Chapter 595: A Lifetime

Li Pin fell silent after hearing Baili Qingfeng's words.

"Can't go back..." Li Pin murmured.

After a long pause, he sighed. "It's too late. I realized it too late."

Li Pin's voice was tinged with regret.

"Isn't that just how life is?" said Baili Qingfeng. "Some things are beyond our control... The only thing we can do is hold on to our true selves, so that when we look back one day, we won't find that even our own shadow has faded beyond recognition...."

Li Pin responded, "That's a profound way to put it."

"Of course. I originally studied social philosophy, and my first dream was to become a philosopher," Baili Qingfeng replied with a soft smile.

"So..." Li Pin looked at him. "Not madness, not a breakdown, not suicide, nor an untimely death. Instead, living like any ordinary person—graduating, working, marrying, having children, growing old, and passing away in what feels like the blink of an eye, living a life that was meant to be eternal.

"That way, you can say you've lived up to everyone's expectations—your parents, your family, your friends... and yourself. Isn't that right?"

Baili Qingfeng met his gaze, his expression full of confusion.

But Li Pin knew that deep down, Baili Qingfeng clearly knew what he wanted.

Li Pin suddenly asked, "In your next life, will you want to return to this world?"

"Senior Li, what are you talking about?" Baili Qingfeng asked. "I don't quite understand."

"Right now, each step of yours leads you further toward uncertainty, yet you move forward without fear. You hesitate amid uncertainty, yet you shine with unprecedented brilliance. That's the essence of life, and what it means to exist."

Li Pin continued, "Believe in yourself, guide yourself, protect yourself. Then, overcome Void, break free from it, and descend upon the world in the form of a human. Walk the earth, embrace the sky, the land, the mountains, the rivers, love, and life itself. Savor the beauty of existence, step toward immortality, and reach eternity..."

Baili Qingfeng was momentarily stunned by Li Pin's words. For a long time, he remained silent.

Nearly half a minute passed before he finally lowered his head, a hint of embarrassment crossing his expression. "Senior Li... this... this is just my promotional speech. Though I can see you've made some adjustments..."

"Just remember what I've said," Li Pin reminded firmly. "And keep this in mind as well: I've always been waiting for a fight with you. That's the reason I sought you out. So, whenever you're ready, I'll agree to any request you have in return."

Baili Qingfeng stared at him, as if truly helpless. After a while, he sighed. "If you insist on fighting, we can do it right now."

"You're not in the right state," Li Pin countered. "Even if you don't hold back, you won't be able to unleash the full potential of your human form."

With that, he stood up, signaling the end of their conversation. "Go. Do whatever you need to do. Follow your own path. Just remember, I'll still be waiting for our battle."

Baili Qingfeng, though still visibly puzzled, didn't press further. He rose to his feet and said, "Then I'll take Little Zhu home first. She's been away for so long. She must be missing home."

Li Pin nodded. "Go ahead."

Shortly after, Baili Qingfeng left with Baili Zhu.

Once they were gone, Fang Chunyang and Lie Qingqing approached.

"Captain... what should we do next?"

"Wait," Li Pin answered calmly. "Wait for the story to unfold. Wait for Baili Qingfeng to ascend as a True God. Or wait until I gain the strength to break through the blockade between the Twin Moon Domain and Blue Planet. In the meantime, keep observing Gu Lingying, and train as needed."

"What about Baili Zhu?"

"No need to interfere," said Li Pin. He thought of something and added, "When Baili Zhu undergoes her transformation in the Twin Moon Domain, do not interfere either."

"Do not interfere?" Fang Chunyang was puzzled. "Captain, isn't this Baili Zhu's divine treasure world? By logic, we should act according to her needs. Some speculate that the key to breaking this world lies in helping Baili Zhu defeat Baili Qingfeng and shatter this prison."

"Baili Zhu..." Li Pin pondered. After a long pause, he said, "It's not that simple."

The others looked confused. "

Hm?

"

"At the end of the day, Baili Zhu is merely a Cosmic Radiance. No matter how far she advanced in this realm, reaching even the level of a God Emperor comparable to the ninety-ninth step of the Supreme Ladder, her divine treasure world should not have turned into a forbidden world."

Li Pin's expression darkened. "Just as the Void Divine Treasury Hall Master suspected, there's only one explanation for this. A Transcendent existence, the one drifting within Void, has intervened."

"So... Baili Qingfeng is more important than Baili Zhu!?" Fang Chunyang asked.

Li Pin said, "I have a feeling that Baili Qingfeng has already given her an answer for her resentment or blame. She just hasn't realized it yet. What we need to do is find that answer and show it to Baili Zhu."

"An answer?" Lie Qingqing quickly recalled Li Pin's past instructions and blurted out in shock. "Is it Gu Lingying?"

Then, she frowned and added, "No, in the sixth cycle, someone brought Baili Qingfeng and Gu Lingying together, but the story didn't change much."

"Yes and no," Li Pin mused. "Gu Lingying is only part of it."

He glanced at the others with a hint of regret on his face. "If my guess is correct... we've already missed the opportunity to break free from this divine treasure world."

Everyone was stunned. "We missed it!?"

