Planet Pulverizer: A Mortal's Ascent

Chapter 231: Accept the Challenge

The incidents in the Dragon Gate Hall naturally didn't escape the attention of the prominent figures running it.

Ran Dongsheng, the Hall Master, listened to Zhang Songbai's report with a faint smile. "One person taking on challenges from eleven members... Oh, now it's thirteen? He certainly is confident."

"Hall Master, this Li Pin is exploiting a loophole in our system the moment he arrives. If everyone follows his example, who will be left to carry out the tasks and earn their points? Moreover, his actions are essentially using our Dragon Gate Hall's 'Dragon Prince' title as a bargaining chip, which shows a lack of respect for our structure and order," Zhang Songbai cautiously said.

"Structure and order? The rules of our Dragon Gate Hall are to spare no effort in cultivating Top-Tier or even Master Astral Cultivator. Do you think Li Pin has the potential to complete the transition to refine his qi into Spirit and become an Astral Cultivator?" Ran Dongsheng said.

Zhang Songbai answered, "Li Pin's talent is astounding. In theory, his chances of transitioning successfully are very high. But that path... even the strongest Martial Saints wouldn't dare to claim a hundred percent success rate.

"Ten years ago, we nurtured Jin Xiao, an exceptionally talented individual. He became a Martial Saint at just twenty-two, a year earlier than Li Pin. He spent fourteen years in our hall, and we invested countless resources into him. He even used the legendary astral equipment more than ten times. Yet, when it came time to refining his qi into Spirit... he still failed."

Ran Dongsheng looked at Zhang Songbai. "I know what you're thinking. When you applied for the implementation of triple points, you were already planning to weaken the influence of this batch of Dragon Princes, weren't you? And it just so happens that the triple points period lasts a year, right until the day of the competitive challenge...."

Seeing Zhang Songbai tense up, Ran Dongsheng smiled slightly. "I'm not blaming you. Otherwise, I wouldn't have approved your request. But remember, you can suppress ordinary geniuses, but when it comes to true prodigies... you won't be able to hold them down. Worse, you might end up dragging yourself down in the process. So, are you willing to gamble your future and life just to vent your frustration?"

This statement made Zhang Songbai's heart skip a beat. Gamble his life just to vent his frustration? Of course not!

For Zhang Songbai, when faced with an opponent strong enough to stand on equal footing, he would carefully consider every detail. Only when dealing with insignificant figures would he allow himself not to overthink before acting.

"A true prodigy..." Zhang Songbai pondered. "Hall Master, are you referring to... Li Pin?"

"Whether he is or not, we'll find out after this round of challenges," Ran Dongsheng replied.

Zhang Songbai immediately understood what he meant. "Hall Master you're saying that if Li Pin truly shows the confidence to defeat all thirteen challengers, his status as an extraordinary prodigy will be undeniable. But if he fails to perform up to expectations this time...."

Ran Dongsheng smiled faintly. "For those ordinary geniuses, a little suppression to make them realize that fully dedicating themselves to the Dragon Gate Hall is their only true path is no issue. But for a true prodigy, what we must do is help them soar, give them a vast future, and ensure they remember this favor."

He looked at Zhang Songbai. "This is the foundation of the Dragon Gate Hall's success and the reason we could grow to this scale in just a few decades."

Everything immediately clicked for Zhang Songbai.

In the martial arts world, people only tend to remember a handful of the most brilliant individuals from any given era. As long as those few reached the pinnacle with dazzling achievements, their radiance would overshadow everyone beneath them. When that happened, no one aside from their closest ones would pay much attention to the lives or futures of the forgotten ones.

The Dragon Gate Hall had long mastered this cycle of suppression and recruitment. No one would notice anything amiss. These individuals would become part of the hall's fresh blood, and with a few shining stars illuminating all sides, the hall would gain both prestige and strength.

With newfound clarity, Zhang Songbai promptly said, "I'll move forward and push this matter along."

Ran Dongsheng nodded slightly.

***

Three days flew by quickly.

Thanks to Zhang Songbai's vigorous promotion, the news had spread throughout the entire Dragon Gate Hall. It wasn't just the ordinary and core members who took notice; even many Dragon Princes, including those ranking high on the Transformative Dragon List, had been alerted about it.

On the day of the competition, the arena, comparable in scale to the World's Top Martial Competition, was surrounded by thousands of people.

Unlike the World's Top Martial Competition, where most spectators were ordinary people, or at best level one or two martial artists, not a single person here was below the grandmaster realm.

It was truly a scene where grandmasters were as common as dogs, and Martial Saints walked the land.

This was much like attending an elite business summit, where every person interviewed had a fortune in the tens of billions. From that, one might conclude that the national economy was thriving, with an average wealth of billions per person.

