Planet Pulverizer: A Mortal's Ascent-Chapter 603: Illusory
Chapter 603: Illusory
"How is that possible!?" muttered Li Pin in shock.
He immediately took a step forward into the air.
Amid the shocked cries from countless observation departments, Li Pin streaked across the sky at an incredible speed, heading straight for the mecha combat arena that the Federation government had prepared for Baili Qingfeng's power test.
By now, Baili Qingfeng had just emerged from a terrifying surge of energy and heat. The light around him distorted, making it impossible to see him clearly, as if covered in a mosaic.
Noticing Li Pin's arrival, Baili Qingfeng seemed a little embarrassed. "Senior Li... could you... step aside for a moment?"
Li Pin glanced at him and quickly understood why. Without hesitation, he tossed over a set of clothes to Baili Qingfen.
Baili Qingfeng caught them and swiftly put them on before looking at Li Pin. "Thanks."
However, he looked surprised to see Li Pin, asking, "Senior Li, why are you here?"
"You want to test your power limits? Why not fight me?"
"No, no. If we really fight, we might end up destroying Blue Planet..."
"Then let's change the battlefield. The Moon, or maybe Venus." Li Pin looked up. "At its current orbital position, Venus is only forty million kilometers away. We can get there quickly."
Baili Qingfeng waved his hands and refused. "Not happening. I can't beat you."
"No, you just think you can't beat me," Li Pin said with an encouraging look. "Haven't you always believed that human potential is limitless? I'm sure that if we truly fight, you'll unleash power far beyond your expectations. You might even break through and advance to a whole new level."
He continued solemnly, "Did you gain some new insights? If you want to test them out, actual combat is the best way."
"New insights?" Baili Qingfeng looked confused. "Not really."
"Then why has your strength increased so much?"
"Control," Baili Qingfeng explained. "My control has improved."
"Control?"
"Yes. According to you and some others, it's called Absolute Control." Baili Qingfeng's eyes lit up. "I've been studying the cultivation methods of mental spirit users, along with Blue Planet's martial arts manual. Now, I finally understand what true Absolute Control is."
Li Pin frowned slightly. "Absolute Control..."
Void Pulverizer, Glimpsing the True Divinity...
This realm allowed cultivators to harness every ounce of their power at a microscopic level, marking the first step into Absolute Control.
Li Pin had already seen this from Nancy. Has Baili Qingfeng reached this level as well?
Baili Qingfeng extended his hand. "Look."
His fingertips began shifting in structure, and soon a faint golden glow emerged.
Li Pin's pupils dilated. "This is!"
Atomic restructuring!? Was he comprehending atomic restructuring through the path of Absolute Control!?
"I've been practicing an explosive secret technique called the Golden Heavenly Demon Disintegration Art. It's powerful, but it puts immense strain on my body. Normally, I can't withstand the backlash. But by transforming my body into a metallic form resembling Supreme Liquid Gold, I can use it freely, which greatly enhances my strength."
Baili Qingfeng quickly added, worried that Li Pin might challenge him to a sparring match, "Of course, I'm still a bit weaker than you, Senior Li."
"Golden Heavenly Demon Disintegration Art..." Li Pin murmured.
"Would you like to learn it, Senior Li?" Baili Qingfeng grinned. "I can teach you."
Li Pin thought for a moment and then nodded. "Alright."
Baili Qingfeng responded, "Alright, I'll write it down when I get back."
However, Baili Qingfeng quickly hesitated after saying that. His grandfather had warned him long ago that his physique was different from others. A technique that worked for him might not work for someone else and could even be fatal.
Baili Qingfeng glanced at Li Pin. But Senior Li... should be fine, right?
He nodded silently to himself. Maybe I should give him the beginner version first. If he has no issues with it, then I'll share the fully developed version.
He had always made it a habit to be considerate of others.
Shortly after, Baili Qingfeng and Li Pin left the area, still surrounded by intense heat and flames.
"The fire's too strong. I don't want the place to burn down. They said I don't have to pay for damages, but... I should at least save what I can. No need to waste public resources—this is all taxpayer money, after all," Baili Qingfeng muttered as they walked.
Outside, several mech fighters approached, their faces full of respect.
"Your Majesty, God Emperor."
"Don't. I'm no God Emperor." Baili Qingfeng waved his hand and stepped aside. "Senior Li is the real God Emperor."
Li Pin glanced at him but didn't argue over the details. He had no interest in dealing with the Federation government. Sometimes, maintaining distance created a stronger deterrent.
"Alright, I'm heading back," Li Pin said.
Baili Qingfeng waved his hand. "Alright, I'll write down the Heavenly Demon Disintegration Art for you later."
With that, Li Pin shot into the sky, disappearing from sight.
Baili Qingfeng turned to the mech fighters and gestured. "Step back a bit. I'll put out the fire."
Once they had moved away, he made a pulling motion with his hand. The Celestial Magnetic Field shifted, altering the celestial phenomena. Moments later, a torrential downpour swept across the area, rapidly cooling the surroundings.
