Planet Pulverizer: A Mortal's Ascent-Chapter 490: Deployment

At the Mara Divine Treasury Hall, a woman with a striking, heroic demeanor was flipping through a document. The bold title read, Sixty-Two Interpretations of Cang Ruoxi's Personality.

Just then, another woman with long blue hair approached and casually sat down. "Xi Lin, no matter how much you go through these documents, they're meaningless. All this information is based on speculation. No one truly knows what the divine treasure world is like inside."

Xi Lin looked up and countered, "A person's life experiences and the environment they live in can still reveal the background of their world."

She asked, "Mi Lu, why are you here today? Didn't you have plans with those geniuses you're so fond of?"

Mi Lu said helplessly, "Three of the geniuses I had my eye on left all at once this time. Who knows how many will make it back safely in the end?

"Speaking of which, if the Mara Divine Treasure World is so dangerous, why don't we just switch to another Divine Treasury Hall?"

"Sure," Xi Lin replied flatly, "if you help me pay off my loans first."

"Loans..." A look of pain flashed through Mi Lu's blue eyes. "It's all my fault for not holding back at the time. I thought the credit limits were like personal wealth and spent recklessly. When the time came to repay it... I wished I could cut off my own hands. Now, I'm stuck in the Mara Divine Treasury Hall because of it."

She clasped her hands together in a mock prayer. "I just hope someone powerful will break open this divine treasure world soon so we can leave. Otherwise, when the repayment deadline comes, we'll have no choice but to enter the Mara World ourselves."

"Breaking open the divine treasure world doesn't erase debts," Xi Lin reminded her. "You'll just end up in another Divine Treasury Hall."

"That's different. At least it wouldn't be as dangerous," Mi Lu argued.

Then, seemingly remembering something, she added, "Oh, right, Xi Lin, that Level Five Potential Pioneer candidate who joined last year—Li Pin, wasn't it? You know him, don't you?"

"Know him? Barely," Xi Lin said. "We exchanged a few words. He's one of those aloof, high-level potentials. I'm not the type to fawn over people like that. If I were, I wouldn't be here in the Divine Treasury Hall."

Xi Lin responded, "What's the matter?"

"It seems you two really are just acquaintances," Mi Lu remarked, her tone carrying a hint of disappointment as her curiosity remained unsatisfied. Still, she added, "That genius has been stirring things up lately. He's signed up to enter the Mara World."

"He's signed up for the Mara World?" Xi Lin froze momentarily. "He only joined the Divine Treasury Hall last year. And now he's signing up already?"

"Exactly," Mi Lu replied with a shrug. "Maybe geniuses like him think their talent and comprehension are unmatched, so they don't see the Mara World as a big deal."

Xi Lin quickly thought of something and frowned. "Not seeing the Mara World as a big deal? That's sheer shortsightedness. Does he even understand what a divine treasure world with Level Three danger represents?

"He thinks his Level Five potential is extraordinary and that he can effortlessly conquer any divine treasure world. But the Mara World... has trapped countless Gold Pioneers. Level Five Potential Pioneers like him? There are more than you can count."

Without hesitation, she activated her communicator to contact Li Pin.

Moments later, his face appeared on the screen, surprise evident in his expression.

—Xi Lin?

"Li Pin, listen to me. You might be considered an unparalleled genius where you're from—cultivation techniques, challenges, bottlenecks, none of it seems to faze you. But you've spent a year in the Mara Divine Treasury Hall.

"You should know that this place doesn't lack geniuses. Over the past six hundred years, how many so-called geniuses, how many peerless geniuses have entered the Mara World? Yet not a single one has managed to break open the divine treasure world and walk out from within.

"Do you really think you can succeed where they've all failed?"

She continued urgently, "Cancel your registration right now and withdraw immediately. Don't let this decision become something you'll regret for the rest of your life."

Li Pin appeared slightly stunned by her fervent words. After a moment, he shook his head.

—I appreciate your concern, but I've already made up my mind about entering the Mara World.

"Made up your mind?" Xi Lin blurted out. "With your background, do you honestly believe you've fully grasped the Mara World's complexities in just one stellar year? You probably don't even know the basics of the cosmic environment."

Li Pin replied calmly.

—Breaking through the Mara World doesn't depend on understanding the cosmic environment.

"Breaking through the Mara World? Over ten thousand seasoned Pioneers, including more than a dozen Gold Pioneers, are trapped inside. And you think you can break through?!"

Xi Lin widened her eyes. "You... you're simply..."

Seeing her like that, Li Pin couldn't help but smile.

—Why not?

"Arrogant beyond reason," Xi Lin muttered in irritation.

However, she soon realized she might've overstepped her boundaries.

