Planet Pulverizer: A Mortal's Ascent-Chapter 293: News

At Jiang Province's Guardian Hall, Xiang Tianxing sat in his chair. He stared at the communication device, his entire body cold as Su Dongfeng fell silent after delivering the message.

For a long time, he wasn't able to utter a word.

The dead silence stretched on for half a minute before he finally spoke again. "So... Li Pin... is really dead? A... Legendary Mage personally took action against... a newly ascended Martial God?"

Su Dongfeng's voice came from the communication device.

—It's already a miracle that Li Pin managed to drag down his opponent with him.

Xiang Tianxing sat in silence for a long time, speechless.

In the end, he let out a long sigh. "Why... did it have to come to this..."

—No one wished for this outcome, not even the higher-ups in Tianyuan. But still... it happened.

"Wasn't Lord Fu Qingtian in that sea region? Did he just stand by and watch Li Pin die!?" Xiang Tianxing asked.

—All I can say is... it was an accident...

Su Dongfeng muttered, a trace of resentment surfacing. If not for Fu Qingtian's arrogance, believing he could handle Cang Shengdao at any moment with the Void Ring, thinking everything was within his control, how could it have reached this point?

He should have dealt with Cang Shengdao the moment he appeared.

Arrogance? It was Fu Qingtian's arrogance as the Supreme Expert that led to this disastrous outcome.

Unfortunately... with Fu Qingtian's position, almost no one in Tianyuan or even the world had the authority to criticize him.

Xiang Tianxing clearly understood this as well. Grief clouded his voice. "The supreme expert! What a supreme expert!"

Su Dongfeng cautioned gravely.

—Vent if you must, but under no circumstances should this matter be spread.

Xiang Tianxing sneered. "Not spread? Why, just because Fu Qingtian did it, no one can say a word?"

—We need to ensure harmony and stability within Tianyuan. Sigh. At the very least, we can't let public opinion be affected.

Xiang Tianxing fell silent.

—In this prevailing international climate, it's not just our primary competitor, Great Shang, that seeks to hinder our rise in power; even Solar Radiance, the Star Alliance, Royal Empire, and the East Sea's Thirty-Six Countries, all share the same agenda.

—It's foreseeable that they will use Li Pin's death to weaken our global standing. But we cannot let this narrative take root. We must shift the focus to Great Shang, stir up emotions, and create a united front against our common enemy.

Su Dongfeng's tone grew firm.

—This is a battle of ideology!

Xiang Tianxing quickly understood Su Dongfeng's point.

Despite Fu Qingtian's role in this, Tianyuan had to suppress the incident to maintain internal stability and direct the blame outward.

If things spiraled out of control, they could be subject to both internal and external pressure, which would be disastrous.

—Take care of Li Pin's family. Sigh. The shock and impact that the Martial God's path has brought to the world are far from over. In his final moments, Li Pin demonstrated the ultimate form of the Martial God, striking fear into even the Legendary Mages. Li Pin's name will soon become a true Legend, admired and revered by all martial artists worldwide.

He paused.

—If someone were to approach Li Pin's family now and exploit his influence to stir up trouble—

Xiang Tianxing sneered. "Now they realize the seriousness of the situation. But before, weren't they the ones who called him arrogant for proclaiming himself the Martial God?"

Su Dongferng replied with a bitter smile.

—Who could have known back then that the ultimate power of the Martial God would lead to such catastrophic destruction?

"Didn't Li Pin make it clear to everyone? He said that the limits of the Martial God's power were the limits of the celestial bodies. But did anyone believe him?"

On the other end, Su Dongfeng shook his head.

Many things, many truths, were hard to believe through words alone. It was only when they actually happened that people were convinced.

It was similar to how Li Pin would always warn his opponents before a battle, only for him to receive accusations of arrogance.

People... often only believed what they wanted to believe.

After a moment of reflection, Su Dongfeng spoke again.

—To honor Li Pin's contributions to Tianyuan, the higher-ups plan to invest significant resources into establishing a martial arts faction in Jiang Province—the Divine Martial Sect—to promote Li Pin's Martial God path. At the same time, Taibai will posthumously confer upon him the title of Divine Martial Lord. No one will forget all that he sacrificed.

"He's dead. What does any of this matter now?" Xiang Tianxing replied, unwilling to argue further.

As he said, it didn't matter anymore.

—Better than nothing.

—Your daughter has a good relationship with Li Pin's family, so we'll be counting on you to handle the matter of comforting them.

Xiang Tianxing remained silent for a while before finally nodding.

Su Dongfeng said nothing more and ended the communication.

Xiang Tianxing stared at the dimmed communication screen, motionless in his chair.

It wasn't until half an hour later, as dusk began to settle outside, that he slowly came back to his senses.

