Planet Pulverizer: A Mortal's Ascent

Chapter 196: Innovation

"Is there anything else you need for your cultivation?" Su Mai asked with concern.

"I have enough resources for now."

Even if Li Pin could get his hands on better resources, they wouldn’t come in handy in the short term. What he was more interested in at the moment was...

"Prince Su, isn't it time to give me that set of top-tier astral equipment?" Li Pin hinted with a smile.

Su Mai quickly understood what Li Pin was referring to. His expression stiffened slightly but then softened as he thought about Li Pin's recent achievements.

He had already made it to the top ten. As for the top three.... As long as he performed like usual and faced no unexpected setbacks, that was also assured. In fact, Li Pin even had a chance to compete against Song Wuya, Zhao Yushi, and the Great Sun Chosen Once for the championship!

Even more, Li Pin was already the competitor with the highest chance of taking first place this season. Considering this, his request for the top-tier astral equipment was justified.

"Alright," Su Mai agreed generously. "I'll have someone bring the astral equipment to you right away."

He paused briefly. "The set of astral equipment you're asking for is nearing the end of its lifespan and only has half its durability left. I'll get you a new set to avoid any dissatisfaction among the Astral Hall students if they lose their equipment because of you."

"A brand-new set of astral equipment would be ideal," Li Pin said. He paused for a moment. "If there's rare astral equipment available, that would be even better."

Su Mai felt a bit awkward at the request. "Rare astral equipment..."

Astral equipment were categorized into substandard, genuine, high-grade, top-tier, rare, and legendary. It went without saying that legendary astral equipment was the most valuable. It was unlikely that even a single piece existed throughout the entire Taibai Kingdom.

As for rare astral equipment... the Taibai Kingdom did have them, but they were all held by a select few Master Astral Cultivators. They formed a crucial part of their combat strength.

In the turbulent era before legendary astral equipment came into existence, each rare astral equipment could incite national-level wars. Even a single piece had spelled the end of some small countries in the past, wiping them off the map.

Times had changed, however. Rare astral equipment wasn't as scarce as before, but the term remained. Rare astral equipment were still considered national treasures to many factions and countries. Only nations at the level of the Six Extremities had a somewhat larger quantity of these equipment.

"There are quite a few rare astral equipment available for use within the Dragon Gate Hall," said Su Mai. "Those Power Stone-crafted astral equipment, primarily designed for enhancing combat prowess, aren't particularly valuable to martial artists.

"However, there is a set of rare astral equipment made from Titan Stone, Soul Stone, and Celestial Eye Crystals specifically for cultivation!

"This set can significantly enhance a cultivator's mental spirit and perception, with effects that surpass those of top-tier astral equipment. With your talent, I believe you will become a frequent user of this set."

There was one more thing Su Mai didn't mention.

If Li Pin could indeed catch the eye of that Supreme Expert... At that point, it wouldn't just be a matter of frequently using that set of rare astral equipment; being temporarily granted a set of rare Astral Equipment would not be beyond imagination.

This was also why Su Mai was willing to offer Li Pin top-tier astral equipment as a gesture of Taibai Kingdom's sincerity.

"That is still half a month away," Li Pin said. "If I could use a top-tier astral equipment in the meantime, I might gain new insights and further advance my cultivation."

"Advance?" Su Mai's eyes lit up. "Yes, exactly! Cultivation is crucial! There's still nearly half a month left. I'll call the kingdom right away to have that top-tier Astral Equipment sent over."

Considering Mo Wangqing's regard for Li Pin, the prince gritted his teeth and added, "The Great Shang across the sea holds a large international exhibition and trade fair every year. Li Pin, I can promise you this: if you win first place, I will secure rare Astral Equipment for you at the trade fair!"

Li Pin was intrigued. "The Great Shang International Trade Fair...."

In this world, unlike the smaller nations consumed by internal conflict and stagnation, each of the Six Extremities nations possesses its own distinct path to advancement.

For example, the Tianyuan Federation had stringent controls, and Astral Cultivators rarely appeared in public. However, their support for martial arts was substantial. If an ordinary person wanted to stand out, practicing martial arts and becoming a Martial Saint before advancing into the realm of Astral Cultivators was the best choice.

Each Martial Saint's transition represented the rise of a top-tier family, benefiting tens or even hundreds of thousands of people. Becoming a Martial Saint would at the very least bring honor to one's family and a high social status.

In contrast, the Star Alliance and Royal Empire among the Six Extremities advocated expanding outward, using war, slaughter, and plundering small countries to accumulate wealth. For them, stepping onto the battlefield was the best path to prominence.

The Great Shang, with its name reflecting "commerce," embodied this essence. Despite its reverence for ancient dynasties, the country's defining trait was its ability to buy anything with money. They have traded not only rare astral equipment but even legendary ones.

However, this country and the Tianyuan Federation were separated by a vast ocean, one in the northern hemisphere and the other in the southern hemisphere. 36 thousand kilometers separated them. In an era marked by the descent of Astral Gods and rampant demonic creatures, the two sides have been largely isolated from each other.

It was only during international trade fairs that these otherwise distant lands interacted. As even rare astral equipment could be bought, a few Top-Tier Astral Cultivators, led by Master Astral Cultivators, would travel to exchange knowledge.

