Planet Pulverizer: A Mortal's Ascent

Chapter 272: Exposed

"Someone's there!"

The Martial Saint’s low shout quickly drew the attention of the people in his group. However, even before he had shouted, many had already sensed something unusual.

Underneath the dark clouds, lightning occasionally flashed, and the rumbling of thunder echoed across the sky. Within this storm-like atmosphere, a figure emerged, dashing across the sea at incredible speed.

The figure traversed the waves with nothing but his feet, each step he took on the water seemingly stirring some unseen force, sending invisible ripples outward and propelling him back into the air.

Unlike other Martial Saints, who would rise and fall with each movement, he seemed to defy gravity altogether. His ascension allowed him to soar at incomprehensible speeds, covering a hundred meters in a single bound.

This speed was so terrifying no Martial Saint could rival it. It surpassed their wildest imaginations.

Rumble, rumble!

At that moment, the sky erupted with thunder and lightning!

As the bolts illuminated the stormy sky, that figure appeared like a divine being descending from the heavens, etching himself into everyone's mind. Thanks to the flash of light, the group finally saw the figure clearly for the first time.

This figure... belonged to the one they had regarded as their greatest rival for the past several months!

"That's... Li Pin?"

"Impossible!"

"He's running on the sea with nothing but his bare body!?"

More than a dozen shocked voices erupted from the crowd at once. Wang Liancheng, Ye Chengyuan, Bai Liying, Ying Zhen, White Emperor, Wan Yuexin, Ao Haichuan, Tai Long, Fangs, Cang Shengjie, Ten-Thousand Slaughter....

Seventy percent of the Martial Saints on the island saw this scene clearly, except for those from the East Sea's Thirty-Six Countries who happened to land on the other side of the island.

That figure racing across the sea, covering a hundred meters in a single stride, without any external aid under the flash of lightning... struck the heart with unprecedented shock.

Rumble, rumble!

The figure appeared like a god or a demon amidst the claps of thunder and lightning. As he approached Crimson Flame Island, he propelled himself off a reef, soaring into the storm like a Kunpeng spreading its wings. [1]

An invisible force seemed to hold him aloft, allowing him to cover the huge distances while rising tens of meters into the air. Finally, he landed steadily atop a towering sea cliff that jutted out over the ocean, standing more than sixty meters tall.

As he steadied himself on the cliff, another bolt of lightning streaked across the sky. It illuminated the figure standing tall against the storm and wind, unshaken by the torrential rain, in vivid detail.

The King of the Century! The top Martial Saint of this era! Li Pin!

A Martial Saint from the Great Shang's direction couldn't help but roar, "Impossible! Even with the mastery Martial Saints have over force, the most they could do was tread on water momentarily.

"On such an unstable surface like the sea, leaping ten meters is already the limit. There's no way anyone could cover a hundred meters in one stride or leap onto a cliff nearly a hundred meters tall! How could mere flesh accomplish such a feat? It defies all reason!" Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"How did he do it...?"

The Martial Saint wasn't the only one who felt this way.

The other Supreme Martial Saints like Ye Chengyuan, Bai Liying, Ten-Thousand Slaughter, Tai Long, Xi Mi, and Meng Xueya were all replaying the scene back in their mind: Li Pin, cutting through the storm, crossing a hundred meters in one leap, landing on a cliff dozens of meters high.

Is this really something a Martial Saint can do?

There was only so much a Martial Saint could do no matter how much they trained or how strong they became. At best, a Martial Saint might run on water without sinking past their knees, dash for twenty to thirty meters, or leap four to five meters high.

But what did Li Pin just do? A leap of a hundred meters? Soaring dozens of meters high?

Is this even reasonable?

Is he even still a Martial Saint?

"There's no sign of astral energy on him..." One of the Martial Saints quickly sensed something but had to swallow hard at the result. "He hasn't even refined his qi or meditated on the Astral God to become an Astral Cultivator!"

***

While the Martial Saints participating in the King of the Century Competition were left shocked by Li Pin's display of leaping across the sea and landing on the cliff of Crimson Flame Island, a stir erupted hundreds of miles away among the influential figures watching this grand event.

Great Shang, especially, had placed high hopes on this battle. They immediately gathered accurate data, which was promptly delivered to Cang Shengdao. He was the Legendary Mage in charge of overseeing this King of the Century Competition for Great Shang.

The Top-Tier Astral Cultivator who handed over the data spoke firmly. "He used the reef at the last moment to propel himself, covering 112.4 meters in one leap! And the most terrifying part is his vertical! He directly ascended the 68.2-meter-high cliff. This level of power isn't something any Martial Saint possesses! Or rather, this isn't Martial Saint power at all!"

"What about astral equipment!? Technological instruments!? Can they analyze it!?" Cang Shengdao asked urgently.

"There's no sign of astral energy! None at all! What I mean is, he isn't wearing any astral equipment! Not even a single Genuine piece!"