***
That evening, Baili Qingfeng arrived at Li Pin's residence and placed a manual in front of him. "Senior Li, take a look. This is my Golden Heavenly Demon Disintegration Art."
Li Pin nodded and glanced at Baili Qingfeng. After a moment of thought, he chose not to say much. Instead, he simply remarked, "If you ever run into trouble you can't handle, come find me."
"I'm always on good terms with others. Why would I have any trouble?" Baili Qingfeng replied.
Li Pin didn't say anything more. It was pointless. After all, this was a divine treasure world. What was meant to happen had already happened. He couldn't change anything. Even if he could, it would only be self-deception.
"By the way, Senior Li, I'm leaving soon. I came in a hurry and can't stay long. I'll be returning to the Celestial Barren Domain, but I'll come back shortly. I still need to bring my wife to meet my father. Are you coming with me?"
"I'll stay here," Li Pin replied, glancing at the manual. "I want to study this technique properly."
"Alright," Baili Qingfeng hesitated for a moment before adding, "Senior Li... if it turns out too difficult to cultivate, don't force it."
Li Pin smiled and nodded. "I know my limits."
"Alright, I have confidence in you, Senior Li. You're the strongest expert I've ever seen," Baili Qingfeng praised.
"Expert?" Li Pin thought of the Transcendent Being whose presence he had yet to even glimpse. He shook his head. "I'm no expert."
"Well, to me, you're the best." Baili Qingfeng chuckled and waved. "I'll be off, then."
"Go ahead."
After Baili Qingfeng left, Li Pin flipped open the Golden Heavenly Demon Disintegration Art and began reading. Moments later, a sense of familiarity surfaced.
"Legendary Astral Technique—Great Sun Furnace? But the power of that technique comes from the blessings of Astral God Yin Luo, granting an almost inexhaustible supply of astral energy in that star system.
"Without the Yin Luo Galaxy's environment, its power would be much more limited. Also, what about the energy source? Wait... he's using himself as fuel!?"
Li Pin carefully examined the technique, focusing on its energy source. He quickly spotted the core issue: its fuel.
"Burning yourself? Is that even possible?"
A joke crossed his mind. If a person could gain weight fast enough, they could essentially...
He shook his head and quickly returned to analyzing the technique. To him, the technique wasn't particularly profound. Yet, what baffled him most was how Baili Qingfeng managed to bypass the law of energy conservation.
Li Pin pondered. Or... is he in a constant state of equilibrium? Like the true form and avatars of an Astral God? But without the Eternal Oblivion's interference! Even if an avatar is gravely injured or destroyed, the true form remains unaffected?
Yet even the Astral God and its avatar couldn't explain this violation of energy conservation. After all, the energy of an Astral God's avatar came from its true form.
"If the Astral God can't explain it..."
Li Pin considered the key to an Astral God's power—the Astral World, also known as the Oblivion or the Reversal World.
It was the opposite of the material world, a place of entropy reduction.[1]
The Astral Gods achieved eternal life by merging with the Astral World. Through their existence, they gained a power akin to Void, allowing them to exist in a paradoxical state where entropy both increased and decreased simultaneously.
So... the energy anomaly around Baili Qingfeng meant he was, by nature, an anti-entropy lifeform!? Or...
Li Pin recalled the latter half of the legend of the Void Emperor. I will watch over you in silence, guide you, protect you, until one day, I truly emerge from void, truly descend from nothingness, shaping a divine kingdom upon the earth, leading you toward glory, toward immortality, toward eternal life...
Li Pin speculated. "Or... are you an existence born from Void, who descended into the real world, and plan to achieve eternity, an anti-entropy life, from within Void?"
However, that was merely a theory on his part. The information he had was far too limited to make a judgment.
Li Pin's gaze returned to the Golden Heavenly Demon Disintegration Art, as well as the countless books he had gone through, only to find no answers.
After a long moment, he sighed. "One thing I must admit... This world isn't real. It's Baili Zhu's divine treasure world, built entirely around her understanding..." novelbuddy-cσ๓
He muttered, "Did she truly come into contact with knowledge of Void? Or... did she directly encounter that Transcendent Being who guided Baili Qingfeng to becoming the Void Emperor?"
If she hadn't, or if that being had deliberately withheld the truth from her, she wouldn't even know what Transcendent meant. She wouldn't have been able to imagine it, much less weave it into the fabric of this divine treasure world.
At that thought, Li Pin sighed deeply. "Perhaps my approach was wrong from the start. If it's a matter of martial prowess, I should challenge Baili Qingfeng. But to unravel the mysteries of this divine treasure world, I need to start with Baili Zhu."
1. Entropy is often associated with disorder or randomness. A world of entropy reduction describes a place where disorder decreases, energy becomes more concentrated, or systems become more organized over time, something that defies the natural tendency of the material world. In the material world, disorder increases over time, as described by second law of thermodynamics. ☜
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