"Dead..." he muttered.

His mind drifted back to the last conversation he had with Li Pin before they parted ways in Jiang Province City.

Adults... they have to be ready to pay the price for their choices.

What price was Li Pin willing to pay? He had asked him that question before, and his answer had been....

"Everything," Xiang Tianxing murmured to himself.

Yes, everything.

And it had truly come to pass, for nothing had remained of Li Pin, not even a body.

Back then, he didn't agree with Li Pin, but he knew there was no stopping him. So, the only thing he could do was offer his blessing.

Those words still echoed faintly in his ears. Yet a blessing was merely that—a blessing.

"In the end... you still died."

***

「Breaking news! Li Pin, known as Martial God Li, the greatest figure in the history of Tianyuan's martial arts, champion of the World's Top Martial Competition, holder of the King of the Century title, and pioneer of the Martial God Path, was ambushed three hours ago by Cang Shengdao, the Legendary Mage from Great Shang. Despite Martial God Li's fierce resistance, he could not escape his fate...」

「Martial God Li's tragedy is a tragedy for all of Taibai—for all of Tianyuan—and for humanity itself! At a time when countless nations of the human race are drowning in chaos, faced with the constant threat of ferocious beasts and demonic creatures, some still choose to wage internal battles...」

「Representatives of the six major council nations of the Human Alliance have expressed their grief over the passing of Martial God Li, calling for unity to stand against the monstrous threat. After extensive talks, the nations have agreed to lower flags to half-mast in solemn mourning for Li Pin...」

「We interrupt with urgent news. The great martial artist...」

Three hours had passed since Li Pin's death.

Following discussions and an agreed consensus, the news was simultaneously broadcast by every major national media outlet.

Soon after, secondary media channels began sharing the news, spreading it to every corner of the globe with incredible speed.

The King of the Century Competition had already reached its peak of global attention. Even after the battle had ended, the heat surrounding it had not yet faded.

Soon, the news spread, shocking the entire world.

Li Pin, the pioneer of the Martial God path, whose accomplishments surpassed even the undisputed King of the Century... has passed away just like that?

At first, many believed it was a joke. However, as more and more official sources confirmed it, it gradually struck them that... it was all true.

Especially when details of Cang Shengdao—the one responsible for Li Pin's death—were released, revealing his connection to Cang Shengjie, everyone had to face the reality.

Li Pin... had been murdered.

The world was plunged into immense shock and grief.

***

At the Riverscape Marvel.

Xiang Xiaoyue's eyes were red as she looked at Li Yunyao.

Not long ago, Li Yunyao had been playing on the sofa with her and planning surprises for Li Pin's return. Now, her face was full of sorrow.

Lin Xiaolu and Qin Rouran sat beside her. Judging from their appearance, they had clearly been crying not long ago.

Lin Xiaolu nudged Li Yunyao gently. "Yaoyao... don't scare us... Please, say something... anything..."

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Li Yunyao remained unresponsive to the outside world, sitting on the sofa, her gaze empty and devoid of life.

Xiang Xiaoyue tried to console her. "Yaoyao, don't be like this. If Brother Li Pin were still here, he wouldn't want to see you like this. It'd break his heart."

To their worry and dismay, Yaoyao's eyes remained blank, their words seemingly falling on deaf ears.

Ring! Ring!

Li Yunyao's phone rang. The ringtone echoed for a long time.

Lin Xiaolu glanced at the screen and whispered, "It's Auntie calling..."

As soon as she said that, the focus returned to Li Yunyao's eyes.

She quickly stepped forward, picked up the phone, and answered it.

Soon, the trembling voice of Li Yunyao's mother came through.

—Yaoyao, I heard on the news... that your brother—

"They're lying!" Li Yunyao interrupted, her voice resolute and firm. "My brother's fine. How could anything happen to him!? He's the world champion, the King of the Century, and the pioneer of the Martial God Path! Nothing could possibly happen to him! He just has some things to take care of...."

—Re... really?

Mrs. Li's voice trembled with worry.

Li Yunyao's voice was full of determination.

"Mom, trust me, and trust brother. He's fine. He will definitely be okay."

—Yaoyao...

"Mom, believe me. I will find him. He'll definitely be okay," Li Yunyao solemnly promised.

—Alright, I believe you... Yaoyao, I'll come see you soon...

"Mom, don't worry about me. I'm fine, and besides..."

Li Yunyao lifted her head.

At that moment, she felt as if the sky above her had collapsed, exposing the true nature of the world.

She recalled Li Pin's words to her.

In this world, no one can stay invincible forever. No one remains undefeated for eternity.

"I'm doing just fine."

—Yaoyao...

"I'll find him." Clarity and determination replaced the confusion in her eyes. "No matter what..."