Planet Pulverizer: A Mortal's Ascent-Chapter 481: Path

While Li Pin and Si Xing were conversing, Yuan Zhenchuan arrived outside the courtyard where Li Pin resided.

"Is something wrong?" Li Pin asked.

Before Yuan Zhenchuan could respond, Li Pin sensed a presence that caught him slightly off guard. "Fu Qingtian? He's out of seclusion?"

"Yes," Yuan Zhenchuan replied.

Yuan Zhenchuan had brought Fu Qingtian to the Celestial Martial God Hall specifically to show him to Li Pin—or more precisely, to Si Xing, the knowledgeable guide. He hoped to see if there was a chance to save Fu Qingtian.

But now that he had arrived at the Celestial Martial God Hall and stood before Li Pin, he wasn't sure how to start.

After all, it was well known Li Pin and Fu Qingtian were at odds, and their relationship had been far from amicable.

After a moment's hesitation, thinking of his years of friendship with Fu Qingtian, Yuan Zhenchuan finally spoke, even though he knew this was an unwelcome request. "Fu Qingtian is having problems with his cultivation. Hall Master Li, your expertise in these matters is unparalleled—could you perhaps offer him some guidance?"

He quickly added, "Of course, if he's truly gone astray beyond help, I would fully understand."

His words were meant to gauge Li Pin's attitude. If Li Pin had no intention of helping, he could simply say he was unable to assist.

Li Pin remained silent.

Si Xing looked slightly odd. After glancing at Li Pin, he too remained quiet.

"What's wrong?" Li Pin asked.

Si Xing mentally transmitted, "This Fu Qingtian he's talking about, is he the Celestial Martial Artist below the mountain?"

"Yes, that's him." Li Pin nodded. "He was originally a Heavenly Realm Astral Cultivator. But now he seems to have aligned with the outside world in a strange way. He seems to have become a Heavenly Realm Celestial Martial Artist... This is quite unexpected.

Li Pin continued, "I understand why Yuan Zhenchuan has come to me, but... I really have no idea how to turn Fu Qingtian back into an Astral Cultivator."

Si Xing replied, "For over a year now, I've been studying your Celestial Martial God Manual. The situation with him reminded me of another advantage native civilizations have, beyond their unique cultivation talent.

"During the Astral God's Eternal Oblivion, the astral energy released grants Atomic Will. Since atoms are densest in solid planets, planetary will is inevitably warped by the Astral Gods' will.

"I predicted you weren't Gaia's Child because you aren't an Astral Cultivator. Yin Luo's inheritor can only tread the path of Astral Cultivation.

Li Pin nodded.

The radiance of Astral God Yin Luo illuminated the entire galaxy. Naturally, the will of a single planet could never oppose it.

Moreover, whether Gaia even had its own planetary will remained unknown.

"The starlight Astral God Yin Luo released is a blessing for all beings in this star system, a sign of the Astral God's favor. Even the will of the planets has been affected.

"If a strong person becomes the representative of a planet's will—such as the foremost figure among civilizations—it would be easy for them to receive the planet's blessing and become a Destiny's Child."

Si Xing smiled. "In the vast cosmos, the birth of a Destiny's Child is rare. But when I heard Gaia had given birth to you, the Child of Gaia, I came immediately.

"This was because I knew that planets blessed by the Astral God have a much higher chance of producing a Destiny's Child."

"You can't be telling me that Fu Qingtian has become a Destiny's Child?" responded Fang Chen, quite surprised. "But how could a Destiny's Child be a Celestial Martial Artist?"

Si Xing explained, "The ultimate goal of a Celestial Martial Artist is to become a Demigod. Beyond that comes Divinity, and a Divine Being can also potentially become an Astral God. However, this path is much harder than the Legendary one."

He paused. "Also, you seem to have missed my point. The planet's blessing is essentially similar to the way Atomic Will favors an astral energy collective. You can even think of it as an enormous Atomic Will. Through this, it is expressing its dependence on the Astral God in its own way."

Li Pin's brows knit. "So, he's been picking up divine relics and finding Heavenly Treasures so easily because... the planet's will is delivering them to him?"

Li Pin couldn't help but think of the "main character treatment" that many protagonists of fictional works enjoyed.

Si Xing smiled. "Pretty much. But your situation in Gaia is a bit unique. Back then, I almost thought you were Gaia's Destiny's Child. If Gaia had to choose one, it would have picked you.

"But you didn't follow the Astral Cultivation path, so in the end, Gaia settled for finding an astral energy collective it could sense."

Si Xing glanced toward the figure on the mountainside.

"So, Fu Qingtian has become Gaia's Destiny's Child?" Li Pin asked.

Si Xing replied, "Not exactly. He could only be considered to have received Gaia's favor. If you truly plan to help him, you could try and use the Celestial Martial God Manual to lay him a foundation, guiding him toward the Demigod path.

"He could nurture his Natal Planet through the Celestial Martial God Manual without needing to attempt the Celestial Breaker phase. He only needs to merge his Natal Planet with Gaia's Celestial Core. It's like intentionally failing the Celestial Breaker phase, causing his Natal Planet to fall into Gaia... If all goes well, he could lay the foundation to become a Demigod."

