Chapter 521: Departure

At Li Pin's residence, Fang Chunyang had rushed over after hearing the news.

"Are you planning to leave the Mara Divine Treasury Hall?" Fang Chunyang asked. "You must have heard the rumors circulating in the Divine Treasury Hall. People are saying you were the one who broke through the Mara World and became its greatest beneficiary."

"That's not entirely a rumor." Li Pin smiled faintly. "Breaking through the divine treasure world may be concealed for a time, but not forever."

Fang Chunyang argued, "Still, keeping it a secret for a decade or two is possible. In that time, the person who broke through would have already turned the resources into strength, advancing their cultivation.

"At that point, people would refrain from making any reckless moves. No one would provoke a powerful enemy when there is nothing to be gained. Moreover, in the past, those who broke through the divine treasure world were usually part of large teams."

He glanced at Li Pin. "Unlike you. Fortune favored you, allowing you to break through the Mara World alone and reap all the rewards."

"That's all the more reason for me to leave quickly, before the rumors are confirmed." Li Pin's gaze drifted into the distance. "Besides, the Mara Divine Treasury Hall will be dismantled in a few stellar years. I've noticed that they are almost done removing the Divine Treasury Gate."

"That still leaves a few years. If you're concerned about your safety after the hall is dismantled, why not join us?" said Fang Chunyang. He suggested, "We've been invited to the neighboring Heaven Pierce Divine Treasury and will be heading there soon."

"No need," Li Pin declined.

He had been cultivating in the Mara Divine Treasury Hall for over three stellar years. Though he had worked tirelessly during that time, he felt his efficiency had recently declined. Perhaps the lack of physical activity and a balance between work and rest was to blame.

Additionally, there were matters on Gaia that required his attention. Several significant events had unfolded—such as a genius in the Burning Sun Nation reaching the Legendary Realm in just three stellar years, Li Yunyao failing in the Celestial Breaker phase, and Lan Yan being ambushed. These situations needed his personal intervention.

"I'll proceed discreetly," Li Pin assured, pausing briefly. "Besides, after all these years, I believe I've made considerable progress. Ordinary opponents shouldn't be much of a threat."

"You..."

Fang Chunyang wanted to say more but hesitated.

After all, Li Pin was a prodigy who had cultivated inner spirit and single-handedly broke through the Mara Divine Treasury. Such individuals might be seen as arrogant or dismissive, but they were far from reckless or ignorant.

Swallowing his words, Fang Chunyang said, "Be careful. If you encounter danger, you can seek help from the Hall Master."

He looked at Li Pin. "Though we can't be sure if the information you've provided will apply to the Void Divine Treasury Hall, you have far more hidden knowledge than other pioneers. Clearly, you're better suited to venture into the Void Divine Treasury Hall. If you truly need the Hall Master's help, I'm sure she wouldn't hesitate to act."

Li Pin nodded. "I understand."

Astral God Mi Meng might seem to be stationed in the Mara Divine Treasury Hall, but that was only her avatar. Her true form resided elsewhere in the Astral World.

Unlike other Astral World Fragments drifting aimlessly, those under an Astral God's control followed a predictable path. She only needed to establish a slight link to quickly travel vast distances—tens of thousands, even millions, of light-years—through the fragments and project her avatar instantly.

***

Given his ample Divine Treasury Points, Li Pin decided to stock up on resources before departing. He reached out to Fei Bo to acquire a large batch of items through his network: Primordial Spirit Essence, Purified Water, Astral Source Spirits, and more.

The transaction cost him hundreds of thousands of points, earning Fei Bo nearly ten thousand as an intermediary fee.

When Fei Bo delivered the goods, he hesitated. But he ultimately sent a telepathic message, "Pioneer Li, you've been using your Divine Treasury Points rather extravagantly lately.

"Many people are already watching you. While staying in the hall or moving with Divine figures like Fang Chunyang might offer protection, if you're planning to leave..."

"Then pass along a message for me," Li Pin said with a smile. "I've invested all these points into resources, and my strength has grown significantly during this time. Without at least Divine-level power..."

He hesitated.

Tier Six Legends, armed with powerful Divine Weapons, could unleash astonishing combat strength. Directly stating the threshold at Divine-level power might come across as overly arrogant.

After a brief moment, he adopted a more reasonable tone and continued, "Without Tier Six Legendary-level power or higher, they shouldn't come after me. Doing so would only be courting death. Reaching the Legendary Realm can't have been easy; they should cherish their lives."

Fei Bo's mouth twitched at the boldness of the message. If it spread, trouble was sure to follow. Still, he nodded. "I'll relay the message and warn those with ill intentions."

Li Pin nodded. "Good."

He had always acted openly, disdaining deceit or false pretenses. Since he had the power to easily defeat or kill Tier Five Legendries, there was no reason to hide it. Better to prevent needless deaths among those aspiring to become Astral Gods.

