Planet Pulverizer: A Mortal's Ascent

Chapter 317: High-Class

Molong Country and the whole land seemed calm on the surface but there had always been constant turmoil beneath. The reason people perceived Molong Country as being relatively peaceful was mainly due to the limited information channels present.

For instance, just a month ago, an army from Kanyun Country invaded the Molong Country, causing significant casualties in the Xiangshi Territory.

It was said that this army had initially been promised by Cui Sheng, Xiangshi Territory's city lord, that they could pass through and attack Xiangye Territory. However, when the news reached the Dragonfist Sect, they promptly informed this army from Kanyun Country of their allegiance to Xiangye Territory.

The Dragonfist Sect might have had dozens of Martial Saints, but any general from Molong Country with an army could've crushed the Dragonfist Sect.

However, the Dragonfist Sect weren't foolish enough to take a head-on battle. Knowing their enemy was invincible, the Dragonfist Sect would work in smaller units. If dozens of Martial Saints were to hide in the shadows and perform assassinations, any territory would fall into utter panic.

Kanyun Country was no exception.

Thus, upon realizing that Xiangye Territory was not easily dealt with, this army wreaked havoc across Xiangshi Territory since they were already there. By catching Xiangshi Territory off guard, they ultimately inflicted nearly a thousand casualties on its defending forces.

Li Pin did not pay much attention to the ongoing impact of this event.

At the moment, he was at Dragonfist Sect for the disciple acknowledgment ceremony for Wen Xingchen under the witness of Wen Yusheng, Qiao Yuanshan, Shi Shihu, and others.

For certain considerations, Li Pin decided to take Wen Xingchen as an official disciple.

Even so, it still made Shi Shihu and the others envious.

What Wen Yusheng and others viewed as a solemn event, Li Pin considered merely a simple ceremony. After it ended, the two left the hall and went straight to the sect master's courtyard atop the mountain.

Hualong Mountain covered over sixty square kilometers and was divided into several peaks. However, the highest peak was only about six hundred meters above sea level.

Dragonfist Sect was situated halfway up this peak, at about four hundred meters. Shi Shihu had lived here when he was the sect master. Li Pin, however, didn't take up this spot belonging to the sect master. Instead, deciding not to involve himself much with the sect's affairs, he chose to reside in the courtyard at the mountaintop.

Initially, the courtyard was not large, covering less than a thousand square meters. However, over recent months, as the Dragonfist Sect expanded, it grew to include nearly ten thousand square meters of training grounds, along with comprehensive facilities.

***

In the courtyard, Xing Ying was making tea for Li Pin and Wen Xingchen.

Wen Xingchen received the teacup and said, "Thank you."

A month ago, after Yue Ya and Ri Chi recovered from their injuries, the five remaining members of the Moon Fang Squad returned to the Dragonfist Sect, hoping to follow Li Pin.

Li Pin didn't refuse them this time.

Although he didn't really care for the Dragonfist Sect, he needed its people for the time being. If he relied entirely on them, there was a risk they might deceive him without him knowing.

Thus, having the Moon Fang Squad within the Dragonfist Sect allowed them to assist Wen Yusheng in overseeing the Black Gold Mine. It was not a bad arrangement.

At present, the other four had various assignments, leaving only Xing Ying by Li Pin's side, serving tea and water.

Watching Wen Xingchen sip his tea, Li Pin commented, "Your qi and blood, as well as your mental spirit, are well-honed, but you're still far from achieving perfection for your physical body."

After making a rough estimation, Li Pin found that Wen Xingchen's qi and blood level was around 41. As for his mental spirit level, it was approximately 37 points, which could barely qualify him as a Top-Tier Martial Saint.

Of course, a Top-Tier Martial Saint required the smooth activation of Martial Will, ensuring constant unity of thought and action. Wen Xingchen still needed to improve in this area. Strictly speaking, he was merely a High-Class Martial Saint.

However, this step did not hold much significance for Li Pin, who intended to guide him toward the path of the Martial God. @@novelbin@@

"I've had you study the Black Tortoise True Art recently. How is your progress?" Li Pin asked.

"Thanks to Sect Master Shi's guidance, I've made swift progress in the Black Tortoise True Art, but I'm still far from the Innate Embryonic Breath Technique you requested for me to learn, Master," replied Wen Xingchen, lowering his head. "I am ashamed for that."

"Next, I will guide you in cultivating the Black Tortoise True Art. I will try to create the conditions for the Innate Embryonic Breath Technique for you. Also... I'm passing this spirit-tempering technique to you. Practicing it alongside the Black Tortoise True Art should provide mutual enhancement."

Li Pin handed him the written Innate Primal Chaos Technique.

Wen Xingchen respectfully accepted it. "Thank you, Master, for granting me this technique."

"Alright," Li Pin nodded. "Go on. I'm giving you three months. During this period, I will guide your training. If you can sense the Innate Embryonic Breath within these three months, I'll grant you an opportunity."

"Yes, I will not disappoint you, Master," Wen Xingchen solemnly promised.

