long pause, he asked, "Do you have any detailed information on what happened between the Void Emperor and Baili Zhu afterward?"

"I do." Yan Ling'er narrowed her eyes. "But why should I tell you?"

"I never interfered when you and Baili Zhu teamed up to ambush the Void Emperor."

"So what? If you'd joined us, maybe we would have succeeded."

"No, you wouldn't have."

Li Pin didn't feel like continuing the conversation. If she didn't want to talk, so be it. Once the new cycle began, he could re-enter the world and ask Fang Chunyang and the others instead.

With that thought, he turned to leave.

Seeing him about to go, Yan Ling'er couldn't help but call out. "Li Pin."

She smiled and said, "In the Divine Treasury Hall, every piece of information has value. If you're willing to pay a certain price, I can share all the details about the Void Emperor and Baili Zhu."

Li Pin looked at her smile and felt something was off. This girl sure had unpredictable moods. Wait. Perhaps calling her a "girl" wasn't quite right anymore.

Shaking his head, he turned and left. As for the additional details about the Void Emperor and Baili Zhu... it didn't matter. Whether he had that information or not, it wouldn't affect what he was about to do next.

Seeing the way Li Pin reacted, Yan Ling'er was momentarily stunned. Li Pin... just walked away?

She had just used her innate Empathy ability. In theory, even an Astral God would have paused to talk to her until the effect wore off.

But Li Pin... why did it feel like my ability didn't affect him at all?

At that moment, Astral God Yun Tu interrupted her thoughts. "Alright, Yan Ling'er, register your experiences. We'll assess the value of the information and reward you accordingly."

She glanced at Li Pin, curiosity flickering in her eyes.

She was curious about how he had escaped the Void Divine Treasure World, and more importantly, why he seemed completely immune to her ability. But with the Hall Masters present, it wasn't the right time to chase after him.

***

By the time Li Pin stepped out of the grand hall, he had already regained his composure.

Li Pin pondered for a moment.

Yan Ling'er just unleashed the full force of her charm-based talent on me. And I... seem to have resisted it? Is the difference in the level of our inner spirit that vast?

But that shouldn't be the reason.... Is my willpower simply too strong? Am I naturally immune to other people's gifts?

A sudden thought struck Li Pin. Or...

He shifted his attention to a newly added attribute.

[Dao: 1/100]

After a long pause, Li Pin refocused his thoughts. What happened just now was more than just willpower.

A faint smile crossed his lips. This new trait... could be quite interesting. But how had it formed?

My Dao... is evolution. It is transcendence. Could every breakthrough, every step forward, be a testament, a transformation of my Dao?

This is what I've always done. There's no need for deliberate practice or overanalyzing. I just need to stay true to my original goal. One day, I will perfect it and fully understand the essence of this power.

With a calm expression, Li Pin returned to his residence.

Ring, ring!

Shortly after arriving, a message notification appeared.

Li Pin glanced at it.

The message was from Gaia.

After leaving Moon Spirit and the Moon Goddess Domain to guide the beings of Gaia in their cultivation, he felt he had done enough for them.

Over the past few dozen stellar years, Yuan Zhenchuan, Xiang Tianxing, and others had sent plenty of messages. But unless it concerned the civilization's survival, he never bothered to respond.

With someone like him—a Counselor who had once defeated the Astral God's combat-specialized avatar—as their backer, most factions wouldn't dare provoke Gaia without cause.

As a result, Gaia had advanced at an astonishing rate.

In fact, thanks to the presence of Moon Spirit and the Moon Goddess Domain, talented individuals from the Immortal Wood Empire and the White Dove Federation had sought every means to join Gaia.

They hoped to pass the trials of the Moon Goddess Domain and receive guidance from the Spirit Clan to quickly ascend to Tier Three Legends.

With so many talented individuals now drawn to Gaia, the Immortal Wood Empire and the White Dove Federation had lost much of their competitive edge. Meanwhile, Gaia was on the verge of becoming the solid, dominant force in the Candlelight Star Ring.

At this point, Gaia's growth barely required his intervention. As long as he continued to grow stronger, other civilizations would think twice before challenging Gaia, knowing he stood behind it. This ensured the smooth progression of Gaia's rise.

However, this particular piece of information was different.

Li Pin thought to himself, Li Yunyao... actually completed the inner spirit cycle? That's quite unexpected.

He had left her with cultivation resources worth hundreds of thousands of Divine Treasury Points. The Yu Clan had even offered both direct and indirect support, providing her with a level of training comparable to that of core members of the Astral God Aristocratic Clans.

