Chapter 113: Take the Stage

At the martial competition venue.

Cars and people were everywhere. The road was so packed, it was hard to move. Vehicles were at a standstill, small vendors had set up stalls, street merchants roamed with flower baskets and balloons, and students sold glow sticks and support signs.

It felt like the entire province had gathered in Jiang Province City and concentrated around the martial competition venue throughout the week. The bustling scene made the competition incredibly popular, reaching its climax.

In such a crowded situation, even a celebrity or an internet influencer would need ten to thirty minutes to navigate through the crowd.

Of course, contestants like Li Pin didn't have to join the crowds as they could use the designated contestant passage.

The top ten in the intermediate category had already been decided, and the awards ceremony was now underway. Chi Xingyu, the deputy chairman of the Jiang Province Martial Society, was the person responsible for presenting the awards.

Compared to the adult category, the youth and intermediate categories were considered slightly less prestigious. To reflect this difference, the chairman of the Martial Society, Lin Yuzhi, did not personally present the awards.

Instead, Chi Xingyu, along with other renowned figures in the martial arts world like Liu Tiandao, Shu Shaoyan, and Xiao Yunfeng, took to the stage to present certificates of honor to the top ten contestants in Jiang Province.

Li Pin and Fang Lingjue might have withdrawn from the competition, but there were plenty of skilled contestants ready to fill their spots. Gao Liushui and Jiang Qushan were the ones who had stepped in, filling their spots in the new top ten.

These certificates of honor would not only help them easily secure Associate Senior titles, but they would also make them stand out when applying for Senior titles in the future.

Moreover, if they decided to establish a martial hall of their own, this honor would allow them to receive support and benefits from the martial society and local government. These benefits included substantial interest-free loans and several years of tax exemptions.

The intangible benefits of the publicity that came with winning this award were immeasurable. No amount of money could buy the fame and recognition it brought. That was why the award winners on stage were all beaming with joy.

Since most of the award recipients were from the Cloud Crest Martial Hall and the Cosmic Gem Sect, the atmosphere was intimate and celebratory. The presenters were also smiling widely.

Every time an award was presented to one of the top ten competitors, a swarm of journalists would rush forward to snap pictures.

Snap! Snap!

The sound of camera shutters echoed throughout the venue. As the competitors took the stage, their supporters would cheer loudly, a testament to the worldwide fervor that martial competitions held.

"And now, we come to the most exciting moment! Let's welcome the champion of the intermediate category, Gu Haoran! Hailing from the capital city, Gu Haoran has delivered ten spectacular matches, showcasing his incredible strength and winning the admiration of Jiang Province's thirty million citizens."

The announcer boomed, "He has rightfully claimed the title of Jiang Province Martial Competition Intermediate Category Champion! His strength is undeniable, and his victory is well-deserved!"

As Gu Haoran walked past the previous nine award recipients to the front of the stage, the crowd erupted with thunderous cheers.

"Brother Haoran! Look, Brother Haoran is on stage! Girls, he's so handsome! How can anyone be this handsome?"

"

Haoran's on fire! Watch his martial arts pyre!"

"Oh, my god, Brother Haoran is so amazing. What's his full name again?

Guerdesakario Nummhaosidasriyan Daofo Dalabengba Bandebeidi Buduobiluweng

....." [1]

Waves of screams erupted, shaking the arena to its core and piercing the heavens.

With the Martial Society controlling the official media and Lin Yuzhi having warned local outlets, Gu Haoran's status as Jiang Province's champion was firmly established through their vigorous promotion.

As for the once-famous Li Pin....

Under the media's constant defamation, influenced by Lin Yuzhi, Li Pin had become a symbol of deceit and fraud. In the peaceful Taibai Kingdom, the public believed whatever the media reported. With news constantly shifting and many people only retaining memories for three days, Gu Haoran had become the brightest star of the Jiang Province Martial Competition.

Even Gu Haoran, who knew the truth better than anyone else, became slightly elated by the constant praise he received.

As Chi Xingyu presented Gu Haoran with the championship trophy, a host offered him a microphone and said with a smile, "Hearing the cheers from the crowd, it's clear Gu Haoran's victory was well-deserved. Let's hear what Contestant Gu Haoran has to say."

Gu Haoran took the microphone and began, "First of all, I want to thank the organizing committee of the martial society...."

He went on to thank everyone in his signature style.

Finally, he began to wrap up his speech, saying, "I might have come from the capital city, but my ancestral roots are in Jiang Province. It has been an honor to compete with so many young talents from Jiang Province in this competition.

"I appreciate their sportsmanship, which allowed me to win first place. I will never forget the experience of this martial competition or the warmth of the people from my hometown in Jiang Province...."

At this moment, a reporter opened his mouth and said, "Gu Haoran, many professionals have claimed that your actual strength is inferior to Li Pin, who withdrew midway. They say that if not for the society's repeated efforts to eliminate him using top experts, forcing him to withdraw due to the unfair practices, you might not have won first place. What do you have to say to those people?"

As soon as these words were spoken, several people's expressions changed simultaneously.

