Chapter 501: Enlightenment

Li Pin felt as though he was wrapped in a wave of warmth. His thoughts and consciousness soared as he experienced an extreme transcendence state at an incredible speed, reaching the heavens.

He had a vague feeling of breaking free from the confines of his body. He seemed to have escaped his shackles and merged with the heavens and the earth, becoming a part of the world.

Then, he saw hills, withered forests, desolate fields, and hurricanes. He saw layers of soil, the active creatures beneath them, and the buried sediments.

As he carefully observed, everything became vividly clear before his eyes.

At this moment, he became one with the world itself, able to shake every corner of it with a single thought.

Earthquakes, tsunamis, storms, magnetic fields... everything was within his control.

When he focused his mind, everything appeared before his eyes: the structure of matter, the elements within it, the molecules they formed, and the atoms within those molecules. He could manipulate them all at will.

The microscopic world of atomic structures and the macroscopic world of all things in heaven and earth—the two worlds created an unprecedented impact, reverberating in his inner spirit. For a moment, he could not distinguish whether the microscopic world was the true reality or the macroscopic world was.

With a single thought, the particle structures of the microscopic world rapidly changed. A rock transformed into a piece of gold.

With another thought, a hill collapsed, turning into a stream that flowed across the plains. A gentle breeze permeating the skies suddenly transformed into flames, burning the clouds. The burning clouds seemed to turn into a rain of steel, falling swiftly.

The changes in the world were within his reach at this moment.

However, these changes did not last long. A sudden wave of dizziness struck Li Pin. This dizziness stripped him of the feeling of control he had over the microscopic and macroscopic worlds.

As his thoughts were pulled back by some force, everything around him dissolved into a blur. Until, at last, he returned to his own body, emerging from that warmth.

The Moon Goddess's calm voice echoed in Li Pin's ears. "You lasted for an even shorter time than I expected."

Li Pin did not respond to her. At this moment, he did not want to do or respond to anything. An indescribable feeling of weakness filled his heart.

The Moon Goddess quietly watched him, not saying more. Faint radiance enveloped her, and she remained as cold and tranquil as ever.

A long time passed.

It wasn't until demonic beasts started attacking his Myth avatars that Li Pin was forced out of this state.

Li Pin recalled all his Myth avatars and said, "Let's leave the Moon Demon Domain first."

Once everyone had regrouped, the Moon Goddess waved her hand lightly, and spatial ripples spread out.

In no time, she tore through the spatial fluctuations and returned to the Mortal Domain.

"I need some time alone," Li Pin said.

"Okay." The Moon Goddess nodded. "Thanks to the short duration, the chances of us being exposed and targeted by the God Sovereign of the Heavenly Demon Clan are slim."

"Mmhmm."

Li Pin did not respond further.

He was still immersed in that marvelous sensation of seemingly being able to create and shape the heavens and earth. That power did not belong to a Demigod or to him. It did not entirely depend on his Clairvoyance gift, either.

It was through the cooperation of three aspects that it ultimately evolved into the miraculous ability to reshape the world and alter material structures.

Li Pin thought,

By relying on the Moon Goddess and the World Heart, I can reform and reshape the Moon Demon Domain. If I can refine this Astral World Fragment from the Mara World, I will be able to change and reshape the Mara World....

It was undeniable that this ability had significant limitations. However, its potential was unimaginably high. As his understanding continued to grow, he could, in the future, even alter the world or truly create an entire universe.

That wasn't simply the power to simulate a universe. Rather, it was the power to shape an entire universe.

All he needed... was a foundational cornerstone.

What was the cornerstone?

If all he wanted was to change the form of matter, then mastering atoms would suffice. But if he wanted to create a high-energy lifeform, such as turning a blade of grass into a Legend, he would need to comprehend the three forces of matter, energy, and mental spirit.

If he wanted to further elevate that blade of grass into a Tier Four Legend or above, he would also need to understand the power of the inner spirit.

If he wanted it to become a true Divine Being, he would need the ability to create Astral World Fragments.

As for turning it into an Astral God, Astral World Fragments wouldn't be enough! He would need to create an Astral World.

Li Pin looked at the world before him.

As long as I reach a certain realm, all the mysteries of that realm will unravel themselves.

He could imagine what that scene would be like. He was one, yet also many. He was an individual, yet also infinite.

Even his cultivation no longer needed to follow conventional patterns.

Not enough matter? Condense matter. Not enough energy? Convert energy.

What limited him was merely the speed and efficiency of condensing matter and transforming energy. This efficiency was constrained by the mental spirit, and the core essence of the mind stemmed from the soul.

Currently, he could not fully decipher the mysteries of the inner spirit.

Electromagnetic force, gravity, weak force, strong force?

