Chapter 454: Origin

The domain belonged to the power of a Legend. However, Li Pin could already tell that the range and intensity of the Heavenly Realm Expert's domain could not compare to a true Legend's.

His situation was similar to Li Pin's, who had comprehended his inner spirit but had not reached the corresponding level in other aspects.

Theoretically, Li Pin should be stronger than this man. But in practice, he couldn't break through the man's domain.

Li Pin saw the root of the problem.

"It's about efficiency...." he murmured.

It was the efficiency of utilizing his inner spirit.

He had used the Zhulong of Time to triple his nerve reaction speed and unleashed strength on par with the man....

No, they couldn't even be described as being on par.

In essence, Li Pin wasted far too much power. Take now, for example. With a burst of his inner spirit, he could throw dozens of punches, consuming a significant amount of its power. But to what end?

For him, it brought a satisfying rush, but the actual damage dealt to the opponent was negligible.

In contrast, this man always used his precious domain power at the most critical moments. If he didn't counterattack, so be it. But when he did, it was earth-shattering.

Like now, where he had used the momentum of his defensive action to seize an opportunity, unleashing everything in one blow.

The Atomic Domain surged like a tsunami. No matter how strong Li Pin's fist forces were, they were crushed under this overwhelming force, layer by layer.

Firepower coverage might seem effective, but against a prepared opponent, it was just a waste of ammunition.

Li Pin couldn't help but praise, "Impressive."

If he did not even have the ability to withstand this strike, then it was obvious he would have no hope of withstanding a Legendary Expert's ultimate attack.

Unless he could surpass his current limits and double his output in an instant, the tsunami formed from this Atomic Domain would overwhelm him.

In that moment, the opponent could effortlessly kill Li Pin, regardless of whether he used atomic fission to unleash a nuclear explosion at close range or reassembled atoms to tear Li Pin apart on a molecular level.

Unless... Li Pin could find a flaw in this strike.

"Son of Gaia?" said the man indifferently. "You're nothing special."

The man's hands began to close together.

Buzz, buzz!

At that moment, Li Pin sent a mental spirit sweeping out. It was not particularly powerful compared to the man's, yet as it swept over him, the man suddenly felt an illusion that all his secrets were laid bare before Li Pin.

The structure of his domain, the cohesion of his astral energy, the operation of his techniques—he felt like he had turned into an open book. Even the ripples his spiritual waves stirred... all of it was seen through by Li Pin.

Immediately after, a strong warning from his inner spirit erupted in his mind.

The strength of his inner spirit was limited, but whenever his inner spirit signaled danger, it was always a life-threatening crisis!

Without hesitation, the man instantly donned a dark gold full-body armor, enveloping himself completely.

Right then, his Void Tsunami, the killing move he was so proud of, shattered.

To the man's surprise, the power that destroyed the Void Tsunami wasn't stronger than it; rather, it was far weaker in comparison. But this punch landed precisely at the vulnerable spot of his Void Tsunami, striking the resonance node of the Thousand Fold Sea. It was like a dam collapsing because of an ant hole.

The atomic waves of the Void Tsunami instantly crumbled.

The man's heart trembled. "How is this possible...?"

That wasn't the end of it. What truly signaled mortal danger was the figure that appeared after, breaking through the void with a punch.

This punch was way faster than any punch Li Pin had thrown before. It shattered his previous limits.

By the time the man saw the punch, the force—imbued with the power to shatter the vacuum—had already landed.

There was no time to react! No chance to respond!

The man could only brace himself and receive the punch, relying on the Heavenly Phoenix Divine Armor to dissolve most of the force.

Buzz, buzz!

An invisible ripple spread outward, like a gentle breeze.

To the man's stunned surprise, the Heavenly Phoenix Divine Armor didn't experience so much as a tremor from the punch.

The lethal danger he had sensed earlier also disappeared, as if it had never existed.

The man was flabbergasted.

He held back!? He actually held back in such a life-and-death battle?!

After the punch, Li Pin swiftly retreated, appearing thousands of meters away in an instant.

"The Frost Ring isn't my power," murmured Li Pin.

Suppressing the thought of relying on those divine rings for victory, Li Pin turned his gaze to the Heavenly Realm Expert, his eyes burning with excitement.

He raised his hand, mimicking the gesture the man had used at the beginning. "Again."

The man fell silent.

The excitement in Li Pin's eyes felt oddly familiar to him. He had the same look whenever he came across a worthy opponent.

"I can't," said the man, his tone tinged with regret. "I'd like to keep fighting you, but once I activate the Heavenly Phoenix Divine Armor, it sends out a signal. I can't stay here any longer, or it will cause serious trouble."

Li Pin was surprised, but he quickly understood. "You're not from the Divine Dragon Empire?"