That said, he paused, considering the possibility that no one might come to challenge him in the future. After a moment's thought, he added, "Some fools might still ignore the warning. If they insist on courting death for the sake of profit, let them. It's their choice."

Fei Bo nodded. "I understand."

After completing the transaction, Li Pin headed to the Astral Gate with resources worth hundreds of thousands of Divine Treasury Points. However, upon arrival, he noticed someone waiting for him.

"Xi Lin?" he asked tentatively.

Xi Lin responded indifferently, "It's me."

She stood at the Astral Gate, dressed in a deep blue gown with purple accents that radiated cold elegance and nobility.

Li Pin gave her an extra glance.

They had only communicated before through holographic projections. This was their first time meeting in person. Compared to the simulated image, Xi Lin's real presence was far more striking.

Xi Lin explained, "The matter of Si Xing applying to station himself in the Dragon Swamp Nebula has caused discontent within the family.

"After all, the competition for Astral God Yin Luo's heir will last nearly a hundred stellar years. For a Legendary figure who hasn't yet grasped the power of the inner spirit, how many hundred stellar years does he have left?

"My brother-in-law asked me to visit the Dragon Swamp Nebula and bring him back."

After finishing, she seemed to recall something and added, "Rest assured, the Si Clan will send a Tier Three Legendary figure to replace him. He'll continue guarding Gaia, ensuring that no petty individuals disrupt the development of Gaia civilization."

Li Pin nodded in acknowledgment.

Without mastering the power of inner spirit, a Legend's lifespan spanned only a few hundred stellar years.

The competition for Astral God Yin Luo's heir was still eighty-six stellar years away from a result. For Si Xing, that was far too long.

"You go ahead first," Li Pin said. "This journey of mine is unlikely to remain peaceful."

"You know?" Xi Lin looked at him, puzzled. "If you're aware, why choose to leave the Divine Treasury Hall now?"

She hesitated, then asked cautiously, "Did something happen back at Gaia?"

"There's no particular reason." Li Pin chuckled lightly. "I just wanted to leave the Divine Treasury Hall."

"But—"

Xi Lin was about to continue, but Li Pin cut her off. "I appreciate your kindness, but you're not me. How could you possibly understand that this might be exactly what I want?"

He glanced at her calmly and added, "It's inappropriate to impose your understanding on others."

At those words, Xi Lin's face turned red. She understood what he truly meant by inappropriate. He had come close to saying, "We're not the same kind of people; we're not compatible."

For a moment, shame and anger mixed within her.

She lashed, "Who do you think you are? If not for Si Xing... who would care about you?"

With that, she turned sharply and strode away from the Astral Gate area.

Li Pin let out a soft chuckle. Regaining his composure, walked toward the Astral Gate.

Perhaps Xi Lin's actions were indeed well-intentioned. Everything she wanted to do was for his sake. But so what? Goodwill, no matter how sincere, wasn't something he had to accept.

You're not the fish; how could you know the fish's joy?

[1]

***

The moment Li Pin stepped through the Astral Gate and left the Divine Treasury Hall, Long Ying received the news from an island thousands of miles away. His eyes glinted sharply. "Li Pin has passed through the Astral Gate."

In front of him sat not only the key members of his team but also several recruited allies.

"I haven't received any reports of movements from Fang Chunyang's side. Is Li Pin alone?"

The speaker was Qi Ming, a Divine Being with his own team and information channels. He had a fierce rivalry with Fang Chunyang, which was why Long Ying had invited him.

The others were somewhat surprised.

"Alone? Li Pin is a powerful Legend who has mastered inner spirit. He must know he's being watched. For him to leave alone, without teaming up with Fang Chunyang, is surprising."

"It's not that surprising," Bai Lu interjected. "How could Li Pin trust that Fang Chunyang or Fang Zhiqian aren't plotting against him? You can never truly know someone's heart."

Her words were met with agreement from several others.

If Li Pin truly was the one who breached the Mara World, he would possess the Solar Flare Divine Equipment—an invaluable treasure. Divine Beings like Fang Chunyang wouldn't be the only ones tempted by a divine treasure like this. Even Astral Gods would be moved.

If Li Pin had teamed up with Fang Chunyang, he would be putting his life in their hands. No sane person would ever do this. They would trust only themselves.

A reasonable person would quietly slip away from the Divine Treasury Hall before its dismantling, with others providing cover, and hide until they had enough strength to return to the universe.

Bai Lu said confidently, "Li Pin is definitely being watched. Given the circumstances, his departure must be part of a hidden plot.

"I recall that Li Pin follows the Celestial Martial Arts path. Celestial Martial Artists can reshape their bodies with a drop of blood. If he's willing to invest resources, he could create an avatar nearly as strong as himself. It would be indistinguishable to outsiders."

With a decisive gesture, she concluded, "I'm certain that the one entering the Astral Gate is an avatar he has heavily invested in. If we pursue now, we'll fall into his diversionary trap."

1. A Chinese phrase that underscores the importance of respecting individual autonomy and the subjective nature of happiness and understanding. ☜