Chapter 866: Trivial Matters

The Eastern Hua Continent, refined from a Supreme legacy, stretched for millions of miles. The entire continent was surrounded by greenery, dotted with countless cities, and large towns could be seen scattered everywhere.

Above the firmament, countless flying vessels moved to and fro, populating the void and accentuating the continent's prosperity.

As the location for the Omni-Merchant Guild's headquarters, the Eastern Hua Continent had pushed the concept of commerce to its extreme. Resources from the entire Human Race and even all of the Astral World could be exchanged here.

Goods from the Chaos Clan, the Star Spirit Clan, the Unique Lifeform Alliance, and even the Divine Race and Sky Clan, who were enemies with the Human Race, were openly displayed and sold in large towns.

This high level of commercialization and urbanization meant that the number of Astral Gods on the Eastern Hua Continent far surpassed those on the Western Ling Continent and the Northern Xuan Continent, second only to Southern Li.

Moreover, unlike Southern Li, which recklessly destroyed its ecosystem and resembled a slum of the Astral World, Eastern Hua Continent maintained an exceptionally rational urban layout despite the multitude of Astral Gods.

Because of this, the Eastern Hua Continent was known as a paradise for the wealthy and a hell for the poor. Any Solar Flares or Cosmic Radiances with some status but not born from the five hegemonic influences would prefer to reside on the Eastern Hua Continent.

For this reason, the Omni-Merchant Guild, based here, profited enormously.

𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

If not for the Heaven Ordainment Sect promoting the slogan education for all, allowing any Cosmic Radiance to nominally join, the Omni-Merchant Guild might have ended up producing more Heavenly Emperors than the Heaven Ordainment Sect itself.

Accompanied by the Heavenly Emperor Tai Yi, Li Pin arrived at a majestic mountain towering three thousand miles high.

Although the Eastern Hua Continent had many mountains, its layout was carefully planned from the start. Only Cosmic Radiance cultivators could reside on peaks over two thousand miles tall.

Further up were peaks reserved for Tyrants, Sacred Monarchs, and Heavenly Emperors.

Three thousand miles was the maximum height, and Tai Yi arranging for Li Pin to stay there clearly signified he was the most honored guest.

From this, it was evident that although the Heavenly Emperors of major factions had their own thoughts about the Supreme Council's orders and were unwilling to comply fully, they still dared not show the slightest neglect toward Li Pin. He was, after all, the person designated by the Supreme Council to preside over the Heavenly Emperor Council.

Whether or not they were willing to relinquish power was another matter, but on the surface, they showed him their full respect.

***

Heavenly Emperor Tai Yi introduced, "This is the Dustless Abode, a place where the essence of the Eastern Hua Continent condenses. Thirty-six formations are inscribed within the palaces, including those for focus, calming, essence stabilization, void suppression, and spacetime. Origin, please see if there's anything else you need added, and feel free to instruct us."

"That's enough," Li Pin replied. "It's just a cultivation spot, no need to make a grand fuss."

"That's different. It is truly our Omni-Merchant Guild's honor for Your Majesty Origin to reside with us," replied Heavenly Emperor Tai Yi. He glanced at the entrance and continued, "You've already met Qing Gang and Zi Shuang. They will stay by your side. Please feel free to direct any questions to them or contact me directly. As long as it is within the Omni-Merchant Guild's means, we will give our utmost to fulfill it."

At the doorway, the two Cosmic Radiances who had previously invited Li Pin into the Omni-Merchant Guild stood respectfully and cautiously, awaiting orders. There was not the slightest trace of the pride expected from direct disciples of a Heavenly Emperor.

Li Pin nodded. "Much obliged."

Standing on the observation platform atop the mountain, he could clearly see countless palaces spread below. Every palace was protected by formations, with many Astral Gods coming and going. On just this single mountain alone, there were likely millions of Astral Gods.

Millions of Astral Gods shouldn't be considered a large number. A mere million Astral Gods residing here was already considered very few because each of these towering peaks was a top-tier cultivation abode, uninhabitable by ordinary folks.

If one cast their gaze to the lower ranges, those mere hundreds of meters in height, or the towns nestled between hills and plains, they would be able to see that each mountain was blanketed with pavilions and courtyards. Each town was densely packed with Astral Gods.

There were rumors outside that every single tree in the Four Continents had an owner, and this was no mere exaggeration.

Astral Gods from the surrounding continents had been migrating to the Four Continents over the past ten years at breakneck speed.

Previously, Li Pin had either been in the Humanity Sanctum or the Astral World's core layers, always soaring high, without ever experiencing a commoner's lifestyle. Now, simply residing like an ordinary Heavenly Emperor, he suddenly grasped just how vast the human population truly was.

Li Pin sighed sincerely. "No wonder the Supremes had signed that accord on the Three Calamities and Nine Tribulations' implementation despite the great loss of vitality it would inflict on the Human Race. There are too many Astral Gods, so many that the Astral World can no longer bear the burden."

As it turned out, while immortality was a blessing to the Astral Gods, it was a blight upon the Astral World.

A single ordinary star system, from the birth of its civilization to the present, would definitely produce hundreds or thousands of Astral Gods. But the universe was vast, and star systems within just the human territory alone likely numbered more than a trillion.

Even if only one percent of those born in the star systems attained immortality and the rest perished for various reasons, the number of Astral Gods would still exceed ten trillion.

