Chapter 616: Strength

True Spirit stood as the greatest barrier between Solar Flare and Cosmic Radiance. Breaking through it was no easy feat.

Initially, Li Pin believed that with his Clairvoyance, mastering True Spirit would be a breeze. However, once he truly began cultivating it, he realized that his talent was nearing its limits.

One thing was certain: the mystical properties of True Spirit reflections were on par with his Clairvoyance, and in some ways, even surpassed it.

The issue was that he hadn't yet fully tapped into the full potential of his Clairvoyance. Only by doing so could it rival True Spirit.

Li Pin pondered, "I had a thought during my battle against the Void Emperor from Baili Zhu's perception. We don't walk the same path. He follows the Transcendent path, while I walk the Supreme path. If that's the case, could there be other paths as well?"

His cultivation had stalled at True Spirit. It was only natural for him to seek another way.

"Could it have to do with the Dao Realm?"

Li Pin thought for a long time but couldn't find a clear path forward.

"The Divine Realm holds too little weight. I can't access the truly high-level secrets. Even ordinary Astral Gods probably don't have detailed information on the Supreme or Transcendent paths.

"To gain full access to humanity's archives, I'd need to reach the level of special Astral Gods, Eternal Solar Flares, or, most preferably, Cosmic Radiances at the highest echelons of humanity."

Li Pin steadied his thoughts and decided to be patient.

I'll advance to the Astral God Realm the next time I enter the Void Divine Treasure World. Even if I fail to break open the treasure world and obtain the Heaven Ordainment Sect's calculations and Divine Item production line, I'll still push for a breakthrough.

Though there was some risk involved, he had minimized it as much as possible compared to other Divine Beings.

With other Divine Beings having a chance at success, he refused to believe he would be stopped by the mere process of integrating into the Astral World and ascending to Astral God.

"Decades have passed, and my stats... haven't improved much at all."

He carefully sensed his current state.

Though the improvement is minimal, I should still update it.

He refreshed the almost useless data panel in his mind.

[Energy: 120,000],

[Energy Level: 2.1],

[Perfect Realm: 370,000],

[Astral God: 85/100]

"The Perfect Realm's 370,000 should be replaced with a question mark. After all, I've spent most of my time focusing on comprehending True Spirit. I haven't really optimized my Limit-Break State.

"I've only reached Stage Four... or rather, Stage Three, based on the newly updated stat window. The reason my Perfect Realm control only increased to 370,000 despite my inner spirit breakthrough is that, even when I activate my Limit-Break State, 370,000 is the highest level of power I can achieve."

Li Pin sighed. He was nearing his limits, and this was despite his inherently high energy reserves as a Divine Being. If he were a Legend still, the number would be even lower.

"If I can raise my Energy, Energy Level, and Limit-Break State, this number won't stop at 370,000. It could easily go up to 400,000, 450,000, or even higher. I just need a bit of time to adapt."

He thought about Yu Jianglong.

Yu Jianlong had a maximum energy of 300,000. If Li Pin had the same energy while keeping his Energy Level at 2.1, his power would jump to 630,000. With a boost from his Limit-Break State, that number could soar to 800,000.

"800,000 power... I wonder if I could fully control that? If not, integrating into the Astral World would become a lot harder."

It was like trying to upgrade a battleship's firepower by increasing its size, only to realize the engine couldn't keep up, making it unable to fly.

Li Pin's gaze lingered on his Energy stat, totalling 120,000 points. It then shifted to his True Spirit, a new stat he just added.

[True Spirit: 1/100]

This was something he'd wanted to add last time, but because it would've been at 0/100, he hadn't bothered to do it.

Now, however, he had taken the first step. The only thing left was to keep going, even if the pace would be slow.

"One last thing," he murmured.

[Dao: 1/100]

He focused on the new stat.

He felt it wasn't that useful. But since even the Void Emperor highly valued it, believing that further developing his Dao could pose a threat to the Void World, he decided to keep track of it.

Spending more time on it later wouldn't hurt,

Li Pin thought.

"Comprehending True Spirit has pushed my Perfect Realm forward. If I were to put it in numbers, when True Spirit maxes out and reaches a hundred, my Perfect Realm control should hit 100 million..."

With this in mind, Li Pin glanced again at his Energy.

What would it matter if I could control 100 million in power? I'm just a Divine Being. Where would I even get that much energy to control? Would I have to follow Yu Jianglong's path, sacrificing my future just to boost the energy intensity?

Li Pin slowed down his thoughts for a moment.

Sacrificing my future? Is it really? The larger the Natal Planet, the stronger the energy, but the harder it becomes to integrate into the Astral World. Yet, my control over power far exceeds that of ordinary Divine Beings. It's on par with an Astral God. What might be self-destructive for others might not apply to me.

It's like a spaceship with excessive propulsion. If that's the case, what harm is there in expanding it a bit more? A larger vessel means greater strength once it enters the cosmos.

