Planet Pulverizer: A Mortal's Ascent-Chapter 340: Choice

The line between them disappeared.... reflected Li Pin.

He couldn't help but look at Xiang Tianxing, feeling quite speechless. It was a while before Li Pin spoke again.

"Maybe I should try to persuade you," said Li Pin. "Are we overthinking this? Until we reach the end of the road, no one knows which path is the right one. Whether it's the path of Astral Cultivators or Martial Gods, they might just be different choices at a fork in the road."

"Choices, huh...." Xiang Tianxing nodded. "That's why I've decided to continue on this path—Legend, Beyond Legend, and eventually... reaching the Astral God."

Li Pin studied Xiang Tianxing, noticing the energy radiating from him did not belong to that of a newly promoted Master Astral Cultivator.

"I want to see what the end of this path really looks like..." Xiang Tianxing paused, his voice carrying the weight of purpose. "Does it lead to destruction or immortality?"

Li Pin continued to look at him. Back in Jiang Province City, the two had engaged in fierce debates. Yet, both men knew deep down that they had simply chosen different paths to pursue. At their core, they were still aligned.

When Li Pin had first embarked on the martial path in this world, he met Fang Lingjue, and they had clashed over their views on martial arts and life. Later, he encountered Xiang Tianxing, and the debate became one about Astral Cultivation and broader perspectives.

However, these debates never affected their relationship.

That was why, at this moment, he was personally pouring tea for Xiang Tianxing, hosting him with care.

"Do you need my help?" Li Pin asked.

Xiang Tianxing waved dismissively. "How could you help? You didn't choose the path of an Astral Cultivator. You should focus on walking your path as a Martial God."

"Maybe... we could have a duel? No form of cultivation compares to the thrill of pushing oneself to the absolute limit during a fierce battle," Li Pin suggested, his eyes filled with anticipation.

Xiang Tianxing glanced at him, showing some interest. "A duel...."

He had heard that Li Pin had fought three Top-Tier Astral Cultivators from the Great Shang and killed them all. With that kind of strength, even if Li Pin wasn't at the Master Astral Cultivator level yet, he couldn't be far off.

After a brief pause, something came to Xiang Tianxing's mind, and he chuckled. "Since you were the one who brought it up, there should be a wager, don't you think?"

Li Pin smiled. "What kind of wager do you have in mind?"

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"If I win, you come back with me!" declared Xiang Tianxing. "Return to Taibai! I know you disagree with some of Fu Qingtan's methods after what happened at Crimson Flame Island, but you only need to return. I guarantee no one in Taibai will force you to do anything against your will."

"Return to Taibai..." mumbled Li Pin.

Familiar faces flashed through Li Pin's mind, but he remained silent.

"What's the matter? Afraid of losing? The undefeated, the one who carved the path to becoming the Martial God—bearing titles like the World's Greatest Martial Saint and the Seventh King of the Century—could it be you're afraid of defeat?" Xiang Tianxing prodded.

Li Pin shook his head. "If I return to Taibai, the pressure on you and the Su Royal Family won't be small. Besides, I still have problems with the Great Shang to deal with. Let's drop it."

"Problems with Great Shang? Is that even worth mentioning?" Xiang Tianxing retorted. "Why did those three Top-Tier Astral Cultivators from Great Shang die? Wasn't it because they realized you'd become a Martial God through your own power? They wanted to capture you, study you, and extract your secrets.

"If they dared to make a move on you, they can't complain if you break their claws! It won't matter whether they live or die! As long as you reveal your identity, with your international influence, the real ones in trouble will be Great Shang!"

He locked eyes with Li Pin. "Speak out on the international stage! Given your current standing among martial artists, no Martial Saint will ever join Great Shang again! Losing them would mean Great Shang loses a third of its valuable new blood—those who can become Top-Tier, Master, or even Legendary Astral Cultivators!"

Li Pin didn't doubt Xiang Tianxing's words.

Thanks to the relentless promotion of his image by the Six Extremities after his "death," his international influence was staggering. While it would be hard to sever Great Shang's martial inheritance entirely, ensuring that almost no Martial Saints would join them was certainly doable.

Martial Saints who transitioned to Astral Cultivators were crucial to replenishing the ranks of Top-Tier, Master, and Legendary levels. If such a major disruption occurred, the Six Extremities nations would face a rapid decline. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say it could impact the very fate of their nations.

Still, he had always understood one thing—what a person could truly rely on was only themselves. Fame, reputation, momentum? All of it was hollow.

Just like the looming trouble from Great Shang—if he became strong enough, then when Master Astral Cultivators came, he would fight them. If Legends came, he would fight them too. And even if Supremes came, he'd do the same. Once he defeated them all, the problem would resolve itself.

Why had he left Tianyuan a year ago? It wasn't because of Fu Qingtan's methods or any other factor.

He had simply left because he wasn't strong enough. That was all.

"Wait a little longer. When the time is right, I will return," Li Pin said.

Xiang Tianxing looked at Li Pin, who shared a strong semblance to his younger self.

He understood that once Li Pin made a decision, he wouldn't easily change his mind. His attempt to provoke him had failed.

