Chapter 658: Association

Li Pin was currently immersed in the Inheritance Tower, absorbing and accumulating advanced knowledge.

"The reason the Primordial Supreme Technique was named so was the cosmic diagram within it," muttered Li Pin.

Thanks to this world being the Black Abyss Highlord's experimental ground, its level was extremely high. With his authority unlocked to level ten, Li Pin was equivalent to a supreme faction's direct disciple, granting him access to ninety-nine percent of the documents, books, and techniques.

As Li Pin continued to peruse these documents and books, his horizons and knowledge expanded further.

Even this mere step of accumulation could have stopped countless others in their tracks.

The informational advantage these books provided made him vastly superior to ordinary Divine Beings and even Astral Gods. While not to the extent of being equivalent to being reborn into the past with foreknowledge to plan every step, it was not far off.

"Actual Supreme, Transcendent, and Highlord Techniques likely did not divide into the three stages of mastering the four fundamental forces, the Grand Unification Realm, and the Cosmic Singularity. They were probably summarized in the preface as foundational knowledge, making no distinction. Only upon reaching the fourth stage would different cosmic diagrams delineate the variations in techniques..."

Li Pin made a rough estimation.

Anyone who began cultivating Supreme Techniques was already among the elites of the Cosmic Radiance. They need not spend time and effort on mastering these realms.

It was entirely due to the Black Abyss Highlord, or perhaps due to the sheer number of newcomers like Ai Sa, that the Supreme Technique had been divided into three levels, treating them as introductory chapters for gradual cultivation.

Yet, even after more than ten thousand stellar years, those who managed to complete these three levels remained extremely rare. That was even though everyone trapped in her was a genius or a prodigy.

If the Black Abyss Highlord had abducted a hundred million ordinary people, he would be lucky if even one or two of them could have completed the second layer by now.

Ding, dong!

As Li Pin was browsing through the scriptures, a message appeared on his command token. It was from Yun Lai.

Li Pin looked at the message and murmured, "Ten stellar years have passed, huh."

Yun Lai's message was about the completion of the first ten stellar year cycle. He planned to gather their group of thirty-six fellow comrades to exchange information and see if anyone had discovered a way to escape.

Li Pin glanced at the numerous scriptures.

"Escape, huh...."

This place was indeed beneficial for him, but he had two matters that needed to be taken care of outside the Heavenly Prison. One was the soon-to-be competition for the heir of Astral God Yin Luo, while the other was the next opening of the Void Divine Treasury.

Even if he were delayed by a cycle or two and entered the Void Divine Treasure World late, it wouldn't be an issue. At most, Fang Chunyang and Xu Anping would be targeted by Huang Ze and the others. But as long as they were not dead by the time he entered, it would not be a huge problem.

The urgent matter was the competition for Astral God Yin Luo's successor. Without his assistance, how could Li Yunyao compete against Ai Sa?

Li Pin sighed. "If Li Yunyao loses... she will be no more."

Thus, he needed some information channels to understand the specific situation of this world and even learn about those at the top who had cultivated the third stage of Supreme Techniques to see if they had a way to leave this world.

The abilities and potential of the Eternal Ascent of Humanity Initiative’s reserve candidates were probably not too bad.

With this thought, he stood up, put the books back in place, and left the Inheritance Tower.

***

Silver Land.

This place did not have the various benefits the Golden Land had, but the people of the Silver Land devised all kinds of entertainment, delicacies, and scenic attractions to attract the cultivators from the Golden Land to spend their wealth here.

Due to the world's suppression, many people had regained their mortal bodies, and naturally, their mortal desires. This gave purpose to the rise of such activities.

At the Starborne Tower, one of the high-end establishments in the southern district of the Silver Land.

The average expenditure per visit here exceeded three Creation Gold Coins. The hospitality here was naturally extraordinary. Not only were there spacious areas and scenic surroundings, but every attendant and servant had also been carefully selected and meticulously trained. Furthermore, each courtyard within Starborne Tower had different performances.

As Li Pin walked in, he took a glance at several courtyards. Some were showcasing martial combat and life-and-death battles, some featured ferocious beasts baring their fangs, engaged in fierce duels, while others had celestial music ensembles performing with song and dance.

In the courtyard where Li Pin arrived, eight women were playing instruments such as the guqin, flute, pipa, and sheng [1], producing soothing melodies that, upon listening for just a moment, evoked a profound sense of tranquility.

It felt as if, at that moment, all the noise and distractions of the world faded away. All arrogance and restlessness became fleeting illusions, not worth a second thought. In here, a person would only wish to sit quietly, drink a pot of fine wine, and immerse in the beauty of mountains and rivers, like a drifting cloud or a carefree crane.

After listening for a while, Li Pin said, "It seems... like some kind of music secret art."

Yun Lai came out, glanced at Li Pin, and said, "It does indeed. In fact, the one leading the ensemble is a distinguished disciple of the Xianyin Sect. The Xianyin Sect is a renowned top-tier sect in the Tianhua Star Abyss.

"It not only has a Solar Radiance Astral God overseeing it, but it has also established its foothold in the Astral World, ensuring its influence remains unshaken for generations."

Li Pin nodded. "So, they have established a sect in the Astral World?"

As his authority increased, his understanding of the Astral World was no longer as vague as before.