***

"I knew it. The moment Li Pin arrived at the Dragon Gate Hall, there was no way he'd stay quietly in the shadows. Someone like him will always shine wherever he goes, drawing countless eyes," Zhao Yushi remarked, standing in the crowd.

She stood alongside the Great Sun Chosen One and Song Wuya.

As fellow Dragon Princes from the same batch, the three naturally formed a group, with five or six others gathered around them.

These were official and core members, drawn to their potential.

There weren't many of them. This was natural as anyone who could enter the Dragon Gate Hall would, without doubt, be confident in their own talent. Who would willingly lower their head and serve as a subordinate?

In just over two months, having five or six people pledge their allegiance was already quite impressive.

"Li Pin accepted challenges from thirteen people? He really is... open to all comers."

The Great Sun Chosen One muttered, "But... this is very much in line with his style."

"Does that Martial Saint Li really have what it takes to face off against thirteen Martial Saints? Even Zhou Heng, a top expert on the Transformative Dragon List, has made his move. Can he really pull this off?"

A woman, who appeared to be around twenty-three or twenty-four years old, asked, "Or is it just like the rumors say, he just wants to rack up points? Even if he loses his status as the Dragon Prince in next year's competitive challenge, gaining over a million points wouldn't be a bad deal, would it?"

This was Zhou Caiyun, a grandmaster who had pledged allegiance to Zhao Yushi. Her family had some connections with the Zhao family.

"I don't know." Zhao Yushi nodded. "But I think, given Li Pin's confidence, it’s hard to believe he accepted just for the points. Perhaps..."

She recalled how Li Pin had accepted challenges from everyone at the World's Top Martial Competition. "Maybe his real goal is to fight these opponents to gain martial arts experience and strengthen himself."

"Don't underestimate Li Pin," Song Wuya calmly said. "He's like a towering mountain. Just when you think you've reached the peak, you realize there's an even higher peak beyond it."

"Let's wait and see," said Zhao Yushi before falling silent.

They didn’t wait long. Soon, the crowd erupted in excited shouts.

"Li Pin! It's Li Pin!"

"He's here! He's here!"

"Challenging thirteen opponents in a row? That takes guts! Does he really think this is the World's Top Martial Competition, and that he's the world's strongest?"

"The competition he participated in was the intermediate category with age restrictions. But most of the people challenging him are Martial Saints nearing their forties, martial artists in their prime. And let's not forget Zhou Heng, a ranked expert on the Transformative Dragon List!"

Various discussions rippled through the crowd, with everyone eager to flaunt their knowledge.

Amidst the clamour, Li Pin arrived at the stage, accompanied by Su Feiyu and Zhang Yuesheng.

On the other side of the stage, Zhou Heng, who had been meditating to adjust his condition, opened his eyes. "Li Pin!"

His gaze was sharp as lightning, cutting through the air and locking onto Li Pin. "Who do you plan to fight first? I should go first. Otherwise, when you lose to me after fighting the others, you might claim it wasn't a fair win because you hadn't recovered your strength."

"No rush, no rush, everyone will get their turn," Li Pin glanced at Zhang Yuesheng and Su Feiyu. "Are the profiles of the thirteen opponents reliable?"

"This is all we could manage to gather in such a short time... If someone is hiding their true strength, we wouldn't be able to uncover it," Su Feiyu replied helplessly.

"Let me see the list again," Li Pin said. Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Su Feiyu quickly handed over a small booklet.

Li Pin examined the profiles of the thirteen challengers, which included their cultivation levels, their specialized martial arts techniques, secret arts, and previous battle records. Su Feiyu had even ranked them, with Zhou Heng placed at the top. Su Fang, Huang He, and Zhao Yunlong were placed in the last three.

Li Pin memorized them one by one.

However, the process seemed to take some time, causing the crowd to grow impatient. "What's wrong, Li Pin? Are you too scared to step onto the stage?"

"Huang He? No rush, no rush, your turn will come soon," Li Pin said, handing the booklet back to Su Feiyu.

With that, Li Pin leaped onto the stage.

Hearing Li Pin's words, Huang He was secretly delighted. "You want to challenge me first?"

"The names I call out will be the ones I accept the challenge first. By then, you can come straight up."

Li Pin nodded to the Astral Cultivator in charge of hosting the match.

The Astral Cultivator raised his hand, indicating that the healing astral equipment was ready. After that, Li Pin cast his gaze toward the crowd. "My first opponent... Su Fang."

"Haha! I knew you'd think I was an easy target! Since you accepted my challenge first, it looks like my three years of hard training in the Iron Palm Technique will finally pay off today."

Su Fang, a man in his forties, strode confidently onto the stage. "Li Pin, I'll show you what it means to regret—"

"Not yet. Stand aside for now. There are still others," Li Pin said, continuing. "The second is Huang He, and the third... Zhao Yunlong."