Planet Pulverizer: A Mortal's Ascent

Chapter 72: Glory

Fang Lingjue approached Li Pin. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Li Pin responded.

Zhang Chiyan might look strong, but in reality, he was on par with Chang Yueming. The key distinction between them was his ruthless demeanor, approaching the fight with lethal intent.

Li Pin looked at the worried Fang Lingjue and understood his concerns. "Are you worried about the Solar Vermillion Sect seeking revenge on me?"

Unlike Fang Lingjue, Li Pin remained composed. "In the martial competition, there are clear rules stating that once on stage, life and death are beyond one's control. If a participant dies during the tournament, any retaliation from their faction will be met with severe and strict punishment to the highest degree. This is why the competition has been able to go on year after year."

If the Solar Vermillion Sect sought revenge against him and were caught with evidence, the punishment wouldn't be limited to one or two individuals but would extend to the entire sect.

"I understand your point, but the Taibai Kingdom is not like the other factions within the Tianyuan Federation," remarked Fang Lingjue. "Most kingdoms in the federation have emerged from thirty years of turmoil, facing either external threats or perilous internal territories. They have had to enforce strict laws to maintain order.

"While breaking the rules of the martial arts competition guarantees severe punishment, in the Taibai Kingdom, long-standing peace and comfort have shifted its societal focus from strict legality to personal relationships."

He sighed deeply. "It's all about protecting their own, from top to bottom. No matter how good the law looks on paper, it is in the end enforced by people. What can you do if those people choose not to follow it? Take matters into your own hands? That just makes you a lawbreaker, and all of a sudden, even if you're in the right, you're viewed as the troublemaker. Let's face it, sometimes the laws are designed to protect their own interests."

Li Pin took a glance at Fang Lingjue and didn't say anything.

Seeing Li Pin's gaze on him, Fang Lingjue felt somewhat puzzled. After taking a moment to assess himself, he asked in confusion, "What's wrong?"

"Hallmaster Fang, I remember the first time I met you. Back then, you were sharp and confident. You weren't even concerned with the affairs of Changfeng Martial Hall. You were focused wholeheartedly on witnessing the most spectacular sights along the path of martial arts," Li Pin remarked.

Fang Lingjue was stunned, but he soon grasped what Li Pin wanted to say and fell into silence.

He... he had truly changed a lot since he had left the White Crane Sect for Zanglong less than a year ago.

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In the White Crane Sect, everyone practiced martial arts and aspired to reach the pinnacle of the martial path. Under this environment, he was determined to advance in his martial arts. Despite his talents not being on par with those of the top geniuses, his ambition soared high, and he refused to give up.

However, upon arriving in Zanglong City, he became corrupted by the influence of wealth and lost sight of his original intentions.

Until today, he had uttered words to Li Pin that he never imagined he would say a year ago.

After a long pause, Fang Lingjue spoke again. "When countless individuals unite to form factions and kingdoms, it becomes necessary to establish specific rules and systems to govern and sustain their strength. In the face of these vast collective entities, individual power appears insignificant."

Li Pin replied, "Factions, kingdoms, or even the entire human race, when compared to the vast expanse of the universe, are as insignificant as a grain of sand in the sea. From this perspective, it's clear how meaningless rules and regulations can be."

"It's premature for you to say such things," Fang Lingjue remarked, looking at Li Pin. "Don't let your talents blind you to what others are capable of."

"I understand," Li Pin replied, meeting his gaze. "But the Solar Vermillion Sect isn't a nation, nor do they represent humanity. They are just a sect. Even if they seek revenge, they would only dare to do so in secret. They wouldn't risk invoking any external influence."

"Even if they do it in secret, the power the Solar Vermillion Sect wields is formidable. It's not out of the question for them to deploy an Aura Force Grandmaster," Fang Lingjue elaborated.

"Aura Force?" muttered Li Pin.

He glanced back at the training area where he just finished his match, smiled, and remained silent.

Seeing his expression, Fang Lingjue quickly realized something, and his eyes widened abruptly.

"You... you...."

Fang Lingjue seemed to be choking on his own words.

"Please trust me, I don't want to cause any trouble," Li Pin reassured him, knowing what was on his mind, "but if trouble comes looking for me, don't blame me for taking matters into my own hands and crushing it myself."

An idealized love was often beyond reach. Likewise, a life that was too tranquil could also become quite dull.

"You are truly...." Fang Lingjue sighed deeply. "Phew!"

It took him quite a while to finally catch his breath again.

"You're attempting to challenge the unspoken rules of the Taibai Martial Arts Community," Fang Lingjue remarked. "This will make your future path exceedingly difficult and could place your life in danger."

"Is that so? Let's see." Li Pin smiled and waved his hand. "Let's find out how far I can go on this journey of mine."

With that, he turned around and departed calmly.

Fang Lingjue watched him depart and remained silent for a long while. At that moment, he couldn't discern whether Li Pin had no other choice but to kill Zhang Chiyan or if he had done so deliberately. He could no longer grasp Li Pin's true thoughts or understand what kind of person he really was. Yet one thing was clear, he saw a glimmer of light within him.

***

It was only the second day of the Jiang Province Martial Competition, yet someone had already died. What's more, the martial artist killed was a Core Formation expert.

As the news spread, it stirred up a frenzy. Countless reporters hurried to the scene, eager to cover the story.

A Core Formation expert!

An expert like that would be regarded as a true master in any city. With the right connections, they could open their own martial arts school and easily earn hundreds of millions in revenue annually. Even if they opted for comfortable jobs in certain departments, they could still earn millions to tens of millions each year. The chairmans of many counties' martial societies were Core Formation martial artists.

Yet here lay such a formidable individual, slain on only the second day of the competition. Upon hearing this news, countless individuals were struck by how intense the competition was in this year's tournament.

***

By the time the public buzzed with the news, Zhang Chiyan's body had already been swiftly transported back to the Solar Vermillion Sect.

Though not the flagship figure of the Solar Vermillion Sect in Jiang Province City, Zhang Chiyan still held the position of second-in-command within the sect's Jiang Province branch, akin to Qi Dongyuan of the Five Elements Sect in Zanglong City.

The death of such a heavyweight figure naturally drew representatives from neighboring factions to visit and inquire about the sect's stance on the matter. However, the Solar Vermillion Sect's Sect Master, Qiu Chufeng, allowed it to be known that in battles, life and death were determined by fate. Given Zhang Chiyan's inferior skills, Li Pin shouldn't be held responsible.

Furthermore, Qiu Chufeng publicly promised to strictly adhere to the rules of the martial competition and would refrain from seeking personal vendettas off the arena floor.

However, some individuals of status and influence were aware that less than an hour after Zhang Chiyan's body was returned, Qiu Chufeng personally placed a call to the capital city. Soon after, within the capital city, a formidable figure with close ties to Qiu Chufeng purchased a ticket and departed for Jiang Province City.