"Of course, it's just my guess. We'll have to wait and see how the story unfolds," Li Pin said, shaking his head. "For now, let's be patient."

***

Time flowed swiftly, marked by constant changes and upheavals in the outside world. Yet, Li Pin remained steadfast within his own domain, quietly observing Baili Qingfeng and delving into the profound mysteries of the True Spirit emanating from him.

During this period of observation, the main storyline progressed rapidly, transitioning seamlessly from the first phase to the second.

Baili Zhu and Baili Qingfeng, relying on each other in the Twin Moon Domain, weathered their most challenging years together. This shared hardship laid the foundation for Baili Zhu's eventual wielding of the Supreme Divine Sword, which would later transform into the Supreme Demonic Sword.

Initially, when Li Pin encountered terms such as the Supreme Demonic Sword, the Immortal God Emperor, the Twin Moon Domain, and the Celestial Barren Domain, he couldn't help but draw parallels between the Void Divine Treasure World and the Mara Divine Treasure World, believing they might be the same world.

The more Li Pin understood the main storyline, the more he realized that they were merely coincidences.

After all, titles like "Supreme," "Immortal," and "God Emperor" were far too common. It was akin to the prevalence of names like Zixuan and Zihao on Earth.

While finding individuals born on the exact same day, month, and year might be rare, narrowing it down to just the same month and year would easily yield a handful of matches.

As a result, Li Pin saw no reason to expend time and effort seeking out the Immortal God Emperor for a conversation.

Instead, he focused on his cultivation journey. Starting at Mountain Qingyuan, he steadily advanced from the Golden Core stage to the Nascent Spirit stage, then to the Primordial Spirit stage, and finally reached the Dao Manifestation Realm.

Not long after he achieved the Dao Manifestation Realm, the story entered its third phase. Baili Zhu, who had developed hidden feelings for Baili Qingfeng, ran away from home upon learning of his impending marriage to Shi Yiyi, fully embracing her rebellious teenage phase.

Concerned for her safety, Baili Qingfeng was forced to postpone his wedding and set out to find her.

Unlike before, when Li Pin had merely observed Baili Qingfeng from a distance, this time he decided to accompany him into the Twin Moon Domain.

***

In the Twin Moon Domain, Li Pin and Baili Qingfeng channeled the power of the celestial forces, soaring swiftly through the void.

As they flew, Baili Qingfeng glanced at Li Pin in surprise. "Senior Li, can you also use the Celestial Force Field for flight? I had assumed you were an immortal cultivator, like Uncle Zhao."

Li Pin's expression softened with a hint of nostalgia. "The Celestial Force Field..."

In fact, the essence of Divinity was also rooted in the Celestial Force Field. When a Divine Being reached the level of an Astral God, they integrated their Natal Planet into the Astral World, transforming it into a vast expanse of Astral World terrain—manifesting as a mountain range, an island, or something similar.

Theoretically, the size of these Astral World Mountains and Islands determined the power of the Astral God. The only difference was that, as the mountains and continents were part of the Astral God's original form, they could move rapidly by leveraging the unique environment of the Astral World—unlike Earthly Immortals, who were confined to a single location, unable to move freely.

Deep in thought, he glanced at Baili Qingfeng. "Aside from the Celestial Force Field, have you developed a more advanced method to harness this power?"

"Exactly! Beyond the Celestial Force Field lies cosmic power," Baili Qingfeng replied. He paused briefly, then added, "But fully controlling the force field of a single planet is already incredibly difficult, let alone mastering the power of an entire universe. The calculations are overwhelming—it's not like the human brain is a computer."

"While the human brain isn't a computer, with the right approach, its computational power might not be inferior," Li Pin remarked.

Baili Qingfeng was momentarily stunned, struggling to process the statement. After a long silence, he asked, "Senior Li, are you suggesting that the next stage of cultivation is to develop the brain's computational abilities to rival a computer?"

"I was merely offering a thought. The path you choose is entirely up to you," Li Pin replied.

"I see," Baili Qingfeng responded, sinking into deep contemplation.

"Alright, we've entered the Central Lands. Have you made a decision? Will you continue searching for Baili Zhu, or will you accompany me to Blue Planet?" Li Pin asked.

Baili Qingfeng revealed a complex look. "Blue Planet..."

Li Pin had spoken to him about Blue Planet long ago, cautioning him that only when he was strong enough could he breach the forces guarding the passage between the two worlds and enter.

Now... his strength had barely met the criteria for him to do that. But Baili Zhu had run away from home, and he couldn't simply turn a blind eye to it.

An evil presence was watching her closely. If he stood by and did nothing, by the time he found her, she might already be a lifeless corpse.

"My family is safe for now. I think... I should focus on finding Little Zhu first," Baili Qingfeng said. "I made a promise to protect her."

Li Pin nodded. After observing Baili Qingfeng for so long, Li Pin had come to understand him well.

Though Baili Qingfeng's personality had undergone significant changes over time, at his core, he remained a truly good person.

"Go. Follow your instincts," Li Pin encouraged.

Baili Qingfeng nodded in agreement.

With that, the two went their separate ways.

Baili Qingfeng continued his search for Baili Zhu, while Li Pin embarked for Blue Planet, carrying with him a sense of nostalgia for a place that once felt like home.