Planet Pulverizer: A Mortal's Ascent

Chapter 380: Result

Dark Moon Island was one of the largest islands within the territories of the East Sea's Thirty-Six Countries. Forty years ago, however, it had already transformed into a haven for demonic creatures. There was little sign of any human presence nowadays, aside from a scattering of fortresses.

Recently, the creatures on Dark Moon Island have shown signs of expanding outward, compelling the East Sea's Thirty-Six Countries to bolster their defenses around the island. This outward encroachment had also made the island the second target of the newly established Special United Squad.

Currently, most squad members were resting at a renovated fishing village near the island's landing site, having already cleared two of the island's major perilous regions.

Legendary figures and Master Astral Cultivators were gathered here. Some discussed their experiences during the clearing of these perilous regions, while others exchanged stories of curious happenings from across the nations.

Among them were Yuan Zhenchuan, the supreme commander of the Special United Squad, and Fu Qingtian, who was responsible for battlefield resources.

***

In a wooden pavilion, Yuan Zhenchuan murmured, "A Supreme Expert!"

Lin Ken, a Legend from the Star Alliance, and Fan Xiu, the Supreme Expert of the East Sea's Thirty-Six Countries, were sitting opposite him.

Demonic creatures had ravaged Dark Moon Island, preventing the establishment of a proper communication system. However, each person here was a pillar of their respective force. They could receive critical news with at most a few hours of delay, even if delivered manually.

Now that a few days had passed since Li Pin paid the capital a visit, it had already become common knowledge among them.

"Li Pin... truly surpasses our every expectation," Fan Xiu said with genuine admiration. "It's difficult to imagine how he's managed to elevate the Martial God Path to such an astonishing level in so little time."

Lin Ken remarked, "Heroes rise in turbulent times, and great talents emerge during eras of upheaval and competition. Gaia is at a pivotal point in history, a period marked by great change and conflict.

"In times like these, it doesn't surprise me when extraordinary prodigies emerge. Just think back to when the Astral God descended. Back then, someone blazed through the Top-Tier stage, becoming a Master Astral Cultivator in just a few short years."

"You're talking about... the Solar Radiance Sovereign?" Yuan Zhenchuan was slightly taken aback. "Li Pin, can he really be compared to the Solar Radiance Sovereign?"

Fan Xiu, sitting beside him, shared the same astonishment.

That was the Solar Radiance Sovereign!

Each Supreme Expert had reached an invincible level in their area of expertise. In their domain, they were undefeated, earning the title of Supreme Expert. Theoretically, Supreme Experts shouldn't be ranked at all. However, if any were to hold the highest place... it would undoubtedly be the Solar Radiance Sovereign.

That was because the Solar Radiance Sovereign singlehandedly suppressed the Blood Moon Gorge, ensuring that this place—more dangerous than the Demon-Sealing Fortress, the Degenerate Temple, or even Dark Moon Island—remained peaceful ever since.

Lin Ken looked up, his gaze seemingly extending beyond the vast sea to the lands that once belonged to Great Moon.

"Why not? When the Solar Radiance Sovereign founded the Solar Radiance Gate to guard the Blood Moon Gorge, isn't it similar to what Li Pin is now doing by establishing the Celestial Martial God Hall to advance the Martial God Path?

"The only difference is that the Celestial Martial God Hall hasn't yet taken on the responsibility of suppressing a perilous region."

Lin Kin appeared quite excited. He continued, "But I personally believe his contributions shouldn't be limited to suppressing a single perilous region.

"Instead, he should focus on gathering intelligence about all perilous regions so we can better understand our enemies. If he can achieve this, his accomplishments will be no less than those of the Solar Radiance Sovereign."

His words caused Yuan Zhenchuan and Fan Xiu to exchange surprised glances. They then fell into deep thought. Because... Lin Ken made a very valid point.

"In fact, it's not just me; several Legends have shared similar thoughts. It's clear why we failed the Degenerate Temple operation and are facing challenges with this extermination mission. It's the mystery and the unknown. We're afraid of heavy losses, so we proceed cautiously, wasting precious time."

Lin Ken continued, "And we all know, our time is running out."

"Time," murmured Yuan Zhenchuan.

This word made Yuan Zhenchuan's heart sink. After a long pause, he finally looked up and said, "I'll have a serious talk with Fu Qingtian."

"That would be for the best," Lin Ken said gravely. "I hope Lord Fu Qingtian will put the greater good above all else."

These Legends had intended to invite Li Pin to join the Special United Squad back when he had the strength of a Master Astral Cultivator. However, out of respect for Fu Qingtian, they didn't make the suggestion openly.

But now, it was a different story. Li Pin had proven that his strength had reached the Legendary tier, elevating his status far beyond that of a Master Astral Cultivator. They knew this might upset Fu Qingtian, but they couldn't hesitate any longer.

Incurring Fang Qingtian's displeasure would only slow battlefield support. Without Li Pin, on the other hand, they risked walking into traps set by ferocious beasts and demonic creatures.

Once surrounded by demonic creatures, even Legendary Astral Cultivators, let alone Masters, risk being drained of their astral energy and dying on the spot.

