HPDBC Chapter 292: Accountable
Chapter 292: Accountable
Chapter 292: Accountable
Fu Qingtian had outpaced the other Legendary and Master Astral Cultivators due to his Void Ring and was the first to arrive.
Li Pin had fully harnessed the Astral Magnetic Field, disrupting the planet's normal rotation and altering the coordinates. This had caused the teleportation to fail. Despite this, Fu Qingtian swiftly corrected the error within moments.
Moreover, the disturbance in the Astral Magnetic Field was brief. By the time he finished adjusting the coordinates, Li Pin's interference had already ended. With a single thought, he appeared in the area and conducted multiple searches of the surrounding sea.
He had found nothing.
The power of the celestial movement not only shattered Cang Shengdao's Astral Energy Shield but also crushed his body, which was equivalent to that of a High-Class Astral Cultivator. In a similar backlash, Li Pin's body, having triggered this power, collapsed as well.
Just as he had previously annihilated Martial Saints using the Astral Magnetic Field, Li Pin's body transformed into a mist of blood, dissipating on the spot.
When Fu Qingtian teleported in, he still sensed the lingering scent of blood in the air—a faint trace that spanned over a thousand meters. He focused on a wisp of it to perform a calculation....
It was Li Pin’s!
A flash of pain crossed Fu Qingtian's eyes. "Why did it come to this...."
He could not understand why things had escalated to this point. He had indeed arranged for Cang Shengdao to descend upon the island group, intending to use him as a means to discipline Li Pin.
However... Li Pin... he never asked for his help! All he needed to do was to ask for help, and Fu Qingtian would have rushed to his aid!
Why did he have to take things this far?! He’d rather die alongside Cang Shengdao than reach out and ask for assistance?
Fu Qingtian stood in the air and gazed at the billowing smoke rising from the distant volcano and turbulent sea beneath him, remaining silent for a long time.
Soon, the other Master and Legendary Astral Cultivators arrived one after another. They quickly searched the area, hoping to find Li Pin, the martial path’s trailblazer and humanity’s hero who had discovered the Martial God realm, a path no lesser than that of the Astral Cultivators.
They combed the area again and again... yet they found nothing.
After some time, Yuan Zhenchuan approached Fu Qingtian. Seeing him in his silence, Yuan Zhenchuan sighed. "No one wanted things to end this way."
Fu Qingtian finally broke his silence. "We've often called Li Pin arrogant and unruly, but in reality... aren't we the same? Looking back, perhaps from the beginning, we never treated Li Pin as an equal. We always saw him as a junior, casually giving orders and reprimanding him whenever he acted against our wishes, labeling him reckless and prideful...."
When Fu Qingtian reflected on his actions, he discovered it was as if he had been... possessed.
This made him realize he needed to calm his mind and rethink the Astral Cultivation system.
"It's also partly Li Pin's fault for not explaining things to us earlier..." Yuan Zhenchuan commented.
Fu Qingtian shook his head.
Would they have listened if he had explained?
It was as if any random person walked up to you and claimed that he had created a new path that had the potential to surpass the path of Legends. How would you react?
You’d obviously think they were a fraud and a bluff.
Some of the more short-tempered Master Astral Cultivators would have slapped him on the spot.
At that moment, Fu Qingtian suddenly understood the true meaning behind Li Pin's words, "Time will prove everything."
***
Zhao Kunwu appeared in the sky along with several other Legends.
Yuan Zhenchuan's gaze swept over them.
Venerable Bai Yang and the others glanced at Yuan Zhenchuan. "Lord Yuan Zhenchuan?"
He held immense influence in Tianyuan, but globally...
"Must this escalate further? What is the proper course of action?" Fu Qingtian's gaze turned cold. "A Great Shang Legend killed the pioneer of Tianyuan's Martial God Path! What a vile act! It's no less grievous than if a Legend assassinated the Emperor of Tianyuan! Great Shang! Is this a declaration of war against us!?"
His gaze swept across Bai Yang, Zhao Kunwu, Zhang Zixiao, and Ma Long.
"If we follow the normal course, Tianyuan must retaliate with force. At the very least, we would need to kill one of Great Shang's Legends to demonstrate our strength! At this point, do you really want us to engage in an all-out war with Great Shang's Legends!?"
His words sent chills through the Legends.
Fu Qingtian's willingness to relinquish the supreme commander position was already the best possible outcome.
As he said, a Legendary Mage from Great Shang had killed Tianyuan's Martial God pioneer...
How was that not a declaration of war?
The fact that Tianyuan was willing to endure it showed how much they valued the bigger picture.
Who dared press them to surrender the supreme commander's position?
Moreover, with Yuan Zhenchuan as supreme commander, his actions would naturally be less firm than Fu Qingtian's, leaving more room to navigate many perilous tasks.
At this, Venerable Bai Yang and the others exchanged glances and nodded, "Then, as Lord Fu suggested, Yuan Zhenchuan will assume the position of supreme commander."
After some brief discussions about minor details, the group bid their farewells and left.
Once they were gone, Yuan Zhenchuan sighed. "This matter—"
"Let it be," Fu Qingtian cut him off.
"The truth about Li Pin can't be concealed. Even if we wanted to hide it, the other five nations wouldn't cooperate. Worse, they could use this to weaken you and diminish Tianyuan's standing in the international stage. They might even fan the flames. All we can do now is shift all the blame onto Great Shang and Cang Shengdao," Yuan Zhenchuan.
"It was my oversight. This could directly affect Tianyuan's chances of securing the chairman position after the Human Alliance undergoes its restructuring ..." Fu Qingtian couldn't help but feel deep remorse as he said this. One wrong move, and the whole game is lost.
Tianyuan's bright prospects had been jeopardized by this incident. Furthermore...
Fu Qingtian watched Zhao Kunwu's departing figure... both were supreme experts! Each part of the bigger picture! Yet Zhao Kunwu's scheming had stifled the possibility of Tianyuan's rise in the short term...
A deep enmity had formed.
Yuan Zhenchuan hadn't noticed the change in Fu Qingtian's expression. He followed along and sighed.
He wanted to blame Fu Qingtian for being too harsh with Li Pin...
But after careful thought, it wasn't entirely accurate to say Fu Qingtian was too harsh.
Besides, what was done, was done.
"The reformation of the Human Alliance could take three to five years, maybe even drag on for a decade or more. During this time, there might still be a chance to turn things around," Fu Qingtian said.
Yuan Zhenchuan was taken aback, but quickly realized what Fu Qingtian meant. "You mean..."
"Li Pin pioneered the Martial God path. We... might still find a way beyond the Legendary realm!" Fu Qingtian took a deep breath, his eyes filled with determination. "From now on, I will devote all my efforts to this goal. I will... make Astral Cultivators great again!"
1. Canaan is an ancient region in the Middle East in the real world. ☜