Planet Pulverizer: A Mortal's Ascent

Chapter 355: Dragon Bone

Li Pin felt his Celestial Magnetic Field straining to its limits, his qi and blood surging despite the lingering shockwaves from the meteor hammer. He was exhilarated. "Demonic creatures lack the tactical finesse of humans, but their tough hides and remarkable resilience make them ideal sparring partners."

Through this intense struggle for survival, he could feel every one of his cells come to life.

It’s like how the foundation of relaxation was a safe and comfortable environment. But in a place where danger lurked at every turn, even the most laid-back individuals had no choice but to get up and strive for survival.

As Li Pin engaged in battle with the demonic creatures, if he didn't maintain his peak strength repeatedly, any lapse in his focus could lead to his demise. He could get crushed or snapped in two by the likes of the Pale Boarman or Dark Scorpion-Bodied Serpents right then and there.

Under the pressure of life and death, his qi and blood and magnetic field operated at peak efficiency, activating every one of his cells. Through this form of training, he could feel the pace of his evolution accelerate, far surpassing a typical cultivation session.

Glancing deeper into the palace, Li Pin could see fearsome beasts lurking. There wasn't any trace of human presence. It was clear that the creatures within had been the ones responsible for excavating this area.

There were likely even more entities on the same level as the Pale Boarmen and the Dark Scorpion-Bodied Serpent deep within.

"I'll return, train, and continue sparring with these lord-level creatures," Li Pin decided without hesitation.

However, he wouldn't neglect to search for spoils. After all, these were lord-level monsters. They surely wouldn't disappoint him.

Gripping his sword, he rifled through the corpse of the Pale Boarman. However, this lord-level creature didn't have anything on it. He didn't find an Astral Crystal, nor did he find materials for astral equipment. The meteor hammer was the only item that was remotely valuable. It could be dismantled for high-grade astral equipment materials.

This loot wasn't in line with what one would expect from a lord-level demonic creature.

Li Pin didn't dwell on it, however. He understood that a demonic creature's strength didn't necessarily ensure it would drop valuable rewards. For instance, the Ghoul King from the Black Gold Mine was a top-tier creature, yet the Skill Crystals it dropped surpassed even rare astral equipment in value.

Leaving the Pale Boarman's corpse, Li Pin turned his attention to the Dark Scorpion-Bodied Serpent. His gaze was immediately drawn to its spine.

The bone resembled a dragon's spine and had a faint dark-golden color, exuding a strange aura of majesty.

"This Dark Scorpion-Bodied Serpent must have been a python that mutated into a scorpion-bodied serpent, but never gave up on its hope of transforming into a dragon... That explains why its spine evolved into dragon bone."

No wonder the Sword of Destiny failed to cut through its spine in a single strike.

"A dragon bone... is the primary material for crafting the rare astral equipment, Dragon Bone Sword."

Li Pin carefully stowed the dragon bone away.

Dragon Bone Sword didn't just possess attributes rivaling top-tier astral equipment. It also greatly enhanced the wielder's spiritual perception. Additionally, rare astral equipment inherently had a suppressive effect on other ferocious beasts, making it a coveted godly equipment among Beast Tamer Astral Cultivators.

For them, the Dragon Bone Sword was nearly as valuable as the legendary astral equipment, the Rage War Halberd, for which Master Astral Cultivators might forsake everything for a chance to obtain.

"A rare astral equipment is priceless. Even the materials for crafting one can reach billions," Li Pin remarked with a mix of emotions.

While the dragon bone could be sold for a sky-high price, he had no real use for such a huge amount of money for the time being.

He already had Thunder Stones as a substitute for Primordial Electric Crystal. Even if he didn't, there was a limit to how many Primordial Electric Crystals he could consume in a day.

Beyond that limit, money meant little to him.

Great Shang has it relatively easier. Other factions like Tianyuan, the Star Alliance, Solar Radiance, and the Royal Empire have already started regulating the astral equipment resources from the top-tier grade onwards, with rare grade ones entirely restricted. It stood to reason that high-level cultivation resources were similarly controlled, thought Li Pin.

Maybe I should ask Xiang Tianxing if there are any resources similar to the Primordial Electric Crystals that aren't available on the market.

Although Li Pin had emerged victorious in the King of the Century competition back then, he had still been a martial artist with limited exposure to higher levels.

As for Lin Langya and the others, sixty or seventy years ago, they represented the forefront of civilization. However, after the fall of the Great Moon, they had stayed hidden for decades, resulting in their information becoming disconnected from contemporary society.

Furthermore, they no longer had the qualification to access certain cutting-edge international resources and information.

After securing his spoils, Li Pin returned to the sixth level.

He assessed his condition and rapidly refined ten Primordial Electric Crystals in the next half a day. His efficiency had more than doubled compared to before.

However, this refinement method was akin to operating at the extreme and was clearly unsustainable.