After a brief conversation, the two Legends left. Soon after, Fu Qingtian arrived, a bit later than expected.

Lin Ken and Fan Xiu seemed to have deliberately avoided Fu Qingtian. They perhaps wished to give Yuan Zhenchuan room to speak with him alone.

"You're here just in time. Sit, I have something to discuss with you," Yuan Zhenchuan said, pouring tea for Fu Qingtian. "Have some tea."

"Just say it. We've been friends for too long for you to be beating around the bush like this," Fu Qingtian replied.

Yuan Zhenchuan chuckled. "I just wanted to ask how you feel about it."

"How I feel...." mused Fu Qingtian. He took a sip of his tea and said, "I guess a lot of people are probably waiting to see me make a fool of myself."

"And what about you?" Yuan Zhenchuan asked.

"What about me?"

Fu Qingtian fell silent for a moment, then set his teacup down. "I still stand by my beliefs. In our current situation, we need more power. I don't deny that the Martial God system is exceptional, but Astral Cultivators are the true path forward for our human race.

"Let those with exceptional martial talent follow the Martial God path and train elite scouts. The rest... they need to grow into Top-Tier, or even Master Astral Cultivators..."

"It seems you still believe Li Pin's success is solely due to his personal talent, rather than the Martial God path being better than the Astral Cultivation system," Yuan Zhenchuan remarked.

"Correct," Fu Qingtian acknowledged. "Our time is running out! In maybe twenty years, or even ten, the other dimension will have eventually merged with our world, forming a passage. We must use this time to cultivate as many Legends as possible."

He paused. "But the Martial God path... we've both studied it. It's too slow. The comprehension of the Celestial Force Field, the tempering of qi and blood, the strengthening of the magnetic field, and the enhancement of mental spirit... all too slow.

"If we had fifty, forty, or even thirty more years, we might have treated it like we do with Beast Taming, Astral Equipment, or Astral Palaces System, letting it develop naturally. But now..."

"Theoretically, you're not wrong, but in the age of Astral Gods, anything is possible," Yuan Zhenchuan handed a report to Fu Qingtian. "Take a look."

Fu Qingtian took the report and read it for a moment. His eyes lit up with excitement. "Skill Crystals? Such a treasure exists!?"

"This is something Li Pin discovered. With the Skill Crystals, comprehending the Celestial Force Field, this difficult barrier, has become much easier," Yuan Zhenchuan explained.

Fu Qingtian quickly realized the true potential of the Skill Crystals and quickly looked up. "If we record our insights from advancing to the Legendary rank onto these Skill Crystals and let those at the threshold of achieving Legend use them, wouldn't that mean... we could directly create ten or more Legends!?"

"Can't rule out that possibility," Yuan Zhenchuan replied.

Fu Qingtian gushed, "Then what are we waiting for!? How many Skill Crystals does Li Pin have? We need them all! If we can maximize the use of these crystals, even if only half of those who use them eventually break through to Legendary, our top-tier strength will increase dramatically. By then, the cleanup operation won't be as difficult as it is now!"

Yuan Zhenchuan revealed, "Li Pin has put ten Skill Crystals up for sale, but we estimate he likely has more, around ten to thirty of them. However..."

He paused. "He has already shown enough sincerity by offering ten for sale. As for the rest... he has the right to decide how to use them. How can we justify asking him to give us the rest? The only way would be to force him to do so, but that would break the unity of the human race."

"He has such a valuable asset under his control... yet he's wasting them on those martial artists? But if those Skill Crystals were given to the Master Astral Cultivators at a bottleneck, maybe we could produce a dozen Legends! This concerns the future of the human race. He must understand the gravity of the situation!" Fu Qingtian argued.

"So, if he says, 'Give me the Void Ring in exchange,' what would you do?" Yuan Zhenchuan suddenly asked.

Fu Qingtian froze. Give him the Void Ring!?

Yuan Zhenchuan pressed. "Isn't this about the future of the human race? If you give him your Void Ring, he'll hand over all the Skill Crystals he has stored, ensuring you can train dozens of Legends for the human race. Would you be willing?"

Fu Qingtian was about to jump and deny a connection between the two, but he quickly realized the hidden meaning in Yuan Zhenchuan's words.

He's... accusing me? Yuan Zhenchuan is accusing me?!

Yuan Zhenchuan said earnestly, "It seems you've gotten used to it. As a supreme expert, you expect everyone to agree with whatever you request and obey any order you give. But it's this attitude that ultimately led to the loss of a Legend, even a supreme expert, to Tianyuan.

"Old Fu, I have to be blunt with you—after what happened at the King of the Century battle, Li Pin owes us nothing. Your actions... it's taking advantage of others' generosity."

Fu Qingtian remained silent.

Yuan Zhenchuan didn't press him for a response and sat with him in silence for a while.

Several minutes later, Fu Qingtian spoke again, "So... you also think I was wrong about Li Pin?"

Yuan Zhenchuan didn't answer directly. "I remember when you and Li Pin had a falling out, he said something."

"Time will prove everything," Fu Qingtian replied.

"Yes, time will prove everything," Yuan Zhenchuan looked at him and clearly expressed his stance. "I think his words have come to pass."