Planet Pulverizer: A Mortal's Ascent-Chapter 371: Proof

It seemed Lin Xingchen had sensed the sunlight outside. He lifted his head instinctively, his eyes empty. At that moment, he saw Li Pin lifting the stone slab.

A flicker of focus returned to Lin Xingchen's dazed eyes. A faint spark of life began to spread within him, momentarily dispelling the pain and weakness that engulfed him.

It took him a full ten seconds to truly comprehend what was happening. He trembled, tears welling up in his eyes. "Master... Master..."

Li Pin looked at the emaciated Lin Xingchen.

This was a far cry from the youthful, confident Lin Xingchen who had become a Martial God at the Dragonfist Sect. His eyes were now hollow. He was gaunt, and he looked disheveled. He was 1.8 meters tall, yet Li Pin could tell he couldn't weigh more than eighty kilograms right now.

It was easy to imagine the nightmarish experiences he had endured over the past few months.

Even though he had personally severed their master-disciple bond long ago, Li Pin couldn't help but feel discomfort as he looked at the current Lin Xingchen.

After some time, he asked, "Can you walk?"

"Yes..." answered Lin Xingchen firmly, struggling to his feet. "I can!"

Li Pin examined Lin Xingchen. As the light in his eyes sharpened, he began to shine with newfound brilliance, as if he had been cleansed and was ready for rebirth.

"Good."

Li Pin formed a sword with his fingers and struck at the custom iron chains binding Lin Xingchen's wrists and ankles.

Sizzle, sizzle!

Sparks flew as the chains, designed to restrain even the strongest demonic creature, shattered directly under Li Pin's Force.

Just then, over a dozen powerful auras erupted from deep within the imperial capital.

One aura, in particular, surged skyward, emanating an overwhelming, destructive force that stirred primal dread even from kilometers away.

"You should leave," Li Pin urged.

Lin Xingchen glanced toward the heart of the capital. He understood that he would only burden his master if he stubbornly stayed. He wouldn't prolong the moment like a scene from a romance drama.

"Master, take care," he said sincerely.

With that, he swiftly moved toward the outskirts of the capital.

Li Pin activated his Celestial Magnetic Field, lifting himself into the air.

Destroying the Supreme Holy Sanctuary was one challenge; annihilating the Royal Empire's capital was another.

For battles against Master and Legendary Astral Cultivators, engaging in the sky would be the most viable option to minimize civilian casualties. Yet even in the air, such clashes could trigger catastrophic phenomena, leading to immeasurable economic repercussions.

However, as much as Li Pin hated to do this, he had requested that they return Lin Xingchen to him numerous times, yet they never heeded his requests.

Therefore, conflict was inevitable.

By taking to the skies first, Li Pin was securing a more advantageous position in advance for the imminent battle.

***

In the direction of the capital.

The Master Astral Cultivators and the Legend overseeing the capital, Xiao Qianyuan, were alarmed by the commotion, and they quickly streaked through the air at incredible speeds toward the outskirts.

As they flew, more Master Astral Cultivators took to the skies, swelling their ranks.

Meanwhile, a growing number of the Masters were calling for accountability.

"What's going on?! How did someone like Li Pin reach the outskirts of our capital without a single alert? Where is the Star Observation Tower—what are they doing?!"

"Li Pin is a Martial God, not an Astral Cultivator! How could the Star Observation Tower possibly monitor his movements? If he intended to conceal himself while approaching the capital, how could we detect him?"

"I warned you all to stop antagonizing the Celestial Martial God Hall, but no one listened! First of all, we don’t have the strength to guarantee Li Pin’s defeat. And even if we did—what then?

"If he notices our Legends approaching, he'll simply slip away into a corner. If he chooses to invade our capital and wreak havoc, who could stop him? Must we wait until rivers of blood flow to realize our folly?"

The Master Astral Cultivators exchanged heated accusations.

As the highest-ranking officials within the empire, they enjoyed the pinnacle of luxury and influence. Yet, due to the greed of some, Li Pin had come knocking on their door. And to top it all off, they had received no news at all.

If they pushed him too far, he might ambush anyone who dared to step outside the capital. How long could the empire hold out then?

At best, a few years, and it would all be over.

Xiao Qianyuan's powerful mental spirit radiated, quickly intimidating the Master Astral Cultivators.

