Planet Pulverizer: A Mortal's Ascent-Chapter 630: Haste

In Outer Space.

Li Pin blocked Li Yunyao's attacks.

Once Tier Four Legends mastered inner spirit power, their strength would become remarkably stable. Upon completing the inner spirit cycle, their power flow would become nearly impervious to external forces.

Li Yunyao was a perfect example of this right now.

Of course, her performance was just passable. Within the Xian Ying Star Cluster, she was nothing special. In the Yuan Yang Star Domain, she would struggle to keep up with the mainstream. As for excellence... she was far from it.

Still, reaching this level in just a few dozen stellar years was already a remarkable feat.

Li Pin glanced at Si Xing and Si Yue, who had come upon hearing of his arrival.

His gaze lingered on Si Yue, now a Tier Six Legend.

Si Clan has certainly gone out of their way, Li Pin thought.

"That's enough," Li Pin said.

But Li Yunyao did not stop. Her attacks remained just as sharp.

Of course, to Li Pin, they were nothing more than flashy moves.

Watching her, Li Pin thought of something. He exchanged a few more moves with her before finally saying, "Stop."

Then he added, "Better than I expected."

"You... have nothing else to say?" Li Yunyao asked.

"The dead are gone; we must focus on the road ahead," Li Pin replied calmly.

He hadn't cultivated his True Spirit, but with his mastery of inner spirit, he could sense the emotional fluctuations of others, as long as they weren't carefully concealed.

The reason Li Yunyao kept going even after Li Pin told her to stop was simple. It was because he hadn't been there when their mother and Li Yunyan passed away.

Of course, he wouldn't bother to explain that he had been in the Void Divine Treasure World at the time. In fact , even if he hadn't been, he wasn't sure if he would have returned.

Cold-blooded, heartless, call it what they would. From his standpoint, he had already repaid the karmic ties of "Li Pin."

Li Yunyao seemed to understand that. She knew she was being unreasonable. And that... he had indulged her anyway.

A faint sense of loneliness still lingered in Li Yunyao's heart as she quietly stepped aside.

Li Pin paid no attention to her and turned to Si Yue. "Thanks for your effort during this time."

"Yaoyao and I get along well. I genuinely hope she can have a better future. One day, I want us to step into the Astral World together and carve out a path of our own," Si Yue said with a smile.

Li Pin nodded before glancing to the side.

A woman was standing there. At first glance, she seemed indistinguishable from a Gaian woman. But in reality, she was composed entirely of condensed energy, meticulously sculpted. Even most Legendaries wouldn't be able to tell her apart from a real Gaia human.

This was Moon Spirit.

After decades of growth, she had become noticeably more composed and mature. She had fully mastered her inner spirit power, and with her racial talent, she had easily completed her inner spirit cycle. It would only be a matter of time until she became a Tier Six Legend.

"How many Gaia natives have gained the Spirit Clan's recognition? And how many spiritual creatures have evolved into true independent lifeforms?" Li Pin asked.

"At present, 3,714 Gaia natives and 9,171 members of the Gaia Alliance have been recognized by the Spirit Clan. 1,085 spiritual creatures have successfully transformed into independent lifeforms," Moon Spirit reported concisely.

Hearing that, Si Yue was secretly astonished.

The Spirit Clan was a race blessed by nature. Born with innate spirit power, they would make the leap to Legendary status with full mastery over it as soon as they evolved into independent lifeforms.

Of course, compared to the actual Tier Four Legendaries, their combat strength was weaker due to their specialization in inner spirit power. However, once they were guided to ascend to the Astral World, they could quickly bolster their strength, becoming combat assets on par with other Tier Four ascendants.

If he equipped them even with just Quasi-Divine Weapons, a thousand of them swarming together could potentially exhaust an Astral God to death by leveraging the power of the Eternal Oblivion Force.

Li Pin instructed, "I won't be leaving the Yin Luo Galaxy for the time being. I'll entrust the World Heart to you. Nurture as many spiritual creatures as possible."

He paused briefly before adding, "If nothing unexpected happens, I will enter the Astral World within the next fifty stellar years. I hope to bring all of you with me when that time comes."

Moon Spirit nodded. "I'll do my best."

Si Xing looked at Li Pin, vaguely sensing something. "You're planning to compete for the position of Astral God Yin Luo's successor?"

Li Pin gazed at the planet beneath his feet. "Why not? If I lacked the ability, I wouldn't even consider it. But since I do, it's best to keep such power in my own hands. At the very least, it will ensure Gaia's system remains secure."

"Chairman Li, if you ever have any requests, the entire Si Clan will do everything in our power to assist," Si Yue immediately pledged.

"I'll let you know if needed," Li Pin responded.

He then took out three divine items. He handed two to Li Yunyao, while the last was given to Si Yue.

During his time at Divine Martial Sect, he had already learned from Li Yunyao that Si Yue had been diligent in her teachings over the decades.