Li Pin watched his departing figure, pondering on the Skill Crystal. If Wen Xingchen could truly comprehend the Innate Embryonic Breath Technique within three months with his help, he would have high chances in forming the Lifeform Force Field.

With a Lifeform Force Field and the Skill Crystal Li Pin intended to test on him, he might directly shape a Martial God if fortune favored them.

Of course, this was only his idea. Whether it would go smoothly depended on Wen Xingchen's fate.

***

Time passed.

In the following one to two months, the Xiangshi Territory remained well-behaved.

Cui Sheng, under great pressure after losing nearly a thousand troops, had no time to find trouble for the Xiangye Territory.

As for Molong Country, although the Dragonfist Sect had aligned with the Xiangye Territory, it still meant little to the Top-Tier Astral Cultivators.

News had spread regarding a new Martial God taking over the Dragonfist Sect. However, people simply regarded him as another Martial God like Shi Shihi.

While others might not know, Wu Muxuan, as a Top-Tier Astral Cultivator, clearly understood what kind of Martial God Shi Shihu was. Therefore, he didn't pay it much mind.

Although Li Pin, the founder of the Martial God Path, had shocked the world by dragging a Legendary Mage down with him, the shock gradually faded as the Six Extremities revealed the truth about Martial Gods.

Within half a year, many Martial Saints at the critical points of their cultivation in various countries chose without hesitation to switch to the Astral Cultivation path. As for the remaining minority, it wasn't that they had abandoned Astral Cultivation for the Martial God System. Rather, they had failed to envision the Astral God during the formation of their Lifeform Force Field, making the switch impossible.

This situation alone demonstrated the pros and cons of the Astral Cultivator and Martial God systems.

In addition, Astral Cultivators had solidified the impression over decades that Martial Saints were merely cannon fodder! Thus, the Molong Country's higher-ups didn't regard the Dragonfist Sect's Martial God with sufficient importance.

For this, Li Pin himself did not intend to publicize it.

***

Two and a half months after Li Pin accepted Wen Xingchen as a disciple.

On Hualong Mountain's summit, a gust of violent wind suddenly blew, dark clouds rolled in, and heavy rain poured down. Alongside the rain came fierce lightning and thunder ravaging the clouds.

If anyone could observe closely, they would see that the crashing lightning bolts—five or six in total—struck the summit of Hualong Mountain simultaneously.

And all of them struck the exact same spot.

Unfortunately, only Wen Xingchen and Xing Ying had the chance to witness this sight.

In the vast training ground that measured close to one hundred meters both in length and breath, Li Pin's figure floated several meters above the ground, surrounded by endless streams of electric light coursing wildly on his body.

It seemed that he was using the Lifeform Force Field to continuously counter the power of the descending lightning, resulting in an indescribable horrifying pressure that encompassed the entire training ground.

Even though Wen Xingchen and Xing Ying stood over a hundred meters away outside the training ground and were not specifically targeted by Li Pin, they still felt their chests tighten, their heart race, and a sense of suffocation.

Just like a person with a weak physique who had suddenly sprinted a hundred meters.

Though brief, the intense reaction made them want to sit down to relieve the overwhelming exhaustion.

Wen Xingchen opened his eyes wide, not wanting to miss a single detail. "This... this is Master's true strength!?"

Xing Ying's heart was shaken. "He isn't even targeting us and we're standing over a hundred meters away, yet I still can barely breathe.... If he directed it at us, what would happen?!"

She involuntarily recalled the publicized videos that were taken on the Crimson Flame Island during the previous King of the Century Competition.

The founder of the Martial God path had once used his Lifeform Force Field to suppress hundreds of Martial Saints.

The power that Martial God Li was displaying now... hardly fell short of the Martial God path's founder!

It was to the extent that... aside from the mythical aura surrounding the Martial God path's founder, Martial God Li seemed to even surpass him!

Xing Ying looked at the figure bathed in storm and thunder with reverence in her eyes. "Martial God Li is completely different from those Martial Gods rumored outside. He comprehended the Celestial Force Field on his own, making him a true Martial God... Yes! If he weren't a true Martial God, how would he have been able to slay a terrifying monster like the Ghoul King?"

Maybe... Martial God Li has become the first to truly walk the path of the Martial God. If the founder was still alive, he'd surely be gratified that someone like Martial God Li exists to tread the path he couldn't.

***

A long while passed.

As Li Pin's figure slowly descended from the void, the dark clouds, wind, and rain covering Hualong Mountain gradually ceased.

He stood in place, quietly contemplating.

Wen Xingchen and Xing Ying watched from afar, not daring to approach and disturb him.

Only when a ray of sunlight broke through the clouds at the horizon and shone down did Li Pin open his eyes again.

"Indeed, once the system was fully integrated and the corresponding cultivation techniques were created, my strength truly made a great leap."

Li Pin extended his hand, stretching his five fingers.

"Three and a half months, even counting the previous four months, it only took a total of seven and a half months. The Lifeform Force Field is now fully refined into a Celestial Magnetic Field."

With this simple motion, some water droplets nearby seemed to be pulled by an invisible force, rising up and forming spherical beads that revolved slowly around him as the center.

They were like satellites orbiting a planet.

"High-Class Martial God."