Li Pin glanced at Si Xing. "Merging his Natal Planet into Gaia's Celestial Core... theoretically, it would be crushed, becoming part of Gaia."

"I'm just proposing an idea." Si Xing shrugged. "If it fails, you'd have only lost a Heavenly Realm Celestial Martial Artist. But if it succeeds, you'll gain a Demigod. Of course, it will take time to fully harness the Demigod's power, but with enough resources, that won't be an issue."

Si Xing continued, considering it logically, "With a Demigod protecting Gaia, you'd be able to venture out with more peace of mind."

He added, "Of course, whether or not you tell him about this path is up to you."

Li Pin thought for a moment, then turned to the anxious Yuan Zhenchuan, waiting nearby.

He smiled and then turned back to Si Xing. "Let's discuss the specifics and refine the idea... Gaia doesn't have many Heavenly Realm practitioners. If we can avoid losing one, it's best not to."

Si Xing nodded. "Very well."

Li Pin turned to Yuan Zhenchuan and said, "Come back in three days."

"Alright." Yuan Zhenchuan immediately understood. He excitedly expressed his gratitude. "Hall Master Li... Thank you."

Li Pin gave a slight nod.

After Yuan Zhenchuan left, Li Pin resumed his conversation with Si Xing. During their exchange, he couldn't help but reflect on the vastness of the world and how it often defied expectations.

There were countless beings in the universe, and some inevitably became mutated individuals. The ultimate achievements of some of these mutated beings could be truly surprising.

Civilization's super warriors were among these mutated beings. They represented the final form of the "Destiny's Child," a unique existence with combat power comparable to the eighth or even ninth tier.

However, such unique lifeforms were typically born only from the perfect convergence of unparalleled talent and a planet's fortune.

The Yin Luo Galaxy aside, even within the vast Xian Ying Star Cluster, a Destiny's Child was incredibly rare. You wouldn't even see one in thousands, even tens of thousands, of stellar years. They were far from the norm.

Take Taibai from back in the day as an example, those who could only manage to unleash Spirit Force once or twice in their entire lives were not worthy of the title of Martial Saint; rather, only those who could consistently and reliably unleash such Force were recognized as true Saints.

***

Three days later, Li Pin handed the modified Celestial Martial God Manual to Yuan Zhenchuan.

On the same day, a cosmic spaceship with a diameter of over forty kilometers appeared outside Gaia.

The Homo Sapien Alliance's construction team had arrived.

Under the supervision of Si Xing, a Level-Three Executive of the Homo Sapien Alliance, the construction team dared not engage in corruption. They diligently completed the construction of the signal base station and Astral Gate transportation point within three months.

As soon as the signal base station was finished, Gaia received a signal.

It seemed to be a broadcast sent to the entire Candle Light Star Ring.

Three stellar months ago, the Ashen Council, the Immortal Wood Empire, and the White Dove Federation ended their hostilities. They formed the Candle Light Alliance, inviting all civilizations within the Star Ring to join them in weathering the nascent second-phase competition and vying for a chance at victory.

Upon receiving the news, Yuan Zhenchuan immediately consulted with Li Pin. Considering the upcoming competition for the Astral God inheritance, Li Pin issued the order to join the Candle Light Alliance.

Thanks to Gaia now holding the position of ruler in the Dragon Swamp Nebula, they immediately gained a council seat upon joining the Candle Light Alliance, becoming one of its members.

Since the alliance was led jointly by the Ashen Council, the Wood Immortal Empire, and the White Dove Federation, the council seats were primarily occupied by these three nations, with other nebula overlords like Gaia holding council member positions.

As for other civilizations, they were simply members of the alliance and had no decision-making power.

With the formation of the alliance, the major civilizations drastically reduced tariffs, fostering an unprecedented economic boom through mutual trade. The Gaia Alliance benefited as well.

Since the alliance was still in its early stages, the alliance's strategic policies and developmental roadmap, including strategies for ensuring its contender would ultimately triumph in the contest for Yin Luo's legacy, remained to be established.

Based on Si Xing's experience, he reckoned it would take at least three to five years of wrangling before they could hold the first alliance conference to establish future direction.

Li Pin, however, did not waste time. He was not the caretaker of the Gaia civilization.

He had already left three Tier One Legends on Gaia and entrusted Si Xing to help watch over the place. If Gaia still couldn't emerge victorious, it would simply be the fate of the Gaia civilization.

Considering the journey, it would take him at least a stellar year to reach the Divine Treasury Hall. Before leaving Gaia, he said his goodbyes to Xiang Tianxing and Fang Lingjue, the only true friends he had.

As for "Li Pin's" family, after learning from Xiang Xiaoyue that they were doing well, he chose not to disturb them. He was grateful for the warmth of "family" they had given him. But, as the saying goes, "the gentle embrace of home is the grave of heroes."

He had felt it once, and that was enough. There was no need to linger. He had his own path to walk.

Without saying goodbye to anyone else, not even to Li Yunyao, who was still upset with him, he quietly left for Alliance Star in the Divine Dragon Empire.

He then set off for the White Dove Federation before continuing on to the Divine Treasury Hall.