In a luxurious office, Lin Yuzhi frowned and sternly scolded his assistant, "Which media outlet does this reporter belong to? Who let him in!? Didn't you check the credentials of these reporters beforehand? What are you doing!?"

"I... I'll check right away...!" the assistant responded quickly.

In another direction, Lian Hongchen watched the reporter he had arranged, smiling without saying a word.

Did Lin Yuzhi really think he could suppress this issue so easily? Without the hype, how would we discredit him when Li Pin returned with the glory of being the top champion of the World's Top Martial Competition two months later?

Gu Haoran was momentarily caught off guard by the reporter's question and didn't respond immediately. Fortunately, the host stepped in to smooth things over for him, saying with a smile, "Dear reporter, the official announcement has already clarified the circumstances surrounding Li Pin's withdrawal. Li Pin had to withdraw due to severe injuries sustained from fighting a grandmaster, and there was no foul play involved... Now, let's invite all the participants to the stage."

The host hoped to gloss over the question, but Gu Haoran had another idea in mind. Confident in his status as Jiang Province's true number one, he sneered and said, "Li Pin is strong, but his famed strength is only a result of him killing Grandmaster Zhou Chaoguang when he dared not use his full power, right? Also, there's one thing you've clearly forgotten..."

Gu Haoran suddenly stepped forward, his entire body resonating with the movement of his muscles and bones, while his internal organs vibrated in unison. He threw a punch, and an invisible force exploded the air current in front of the reporter.

Bang!

A thunderous rumble reverberated through everyone's ears via the microphone.

The deafening sound struck fear into everyone present.

Startled by the noise, the reporter staggered backward and collapsed onto the stage's floor.

"I am also a grandmaster!" declared Gu Haoran, raising his fist. "If Li Pin could kill a grandmaster who dared not use his full strength, then so can I! So why do you think I can't defeat Li Pin?"

His arrogant words fully embodied the demeanor of Jiang Province's top martial artist.

In any case, Gu Hoaran didn't care about Jiang Province at all. He was about to return to the capital and had no desire to stay in this wretched place. He just wanted to enjoy this moment and show off to his heart's content regardless of any consequences.

His domineering response once again elicited screams from the crowd.

"A thunderous strike! That's the characteristic of an Aura Force Grandmaster! Brother Gu Haoran is a grandmaster!"

"A bunch of haters who only know how to spew nonsense online. Did you see that? Li Pin is nothing compared to my brother!"

Those not familiar with the field only knew that creating a sonic boom indicated a grandmaster. They couldn't distinguish between Internal Aura and External Aura. Gu Haoran's display perfectly matched their understanding of what a grandmaster should be.

For a moment, all of Gu Haoran's supporters were elated, showing their support loudly.

Even the reporter, intimidated by Gu Haoran's close-range Aura Force display, felt his head buzzing and was filled with fear, not daring to say a word.

Such a display further boosted the morale of Gu Haoran's supporters, elevating the atmosphere in the arena to its peak.

The host, Lin Yuzhi, and award presenter Chi Xingyu all breathed a sigh of relief. Their efforts in promoting the event and arranging a professional atmosphere team to enhance the mood and steer the discussion were paying off.

Just then, before anyone could react, a figure took several strides and leaped onto the stage, landing steadily.

The crowd immediately realized that this person had to have used the contestant's passage to reach the arena.

Many people recognized the figure who had taken the stage and shouted, "Li Pin! It's Li Pin!"

Lian Hongchen, who had originally only intended to cause some trouble for Lin Yuzhi, couldn't help but lean forward and exclaim, "Li Pin...! Why is he here now!?"

However, he quickly regained his composure and instructed Lian Xiyue, "Quick! Execute Plan Four!"

He had planned for Li Pin to appear in the finals of the Jiang Province Competition to expose Lin Yuzhi's so-called "clarification" as a lie. However, he had been forced to dismiss this plan. Firstly, that plan wasn't foolproof, and it wasn't very likely that it could bring Lin Yuzhi down. Secondly, It could alert the enemy and put Li Pin in danger, and he feared Li Pin wouldn't agree.

But now, with Li Pin taking the initiative to step onto the stage despite the risks... they could boldly attempt it. Even if they couldn't take down Lin Yuzhi directly, they could at least win over public opinion and shatter Lin Yuzhi's authority.

"Li Pin!?"

Gu Haoran's pupils dilated at the sight of Li Pin coming up the stage, his mind reeling with shock.

Why is Li Pin here!? He appeared out of nowhere!

It wasn't just him, the expressions of the others on the stage also changed simultaneously. Jiang Zhenhai, in particular, instinctively took a step backward.

Li Pin slowly straightened his back. "Gu Haoran, who gave you the guts to think that..."

Li Pin's voice took on a sharp tone. His Fist Intent, accompanied by a soundwave like a thunderous roar, exploded in the ears of the young man from the capital city, shaking him to his very soul.

"You can beat me?"

1. It's a song by a Chinese singer called Zhou Shen. In the song, this is the name of the main character. ☜