Chapter 506: Upgrade

Hong Guang acted swiftly. After sending a communication, he returned to the Astral Gate leading to the Dragon Swamp Nebula at the Ashen Council's primary planet. There, he met Yuan Zhenchuan, the envoy, and conveyed Hong Feng's request.

However, the information Yuan Zhenchuan provided left him momentarily stunned.

Left with no other choice, Hong Guang brought Yuan Zhenchuan and hurried back to the planet where Hong Feng was immersed in arduous cultivation.

Ao Yunxiao, Hong Feng's protector, frowned. "He's already entered the divine treasure world? How could he enter so soon? From what I know, most people spend at least ten stellar years preparing before entering the divine treasure world.

"Some even take decades. Li Pin entered the Divine Treasury Hall less than two stellar years ago? How could he possibly be ready for the divine treasure world?"

"Perhaps Chairman Li discovered some critical information and gained enough confidence to enter early?" Yuan Zhenchuan speculated, though he clearly didn't know the exact reason.

Hong Feng, however, cared little about this point. He asked directly, "What about his Divine Treasury Points? Did he exchange them for valuable resources or send anything over?"

Yuan Zhenchuan answered, "Chairman Li didn't send anything. As for the Divine Treasury Points... they seem to have been completely used up."

He added cautiously, "While the divine treasure world isn't particularly dangerous, prolonged entrapment can still lead to eventual demise. Typically, pioneers convert their Divine Treasury Points into cultivation materials before entering to enhance their strength."

"Impossible!" Hong Feng immediately dismissed the explanation. "You're telling me Li Pin left Gaia and hasn't contributed anything since? How is that possible?"

Humans were emotional beings. After joining the Ashen Council, Hong Feng had supported his own civilization numerous times. Hong Guang, who achieved the rank of Legend, was the best proof of this principle.

Yuan Zhenchuan quickly explained, "Although Chairman Li has left Gaia Civilization, he has already done everything possible to support us. We truly—"

Hong Feng waved his hand. "I don't believe it."

He turned to Hong Guang and ordered, "Take someone to Gaia. I refuse to believe Li Pin hasn't provided any support to Gaia, which has only recently joined the cosmic civilizations."

Seeing this, Ao Yunxiao quickly sent a reminder through voice transmission. "A Homo Sapien Alliance representative resides in Gaia. Entering without their permission to conduct a search might provoke an investigation from the Homo Sapien Alliance."

Hong Feng's expression darkened.

He knew his demand was excessive. Primordial Spirit Essence wasn't just any material. At an auction, even a single portion could bankrupt a Tier Three Legend who lacked a prominent family background.

However, the battle for Astral God Yin Luo's inheritance was ruthless. Among countless contenders, only one person would rise to the top and claim the position of Astral God.

Driven by this sense of urgency, Hong Feng not only pushed himself relentlessly in his cultivation but also exploited surrounding civilizations, forcing them to provide as many resources as possible to fuel his growth.

Before understanding the true value of Divine Treasury Points, he hadn't paid much attention to the quality of resources the Gaian Civilization offered.

The realization that Li Pin had once commanded a resource like the Primordial Spirit Essence and even had over ten portions of it left a bitter taste in Hong Feng’s mouth.

He resented how he had let such precious resources slip through his grasp.

He understood this emotion was unwarranted.

But so what? Cultivation was about following one's desires without restraint, wasn't it?

"The Gaian Civilization must give me one—no, two portions of Primordial Spirit Essence!" declared Hong Feng coldly. "If not, materials equivalent in value will suffice. Otherwise, don't blame me for showing favoritism elsewhere."

Yuan Zhenchuan's eyes widened in disbelief. "Two portions of Primordial Spirit Essence?"

Even if they sold every last resource of the Divine Dragon Empire, including its primary and resource plants, they still wouldn't be able to come up with enough to purchase two portions of Primordial Spirit Essence!

Such a request was... completely beyond their capabilities! It was utterly unreasonable!

"Lord Hong Feng, the Gaian Civilization truly cannot—"

Hong Feng waved his hand, cutting Yuan Zhenchuan off. "Enough."

He walked away without giving Yuan Zhenchuan a chance to respond.

"Lord Hong Feng..." Yuan Zhenchuan tried to speak again, but Hong Guang stepped forward, his voice steady. "Please leave. Hong Feng is about to begin his cultivation."

***

After walking a short distance with Hong Feng, Ao Yunxiao said, "You've probably offended Li Pin by doing this. Even though he's on the Celestial Martial Arts path, being able to join the Divine Treasury Hall shows he's extremely talented. He's bound to become a powerful Demigod in the future."

"I know I pushed too hard, but I can't accept this. Doesn't Li Pin understand how crucial those materials are to me right now? Yet he ignored me completely. He didn't even attempt to reach out to me. What does that mean? It means he doesn't see me as his equal or even as someone on his level!"

Hong Feng's tone grew colder. "I know I'm no match for someone talented enough to join the Divine Treasury Hall right now. But give me ten stellar years, and I won't lag behind him."

Ao Yunxiao believed these words.

With nearly half the resources of the Candle Light Star Ring supporting him, coupled with his near-peerless genius potential, reaching the peak of Tier Three Legend within ten stellar years was no stretch of the imagination.

If he achieved one or two epiphanies and comprehended inner spirit, stepping into the fourth tier of the Legendary Realm wasn't impossible either.

