Planet Pulverizer: A Mortal's Ascent-Chapter 336: Fate

Li Pin gazed at the box.

This was legendary astral equipment!

What did legendary astral equipment signify? It could be said that, aside from divine relics, there was hardly anything more valuable than a piece of legendary astral equipment.

In today's world, even a Legendary Astral Cultivator might not have a full set of legendary astral equipment. Yet here... in front of Li Pin, four legendary astral equipment lay in plain view.

"Quite the grand gesture," Li Pin remarked. "However, I don't understand. With resources like these, you could even hire a legendary expert. Protecting a mere hundred or so people, or even preserving the entire Lin Clan, shouldn't be an issue."

Lin Yusheng offered no detailed explanation, only managing a bitter smile. "We don't trust them, nor do we dare."

The Great Moon royal family didn't have a single Master Astral Cultivator. Therefore, they didn't dare take their legendary astral equipment to seek protection from a Legend. If they so wanted, a Legend could easily strip them of everything, leaving them with no one to turn to for help.

In fact, even a Master Astral Cultivator could do the same.

Furthermore, this situation also involved one crucial factor. If they claimed to possess only four legendary astral equipment, would the Master or Legendary Astral Cultivators truly believe them?

If those powerhouses only trusted their own eyes and information, using force to take everything the Lin Clan owned, what could the clan do in return?

In the worst-case scenario, the entire royal family of the Great Moon could be wiped out.

Trust! That was something even more precious than the legendary astral equipment themselves.

Lin Yusheng looked at Li Pin and said solemnly, "But, Sect Master Li, we trust you."

Li Pin glanced at the four legendary astral equipment. "Perhaps I should feel honored."

Three of them bore a striking resemblance to the legendary astral equipment the Dragon Gate Hall held, while the fourth was a unique weapon—similar to a sword but leaning more towards a blade; a war sword of sorts.

"This item is called the Sword of Destiny," Lin Yusheng quickly explained.

He turned a little emotional as he spoke of this sword. "This astral equipment... while its attributes fall short of a legendary astral equipment, the Great Moon once placed immense hope in it. They named it 'Destiny,' a clear indication that in the empire's final days, they wished to change their fate of destruction with this sword."

Gazing at the sword, he continued, "Despite the environmental limitations of that era, which kept the Sword of Destiny's attributes relatively low, placing it between the level of top-tier and rare astral equipment, the combined wisdom of the nation's craftsmen and resources gave it two extraordinary traits.

"First, the Sword of Destiny is incredibly durable and sharp. With its unique design, it possesses an astounding armor-piercing ability."

Li Pin picked up the sword and murmured, "Armor-piercing..."

He swung it, feeling the sharpness and flow of air along its blade. There was no doubt this sword was extraordinary.

Its durability and sharpness were exceptional.

If he had possessed this weapon during his fight against the Ghoul King, his sword wouldn't have shattered from the rebound of the Ghoul King's tough physique.

"In addition to its armor-piercing ability, the Sword of Destiny has another trait," Lin Yusheng divulged.

He paused. "It helps the user break through limits."

Li Pin was taken aback. "Helps them break through limits?"

"It allows your attack to transcend boundaries and exceed limitations!" Lin Yusheng asserted. "This is the reason the sword was given the name 'Destiny.' Its ability to shatter limits, to surpass the boundaries of strength, was meant to change the tide of key battles and alter the fate of an entire empire."

Lin Yusheng couldn’t help but let out a bitter laugh and shake his head when he mentioned this ability.

How ironic. The Great Moon, possessing this legendary piece, still failed to alter its own destiny, succumbing to its ultimate fate.

Li Pin glanced once more at the four legendary astral equipment.

He couldn't deny that the Great Moon Empire had deep roots. No wonder so many factions were eager to hunt down the Great Moon remnants.

He looked at Wen Li, who stood cautiously behind her father.

Memories of this young girl earnestly teaching him the Great Shang language during that month surfaced in his mind...

If the Lin Clan were to fall apart, this girl... would likely meet her demise as her family scampered to survive in the chaos of war.

Soon, Li Pin came to a decision. "Your group of 146 people can reside within the Dragonfist Sect."

After that, he turned to Lin Yusheng. "However, I will only extend my protection within the sect's boundaries. If anyone leaves and stirs trouble, their life or death will be their own responsibility."

Hearing that, Lin Yusheng let out a deep breath of relief. He quickly bowed respectfully, saying, "Thank you, Sect Master Li."

He solemnly promised, "Once outside the Dragonfist Sect, whether they live or die, we will never trouble you."

Li Pin nodded and summoned Shi Shihu to make arrangements.

Among the four legendary astral equipment, he kept the Sword of Destiny for himself.

The other three, being part of a set, were the ones that had helped Lin Xingchen ascend to the path of the Martial God. Li Pin had no intention of hoarding them. In the future, if any of the Dragonfist Sect disciples showed outstanding potential, he wouldn't mind lending them the set.

As for the lending criteria, he needed to plan that carefully.

Perhaps, this was something he could learn from the Dragon Gate Hall.

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***

The Dragonfist Sect occupied Hualong Mountain, spanning several dozen square kilometers, and was dotted with numerous courtyards. At its peak, the sect had housed three thousand disciples.

Even with an additional 146 people, the space was far from crowded.

Li Pin instructed Shi Shihu to prepare one of the courtyards on the right side of the mountain for the Lin Clan's living quarters.

