Planet Pulverizer: A Mortal's Ascent-Chapter 610: The Emperor

Li Pin did not immediately challenge the Void Emperor.

That was because he had only just embarked on the Transcendent path himself. Furthermore, this world's Transcendent path was shaped by Baili Zhu's understanding. It should be weaker than the true Transcendent path. Perhaps it could only qualify as the True Spirit Path.

In other words, the Void Emperor was strong at this moment. But...he wasn't strong enough. At least, he had not yet reached the level of strength that Li Pin considered his standard.

So, he decided to continue waiting.

Time passed in a flash, and ten stellar years had gone by.

During these ten stellar years, the Void Emperor no longer resided in Mountain Qingyuan but instead lived in the Void Sacred Hall.

During this time, he devoted himself to building a perfect world, one without hunger, chaos, injustice, or war.

He pushed away the Violet Moon.

To ensure that the gravitational tides of the Violet-Silver Twin Moons Domain remained stable, he pulled in another planet of equal size to replace the Violet Moon's position.

Subsequently, the Void Emperor renamed the Twin Moon Domain, calling it the Moon Goddess Domain. He invited all the Demigods and True Gods to reside on the Silver Moon, which he later renamed the Divine Domain, intending to separate mortals from the gods.

This action naturally provoked resistance from countless True Gods, God Kings, and God Monarchs. After all, the True Gods of this world owed their long lifespans to the existence of the Power of Faith. Without the Power of Faith, they would become like the Legends of the outside worlds, confined to only one or two thousand years of lifespan, equivalent to one to two hundred stellar years.

However, Void Emperor offered no room for negotiation. He directly executed a group of True Gods that refused to relocate, leaving the survivors to fall in line. After all, it became clear that defying the Void Emperor meant instant death. They would rather relocate to the Divine Domain and die in a hundred or two hundred stellar years instead.

With all Demigod-level cultivators gone, the world's power ceiling dropped to Tier Twelve Legend.

Though Legends were powerful, they could still be overwhelmed by sheer numbers. It was a feat that came at an unimaginably high price, but it was achievable.

Without True Gods to suppress them, the rigid class barriers of the Twin Moon Domain were shattered, and the society began evolving from a feudal system toward a utopian one.

During this period, the pioneers caused some disturbances. However, the commotion was not significant.

The remaining pioneers were, in fact, waiting for the fourth phase. They were waiting for Baili Zhu to lead the gods in a counterattack against the Moon Goddess Domain and the Celestial Barren Domain.

However... the Void Emperor seemed to have sensed Li Pin's immense power, or perhaps for other reasons, he never attempted to invite Li Pin to leave. As a result, Li Pin had remained undisturbed in his residence.

Li Pin also did not interfere in the Void Emperor's grand endeavor to create a perfect world. He simply observed the Void Emperor as he continuously reformed and issued new laws to construct a world that conformed to his vision.

Public ownership of property, equality for all, and distribution based on need were among his policies.

However, his efforts were destined to be futile.

Human society was an extremely complex system, encompassing countless conflicting interests and contradictions. Moreover, humans were creatures of desire and selfishness, often prioritizing their interests over the needs of others.

If a person attempted to eliminate these desires and selfish tendencies through force, it would only lead to greater resistance and dissatisfaction.

At first, the Void Emperor's various reforms brought joy to the people, and society flourished in stability and prosperity. But as time passed, countless contradictions emerged, becoming increasingly irreconcilable, ultimately leading to chaos.

The Void Sacred Hall swiftly suppressed this chaos, but it did not eliminate the underlying conflicts. Instead, it made the situation worse.

The essence of humanity had always been that the more people obtained, the more they desired. Take the Moon Goddess Domain, for example. Initially oppressed by lords and True Gods, the people were filled with gratitude toward the Void Sacred Hall when they were liberated.

However, as their interactions with the Celestial Barren Domain increased, so too did their demands. First came the protests, then the marches, and finally, the conflicts erupted directly.

There were first internal conflicts within the Moon Goddess Domain, then conflicts between the Moon Goddess Domain and the Celestial Barren Domain. After that, it completely devolved into localized wars.

At first, people believed in the fairness and justice of the Void Sacred Hall. However, as time passed, some members of the Void Sacred Hall were gradually corrupted, and its credibility slowly began to collapse.

Although this collapse took a long time, it presented an irreversible trend.

Because of this, the Void Emperor personally appeared, repeatedly purging the parasites within the Void Sacred Hall. He carried out many reforms and adjusted his policies.

With his status of having stepped onto the Transcendent path, he naturally stabilized the situation quickly.

However, conflicts still persisted. It was just that they were resolved quickly and perfectly. It was as if there was an artificial intelligence that could resolve all issues fairly and justly.

However, humans weren't computers.

In the 22nd stellar year after the Void Emperor introduced the world reformation, a descendant of Baili Ji appeared on the crime list for the first time.

After twenty-two stellar years of development, the Baili family had already become a giant spanning the Moon Goddess Domain and the Celestial Barren Domain, with influence in every corner.

They were not royalty, nor did they reside in palaces enjoying extravagant luxury, but they were the only family in the world recognized as a top-tier noble family.

Originally, they did not need to break the law. With their name alone, there was no project they could not win, no business contract they could not secure. However, there would always be departments that insisted on strict scrutiny.

During a bidding process, a descendant of Baili Ji, Baili Huang, proposed a river restoration project at a cost of several billion. This act of inflating the price by hundreds of times was exposed by competitors.

