Chapter 904: Chapter 904

Humanity's central power, the Myriad Astral God Hall, operated at full speed as it prepared for war.

As the saying goes, "The essence of war lies in subduing the enemy's mind before the first strike."[1]

The Human Race wasted no time in spreading the news that Li Pin had not only slain the Five Divine Emperors of the Astral Lord Council but also crushed their hidden backing, Creation Miao Ya.

As expected, the news sent shockwaves through the Astral Lord Council, throwing its members into panic.

The most telling sign was their hastily convened meeting. This time, fewer than half the members showed up.

New Astral Lords and veteran elders alike suddenly found themselves occupied. Some claimed they were busy suppressing rebellions, others said they'd reached critical moments in their cultivation and couldn't attend.

Clearly, those who sensed the shift in tides had begun adopting a wait-and-see attitude.

In the end, only four Astral Lords and fewer than twenty elders attended. Even then, several seemed to have lost faith in the Council's future, making excuses to leave mid-meeting, leaving the gathering even more hollow than before.

The Intelligent Lifeform called Mistake observed the scene with cold detachment.

"Pathetic," he murmured.

Then, without another word, he vanished from his Astral Lord throne.

Only two Divine Emperors remained, exchanging uneasy glances. They no longer had the will to reorganize the Council.

Li Pin had defeated Creator Miao Ya, whose power surpassed even that of the Supremes. His strength was beyond anything they could hope to match.

Their pride as Divine Emperors told them they stood at the apex of the Astral World, but the bloody fate of their nine fallen comrades had forced them to face reality.

They no longer had any desire to oppose Li Pin. Instead, they turned their attention to the Council's palace, forged from Indestructible Matter. If we gather enough, we could forge more Supreme Divine Weapons...

As for Li Pin? If they couldn't fight him, they'd avoid him.

They were Divine Emperors, after all. As long as they lay low and stayed out of his way, they could easily retreat to some forgotten corner of existence and live on eternally.

And when the time was right? They could rise again, ascend to Supremacy, and reclaim their place above the heavens.

Li Pin remained unaware of the events unfolding within the Astral Lord Council, though he could reasonably surmise the impact this war would have on their organization.

Yet he chose not to dwell on it. His focus lay elsewhere.

The reason he had stayed in the Astral World was to build a relatively stable environment for the Human Race. Were it not for that duty, he would have already departed for the Material World. Firstly, to debate the nature of reincarnation with Supreme Dao Origin. Secondly, to pry the full truth of the Dao Realm from the Master of Ocean of Time.

A thought struck him, Speaking of which, if I leave the Astral World now... would I still be able to return?

Though the Eternal Oblivion Disaster still raged, the path from Legend to Astral Godhood hadn't been entirely severed.

Of course, due to the disaster's sheer terror, even Astral Gods with mastery over the Perfect Realm were falling in droves. While Tier Six Legends and Divines could still enter the Astral World, the danger they faced could only be described as hell-level difficulty.

To say no one survived would be too absolute... but claiming only one in a hundred made it out alive? That was no overstatement.

And those rare survivors? They were, without exceptions, prodigies who reached Perfect Realm-level understanding over their power while still at the Legendary stage, rivalling the Eternal Solar Flares in comprehension.

It might sound impossible, but the universe was vast. If even beings like the Void Emperor, born with innate True Spirit, could exist, there might very well be those capable of achieving this early.

Even if others couldn't accomplish it... Li Pin knew he could.

After all, every law and power he currently commanded was simulated through the Great Dao Radiance. That was his true core essence. Everything else was merely external trappings.

This meant that theoretically, even if he left the Astral World, he could return whenever necessary. Googlᴇ search novel•fire.net

Li Pin sighed. "But now isn't the right time for departure."

With the newly established Myriad Astral God Hall, his absence as the Central Sovereign Divine Emperor might cause humanity to fracture back into disarray. Before considering leaving, he needed to resolve internal conflicts and stabilize humanity's external situation.

Li Pin refocused and turned his attention to the newly comprehended power of reincarnation.

Creator Miao Ya had already achieved remarkable understanding in the power of reincarnation. They even realized that the key to advancing further lay in karma. And karma...

A flash of insight struck him, Transcendence!

The path of Karma... was the path of Transcendence.

Fresh insights flooded Li Pin's mind. The Transcendents of this world sever all external connections and detach themselves from worldly affairs precisely to cut all karmic ties...

Having recently defeated Creator Miao Ya and thwarted the Astral Lord Council, his Fortune had surged dramatically.

In this state of heightened Fortune, his comprehension transcended mere matter and energy. Even time and space were laid bare before him. Whenever he tried to comprehend something, it felt as though the universe itself conspired to aid his understanding.

Like now... in this moment of clarity, he directly connected the Transcendent path with the Path of Karma.

Li Pin reflected, Abyssal Beasts and Oblivion Lifeforms exist within the cycle of karma and reincarnation, yet their understanding remains incomplete.

True mastery of reincarnation would grant them eternal rebirth, undying and indestructible. And complete comprehension of karma would eliminate their need to constantly invade the Existence Faction to affirm their existence.

