Chapter 730: Movements

Li Pin quietly sensed the Eternal Oblivion Force as it seeped into his body. "The Eternal Oblivion Force."

It pervaded all things, leaving nothing untouched. This force didn't just target the physical or energy levels; it extended to the spiritual realm, even affecting the inner spirit.

The only good news was that the influence came from the outside in, not the inside out.

It interfered with a person's inner spirit by affecting matter, energy, and mental spirit.

This was also why the true Transcendent beings could ignore the power of the Astral World and Eternal Oblivion Force to enter the Astral World.

To some extent, they had severed their ties to matter and energy. Even their minds were nearly untouched by external influence. All they preserved was the purity of their inner spirit.

In such a state, where their connection to matter, energy, and spirit was nearly cut off, the Eternal Oblivion Force naturally couldn't interfere with the operation of their inner spirit. It also couldn't hinder them from moving through the Astral World at will.

After a long silence, Li Pin slowly exhaled. "As long as a being still exists within the Astral World, they can't escape the Eternal Oblivion Force's influence."

"His Majesty Black Abyss once voiced the same sentiment," Sasha's voice came through at just the right time. "Unless a cultivator breaks free of the Astral World altogether, or ascends to the level of a true Transcendent and joins the Void Faction, no lifeform can remain in the Astral World without being affected by the Eternal Oblivion Force."

She paused, then added, "As we've discussed before, nearly every mountain, every river, even every tree on the continents has an owner. According to His Majesty Black Abyss, the same goes for the Astral World.

"Cultivating within it is merely borrowing its power. Eventually, all borrowed power must be returned, just like when the Supremes or Highlords depart the Astral World, they leave behind a world of their own."

Li Pin was a little surprised. "You mean... the Astral World has an owner?"

"That's just speculation," Sasha replied. "You may have experienced Astral God Yin Luo's legacy, but if the Homo Sapien Alliance hadn't told you, or if you hadn't reached the level of cosmic civilization, would you, living solely on Gaia, ever think that the starlight had an owner?"

Li Pin instantly understood what she meant.

This kind of knowledge couldn't be accessed unless one reached a certain level of understanding. And even if one could access it, it wouldn't matter. Because without stepping into the cosmic civilization tier, almost no one could live beyond a hundred stellar years.

Just like those so-called immortal beings—Starshine, Solar Flare, and Cosmic Radiance. Their lifespans might stretch into hundreds of millions, or even tens or hundreds of billions of stellar years. But just like Gaia's Master Astral Cultivators, who lived only a few hundred years, they were far from reaching their true limits. So, the idea that the Astral World had an owner was meaningless to them.

Only beings of the Supreme, Highlord, or Transcendent level could witness this cycle of calamity and rise and fall.

Yet those same beings had already transcended the very rise and fall of the Astral World. They wouldn't bother making such truths known to all.

"So the cycle of universal contraction and the shrinking of the Astral World... is it equivalent to the one-hundred-stellar-year cycle of Astral God Yin Luo's legacy?" Li Pin asked. "When the universe and Astral World fully contract, does that mean the legacy comes to an end?"

"That's a theory many Supreme, Transcendent, and Highlord agree with," Sasha replied. "But no one knows what the truth really is. No one has evidence convincing enough to persuade everyone."

Li Pin didn't press further. Instead, he quietly focused on sensing his own condition.

A moment later, about one-tenth of the island that formed his original body cracked open and began converting into energy.

As the transformation progressed, a figure gradually took shape.

Sasha reminded him gently, "Your Highness, you're converting too quickly. Please be mindful of the Eternal Oblivion Force."

Li Pin answered calmly, "Some people out there have already started calling me a supreme prodigy. While I wouldn't go so far as to claim that, I do believe I'm on the path, just not quite there yet. Still, calling me a prodigy wouldn't be wrong. Every prodigy possesses a gift far beyond that of others. Do you know what mine is?"

"That mysterious power that rivals the essence of Supremes and Highlords," Sasha answered with a smile.

"Yes... and no," Li Pin replied. "That's one of my talents. But my true foundational gift... is Clairvoyance. Through Clairvoyance, I can exert precise control. For instance... right now..."

As Li Pin converted matter into energy, a radiant white light began to spread from him, rippling outward like waves. But before the ripples could pass beyond the island's protective barrier, another force smoothed and neutralized them, dispersing them into nothing.

Maintaining that pace, he condensed a True Body within just a month.

A True Body often carried only sixty percent of its owner’s original strength... yet it could still take on ten enemies whose power was only half his own.

This was especially true for someone like Li Pin, whose realm exceeded his actual strength. He could amplify the gap through his superior cultivation. With just double that power, he could easily face a hundred foes alone.