"Divine Dragon Empire? Of course not." The man smiled slightly. "Let me introduce myself. My name is Si Xing. I'm from the Si Clan of the Starwheel Sea God...."

The man paused, as if realizing something. "You probably don't understand that concept, so let me put it another way. I'm a Level Three Executive of the Homo Sapien Alliance."

"The Homo Sapien Alliance!? You're from the Homo Sapien Alliance!?"

Li Pin was familiar with the Homo Sapien Alliance. It was a colossal entity that stood above the entire Yin Luo Galaxy, a force of immense importance to humanity across the universe.

"In some ways, I could be considered from the Divine Dragon Empire. The Homo Sapien Alliance oversees the Level-Four Executives in the Dragon Swamp Nebula. The previous emperor of the Divine Dragon Empire—Yan Jin, its strongest being—is acquainted with the Homo Sapien Alliance.

"As the first phase nears its end, we're moving to nearby civilizations to guide their evolution. During this time, the Homo Sapien Alliance envoy team is stationed in the Divine Dragon Empire's capital, Miracle Star, which rules the Dragon Swamp Nebula."

Si Xing paused. "I have recently heard rumors about you, the so-called 'Destiny's Child.' Unable to suppress my curiosity, I took a ship here to see for myself."

Li Pin was a bit surprised. "Destiny's Child?"

Si Xing explained, "Other than a Destiny's Child, the Divine Dragon Empire can't explain how a civilization like Gaia, which has only been exposed to astral energy for less than ten years, could produce a powerhouse like you."

However, he soon shook his head. "However, they're clearly wrong. You're not Gaia's Destiny's Child."

"Why?"

"It's simple. You're not following the Astral Cultivator path," said Si Xing. "Even a celestial body can't resist the power of the great Astral God Yin Luo. If you truly were a Destiny's Child, under the Astral God's influence, you would only be able to walk the Astral Cultivator path."

He glanced at Li Pin and added, "Well, unless you're older than ten stellar years, a life born before the great Astral God Yin Luo's arrival."

Li Pin didn't feel regret upon hearing this. Whether he was the Destiny's Child or not didn't matter. He was who he was, and nothing would change that.

Si Xing confidently stated, "If I'm not mistaken, you must've coincidentally acquired an Celestial Martial Arts inheritance from another civilization. And it's incomplete."

"An inheritance from another civilization...."

Thinking of Blue Planet, Li Pin shrugged. "I suppose so. But this Celestial Martial Arts inheritance you mentioned—is it from a system different from Astral Cultivators?"

"Yes." Si Xing nodded. "The vast universe is dominated by the Astral Cultivator system, but after the Astral World shattered, other systems began to rise as well."

He glanced at Li Pin. "It seems your inheritance is severely incomplete. Otherwise, you wouldn't be asking such a question."

Li Pin smiled faintly.

Incomplete....

His inheritance wasn't just incomplete—except for the initial parts, the rest had all been pieced together by himself.

Looking confused, Si Xing asked, "Based on my equipment's detection, your Power Level is only 810. Even when I suppress my Power Level to the Heavenly Realm, my score is over 900. The gap is obvious. How did you break through my killing move—the Void Tsunami?"

After a pause, he added, "This technically breaks the rules even in the second phase, but if you answer my question, I can offer you a decent Celestial Martial Arts inheritance."

"It's perception." Li Pin didn't fully understand what Si Xing meant by Power Level, but he didn't hide the truth. "I have a sharp talent for perception. It's this talent that allowed me to spot the flaw in your killing move and break it."

Si Xing frowned. "Perception talent?"

He fell silent for a moment before saying, "Ultimately, it's because my training is lacking. If I had perfected my Void Tsunami, there would've been no flaw for you to catch or exploit. This battle would have ended differently."

Li Pin nodded slightly.

Without his Clairvoyance, he would've had to rely on the Mental Spirit Ring. But the Mental Spirit Ring was an external tool. Even if it helped him win, it wouldn't be a true victory.

Besides, that Heavenly Phoenix Divine Armor was clearly extraordinary. If the fight had dragged on, the outcome would've been uncertain.

"Although you're not a Destiny's Child, it was still an enjoyable fight," said Si Xing. He took out a crystal resembling a Skill Crystal and handed it to Li Pin. "When your cultivation advances, I'll fight you again in my full-power state. Don't disappoint me."

Li Pin looked at Si Xing in surprise. "Full power?!"

𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

So, he has been holding back all this time?

However, Li Pin showed no fear. He took the crystal, nodded, and replied, "Alright."

Then, something occurred to Li Pin, and he asked, "Doesn't the Homo Sapien Alliance care about what the Divine Dragon Empire is doing to Gaia?"

"Even if they wanted to, it's too late," Si Xing answered, knowing exactly what Li Pin meant. "In a way, even if this matter reached the Homo Sapien Alliance, it wouldn't help you because... Gaia has already been fully converted."