Planet Pulverizer: A Mortal's Ascent-Chapter 365: Delegation

Great joy and great sorrow often took the heaviest toll on one's mind.

Li Pin watched as Li Yunyao, who had thrown herself onto him, gradually quieted down. He gently wrapped his arms around her and sat down.

"So... what you truly wanted wasn't 'Li Pin,' was it?" he murmured.

There was no denying it—the former Li Pin was a failure.

Li Pin's gaze lingered on Li Yunyao's delicate face. Though she bore a more mature and composed air while awake, once asleep, she seemed to return to her former self.

Or perhaps... his presence drew her mind back to those years in Jiang Province, unconsciously bringing her back into the role of the sweet, affectionate younger sister.

Li Pin, however, did not push her away.

After all, humans were beings of emotion. Without emotions, would they still be considered human?

Li Pin had never shied away from his feelings—be they familial, friendly, or otherwise. Yet... above all these feelings was a singular, rational emotion that reigned supreme. For this reason, he understood well the role emotions played in his life, and he knew exactly what it was that he truly wanted.

After about an hour, Xing Ying returned to the entrance of the courtyard.

She reported with her head lowered, "Hall Master, Zhang Dongwang is here."

"Let him wait," Li Pin replied calmly.

"Yes," Xing Ying responded and left quickly.

However, shortly after, the powerful aura of a Master Astral Cultivator burst forth just outside the courtyard.

Though the aura wasn't directed at anyone specifically and only lasted a second or two, the sheer force of a Master Astral Cultivator unleashing their power, triggering the Atomic Will, was unmistakable.

The entire Hualong Mountain peak was plunged into a deathly silence. Even the sounds of the birds and insects died down completely.

A Martial God like Xing Ying wouldn't be affected much by this, but Lin Yunyao, being only a Martial Saint—and who was asleep to boot—was jolted awake as if caught in a nightmare.

"Ah!" she screamed, her face filled with panic.

"It's alright," Li Pin whispered, calming her.

After the initial shock, Li Yunyao quickly regained her composure.

Her swift emotional recovery made Li Pin nod secretly in approval. It appeared she had made decent growth over the past year.

Li Yunyao looked deeply at Li Pin.

He was so close. His expression, demeanor, and the feeling he gave her were all identical to her brother... yet she finally understood they were never the same person.

She also understood that... there was no going back.

Nothing would ever return to how it once was. She could no longer throw herself into his arms whenever she was happy, relying on his affection to act as she pleased.

Though Li Pin had emerged unscathed from that perilous battle, he never returned to Tianyuan, nor had he made any attempts to contact her.

This all pointed to a harsh truth—everything was settled.

He had fully repaid the karma of his "rebirth."

Li Yunyao's heart surged with grief once more. She couldn't distinguish whether her sorrow stemmed from her own brother's death or from the realization that their connection had come to an end.

Struggling, Li Yunyao stood up. Remembering her earlier outburst, she muttered, "I'm sorry."

Those words alone seemed to carve a deep chasm between them.

Yet, Li Pin remained silent, merely rising to his feet and watching her. Li Yunyao lowered her head, unable to meet his gaze.

After a while, Li Pin echoed her words, "I'm sorry...."

He looked at her and added, "If you truly feel the need to apologize for this, I accept."

"No!" Li Yunyao exclaimed, raising her head in surprise. "I..."

Seeing her panic, as if she might cry at any moment, Li Pin couldn't help but chuckle. "Alright."

He reached out and gently pinched her cheek. "You won't look good if you cry."

"Brother?" she called out hesitantly.

"I've said all this because I want you to understand one thing: never place all your hopes and emotions onto others."

Li Pin withdrew his hand. "The only reliable support a person has is themselves."

He turned his gaze toward the courtyard. "On the path of life's evolution, anything can happen. Staying too close to me may bring you harm.

"Even if you remain unharmed and my evolution progresses smoothly, when viewed across centuries, millennia, or tens of thousands of years, even the sincerest emotions will turn to dust, buried by time."

Listening to him, Li Yunyao gradually grasped his meaning. He would not withhold his emotions—be it familial, friendly, or romantic.

However, he had already committed his life to the path of evolution. Until he achieved his vision of perfect evolution, family, friendship, and love would only serve as embellishments in his life. He would not pause for any of them.

Even then, he wouldn't invest too much of himself into those relationships.

Because, along the long road of life, not everyone could keep up with his pace. If he invested too much energy into them, it would only waste his emotions and slow his evolution.

Unless... she could keep up with his growth and stand by his side to become the person with whom he shares all the beautiful scenery he encounters along the way,

"You should rest well and think carefully..." Li Pin advised.

"Brother, I can—"

"There's no need to rush your answer, and you shouldn't feel any pressure," Li Pin interrupted her, raising his hand to stop her. "A year or so should be enough for you to understand your heart. Whatever answer you come to, both of us need to learn to accept it."

He turned and stepped out of the courtyard.

As he walked toward a nearby plaza, he saw Xing Ying and several others in a tense standoff with members of the Royal Empire's delegation. The sight of Li Pin's arrival eased the charged atmosphere slightly.