Si Xing, her sister, had been mentioning Li Pin frequently in their messages. She had even hinted at setting them up, which had inevitably led Xi Lin to overthink.

Xi Lin calmed down a bit and waved her hand dismissively. "Fine, do what you want. Everyone has to face the consequences of their choices. Just don't regret it later."

Li Pin gave a slight nod and ended the call.

"He actually hung up on you? Talk about cold," Mi Lu teased.

Xi Lin had expected her to back her up, but instead, Mi Lu's tone shifted. "Then again, he's a genius with the potential to become an Astral God. It's only natural for him to be a bit aloof. It just shows he's different from those flashy, pretentious types."

Xi Lin rolled her eyes.

She glanced at the documents in her hand, hesitated for a moment, and then opened the registration page.

Mi Lu's eyes widened in disbelief. "No way, Xi Lin. You're not actually thinking of signing up, are you? This is too big of a sacrifice!"

"Sacrifice? What sacrifice? I'm not doing this for him," Xi Lin replied. "I already told you—I barely know him."

Mi Lu crossed her arms and stared at her. "Do you think I believe that?"

Xi Lin pulled up her loan statement. "Look! My Level Four inner spirit potential allowed me to borrow 10,000 Divine Treasury Points for ten years. This is the eighth year! If I don't go this year, I'll have to go next year at the latest."

She flipped through the data on her bracelet. "I've been preparing for a long time. It's just that I have only made up my mind now."

"So, you've finally decided to take the plunge because of Li Pin?" Mi Lu asked, looking like she was watching a good show.

"There's some truth to that, but it's not what you think." Xi Lin's voice grew serious. "We're already in the Mara Divine Treasury Hall, so entering the Mara World is inevitable. No matter how cautious we are or how much research we do, this day will come. Instead of hesitating, it's better to focus and go all in."

She glanced at Mi Lu. "Even someone like Li Pin, from a small place, could make the firm decision to register after just one year of learning about the Mara World.

"I come from a noble family, am well-traveled, and my talent is no worse than his. What's there to fear?"

"And yet, you just called him arrogant," Mi Lu pointed out.

"That was just a slip of the tongue..." Xi Lin responded irritably. "How many people who've cultivated inner spirit are truly arrogant?"

"Oh, plenty." Mi Lu responded. "Some people's inner spirit comes from a belief centered around invincibility, putting no one else in their eyes."

"Alright, enough. Worry about how you're going to pay back your own loan," Xi Lin retorted, clearly done with the conversation.

***

Li Pin didn't take Xi Lin's words to heart.

Since registering, Mia, Cang Beiyou, and Fei Bo had all reached out to him. Unable to change his mind, they could only offer their best wishes.

At the moment, Li Pin was downloading information about the Mara World as a precaution.

Of course, whether this information would be useful was completely unknown. What he was doing was simply preparing for any eventuality.

This alone showed how seriously he regarded the Mara World.

***

Time passed quickly. On the day of the deployment, a flying craft arrived early in the morning at the mountain where Li Pin resided, taking him to a specific location on the planet.

After a brief journey, a massive complex of towering structures appeared in his view. The thousands of towers stood over a hundred thousand meters tall, with bases spanning tens of thousands of meters.

Each tower emitted faint energy waves, creating ripples that spread outward, seemingly parting the very space itself to reveal the true essence of the world.

As they approached the complex, Li Pin felt increasingly insignificant. This feeling deepened when he learned that each of these towers was as valuable as a piece of divine equipment. He marveled at the grandeur of the Divine Treasury Hall.

If one of these towers could be excavated and sold... it would fetch at least a million Divine Treasury Points.

The flying craft soon reached the center of the tower cluster, where a large teleportation platform stood.

A radiant stream of light spanning several hundred meters surged upward from the platform, reaching straight into the sky. It merged with the spatial ripples emanating from the thousands of towers above, seemingly becoming one with them.

Li Pin disembarked and saw dozens of people waiting.

As time passed, more people arrived, quickly bringing the number to over fifty. Among them, he spotted Xi Lin.

Surprised, he nodded in her direction, but she ignored him.

Li Pin said nothing and patiently waited.

In less than one stellar quarter, starlight gathered in the sky above, and a figure appeared.

She seemed to be enveloped in a hazy, misty starlight, making it difficult to see her clearly. But the overwhelming pressure she radiated—surpassing any Legendary figure—left no doubt about her identity: Astral God Mi Meng, Hall Master of the Mara Divine Treasury Hall.

Her ethereal voice echoed in everyone's ears, "Does anyone wish to withdraw?"

Seeing that no one had stepped forward, she didn't waste any time. With a perfunctory wave of her hand, she declared, "Activate the Divine Treasury Gate. Begin the deployment."