Planet Pulverizer: A Mortal's Ascent

Chapter 345: Speculation

Half a day later.

Upon sighting the Great Shang military outpost at the border, Ying Zhao and Hong Zhenshan finally let out sighs of relief.

They said in unison, "We're safe now."

After the moment of relief passed, the two fell into silence.

What a disgrace. They, two Master Astral Cultivators, had personally gone through the trouble of marching into Molong Country to demand the Dragonfist Sect Master to surrender. Yet, in the end, they ended up fleeing in defeat.

They had lost all face.

They couldn't help but fret over how they'd explain this failure to the nominal Hall Master of the Martial God Hall.

What would the ministers and officers under the hall think of them?

After a long pause, Ying Zhao finally broke the silence, trying to justify their failure. "The Dragonfist Sect... there's definitely something more going on there. There's an eighty to ninety percent chance another faction is supporting the sect master in secret."

"As for the man himself, he's undoubtedly a top-tier powerhouse," added Hong Zhenshan, sighing. He didn't shy away from their defeat. "It's hard to believe that in just a year, someone could reach such heights walking the Martial God path."

Ying Zhao's expression stiffened. "A Martial God..."

He was the Vice Hall Master of the Martial God Hall, an institution named after the Martial God. The strongest Martial Gods in the hall barely reached the High-Class Astral Cultivator level. Yet now, a rogue Martial God had forced him, the Vice Hall Master, into retreat.

"As for those factions you mentioned? Tianyuan and Solar Radiance are in the northern hemisphere. It's difficult for them to extend their influence to Great Moon. The only possibilities are the Star Alliance and the East Sea's Thirty-Six Countries."

Hong Zhenshan shook his head. "But the Star Alliance and the East Sea's Thirty-Six Countries are already backing certain factions here, like the Eagle Kingdom and Xiantai Country. Why would they need to make this extra move?"

"Don't forget," Ying Zhao added in a low voice, "In today's world, it's not just the Six Extremities that have Legendary figures."

The Six Extremities were called so not only because of their strength but because they held the Six Divine Rings. Originally, the Legends who wielded these rings were recognized as the Supreme Experts.

However, Divine Rings had varying effects. For instance, the Void Ring held by Fu Qingtian didn't offer much advantage in direct combat. In fact, to ensure the Void Ring wasn't disrupted by other astral equipment, users would avoid equipping additional legendary gear, affecting their combat potential.

Under such conditions, even if they were Supreme Experts, without the enhancement of astral equipment, they might not hold much of an edge against fully equipped top-tier Legends.

This led to a situation where powerful individuals donning legendary gear, allowing them to challenge figures like Fu Qingtian, started claiming the title of Supreme Experts. There were many such individuals, as if they were being produced in bulk.

"Actually, this Sect Master Li's style... seems oddly familiar," mused Hong Zhenshan.

Ying Zhao paused. "He feels familiar?"

Suddenly, his eyes widened a little. "Are you saying...?"

"It's his arrogance," Hong Zhenshan recalled. "He's just as arrogant as Li Pin, the founder of the Martial God Path!"

Ying Zhao recalled the Sect Master's overconfident words before their battle. The memory still infuriated him.

He quickly calmed down and asked, "Do you think he's connected to Li Pin? For years, intelligence agents have been trying to figure out who taught Li Pin martial arts. Many have investigated his origins in Liuchuan County, but they never found anything. Could it be... that this man was his teacher all along?"

"Why couldn't it be that this man is Li Pin himself?" Hong Zhenshan suggested.

Ying Zhao shook his head. "They're completely different."

"For us, changing life forms is possible. Adjusting height and appearance should be nothing," countered Hong Zhenshan."But no matter how much a person changes physically, their unique aura never does. The arrogance, the blatant disregard for others... If it's not Li Pin, who else could it be?"

He looked at Ying Zhao. "It's already astonishing for one person to pioneer the Martial God path. But to suddenly have someone even more talented than Li Pin appear... is that even possible?"

Hearing this, Ying Zhao, though initially in disbelief, couldn't help but consider the possibility of Hong Zhenshan's words.

When he set aside the appearance and figure of the Dragonfist Sect Master and compared him with the information they had on Li Pin, he was shocked to find that the similarities were overwhelming.

"This... how can this be?" Ying Zhao's eyes widened. "Li Pin... didn't he die? Didn't he perish along with Cang Shengdao...?"

"This world basks in the light of the great Astral Gods. Miracles can happen," Hong Zhenshan replied calmly. "Resurrection isn't impossible. Doesn't the Solar Radiance expert control the power of rebirth?"

"You mean the Rebirth Ring!?" Ying Zhao exclaimed, still in disbelief. "This..."

"It might be a divine relic with the power of resurrection," Hong Zhenshan said.

