Planet Pulverizer: A Mortal's Ascent

Chapter 367: Techniques

After dealing with some affairs of the Celestial Martial God Hall, Shi Shihu and Xie Longcheng left.

Not long after, Lin Langya arrived outside the courtyard, waiting for instructions.

When he learned from Li Pin that there was still a group of members from the Lin clan who had survived inside the Peach Blossom Domain, his expression was immediately filled with excitement.

"The survivors of the Peach Blossom Domain include a Master Astral Cultivator. With this Master Astral Cultivator, the Great Moon can be restored," said Li Pin.

He paused. "But it will take half a year to a year for me to save them."

This was his estimation according to his current training progress. It'd take half a year at the earliest, one year if the progress was slower.

In that timeframe, he should be able to grow to an adequate enough level to slay that Legendary Ghoul even with the interference of the lord-level surrounding it and the other demonic creatures.

Lin Langya was stunned upon hearing this. "Restoring the country...."

His emotions quickly became complicated.

"Alright, you may leave," Li Pin said.

"If the Great Moon chooses to restore the country, it will no longer receive the protection of the Celestial Martial God Hall. Is that correct?" Lin Langya asked.

Li Pin nodded. "That's right."

He did not intend to involve the Celestial Martial God Hall in the complications of the Great Moon's restoration.

"Then this country... does not need to be restored."

Lin Langya wore a bitter smile. "I believe the Celestial Martial God Hall's governance over the Molong Country is good enough. At least... your advanced ideas from the developed Taibai Kingdom have significantly improved people's lives, Hall Master Li...."

"As you wish." Li Pin said, "Even if the country is restored, I will leave Molong Country for the Celestial Martial God Hall."

"Over the years, the outside world has changed dramatically. We have to admit that the Great Moon has been left behind. From now on, we only wish to follow you and safely continue the Great Moon's Lin clan lineage," Lin Langya said earnestly.

Li Pin did not discuss this trivial matter further with him.

He had always cared little for oaths and promises and only cared about actions and words.

Lin Langya bowed and took his leave.

This scene was witnessed by Li Yunyao in the courtyard.

She had seen the Royal Empire's envoy, who could converse freely with the Taibai Kingdom's emperor in Tianyuan, captured effortlessly by Li Pin. She had watched as members of the Royal Empire's delegation bow and offer smiles to Li Pin She watched as many Martial Gods, who were supposedly at the pinnacle in the martial arts world, acted respectfully before Li Pin.

Even the High-Class Astral Cultivators of royal descent with esteemed status in Taibai listened to him without question...

At that moment, she suddenly understood the true meaning of what Li Pin had said to her.

The gap! A gap as vast as the sky and earth!

Anything and anyone in this world was complementary to others. There had to be two-way providence of value.

She... what value could she provide to Li Pin?

None! No value at all!

Putting aside that Li Pin was no longer truly her own brother—even if he was—when two people exist in entirely different worlds, sharing no common language, thoughts, or beliefs, the result was inevitable.

They would gradually drift apart.

Even if Li Pin was still full of warmth towards her now... how long could this warmth last?

Nothing was eternal.

Their familial bond was no exception.

Unless... she could keep up with him...

At the very least, when he wanted her to keep up to his pace, she must be able to do so. Otherwise, the next time she parted ways with Li Pin, it could very well be a true and final farewell.

Even if both of them were alive, their paths in life would never intersect again.

As she looked at Li Pin... a decision seemed to form in her heart.

She approached him.

"Brother," she called out, her tone completely different from how it once was back on that bus to Sanshun Town, "I want to practice martial arts."

"Hmmm?"

Li Pin didn't smile as he looked at her serious expression.

He calmly asked, "Have you thought it through?"

"I have."

"Alright." Li Pin nodded. "Since you want to learn, I'll teach you, but..."

He paused. "This will be the last time."

"I won't disgrace you."

Li Pin smiled and waved his hand.

He led her straight to the study inside the courtyard. Once they were in the study, he took a box from the bookshelf.

He opened the box, revealing four Skill Crystals inside. He separated two of the Skill Crystals.

"Here I have summarized my learnings into the Celestial Martial God Manual, focusing on the Celestial Magnetic Field and enhancing its strength. It contains the Celestial Body-Tempering Fist, which primarily focuses on increasing the qi and blood.

"A single Skill Crystal has limited effects and can only record mixed content, not profound insights. Recording them separately is better. One of these stones holds my insights into the Celestial Force Field, and the other contains the Celestial Martial God Manual that can allow one to cultivate into a Supreme Martial God."

He took out the other two Skill Crystals. "Even a Martial God cannot neglect the cultivation and strengthening of the mind. One of these Skill Crystals is called Innate Primal Chaos Technique, which has miraculous effects on nurturing the mind. The other one... records my recent uses and insights on the Celestial Force Field, such as Celestial Assassination Technique, Celestial Shift Technique, Cosmic River Sword Attack, and so on..."

"Brother...."