Even if just one-tenth of them lived in the safest Four Continents, that would be hundreds of billions.

These were just the Astral Gods who had attained immortality. If one included the iterated generations of Astral Gods, that number would multiply tenfold at least.

Swoosh!

At that moment, a streak of flowing light tore through the sky.

It was the Divine Martial Emperor, Ji Shun, as well as Heavenly Emperor Tai Yi who had just left and was heading back.

Seeing Li Pin, the Divine Martial Emperor immediately took out a storage-type divine weapon and said with a smile, "Thanks to the Omni-Merchant Guild's seamless circulation, all the cultivation resources you requested are here. Use them freely. When you're done, apply for more."

Li Pin took the storage-type divine weapon in hand and glanced at it. It was indeed filled with treasures that greatly aided in the comprehension of time.

He gave a slight nod. "Much appreciated."

"It's what we should do." The Divine Martial Emperor said, "Helping you is helping ourselves. After all, that path of yours is suspected to go beyond the Supreme. For you to be willing to share it, countless resources wouldn't amount to even a tenth of its value."

Heavenly Emperor Tai Yi nodded. "Even if it's just a possibility, the value of your path is immeasurable. So if you have any further needs, speak freely. I'll personally keep an eye out."

He smiled and said, "Lately, a great number of Astral Gods have flocked from all directions to the Four Continents. Cosmic Radiances, Tyrants, and Sacred Monarchs are prioritizing our Omni-Merchant Guild. Their arrival has brought an abundance of resources, some of which may be just what you need."

"Alright, let's not disturb Li Pin's cultivation. Everyone, please come with me to the Humanity Sanctum," Ji Shun said.

"Yes, we must hurry. Otherwise, the connection between Humanity Sanctum and the Astral World might be eroded by the Eternal Oblivion Force," the Divine Martial Emperor added with a nod.

After reminding Li Pin once more about matters related to his cultivation, the group soon departed.

After they left, Li Pin, having obtained numerous cultivation materials, wasted no time and said to Qing Gang and Zi Shuang, "I will enter seclusion for a while. Unless it's something urgent, do not disturb me."

Qing Gang and Zi Shuang respectfully responded, "Yes."

Once Li Pin entered the cultivation chamber and activated the protective array, Qing Gang and Zi Shuang exchanged a glance and saw the bitter smiles on each of their faces.

After a while, Qing Gang sighed and muttered, "Divine Emperor Origin, huh..."

He shook his head. "Who could have imagined that someone who just became a Cosmic Radiance a hundred years ago... could achieve this much in such a short time?"

Zi Shuang felt a bit awkward. After all, back then, they could still laugh and talk casually with Li Pin. As the personal disciples of a Heavenly Emperor, they had even secretly felt a sense of superiority.

Yet now, their own master, Heavenly Emperor Tai Yi, had directly sent them to serve Li Pin, as a way to ingratiate themselves with Li Pin before he became truly famous.

"Speaking of which... the title Divine Emperor is probably exaggerated, right?" Zi Shuang cautiously asked using her spiritual sense.

"Sure, it's exaggerated, but that's not what matters," Qing Gang said with emotion.

"What matters is that he's reached a power level comparable to a Heavenly Emperor in just three hundred years. For him to become a Divine Emperor is only a matter of time. The only question is how much time it would take him. Therefore, calling him the Divine Emperor Origin in advance is not inappropriate."

"Three hundred years..." Zi Shuang murmured.

Thinking about how long it took them to become Cosmic Radiances, Zi Shuang suddenly felt as though the first half of her life had been completely wasted.

***

Li Pin had no idea what the two personal disciples of the Heavenly Emperor thought of him.

Upon returning to the cultivation chamber, the first thing he did was take out two Supreme Divine Weapons, the World Stabilizing Halberd and the Six Paths Wheel.

The power of the Six Paths Wheel is beyond doubt. It's a treasure capable of helping a Heavenly Emperor deduce Supreme techniques. Now that it's in my hands, not only can I unleash its proper might, but it also offers tremendous aid in comprehending the mysteries of time.

As he pondered, Li Pin turned his gaze to the World Stabilizing Halberd.

This one... specializes in suppressing matter, energy, time, and space. To me, its value still doesn't compare to the Six Paths Wheel, but... it's the archetype of a Supreme Divine Weapon.

Supreme Divine Weapons, due to being made of Indestructible Matter, all possessed profound properties in suppressing matter, energy, time, and spatial flow. Using this Supreme Divine Weapon to strike himself would help him develop resistance to such effects with his Great Dao Radiance in advance.

Speaking of which, Indestructible Matter is said to be eternal. I wonder if the Great Dao Radiance can break down its imperishable property,

Li Pin contemplated silently.

However, this place was not the Abyssal Rift, much less the Void of Chaos. If he dared to unleash the Great Dao Radiance at full strength, it would surely trigger backlash from the Astral World, especially considering how sensitive the Eternal Oblivion Force was at the current moment.

Thus, he could only temporarily suppress the idea of scouring the Indestructible Matter with the Great Dao Radiance.

I should first make use of these resources and use the Six Paths Wheel to fully comprehend the power of time.

Li Pin calmed his thoughts.

The upcoming second counterattack and the advice from Divine Emperor Xi both required him to possess immense strength. Therefore, the sooner he comprehended the power of time, the better.