Should I give it a try?

Li Pin pondered.

Didn't the Hall Master say I have ten million expendable Divine Treasury Points? I earned them by exchanging information from the Void World. No point in letting them go to waste...

With that thought, he submitted a request to redeem three Astral World Fragments.

***

The three Astral World Fragments were worth 9 million Divine Treasury Points.

However, the Void Divine Treasury Hall didn't ask any questions and promptly sent them over.

Li Pin wasted no time. After receiving the fragments, he immediately refined one of them, transforming it into a Mini Astral World.

With the expanded space, he redeemed several Celestial Cores, fusing them into his Natal Planet to increase its size and mass, thus enhancing his energy strength.

After the upgrade, his energy intensity surged to 150,000.

He spent some time raising his energy level and adjusting to his new Limit-Break State. As a result, his Power Level soared to 400,000.

Just as he had anticipated, even with his Power Level reaching 400,000, his control remained flawless.

Compared to a simple inner spirit cycle, an inner spirit as clear as a mirror enhanced stability, control, and perception to an entirely new level.

This was the essence of the Eternal Solar Flare Realm.

"Next."

Without hesitation, Li Pin began refining the second Astral World Fragment.

Once the refinement was complete and he had fully adapted, his Power Level rose to 420,000.

He then refined the third fragment, pushing his strength to 440,000.

Even at this level, his control remained flawless. Maintaining his Perfect Realm was effortless.

After a brief moment of thought, Li Pin directly submitted a request to the Divine Treasury Hall for ten Astral World Fragments.

***

However, this time, the fragments weren't sent over. Instead, it was Hall Master Yun Tu and Hall Master Bai Chao who had arrived at his residence.

Sensing the subtle changes in Li Pin's aura, Yun Tu's expression changed. "I knew it."

Bai Chao, feeling some guilt, spoke up, "This was my oversight, Pioneer Li. I initially thought you were exchanging Astral World Fragments to help the Demigods in your clan, but I never expected..."

"This isn't your fault, Bai Chao. I, too, assumed that Pioneer Li would understand such basic knowledge. But it seems... he is far too confident in himself."

Yun Tu turned to Li Pin. "Listen carefully. Do not refine another Astral World Fragment. Regardless of whether you are a Divine Being or a Tier Six Legend, merging with the Astral World isn't as simple as you think!

"For Divine Beings especially... seeking greater energy intensity by refining more fragments to raise the limits of your Natal Planet is a path of self-destruction. This warning is not just empty words."

Li Pin was slightly surprised. "Is the merging process that difficult?"

"If you were a Tier Six Legend, you wouldn't be asking that question." Bai Chao sighed. "At the sixth tier, Legends can already sense the Astral World. Some can even enter it. But entering the Astral World, and merging with it, are two entirely different things."

Bai Chao paused, thinking for a moment. "Think of it like this—traveling to a city versus buying a home and settling there. To truly integrate and leave an imprint on the Astral World requires far more Vitality, Qi, and Spirit than simply controlling your own power."

"There's something you may not know," Li Pin said. "I've already... comprehended the Perfect Realm."

However, neither Bai Chao nor Yun Tu showed any surprise.

"We already know that. We've known for some time now," Yun Tu revealed with a faint smile. "That's exactly why we believe you have a greater chance than the other Divines to ascend to the Astral God Realm."

He looked over Li Pin's current state once more. "But if you continue to increase your energy intensity, your chances will grow slimmer and slimmer, until eventually, the path to becoming an Astral God will slip completely out of reach."

Hearing how serious the two Hall Masters were, Li Pin could only suppress the urge to refine the ten Astral World Fragments to further enhance his strength.

Bai Chao was about to say something else when Yun Tu suddenly seemed to receive a message. His expression shifted to one of surprise. "Yan Ling'er has emerged as well!"

"Yan Ling'er?" Bai Chao was momentarily stunned. "That Unique Lifeform?"

Considering her previous achievements, it wasn't entirely unexpected that she had left the divine treasure world before it had been breached.

The two of them quickly prepared to leave for the grand hall.

As they were heading there, Astral God Yun Tu turned back to Li Pin. "You should come as well."

Li Pin nodded. He, too, wanted to know what had happened after being kicked out of the Void World.

As the avatars of the two Hall Masters faded, Li Pin quickly left his residence, heading straight for the Grand Hall.

By the time he arrived, many Astral Gods were already present.

Though they were merely avatars, there were just as many as when they had previously gathered to question him.

Even Astral God Mu Hai had made an appearance. This alone showed how much he valued the Void World.

Unlike the Astral Gods, Li Pin couldn't manifest an avatar to travel instantly. By the time he reached the hall, Mu Hai had already gathered the information he needed and left.

The ones questioning him now were the other vice hall masters.

When Yan Ling'er heard footsteps at the entrance, she turned her head.

But when she saw the approaching figure, her face instantly filled with disbelief. "Li Pin?"