Of course, this only applied if the opponents weren’t overwhelmingly stronger. If any of them exceeded him in strength by nearly tenfold, with an energy intensity over six million, achieving absolute dominance, then even his True Body wouldn’t be enough.

"An astonishing talent. This will let you progress through the Starlight and Solar Flare Realm even faster than I anticipated." Sasha watched as Li Pin condensed his True Body and quickly adjusted her evaluation. "Perhaps, you can consider transitioning into an energy state.

"That means fully converting the island formed from your original body into energy and refining it into a freely moving Divine Body. With the size of your current body, it would only take six stellar years."

"No rush," Li Pin replied. "Just mark out the route with the densest Astral World Fragments."

"As you wish. Route updated," Sasha responded.

With that, Li Pin guided the island through the Astral World.

As he traveled, he not only improved his control over his strength but also continued studying the Eternal Oblivion Force that clung to him and refused to dissipate.

Whenever he came across any Astral World Fragments, he acted decisively, suppressing them and merging them into his body.

Throughout this process, he was constantly evolving, adapting, and growing—gradually transitioning from a cosmic lifeform into a true Astral World being.

During that transformation, both his energy intensity and Perfect Realm advanced rapidly.

2 million... 2.1 million... 2.3 million... 2.7 million... 3.5 million...

His progress accelerated, faster and faster.

Originally, Sasha had calculated that it would take Li Pin thirteen stellar years to fully master his power and raise his energy intensity to four million—the level of a peak Astral God.

However, by the sixth stellar year, just as he reached the Shattered Star Sea, his energy intensity had already risen from under 2 million at departure to 4.02 million.

The island traversing the Astral World had also grown from ten kilometers in length to over a thousand kilometers.

Its sheer presence alone exerted crushing pressure, even while drifting silently through the Astral void.

Many Astral Gods steered clear the moment they sensed the colossal entity from afar, unwilling to confront it head-on. That alone saved Li Pin quite a bit of trouble.

Li Pin spoke while gazing out ahead. "This place really lives up to its name—Shattered Star Sea. The density of Astral World Fragments here is far higher."

He could see dozens of Astral World Fragments streaking past within his "sight."

"There are plenty of Astral World Fragments, but because so many Astral Gods are actively hunting them, most of the easily captured ones have already been taken. What's left are mostly the larger, faster fragments. Any Astral God who comes into contact with them will instantly face an energy burst of over three million."

Sasha explained, "However, the trajectories of Astral World Fragments aren't fixed. Ripples from the inner and core layers often cause many of them to change course and collide with others. The impact shatters them into smaller fragments, giving those Astral Gods a chance to capture them."

Li Pin steered his massive body toward the nearest fragment. "Still, the larger the fragment, the greater the reward if you can capture it, right?"

It was a massive piece, over eight thousand meters across.

"Of course, as long as you can handle the risks that come with it," Sasha replied, running a quick calculation. "Take this fragment you're aiming for—as soon as you make contact, you'll be hit with an energy impact exceeding ten million."

Li Pin smiled. "Astral World Fragments aren't people. Even a ten-million-level burst doesn't compare to a Starshine-level Star God with five million energy intensity. My current level is four million, but even if I were only at two, I'd still go for it."

"I've said it before, Your Highness. Among all the people I've encountered, you rank among the top thirty. And based on your performance these past few stellar years, I could probably move you up another one or two spots. So I don't doubt your capabilities at all. It's just..."

Sasha paused slightly. "The larger the body, the wider the area affected by the Eternal Oblivion Force. In theory... it's time for you to start compressing mass and focusing on energy level instead—in other words, preparing for the transition to Solar Flare."

"I know," Li Pin replied. "But I haven't found my limit yet. No need to rush."

Seeing this, Sasha no longer pressed the matter. She simply watched as Li Pin moved forward to capture the massive Astral World Fragment, increasing his mass.

The whole process... while it might not have been as effortless as Li Pin made it seem, nothing went wrong either.

It was then that Sasha, who had long been monitoring multiple information channels across the nearby star regions, suddenly sensed something.

She lifted her head slightly and looked at Li Pin. "Your Highness, there's something you might need to know. Do you remember those two Astral Gods you ran into a month ago, the ones who avoided you quickly?"

"I remember. Judging by their speed burst, they were probably at the twenty-eighth or twenty-ninth step of the Supreme Ladder. Pretty weak. They avoided me very quickly, so I didn't bother with them," Li Pin said calmly.

"I regret to inform you that... they recognized your identity. Ever since word of your breakthrough to Astral God spread a few years ago, bounties for your whereabouts in the Astral World have circulated fast. One of them even made it to Heartless Island. And now, for the sake of a Solar Flare Divine Weapon, your location has likely been exposed to more than a few forces."

Sasha's tone turned a bit heavier. "Including alien races."