Planet Pulverizer: A Mortal's Ascent

Chapter 246: Formidable

"Li Pin... he is so strong."

The minds of thousands of grandmasters and Martial Saints present echoed with the same thought. Though their cultivation might not match Ye Chengyuan's, their insight and perception were not far behind.

Ye Chengyuan's sword strike moments ago had been nothing short of stunning, and brilliant, fully demonstrating the level expected of the first-ranked on the Transformative Dragon List.

If they had been in Li Pin's place... they would've bit the dust. No, even a Martial Saint, using their secret art, might struggle to defend against such an attack. Yet, Li Pin had effortlessly shattered this powerful strike with a simple flick.

They couldn't help but think that Li Pin might be putting up a strong front, trying to act tough. However, try as they might, they could not deny the strength behind that palm. It was as though his hand held an entire world within it.

No matter how intricate or varied Ye Chengyuan's sword techniques were, they were easily suppressed in this "world," unable to change the outcome.

For a brief moment, it felt as if their roles had reversed. Li Pin, second on the Transformative Dragon List, should have been the one to unleash such a strike, while Ye Chengyuan should have been the one blocking it.

***

"Both Martial Saints...."

Ye Chengyuan's mind was shaken, but his vast experience quickly turned that shock into a burning passion, a desire to discover and overcome such a formidable foe.

"As fellow Martial Saints, I refuse to believe you're truly this strong! If you want to witness my secret art, I'll make it happen! Heavenly Body Lock! Activate!"

With a low roar, Ye Chengyuan's aura surged. Both his qi and blood and mental spirit entered a unique state, one that bordered on transcendence and intense burning without leaving the user with any latent dangers.

In some ways, this secret art was similar to Li Pin's Great Sun Infinite. When Li Pin used it to enter a near-transcendent state back then, many were shocked, but no one dared to covet his power because they recognized the similarities.

Harnessing this near-transcendence eruption, Ye Chengyuan's qi and blood and mental spirit broke free from the constraints of balance and surged wildly. In this moment, he fully showcased the extent of a Martial Saint's power.

The treasure sword tremored intensely, and the fiery Sword Intent coalesced into a soul-stirring dragon's roar.

In that fleeting moment, Ye Chengyuan's sword seemed to transform into a divine dragon, roaring as it soared out of the abyss, proudly displaying its invincible might.

"Ten Thousand Miles Dragon Ascent!"

The sword cleaved the heavens! The radiant sword light and the thunderous dragon's roar seemed poised to shatter and tear apart everyone's spiritual world.

At that moment, every expert gazed up at that insurmountable mountain with reverence and awe. From the grandmasters who had grasped "intent" to the Martial Saints who had forged their Martial Will, everyone fixed their eyes on it.

After unleashing this sword, Ye Chengyuan seemed to have truly transformed into a dragon. He soared through the heavens, commanding the skies like a hidden dragon rising from the depths.

"Ten Thousand Miles Dragon Ascent! Ye Chengyuan has actually been forced to use this sword technique—"

Zhang Songbai, who knew Ye Chengyuan well and had high hopes for him, instinctively wanted to exclaim at the sight of this sword strike. However, before he could finish, Li Pin raised his hand once more.

This time, Zhang Songbai was watching intently, and he saw it clearly.

In a way that even this Top-Tier Astral Cultivator couldn't comprehend, Li Pin had mobilized the airflow and particles around him. He used the air as a medium to channel a power similar to intent and force, linking it to his qi and blood....

No, there had to be a spiritual aspect as well!

The Vitality, Qi, and Spirit, which were supposedly abstract concepts, were combined and materialized into a... Force field!

A force field born of conceptual power, intangible yet made real by integrating Vitality, Qi, and Spirit.

This field loomed like a celestial dome, enveloping and overturning the ascending dragon formed by Ye Chengyuan's sword. The forces within surged violently, binding and suppressing the soaring dragon, trapping it within the sky itself.

As Li Pin once again extended his arm, Ye Chengyuan's brilliant sword seemed as though it had sunk into mud before everyone's eyes. Its power and speed were relentlessly worn away.

In the end... it was as if Ye Chengyuan pulled back the force from his strike and presented his sword to Li Pin willingly.

However, Li Pin didn't accept the sword. He merely flicked his fingers again....

Bang!

A resounding, bell-like noise erupted from the point of contact between Li Pin's fingertip and the sword.

In this domain, where the power's oscillation frequency reached its peak, Li Pin's seemingly gentle gesture unleashed an astonishingly formidable force.

Even with Ye Chengyuan wielding a high-grade astral equipment sword, he could not counteract or dissipate the high-frequency shockwaves.

Li Pin could clearly see the continuous tremors crashing through the muscle group on Ye Chengyuan's sword arm, impacting the eight wrist bones, five palm bones, and fourteen finger bones that gripped the sword, fracturing them under the assault.

The rupturing of minor blood vessels left his entire hand and arm a deep crimson.

This attack... was devastating.

***

Li Pin had once again effortlessly deflected Ye Chengyuan's sword.

