Chapter 624: Mighty Clan

After decades, Li Pin once again set foot in the Yin Luo Galaxy.

Each departure and return evoked a different emotion, but this time... the feeling was even more intense.

As his strength grew, he became more acutely aware of the vast, boundless power of a Cosmic Radiance.

He gazed toward the Galactic Core. "Incredible..."

Yin Luo's radiance had long dimmed, but traces of its power still lingered along the edges of the galaxy.

"Illuminating an entire star system with his own radiance... Even now, I can't comprehend how that was possible," Li Pin said.

Astral God Xuan Jian and Xia Yan stood beside him.

As for the other council members of Yin Luo, they weren't important enough to be informed of Li Pin's arrival. His presence had been kept low-key.

Hearing Li Pin's remark, Xia Yan explained, "The reason you find this so astonishing ultimately comes down to one thing. You've never truly set foot in the Astral World. Once you do, everything will make sense."

"The Astral World?" Li Pin quickly caught on. "A high-energy world?"

"Exactly." Xia Yan nodded. "While today's Astral World no longer holds the same unfathomable mysteries as in ancient times, its energy levels still far surpass the Material World."

He paused briefly before adding, "Because of this, those who step into the Astral World experience an exponential surge in strength. As long as they endure the initial phase, even a Tier Six Legend with barely a hundred thousand Power Level can rapidly break past a million. That's a thousandfold difference."

"A thousandfold..." Li Pin grasped the significance. "So that's why it's called a high-energy world."

"And that's just the outer layer," Xia Yan continued. "If one steps into the inner layer, the energy levels multiply by another thousand. Beyond that lies the core layer."

Xia Yan elaborated, "In the Material World, a Tier Four Legend can destroy a planet. With external power, they could even shatter a star. But in the Astral World, even an Eternal Solar Flare with over ten million Power Level can do no more than shine like a star. If they reach the core layer, their radiance might not even illuminate a single mountain."

"A one-billionfold energy difference..." Li Pin murmured.

"In fact, according to research from the Astral World Research Institute, it's not just the universe that's shrinking from several trillion light-years down to a few hundred billion. The Astral World itself is also gradually descending toward the Material World."

Xuan Jian added, "The most evident proof is that Tier Six Legends can now enter the Astral World, while Divine Beings can refine Astral World Fragments to construct Mini Astral Worlds."

Xia Yan glanced at Xuan Jian. "Is this related to the Great Extinction Theory?"

Xuan Jian nodded. "The Material World and the Astral World are like two sides of the universe. One positive, and one negative. According to the Astral World Research Institute's bold assumption, in another three to four hundred million stellar years, the universe will shrink further to around ten billion light-years, bringing the Astral World to a level where even Tier Five Legends can sense and enter it."

He sighed. "Some say this process is accelerating. In just a few billion more stellar years, the Astral World and the universe may fully merge, losing their positive-negative cycle. At that point, energy will only accumulate and not dissipate. Eventually, it will reach a critical limit and lead to the Great Extinction."

Xia Yan chuckled. "Astral Gods may claim immortality, but billions of stellar years are still an unimaginably long time for us."

Due to the presence of the Eternal Oblivion Force and conflicts among Astral Gods, their average lifespan barely reached a hundred million stellar years.

Even that number was skewed higher by including Cosmic Radiances. If only Starshine Astral Gods were counted, the average would plummet to just a million stellar years, as many failed to survive the early stages.

But regardless of whether they made it through the early phase, to a Starshine Astral God, billions of stellar years were like a few thousand to ten thousand years for mortals. It was far too distant to be worth considering.

Xia Yan remarked, "The environment of the Astral World is harsh, plagued by the Eternal Oblivion Force and scattered fragments of the broken world. But once you establish a foothold, the advantages of a high-energy world are immense."

Li Pin nodded.

It reminded him of the difference between developing and developed nations. Those in struggling regions might secure a stable life at home, but many choose to be smuggled into a developed country, searching for a better future. However, these people would face countless challenges as well, such as a lack of legal status, housing issues, and gang conflicts.

Yet, if they managed to settle in, their earnings would far exceed what they could make back home.

That was why many Tier Six Legends and Divine Beings still chose to enter the Astral World despite knowing of the Eternal Oblivion Force. Besides, once established, they could always return to the Material World in avatar form to enjoy life. It was the same principle as earning money in a developed nation and then living in a poorer one.

Xia Yan smiled and said, "Pioneer Li, you may be a Divine Being for now, but with your deep foundation, it's only a matter of time until you ascend to the level of an Astral God.

"If the Divine Ordainment Sect selects a safe zone for you and the main hall rewards you with a standardized divine item production line, not only will you pass the early phase with ease, but you'll also quickly establish a foothold and form your own faction. By then, our clan's younger generations might even need to seek your guidance."

Li Pin replied, "You're too kind. It's too soon to speak of the future, but if there's an opportunity to work together, I'd certainly welcome it."

He understood what Xia Yan meant.

