Planet Pulverizer: A Mortal's Ascent
Chapter 540: Trivial Matters

Chapter 540: Trivial Matters

Aboard Si Xing's spacecraft, Li Pin gazed quietly through the window at the slowly rotating planet below. Its diameter spanned 30,000 kilometers.

"Gaia," he murmured softly. "So small."

In the vast universe, a planet of this size wasn't considered small. It was medium-sized at best. Planets with diameters of 100,000 kilometers that supported life, harnessed astral energy, and created an environment suitable for cultivation were rare. Each one could command a staggering price.

Nevertheless, Si Xing knew that when Li Pin said "small," he was referring to Gaia.

It was like how a child would feel as though their village was the entire world. With time, this perception would expand to include their school, and then the city.

Only those who truly ventured into the world could understand its vastness. Only then would a person understand how boundless the universe was.

"You are a Divine Being—a Divine Being who has achieved Divinity in just four stellar years." Si Xing looked at him. "Your future lies in the boundless universe."

"Boundless universe," Li Pin echoed, not with a sense of youthful idealism but with calm acknowledgment of a fact.

Si Xing reflected, "Emotions are fascinating. They act as unique beacons for intelligent life. It's through them that we sense the location of our inner spirit. With this awareness, we can draw upon the inner spirit power to unlock extraordinary abilities, making the impossible possible, and ascend to the pinnacle of the universe.

"So, returning to the civilization that nurtured you after achieving success is natural and commendable. But the universe operates on its own cause and effect. It won't shift for anyone's will. Letting the civilization that raised you become a burden to your growth isn't necessary."

Li Pin smiled. "You're wrong about that."

Si Xing asked with a doubtful tone, "What's wrong? Learning to manage emotions tied to your hometown and kin is an essential lesson on the path of cultivation. If you achieve the rank of Astral God and attain immortality, you'll inevitably have to face this—"

Li Pin waved his hand and cut him off. "You misunderstood. I wasn't talking about the relationship between cultivators and civilizations. I meant your earlier statement. The one about the universe not shifting for anyone's will."

He looked up at the vast expanse of stars. "We think that way because our growth hasn't reached the necessary level. When we were a simple native civilization, we couldn't fathom the idea of beings with energy as radiant as a star.

"If we hadn't encountered cosmic civilizations, we might never have imagined the existence of an Astral God like Yin Luo, capable of illuminating an entire galaxy and altering its environment across tens of thousands of light-years."

Li Pin turned his gaze back to Si Xing. "If there are Divine Beings and Astral Gods, could there also be lifeforms with energy vast enough to rival an entire universe? Or... could the universe itself be the body of such a great being?"

"The universe... the body of a great being?!"

Si Xing opened his mouth, intending to refute Li Pin's words, but found no way to argue back.

Li Pin didn't dwell on the idea further.

Back when he was still a mortal, using his Clairvoyance to observe himself had often sparked similar thoughts.

Now, he had glimpsed a thread of its feasibility.

Nevertheless, his pursuit of the Dao remained focused on evolution and transcendence. Rivaling a galaxy wasn't the point, nor was comparing himself to a universe the ultimate goal.

Currently, his path was toward omniscience and omnipotence.

But one day, he would surpass both, making the past, present, and future all follow his will, written according to it.

At that moment, Li Pin glanced at his communication bracelet and said, "Let's not keep others waiting."

Si Xing nodded and refocused his mind.

He had long understood that the thought processes of geniuses and ordinary people were never on the same wavelength.

A person should never try to comprehend a genius's flashes of brilliance with their own limited wisdom, as it would only lead to endless confusion.

***

With that, Li Pin and Si Xing fell like two meteors, swiftly heading toward the Gaia Alliance Headquarters.

Li Pin sensed something the moment he entered Gaia.

As the light and shadow converged, Fu Qingtian's figure appeared, giving a slight bow.

Li Pin nodded in response.

By now, they had long resolved their past conflicts.

Li Pin thought, His mental spirit hasn't even reached Tier Three Legend... a bit weak...

While pondering, the continent of Great Shang came into view.

Decades ago, it had been taken over by the Celestial Martial God Hall.

Over time, the older generations had passed away, and the memories of Great Shang faded among its people.

Especially now, with Gaia's unified system, concepts like Great Shang, Tianyuan, and the Royal Empire were slowly vanishing. The new generation only knew Gaia as the ruler of the Dragon Swamp Nebula, identifying only as Gaians.

They viewed the former Great Shang, Tianyuan, Royal Empire, and Star Alliance as citizens of one nation view people from different provinces. They were all the same.

Moreover, after its renovation, the Gaia Alliance Headquarters had become even grander and more magnificent. The city that housed it, now a political center, was equipped with shields, astronomical systems, energy systems, and other public facilities, giving it a futuristic, sci-fi feel.

A merchant from the old days, returning after decades, would find it impossible to recognize his home in this transformed city. In fact, he might believe he had traveled to the future.

