Chapter 631: Ai Sa

At Planet Taibai.

Li Pin watched as Si Yue guided Li Yunyao in her cultivation.

She was a textbook example of a Tier Six Legend, possessing all the abilities, achievements, and cultivation level expected of her tier. But was she outstanding? Hardly.

For someone her age, her talent was indeed exceptional. At least, within the Yuan Yang Star Domain. But when compared to figures like Xu Anping, she was clearly a notch below.

"Control," Si Yue's spiritual fluctuations rippled through the void as she passed on her insights into Li Yunyao's mind. "Once the inner spirit condenses and forms a complete cycle, stability becomes the defining trait of a cultivator.

"This stability lays the foundation for absolute control. Uncontrolled power can harm not only others but yourself as well. In the Astral World, failing to control your power will only leave you struggling at every step."

Si Xing listened silently at the side. Compared to Si Yue, his cultivation level was far lower. It was all thanks to Li Pin's help that he had managed to comprehend inner spirit power.

Otherwise, like ninety-nine percent of the Si Clan's descendants who failed to comprehend inner spirit power, he would have spent two to three hundred stellar years struggling in some remote star system before turning into dust.

Aside from a few close to him, even the Si Clan's higher-ups would barely acknowledge his existence.

Unfortunately, after the Ruoxi Sword evolved into a Cosmic Radiance Divine Weapon, its power had grown too overwhelming. It could no longer be used to aid Si Xing and the others in tempering their inner spirit, as they simply couldn't withstand it.

"Absolute control is a lifelong path," Si Xing mused. "From Tier Four Legend all the way to Astral God, it never truly ends."

Li Pin remained silent. He had spent this time contemplating True Spirit.

Absolute control, the Perfect Realm, his current state of Inner Spirit Mirror, and even the True Spirit that only Cosmic Radiance could condense, all of them revolved around control. To be precise, they were peculiar cultivation methods reluctantly implemented to adapt to the Astral World's environment.

He had wondered more than once what Astral Gods' lives were like before the ancient Astral World shattered. Perhaps they had also sought to refine their control over power, but it surely was not to this obsessive extent.

Li Pin pondered,

Starshine, Solar Flare, Cosmic Radiance...

As the realms crossed his mind, Li Pin decided to separate Cosmic Radiances from the rest.

When an Astral God became a Cosmic Radiance, they had already begun to break free from the shackles of the Eternal Oblivion Force, at least to some extent. At the very least, True Spirit allowed them to see through opponents below their level, making it effortless to eliminate them.

However, this advantage disappeared when facing another cultivator who had also condensed True Spirit. It was like shining a light in the darkness. It could illuminate the path ahead, but if both sides had powerful lights, their beams would end up blinding each other.

That was why, when conflicts arose between Cosmic Radiance cultivators, unless it was a fight to the death, the side with more people usually held the advantage.

Li Pin thought,

No matter how I look at it, the cultivation paths of Starshine, Solar Flare, and Cosmic Radiance all seem misguided. The higher-ups of the Human Race had likely realized this long ago too.

And since it remained unresolved to this day... either this misguided path had, by some stroke of luck, turned out to be the better choice. Or... even the Supreme Beings at the top had no way to solve it.

Li Pin sighed inwardly.

This is exactly why I've hesitated to venture into the Astral World.

Just then, he sensed something and turned his gaze toward the distant space.

Space twisted violently, rippling with powerful gravitational waves. As the ripples spread, a massive spaceship emerged in his vision. It was a disc-shaped vessel spanning two to three kilometers in diameter.

In addition to its circular frame, eight spider-like support structures extended outward. Unlike real spider legs, these were short and stubby.

"What the—" Seeing the ship's design, Si Xing's expression changed. "That's a Wolfstar Consortium battleship!"

Noticing his over-the-top reaction, Li Pin asked, "Wolfstar Consortium? An Astral God Clan?"

"Uh... not exactly," replied Si Xing. He quickly explained, "The Wolfstar Consortium has a notorious reputation in the Yuan Yang Star Domain. They specialize in seizing planets with pleasant environments that align with human aesthetic standards and selling them to Tier Three Legends aiming for Demigodhood.

"The problem is, such planets are often life-bearing worlds, with civilizations already thriving. Whenever the Wolfstar Consortium discovers one, they wipe out the entire civilization, leaving no trace behind, to ensure that no future trouble arises for future buyers."

