Planet Pulverizer: A Mortal's Ascent
Chapter 541: Friend

Chapter 541: Friend

Moon Spirit greeted the group with a slight nod. "Nice to meet you."

When the others realized that Moon Spirit had cultivated inner spirit to such an extraordinary level, they quickly stood up and bowed, no longer daring to show any signs of indifference.

"We are in your debt, esteemed one."

Si Xing couldn't help but ask, "Is this treasure truly as extraordinary as you claim?"

Then, he realized his words might have been inappropriate and quickly corrected himself. "I do not doubt the truth of your words, but... inner spirit? Anyone who can comprehend such a power is surely a remarkable figure. And someone with the teaching experience of a great teacher."

Great teachers existed across the vast universe. Each one commanded respect, often receiving admiration from those one or even two levels above them.

Li Pin offered no further explanation. "You can give it a try."

The information Moon Spirit had gathered came from Li Pin's teachings, and many spiritual creatures had been instructed by Moon Spirit herself.

With Li Pin's path of omniscience and omnipotence, coupled with his Clairvoyance, helping others cultivate was no empty boast. It enabled these spiritual creatures to possess teaching abilities rivaling those of great teachers.

"Can I really do it too?" Si Xing asked, his voice filled with anticipation.

"Of course," Li Pin replied.

He then turned to Moon Spirit.

At that moment, Moon Spirit summoned a beam of spiritual light.

Before long, a mini creature, no larger than a fist, appeared. This was one of the Spirit Clan members Moon Spirit had created over the years.

The World Heart took time to absorb energy, and Moon Spirit had been focused on studying, so it wasn't possible for her to constantly create Spirit Clans for Li Pin.

Still, after several stellar years, the World Heart had contained over a thousand spiritual creatures. Giving one to Si Xing was hardly an issue.

"Thank you," Si Xing said gratefully.

"You're welcome," Li Pin replied.

He then turned to Yuan Zhenchuan and the others. "I'll leave the task of promoting the Moon Goddess Domain to you. Make sure all those who wish to pursue cultivation enter the Moon Goddess Domain. As for who will receive a spiritual creature's blessing, Moon Spirit will oversee that."

"Understood," Yuan Zhenchuan and the others answered, fully aware of the seriousness of the matter.

They understood what it meant to have a great teacher who had comprehended inner spirit and possessed rich cultivation experience.

In the vast universe, progressing from planetary life to cosmic life was already a significant threshold. The second major challenge was comprehending inner spirit.

For ordinary civilizations, those who reached the third tier of the Legendary Realm through sheer perseverance were highly likely to comprehend inner spirit. But in the case of aristocratic clans... as long as one could become cosmic life, they would likely reach the third tier of the Legendary Realm.

However, even among dozens or hundreds of Tier Three Legends, it was rare for anyone to comprehend inner spirit and break through to the Tier Four Legendary stage.

Thus, everyone understood how precious this opportunity was for Gaia.

If used well, in just a year or two, Legendary powerhouses would emerge in Gaia like mushrooms after rain. Within three to five stellar years, a surge of Tier Three Legends would appear. By then, who could say Gaia wouldn't possess the strength of a nebula overlord?

Li Pin addressed the group, outlining the key points for the Moon Goddess Domain.

Then he glanced at the familiar faces in the room, particularly Xing Ying, Xie Longcheng, and Shi Shihu.

Though they had all reached the Supreme Martial God stage, Li Yunyao's failure in the Celestial Breaker phase had clearly made them wary. As a result, they had made little progress for some time.

After a moment of thought, Li Pin turned to the others. "For those nearing the Legendary Realm, I will make an exception and have Moon Spirit assign a spiritual creature to guide you.

"Those who break through to the Legendary Realm will receive a spiritual creature as a reward. As for the other Astral Cultivators, it depends on your talent and potential."

"Understood, Chairman Li," the group responded.

Li Pin then turned his gaze to Xing Ying and the others. "The Martial God path isn't easy. To succeed in the Celestial Breaker phase, you either need extraordinary talent and foundation, or you must comprehend inner spirit at the Supreme Martial God Realm and master Vacuum Pulverizer.

"This process must be quick. You all know that the Martial God path is somewhat lacking in terms of longevity."

They had all received gene optimization injections to extend their lives. However, this only extended their lifespans to two or three hundred years.

Any further extension would require biochemical modifications that would damage the human structure, hindering martial cultivation.

For those like Shi Shihu and Xie Longcheng, who were already older, the signs of aging were evident. Though they appeared no older than thirty, they certainly didn't look as youthful as the Astral Cultivators in the room.

"Consider carefully whether you want to continue on the Martial God path. If you want to switch, I can assign each of you a spiritual guide. With a guide, reaching the Legendary Realm within ten or twenty stellar years will be no problem."

Xing Ying and the others were about to speak, but Li Pin interrupted. "Don't rush. Give me your answer in a month."

