Planet Pulverizer: A Mortal's Ascent

Chapter 98: Provocation

Buzz, buzz!

As soon as Li Pin finished speaking, Cao Tianyou felt as if his head had been struck by a hammer, leaving him dizzy and lightheaded with his ears ringing.

Meanwhile, Qiu Chuyun, who looked regretful as he sat in his seat, was startled for a moment before bursting into laughter. "Killed him and got away, you say? Kill, who did you kill? A Martial Saint? A top-tier expert once capable of unleashing a Spirit Qi Unity attack?"

"I need to clarify one thing: Qiu Chufeng couldn't unleash a Spirit Qi Unity strike," Li Pin said. "I warned him early on to prepare his strongest strike against me, and he indeed worked very hard to do so. The Vermillion Phoenix Rise he unleashed was quite impressive, but... it still fell short of being the Spirit Force that merges the essence of the mental spirit and qi."

Qiu Chuyun was stunned. "The Vermillion Phoenix Rise!"

The Vermillion Phoenix Rise was the strongest move of the Solar Vermillion Force.

When Qiu Chufeng unleashed this strike, it essentially meant he had shown his strongest form! If he wanted to surpass that, it would take a perfect storm of circumstances for him to succeed.

Suddenly, Qiu Chuyun was struck with realization. No, wait, the fact that Li Pin could accurately name this ultimate move.... Could it be that he really had a life-and-death battle with Sect Master Qiu!?

"After that, Qiu Chufeng told me he wasn't in his best condition. So, with the intention of helping him regain his peak state, I tried to motivate him with the stark fear of life and death. Unfortunately... he still failed! Even in that critical moment, he couldn't muster the Spirit Qi Unity needed to deliver a fatal blow against me, and so he died," Li Pin recounted with a touch of regret.

He continued, "I want to earnestly remind everyone that life and death battles are not mere child's play. If you do not possess the strength of Spirit Force, do not falsely claim the title of Martial Saint. What's the point of deceiving yourself and others?"

By now, Cao Tianyou had regained his composure. He stared at Li Pin with a face full of disbelief. "You... you really killed Qiu Chufeng!?"

It wasn't that he doubted Li Pin's words, it was simply too hard to believe.

Despite Li Pin's talent, he was just a Core Formation martial artist, a twenty-two-year-old Core Formation practitioner! Moreover, he lacked the backing of a top-tier clan, which meant he likely didn't have access to essential medicinal resources and astral equipment.

Even if he had started cultivating from birth, it would be impossible for him to progress to the point of challenging a Martial Saint in such a short time!

Aura Force and Spirit Force! The difference was like crossing a major realm! This was simply incomprehensible!

Li Pin said calmly, "The martial society members will see for themselves when they arrive at my residence."

Cao Tianyou suddenly realized. Yes!

This kind of incident could indeed be verified easily. There was no need for Li Pin to lie.

In other words... he really did kill Qiu Chufeng, a Martial Saint!

Qiu Chuyun also understood this.

Just a moment ago, he was still sneering, but now his face turned visibly red. Unable to contain himself, he stood up and shouted, "Impossible! This is absolutely impossible! Our Sect Master is the Taibai Kingdom Martial Saint! How could he lose? How could he die at the hands of a mere Core Formation brat like you!?"

He strode forward, eyes blazing with intensity, a palpable aura of menace surrounding him. "To insult our Sect Master is to insult the entire Solar Vermillion Sect! Li Pin, come forward. Today, I must settle this with you and cleanse the shame of your disrespect!"

"Very well," Li Pin responded without hesitation.

This was perfect. He hadn't yet fully satiated his thirst for battle and felt he was on the verge of grasping Spirit Force.

Qiu Chuyun taking the initiative to step out was exactly what he needed.

Cao Tianyou was shocked, and he hastily said, "Don't! He's trying to provoke you!"

He urged, "You may have killed Qiu Chufeng, but you must be seriously injured as well! Qiu Chuyun is a genuine External Aura Grandmaster. He may not be as formidable as Qiu Chufeng, but he is still only slightly weaker than Zhou Chaoguang! You mustn't be fooled by him!"

Li Pin paused briefly upon hearing this. Slightly weaker than Zhou Chaoguang?

Nevertheless, Li Pin's primary objective was to permanently neutralize the threat the Solar Vermillion Sect posed. Having a life-and-death battle remained secondary. Even if Qiu Chuyun was marginally weaker than Zhou Chaoguang, Li Pin could make do with it. His immediate priority was to eliminate them all first.

Seeing Li Pin hesitate for a moment, Qiu Chuyun feared he might back down and immediately provoked him,"What, are you afraid?"

However, before Qiu Chuyun could say what he intended to, Li Pin leaped into action, landing squarely in the center of the arena.

Gesturing, he beckoned Qiu Chuyun forward. "Come."

By now, the disciples of the Five Elements Sect and the Solar Vermillion Sect had already ceased fighting. They needed no reminder to quickly retreat.

"Li Pin...."

Cao Tianyou tried desperately to stop him, but Qiu Chuyun had already eagerly stepped onto the stage and proclaimed loudly, "Listen up, everyone! Today, I will engage in a sparring match with Li Pin in the arena. In combat, accidents happen, and life and death are uncertain!"

While the world prohibited private fights to the death, there were rules governing arena matches. After the two issued their challenge statement, any consequences, including death, would be difficult to attribute blame for.

"Li Pin! You claim you killed my senior martial brother, but I don't believe you! Watch me expose your lies! Take this, Solar Supremacy!"