As Li Pin and Si Xing arrived, Yuan Zhenchuan and the others, who had already come earlier and prepared for a grand reception, were waiting for them in the square in front of the Gaia Alliance Headquarters.

Li Pin scanned the crowd.

Over a hundred people stood in the hall. In addition to Yuan Zhenchuan and the others, Xing Ying, Shi Shihu, Xie Longcheng, Lin Xingchen, Ge Lin, Xiao Donghai, Fan Xiu, and the rest were all present.

There was no need for Yuan Zhenchuan, Xiang Tianxing, or the others to speak. As soon as Li Pin entered, over a hundred Astral Cultivators, all of whom were at least at the Heavenly Realm, bowed respectfully in unison. "Welcome back, Chairman Li."

The group that originally belonged to the Celestial Martial God Hall gazed at Li Pin with awe and fervor, their eyes filled with reverence.

"No need for formalities," Li Pin said calmly. "Let's talk inside."

The entire Gaia Alliance appeared to be brimming with talent, with over four to five hundred Heavenly Realm experts. Yet, even compared to the Divine Dragon Empire at its peak, this was still far from enough.

For someone like Li Pin, who had visited the Divine Treasury Hall and witnessed tens of thousands of Tier Four, Five, and Six Legends, as well as dozens of Divine Beings and Astral God avatars gathering in one place, this was nothing.

Li Pin thought to himself, Heavenly Realm experts have a Power Level under a thousand. In actual combat, the gap between a Power Level of one thousand and ten thousand is far greater than it appears.

It’s not just a tenfold difference—it plays out more like a one-to-a-thousand disparity. And when facing Divine Beings with Power Levels reaching one hundred thousand, that gap widens to the equivalent of one against a million.

In reality, once the power gap reached a certain level, numbers became irrelevant.

As long as the opponent didn't choose to engage in a relentless fight to the death, even the most numerous lower-tier cultivators posed no threat to higher-tier ones.

It was only a matter of time before the high-tier cultivators wiped out the lower-tier ones. There was no chance of resistance between the two sides.

With that in mind, Li Pin didn't waste any more time.

Once inside the main hall, he addressed the crowd directly. "Though there are some new faces among you. Reaching this position means you are among the Gaian Civilization's most exceptional members. Decades of experience in cosmic civilization have already allowed you to see the truth of the universe..."

He paused slightly, his tone turning more serious. "The experiences of being indirectly suppressed by the Ashen Council recently are the best proof."

Everyone in the room, especially the core leaders like Yuan Zhenchuan, nodded solemnly.

This had all occurred within the Homo Sapien Alliance's jurisdiction, where the Ashen Council had to tread carefully. Otherwise... The Demonic Dragon Civilization and the Flaming Dragon Empire served as the best examples of what could have happened to them.

Li Pin continued, "For top-tier cultivators, a single cultivation session may last dozens, even hundreds of stellar years."

He thought of the Void Divine Treasure World. A cycle within the Void Divine Treasure World spanned a full 111 stellar years.

This was a forbidden Divine Treasure World. Li Pin couldn't guarantee he would be able to break this world open in the second phase, just as he had with the Mara World.

Even if he did break through the second phase, it would still take a quarter of the time—twenty-seven stellar years.

"Rather than relying on others, it's better to rely on yourself. Gaia must strengthen itself. It must continuously grow. Until it truly makes a name for itself in the Yin Luo Galaxy."

His words made Yuan Zhenchuan, Ge Lin, Solar Radiance Sovereign, Fan Xiu, and the others feel guilty.

Over the years, Li Pin had been the one to clean up after nearly everything they had caused. It made them feel as though they had lived for over ten stellar years without achieving anything.

"Giving a man a fish is not as good as teaching him how to fish. As a member of Gaia, I will, within my abilities, offer assistance to Gaia's exceptional members."

Li Pin raised his hand, and an azure sphere appeared in his palm. "This is a technology I acquired and shaped into a virtual world. I've named it the Moon Goddess Domain.

"This world has various trials, each testing one's cultivation. Passing them will greatly benefit one's growth. And if you pass multiple trials in a short time, you'll earn a spiritual creature."

As he spoke, a figure bathed in clear starlight appeared and bowed slightly to the crowd.

"This is Moon Spirit," Li Pin introduced. "She is the ruler of this virtual world and one of the spiritual creatures. Her people, every one of them, possess the inner spirit of a Tier Four Legend and have rich experience in guiding cultivators before the Tier Three Legends.

"They can be called great teachers. They will serve as personal tutors, understanding your cultivation state with precision and tailoring guidance specifically for you."

At this, not only the Gaia Heavenly Realms and Legends, but even Si Xing, a strong individual from a prestigious family, couldn't help but widen their eyes.

Inner spirit power!? Great teacher!? A great teacher with inner spirit, offering one-on-one tailored guidance!?

This... even the heirs of aristocratic families couldn't hope for better treatment.