Chapter 133: Powerful

The next day, Li Pin noticed his still somewhat weakened spiritual state and frowned. "Does using Spirit Force really take such a toll on the body?"

It was hard to imagine what kind of willpower true Martial Saints had to sustain the continuous release of Spirit Force.

I need to either find a new method to better nourish my mental spirit or increase my time spent on the Chaos Meditation Art to raise its limit.

He pondered for a moment.

After a while, Li Pin calmed his mind and quietly sensed the improvements from yesterday's battle.

[Qi and Blood: 37.66], [Primordial Qi: 39.12], [Mental Spirit: 19.35]

[Internal Aura: 34/155]

[Innate Qi-Nurturing Technique, Qi-Refining Chapter: 3/1000, Foundation Building Chapter 4/102400]

[Blood-Seething Secret Art: 36.41%]

His qi and blood, as well as his mental spirit, increased steadily. Additionally, he was making significant progress in his Internal Aura realm.

Thanks to the Lesser Rebirth Pill and the Innate Qi-Refining Technique, Li Pin could perform two rounds of Blood Renewal each day, adding two points to his daily progress. With 121 points remaining, he would advance in two months.

Once he completed the Internal Aura and Blood Renewal phase and refined his martial arts system, he would become a true great grandmaster.

However, since starting the Internal Cultivation and Blood Renewal phase, Li Pin found that the enhancement effect of the Blood-Seething Secret Art had diminished slightly. This was because his qi and blood's explosiveness had inherently become stronger, reducing the apparent effectiveness of the Blood-Seething Secret Art.

Moreover, by the time he completed his Blood Renewal, the Blood-Seething Secret Art's value would have declined even further. This was an inevitable outcome. The human body's limits were never an empty concept. They would impose constraints from different aspects and restrict a martial artist's growth and strength.

As for Spirit Force, he had not addressed it yet.

"Spirit Force is a way of utilizing power rather than a realm. It's similar to the relationship between Core Force and Core Formation. In theory, if someone can manifest Spirit Force and has enough social connections, they could maneuver their way to the title of Martial Saint.

"However, compared to true Martial Saints who condense their Martial Will to manifest Spirit Force, these individuals are merely riding on a prestigious title. It's like how certain officials, despite their rank, wield far less power than heads of lower departments."

Li Pin had no intention of using connections to achieve the title of Martial Saint.

He had yet to complete his Internal Cultivation and Blood Renewal phase, and his martial arts system was not yet fully organized. He had a lot left to do.

Ring, ring!

At this moment, Li Pin's phone rang. He glanced at the number and answered the call. Soon, Lian Hongchen's voice came through on the other end.

—Grandmaster Li, I heard your residence was damaged. I have brought over a professional repair team to help restore your courtyard as quickly as possible. When would be a convenient time for you?

Li Pin immediately realized that Lian Hongchen's call was about more than just repairing the courtyard. "Now is fine."

—Then we'll be there in half an hour.

Li Pin finished summarizing yesterday's battle and went outside.

The damage to the courtyard had not been obvious during the evening. Now in the daylight, however, the damage was glaring.

It was time for repairs. After all, during his fight with Qiu Chufeng, the damage had been less apparent, and with his busy schedule teaching at the Astral Hall, the repairs had been repeatedly postponed. Now, he could no longer delay it.

Soon, Lian Xiyue arrived with Lian Hongchen and Cao Tianyou outside Li Pin's mansion. They had already learned about the situation from various sources but seeing the courtyard severely damaged, as if it had been turned over, still left them visibly shocked.

Lian Hongchen couldn't help but ask, "Grandmaster Li, you—"

"It's nothing," Li Pin replied. "Am I not standing here before you?"

Cao Tianyou remained silent for a moment before asking, "Were the attackers really Dragon Elephant Chi Tiexin and Rising Sun Sword Qi Feng? Both of them are well-known great grandmasters!"

Li Pin glanced around. In addition to the mansions, there were also buildings in the distance, standing about twenty or thirty stories tall. If someone in those buildings had the right equipment, they could have clearly seen what happened outside his courtyard.

"I understand now why the Riverscape Marvel couldn't sell for top prices despite its quality and relatively quiet location. Its privacy is too poor," Li Pin remarked.

"If you need it, I have a mansion at Mountain Whisper Garden that offers excellent privacy. Its decoration is also top-notch, and the training room meets Martial Saint standards," Lian Hongchen offered with a smile.

"No need for that. I have nothing to hide," Li Pin replied calmly.

He conducted himself with the utmost integrity.

"I agree with what you say, Grandmaster Li. If news of last night's events were to spread, your reputation in Jiang Province would extend beyond just the martial arts community. You would be highly regarded and respected even among the Astral Cultivators. With such achievements, there's no need for secrecy," Lian Hongchen remarked.

He couldn't help but glance at the wreckage of the courtyard. The extent of the damage made it clear just how intense the battle had been the previous night.

After a while, the deputy chairman of the martial society commented, "I didn't expect Lin Yuzhi to have such audacity. He actually used the pretense of seeking revenge for Zhang Hengqiu and laid an ambush on you with Qi Feng and Chi Tiexin..."

He coldly went on, "Rest assured, Grandmaster Li. Passively taking a beating is not our style. I've already dispatched people to find Zhang Hengqiu. Although Lin Yuzhi is covering for him, Zhang Hengqiu has clearly violated the rules by attacking you immediately and not waiting the required three days after submitting the revenge application.

