Chapter 103: Plan

Hearing that, Li Pin was immediately interested. "The World's Top Martial Competition? You actually have that kind of influence?"

"From the national competition onward, it's all based on invitation. There were two ways to get invited. One is to be among the top three or five competitors from each province or country, and the other is to be a renowned martial arts expert." Lian Hongchen explained.

He continued, "I know a senior on the World's Top Martial Competition's organizing committee. If you let me send them the video of your battle with Qiu Chufeng, it will be enough to secure you an invitation."

Li Pin nodded.

In past Taibai national competitions, the champions were typically Internal Aura Grandmasters, with External Aura Grandmasters occasionally taking the top spot. During times of great prosperity, even Martial Saints capable of achieving Spirit Qi Unity would make rare appearances.

These exceptional individuals invariably aimed for the top spot in the intermediate category of the World's Top Martial Competition. This alone demonstrated the high standard of the competition.

Despite Qiu Chufeng's lackluster performance, he had still been at the level of an Internal Aura Grandmaster. Given that Li Pin had defeated such a formidable opponent, the committee would certainly extend an invitation to him for the World's Top Martial Competition regardless of his performance in the national competition.

However, there was still something Li Pin didn't quite understand....

𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

"Chairman Lian, why do you go to such lengths to have me avoid both the Jiang Province Martial Competition and the national competition?" Li Pin asked, puzzled.

However, before Lian Hongchen could respond, a thought crossed Li Pin's mind. He added, "Does this have something to do with Chairman Lin, Lin Yuzhi?"

Lian Hongchen nodded. "As expected of someone as astute as you, Grandmaster Li. You must have heard about the top spot in the Jiang Province Martial Competition being prearranged, right?"

"Gu Haoran? Jiang Zhenhai? Zhou Yuanfei?" Li Pin pondered for a moment. "Jiang Zhenhai and Zhou Yuanfei are only at the Core Formation realm. Given Lin Yuzhi's concern for his reputation, it should be Gu Haoran?"

"Exactly," Lian Hongchen replied. "Lin Yuzhi seems to have struck a deal with the Gu family. We don't know the details, but he has meticulously planned for Gu Haoran to secure the first place. The Solar Vermillion Sect was merely a pawn in his scheme. But now...."

Lian Hongchen glanced around the training room that once belonged to Sect Master Qiu Chufeng. "With the Solar Vermillion Sect gone, Gu Haoran's top spot is in jeopardy. Naturally, Lin Yuzhi won't let this slide. He convinced the investigation team sent by the association to detain you for a day under the guise of an investigation, so you would miss the battle against Gu Haoran."

Li Pin was taken aback.

So Lin Yuzhi was secretly behind all the targeting by the Solar Vermillion Sect?

"Why doesn't he just send an expert to kill me?" Li Pin asked, his tone becoming seemingly a little excited. "As the chairman of the Jiang Province Martial Society, he must have Martial Saints or at least Internal Aura Grandmasters under him, right? Maybe even a Spirit Force Martial Saint!"

He added, "I mean someone truly capable of unleashing Spirit Force. Qiu Chufeng doesn't count."

"You are a competitor in the martial competition. The Tianyuan Federation has strict rules protecting competitors. No matter how strong his connections may be, Lin Yuzhi wouldn't dare break those laws," Lian Hongchen explained.

These words caused a thought to spring in Li Pin's mind.

So if I withdraw from the competition, Lin Yuzhi wouldn't have those concerns anymore?

However, if he were to withdraw from the competition, he'd suffer a huge loss. He had bet ten million on himself taking first place in the competition.

Besides, he was so close to comprehending the Spirit Force. Just a few more matches, or even one intense, satisfying battle, and he might just achieve it...

For a moment, Li Pin's heart was torn between conflicting thoughts, and he remained silent for a long time.

"I know this might put you in danger, but rest assured, Grandmaster Li. Before you receive the invitation to the World's Top Martial Competition, I'll arrange a temporary teaching certificate for you at the Astral Hall. You can teach there for a month, giving you time to rest and hone your skills in preparation for the competition," Lian Hongchen promised confidently.

The Astral Hall was the educational department under the Guardian Hall.

Whenever an individual succeeded in meditation and bathed beneath the starlight, they would become Astral Cultivators, and their qi and blood would rapidly rise. In that period, their power would surge tremendously, causing them to accidentally damage their surroundings because of their newfound strength which was difficult to control.

As a result, the Guardian Hall established the Astral Hall, where any newly-awakened Astral Cultivator would be invited to receive training until they manifested their Force, marking the end of their initial phase. Depending on factors such as comprehension and diligence, the initial Force Cultivation stage can take as little as two to three years for fast learners or up to eight to ten years for slower ones.

There were even some who couldn't manifest their Force after more than ten years.

Once they made it through this phase, the early-stage Astral Cultivators would become official Astral Cultivators.

Previously, to prevent Astral Cultivators from giving up halfway, their identities were often concealed from the public.

However, after many years of peace in the Taibai Kingdom, the practice of hiding one's identity had become nothing more than a formality. Most Astral Cultivators would announce to the world that they had successfully begun to meditate on the Astral God the moment they did so, relishing in the glory and wealth that came with it.

In such a situation, even the once strictly regulated teaching certificates could now be obtained through specific channels.