In the end, Xiang Tianxing could only say, "Your family and friends are all waiting for you. Especially your sister, Li Yunyao. She still refuses to believe that you're gone. Over the past year, she's immersed herself in relentless training to numb the pain."

"That's good." Li Pin smiled. "I heard she's become a Martial Saint?"

"Uh... yes."

"She should have done that sooner." Li Pin couldn't help but clap. "I practically taught them step by step—Qi-Nurturing, Body-Tempering, Core Formation, Aura Cultivation. I planned every aspect of their cultivation meticulously.

"Yet, when I left, she hadn't even reached the Core Formation stage. After all this time, even a pig should have mastered Aura Cultivation by now! Honestly, she's tarnished my reputation as a great teacher."

Xiang Tianxing shot Li Pin a strange look. Even a pig would have mastered Aura Cultivation? So... does that mean she's worse than a pig in your eyes? What kind of evaluation is that? Is she really your sister?

"My comparison was inappropriate. Yaoyao is still quite adorable," Li Pin chuckled. "But, being cute doesn't put food on the table."

He composed himself slightly. "If possible... I hope that as I walk further on my path, I won't be left without a familiar face by my side. At least... when I experience moments of joy, I'd like to have someone to share them with."

As Xiang Tianxing listened to Li Pin, he recalled how Li Pin had shared the Martial God technique and nurtured several Martial Gods within the Dragon Fist Sect.

Perhaps he, too, feared being left without companions on his journey.

Unfortunately, comforting others wasn't Xiang Tianxing's strong suit. The only thing he could offer was, "So, are we still going to fight?"

"Of course!" Li Pin responded without hesitation. "As for the stakes, if you win, I'll give you a few Skill Crystals... They're quite valuable. But if you lose—"

"I'll handle the matter of Li Yunyao and the others borrowing legendary astral equipment when they form their Lifeform Force Field in the future," Xiang Tianxing interjected.

Li Pin had wanted to mention that he owned legendary astral equipment himself. However, knowing that many Legendary figures didn't possess equipment of that caliber, he decided it would be better to keep that information to himself. He nodded instead.

After all, Li Yunyao was still far from forming her Lifeform Force Field. By the time she reached that stage, he would probably already be among the world's strongest.

Just as Li Pin and Xiang Tianxing were about to rise, hurried footsteps echoed from outside. "Master... the envoy from Molong Country has arrived. No, wait, it's not Molong's envoy; it's a messenger from the Martial God Hall. They said—"

Li Pin glanced at Xiang Tianxing. "Do you want to avoid them?"

"Avoid them?" Xiang Tianxing chuckled. "A Master Astral Cultivator is considered part of the absolute upper echelon of the world. Even Legends wouldn't dare to act rashly against me. If I were to step forward for justice, the one who should bow down is the Great Shang Martial God Hall. After all, they're the ones in the wrong to begin with."

He sneered. "Sending Top-Tier Astral Cultivators to arrest the Tianyuan Martial God? What, does Great Shang want to start a war with us?"

"There's no need for that," Li Pin replied.

This was his own matter, and he didn't want to rely on Tianyuan's influence to resolve it. Even though that would be the easiest solution, he still didn't want to do it. Every faction had to demonstrate its own strength to rise. Only then would it gain respect and recognition from others.

The Martial God Hall, while part of Great Shang, didn't represent the entire empire. They were the perfect target for the Dragonfist Sect to showcase its strength.

As Li Pin stepped outside, Xing Ying, Xu Bao, and several others were already waiting at the entrance, their expressions grim.

The storm... had finally arrived.

"The Martial God Hall sent Molong Country to deliver their message. It seems they've already reached the Molong capital?"

Li Pin turned to Xing Ying. "Prepare a vehicle for me."

But then he recalled the poor road conditions in Molong. "Forget it. I'll go myself."

"Uh... Aren't you going to meet their envoy?" Xing Ying asked.

"What's there to meet? It's probably just an official reprimand, maybe with some harsh words thrown in," said Li Pin. He thought of something and added, "They wouldn't have sent someone to make peace, right?"

After hesitating for a moment, Xing Ying relayed the message truthfully. "No.... Sect Master, they demanded that you must go to the Molong capital to apologize and join the Martial God Hall... or else... everyone in Dragonfist Sect—"

"Will suffer a bloodbath, right?" Li Pin chuckled. "For them to say such things, it seems the Martial God Hall isn't foolish enough to send another Top-Tier Astral Cultivator. At the very least, they've brought a Master this time."

Xing Ying's voice trembled slightly as she shared, "Two high-ranking figures from Great Shang have arrived. One is Ying Zhao, the Vice Hall Master of the Martial God Hall, overseeing everything related to the hall. The other is Hong Zhenshan, head of the Shang Martial Academy, responsible for managing all affairs in Great Moon's territories."

Ying Zhao was a distant figure to her, evoking little emotion. But Hong Zhenshan... he truly loomed large over the three hundred nations of Great Moon.

Even the strongest of the warlords, like Molong Country, had to bow to the Shang Martial Academy, let alone mere Martial Saints like them. The gap between them and Hong Zhenshan might not be as vast as that between ancient emperors and commoners, but it wasn't far off.

"Perfect," Li Pin remarked sincerely. "Hopefully, they won't disappoint me like Yun Wu, Liang Chi, and Hei Sha did."