Chapter 712: Shocking News

Pioneers were far more efficient in their actions compared to the native inhabitants of this world. This was especially true for Ace Pioneers like Wu Tian, Huang Ze, Zhi Xuan, and Mu Yunsheng. In just half a month, they had not only regained a considerable amount of combat strength but had also gathered their subordinates. Each of them now commanded over a hundred pioneers.

With subordinates at their disposal, they could establish connections with other factions.

Just like now, at Heaven's Gate in the Northcold Continent, Mu Yunsheng had gathered these renowned Ace Pioneers for a discussion.

As a seed candidate the Void Divine Treasury Hall highly favored, his strength and methods spoke for themselves. Calling himself the "Divine Child," he had won the trust of Bai Yan, the current ruler of Heaven's Gate, and was set to become its next leader.

Within six months at most, once he fully regained his Tier Ten Supreme Expert-level strength, assuming full control of Heaven's Gate would be practically guaranteed.

***

In a secluded courtyard.

"After the last cycle, I believe all of you now understand who our true opponent is." Mu Yunsheng swept his gaze across the group. "One thing worth mentioning.... you should have heard the rumors circulating among the pioneers these past few days."

Wu Tian sneered. "Heh... that Li Pin. I admit he's powerful, but to turn Xiya into a forbidden zone and barring us from entering? He clearly wants to monopolize this divine treasure world! Who does he think he is to completely disregard us? The owner of the divine treasure world? Does he expect all of us to bow to him?"

Zhi Xuan remained composed. "No matter how unwilling we are to admit it, the fact that we've gathered here proves we recognize his strength—that none of us alone can defeat him. Mocking him only undermines ourselves. Instead of wasting time on that, we should focus on how to deal with him."

Huang Ze furrowed his brows, deeply concerned about Li Pin's strength. "Li Pin... what exactly is his talent? Our growth rate during the last cycle was already fast, yet his was even faster! Later on, he even surpassed the Ancient Gods! Though he ultimately fell at the hands of the Void Emperor... the power he displayed was beyond our comprehension. How did he achieve that?"

The others shared his unease.

In the last cycle, they had launched a siege against Li Pin with Tier Eleven strength, only to be utterly crushed.

Though his displayed strength seemed on par with theirs, his actual combat skills were on an entirely different level. Even when Mu Yunsheng used formation techniques to channel the might of an Ancient God, Li Pin still defeated him. His mastery over power was simply overwhelming.

Had they not known for certain that Li Pin was a Divine Being, they would have thought he had already reached the realm of the Astral Gods—perhaps even that of a Solar Flare.

At that moment, Zhi Xuan suddenly turned to Mu Yunsheng and said, "Aren't you the next leader of Heaven's Gate? Can't you leverage its forces against Li Pin?"

Mu Yunsheng shook his head. "That's impossible. It's been nearly a month since the cycle began. In that time, we've all reached Tier Eight. For Li Pin to have hit Tier Nine already? I'd believe it.

"Couple that with his strength, which breaks all tier conventions...

unless Heaven's Gate throws everything at him, there's no hope of taking him down."

He paused briefly before saying, "Given my status, the most I could do is convince Heaven's Gate to send one Tier Ten Supreme Expert to deal with Li Pin, and even that would be pushing it.

"To mobilize their full strength across multiple continents just for him? Even if I were in charge of Heaven's Gate, that proposal would struggle to pass."

Wu Tian frowned. "Are we just going to stand by and watch him act so arrogantly, shutting us all out of this reincarnation cycle? Let him monopolize the credit for breaching the Void Divine Treasure World?"

"Absolutely not. But this time, we must have a foolproof plan," Mu Yunsheng said firmly. "Li Pin's actions will undoubtedly provoke widespread outrage.

"111 stellar years! To force everyone to waste over a century without interfering in the plot's progression—who could tolerate that? It's practically like making ordinary people willingly serve a ten-year prison sentence just to avoid him. When the time comes, it won't just be us making a move against him."

He waved his hand sharply. "With a little maneuvering, we can rally tens of thousands of pioneers to rise against him."

Zhi Xuan interjected, "That might be difficult. While some may oppose Li Pin's control over the Void Divine Treasure World, there are others, especially those trapped in this world for multiple cycles, who are probably eagerly waiting for him to break through.

"If he succeeds, they can escape, find a primary star, and survive as Demigods. If not... they'll just grow old and die here."

Wu Tian snorted dismissively. "How can a bunch of has-beens who haven't accomplished anything in centuries be compared to elite Gold Pioneers like us?"