Despite this, such a certificate remained highly valuable.

For many martial artists, it presented a precious opportunity, a chance to network with early-stage Astral Cultivators and establish a foundational network.

During this period, the Astral Hall would hire the people with exceptional teaching for long-term positions. Select few would even be invited by these Astral Cultivators to become their personal tutors, continuing to teach them the technique of condensing Qi to form their Core. As a result, these people would have essentially established a powerful network of connections.

"Teaching the early-stage Astral Cultivators...."

Since Astral Cultivators would see a rise in qi and blood levels the moment they bathed beneath the starlight, what held them back wasn't their early growth efficiency, but their inability to control their newfound strength.

These monsters possessed turbulent and immense qi and blood even before manifesting Force. They were like humanoid ferocious beasts. Even a careless strike that relied purely on their physical strength could crush a Core Force, Core Formation, or even an Aura Force martial artist. On the other hand, ordinary grandmasters would barely cause them serious injury, even when striking with Aura Force.

Therefore, if Li Pin truly wished to let loose and indulge in a series of exhilarating battles, these Astral Cultivators would be his ideal opponents.

"I've been too narrow-minded," Li Pin admitted.

He had forgotten that this was a world where martial artists and the supernatural coexisted.

Li Pin nodded. "Let's proceed with your plan."

"Thank you, Grandmaster Li," Lian Hongchen responded happily.

"What's the next step?"

"Next, we will need your cooperation. The investigation team will arrive shortly and detain you for a few days under the guise of an investigation."

"

Hmm...

"

Glancing at the book in Li Pin's hand, Lian Hongchen added, "If you think you'll feel bored, you can bring these manuals with you."

"The investigation team... Alright."

Lian Hongchen nodded slightly with a smile and didn't say anything more.

Li Pin glanced at him, unsurprised.

As the deputy chairman of the Jiang Province Martial Society, Lian Hongchen would naturally have his own influence and connections.

"It's an open secret that Lin Yuzhi has already designated Gu Haoran to be the champion in Jiang Province. Many people just chose to turn a blind eye to it. However, Grandmaster Li, now that you have even defeated a Martial Saint and overpowered a grandmaster, you are clearly a top contender for the national competition, maybe even a seeded competitor for the World's Top Martial Competition.

"Yet, because of Lin Yuzhi's selfishness, he has coerced the investigation team into framing you and detaining you on account of false charges, causing you to miss this opportunity."

Smiling, Lian Hongchen continued, "If you can step onto the stage of the World's Top Martial Competition and display your prowess in front of the entire Tianyuan Federation, you will become a superstar without a doubt. However, not a star in Jiang Province, but a star across the entire nation."

Lian Hongchen laughed. "No matter how strong Lin Yuzhi's influence is, it's limited to Jiang Province. Once you return to Jiang Province with the prestige of having competed in the World's Top Martial Competition, and if you reveal what happened, Lin Yuzhi won't escape unscathed. Even if his backer is a committee member of the Taibai Martial Association, or even the deputy chairman or chairman, they won't be able to protect him."

Li Pin chuckled. "He would suffer a crushing defeat."

Chairman Lin may have provided him with some help, but Li Pin wasn't fond of people hiding in the shadows and playing dirty tricks. If Lin Yuzhi truly wanted a fight, he could have done it openly. Why resort to underhanded tactics?

"Actually, the key part of the plan lies with you, Grandmaster Li," Lian Hongchen said, looking at Li Pin. "A month from now, the more outstanding your performance in the World's Top Martial Competition, the worse Lin Yuzhi's fate will be when you return to Jiang Province with the competition's momentum."

He paused for a moment, his eyes filled with anticipation.

"If you manage to win several matches, Lin Yuzhi will basically be finished. If you can make it into the top ten, even the people behind him won't be able to protect him. And if you can make it into the top four...." he clicked his tongue in admiration. "The last time Taibai Kingdom won a top three spot in the World's Top Martial Competition was twenty-four years ago! This time, the sixth princess is personally competing because the kingdom's performance in the last few competitions has been poor. If you can return with a top-four finish..."

The deputy chairman of the Jiang Province Martial Society took a deep breath. "You won't just be a hero to the thirty million people of Jiang Province, you'll be a hero of the entire Taibai Kingdom! Every young martial artist in the country will look up to you as their role model!"

"The semifinals of the World's Top Martial Competition,

huh

..." Li Pin mused.

Though Li Pin didn't expect anything less from himself, he didn't make any promises. The World's Top Martial Competition was not like the Taibai Kingdom's national competition. Even Martial Saints who could unleash Spirit Qi Unity wouldn't be so sure they could clinch victory.

In eras teeming with powerful figures, the competition would even feature Martial Saints battling for the championship. And those were not the kind of Martial Saints who could only use Spirit Force in moments of extreme emotion! Those were true Martial Saints!

Therefore, before he understood the strength of his opponents, he didn't dare make any conclusions.

"I am also curious to know how far I can go in the World's Top Martial Competition," Li Pin said.

"Haha, Grandmaster Li, at your age, even winning one or two rounds in the competition would put you in the spotlight," Lian Hongchen said with a smile. "So, shall I proceed with the plan?"

Li Pin nodded slightly. "Sure."