Planet Pulverizer: A Mortal's Ascent-Chapter 482: White Dove

Nebulae, star rings, and star clusters were divisions of regions in the universe.

In Li Pin's view, they were equivalent to counties, cities, and provinces.

The Xian Ying Star Cluster above them could be considered national-level.

Of course, this was just the division method based on the Homo Sapien Alliance, which, in reality, was only one faction under the Supreme Council.

It was akin to an autonomous region. To some extent, the Divine Treasury Hall and the Homo Sapien Alliance were on the same level, differing only in their respective jurisdictions.

The White Dove Federation, as one of the dominators of the Candle Light Star Ring, originated from a highly advanced branch of cosmic civilization. Its prosperity truly allowed Li Pin to experience what could only be described as a science-fiction world.

Upon stepping out of the Astral Gate, he gazed far and wide, seeing countless areas covered by energy shields.

Each area contained distinctly different architectural styles. Some areas had towering steel jungle-like structures with countless people bustling in and out. Others featured magnificent natural scenery filled with various unimaginable landscapes.

There were forests, peaks, canyons, grasslands, rivers, oceans, floating mountains in the sky, waterfalls cascading from the heavens, and mythical beasts soaring or diving.

Additionally, there were many zones dedicated to cultivation and combat. Each zone was connected by numerous interlinking pathways.

The transportation devices within the pathways operated at extreme speeds. It only took a few dozen minutes to traverse tens of thousands of miles, making travel between any points on the planet unimaginably convenient.

"The Divine Dragon Empire, with its prosperous steel jungles and four-dimensional transportation system spanning space, high altitudes, air, and land, feels oppressive and heavy. In comparison, the White Dove Federation's layout and infrastructure are superior."

Li Pin observed the energy shields covering each zone. "Each shield serves various purposes—purifying air, adjusting weather, transmitting information, providing intelligent assistance, and even extracting astral energy for defense during wartime...."

These cities utilized fourth-generation urban construction technology, with clusters formed of 12, 24, 36, 72, or 108 energy shields. Even the smallest 12 shield zones could house over ten million people while providing an excellent living experience.

Of course, the cost was astronomically high. Constructing such a city often started at hundreds of billions in Secondary Cosmic Currency.

The Divine Dragon Empire had an annual gross domestic product of around a trillion, and less than twenty billion in fiscal revenue. Assuming no other expenses, building a city for ten million people would take around five to six years.

As Li Pin surveyed his surroundings, he noticed a group of people, who seemed to have been waiting for some time, approaching him.

Leading the group was a young woman dressed in a white gown adorned with exquisite ornaments, looking radiant as if bathed in starlight. She gave a slight bow and said, "Welcome, Your Grace Li Pin, ruler of the Divine Dragon Empire, Chairman of the Gaia Alliance, and Hall Master of the Celestial Martial God Hall. On behalf of my father, Lan Chi, I greet you."

A thought struck Li Pin. Lan Chi?

The White Dove Federation was called a federation, but in reality, it was controlled by the Five-Colored Families—Gold, Red, Blue, Green, and Gray, also known respectively as Jin, Chi, Lan, Qing, and Hui.[ref]Jin, Chi, Lan, Qing, and Hui are the Chinese transliterations of Gold, Red, Blue, Green, and Gray.[/ref

Of course, these were translated into the Gaian language.

However, that was not the main point. The key was that the current Grand Consult of the Federation was Lan Chi of the Lan family. In other words, this young woman was the Grand Consul's daughter. In an imperial monarchy, she would undoubtedly hold the title of princess.

But even that was beside the point.

The influence of major powers over smaller ones truly knew no bounds. The Alliance Star might fall under the jurisdiction of the Gaia Alliance, but the fact that they had personnel ready to receive him as he passed through the Astral Gate to the White Dove Federation was remarkable.

Li Pin gave a slight nod. "Miss Lan Yan."

He continued, "Please convey my regards to His Excellency Lan Chi."

Lan Yan wore a flawlessly elegant smile. "Chairman Li, in recent days, my father has been full of admiration for your legendary achievements. He has been yearning to meet you. Were it not for the commencement of the second phase and his busy schedule, he would have already traveled to Gaia to pay a visit.

"As they say, it is better to meet by chance than to invite formally. Since you happen to pass by, may we have the honor of hosting you?"

She added, "We have already prepared a dedicated Astral Gate, so it won't take up much of your time."

Li Pin pondered.

In a world that gathered countless mighty forces, the strength required to become the supreme leader of a faction was beyond question.

Almost every family among the Five-Colored Families had a Demigod.

Demigods lacked the qualification to attain divinity or ascend to become Divine Beings without obtaining Astral World Fragments. However, becoming a Demigod came with its advantages.

On one hand, they could gain immense power.

On the other hand, cultivators who integrated with planets could achieve prolonged lifespans.

Those peak Demigods who had comprehended the inner spirit power and were just one Astral World Fragment away from Divinity could live up to a hundred thousand stellar years.