Just then, a pioneer approached Mu Yunsheng and whispered something to him.

He instantly shot to his feet in shock. "How is that possible?!"

"It's confirmed," the pioneer said gravely. "I've verified it with several newly arrived pioneers. The information is accurate."

"Confirmed..." Mu Yunsheng's face paled, his eyes flickering with barely suppressed fear. "How could this..."

Wu Tian, Huang Ze, and Zhi Xuan exchanged glances, sensing something was amiss.

The impatient Wu Tian blurted out, "What's going on?"

Huang Ze added, "Is it about Li Pin?"

Mu Yunsheng looked at them, hesitating for a long moment before finally speaking. "Shi Yiren sent a message yesterday... Li Pin... has joined the Eternal Ascent of Humanity Initiative. And... he has been granted the authority of a Sacred Child by the Humanity Sanctum."

The moment these words were uttered, the other three in the room felt their pupils dilated sharply.

"The Eternal Ascent of Humanity Initiative!?"

"The Sacred Child!?"

"Impossible!"

They stared at Mu Yunsheng in disbelief, but he only smiled bitterly. "As hard as it is to believe... my sources have cross-verified this from multiple channels. The news... is almost certainly true."

"How...? The Eternal Ascent of Humanity Initiative is said to be the Cosmic Radiance Cradle! Those who qualify to join are either peerless geniuses who dominate entire domains or close to it. And a Sacred Child? That's a Sacred Child we're talking about!"

"I refuse to believe it! It'd be one thing if Li Pin merely claimed that he had joined the Eternal Ascent of Humanity Initiative. But a Sacred Child!? Impossible! Even those true prodigies who reign supreme over their domains struggle immensely to claim that title!"

Huang Ze stood up abruptly, slashing his hand through the air. "This must be Li Pin's scheme! He's using these rumors to break his opponents' will to resist, ensuring that he alone claims credit for breaking the Void Divine Treasure World!"

Mu Yunsheng took a deep breath. "We assumed Li Pin had fallen to the Void Emperor like the rest of us, trapped in the reincarnation cycle. But the truth is... he never lost. Instead, he broke free from the Void Divine Treasure World entirely. That means... the flaw he discovered gave him the means to escape."

The revelation sent a shockwave through the three Ace Pioneers. They understood all too well what it meant for someone to escape from a Divine Treasure World.

It meant... he was already on the verge of breaking that world.

"He actually... has the power to break the Void Divine Treasure World? Hadn't he... only been here for a single cycle of reincarnation?" Wu Tian muttered in disbelief, struggling to process the reality before him.

"His escape from the Void Divine Treasure World isn't the main issue. The real issue is..."

Mu Yunsheng's voice trembled slightly as he continued, "After leaving the Divine Treasury Hall, he was recommended by His Excellency, Astral God Mu Hai, to join the Eternal Ascent of Humanity Initiative.

"On his way to the assessment, he was kidnapped by a great existence and forced into an experiment. Against hundreds of prodigious competitors, he emerged victorious, surpassing countless geniuses and peerless talents to complete that being's trial—"

"Wait!" Unable to hold himself any longer, Wu Tian surged to his feet and interrupted, his urgency overriding his patience. "A great existence? How great? A Tyrant? A Sacred Monarch? Or... a Heavenly Emperor?"

Mu Yunsheng fell silent for a moment.

This being was precisely the reason why his voice was trembling earlier. In the vast cosmos, only a handful could rightfully bear the title "Great."

"A Highlord," said Mu Yunsheng.

The title struck Wu Tian like a thunderbolt. His mind reeled, leaving him dizzy and disoriented. He swayed, unable to stand firm, and collapsed back into his seat. "A Highlord... A Highlord..."

He kept murmuring the words, feeling as if he were caught in a surreal dream.

While we were still dreaming of becoming Astral Gods, Li Pin had already...

Mu Yunsheng spoke with a deep sense of powerlessness, "He completed that Highlord's trial with outstanding results, nearly becoming its disciple. Though he fell short by the slimmest margin, the rewards he gained from that trial were enough for countless experts to declare that in the future, Li Pin is destined to become a Cosmic Tyrant."

"A Cosmic Tyrant?" Zhi Xuan's voice trembled as he repeated the term. "Not a Cosmic Radiance, but a Cosmic Tyrant?"

"A Cosmic Tyrant," Mu Yunsheng confirmed with a nod. "That... is also why he was able to become the Sacred Child of the Humanity Sanctum."