Planet Pulverizer: A Mortal's Ascent-Chapter 484: Divine Treasure

At the Homo Sapien Alliance's office in their branch on Yin Luo Galaxy. The Xian Ying Star Cluster, Mara Divine Treasury Hall.

Li Pin took over a stellar month to finally reach the planet where the Mara Divine Treasury Hall was located. Most of this time was used to wait for the Astral Gate to open.

A Tier Three Legend carried some weight in the vast cosmos, but they were far from influential enough.

Hoping he could receive the same treatment as he had at the White Dove Federation, to have an Astral Gate specifically open for him, was clearly out of the question.

It was similar to how a city lord was highly regarded, with power and influence in their respective city, holding sway over the rise and fall of thousands. But when they stepped into a foreign land, they'd only be another figure of moderate significance.

Having a private car to pick them up would be the limit.

Expecting an airport to delay flights for them?

That would never happen. They simply weren't qualified enough.

That was especially the case as one got closer to the Divine Treasury Hall. The number of high-tier Legends Li Pin encountered increased. At the final Astral Gate, among those transported in the same batch as him were over a hundred Legends, there were three who were Tier Four Legends who had mastered inner spirit power.

Each of these three could easily establish a hegemonic empire within a nebula. Even within a star ring, they could wield immense influence and stand atop the pinnacle of power.

Yet before the Divine Treasury Hall, when it came to waiting for the Astral Gate's opening cycle, they had to wait obediently like everyone else.

***

Li Pin stepped out of the Astral Gate and quickly landed before a signboard.

It displayed a clear guide that helped visitors quickly familiarize themselves with the various services and functionalities of the Divine Treasury Hall.

After studying it briefly, Li Pin walked over to a row of nearby flying vehicles.

A Heavenly Realm Astral Cultivator had been arranged to wait before this row of flying vehicles. When he saw Li Pin, he greeted him respectfully. "Your Eminence, welcome to the Divine Treasury Hall. I'm glad to be of service. May I ask if you'd like to take the Provisional Pioneer Assessment?"

Li Pin nodded. "Yes."

Soon, he was invited into the flying vehicle by the Astral Cultivator.

With a burst of acceleration, the flying vehicle entered the high-altitude lane and reached a speed of one hundred times the speed of sound.

"Your Excellency, would you like me to brief you on the details of the Provisional Pioneer Assessment?" asked the Astral Cultivator.

"Of course," Li Pin answered.

These were all complimentary services provided by the Divine Treasury Hall. After all, those who came for the Provisional Pioneer Assessment had typically mastered inner spirit power and were mostly Tier Four or Five Legends. Occasionally, even Tier Six Legends, whose influence rivaled Astral Gods, might appear.

The Divine Treasury Hall naturally didn't mind investing extra effort and resources to leave a good impression on such individuals.

What if one of them became an Astral God one day?

At this moment, the driver began briefing Li Pin on the details of the Pioneer Assessment.

It was not as daunting as one might imagine.

The assessment served two purposes. First, to filter out those attempting to bluff their way through without possessing inner spirit power.

Secondly, to evaluate a person's potential.

This was similar to the tests conducted at Ascension Peak, but the precision of the Divine Treasury Hall's instruments was far superior to those procured by the White Dove Federation.

Theoretically, as long as one developed inner spirit power and maintained a resilient and stable mental state, they could qualify as a Provisional Pioneer and receive an initial funding grant. However, exceptional performance displayed during the assessment could lead to a vastly higher funding allocation.

The difference in initial funding between the top performer and the last qualifier could be as much as tenfold.

The Divine Treasury Hall's attention and resources allocated to these individuals would differ significantly as well.

Before long, the flying vehicle arrived at a vast, sci-fi-inspired circular building.

The driver spoke respectfully. "Your Excellency, follow the ground indicator lights to the waiting area. Once everyone has arrived, the assessment will begin. Afterward, a designated vessel will transport you to a suitable training location."

Li Pin nodded and swiftly entered the building.

A staff member escorted Li Pin to a well-sealed training chamber, arranging for him to stay temporarily.

In the afternoon, Li Pin's upgraded interstellar communication bracelet vibrated.

When he accepted the call, a projection of Si Xing appeared.

Si Xing looked visibly excited.

—Li Pin, I've checked. My thirteenth sister-in-law's younger sister is also at the Mara Divine Treasury Hall. My thirteenth brother and I are very close, so I specifically got her contact information for you. It'll be good for you two to look out for each other there.

He quickly sent a number over.

—Here, her name's Xi Lin. You two should stay in touch. In the world of the divine treasures, information is critical. A single useful piece of information could be the key to your breakthrough or even obtaining a divine treasure. It's always good to communicate more.

"Much appreciated," Li Pin responded.

Si Xing reminded.

—Remember to add her contact and keep in touch. More friends means more information channels.

—Once you enter the divine treasure world, if you don't break the cycle, you won't be able to get out. You'll be stuck in endless loops. You wouldn't want to find out that a new Astral God in the Yin Luo Galaxy has been born by the time you've come out from your first trip to the divine treasure world, would you?

Li Pin nodded. He clicked on the number and submitted a contact request.

Si Xing reminded him again.

