Planet Pulverizer: A Mortal's Ascent

Chapter 221: Path

"Starlight contains information? They granted atoms will?"

Li Pin immediately thought of ferocious beasts and demonic creatures. Ferocious beasts and demonic creatures were unlike man. They didn't have a martial arts system to follow, yet their evolution wasn't any slower than that of humans.

In fact, not only was it not slower, but they were even evolving faster. That could easily be inferred from the dwindling number of human territories, as they fell victim to ferocious beasts and demonic creatures.

The subtle explanation was that there were so many ferocious beasts and demonic creatures that, statistically, some mutated species would emerge, excelling beyond the rest.

However, from the look of things now... that didn't seem to be the case.

"You've thought of that too?" Xiang Tianxing said. "The Astral Cultivator system built based on martial arts isn't the true way to refine astral energy. It is but a system humans devised to control astral energy in their own way.

"As proven, this approach had failed. Ferocious beasts and demonic creatures evolve far faster than humans. So much so that when humanity's situation became more critical, we had no choice but to tread the path of the Master Astral Cultivator."

Xiang Tianxing paused, then continued, "It was only with the birth of Master Astral Cultivators that humanity could stabilize their standing, halting the takeover of our territories.

"After that, Astral Cultivators made further progress down the road of Master Astral Cultivators, paving a path that led to Legendary Astral Cultivators. Only then did we gain the ability to fight back against ferocious beasts and demonic creatures."

Having heard this, Li Pin keenly realized why people would only mention that transitioning from a Martial Saint ensured becoming a Top-Tier Astral Cultivator. There was never any mention of becoming a Master Astral Cultivator.

Previously, Li Pin had believed this to be because of the already mystical nature of the Martial Saint path, which would surely become even more profound after transitioning. He thought that this was the reason why many Martial Saints remained stuck at the top-tier level.

That didn't seem to be the case. The Astral Cultivator system took a complete turn starting from Master Astral Cultivators.

Xiang Tianxing looked toward the horizon. "I wasn't the only one who realized there might be a problem transitioning from a Top-Tier Astral Cultivator to a Master Astral Cultivator. But back then, we didn't have the luxury of choice."

He was looking toward the direction of... Nanli Country.

"Even now, our choices are still limited. In such circumstances, some truths have been forcibly hidden..." the warden said.

He paused for a brief moment before continuing.

"Who is to say that the Master Astral Cultivator's path is surely wrong? And who can guarantee that the path I intend to take is the true path? Before the outcome is truly revealed, the road ahead... remains shrouded in uncertainty!

"All we can do is continue down this path for now, striving to secure as much space for survival as possible. As we do this, we build on this foundation, striving to carve out new paths."

Having heard that, Li Pin felt both surprised and a little relieved. It had been less than a century since the Astral God descended. Within that time, carving a path leading directly to the Legendary Astral Cultivator had been the pinnacle of human wisdom.

No one knew where humanity's path or future lay.

Even if the people were made aware that astral energy contained information and that merging their will into atomic will possessed hidden risks, they would still have no choice but to proceed.

All living creatures fight for freedom in the deep autumn[1].

All species were constantly evolving freely. If humanity wanted to avoid being knocked off the top of Gaia's food chain and avoid the scales tipping against their favor—turning from the dominators of Gaia to prey—their only choice was to advance rapidly, regardless of whether their path was right or wrong.

They had no choice. All they could do was push through and keep moving forward.

"So... there are many similar paths?" Li Pin asked.

"Yes, and a few of these paths already have a certain degree of solid foundation. One of them is the astral equipment path you're familiar with! People intend to harness the power of starlight through astral equipment for combat.

"Another path is the Companion Beast route, where one trains their perception and mental spirit to sense the emotions of ferocious beasts and demonic creatures. Then, using their mind to interfere with and influence the ferocious beasts and demonic creatures' thoughts, they would eventually tame them, turning them into the strongest battle companions...."

"Mental spirit, perception..." mumbled Li Pin.

He was suddenly struck with realization. "So, those astral equipment that enhance mental perception aren't meant for martial artists to better control their own power, but rather... for that type of Astral Cultivators to tame stronger ferocious beasts?"

Xiang Tianxing nodded. "That's right."

He glanced at Li Pin. "In addition to that... there is another path that was created by Great Shang over ten years ago. This path begins at the High-Class Astral Cultivator and differs from other systems.

"They don't forge Starlight Bodies, nor do they integrate Martial Will into Atomic Will. Instead, they continuously hone Astral Palaces, creating one, two, or even five or six Astral Palaces within their bodies. These Astral Palaces' purpose is to nurture and strengthen their natal abilities, also known as astral techniques!"

"Creating multiple Astral Palaces?"

"They continuously nurture and strengthen their astral techniques, combining the structures of Astral Palaces, much like assembling firearms or tools with parts. The Astral Palaces act as amplifiers.

"The more Astral Palaces, the stronger the resonating astral techniques. Some who have created nine Astral Palaces can release astral techniques with power comparable to that of Legendary Astral Cultivators."

