Chapter 907: Arrangement

No one stopped it. The Heaven Ordainment Sect boasted countless Heavenly Emperors and Sacred Monarchs. Many among them understood all too well what it meant to hand over the very foundation of their sect's survival. Yet, not a single one dared to intervene.

They insisted everything had to follow the rules. Li Pin did just that. And on top of it, he exposed the flaws in their own system and struck a fatal blow. Should they dare deny it or resort to methods beyond the rules, they knew Li Pin would not hesitate to show them the might of someone who had slain nine Divine Emperors and stood unmatched across the Astral World.

𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

In fact, even if this matter were to reach the Supremes or Highlords backing the Heaven Ordainment Sect after the Eternal Oblivion Disaster ended, Li Pin would still have the moral high ground.

In the end, Emperor Wu Dang personally led Gu You, Ji Shun, Wang Fuyun, and a few others responsible for receiving the data and access keys to the core of the Heaven Ordainment Sect.

While sorting through the materials that needed to be handed over, Wu Dang found a brief moment to pass on the situation to the other two Heavenly Emperors—Yuan Ling and Mordo.

The two emperors stayed silent for a long time. In the end, neither of them had the courage to go down with the ship. They understood it was futile. Even mutual destruction was nothing more than a pipe dream. In the end, they would be the ones to face ruin, while Li Pin would walk away unscathed.

Eventually, Yuan Ling—a Heavenly Emperor standing at the very peak of the Supreme Ladder, half a step away from becoming a Divine Emperor—spoke with a voice filled with quiet resignation. "Give it to him. For a long time from now, the Astral World will belong to the Era of Origin.

"All we can do is try to preserve the independence of the Heaven Ordainment Sect until the Eternal Oblivion Disaster ends and the Supremes step in again."

He paused for a moment before continuing, "Perhaps... once the Supremes are allowed to intervene again, perhaps neither of them, not even the Primordial Abyss Highlord, will choose to pursue this matter. You've seen the reports from Abyssal Rift No.3. That power... it's already on par with a Supreme."

Wu Dang stayed silent for a moment, then let out a long sigh. "Supremes..."

Right now, Origin is effectively a Supreme, and not just any Supreme, but one who could unleash his power freely within the Astral World. Who could possibly stop him? Even if a Supreme came in person, they might not be able to change his mind.

Wu Dang, Yuan Ling, and Mordo even shared a terrifying thought that none of them dared to speak aloud.

If Li Pin could accomplish what even the Supremes could not... if he could wield power within the Astral World on par with theirs... then does that mean the earliest rumors were true? Has Li Pin... really stepped onto a path beyond Supremacy?

If so... even if Li Pin eventually destroyed the Heaven Ordainment Sect, the two Supremes behind them, even the Primordial Abyss Highlord, might not lift a finger to stop him. To beings like them, the path beyond Supremacy was all that mattered. The loss of a single sect wouldn't count for anything in the face of that.

"That's it then," Mordo said, making the final call. "Cooperate fully with Origin. The situation is beyond our control. We have no choice. Whatever he wants, give it to him."

Wu Dang nodded. Yuan Ling said nothing more.

As the brief but decisive communication that would determine the future of the Heaven Ordainment Sect was about to end, Heavenly Emperor Mordo recalled something. "By the way, has King Great Luo really been assigned to serve in the Abyssal Rifts?"

"That was the arrangement," Wu Dang replied. "But... he's still on his way. Whether he'll actually go, and which Abyssal Rift he'll be sent to, was supposed to be decided based on how things unfolded on our end..."

He paused for a moment. "After all, over the years, he has made significant contributions to the Heaven Ordainment Sect."

"What contribution could possibly outweigh almost bringing down the entire foundation of our sect?" Mordo's tone turned cold. "Besides, since we already promised Divine Emperor Origin that he would serve in the Abyssal Rifts, we must follow through. If we go back on it, and he comes asking later, it'll only bring more trouble. Just send him to Abyssal Rift No. 1."

Wu Dang's heart skipped a beat. "Abyssal Rift No. 1?"

That rift... is the most dangerous one in the entire human territory, one that is usually guarded directly by the Supremes themselves.

But ever since the Eternal Oblivion Disaster, the Supremes had been forced to pull back, leaving the rift poorly defended. The number of Abyssal Beasts had surged.

Most factions were already struggling to defend themselves. Even if they noticed the increased threat inside the rifts, they could do nothing but try to contain the situation and stop the beasts from spilling out.

By sending King Great Luo to Abyssal Rift No. 1... his chances of surviving until the Supremes returned to regain control were likely less than ten percent.

Even so, Wu Dang had no intention of pleading for him.

Mordo is undoubtedly venting his frustration on

King Great Luo,

but someone has to take the blame.

Li Pin might have used this as a pretext to act, but it was King Great Luo who had given him that chance in the first place. If he didn't bear the consequences, who would?

While sending a Sacred Monarch into the most dangerous rift is no different from a death sentence, someone still had to go. Besides, there is still a sliver of hope he might survive.