It was precisely due to these Demigods that the Five-Colored Families could maintain long-lasting control over the White Dove Federation and hold their ground against the hostility of the Immortal Wood Empire and the Ashen Council.

Of course, the difficulty for a Demigod to attain Divinity was immense. The Five-Colored Families relied on Demigods as stabilizing forces, but their true dependence was on Tier Four Legends who had comprehended the inner spirit power.

If a Tier Four Legend chose not to join other factions and intended to become the Grand Consul, they would undoubtedly overshadow all competitors.

And Lan Chi was precisely such a Tier Four Legend.

His aptitude was not the most outstanding among the Five-Colored Families, and his grasp of inner spirit power had come entirely by chance. He also knew that Tier Four was likely his limit. But since Astral God Yin Luo had chosen this star system as the place of its fall, he decided to remain in the White Dove Federation to prepare for the coming complications.

After all, he is a Legend who has comprehended inner spirit power, thought Li Pin.

He was a little curious about the exact gap between a Tier Three and a Tier Four Legend who had comprehended the inner spirit power.

"Since His Grace Lan Chi has extended the invitation, it would be impolite of me to decline," Li Pin said.

Lan Yan gestured gracefully. "Your grace, please follow me."

Beside them, a hovering vehicle was already waiting.

The vehicle's interior was extremely luxurious and matched Gaian aesthetic preferences, reflecting the White Dove Federation's regard for him. It also indirectly revealed the White Dove Federation's infiltration and understanding of Gaia.

Due to temporary restrictions on surrounding high-speed routes, the ride to the Astral Gate proceeded smoothly.

In just a few minutes, the hover vehicle stopped at a fully activated Astral Gate.

Soon, someone came forward to guide Li Pin and his party through the Astral Gate.

On the other side of the Astral Gate, there was another flying vehicle docked at its entrance.

Accompanied by Lan Yan, the flying vehicle ascended again, heading toward an island surrounded by trees, grasslands, and various other scenic features.

The island was small, less than ten square kilometers. However, a towering glass tower stood at its center, covering over a square kilometer. It exuded a futuristic, technological vibe.

The tower shimmered with Starlight, clearly a powerful piece of astral equipment. Despite being concealed by a special array, it still emitted faint astral energy fluctuations, creating an otherworldly ambiance around it.

The flying vehicle docked directly on a platform near the top of the tower.

Ascending from the platform's end led to a sky garden located several hundred meters above the ground.

By this time, the garden was already prepared with a sumptuous feast and celebratory offerings by the servants.

Lan Chi, whose clear photos were on many records, stood at the garden's entrance, smiling as he waited. "Welcome, Chairman Li. I have long heard of the renowned Child of Gaia. Today, I finally have the honor of meeting you."

"Your grace, Lan Chi," Li Pin greeted.

Legends within major factions placed great emphasis on the mastery of power, and Lan Chi before him was no exception. As a Tier Four Legend, he emitted no trace of Astral energy leakage.

If not for the faint starlight emanating from him and his otherworldly perfect features, one might mistake him for an ordinary person.

Lan Chi invited Li Pin to take a seat and sincerely praised him. "Chairman Li, your achievements are truly legendary. Although you follow the path of the Celestial Martial Artist, you have comprehended inner spirit power within just a few stellar years. Such an accomplishment is rare not just within the Candle Light Star Ring but also across the entire Yin Luo Galaxy.

"With your gift, I believe you will succeed in becoming a Divine Being in the future and even ascend to become an Astral God."

Li Pin replied humbly "Your grace Lan Chi, you flatter me. The path of a Celestial Martial Artist is far harder than that of a Legend. Obtaining Astral World Fragments is already a challenge. Even with them, success is not guaranteed. It is unlike the path of a Legend, which seems destined for greatness, where some prodigies can even break through at Tier Five Legend and merge with the astral world to claim the Astral God throne."

What he said was a fact.

If the difficulty of ascending to the Astral God throne as a Legend was one, then for a Celestial Martial Artist... it was at least ten.

Therefore, at the same level, while the treatment disparity between a Legendary Astral Cultivator and a Legendary Celestial Martial Artist who both comprehend inner spirit power was not extreme, people's attention would almost always be on the Legendary Astral Cultivator.

"Chairman Li, you are too modest...."

Lan Chi exchanged pleasantries for a while before finally getting to the point. "The matter regarding Astral God Yin Luo's inheritance has entered its second phase, and countless civilizations are stepping onto the stage. Particularly with the Homo Sapien Alliance guiding major native civilizations, external forces are also vying for the Astral God Yin Luo's legacy.

"Even though the factions within the Candle Light Star Ring have set aside their differences and united, standing out remains no easy task."

Li Pin was not surprised at all by Lan Chi bringing up these matters. "So, Your grace Lan Chi, you mean..."

"To select the most outstanding talents and nurture them with the full power of the Candle Light Star Ring!" Lan Chi declared firmly, "Only in this way does the Candle Light Star Ring have a glimmer of hope to become the ultimate successor.