Planet Pulverizer: A Mortal's Ascent-Chapter 430: Clique

As Yuan Zhenchuan, Qiao Baishi, Fan Xiu, Zhao Kunwu, Xiao Donghai, and the others saw Solar Radiance Sovereign and Li Pin break away from the battle, they exchanged relieved glances, letting out collective sighs.

It was enough to stop here. This didn't have to escalate into a life-and-death battle. Solar Radiance Sovereign and Li Pin were the most powerful figures among Gaians, embodying the essence of their civilization. Unity in the face of crises was what they all longed to see.

"Let's head over and see what's happening," Yuan Zhenchuan said.

Qiao Baishi and the others nodded.

As they flew toward the Solar Radiance Sovereign and Li Pin, several figures moved ahead of them, arriving first.

The person leading was Xiao Donghai, the Royal Empire's Supreme Expert and wielder of the Destruction Ring.

"Your Excellency, Solar Radiance Sovereign, the power you just demonstrated—"

"We'll discuss it when everyone arrives. Soon, this power will be yours as well," the Solar Radiance Sovereign said, glancing toward a flat area below. "Let's go down and talk."

For Legends, maintaining flight required as little effort as walking or standing did for ordinary people. Even so, they still preferred to sit when engaging in serious discussions.

One by one, the Legends and Supreme Experts gathered.

The Solar Radiance Sovereign wasted no time and stated bluntly, "I've made initial contact with the Divine Dragon Empire."

He continued, "Of course, I didn't rely solely on their claims. Before reaching out, I collected information from other civilizations to verify the details. In the end, I chose the Divine Dragon Empire because, compared to others, this civilization is undeniably more inclusive and amicable."

Yuan Zhenchuan's gaze toward the Solar Radiance Sovereign deepened. The world's foremost figure, rarely revealing his capabilities. All this time, he's been quietly managing so many matters behind the scenes—many of them explicitly prohibited.

The Solar Radiance Sovereign declared, "From the intelligence I probed from the Divine Dragon Empire and the information I've gathered over the years, the initial news from their envoy is true."

This statement, however, stirred little reaction among the others.

Many nations had verified this information through their own means, confirming its high authenticity. The strongest opposition came from the Legends of the Star Alliance.

"This universe is vast, far beyond anything we can imagine," the Solar Radiance Sovereign marveled. "Using our current astronomical knowledge and the information I've obtained, let me present a comprehensive view of the galaxy we reside in—the domain of the great Astral God, Yin Luo."

The Legendary figures couldn't help but press for answers.

"Yin Luo!? The name of that great Astral God!?"

"You even know this?"

"Has the Divine Dragon Empire already been in contact with the Homo Sapien Alliance?"

"Yin Luo is how the name is translated in the Solar Radiance language," the Solar Radiance Sovereign explained, his tone carrying a trace of self-mockery.

A small world like Gaia, with a population of barely a hundred billion, yet its written language was divided into dozens of forms.

"In the future, we should learn the common language of the Homo Sapien Alliance and align it with Gaia's languages. But before that..."

Solar Radiance Sovereign waved his hand.

A magnificent scene unfolded before their eyes—a galaxy, displayed like a brilliant image or hologram.

"This is the galaxy we inhabit. I won't mention its original name, because when the great Astral God Yin Luo chose this place as his eternal resting ground, it came to have only one name—the Yin Luo Galaxy."

The group stared at the vast galaxy. Its six spiral arms stretched outward, each teeming with countless stars, radiating a mesmerizing brilliance.

"We are here, on the third spiral arm," the Solar Radiance Sovereign revealed, gesturing toward a region that began to enlarge. "To be precise, the third spiral arm, the Candle Light Star Ring, the Dragon Swamp Nebula, and finally... Gaia."

The Legendary figures watched as the magnification continued and stars flashed by.

What should have been a simple demonstration of an image left them feeling an inexplicable, suffocating weight.

Looking at Gaia... then, at the Dragon Swamp Nebula, thousands of light-years away, and the even larger Candle Light Star Ring and the third spiral arm, everyone's breath froze.

"This... is so small," one of the Legends murmured, voicing everyone's thoughts.

So small.

Compared to the vast Yin Luo Star System, Gaia was insignificant.

"Yes, Gaia is small," said Solar Radiance Sovereign, sighing. "When I first saw this map and compared it with the astronomical knowledge we had, I experienced a feeling I had long forgotten—a feeling I hadn't experienced since 85 years ago, when I left the village where I had lived for 13 years and moved to the prosperous, big city with my parents."

The Legends listened quietly, their eyes fixed on the star map, filled with countless stars and planets.

"I saw all kinds of unfamiliar machines, buildings, roads, and faces, and yet... this new city didn't excite me—it scared me. This unfamiliar environment terrified me, and I felt uneasy about the future. I remember how badly I wanted to turn around and return to my little village."

The Solar Radiance Sovereign sighed again. "But I knew, a great era was coming, and we had no choice but to leave that poor, backward village if we wanted a future."