He knew this was the Si Clan's way of currying favor with him, and that it wasn't entirely selfless. Still, he couldn't deny that some things still felt particularly pleasant when done by the right people.

Besides, Li Yunyao and Si Yue had gotten along well.

With that in mind, he said, "Until the successor is decided, I'll trouble you to be her protector. This divine item is your compensation. It will allow you to traverse the Astral World even when disrupted by ripples within it."

Si Yue stared at the treasure in Li Pin's hand and was momentarily shaken. A divine item!?

This is a divine item! Even a Tier Six Legend pledging allegiance to an Astral God wouldn't necessarily receive such a reward unless they were willing to sign an oath of servitude.

But now, all she had to do was protect Li Yunyao for a few decades, and she would be granted one! Forget a Tier Six Legend like her, even an Astral God wouldn't pass up such an opportunity.

But... considering Li Yunyao's chances in the competition for Astral God Yin Luo's inheritance, she still said, "Chairman Li, rest assured. Yunyao and I share a strong bond. Even without your request, I would protect her with everything I have and ensure she comes to no harm."

Li Pin shook his head. "Take it. With this divine Item, you'll at least have a way to escape if you ever face a Divine Being or an Astral God's avatar."

Si Xing, watching from the side, knew well that Li Pin drew a clear line between personal and official matters.

He interjected, "Since Chairman Li is offering it, just take it. Do everything you can to protect Yunyao."

Seeing this, Si Yue realized that using this as leverage to make Li Pin owe them a favor was nearly impossible. Receiving a divine item was already the best possible outcome.

She thought, Besides... There is still a long road ahead.

Therefore, Si Yue accepted it solemnly. "I won't let you down, Chairman Li."

A Tier Six Legend's protection... better than nothing, Li Pin thought.

He had gifted the divine item to Si Yue as payment for the decades-long instruction she would provide to Li Yunyao.

***

Having gained a better grasp of Li Yunyao's abilities and realized she wasn't as lacking as he had initially thought, Li Pin returned to the Divine Martial Sect.

When he arrived, the conference hall of the Divine Martial Sect was already filled with people. Veterans like Xiang Tianxing and Yuan Zhenchuan had been waiting for some time. Xie Longcheng, Shi Shihu, and others were also present.

After failing to grasp inner spirit power, they had all shifted to the Astral Cultivation path.

With the Spirit Clan's dedicated guidance, they had stepped into the Legendary Realm.

Of course, if they hadn't reached this level, they wouldn't have been qualified to stand before Li Pin.

After all, over the past few stellar decades, many once-familiar faces were already gone. But this was the path Li Pin had chosen. He would watch, he would remember, but he would never linger.

And this was just the first group. In another century or two... more familiar faces would be gone. Fang Lingjue, Su Feiyu....

If the timeline stretched to a hundred thousand years, then aside from Li Yunyao, whom he had painstakingly elevated as his anchor point, there would be no one left in Gaia that he recognized.

By then... perhaps he wouldn't return at all.

Such was life. Birth and death, transient as the wind.

As Li Pin's thoughts drifted, the figures in the hall rose swiftly, greeting him one after another.

"Chairman."

"Chairman Li is here."

"Greetings, Chairman Li."

Li Pin gestured with a wave. "Take a seat."

He then swept his gaze across the gathered crowd.

Gaia's civilization had flourished. It was now standing on par with the former Ashen Council. However, they still paled in comparison to the great aristocratic clans within the Yuan Yang Star Domain. In fact, many factions within the Yin Luo Galaxy could still suppress them easily.

After all, in this single galaxy alone, the number of Tier Six Legends and Divine Beings combined numbered in the dozens. There were even several Astral God Clans.

Li Pin said, "There are two purposes for today's gatherings. First, it's an opportunity for me to catch up and see how everyone is doing. From the looks of it... you all seem to be doing well."

The crowd responded one after another.

"Chairman Li, with you shielding us from the worst of the storm, no petty force dares to cause trouble in Gaia."

"Indeed, Chairman Li. Without you, Gaia would not be what it is today."

"We appreciate your concern, Chairman Li. We are all well, so please rest assured."

"Good," Li Pin acknowledged. He then got to the point. "Besides some minor matters, I have another decision to announce. I will fully support Li Yunyao in competing for Astral God Yin Luo's inheritance."

The atmosphere in the room briefly stalled.

The competition for the inheritance had grown fiercer, with peerless geniuses emerging one after another. The forces behind them were also starting to surface, each a formidable powerhouse.

Chairman Li is stepping into the fray....

The initial shock and hesitation lasted for a moment before Deputy Chairman Xiang Tianxing spoke firmly. "We will give our utmost support."

His words snapped the others back to their senses.

In this competition... Gaia had little room to make decisions.

The others quickly followed suit.

"Chairman Li, please issue your orders."

"Good." Li Pin nodded. "In one stellar month, we will convene an expanded meeting of the Candle Light Alliance. After that, there will be only one voice within the alliance, and everyone must devote themselves entirely to a single will!"