Meanwhile, he headed to his outdoor training ground to experience the changes brought by the Sword of Destiny.

Astral equipment was a cultivation system that had emerged alongside the Astral Cultivator system. Although it gained prominence only after the chaotic era ended, ancient astral equipment like the Sword of Destiny, which predated that era, was actually more suitable for martial artists like Li Pin.

The power amplification and armor-piercing abilities of this legendary astral equipment significantly enhanced Li Pin's strength. After a full day of testing, he had become quite familiar with its capabilities.

Li Pin speculated, "I wonder if I can use this armor-piercing legendary astral equipment to break through a Legendary Mage's astral energy shield with a single strike."

However, with Cang Shengdao serving as a lesson, it was unlikely that Great Shang would send a Legendary Mage to seek justice for Top-Tier Astral Cultivators like Yun Wu and others.

Therefore, his desire to test his sword against a Legendary Mage's shield would likely remain unfulfilled.

Li Pin gripped his sword. "Besides its armor-piercing attribute, there's also the limit-breaking ability...."

In the next moment, lightning flashed around him, and he shot forward with incredible speed. With a deafening sonic boom, he appeared a kilometer away.

After reappearing, he didn’t lose momentum and quickly changed direction. A surge of blazing qi and blood transformed into a radiant golden crow, soaring into the sky. The explosive force flattened an entire mountaintop within a radius of several dozen meters, with the shockwave sweeping across a hundred meters.

Li Pin steadied himself. "The limit-breaking ability allows me to launch a second attack immediately after the first... In simpler terms, it reduces the cooldown between skills."

This capability had, without a doubt, indirectly sped up his attack frequency.

With attributes surpassing even top-tier astral equipment, combined with these two powerful traits, the Sword of Destiny truly lived up to its legendary status.

Having completed his training, Li Pin returned to his courtyard. Upon his arrival, he found Shi Shihu, Xing Hui, and Yue Ying waiting for him.

Li Pin frowned. "Did something happen at the Black Gold Mine?"

"It's not the Black Gold Mine," Xing Hui quickly replied. "It's the Ancient Beastfolk Battlefield."

During this time, Xing Hui, Yue Ying, and the others had all stepped into the Martial God realm, which had deeply motivated the Martial Saints of the Dragonfist Sect.

Eager to comprehend the mysteries of Innate Embryonic Breath and receive Skill Crystals to ascend to the Martial God realm, the Martial Saints sought out perilous regions to test themselves in life-and-death combat.

The Ancient Beastfolk Battlefield, teeming with Skeleton Demons boasting qi and blood values between 80 and 110, became a top choice for their training.

Xing Hui spoke gravely. "Besides the usual Skeleton Demons, there's a chance a lord-level demonic creature may appear. Since its entire body is blood-red, we named it the Blood Skeleton. Despite their strength, we Martial Gods can normally still hold our own against them. But this one... is clearly different.

"This Blood Skeleton seems to have surpassed the Ghoul King. It could rival even the best among Top-Tier Astral Cultivators...."

Previously, the lord-level Blood Skeletons would contain materials like Astral Crystals and astral equipment components. However, whether it was Astral Crystals or the materials, they were only of genuine-grade quality, which Li Pin didn't find particularly appealing.

However, Li Pin instinctively connected this mutated Blood Skeleton to the Skill Crystal he had obtained from the Ghoul King.

He wasted no time and reached for his sword. "Let's go take a look."

Xing Hui and Yue Ying nodded in agreement.

By the time they stepped out of the Dragonfist Sect, vehicles had been prepared for them, waiting outside.

The roads near Hualong Mountain were still decent, but beyond that, the condition of the roads quickly deteriorated.

Li Pin felt a bit speechless recalling his first journey to the Ancient Beastfolk Battlefield. "When will we fix the roads?"

"Well... It's wartime right now... And this area falls under Black Gold City's jurisdiction..."

"Does war prevent roadwork?" countered Li Pin, shaking his head. "Never mind, let's go on foot."

Both Xing Hui and Yue Ying readily agreed to it.

Given the road conditions, the vehicles could only manage a speed of twenty to thirty kilometers per hour, which was far slower than what these Martial Gods could achieve on foot.

Though it would be more tiring, it would also save time.

The three quickened their pace and soon reached the outskirts of the Ancient Beastfolk Battlefield, where several Martial Saints waited at the entrance.

Upon seeing Li Pin, they all bowed fervently. "Greetings, Sect Master!"

"Is the mutated Blood Skeleton still there?"

"Yes."

One of the Martial Saints nodded firmly. "Elder Liu has been stealthily tracking the Blood Skeleton and has left markers along the way."

The others followed along and nodded.

With that, they ventured deeper into the battlefield.

The Skeleton Demons posed little threat to the three of them, allowing them to move swiftly. It wasn't long before they reached the inner part of the battlefield and found the markers Yue Ya had left.

After traveling a bit farther, they successfully met up with him.

Li Pin finally saw the mutated Blood Skeleton for himself.

It was a towering three-meter-tall creature with blood-red skin and covered in bone spikes. It was wielding two steel forks.

As he stared at the bone spikes protruding from the monster's back, Li Pin felt a sense of familiarity.

After a brief moment of thought, it clicked.

Cang Shengjie!

During the King of the Century battle on Crimson Flame Island years ago, Cang Shengjie had injected himself with an unknown substance, transforming into a three-meter-tall monster.

The bone spikes on his back... were identical to those of this mutated Blood Skeleton.