Chapter 963: Descent

The Heavenly Retribution Astral God and the Infinite Astral God.

Among the two Astral Gods—aside from Heavenly Retribution Astral God's similar name to the Quasi-Creator Tian Zhu, who survived the Ancient Astral World—he appeared quite unremarkable throughout.

Of course, that was according to Li Pin's perspective. Which individual who managed to leave behind a Forbidden Divine Treasure was not a peerless figure in the era they came from? In this era, they would be at least Heavenly Emperors, if not Divine Emperors.

The Heavenly Retribution Divine Emperor was such, and so was the Infinite Divine Emperor.

"Because they are Forbidden Divine Treasures, wave after wave of Pioneers have died within. No information has ever been passed out from inside. Moreover, these two Divine Treasures hold nowhere near the same status in the eyes of the Supremes as the Void Divine Treasure once did. Therefore, the Supreme Council and the Homo Sapien Alliance never ordered any prodigies to venture in and attempt to clear it..."

As Li Pin spoke, he suddenly felt a bit sentimental. After all, he had risen through the Mara Divine Treasure and the Void Divine Treasure. It was especially the Void Divine Treasure in which he had first glimpsed the profundities of the Dao Realm, laying the foundation for his meteoric rise.

"The Heavenly Retribution Divine Treasure and the Supreme Divine Treasure are confirmed to be lesser than the Void Divine Treasure, but... I still hope they can offer me some surprises."

His avatar moved swiftly, following Sasha's guidance, and soon arrived at the Heavenly Retribution Divine Treasury Hall.

Given how vastly stronger his control over his power was now, even descending upon the Heavenly Retribution Divine Treasury Hall would not cause it to shatter. He didn't need to worry that the might he exuded would swallow the entire hall and reduce all the Pioneers inside to raw matter and energy. At most, his arrival would cause unbearable oppression and dread to those without True Spirits.

It was like someone with an irrational fear of large objects gazing at a star hanging above the sky, so close it seemed within reach. Even if the star's gravity had no actual impact on the planet, as if it were shielded, the sheer visual pressure would still leave them breathless.

𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

Swoosh!

A figure appeared above the Heavenly Retribution Divine Treasury Hall. It was the Tyrant avatar responsible for maintaining the hall's regular operations.

With the Astral World's Eternal Oblivion Disaster subsiding and no new laws shaped yet, the Astral Gods were once again able to descend into the material world through avatars.

This Tyrant, upon seeing Li Pin, was overjoyed and bowed respectfully. "Greetings, great Liberator Origin."

"The next opening time of the Heavenly Retribution Divine Treasure world is one hundred sixty-two years away?" Li Pin asked.

"Yes," the Tyrant quickly replied. "But each Divine Treasure has some variability in its opening cycle, though the fluctuation is usually minimal."

Li Pin nodded. This information matched the data he had.

Compared to the Supreme Divine Treasury, which opened with intervals of three hundred years, this one was already considered fast.

"I'll see if I can forcibly open the Heavenly Retribution Divine Treasure world. Stay alert on the defences."

Li Pin spoke and stepped forward into a slightly twisted void not far from the Divine Treasury Hall.

That was where the Heavenly Retribution Divine Treasure world was located.

Upon hearing Li Pin's command, the Tyrant immediately issued evacuation orders and activated all of the hall's defensive formations, bracing for any energy fallout caused by Li Pin's attempt to force open the treasure world.

Li Pin examined the Divine Treasure world.

"In essence, Divine Treasure worlds are formed when top-tier experts, unwilling to fall, fuse their intense obsessions with the high-dimensional Astral Worlds of the past..."

With his current insight, he could see that this Divine Treasure world truly possessed a hint of spacetime transcendence.

This reminded him of something Supreme Regalheaven had once said—the Astral World of the ancient era was not like the current one. It was not the core of the starry cosmos.

At that time, the Astral World was the remnant of a powerful being who failed to ascend to the Eternal Realm, leaving behind ruins driven by intense unwillingness, which fell into the starry cosmos and eventually formed debris.

Its essence was similar to the Divine Treasure World. However, the Divine Treasure was owned by an Astral God, while the Astral World... belonged to a Divine Treasure left behind by a powerful being who failed to ascend to Eternity.

"Such a pity. The ancient Astral World has already collapsed. The current Astral World barely contains any of its ancient, miraculous essence. Otherwise, I would certainly be able to study the ancient Astral World and discern the state of that powerful being who once tried to ascend to Eternity. Even if he failed, such experiences would hold immense reference value."

A hint of regret flashed in Li Pin's eyes, but his hands did not pause. His powerful inner spirit force silently infiltrated the Heavenly Retribution Divine Treasure, trying to integrate part of his consciousness into it without disturbing its operation.

However, his inner spirit power was simply too strong. His consciousness had been refined and tempered too many times to blend seamlessly into the Heavenly Retribution Divine Treasure World.

Instead, as he attempted to enter the Divine Treasure World, it sensed his presence and reacted with backlash. Yet the Heavenly Retribution Divine Treasure World was too weak; though it tried to retaliate, it could not harm Li Pin at all.