Xiang Tianxing continued, "You're considered half a member of the Qin Family. You should know the Qin Family has another Astral Cultivator, and that Astral Cultivator has secretly joined this project years ago. That's also why I've been looking out for the Qin Family over the years."

Li Pin nodded.

It was clear now why, despite the Qin Family having another Astral Cultivator, he had never seen them.

This path was only opened by Great Shang over ten years ago, and yet it had already reached a level comparable to Legendary Astral Cultivators. Even if Tianyuan wanted to mimic this, they were likely to have just started.

In the face of so many unknowns and uncertain prospects, it was natural for Taibai to keep her whereabouts confidential. Even the Qin Family probably found it difficult to contact her.

"Master and Legendary Astral Cultivator paths have become mainstream not because they're particularly good, but because they're the path indicated by the information contained in astral energy. They're also the fastest and smoothest path for development."

Xiang Tianxing looked at Li Pin. "This path may have problems, or maybe we're just overthinking it. But under the current circumstances, we have no choice but to keep going.

"In fact, as the situation has grown more severe over the years, some once-promising paths have been halted... but many astral cultivators, myself included, have never stopped trying to find a path that is completely suited for us yet can surpass the current Astral Cultivator systems."

"So this path..." began Li Pin.

"It's a direction that I, along with dozens of Astral Cultivators, including three Master Astral Cultivators, have been exploring," Xiang Tianxing said solemnly. "Seeing you take the first steps on this path today, I was initially shocked and delighted. That's because it meant our direction wasn't wrong. But now... I'm hesitant."

Xiang Tianxing's expression grew complex. "Becoming the world's number one at twenty-three. As long as you can break through that life-and-death threshold and embark on the Astral Cultivator's path, even becoming a Top-Tier Astral Cultivator might not be your limit.

"You could very likely grow into a Master Astral Cultivator... perhaps even get a glimpse into the profoundness of Legendary Astral Cultivators. I don't know if letting you continue on this path would be aiding you or harming you...."

Li Pin smiled. "I am an adult and I have my own judgment. I know how to weigh the pros and cons."

He continued, "I only hope to obtain all the information and data regarding the Stars Overlord secret art."

Xiang Tianxing looked at Li Pin and didn't speak for a long time.

After at least half a minute, he finally spoke. "I won't deny I have personal motives. We've invested so much effort into this path. I'll never be content if I don't see its potential realized. So... even knowing this may harm a promising Master Astral Cultivator, I will still provide you with everything I know about the Stars Overlord path."

"This is just my choice," affirmed Li Pin.

Xiang Tianxing shook his head and said nothing. Instead, he called for Butler Fang. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Soon, Butler Fang brought over an electronic device that resembled a bracelet.

"This is the latest communication device, integrating the functions of both a phone and a computer," introduced Xiang Tianxing.

He demonstrated a little on how to operate the device, and a light-projection screen appeared from the bracelet.

This level of technology... had already surpassed all standards back on Earth.

"This communication device has strong anti-interference capabilities. Additionally, it's equipped with a shielding system that can block almost any malicious search or usage targeting Astral Cultivators. Hence, this device can be used in most environments."

Xiang Tianxing handed the bracelet to Li Pin. "I've uploaded the full version of the Stars Overlord secret arts into the Personal Documents folder."

"Thank you."

"See that communication software that looks like Dazzle? This is Mystic, a highly confidential communication software used by a small group within Tianyuan [2]. You can log in directly using your Dazzle account, and after account linking verification, I will add you to a... you can think of it as a group chat.

"Dozens of Astral Cultivators, including myself, still adhering to the Stars Overlord path, are in it. If you have any questions about your cultivation in the future, you can ask them there."

"Alright."

Although Li Pin felt a bit weird that the warden was adding him to a group chat, he quickly started the setup.

In no time, he completed the account linking and logged in using Xiang Tianxing's invitation code.

"Your account is called Ten Thousand Stellar Years right? Join the group."

Li Pin quickly accepted the invitation.

However... when he entered the group, he noticed that, although there were sixty-eight members, with him making sixty-nine, the group was eerily silent and lifeless.

Xiang Tianxing didn't seem embarrassed about this.

He calmly explained, "Although this path embodies the wisdom of dozens of Astral Cultivators, only a few of them are still sticking with it. Most have already muted the group, and only stayed due to the respect they have for the Master Astral Cultivators—Chong Guang, Xuan Yang, and Kai Ming."

He looked at Li Pin. "Even you, if you don't plan to continue down this path, you can always choose to mute the group chat. Or... you can even leave if you want. It's fine. The Master Astral Cultivators probably won't mind."

Li Pin simply nodded without saying much.

Xiang Tianxing waved his hand. "That's it for now, you may go."

1. An excerpt from a poem by Mao Zedong. ☜

2. Dazzle and Mystic share a very close resemblance in Chinese raws. Xuan4 versus xuan2. ☜