As Si Xing spoke, he recalled something and added, "I remember that over a dozen stellar years ago, this group aligned itself with the Golden Emperor Clan. They now serve His Highness Ai Sa... But why are they here!?"

Initially, Li Pin had lost interest upon hearing that the Wolfstar Consortium wasn't an Astral God Clan. But the moment he heard the name Ai Sa, something came to mind.

He appeared outside Planet Taibai in an instant. Space twisted around him as he leaped forward several times, closing in on the warship.

The sudden arrival of a warship outside Gaia triggered its defense system. The Wolfstar Consortium remained still, waiting in silence.

When Li Pin arrived, five figures emerged from the warship. They each had a distinct appearance. One looked relatively normal, with a human-like build and features, apart from his crimson skin and white hair.

Another had pink skin and seemed about 1.3 to 1.4 meters tall. He had a round and wide frame, making him look more like a rolling sphere than a person.

Of the five, the one with the most striking feature was a towering figure clad in armor. He stood at two meters tall with deep moss-green skin. The power radiating from him rivaled, maybe even surpassed, that of the Astral God's avatar from the Demon God Clan.

Si Yue and Si Xing had rushed over to see what was going on. Upon seeing the five figures, they quickly introduced them through spiritual transmission. "This is the Wolfstar Consortium's special operations squad. Each of them has unique abilities. The crimson-skinned one calls himself Red Storm. He possesses terrifying speed.

"That pink-skinned one is weaker in combat, but he can manipulate others. Even Divine Beings with a 150,000 Power Level have once fallen under his influence..."

Si Xing took a deep breath and continued, "But those four are just support. The true pillar of this squad is their leader, the one in green armor. His name is Forest Wolf. He possesses a 180,000 Power Level. He once single-handedly killed an Astral God's avatar without any support."

Li Pin froze for a moment. "An Astral God's avatar? Not a combat-specialized one?"

Si Xing wasn't sure how to respond. "Uh...."

An Astral God's avatar is practically one of the strongest entities in the Material World! Many Tier Four Legends who have mastered inner spirit might never encounter one in their lifetime. Why does Li Pin sound like... he is a bit disappointed?

After a moment, Si Xing clarified, "Just a standard avatar, not a combat-specialized one."

"Oh."

Li Pin shifted his gaze back to the group, then looked past them toward the warship like he was expecting someone else to appear.

Perhaps... Ai Sa, the Golden Emperor Clan's prodigy?

"Li Pin?" At this moment, Forest Wolf turned his gaze to Li Pin and spoke firmly. "Consider yourself honored."

"Honored?" Li Pin withdrew his gaze from the warship. "And why is that?"

"Because his Highness Ai Sa wishes to speak with you," answered Forest Wolf.

The team behind him quickly activated a device. Before long, the communicator connected, projecting a figure into the air.

The figure stood at barely 1.3 meters tall. He was completely hairless, with a faint golden glow over certain joints, as if adorned in golden armor born from nature. Additionally, he possessed a long, powerful tail, a feature that, by human standards, defied conventional aesthetics.

Yet, when viewed as a whole, there was an indescribable harmony to his form. He exuded grace and nobility, as though he were a sovereign born to rule the cosmos, transcendent and untouchable.

The moment the figure was projected, Forest Wolf stood at attention along with his four team members. All of them straightened their posture and shouted in unison, “Welcome, Your Highness!”

Their demeanor was so reverent... it almost seemed exaggerated.

However, Ai Sa didn't spare them even a glance. Instead, he examined Li Pin like he was appraising a rare treasure. In a tone brimming with curiosity, he said, "Let me guess... This must be the so-called once-in-an-era prodigy of the Yin Luo Galaxy—Pioneer Li Pin, am I right?"

"Ai Sa of the Golden Emperor Clan?" mused Li Pin.

He studied Ai Sa. "I've heard your kind are practically half-unique lifeforms. With just a little cultivation, you gain immense energy intensity, and your upper limit far surpasses that of any other race. Unlike others, you never need to worry about energy reserves. All you need to do is temper your inner spirit and improve your control over power. Is that true?"

Ai Sa smiled, clearly enjoying the recognition. "You're well-informed. That only makes me like you more."

"What's your energy intensity now?" Li Pin added, "I mean your Power Level."

"You want to know my strength?" Ai Sa chuckled softly. "Well, to subdue a prodigy like you, I suppose I can't hold back."

He raised his hands and held up a number with his fingers.

"530,000," answered Ai Sa, chuckling. "That's my Power Level."