He roared, "Enough! Li Pin has reached the outskirts of our capital. If we don't counterattack with full force, how can the Royal Empire maintain any dignity? Even if we want to negotiate, we must first teach him a lesson, so he understands that the empire's honor is not to be trifled with. Otherwise, we'll find ourselves at his mercy as he makes outrageous demands."

Although many were displeased with those who had provoked Li Pin, they had to unite against him now. If they failed, word would spread throughout the empire, and they would lose all credibility on the international stage.

One Master Astral Cultivator sneered. "He dared to come alone and challenge the capital of the Royal Empire! What arrogance!"

"We must make him understand that the capital is not a place he can enter and leave at will!" added another respected Master Astral Cultivator.

By now, there were already 23 Master Astral Cultivators around them. This was a force strong enough to encircle even a Legend.

Xiao Qianyuan, responsible for the capital's safety, found himself in agreement.

Staring ahead at Li Pin, who was now almost within striking distance, his gaze grew cold. "Li Pin, perhaps we had some misunderstandings in the past, but you—"

Before he could finish, Li Pin, already about to enter their attack range, raised his right hand.

There were no words, no formalities, no opening declarations. Behind him, a colossal shadow of a celestial body—massive beyond comprehension—seemed to leap from illusion to reality.

At that moment, nearly everyone in the imperial capital witnessed a scene reminiscent of the Crimson Flame Island battle, where Li Pin's Celestial Force Field had obliterated Cang Shengdao.

The immense celestial phantom, so colossal it could induce primal fear in anyone with a phobia of giants, emerged from the void. It surged forward, relentlessly targeting the dozens of Master Astral Cultivators and Xiao Qianyuan.

The horrifying sight evoked memories of the Legendary Mage, Cang Shengdao, being crushed in an instant.

"Not good!"

"Hurry! Activate your Starlight Bodies!"

"This power... it's beyond anything we can withstand!"

In an instant, the 23 Master Astral Cultivators who had been rushing toward Li Pin simultaneously took on their starlight forms. Their bodies transformed from solid beings into radiant starlight. The rapid and dazzling transformation left every witness utterly amazed.

Xiao Qianyuan's expression was far from pleased.

The starlight form was a last-resort measure, a sign of desperation when survival was at stake.

Here they were, 23 Master Astral Cultivators and a Legend rushing toward Li Pin, intending to punish this audacious madman who dared to challenge the empire in its own capital. Yet, with a raise of his hand, Li Pin had forced them all into their starlight forms.

Xiao Qianyuan almost cursed aloud at the sight.

"Gaia's Celestial Force Field is dead matter; it follows a fixed path. Li Pin merely summoned this power—he can't control it. As long as we keep our sense of its motion, his tactics can't harm us!" he affirmed confidently.

Li Pin raised his hand and unleashed the Cosmic River Sword Attack.

He wasn’t wielding the Sword of Destiny nor wearing the Heavenly Demon Divine Armor because he knew they'd compromise his whereabouts due to their energy fluctuations. However, Li Pin still unleashed a fist aura from his finger, which, despite its form, surged forward with the speed and power of heavy artillery, bombarding the incoming Xiao Qianyuan.

Xiao Qianyuan immediately transformed, revealing the form of a demonic god towering thirty or forty meters high.

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As astral energy surged around him, he met each blast of the fist aura unleashed from the Cosmic River Sword Attack head-on, blocking the relentless barrage.

Then, the towering demonic god extended his hand as Xiao Qianyuan channeled his spiritual will to command the Atomic Will.

Atoms in the surrounding air began to rub against each other, generating intense and terrifying heat. Many could sense the atoms rapidly undergoing fission within the fierce blaze.

However, before he could fully condense and unleash this devastating hand-forged nuclear blast, Li Pin streaked toward him like a flash of searing, wild lightning and smashed right into him.

Though Xiao Qianyuan managed to raise his arm in defense, the overwhelming force within that lightning shattered half of his thirty-meter-tall divine form in an instant.

Even in the air, the shockwaves and dispersing starlight created a fierce storm.

The clouds above where the two stood were torn apart by this tempest, leaving a gap thousands of meters wide, spreading with staggering speed until it extended kilometers.

The sight shook every Master Astral Cultivator to their core.

Li Pin could actually shatter a Legend's Astral God Body in a direct clash!?

That meant even a Legend could hardly contain him in a full-on assault using ordinary means!

As for unconventional methods, those would take time. Would Li Pin, moving at near-lightning speed as he merged into the Celestial Force Field, allow a Legend such an opportunity?