With that, Wu Dang nodded. "Very well."

***

After dealing with the Heaven Ordainment Sect, Li Pin immediately set out on the path back to the Myriad Astral God Hall.

Meanwhile, Ji Shun, Wang Fuyun, and the others stayed behind to take over the management of the pathways controlled by the Heaven Ordainment Sect on behalf of the Myriad Astral God Hall.

Aboard the Luminous Ark, Li Pin began reviewing the overlapping databases of First Galaxy and the Heaven Ordainment Sect. For the first time, he was able to view a complete picture of the Astral World.

He had seen the Astral Map before, but never with such clarity. The layers of the Astral World were clearly defined, and each race occupied an immense territory of its own.

Still, even with the Heaven Ordainment Sect's strength, they had been unable to chart every race's domain. This map could not represent the full extent of the Astral World.

What held Li Pin's attention wasn't just the map itself, but the problem it represented. He was thinking about how to ensure more Astral Gods could survive without placing an ever-growing burden on the Astral World.

He studied the map for a long time. Gradually, a vague idea began to form.

"The Eternal Oblivion Force may be effective, but it completely limits the Astral Gods' growth. Many of them, fearing its effects, stop cultivating once they're in a safe environment. If I were to reshape the Astral World, the Eternal Oblivion Force must be removed. It's the biggest obstacle to their advancement."

As he spoke, the Astral Map slowly began to rotate.

He stared at the shifting map.

After entering the Astral World, most Astral Gods merge with it. Their lifespans become tied to the world itself... but this isn't ideal either. The Astral World should have its own mechanism, one that removes those who've lost their drive and are just waiting to die.

What he envisioned was something like centrifugal force within the Astral World. Astral Gods who stopped striving, who no longer pushed their limits or sought to grow stronger... would be flung to the outer edges of the world or even cast directly into the Abyssal Rift or the Void of Chaos. This would create a system that's relatively gentle but still highly effective, serving as a form of natural competition.

Li Pin kept his gaze on the rotating Astral Map.

For now, these thoughts remained only in his mind. There were still many details to work out. As for turning them into reality... his current strength was far from enough. At best, he was on the same level as Creator Miao Yao and others like him.

Thanks to the power of reincarnation, he had a slight edge over the Supremes, but only barely. His foundation was far too shallow compared to theirs.

Even without the stabilizing power of reincarnation, the Supremes could still fight him for tens, even hundreds of epochs, simply by relying on their deep reserves of power.

If several of them joined forces, they could overwhelm him through sheer numbers. Yet rewriting the laws of the Astral World was no task a few Supremes could accomplish.

Li Pin pondered.

Comprehending reincarnation only allows me to stabilize my current strength. But if I go a step further... if I can comprehend karma and reach Liberation... then I'll enter a state of infinite stability. Every increase in power would become permanent, and from that stable foundation, I could keep growing stronger without limit...

At that point, it would only be a matter of time until he could rewrite the rules of the Astral World, or even destroy the entire universe.

As Li Pin was deep in thought, Gu You's voice called out, "Your Majesty, we've arrived at the Myriad Astral God Hall."

He snapped out of his thoughts and looked ahead. A palace complex floated above the sea of clouds. Compared to before, the hall felt noticeably emptier.

That was because the Heavenly Emperors and Sacred Monarchs had been summoned to join the war against the Star Spirit Clan.

Once that war ends, it would probably be followed by a round of diplomatic maneuvering....

After a brief moment of thought, Li Pin called out, "Sasha."

Bathed in starlight, Sasha appeared in her girl-like form. "I'm here."

"I need to start assigning tasks," Li Pin said. Then, considering that Sasha wasn't part of the Human Race, he ordered, "First Galaxy, you'll take over management of the Grand Celestial Constellation Cycle Formation."

"As you wish," First Galaxy replied respectfully.

In truth, the Grand Celestial Constellation Cycle Formation was always meant to be under First Galaxy's control. Back when the Myriad Astral God Hall was being conquered, many things were still unsettled, so Sasha had temporarily taken over its management.

Now, with everything in order—no more dissent within the Human Race, and the Astral Lord Council all but destroyed—Li Pin's strength gave him complete control over the situation.

At this point, handing the formation back to the First Galaxy was clearly the better choice.

"I'll sketch out the general direction for the future of the Myriad Astral God Hall," Li Pin said. "As for the details, Emperor Xi, Divine Martial, Tai Yi, Chang Sheng, and Dong Xu can work them out together."

The plan focused on one goal: maintaining the stability of the Human Race and the entire Astral World.

As Sasha listened, she suddenly realized something. "Your Majesty... are you preparing to transcend the Astral World and become a Supreme?"

"To become a Supreme..." Li Pin smiled faintly. "You could say that."

He said calmly, "Most of the matters in the Astral World have been settled. But the Material World still has more important things waiting for me. It's time for me to leave."

Then he added, "Besides, if something truly urgent comes up, I can always return."