In theory, once a Legend reached the sixth tier, they would find a patron and a secure area within the Astral World, integrating into it and relying on that backing to get through the adaptation period.

However, the Astral World was filled with unpredictability. Fragments drifted chaotically within. One day, one or multiple of these fragments might force the island, mountain range, or continent where their backer resided to deviate from its original trajectory. When that happened, the Tier Six Legend wouldn't be able to do anything.

At that point, they had two options. They could either wait for the island, mountain range, or continent to fly back, or find a new backer nearby.

But whenever these landmasses veered off course, it usually meant that the area had become unstable. Both options—waiting for their return or attempting to restore order—would take time. It could range anywhere from hundreds to tens of thousands of stellar years.

Legends were not Divine Beings. Their lifespans typically spanned only a few hundred stellar years. They couldn't afford to wait that long.

At that moment, Xia Yan's disciple, Mu Qiu, approached. "Master, Councilor Li, the Astral Gate is ready."

"In that case, I'll be taking my leave," Li Pin responded.

"I'll see you off, Councilor Li," Xia Yan said with a smile.

Li Pin glanced at him, immediately understanding his intent. "Astral God Xia Yan, you still haven't given up?"

Xia Yan looked a bit awkward but still replied, "Councilor Li, you've been away from the Yin Luo Galaxy for some time, so you may not be aware of the situation.

"Many in the Yuan Yang Star Domain underestimated the influence of a Cosmic Radiance heir. Too many major factions have set their sights on the Yin Luo Galaxy. Over the past dozen stellar years, the true elites of these great powers have begun to emerge, putting even aristocratic clans like the Yuan, Yang, and Zi Clans under immense pressure."

"Major factions?" Li Pin remarked. "For the Yuan Yang's Zi Clan to feel pressured... are we talking about a Cosmic Radiance race?"

Xia Yan nodded solemnly. "It's not confirmed yet, but multiple sources suggest that when the Light of the Ark perished, a descendant of the Golden Emperor Clan was born in the Yin Luo Galaxy at that exact same moment."

He paused briefly before continuing, "Some even speculate that the Golden Emperor Clan's grand patriarch had been watching His Excellency, the Light of the Ark, all along. Perhaps even knowing where he would undergo Eternal Oblivion. If that's true... then the Golden Emperor Clan is determined to claim Lord Yin Luo's legacy."

"The Golden Emperor Clan..." Li Pin murmured.

He knew about this race. Their stronghold lay within the Frostbound Star Abyss, ranking among the most formidable races there. Though they lacked the unique traits of special races, their offspring were just as rare. But while birth was difficult, every child was at least a top-tier talent, and the likelihood of producing a peerless genius far surpassed that of any other race.

Now, such a race had set its sights on the inheritance of Lord Yin Luo.

"To this day, the Nine Luo's Zi Clan and other aristocratic families remain deeply wary of the rumored descendant of the Golden Emperor Clan," Xia Yan shared. "Yet despite their efforts, they haven't been able to pinpoint that powerful figure's exact whereabouts. And even if they did... they might not dare to make a move."

He sighed, clearly finding the situation troublesome.

The Golden Emperor Clan was a Cosmic Radiance race. A clan like that was enough to leave every aristocratic clan in the Yuan Yang Star Domain struggling to breathe.

"The aristocratic clans have now joined forces, pulling strings and pressuring the Homo Sapien Alliance through various channels. They hope to activate Lord Yin Luo's inheritance ahead of schedule. They specifically aim to trigger the heir selection process and push it into the third phase."

Xia Yan continued, "If they allow the Golden Emperor Clan's prodigy to keep growing, the gap between them will only widen. Rather than sit and wait, they'd rather take a gamble and overturn the board."

Li Pin was slightly surprised. "The Homo Sapien Alliance agreed to this?"

"The chances are high," Xia Yan replied. "Every descendant of the Golden Emperor Clan is at least a genius. Arrogant to the extreme, they act domineeringly, even taking pleasure in planetary destruction. Every star system they visit ends up in chaos.

"They have a terrible reputation in the Homo Sapien Alliance. Many high-ranking figures find them unbearable. While they wouldn't start a war over minor grievances, they certainly wouldn't mind making things difficult for the Golden Emperor Clan."

"This has already escalated into a struggle at the level of Cosmic Radiance," Li Pin murmured.

But after some thought, Li Pin found it unsurprising. After all, this was the inheritance of a Cosmic Radiance. It was only natural for other figures of the same level to intervene, seeking to secure this fortune for their own bloodline.

The reason he hadn't heard about it before was simple. He hadn't reached that level yet.

"The Zi Clan and several aristocratic clans have now allied with other forces, forming a new coalition," Xia Yan said. "Their goal is to stand against cosmic-level factions like the Golden Emperor Clan. Only through this alliance do they stand a chance of competing for Lord Yin Luo's inheritance."

He then looked at Li Pin. "The coalition's leading families hope to invite you to join them."