Even though his Clairvoyance gift allowed his cells to retain this extreme state, it didn't significantly enhance his efficiency in future refining of the crystals.

The reason was that this state of being pushed to the edge involved both physical and spiritual extremes that went beyond what his Clairvoyance gift could replicate.

Of course, as he grew accustomed to this state, his body, constantly on edge, developed a hunger that required him to refine Primordial Electric Crystals to satisfy it. In a way, this did improve his cultivation efficiency.

Li Pin made a rough estimation of his progress toward becoming a Top-Tier Martial God. I've just saved another month.

With this thought in mind, he rose, sword in hand, and descended to the seventh level of the tomb.

This time, without the Pale Boarman and Dark Scorpion-Serpents blocking his path, he took the opportunity to examine his surroundings.

The underground palace must have once shown signs of human habitation, but the creatures dwelling here showed little regard for preservation, resulting in numerous collapses and craters.

Some areas even showcased unexpected "architectural" intricacies, clear evidence of the creatures' work.[1]

After searching for a moment, Li Pin sensed something nearby—a group of demonic creatures led by a Pale Boarman closing in on him.

"As expected, with the Sword of Destiny, even my stealth skills can't avoid a slip-up," he muttered.

His descent into the Great Moon Tomb had been fraught with demonic encounters, starkly different from the ease he experienced when infiltrating the Black Gold Mine. The Sword of Destiny was certainly the reason.

Thankfully, its attributes were low, resulting in mild astral energy fluctuations. Had it been a high-attribute legendary astral equipment, it would have held as much attraction as a Top-Tier Astral Cultivator for the demonic creatures.

The Pale Boarman let out an enraged bellow. "Roar!"

Li Pin didn't flinch. He gripped his sword tightly and charged forward.

***

Several minutes later, Li Pin examined the defeated Pale Boarman and sighed. "So poor."

Disappointed, he sheathed his sword and assessed his condition. Finding himself still fit for battle, he pressed on.

Despite their lord-level status, these Pale Boarmen felt no different from low-tier creatures—barely worthy of being called bosses.

As Li Pin ventured deeper, the path became increasingly chaotic, marked by the reckless destruction wrought by ferocious beasts and demonic creatures.

After a short walk, he rounded a corner and stumbled upon a vast expanse of desolate ruins, where a palace lay partially buried in the earth. The structure bore signs of human craftsmanship, suggesting it was an emperor's main tomb that had collapsed to this level.

To Li Pin's surprise, the palace remained relatively intact, with few signs of destruction from ferocious beasts or demonic creatures.

I wonder which Great Moon emperor lies here, he thought.

Li Pin fixed his gaze on an elevated platform within the palace that held the coffin.

Then, he sensed something and looked past the platform to the rear.

There is a... door?!

"Lin Langya mentioned that a contingent of Lin Clan elites had retreated deep into the Great Moon Imperial Tomb with the divine armor, rumored to reverse fate itself..."

Li Pin was now precisely in the depths of the Great Moon Imperial Tomb.

Many areas were so deeply excavated that they seemed entirely carved out by ferocious beasts and demonic creatures.

Now that a door had appeared behind a tomb here... he might have finally found what he was looking for....

Could this be their final refuge? wondered Li Pin.

He strode forward, heading directly for the door.

Just as he approached, the emperor's coffin in front of it suddenly creaked open. A terrifying presence seemed to awaken within, and an overwhelming aura—far beyond what any lord-level creature could possess—radiated from within,

Li Pin could see a figure inside. Is that... a Ghoul?!

A monstrous creature resembling a ghoul, clad in imperial robes, suddenly rose from the coffin, its gaze fixed directly on him.

The moment their eyes met; an unprecedented chill washed over Li Pin. Its gaze was intangible, but the eerie chill it carried felt almost real, spreading frantically over him.

Li Pin found this terrifying sensation familiar.

"Legendary!"

The feeling mirrored his encounter with Fu Qingtian. The difference was that Fu Qingtian had been a mere projection. But now... he was standing before the real thing—a legendary demonic creature's true form!

Li Pin was astounded. A legendary demonic creature is hidden in the Great Moon Imperial Tomb!?

The Legendary Ghoul seemed to retain a flicker of consciousness. It growled, "Die...."

It sprang up from the coffin and lunged forward.

In an instant, the chilling aura intensified, becoming dozens of times stronger than before. It was intent on freezing Li Pin solid, leaving him powerless to resist as the creature tore him apart.

Just based on its initial movement, Li Pin could tell there was no escaping from this creature. The Legendary Ghoul's speed far surpassed his!

And from the crushing aura that resembled Fu Qingtian's, it was clear this was a top-tier creature even among legendary ones.

As he was now... he didn't stand a chance! Absolutely no chance!

Li Pin's gaze locked onto the door behind the coffin. He needed to reach that divine armor, the very hope the Great Moon had pinned everything on!

1. Sarcasm to imply the area bore a crude structure. ☜