—Remember, in the divine treasure world—

Before he could finish, Li Pin smiled and cut him off. "Every piece of information is critical; every piece of information is wealth. Got it."

Si Xing sighed.

—I don't even know if recommending you to go to the Divine Treasury Hall is the right decision... but with your personality, you definitely wouldn't want to grow slowly. You wouldn't want to follow a step-by-step process to learn from a master either.

—You want to break free of all limitations but also seek a chance to soar... It's like refusing to network, build relationships, or socialize, yet still wanting to get rich.... The options are really limited.

"The Divine Treasury Hall is very suitable for me," said Li Pin. "I'm very satisfied."

Si Xing urged.

—Anyway, just be careful.

After that, he hung up.

By now, Li Pin's request to add Xi Lin as a contact had been approved. However, she hadn't sent him a message.

Li Pin didn't know what to write to her either. Therefore, he decided not to send anything.

Instead, he browsed the linked network for more information about the Mara Divine Treasury Hall.

***

Three days later, a notification lit up in the training room. freeweɓnovēl.coɱ

Everyone had arrived.

Li Pin exited the training room and went to the hall that was designated as the waiting area.

By the time he arrived, there were over one hundred people present.

Although the individuals present varied in appearance and physique, they mostly adhered to what humans would find aesthetically acceptable. Moreover, thanks to the optimization effect of astral energy, each individual possessed a unique sense of beauty.

However, Li Pin wasn't particularly interested in their appearance. What caught his attention was that almost everyone here possessed inner spirit power.

Moreover, most of them were Tier Four Legends.

Legends like Li Pin, who had mastered inner spirit power as a Legendary martial artist or as Tier Three Legendary Astral Cultivators were as rare as Tier Five Legends.

Li Pin felt a little emotional. "It has only been three stellar years, and they've already gathered over a hundred Legends and Celestial Martial Artist with inner spirit power..."

However, this wasn't too surprising. The Mara Divine Treasury Hall covered an entire star cluster, with hundreds of galaxies.

Taking the scale into consideration, having over a hundred Legends and Celestial Martial Artists with inner spirit power wasn't considered too many.

***

The Divine Treasury Hall was evidently different from other factions. Everyone believed that having more friends meant having more information channels. Moreover, the worldviews within each divine treasure were unpredictable. At times, people could even be suppressed to the level of ordinary mortals, which made sticking together a natural survival strategy.

Some people, confident in themselves, maintained a cold and aloof demeanor, refusing to engage with anyone. However, the more socially adept Legends had already started chatting with those around them.

As for a Celestial Martial Artist like Li Pin, not many people would approach him. However, that didn't mean that none would. A few did, and Li Pin responded to each of them, maintaining basic social etiquette. However, his attitude was rather lukewarm. That tended to deter those who didn't think highly of Celestial Martial Artists in the first place.

As a result, the area around him soon grew quiet.

Just as the lively atmosphere in the hall continued, an oppressive aura descended like a dark cloud.

Shortly after, a man bathed in starlight, with what seemed to be a phantom of a world behind him, walked in accompanied by three staff members.

"A Divine Being!"

"It's a pioneer of the Divine realm! He's wearing a... golden bracelet! He's a Prestige Gold Pioneer!?"

"A pioneer who has experienced one trip to the divine treasure world is referred to as the Bronze rank, also known as Resilient Bronze. Three experiences make them Systematic Silver, and Prestige Gold means they're top-notch elites who have been through five experiences. These are people who can be considered trump cards in the divine treasure domain!"

Exclamations rippled through the crowd.

This Divine Realm figure had already captivated everyone present with just the golden bracelet on his wrist.

The Divine Realm figure spoke calmly. "Silence!"

Without using any visible methods, his voice alone evoked a sense of tranquility and harmony, causing everyone to quiet down and immerse themselves in the atmosphere.

Li Pin's face lit up with delight. This level of inner spirit control...

At that moment, Li Pin was reassured he had come to the right place.

"I am Fang Chunyang, your examiner," the Divine Realm figure calmly introduced himself. "I'm glad you've chosen the Mara Divine Treasure as your starting point as Pioneers. I should congratulate you, because passing the test will increase your initial funding. At the same time, I must offer my sympathies. A month ago, new information about the Silver Light surfaced from another divine treasure. According to the report, the Mara Divine Treasure's level has been raised to level three."

The crowd erupted in commotion.

"A level three divine treasure!?"

"A level three divine treasure is typically reserved for Systematic Silver Pioneers... Ideally, it requires a Prestige Gold Pioneer to lead in order for them to have a reasonable chance of breaking through and obtaining its legacies...."

"Why has the danger level risen again? This has become a wasted trip."

"Based on our latest intelligence, Astral God Mo Luo's most vivid memories seem to be from her time in her homeland. That period shaped her personality and earned her the title 'Mara', a title that is inclined more toward the demonic path[1]. But that's not important. What matters is..."

Fang Chunyang paused slightly. "Her homeland was a mortal world! A mortal world ruled by spirit weapons! Unless you obtain a spirit weapon and become its master, even a group of common bandits could send you back into the cycle of reincarnation."

With that, he glanced around the crowd. "So, if anyone wishes to withdraw, now is the time."

1. In Buddhist cosmology, Mara is often associated with darkness and death. ☜