"Since you wish to learn, I will do my best to teach you," said Li Pin, looking at her. "You are quite familiar with the Innate Qi-Refining Technique. If you aren't in a rush to go back, I can help you comprehend the concept of attaining uniformity. If you successfully grasp this mental state, you could use legendary astral equipment to condense a Lifeform Force Field and further use the Celestial Force Field to perceive and advance directly to become Martial God."

"I'm not going back," Li Yunyao immediately said. "In Jiang Province City, I'm just like a mascot, with a symbolic meaning greater than any practical significance. There's nothing that needs me there for. I'm not going back."

Li Pin nodded. "Alright."

He had guessed as much.

Li Yunyao's position as the Divine Martial Sect's vice sect master was solely due to her being his younger sister. If it weren't for that, no matter how crazy the leaders of Tianyuan were, they would never let a Martial Saint be the vice sect master of the Divine Martial Sect.

"Go and digest the information within these Skill Crystals well." Li Pin pushed the box toward her. "Stay in the guest room next to mine. It'll be convenient to ask me if you have any questions."

"I won't disappoint you again," Li Yunyao said firmly.

Li Pin smiled. "It's not about not disappointing me, but about not disappointing yourself. Everyone only needs to be responsible for themselves."

Li Yunyao shook her head, took the Skill Crystals from the box, and turned to leave.

Watching her back as she walked away, Li Pin sat on the chair, his expression somewhat inscrutable.

He remained silent for a long time.

At that moment, even he was not entirely sure of his true thoughts.

After a while, he vaguely thought of an explanation that could work.

Perhaps... I want to leave behind something in this world. Li Pin thought to himself. A mark? A legacy? An anchor point?

He didn't know.

What he did know was that his rational mind wouldn't let him stay for anything.

Be it Jiang Province, Taibai, or even the entire Tianyuan, it was hard for any of them to leave a mark on his heart.

It was because he knew very well what he wanted. These places would not be where his heart belonged.

This was applicable for objects and places.

It was the same for people.

The only one who could bind his emotions and affect his heart might be... Li Yunyao, who was connected by the karmic ties of "Li Pin's" body.

Whether it was a mark or an anchor point, at least... this anchor point could be clearer, so that as his cultivation advanced and his path continued, he wouldn't forget.

Otherwise, by the time he came back to his senses, he might realize that he had left nothing behind.

***

Li Yunyao did not come alone. If she were alone, she wouldn't be able to cross the sea to arrive at the Great Moon.

The people who had accompanied her were Taibai's Su Dongfeng and Lu Jianchuan, both of whom were Master Astral Cultivators.

Additionally, there were several Top-Tier Astral Cultivators.

Among these Top-Tier Astral Cultivators, Su Mai, whom Li Pin was most familiar with and who was in charge of Taibai's martial arts matters, stood out.

After seeing Li Yunyao, Li Pin met with everyone.

After some pleasantries, Su Dongfeng conveyed the royal decree from the Taibai royal family to Li Pin.

He had been conferred a lifetime marquisate title, and his fief area was to be expanded to the size of an entire city.

Additionally, there were a series of rewards. Although these rewards were not significant to Li Pin at this point, they were enough to show Taibai's stance.

Finally, Su Dongfeng made a gesture.

Su Mai stepped forward and brought out a box the size of a suitcase.

"Hall Master Li, please take a look."

As he opened the box, a gemstone emitting visible electric light appeared before his eyes.

Li Pin leaned slightly forward. "This is...?"

He could sense that this gemstone was similar to a Primordial Electric Crystal, but the thunder magnetic power contained within was several times stronger.

Su Mai, wearing a smile, began, "Thanks to some unexpected gains, Taibai's research department is considered top-notch even when compared to the rest of Tianyuan. Back when you were at the Dragon Gate Hall and cultivating with Primordial Electric Crystals, we wondered if refining a purer form could greatly shorten your cultivation time and increase your chances of claiming the highest throne in the King of the Century Battle..."

"Although you have become the last King of the Century, cementing your name in the world without relying on anyone else but yourself and forged an unprecedented path of the Martial God, we at Taibai have continued developing this technology and made significant breakthroughs six months ago."

Li Pin looked up. "Primordial Electric Crystal extraction technology?"

"That's right. We calculated that by using a set of nine Primordial Electric Crystals, we could extract an essence that is, on average, 3.1 times more effective than ordinary Primordial Electric Crystals. Although the loss rate exceeds half, the energy's purity is greatly enhanced.

"However, the extracted power is intense, making it difficult for Martial Saints to utilize. But if the cultivator is strong enough, with a qi and blood of 150 points, we can refine five portions. As one's qi and blood increases, one could refine ten, fifteen, or even twenty portions of Primordial Electric Crystal Essence per day."

Su Mai paused. "Hall Master Li, with your physique, comparable to that of a Top-Tier Astral Cultivator, refining fifteen portions per day would be no issue, resulting in an overall improvement of six to seven times in cultivation efficiency."