As for Li Pin, how could his potential as a Celestial Martial Artist match someone like Hong Feng, who was an exceptional Astral Cultivator born in the Yin Luo Galaxy?

But still....

"Offending Li Pin and the Gaian Civilization like this is unwise," Ao Yunxiao remarked.

"I know exactly what I'm doing," Hong Feng replied. "I don't have the luxury of calmly weighing gains and losses. Inner spirit is about confronting one's inner self. I'll follow my heart."

"Following the heart..."

Ao Yunxiao seemed about to say something but ultimately held his tongue.

"Eighty-eight stellar years from now, if I ascend to Astral Godhood, someone like Li Pin won't even be worth a glance. He wouldn't qualify to be my target. A mere thought from me could determine his life or death, honor or disgrace, even the prosperity or decline of the Gaian civilization."

Hong Feng continued indifferently, "If I fail to become an Astral God..."

He paused briefly. "By then, I will already be dead, and those I know will have turned to dust. As for the rest, if he wants revenge, let him do as he pleases."

Ao Yunxiao was far from displeased. Instead, his eyes gleamed with approval.

The Light of the Ark, Astral God Yin Luo—his successor was destined to tread on the corpses of countless geniuses to ascend to the summit.

Hong Feng's talent, compared to the most extraordinary geniuses, was clearly a notch below. Only by relying on such a wolfish nature could he hope to rise above the rest. For the sake of inheritance, no price was too high.

Though the price would fall on others, this was the only path to truly contend with the top contenders and enter the line of successors.

"Set aside all unnecessary thoughts," Ao Yunxiao encouraged. "Clear your mind. Focus entirely on the path of succession and give it your all. You might end up losing everything in the end, but if you enter the successor line and reach the top, you'll gain everything."

***

Within the Mara Divine Treasure World, Moon Demon Domain.

Li Pin remained oblivious to the happenings of the outside world.

At this moment, he was merging with the Moon Goddess, using the power of the World Heart to perceive the entirety of the Moon Demon Domain.

To the Moon Demon Domain, the World Heart was akin to its Celestial Core.

The Moon Goddess, as the vessel spirit of the World Heart, could at best be considered the planetary will of the domain. In a sense, she resembled a Demigod, though her control over the planet fell short of that.

This limitation, however, did not hinder Li Pin from fusing with her and leveraging her power to delve into the intricacies of the Demigod Realm.

As Li Pin harnessed the Moon Goddess's power to merge with and command the heavens and earth, his understanding of the Demigod state deepened with each passing moment.

Through this state—akin to planetary consciousness—he analyzed the myriad forms of life within a planet. His Clairvoyance allowed him to study these substances and species with an almost omniscient precision.

The structure of the planet, the burning core, the movement of liquids, the formation of magnetic fields—all of this surged into his awareness.

𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

The arrangement of the food chain, the balance of the ecosystem, the cycle of the atmosphere, and the planet's movements within the cosmic void also became clear.

Though he couldn't immediately simulate or control these phenomena, understanding them enabled him to record them quickly. It was like the information had been engraved into his DNA, making them impossible to forget.

In this trance-like state, Li Pin even felt like he had transformed into a super biological computer. He was collecting all the knowledge of the Moon Demon Domain to enrich his data bank, providing the foundational basis for his pursuit of omniscience.

This evolutionary path was fascinating. This marked the first time Li Pin realized that the human life structure hid such enormous potential and a completely different evolutionary direction.

Li Pin smiled slightly. "The ancients wisely stated, 'Know thyself and thy enemy, and thou shalt never be defeated in a hundred battles.'

"A Celestial Martial Artist's first realm, the unity of all laws, shares some similarities with my path. However, I aim to take this principle and this unification to their ultimate extremes."

As the saying goes, "The most profound truths are often the simplest."

He had chosen the simplest path—the unity of all laws, akin to the first realm of Celestial Martial Artists.

He would attain ultimate mastery of himself and his martial arts, fathoming his opponents' strengths and combat tactics to their depths. Even the heavens and earth, and all things within them, would become extensions of his combat.

"Let me pull up my attribute panel."

He focused briefly, then hesitated.

As I gain a deeper understanding of myself, my control over my power and battlefield strategies significantly improve.

With the enhanced version of unity of all laws, my martial techniques are far stronger, surpassing their original limits. At my current proficiency, I could break past the hundred points mark and make them evolve into new skills.

But then he paused, realizing that reaching a proficiency of a hundred didn't necessarily mean it couldn't rise further. After all, it was all up to him to modify it.

With that thought, Li Pin felt relieved.

[Eternal Light, Thunder God: 150/100]

[Eternal Light, Fleeting Gleam: 150/100]

[Eternal Light, Absolute Darkness: 100/100]

He looked at these numbers and nodded.

Thunder God, Fleeting Gleam, and Absolute Darkness were not high in level. They were merely Legendary Celestial Martial Artist-tier techniques, but their proficiency was through the roof.

With these levels of proficiency...

I should be able to compete with those supreme geniuses now. I may even be able to fight above my level and defeat some weaker Tier Four Legends

Li Pin felt a deep sense of accomplishment.

His cultivation system had finally broken through. He had gone from losing to those with lower cultivation, barely competing with those at the same level, to finally becoming one of the elites among his peers. Now, he could even fight above his level.

This feeling of growing stronger and evolving through his own efforts filled Li Pin with immense fulfillment. To him, the meaning of life could not be clearer.