These are the fundamental forces that construct the universe, achievable through matter and energy. To some extent, these are techniques. The true way lies in unraveling the mysteries of the inner spirit, obtaining infinite mental spirit power. With infinite mental spirit comes infinite matter and energy, and by then, these issues will no longer exist.

Li Pin's eyes became clear.

Furthermore, if he could comprehend the mysteries of time and space, he could resolve this issue. By accelerating time, he could compress ten thousand years' worth of work into a single second. In certain scenarios, this could also exhibit characteristics of infinite energy and infinite matter.

As for space, it could currently be regarded as the scale of the universe. The universe was presently contracting, and the matter and energy generated during this contraction could also be deemed infinite. Harnessing this energy would be equivalent to possessing a universe-level energy source.

However, compared to the forces of time and space he had yet to master, he had at least stepped into the realm of inner spirit power. Thus, comprehending inner spirit power was easier than mastering the forces of time and space.

After coming to this realization, Li Pin exhaled lightly.

His mood was relaxed.

The Moon Goddess pointed out, "It seems you've gained quite a lot."

"Yes, I've gained a lot. I've truly understood some paths that I previously only knew the direction to but not the way to traverse." Li Pin sighed. "It turns out the difference between the strong and the weak can sometimes be greater than that between humans and dogs."

"Can you share it with me?"

"Of course," Li Pin replied. He glanced around and quickly picked up a leaf. "This is a leaf. In theory, it could never cut down a tree. But if we set it on fire...."

Flames appeared on the leaf and quickly ignited a nearby tree.

"It would essentially destroy the tree," Li Pin said.

The Moon Goddess tilted her head and looked at him in confusion.

Li Pin continued, "Similarly, we can't make a leaf destroy a boulder, even if we set it on fire."

As he spoke, powerful mental spirit waves surged rapidly.

Before long, he threw the leaf toward a two-meter-tall boulder nearby.

"But if we change the internal structure of the leaf and turn it into a high-energy explosive equivalent to its mass...."

Rumble!

The explosion, mixed with flames, erupted instantly, shattering the boulder into countless fragments and scattering debris everywhere.

"It would essentially destroy the boulder."

The Moon Goddess was still somewhat puzzled.

Thus, Li Pin picked up a third leaf and said, "It is widely known that a leaf can destroy a tree or a boulder, but if we want it to destroy a mountain peak..."

This time, he held the leaf in his hand, and mental spirit power so immense that even the Moon Goddess could feel it surged continuously from him.

After a while, he abruptly threw the leaf toward a mountain peak over a hundred meters tall, several miles away.

"We would need to change its structure, causing the protons and neutrons in its atomic nucleus to shift, transforming into isotopes of hydrogen. Additionally, we must apply an auxiliary force—heat. High heat allows the extranuclear electrons to break free from the nucleus, enabling two atomic nuclei to attract and collide, initiating nuclear fusion..."

As soon as he finished speaking, the energy contained in the leaf he had hurled at high speed erupted violently. It instantly generated a terrifying temperature, triggering a fusion reaction in the material that only resembled a leaf but was fundamentally worlds apart.

The dazzling light illuminated the heavens and the earth in an instant. The resulting high temperatures and shockwaves crashed against the mountain peak with overwhelming force, reducing the towering hundred-meter-high peak to dust on the spot.

The high temperatures, intense light, shockwaves, and the ensuing hurricane forced even the Moon Goddess to raise a barrier of shimmering light to shield herself.

"In this way, it essentially destroys the mountain peak," Li Pin said as he picked up another leaf. "Similarly, a leaf can cut down a tree, split a boulder, and destroy a peak. Naturally, it can also destroy the mountain range beneath us. It is well-known that a leaf weighs five grams, and the power of one gram of antimatter—"

"Wait." The Moon Goddess couldn't help but interrupt him. "This..."

She glanced at the leaf in Li Pin's hand. "Can it still be called a leaf?"

"Whether it can still be called a leaf is up to your judgment." Li Pin put the leaf down and sighed. "Human God Kings and ordinary humans, can they still be considered the same species?"

The Moon Goddess pondered over Li Pin's words. After a moment, she shook her head.

"That is why I say the difference between the strong and the weak can sometimes be greater than that between humans and dogs," said Li Pin.

He gazed at the countless fallen leaves beneath his feet. "These leaves are all composed of atoms. By understanding these theories and slightly modifying their structures at the source, they can be turned into golden leaves that sell for high prices. Or if they were turned into antimatter leaves, they can become destructive weapons."

"What exactly are you trying to say?" the Moon Goddess asked.

"I am merely trying to say..." Li Pin paused and said solemnly, "This is my Dao."

"Your Dao..."

The Moon Goddess suddenly realized something, her emotions fluctuating intensely. "Creation!?"

"No." Li Pin smiled faintly. "Tracing back to the origin."

He raised his head and looked into the distance. "Clairvoyance, discerning all causes and all effects."