"This is madness," Ying Zhao muttered.

However, deep down, Ying Zhao was beginning to falter.

The way they acted was too similar. Both had walked the path of the Martial God, and both made this path shine brilliantly.

"If the Dragonfist Sect Master truly turns out to be Li Pin... then whatever we plan to do next, the global backlash will be unimaginable. Every martial artist will oppose us."

Ying Zhao slowly exhaled. "Even if we wanted to act now, it's too late."

Hong Zhenshan sighed. "In just a year, right above the Molong royal palace, a Martial God defeated both of us—two Master Astral Cultivators—in front of thousands of witnesses. What does that tell you? Who would dare say that the Martial God path is inferior to that of the Astral Cultivators now?"

Back then, Fu Qingtian's argument was that the Martial God path had limited potential. He believed Martial Saints should switch to the Astral Cultivator path, as it guaranteed that each one could become a Top-Tier Astral Cultivator.

Now, a Martial God had gained the strength to defeat Master Astral Cultivators in just a year. The speed at which they had reached that level of power was even faster than switching to the Astral Cultivation path!

Who would dare say the path of the Martial God was ineffective now?

"This battle was different from the destructive struggle against Cang Shengdao. Li Pin has truly vindicated the Martial God's path—openly, honorably, and beyond dispute."

Hong Zhenshan glanced toward the direction of Molong Country. "Whether he's Li Pin or not, from now on, he will be the new symbol and spiritual pillar for all martial artists, following the founding of the Martial God's path. He'll earn the worship and admiration of every Martial Saint."

Ying Zhao's face darkened. He knew Hong Zhenshan was right.

"What about us?"

"Us?" Hong Zhenshan gave a bitter smile. "We'll be the benchmark."

He mocked himself, "If the Martial God's path truly spreads and grows, we can at least say we made our mark in history."

Ying Zhao's expression remained grim.

That kind of legacy... he wanted no part of it.

"Report this to His Excellency as soon as possible," Hong Zhenshan said.

"His Excellency and the Special United Squad are already clearing out the Burial Grounds on Dark Moon Island. They've reportedly found the leader of the Skeleton Legion—the Yellow Spring Bishop..." Ying Zhao shared. "They won't stop until that monster is eliminated."

Hearing this, Hong Zhenshan assessed the nation's remaining forces.

One national Legend, another guarding the perilous region, and three Legendary Mages...

The first two couldn't be moved. As for the Mages... best not to count on them.

"Then we'll wait," Hong Zhenshan said. "It shouldn't take long."

Ying Zhao nodded grimly.

The thought that when people mentioned the accomplishments of the Martial God's path in the future, they would say, "Master Li fought Ying Zhao and Hong Zhenshan, both of which were Master Astral Cultivators, and defeated them," made Ying Zhao want to curse.

Leave a mark in history?

Ying Zhao opened his mouth, but the words caught in his throat, turning into a single syllable. "Damn!"

***

As the two Master Astral Cultivators of Great Shang slunk back home in defeat, Li Pin returned to the Dragonfist Sect at a steady pace.

When he arrived, he found a sizable crowd already gathered.

Even Shi Shihu, who had been out mining, had rushed back.

The moment they sensed Li Pin's presence as he descended onto the peak of Hualong Mountain, several Martial Gods hurried to greet him, their faces filled with excitement and joy.

"Master, we've received word from our people in the Molong Palace—"

"It's true," Li Pin replied bluntly.

"It's true!?" Shi Shihu's eyes widened. "You really fought two Master Astral Cultivators—Ying Zhao from the Martial God Hall and Hong Zhenshan from the Shang Martial Academy—and defeated them both!?"

Then, realizing his words were too upfront, he quickly added, "I didn't mean to doubt you, Master, it's just that... it's simply... unbelievable..."

"You have my legacy. You should have realized this by now. Once you become a Top-Tier Martial God, you'll naturally achieve what I have. There's no need to be so surprised."

Shi Shihu, Xing Hui, Xing Ying, Yue Ying, and the others flushed with emotion at Li Pin's words.

It was one thing to have the legacy, but seeing someone actually achieve such a feat was another.

After all, these were Master Astral Cultivators! In any country, or even across the entire human race, they were at the pinnacle of power. With enough time and strategy, Master Astral Cultivators could hold off hundreds of Top-Tier Astral Cultivators, making them transcendental figures.

The Human Alliance even had laws declaring every Master Astral Cultivator as a treasure of humanity, too valuable to be sentenced to death. No matter the crime, unless it was treason against humanity, they would only be sent to the battlefield.

Yet their master had... defeated such individuals.

"Get ready," Li Pin said, glancing at them. "The Dragonfist Sect is about to get very lively."

His goal of turning the sect into a martial arts sanctuary might be realized sooner than expected.