Xing Ying quickly stepped forward and attempted to speak, but Li Pin raised his hand to stop her.

He settled his gaze on the Master Astral Cultivator taking the lead. "Zhang Dongwang?"

"That's me," Zhang Dongwang replied in a low voice, his voice tinged with dissatisfaction. "Hall Master Li, trying to see you has been—"

Before he could finish, Li Pin moved.

In an instant, arcs of electricity crackled, as if a vast expanse of celestial phantoms materialized in the air, descending upon Zhang Dongwang.

Zhang Dongwang let out a low roar, his astral energy fluctuating with the intensity unique to a Master Astral Cultivator. "Li Pin, what are you trying to—"

Before he could merge with the Atomic Will and fully manifest his demonic form, the vast, almost tangible celestial phantom bore down with overwhelming force, shattering his barely-formed demonic figure on the spot.

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Clang!

The Sword of Destiny sprang from its sheath!

In an instant, dozens of sword auras guided by Celestial Force shot forward like a raging storm, tearing toward Zhang Dongwang with a piercing whistle.

Zhang Dongwang let out an angry roar, "Li Pin! Do you think we can't see through your killing technique!?"

Zhang Dongwang soared into the air, veering sharply to escape the trajectory aligned with Gaia's Celestial Force Field.

"Your technique relies entirely on the external Celestial Force Field; it lacks any flexibility—"

Rumble! Rumble!

Li Pin charged again, his form crackling with the combined might of electromagnetic power and the Nine Heavens Kunpeng. He tore through the air like a thunderbolt.

Having fully merged with his sword, Li Pin lunged forward, shattering the sound barrier. He collided forcefully with Zhang Dongwang in a deafening explosion.

Zhang Dongwang tried to dodge, but he quickly realized that unless he moved into the trajectory aligned with Gaia's Celestial Force Field, there was virtually nowhere for him to escape.

Yes, they had figured out that much of Li Pin's deadly strikes relied on the trajectory of Gaia's Celestial Force Field, but what good did that do?

Unless they were prepared to sacrifice an entire strategic direction or possessed power far surpassing Li Pin's, even if they grasped the mechanics behind his attacks, it made no difference—just like now.

Except for shifting into Gaia's Celestial Force Field trajectory, Zhang Dongwang had no way to avoid Li Pin's sword strike, which was empowered by the Nine Heavens Kunpeng.

The moment he was forced into the trajectory of the Celestial Force Field, Li Pin's Astral Assassination Technique instantly activated.

"Li Pin!" Zhang Dongwang shouted, his voice tinged with anger.

He was quickly forced to take on his starlight form by a strike so fast it seemed to leave a mark across the sky.

However, the moment he took on his starlight form, the Celestial Magnetic Field descended!

An almost tangible celestial phantom manifested as the thunder boomed.

Zhang Dongwang, now radiating brilliant starlight, was slowly dragged toward the phantom. He felt as if he was a star captured by a black hole.

However, Zhang Dongwang wasn't going to sit around waiting for the black hole to consume him. Armed with the experience of Ying Zhao and Hong Zhenshan and a thorough understanding of Li Pin's powers, he acted decisively.

His mental spirit, exceeding a hundred in power, surged wildly, resonating with the Atomic Will. It erupted in a storm that swept outward in all directions.

This was the most potent method the Six Extremities had discovered for a Master Astral Cultivator in starlight form to break free from the magnetic field's bind—Mental Spirit Storm!

Buzz, buzz!

The furious Mental Spirit Storm raged against Li Pin's mind. The Atomic Will Zhang Dongwang triggered with his spiritual will vibrated, fiercely impacting the Celestial Magnetic Field that held his starlight form, attempting to tear it apart and break free.

Unfortunately for Zhang Dongwang, Li Pin's mental spirit had grown tremendously since his battle with Ying Zhao and Hong Zhenshan. Even his Celestial Magnetic Field had reached new heights.

Zhang Dongwang's Mental Spirit Storm raged briefly, but he still couldn't escape the Celestial Magnetic Field.

It didn't take long for Zhang Dongwang to turn horrified.

Li Pin clapped, and the celestial phantom's rotation quickened, pulling Zhang Dongwang's starlight form ever closer to complete dissolution.

"No! No! No!"

Zhang Dongwang's mental spirit fluctuations betrayed his fear. In that instant, he sensed the presence of death.

Disregarding his pride as a Master Astral Cultivator of the Royal Empire, he swiftly begged, "Spare me! Hall Master Li, please show mercy! A Master Astral Cultivator shouldn't die in a human internal conflict..."

Li Pin remained silent and continued to control the fierce rotation of the Celestial Magnetic Field. Only when Zhang Dongwang's energy was nearly drained did he ease his grip slightly, allowing Zhang Dongwang to reconstitute his physical form.

Zhang Dongwang gasped for breath after reforming his body, his face pale as he looked at Li Pin, terror filling his gaze.

"Let the Supreme Holy Sanctuary come to ransom him," Li Pin said, shifting his gaze to the Royal Empire delegates who had accompanied Zhang Dongwang. "If the Royal Empire cannot offer me a satisfactory price, then this Master Astral Cultivator will not be returning."