Among the Astral Gods in the Astral World, the most unfortunate were undoubtedly the newly arrived divine beings, whose lives were constantly in jeopardy, never knowing when they might perish. Next were the Astral Gods who had broken through to Tier Six Legend. They lived under the protection of others, dependent on their benefactors.

Above them were the clan factions capable of holding their own territories. Though still reliant on others, they could unite as one, living far more comfortably than the solitary Astral Gods.

Even higher up the ladder were those Astral Gods who chose to establish cities and sects, carving out their own domains. If such Astral Gods could sustain their cities and sects, their influence would be no less than that of the eternally dependent Solar Radiance Astral Gods. Only then could they be considered to have truly secured a foothold in the Astral World, no longer needing to bow to others or drift aimlessly.

Of course, few could establish cities and sects at the Starshine Astral God stage. Those who attempted to create their own influences and venture independently were usually at least Solar Radiance Astral Gods.

The Xianyin Sect was a prime example of this. The Xianyin Sect's Heavenly Melody Nine Heavens Secret Record was a top-notch music cultivation technique. After generations of research and refinement by the sect's Astral Gods, it had an incredible effect on stimulating and soothing the inner spirit.

Because of this, the probability of producing Tier Four Legends in the Xianyin Sect was more than ten times higher than in other sects. Many Aristocratic families and sects had sought ways to invite the Xianyin Sect's elders to stimulate the inner minds of their most valued direct descendants, helping them to grasp the power of the inner spirit as soon as possible.

Yun Lai spoke as he glanced at the white-clad woman who was the leader of the eight musicians. "However, in the Heavenly Prison World, even the weakest individuals have completed their inner spirit cycle.

"Moreover, everyone is solely focused on cultivating Supreme Techniques, leaving no time to study other techniques or secret arts. People stopped approaching Xianyin Sect's members for assistance anymore. Left with no choice, they had to perform in high-end establishments to barely sustain themselves in the Silver Land."

Yun Lai sighed. "They aren't the only ones. Everyone who had risen to prominence in their respective star clusters based on a specialized skill and was recruited by major forces found themselves struggling in the Heavenly Prison. They are geniuses, but not in cultivation. Yet, when the Black Abyss Highlord abducted people, he did not make such distinctions."

Li Pin did not respond to this and simply followed Yun Lai into the courtyard.

By this time, more than a dozen people had already gathered in the courtyard. Among them, Gao Shengyan, Yu Xuexian, and Yu Li were undoubtedly the center of attention, each surrounded by several followers.

Although their expressions did not seem deliberate, there was still a hint of flattery in their demeanor.

"Li Pin, you've come." Seeing Li Pin enter, Gao Shengyan greeted him with a smile. "I heard you completed the first level two years ago? Not bad. At this speed, as long as you are willing to consult your seniors often, you still have a decent chance of reaching the second level."

This was the general consensus among everyone.

Those who could reach the first level within three stellar years would generally reach the second level. However, after six stellar years, the probability of advancing to the second level was no longer certain.

As for those who reached it after eight or nine stellar years, well... it could only be said that they did have hope. As for how much hope that was, it solely depended on that individual's adaptability. However, it was certain that they would need to rely on various means to obtain more Creation Gold Coins or establish connections with seniors who had reached the second level of the Supreme Technique to receive guidance.

Li Pin nodded at Gao Shengyan but did not speak.

This slightly indifferent attitude made Gao Shengyan frown. He had taken the initiative to speak with Li Pin because he believed Li Pin was capable and wanted to express goodwill in advance. Ideally, he hoped to recruit him to strengthen his own power, but seeing Li Pin's lack of appreciation really ticked Gao Shengyan off.

Gao Shengyan snorted coldly in his heart.

What an ingrate.

However, considering that Li Pin was close to Yun Lai, he did not say anything further.

Compared to Gao Shengyan, Yun Lai had taken six stellar years to reach the same stage, but that didn’t make him any less of a distinguished talent. Gao Shengyan might believe himself more talented than Yun Lai, but he still would not offend him over a mere subordinate.

After Li Pin arrived, a few more people came. However, compared to the original thirty-six participants of the Eternal Ascent of Humanity Initiative, seven were missing.

Observing the expressions of the others, Li Pin quickly realized something. Those seven people had most likely failed to complete even the first level of a Supreme Technique.

This came as a surprise to Li Pin.

Among the thirty-six individuals who had qualified for the Eternal Ascent of Humanity Initiative, seven have actually failed to survive the first trial?

"Everyone is here now." Gao Shengyan, who regarded himself as the most gifted cultivator, assumed a half-host demeanor. "After ten stellar years, I believe everyone here has realized the difficulty of cultivating Supreme Techniques. Among the twenty-nine of us here, I doubt anyone can confidently say they have a one hundred percent chance of reaching the second level, right?"

Li Pin had intended to interject to say that he could and thereby take over to chair the meeting in place of Gao Shengyan. However, considering it was impolite to interrupt, he decided to let the latter finish speaking first.

"If we do not want to lose our status as inheritors and end up wasting our lives in the Silver Land, unity, cooperation, mutual exchange, and assistance will be our only way forward." Gao Shengyan raised his hand and said, "I propose that the twenty-nine of us form an association and work together toward the goal of reaching the second level of the Supreme Technique."

After speaking, he glanced around at the crowd. "What does everyone think of this idea?"

1. Different types of traditional Chinese instruments. ☜