Reaching the Legendary Realm would grant at least a hundred stellar years of lifespan. But for martial artists, without enough determination and perseverance, reaching the Supreme Martial God level might be the end of the road.

Li Pin mentioned this to gauge whether they still held the same resolve as before. If their resolve wasn't strong enough, even the Supreme Demonic Sword might not help them comprehend inner spirit. That was unless he used the Immortal Staff to stand guard over them and constantly enhance their inner spirit resistance.

However, while Li Pin would give them opportunities, he wouldn't waste too much time on them.

Although the Celestial Martial God Hall operated thanks to their support, what they received was already more than enough compared to their contributions.

After giving instructions to the Celestial Martial God Hall members, Li Pin turned to Yuan Zhenchuan and the others. "Go get ready. No need to stay around me; do what you need to do. Xiang Tianxing, Si Xing, come with me for a walk."

Yuan Zhenchuan and the others replied respectfully, "Understood."

After the recent major events in Gaia, Yuan Zhenchuan would report directly to Li Pin, and Li Pin had no interest in small matters. Meeting these old friends was enough; there was no need to make a fuss about it.

Besides, none of them could be considered true friends.

Across all of Gaia, only two and a half people could be called his true friends: Fang Lingjue and Xiang Tianxing. The other half was Yuan Zhenchuan.

Li Pin respected Yuan Zhenchuan for his dedicated and tireless efforts for Gaia's civilization.

***

Shortly after, Li Pin, accompanied by Xiang Tianxing and Si Xing, exited the Gaia Alliance Headquarters from another direction.

Once outside, he took out a storage ring and tossed it to Xiang Tianxing. "As acting chairman of the Gaia Alliance, your cultivation is too weak. This is for you."

Xiang Tianxing caught the ring. After thinking for a moment, he accepted it without a word. "You're right. As acting chairman, I can't afford to look too shabby..."

As he spoke, he glanced at the contents of the storage ring. He froze for a moment and quickly said, "No, I can't accept this. These things are too valuable."

"Take it," Li Pin said. "These items are nothing to me."

Xiang Tianxing stared at the ring's contents, which included over ten Astral Source Spirits, Primordial Spirit Essence, and other valuable cultivation materials.

He was confused. "Nothing?"

Can one really acquire such wealth upon reaching Divinity? he thought.

Li Pin smiled. "Refine these resources to elevate your talent to the level of a true genius. Then, use them for your cultivation. I expect that in a stellar year or two, you'll reach Tier Three Legendary. At that point, Gaia's civilization will finally have a formidable master to present."

He added, "If you can reach Tier Three Legendary within a year—around the time I finish dealing with the Ashen Council and leave Gaia—I will give you an opportunity."

"I..." Xiang Tianxing hesitated for a moment, then nodded seriously. "I will do my best."

As Si Xing listened to their conversation, he couldn't help but feel quite stunned.

Reaching Tier Three in the Legendary realm within a year? Xiang Tianxing is still at the Heavenly Realm. He isn't even Legendary.

A year to reach Tier Three Legendary was something none of the direct descendants from the Si Clan could achieve.

Moreover, Xiang Tianxing wasn't a peerless genius. Unless Li Pin was willing to invest vast amounts of resources—hundreds of thousands or millions of Divine Treasury Points—there was almost no chance for him to reach Tier Three Legendary in a stellar year.

Li Pin smiled, turning to the curious Si Xing. "You too. I have a method that can help you confront your deepest desires. If you can overcome them, you'll gain insight into your inner spirit. If not... you will become a slave to your desires."

He spoke with seriousness. "Think carefully. Do you want to take the risk?"

Si Xing's eyes widened. "Inner Spirit!?"

Even their Si Clan's Astral God Grand Patriarch might not achieve such a level. At best, they could assist him against a Tier Three Legendary at crucial moments.

But the Astral Gods were eternal and undying. Their Legendary or weaker descendants could live for only a few hundred stellar years. But for them, they could blink their eyes, and several generations would pass.

Many talented individuals who comprehended inner spirit never even had the chance to meet the Astral God Grand Patriarch. Only those with extraordinary gifts or those who reached Tier Six in the Legendary realm earned special attention.

In such a case, how could the high and mighty Astral God Grand Patriarch waste time on a descendant who had not even comprehended inner spirit?

"You—"

"No need to doubt my words. It's real," Li Pin said. "Think carefully. This is a rare opportunity. If you don't seize it, what will you do with your cultivation? What will you do in life? You might as well go home and live out the rest of your days."

"No! No need to think about it!" Si Xing answered without hesitation. "I know how rare this opportunity is. If I don't take it, what am I even cultivating for? What am I even fighting for? I might as well go home and wait to die."

He bowed seriously to Li Pin. "Please, assist me."

Li Pin nodded. "Alright. Go back and adjust your state. I'll seek you out in a month."

Si Xing nodded seriously, then left.

Once he was gone, Li Pin paused for a moment, then smiled at Xiang Tianxing. "You can go now. I'm going to see that little girl, Li Yunyao."