As for ordinary people... they had only a limited understanding of the Six Extremities. They likely didn't even know the name of the Great Shang Emperor.

"A rare Astral Weapon." Li Pin smiled. "Can I take your words seriously, Prince Su?"

"Absolutely!" Su Mai promised firmly.

Li Pin smiled faintly. "In that case, Prince Su, you may start your preparations."

"Good! If a world champion can emerge in Taibai, what harm is there in us bringing out rare astral equipment?"

As Su Mai spoke, something crossed his mind. "Li Pin, do you need any help with your cultivation? I've noticed your swordsmanship and techniques could benefit from a deeper foundation.

"Is there anything specific you're looking for in terms of martial arts methods, secret arts, or insights? Just ask, and we'll do our best to provide it. I could even try to find you martial arts techniques the Tianyuan Supreme Expert once used if that's what you desire."

Li Pin felt tempted. "The Tianyuan Supreme Expert?"

But he knew that the best techniques were often the ones that suited him best. Whether it was Cheng Yufeng's sword or Song Wuya's saber, their legacies were powerful and renowned because the creators were famous.

Someday, when he became an Extreme Martial Saint level with his Eight Enormities True Fire Force, or even ascended to the King of the Century, his technique would become the strongest technique of the era.

So, he suppressed the idea.

After a moment of thought, he said, "I don't need any techniques, but if there are some spirit-tempering or nurturing methods that could broaden my horizons, I wouldn't mind reviewing them."

His mental spirit attributes were progressing steadily. However, the Martial Will of a Martial Saint differed greatly from the Aura Force of a grandmaster. This was a realm he had never touched before, so learning more about it would only be beneficial.

Then, something crossed his mind, and he added, "I once had the fortune of obtaining a secret art called 'Stars Overlord,' granted by the Jiang Province Guardian Hall Warden. Do you know if anyone else has studied this technique? If so, I'd like to review their interpretations and understandings of it."

"Stars Overlord?" Su Mai was taken aback. He probed, "Xiang Tianxing's 'Stars Overlord' technique?"

Li Pin was a bit surprised. "Prince Su, you have heard of it before?"

Su Mai smiled bitterly. "Heard of it? I've more than just heard of it."

The circle of Top-Tier Astral Cultivators in the Taibai Kingdom is quite small. How could I not have heard of it?

He elaborated, "Martial Saint Li, you may not know this, but the Jiang Province Guardian Hall Warden, Xiang Tianxing, is quite extraordinary. He once studied under the renowned Tianyuan expert, Fu Qingtian.

"In fact, the esteemed Fu Qingtian had considered taking Xiang Tianxing as his disciple despite having no other disciples since reaching the pinnacle of his cultivation. But in the end... Xiang Tianxing got caught up in his own pursuits."

When Li Pin heard this, he quickly made a connection. "The 'Stars Overlord'?"

"Exactly!" Su Mai nodded solemnly. "As you probably know, the first step in an Astral Cultivator's cultivation is absolute control over his own power, which is Force Manifestation. After that, one must open up an Astral Palace within to nurture divine abilities.

"This step is quite similar to forming a Core in martial arts. It's about creating a core to store astral energy, which then continuously strengthens a particular technique or secret art. Gradually, this technique will transform into a divine ability."

Li Pin nodded.

Mastering astral energy, opening the Astral Palace, and forming the Starlight Body. It was very similar to a martial artist's Force Manifestation, Blood Core in Core Formation, and Aura Cultivation's organs-tempering and Blood Renewal.

This similarity explained why Martial Saints transitioned Astral Cultivators often become Top-Tier Astral Cultivators in a relatively short amount of time.

Martial Saints at the grandmaster level focused on tempering their organs and renewing their blood. On the other hand, Top-Tier Astral Cultivators had to expend significant effort infusing Astral Energy into every corner of their bodies to form their Starlight Bodies.

This process, far more demanding and time-consuming than anything Martial Saints encountered at the Grandmaster level, often led Astral Cultivators to become stuck at this particular stage.

As for higher levels, that's the realm of the Master Astral Cultivators, which involved the mental spirit.

Master Astral Cultivators were defined by their ability to merge their mental spirit with the Atomic Will, creating miraculous phenomena through the resonance and layering of these wills.

When their hearts turned cold, they could bring about snow in summer, unleash blizzards, and freeze entire areas.

When enraged, they could heat their blades with the flames of their mental spirit, creating real fire and ultimately delivering a terrifying strike that could incinerate rivers and cleave through mountains.

Other than nuclear weapons, nothing in this world could rival their destructive power.

Certainly, Master Astral Cultivators were not as powerful as nuclear weapons. However, they always kept a low profile, acted swiftly, and operated in utmost secrecy. They faced almost no logistical pressure. If they unleashed their full power, they could reduce a metropolis of millions to rubble in a matter of hours.

Thus, Master Astral Cultivators posed a far greater deterrent than nuclear weapons.

"Xiang Tianxing once had the potential to merge his will with Atomic Will and become a Master Astral Cultivator, but he chose to forge a completely different path. As a result, he's been stuck at the pinnacle of Top-Tier Astral Cultivator level for ten years," Su Mai said, pausing with a solemn expression. "The path he's determined to walk is that of the Stars Overlord."