In the end, the Divine Treasure World began to shake violently, as though it would collapse under the pressure of his will.

Left with no choice, Li Pin had to withdraw his will. Only after his will dissipated did the Heavenly Retribution Divine Treasure World gradually calm down.

Li Pin frowned. "I can't enter?"

If he waited for the Divine Treasure World to open on its own, he'd need to wait for more than a hundred years. He could not afford to wait that long. But forcibly entering the Heavenly Execution Divine Treasure World would cause it to collapse.

He could freeze time and space at the moment of collapse and still gather useful information, but without truly experiencing the Divine Treasure for himself, the information collected would be rather limited.

"Forcibly entering is not viable..."

Li Pin gazed at the Divine Treasure World. As he sensed the aura emanating from it, he picked up traces of spacetime energy.

This spacetime power... contains a trace of a

lingering constant spirit relevant to Eternity. These spirit ensure it does not collapse amidst temporal shifts..."

Li Pin observed for a while and finally came to a decision.

"I'll distort the temporal flow of the Heavenly Retribution Divine Treasure and force it to open early."

With that thought, he wasted no time. With a motion of his hand, the space surrounding the Heavenly Retribution Divine Treasure World violently warped, as though it were forming into a small sphere held in his palm.

As space shifted, time was also affected as it violently twisted.

This distortion was equivalent to directly challenging the spacetime rules of the starry cosmos, with the center of the distortion being the Heavenly Retribution Divine Treasure World itself.

In essence, it was like two titans wrestling. One wants the world to move slowly, the other fast. And the one injured in their clash would naturally be the Divine Treasure World.

Had it been another Divine Treasure, it would have instantly collapsed.

But Li Pin, through his understanding of the ancient Astral World, precisely sensed a trace of a lingering constant spirit within the Heavenly Retribution Divine Treasure World and triggered it. Ultimately, before the world collapsed under the strain of warped time and space, he forcibly advanced its timeline by 162 years in less than a single breath.

"It's done."

Li Pin instantly released the Heavenly Retribution Divine Treasure World.

As he let go, the world at the center of the clash barely managed to stabilize its temporal flow.

Immediately, Li Pin directed his will toward the Hall Master of the Divine Treasury Hall. "Prepare the Divine Treasure's gate. I will enter the Heavenly Retribution Divine Treasure World."

The Hall Master of the Heavenly Retribution Divine Treasury Hall was merely a Tyrant and had never come into contact with spacetime power, so he naturally could not perceive how exquisite Li Pin's temporal manipulation just now had been.

But the ability to alter the time of the Divine Treasure World's opening—something that countless Supremes were unable to do—still made this Tyrant realize Li Pin's profound mystery and greatness.

At that moment, he bowed respectfully and returned to the Divine Treasury Hall at the fastest speed to begin preparations.

Soon, the Gate of the Divine Treasure radiated brilliant light and gradually began to resonate with the Heavenly Retribution Divine Treasure World.

Seeing the Gate of the Divine Treasure open, Li Pin did not waste a moment and stepped into the Heavenly Retribution Divine Treasure World.

***

Just a few stellar years after Li Pin entered the Divine Treasure World, the first vanguard from the Gods World finally arrived.

Many Supremes and even some of the Creators had received Li Pin's message in advance and arrived outside the Void of Chaos early, hoping to intercept the enemy before the battlefield. But when they saw the colossal spear, spanning billions of light-years and surging with energy from countless planes howling out of the Void of Chaos, the expressions of the Supremes and Quasi-Creators from the ancient Astral World era changed drastically.

Billions of light-years!

That was a terrifying strike spanning billions of light-years, imbued with energy from countless planes.

Who could withstand an attack like this!?

"How is this possible!?"

Miao Ya, a Quasi-Creator who had once glimpsed the King of Gods from afar but dared not face them, now felt the long spear intrude into his perception from the Void of Chaos. He couldn't help but widen his eyes, his expression contorting.

They had only sensed the existence of the King of Gods from afar, aware of the being's vastness. The oppressive presence that leaked from the Void of Chaos nearly suffocated them, forcing them to shift their attention to the starry cosmos, hoping that breakthroughs in cultivation could one day give them the power to contend with such a being.

But when this terrifying existence finally struck at the starry cosmos, unleashing a single blow that spanned billions of light-years and carried overwhelming energy and matter, the shock of it still shattered all their understanding.

If even someone as powerful as Miao Ya reacted this way, there was no need to mention the shock the Supremes were experiencing.

"How could it... be this terrifying!?"

"This... how can we possibly stop it!?"

These beings, who once stood atop the universe, all turned deathly pale. The inner spirit power they released was now heavy with despair.

Some who had long forgotten what despair felt like experienced it again for the first time.

"Enough. The truly powerful strikes have already been blocked by the great Liberator Origin. This may be nothing more than a remnant that slipped through from the battlefield..." Supreme Regalheaven said in a deep voice. "If we don't even dare to face a leftover attack, then we are unworthy of being called Supremes."

With that, he strode forward. "Try to alter the strike's trajectory, use the universe itself as a shield to diffuse its force, and then... prepare for battle!"