Maintaining this inspired state, he gained a renewed understanding of these creatures.

They bear traces of karmic and reincarnation power, but they remain imperfect, like larval forms of some higher lifeform.

Perhaps they exist in an intermediate state between material beings and true karmic entities, he mused. In comparison, the Transcendent System has progressed much further along the path of karma.

A profound realization dawned on him. This represented an extreme cultivation methodology. To fully grasp karma, the practitioners willingly sacrificed everything. If karma's essence lies in the interconnectedness of past, present and future...

As Li Pin contemplated deeper, he unexpectedly realized that the seemingly obsessive path, if fully mastered, bore an uncanny resemblance to the concept of "Eternity" found in the sixth level of his Phantom Space Technique.

After a moment's consideration, he shook his head. "Extremes inevitably reverse. Such an obsessive path offers no real chance of success... unless one possesses talent so extraordinary it transcends all limitations."

A wry smile touched his lips. "But someone that exceptional would succeed regardless of which path they chose."

This thought quickly reminded him of how Creator Miao Ya and the others had returned to this universe, willing to pay any price to seize the power of Eternity.

Perhaps... they have realized something.

In this world, the Transcendents achieved their status by severing all connections and karmic ties to master the power of karma. As for Creator Miao Ya and the others, they, too, stood just one step away from true Transcendence. They lacked only the comprehension of karma. And so, their path forward was clear—to sever karma itself.

By cutting away their karmic bonds again and again, they sought to glimpse the true nature of karma, to grasp its mysteries, and ultimately ascend as immortal beings with infinite power.

"To understand karma by severing it... These so-called Creators must have already cut away all the lesser ties long ago. The reason they still haven't grasped its true essence is because none of those were their real karmic bonds. Their true karma bond...."

Li Pin let out a quiet sigh. "It's the force of Eternity that cast them into the Void of Chaos, leaving them to spend endless years in fear. That... is their ultimate karma."

And it was far too vast to ignore.

Unless Miao Ya and the others were content to drift forever in the Void of Chaos, never returning to this universe, then their only path forward was to face the very power that had exiled them, to overcome it, and to sever that final bond.

Of course, there might be other ways to grasp karma. But for now, neither the Creators nor Li Pin himself had found them.

And so, they had no choice but to walk this road.

With a faint sense of melancholy, Li Pin pulled his thoughts back to the present. Now that he had understood how to comprehend karma through the aid of Fortune, he focused his mind back on himself.

Then... what is my karma?

Countless faces, places, and events flashed through his mind.

Karma was tied to desire, to emotion. He realized that, thanks to the way he had lived, and the mere three centuries that made up his existence... his karma was surprisingly simple.

Having finished organizing his insights on the power of reincarnation and the path of karma, Li Pin stepped out of the cultivation chamber Heavenly Emperor Ling Hua once used.

As he emerged, he found Heavenly Emperors Miao Zhuan and Ling Hua already waiting for him, along with Heavenly Emperor Gu You.

The three of them bowed in unison, their expressions filled with genuine respect.

"Greetings, Central Sovereign Divine Emperor."

Li Pin gave a slight nod, then turned to Gu You. "What is it?"

Gu You promptly reported Divine Emperor Xi's plan.

After hearing it, Li Pin nodded. "Using the Star Spirit Clan as an example isn't a bad idea. As for launching a large-scale offensive against the surrounding races... put that aside for now. With the Human Race's deterrence in place, it's better to slowly expand our cultural influence. Without enough time as a buffer, the Human Race could easily become the common enemy of all."

He thought of the inevitable return of Miao Ya and the others. "Soon, all life in this universe will face a serious trial. And with the Eternal Oblivion Disaster still looming, every race is already on edge. In a time , maintaining internal stability is more important than starting a full-scale war."

"Yes," Gu You replied with respect.

He now understood that Li Pin intended to rule through a balance of force and principle.

Wiping out the Star Spirit Clan would establish the Human Race's authority and deterrence. From there, as long as they handled things well, one race after another would willingly align themselves with humanity. There was no need to go to war or destroy them.

Li Pin turned to Heavenly Emperor Miao Zhuan. "Gather everyone from the Sacred Flame Hall. It's time to return to the Myriad Astral God Hall."

"I'll notify them immediately," Miao Zhuan responded.

Just then, something seemed to occur to Li Pin. He turned his gaze back to Gu You. "You said... all the major factions have responded to the call from the Myriad Astral God Hall, except for the Heaven Ordainment Sect, who's only paying lip service?"

"Yes," Gu You answered. "They seem to be planning something on their own but haven't coordinated with us."

"The Heaven Ordainment Sect..."

Li Pin recalled their records as the Human Faction with the most Heavenly Emperors. Without giving it much thought, he said, "Before returning to the Myriad Astral God Hall, we'll make a stop at the Heaven Ordainment Sect. In times like these... the Human Race must stand united and move in one direction."

1. One of Sun Tzu's Art of War Strategy. ☜