The Top-Tier Astral Cultivator continued, "His clothes, pants, and shoes all appear to be ordinary items you could find on the market. We've found the links. The total cost, converted to Tianyuan currency, is about 811 yuan. They don't have any traits of advanced technology either..."

"Not astral equipment, no tech devices... and yet he can leap over a hundred meters and jump more than sixty meters..."

Cang Shengdao stared at the large screen.

The image was dim, and the drone was quite far away. Yet the figure standing tall atop the sea cliff in the storm was clear to everyone.

He was, by all logic, a mere mortal with no astral energy....

However, for some reason, Cang Shengdao felt an inexplicable pressure. Maybe it was the concern for his younger brother, but....

"Contact Tianyuan! Find out what's going on with this Li Pin!"

***

Meanwhile, Fu Qingtian was asking Mo Wangqing the same question.

"What's going on!?"

It wasn't just him. Yuan Zhenchuan and the other Master Astral Cultivators in the command room had all turned their eyes toward Mo Wangqing, the one responsible for inviting the King of the Century contestants.

Unfortunately, their questions were destined to remain unanswered. Mo Wangqing was just as puzzled as the others, wearing the same bewildered expression.

"I don't know. Li Pin... has always trained alone in the wilderness. We have very little information on him..." Mo Wangqing explained cautiously.

"But even with limited knowledge... a Martial Saint leaping over a hundred meters and soaring across sixty or seventy meters... that's beyond absurd," Yuan Zhenchuan remarked, glancing at Su Dongfeng. "That Li Pin... is he really human!? Could he be some sort of mutated demon?"

"No way! He underwent medical tests during the World's Top Martial Competition! He's definitely human!" Su Dongfeng asserted firmly.

"Then what's going on!? Can a Martial Saint really possess such abilities?" Yuan Zhenchuan asked.

Su Dongfeng could only smile bitterly. You're asking me? Who am I supposed to ask? I barely know Li Pin either.

It was Su Mai who dealt with him during the World's Top Martial Competition... and afterward, it was the Jiang Province Guardian Hall Warden, Xiang Tianxing, who had contact with him.

As a Master Astral Cultivator, he wouldn't have bothered engaging with Li Pin, no matter how great his potential, unless he crossed the life-and-death barrier and became an Astral Cultivator.

"Alright."

Fu Qingtian suddenly spoke up. "Even though Li Pin's strength seems a bit ab...remarkable. This isn't necessarily a bad thing for Tianyuan. What we need to consider now is how to respond to inquiries from other factions."

His words brought everyone back to their senses.

That's right. The stronger Li Pin was, the higher Tianyuan's chances of claiming the King of the Century title. And if Tianyuan emerged victorious, gaining the supreme commander's position....

"Secret art! I'm convinced it's a secret art!" One of the Master Astral Cultivators spoke up. "If any factions inquire, we can simply say that Li Pin mastered a rare secret art that allows him to move with the grace of a swallow, leaping and soaring through wind and rain."

Another Master Astral Cultivator chimed in, "This really is a secret art! Don't forget, Li Pin cultivated the Stars Overlord Secret Art and already developed the Lifeform Force Field. Perhaps he's completed the second stage, allowing him to manipulate the Celestial Force Field with his Lifeform Force Field?"

He quickly added, "Where are Chong Guang, Xuan Yang, and Kai Ming? Contact them! Let's coordinate how to explain this using the Celestial Force Field theory."

Fu Qingtian nodded in agreement.

Mo Wangqing immediately located Chong Guang's contact information and sent out the communication request. Before long, the connection was established.

A projection of Chong Guang's image appeared.

He seemed to know what everyone wanted to ask, and gave a definitive response right off the bat.

—I've been watching the King of the Century Competition broadcast! Li Pin... he has mastered the Celestial Force Field!

The Master Astral Cultivator who had brought it up earlier froze in disbelief. "The real Celestial Force Field!?"

He had only casually mentioned it, but... it turned out to be true?

Even Fu Qingtian was visibly shaken. "He's using the Lifeform Force Field to disrupt the Celestial Force Field!?"

His gaze instinctively returned to Li Pin's image on the screen. He had once sworn that... no Martial Saint could ever master this secret art. Yet now... Li Pin had done it?

—I'm currently in contact with Xiang Tianxing, who is closest to Li Pin. I'll have an answer for you all soon.

Chong Guang spoke hastily. His voice carried a slight tremor, betraying his own unease.

The Celestial Force Field! Someone had actually mastered the Celestial Force Field!? And that person wasn’t even an Astral Cultivator, but a... Martial Saint!

***

Black clouds gathered overhead, and a torrential downpour ensued.

Li Pin stood at the edge of the cliff, waiting quietly. The fierce wind howled, lashing his clothes violently.

Until... noon struck at twelve sharp.

1. Kunpeng, a mythical bird from Chinese folklore, also known as the Great Roc. ☜