Qiu Chuyun's attack was decisive, leaving almost no opportunity for intervention. Stepping onto the stage, he disregarded basic courtesy and immediately launched his assault. With a swift motion, his Blood Core erupted, his qi and blood blazing like fire.

The intense friction between his fist and the air created visible shockwaves. He unleashed an Aura Force strike aimed straight at Li Pin.

Having just experienced a life-and-death battle against Qiu Chufeng, Li Pin was far from his peak condition. Even though he had used the Innate Qi-Nurturing Technique to recover, it was not enough to help him recover to his peak. Nevertheless, this did not imply that he was weak at the moment.

As Li Pin stepped forward, his qi and blood surged, engulfing him like an erupting volcano. Countless flames, magma, and dust soared into the sky, carrying with them a cataclysmic blaze that seemed to shroud the sky with its vast and boundless scattered debris.

Eight Enormities True Fire Force! Hundun!

Since his debut at the Jiang Province Martial Competition, he had slain Zhang Chi Yan, defeated Han Li, and even Zhou Chaoguang couldn't escape the fate of death beneath his fists.

Having just slain Qiu Chufeng, the Martial Saint of the Taibai Kingdom, his string of victories had sharpened his edge and deepened his ruthlessness. At this moment, his honed sharpness and killing intent melded seamlessly with his strikes, creating an unstoppable force.

As his fist thundered forth, layers of lethal intent, murderous aura, and sheer power stacked upon one another, sweeping through with such intensity that it culminated in a terrifying, awe-inspiring pressure.

Those unfortunate martial artists, facing the same direction as Qiu Chuyun, were struck directly by the punch as if a prehistoric mountain had appeared behind Li Pin. A mountain so towering that it blotted out the sun and moon.

With the momentum of a falling star, the mountain, propelled by the force of his fist, crashed down. Any living creature, even Qiu Chuyun, the first to feel the impact, felt a crushing sense of insignificance in the face of such immense power.

Qiu Chuyun felt a deep shock course through him. "This punch! This punch!"

His thoughts and will were completely suppressed by the force of this single blow, causing him not to be able to muster more than eighty percent of his full strength.

Cao Tianyou, the veteran grandmaster, suddenly widened his eyes. "To see me is to behold greatness!"

Fist Intent! He thought.

That's the embryonic form of Martial Will! The Fist Intent!

Many martial artists often cultivated their Fist Intent first before further refining it into Martial Will.

Both Demonic Sand and Zhou Chaoguang were no exceptions. However, they had been in the process of nurturing their Fist Intent and had not truly succeeded.

Yet... Li Pin had already developed his own unique Fist Intent? This was the demeanor of a Martial Saint! This truly embodied the essence of a Martial Saint

"No!"

"Ah!"

Behind Qiu Chuyun, over a dozen disciples of the Solar Vermillion Sect, influenced by Li Pin's Fist Intent, seemed completely immersed in a terrifying scene akin to being crushed under the weight of Mount Tai. Their faces turned pale as they emitted cries of terror, filled with despair.

However, these cries from his disciples managed to snap Qiu Chuyun out of his state of feeling small and insignificant. After all, he was a seasoned External Aura Cultivation Grandmaster.

While he might not have been considered exceptional among grandmasters, reaching the stage of cultivating his qi into Aura still reflected remarkable willpower and determination.

In that moment when his thoughts and will were suppressed, and he seemed on the brink of losing the courage to resist, he bit down hard on his tongue. The pain, mixed with the taste of blood, jolted him out of his 'frozen' state.

Without hesitation, he unleashed the Blood Core Eruption. A terrifying force, almost on par with Li Pin's, condensed into a divine Vermilion Bird and surged towards the towering mountain-like manifestation of Li Pin's Fist Intent, seemingly ready to uphold the heavens and avert impending disaster.

Boom!

Witnessed by hundreds of martial artists in awe, the pinnacle clash between the two grandmasters was like a comet striking the moon, resulting in a thunderous collision.

The air at the epicenter of their clash was shattered by the immense force, creating visible shockwaves that exploded outward. Any paper or cloth within a meter would have surely been torn to shreds by the violent blast.

"Xiangliu!"

Before anyone could discern the outcome of the clash, a low, thunderous roar erupted.

In the next instant, Li Pin seemingly transformed into a being with three heads and six arms.

Fists, palms, seals, blades...

Nine variations in one strike! Next, the nine variations melded into a single force!

The air in the sky was continuously shattered by the relentless barrage of attacks, creating a storm of violence.

Within a second, Qiu Chuyun was sent flying like a cannonball, spewing blood as he was engulfed by Li Pin's pervasive fist shadows. His arm was as if it had been shattered by a single punch, with blood gushing out and the bone protruding at an unnatural angle.

"Sect Master Qiu!" Chang Yuanshan, the Solar Vermillion Sect's strongest Aura Force martial artist after Qiu Chuyun and Qiu Chufeng, exclaimed in shock as he abruptly stood up.

"Roar!"

In the next instant, it seemed as if a ferocious beast had burst forth into the sky. Li Pin charged forward with incredible speed, the friction between his body and the air creating a mind-numbing sonic boom, as if an ancient beast was roaring towards the heavens.

Eight Enormities True Fire Force, Chilong!

Breaking free from the battleground, Li Pin took a powerful stride forward. Had it not been for the Five Elements Sect's substantial investment in the exceptionally sturdy ground, built to withstand the force of a Martial Saint, his steps alone would have shattered ordinary floor tiles.

Driven by the momentum of his Chilong charge, he swiftly closed the distance to Qiu Chuyun. With his right hand raised high, it seemingly transformed into a thousand-pound hammer, aiming directly at Qiu Chuyun's face.

With brutal force, he struck it down!