To suppress the fallout, Baili Huang chose to silence the problem by killing the person involved.

However, he acted too slowly, and the Void Emperor eventually came to be aware of the matter.

The Void Emperor chose to uphold justice over family ties.

But... that was only the beginning. As the Baili family grew larger, similar incidents became more frequent.

In the twenty-sixth stellar year, the fourteenth case of abuse of power was uncovered. This time, it involved a member of the Shi Family, the uncle of the Void True God's wife.

This time, Shi Tianya, as the father-in-law, personally came to plead. Despite this, it did not stop the Void Emperor from administering justice.

Nevertheless, these actions still did not prevent the corruption coming from the Baili and Shi Families. There were always those who took chances.

In the thirty-fifth stellar year, a report spread wildly across the internet.

The report showed that the Baili and Shi families had become the greatest cancer of the time, and the Thunder Sect was the biggest enabler of their corruption.

After personally verifying the facts, the Void Emperor dealt with hundreds of members of the Baili and Shi families in one decisive move. He also ordered for the dissolution of the Thunder Sect.

This action triggered immense dissatisfaction among many.

Baili Die, Baili Tianxing, Baili Hong—Baili Qingfeng's father—and his father-in-law, Shi Tianya, personally sought out the Void Emperor.

But they were turned away.

In the thirty-ninth stellar year, Baili Die's [1] husband broke the law. She pleaded with the Void Emperor to spare his life but was unsuccessful. After her husband was executed, she took her own life in front of the Void Sacred Hall.

In the fortieth stellar year, a group of knights from the Void Sacred Hall on a mission was ambushed and killed.

In the forty-first stellar year, someone infiltrated the Void Emperor's palace, attempting to poison him. The attempt failed, and the assassin was killed.

The assassin was revealed to be an elder of the Thunder Sect.

From then on, fear spread both inside and outside the Void Sacred Hall.

***

Li Pin continued to reside in the same place at the foot of Mountain Qingyuan.

This was his longest stay in a divine treasure world, but he didn't feel bored.

Immersed in refining his spirit, he constantly felt his progress. With each stellar year, he moved one step closer to True Spirit.

Although Baili Zhu had not reached the Transcendent level, she was undeniably a Cosmic Radiance Astral God, and her understanding of the True Spirit Realm was by no means inferior.

Especially since she sought to simulate the supreme essence with True Spirit, which, in a way, allowed him to better comprehend the nature of True Spirit.

Under these circumstances, even though cultivating in seclusion on Mountain Qingyuan was monotonous, as long as he could feel his progress, he found it utterly satisfying.

***

On this day, a figure silently traversed the void and appeared in Li Pin's courtyard.

It was Yan Ling'er.

As this girl in a fiery red dress stepped into the courtyard, the withering flowers seemed to be revitalized, blooming in full splendor.

Numerous birds were drawn in, perching on branches and singing melodiously.

This marked the first meeting between two captains entrusted with great responsibility by the Void Sacred Hall.

Upon seeing her, even Li Pin, who had embarked on the path to seek True Spirit, could not help but feel an inner vibrancy and an inexplicable sense of closeness toward her.

"Special lifeforms are truly incredible," Li Pin remarked sincerely.

Yan Ling'er gave a light smile, appearing charming and lively. "You flatter me, Pioneer Li."

However, Li Pin suppressed his thoughts and spiritual fluctuations, asking, "Baili Zhu is launching a counterattack?"

"Yes," answered Yan Ling'er, letting out a sigh. "I never understood why Baili Zhu and Baili Qingfeng, who supported each other along the way, would later turn against one another and even engage in battle. But as I learned more about Baili Zhu, I realized that they were not truly arguing. Baili Zhu simply did not want to see Baili Qingfeng... to see the Void Emperor waste his great life on such meaningless matters."

"A great life..." Li Pin muttered these words.

If they were speaking about greatness, the Void Emperor was indeed a great figure. But Baili Qingfeng... was he great?

Li Pin looked at Yan Ling'er. "So, your goal is..."

"To defeat the Void Emperor!" Yan Ling'er declared firmly, "I believe that the day we defeat him will be the day we clear the Void Divine Treasure World."

Then, she looked at Li Pin. "Haven't you been waiting for this moment all along?"

"You want to join forces with me?" freёweɓnovel_com

"That's right." Yan Ling'er nodded. "This way, we will have a better chance of crushing the Void Emperor."

"That won't be necessary." Li Pin waved his hand. "You all can go besiege the Void Emperor. I won't be joining for now."

"You're not going?" Yan Ling'er was puzzled. "If Baili Zhu also fails, the Void Emperor will transform into his true form, and the story will enter the fifth stage. At that stage, the Void Emperor—"

"He will be invincible," Li Pin said. "I know."

"If you know that, then why..."

"There is something you seem to have misunderstood." A trace of anticipation flashed in Li Pin's eyes. "When Baili Zhu swings her sword at him, when he completely severs everything he possesses and moves toward the future with no more attachments, only then will he be in his true strongest form. That is the version of him I truly wish to fight."

He looked at Yan Ling'er and slowly said, "The reason I have not made a move against the Void Emperor until now has never been because I cannot defeat him. It is because I feel that, as he is now... he is still not strong enough!"

1. Tler note: ok, I know she died, but the Die here is not pronounced the same as per English word 'die'. The word here is butterfly, sounds more like dee-eh? ☜

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