Despite so, it still surprised him that she had completed the inner spirit cycle in just over forty stellar years.

Li Pin glanced at the ranking list.

The top spots were occupied by several Tier Six Legends who had already sensed the Astral World. Below them were Tier Four and Five Legends who had mastered inner spirit power.

Now that Li Yunyao had completed the inner spirit cycle, she had secured a spot in the top thirty.

"I really underestimated her," Li Pin muttered.

His original plan had been to let her try. If she failed, he would arrange for her to slip away quietly from the Yin Luo Galaxy.

But that would mean the rest of Gaia's people would inevitably become the fuel for the rise of the new "Astral God Yin Luo," perhaps even aiding in its ascension to Eternal Solar Flare.

From his perspective, he genuinely wanted Li Yunyao to succeed. Though the chances were slim, if she showed enough determination and perseverance, he wouldn't hesitate to invest more time and energy to support her.

But now, it seemed... Li Yunyao didn't disappoint.

Though he didn't know how she completed her inner spirit cycle and reached Tier Five Legend, her placement within the top thirty was enough to prompt his decision.

Li Pin stood up and gathered his belongings. "Come to think of it, it's truly remarkable..."

At the same time, he began preparing the necessary resources for the advancement to Tier Six.

People change, and fortunately, Li Yunyao was changing for the better.

Before long, resources worth over a million Divine Treasury points were delivered into his hands.

Astral God Yun Tu didn't stop Li Pin when he learned of his plan to return to the Yin Luo Galaxy. Instead, he sent Xuan Jian, the Judicial Astral God of the Divine Treasury Hall, to accompany him.

Xuan Jian's combat-specialized avatar would serve as Li Pin's protector as he ventured into the Yin Luo Galaxy.

Additionally, they had arranged a specific star route for him.

While the route included more than a dozen extra Astral Gates, slightly lengthening the journey, it ensured that should any danger arise, the Divine Treasury Hall's Astral Gods could immediately descend with their avatars.

They even calculated the precise coordinates of the region. In the event of an attack, they could swiftly locate and eliminate the assailant's true body within the Astral World.

As for threats below the level of Astral Gods? With Xuan Jian's combat-specialized avatar present, dealing with them would be a piece of cake.

***

After completing all the necessary preparations, Li Pin arrived at the Astral Gate.

There, Xuan Jian's combat-specialized avatar was already waiting for him. Unlike ordinary avatars, this one wore divine battle armor, wielded a divine spear, and had divine war boots, along with a few pieces of auxiliary divine equipment.

"This avatar's Power Level must be around 350,000, maybe even 360,000," Li Pin remarked with a smile.

Xuan Jian raised an eyebrow in surprise before nodding. "Sharp eyes. Depending on the inner spirit state, its Power State fluctuates between 350,000 and 360,000."

Li Pin praised, "Not bad."

Having reviewed Li Pin's profile, Xuan Jian took the initiative to speak. "As long as you cooperate and don't cause any unnecessary trouble, I'll make sure you reach Yin Luo safely. Once we're there, we can have a sparring match."

"No need." Li Pin waved his hand. "From my own assessment, my Power Level should be above yours. I prefer fighting stronger opponents."

Xuan Jian was speechless. Sure, you've defeated an Astral God's combat-specialized avatar, but don't you think your confidence is growing a bit too fast? Do you really think you can compare my combat-specialized avatar to Cui Fan's?

"Just make sure you cooperate," Xuan Jian replied.

"Of course." Li Pin nodded. "But if we're attacked, I'll take the first strike. If I can't handle it, then I'll call for help. How does that sound?"

Xuan Jian didn't outright agree. "I'll make the call based on the situation."

After all, Li Pin was a pioneer who emerged before the cycle ended. There was a high chance he could break the Void Divine Treasure World in the next cycle. Xuan Jian had to be extra vigilant when it came to Li Pin's safety.

"Let's go," Li Pin said.

The two stepped through the Astral Gate.

Since this route was specially arranged by the Divine Treasury Hall for Li Pin, there were no prolonged stops along the way. Even with a slight detour, it didn't take much extra time.

But just as they passed through a massive Astral Gate and entered the Yuan Yang Star Domain, Li Pin suddenly sensed something.

His attention shifted to the Ruoxi Sword he carried. The Solar Flare Divine Equipment... is vibrating. It's resonating with another presence within this star region.