He fiddled with the star map once more, pausing over the Dragon Swamp Nebula.

"The ruler of the Dragon Swamp Nebula is the Divine Dragon Empire, one of the most powerful nations within a thousand light-years, and a member of the Homo Sapien Alliance. It has four main stars: Miracle Star, Alliance Star, Ocean Moon Star, and Demonic Dragon Star. The population is 66 billion, with over a thousand Heavenly Realm Experts and... six Legends."

The Royal Empire Legend, Xiao Qianyuan, was taken aback. "Six... Legends?"

The Solar Radiance Sovereign continued, "We obtained information from the astral energy, learning that Legends are the foundation of reaching the Astral God realm. So, when we hit a point where we could not advance further, we started calling ourselves Legends.

"However, the Legends recorded in the astral data are different from our understanding. Legends are actually supposed to be people who have reached the Heavenly Realm."

"Moreover, reaching the Heavenly Realm without mastering powerful Astral Techniques means you aren't a true Heavenly Realm Expert. What we used to consider the 'Heavenly Realm' is merely a collection of knowledge that isn't backed by real strength."

Xiao Qianyuan and the others were taken aback. "The Heavenly Realm...."

Yuan Zhenchuan quickly understood the key point. "The Divine Dragon Empire has over a thousand Heavenly Realm Cultivators!?"

The Solar Radiance Sovereign nodded. "Above the Heavenly Realm is the Legend. Legends belong to a peculiar domain with great differences in strength. They are the core foundation for reaching the Astral God.

"The peak of a Legend is the Astral God. But in terms of strength, above Legends are DemiGods, then Divine Beings, and beyond that are the Astral Gods, those who can shine across the stars."

The Solar Radiance Sovereign's revelation of the mysteries of the universe left everyone almost breathless.

"Not every Astral God's fall results in the creation of a new Astral God from the leftover power, but the great Yin Luo has that capability. Therefore, the competition among the three stages will be far more brutal than anyone imagines.

"Forget us. Even the Divine Dragon Empire, which has over a thousand Heavenly Realm Cultivators and six Legends, isn't confident it could succeed in this brutal competition. So..." The Solar Radiance Sovereign looked at everyone. "They chose to form an alliance."

"An alliance?" Zhao Kunwu immediately thought of something. "Like the Gaia nations forming the Gaia Alliance?"

The Solar Radiance Sovereign nodded. "Exactly. The Astral God can only have one inheritor. The others are cannon fodder. When the true inheritor appears, all civilizations will deteriorate back to their original state, prior to receiving starlight.

"At the same time, countries involved, like the Divine Dragon Empire, will be held accountable by the inheritor. If they're lucky, they might be forced to submit. If the inheritor had borne a grudge against them during the competition, he could target and destroy them after his rise."

The Solar Radiance Sovereign spoke slowly. "The alliance has two purposes: one is to increase the chances of victory, and the other is to offer protection."

Everyone understood what the Solar Radiance Sovereign meant. First, the Divine Dragon Empire planned to pull in surrounding civilizations to strengthen their own competitiveness.

Apart from having an advantage in external competition, as the leader of the alliance, the empire would undoubtedly hold the moral high ground. If any geniuses emerged from the allied nations, the empire could fully leverage their advantage to absorb them into their ranks.

Even if someone from within the alliance, with potential beyond imagination, surpassed the Divine Dragon Empire and became the next inheritor, the empire could adjust its mindset and ally with them. At least, as part of the same alliance, they wouldn't have to worry about being eliminated.

This was part of the preparation they had in mind when forming the alliance and bringing other civilizations in.

Of course, the alliance had its downsides. If the future Astral God inheritor emerged from a rival alliance, all the civilizations tied to opposing factions would likely face the same reckoning.

However, joining an alliance offered at least a glimmer of hope. Without it, given the insignificance of these civilizations, their chances of survival would be virtually nonexistent.

If they chose neutrality... even if they weren’t outright destroyed, they would still be treated as spoils of war, divided among the victors

Everyone listened to this and fell into deep thought.

Soon, a person asked, "The Divine Dragon Empire is only the overlord of the Dragon Swamp Nebula. Beyond it, there are the Candle Light Star Ring and the six great spiral arms. Why don't we directly ally with those forces that have Demigods or even Divine Beings?"

His words went unanswered.

After a few moments, the Solar Radiance Sovereign explained, "If you can contact those civilizations and convince them to allow us, a mere group of dozens of Heavenly Realm Cultivators, to join them while maintaining our autonomy, I believe everyone would agree with your suggestion."

The Legend fell silent, realizing the difficulty.

"So... is this the path you see for Gaia?" Yuan Zhenchuan asked.

This 𝓬ontent is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.

The Solar Radiance Sovereign nodded. "If Gaia truly has potential, within the alliance led by the Divine Dragon Empire, we will certainly gain more influence. It's even possible that we could one day control this alliance. But in the grand scheme of the universe... Gaia is just another average civilization."

He paused. "I believe joining the alliance and banding together for survival is Gaia's best option."