"This alone is enough to bring him to justice and sentence him to eight or ten years!"

𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

"There is no need to search for Zhang Hengqiu," Li Pin said. "I have assigned him a task."

Lian Hongchen was stunned momentarily. After a moment, he said, "In that case, I will withdraw my people immediately."

Li Pin nodded. "Chairman Lian, do you know what task I assigned him?"

Lian Hongchen cupped his hands. "I'd like to hear more details about it."

Li Pin displayed the video Zhang Hengqiu had sent him for Lian Hongchen to see. It detailed the plot between Lin Yuzhi and Zhang Hengqiu to ambush Li Pin.

After watching the video, Lian Hongchen was enraged. "I already knew Lin Yuzhi had no moral boundaries. Ten years ago, while he was trying to ascend to power, several competitors mysteriously disappeared or withdrew. It was surely his doing. I never expected him to be so ruthless, devising such a vile scheme even after learning that you are serving at the Astral Hall!"

Lian Hongchen solemnly assured Li Pin, "With this evidence and your qualification for the World's Top Martial Competition, the identity and fame that comes with it will ensure Lin Yuzhi's downfall!"

"Only being removed from the Jiang Province Martial Society chairman position, though," Li Pin said. "At most, he would be sent to serve in perilous regions for a few more years. But what if he takes drastic measures to seek revenge against you after he is back, just as he did with his previous competitors?"

Lian Hongchen listened and thought for a moment.

He didn't hide anything from Li Pin and said, "When he was the martial society chairman, he was not just a top-tier expert; he was also surrounded by formidable forces.

"Making a move against him then would have had far-reaching consequences. But now that he'll lose his position as chairman... he'll be just another Martial Saint declining in health. Serving in perilous regions poses considerable risk for him."

Li Pin understood what Lian Hongchen meant.

With the change in the martial society's leadership, the roles between Lin Yuzhi and Lian Hongchen had effectively reversed.

However, Li Pin explained, "I want to avoid such uncertainties, so I sent Zhang Hengqiu back to the capital city to show this video to Lin Yuzhi."

Upon hearing this, Lian Hongchen and Cao Tianyou were astounded. They almost instantly realized Li Pin's intention and exclaimed, "Grandmaster Li, are you trying to force Lin Yuzhi into a corner?"

Lian Hongchen hastily said, "Grandmaster Li, you might not know this, but although Lin Yuzhi has seemingly refrained from fighting since he became chairman of the Jiang Province Martial Society, I know for a fact that he has never let up on his training!

"'Fist is power! Holding the fist is holding power!' This is a truth every martial artist understands, and Lin Yuzhi, being in such a high position, understands it even more deeply!"

The deputy chairman inhaled sharply. "Ten years ago, when Lin Yuzhi first arrived in Jiang Province, he subdued all the troublemakers with the Thirty-Six Paths of Limitless Sword Technique. This was how he secured his position as chairman so firmly that no one dared to challenge it!

"He understands the importance of strength better than we do! If he truly feels cornered and resorts to extreme measures, your position could become extremely dangerous!"

"To win without destroying is the ultimate truth. Never leave no room for maneuver," Cao Tianyou added, filled with apprehension.[1]

"So... Lin Yuzhi's strength hasn't declined much compared to his peak ten years ago?" Li Pin asked.

Lian Hongchen answered, "Theoretically, his condition should have deteriorated over the past decade. But ten years ago, he was a top great grandmaster, and now, he is the chairman of the Jiang Province Martial Society.

"His connections and resources are on an entirely different level compared to ordinary individuals. He still occasionally receives rare treasures from the Astral Cultivators' world, which help him maintain his strength..."

Lian Hongchen's expression was solemn. "I believe his strength, though it may not have improved, has certainly not declined!"

Li Pin nodded. "Good."

Lian Hongchen looked at him and let out a bitter smile. He knew that this challenge excited Li Pin. However, he warned, "Lin Yuzhi is different from the others. You have no idea how strong he truly is. Back then, Chairman Lu of the martial association rated him as the greatest martial artist below the Martial Saint level."

Lian Hongchen paused briefly before continuing, "Chairman Lu is an actual Martial Saint!"

"It's not that I don't understand his strength." Li Pin smiled faintly. "It's that you don't understand me."

"Grandmaster Li—"

"No matter how strong Lin Yuzhi is, can he be stronger than Qi Feng and Chi Tiexin together?" Li Pin asked.

Lian Hongchen was at a loss for words. "This..."

Fighting two great grandmasters together was vastly different from fighting a single great grandmaster.

"Do you know how I broke their combined assault and defeated them both?" Li Pin continued.

"How did you break their combined assault...?"

Lian Hongchen and Cao Tianyou exchanged puzzled glances.

Both Lian Hongchen and Cao Tianyou were Internal Cultivation Grandmasters. To them, defeating even a single grandmaster with refined martial arts was already remarkable, let alone defeating two simultaneously.

The next moment, a realization dawned on Lian Hongchen and Cao Tianyou. Cao Tianyou couldn't help but blurt out, "Grandmaster Li... have you manifested Spirit Force!?"

Li Pin nodded slightly. "Yes."

1. The phrase suggests allowing the opponent some kind of freedom to prevent them from becoming desperate and causing harm. ☜