Amidst the sound of the sword humming, Ye Chengyuan found himself involuntarily retreating six steps, shocked to feel his arm go numb.

Li Pin's voice echoed across the arena. "Decent swordsmanship, but you can still put in more effort."

Staring at Li Pin, who hadn't even moved his feet, Ye Chengyuan's pupils dilated sharply. "You...."

How could Li Pin continue to provoke me so arrogantly in front of everyone? What would become of my dignity as the top on the Transformative Dragon List!

"Li Pin, I admit you're strong, but if you think this is enough to defeat me, you're gravely mistaken."

With a low growl, Ye Chengyuan spun sharply, transferring his sword from his right hand to his left.

In a swift motion, he completed a full 360-degree turn. His powerful mental spirit resonated with the sword, driving the blade forward and releasing a sharp screech as it sliced through the air.

That screech carried a sharpness that seemed capable of piercing the soul, aiming directly at Li Pin's spiritual world.

This... was a method similar to a spiritual attack. n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

If this had happened before Li Pin evolved and transcended, when his mental spirit was only thirty, he might have been affected by that piercing sound. Unfortunately for Ye Chengyuan... it was of no use now.

Li Pin remained utterly still.

As Ye Chengyuan's spinning sword approached his, Li Pin struck again.

The same scene of the air seemingly freezing in place reappeared. With a wave of his hand, Ye Chengyuan was once again sent flying five or six meters away. Even when he landed, he retreated several steps until the force dissipated.

Li Pin's seemingly simple gesture carried behind it the weight of an entire mountain, far beyond what mere flesh could withstand.

Li Pin looked at Ye Chengyuan with a hint of encouragement. "Keep going, I can take more."

Yet, to Ye Chengyuan, that gaze felt like the ultimate humiliation. "Li Pin!"

With a furious growl, his mental spirit and qi and blood ignited as if set ablaze. Gripping his sword with both hands, he abruptly charged toward Li Pin like a cannonball.

His violent qi and blood, fuelled by rage and murderous intent, raged into the sword.

At that moment, he seemed like a dragon bursting from the sea, or a trapped dragon ascending to the heavens. As he and his sword became one, he radiated an unstoppable, murderous aura that threatened to dominate the four seas.[1]

"Kill!"

"Roar!"

His shout, accompanied by the dragon roar-like shriek as the sword cut through the air, unleashed an attack of unmatched ferocity and intensity.

The overwhelming killing intent manifested as the shadow of a blood dragon, roaring and lunging at Li Pin, its jaws wide open, prepared to devour him....

Bang!

It crashed against an immovable, towering divine mountain!

The shadow of the blood dragon, roaring as if to swallow Li Pin, seemed to smash into a mountain as colossal as the clouds, as unyielding as an ancient peak.

In an instant, the overwhelming murderous aura dissipated, leaving behind... only the purest reality.

***

Li Pin extended his hand, fingers firmly gripping the wild sword thrust by Ye Chengyuan.

Though he held the sword with nothing but his bare hand, the Aura Force vibrations from his grasp neutralized the sword's sharpness, leaving his palm unharmed.

With his left hand behind his back, Li Pin simply held onto Ye Chengyuan's sword. No matter how terrifying or overwhelming Ye Chengyuan's earlier momentum had been, it crumbled before Li Pin's outstretched right hand, dissipating like mist.

Li Pin looked at Ye Chengyuan, now just inches away, gripping his sword with both hands. Disappointment flickered in his eyes. "Is this all you've got?"

"How... is this... possible...?"

Ye Chengyuan's voice came out dry. He had never felt so powerless.

This powerlessness shook him to his core, threatening to shatter his Martial Will. The entire world began to feel unreal to him.

"You're not weak."

Li Pin noticed Ye Chengyuan's fragile state and said, "Your sword truly deserves the title of the best in the Dragon Gate Hall. Among all the Martial Saints I've met in my life, you're the strongest."

A glimmer of light reappeared in Ye Chengyuan's eyes.

"That's why you're not weak."

Li Pin met his gaze and released Ye Chengyuan's sword, which Ye Chengyuan still held tightly despite the blood streaming from his grip. "It's just that I'm too strong."

"What... kind of technique is this?" Ye Chengyuan forced out the words with difficulty.

"Lunar Youying," Li Pin answered. "However, I've recently gained new insights into a certain power. Although I haven't fully mastered it, I've integrated some of it into Lunar Youying, revealing only a fraction of its strength. So, it's not the true Lunar Youying anymore."

Ye Chengyuan's eyes widened. "A new power!?"

"Want to learn?" Li Pin smiled.

Ye Chengyuan paused, a hint of desire flashing across his face.

"Your heart isn't pure enough; you can't learn it," Li Pin said. "When you reach a point where even if there's no path ahead, you still possess the unwavering determination to forge your own, then come find me."

With that, he turned and descended from the stage.

1. The "Four Seas" refer to the vast oceans surrounding China. They symbolize the vastness and mystery of the world beyond China's borders. East, North, West, South Sea. ☜