Chapter 187: First Win

"Such powerful Fist and Sword Intents! These two truly live up to their title of Martial Saints!"

"Cheng Yufeng's Sword Intent is formidable, but Li Pin's Fist Intent is even stronger! Is Lin Pin really just a twenty-three-year-old with only ten years of training under his belt? That's truly astonishing!"

"What a move.... Did Cheng Yufeng... lose?"

"Clearly."

The contestants looked on with awe at the figure standing tall on the arena. Having been blasted away, it took Cheng Yufeng a while to snap out of his dazed state. The shock from his Sword Intent breaking had rattled him. "I... I lost...."

His lips trembled, struggling to accept the reality. Though he still had a bit of fighting strength left, with his sword shattered, his right hand broken, and his internal organs severely injured, continuing to fight would only lead to death.

He still retained some rationality. Despite their strong will, Martial Saints were not fools. If they were truly foolish, Martial Saints would have vanished long ago. The world had many beings capable of killing a Martial Saint.

As Cheng Yufeng remained dazed, the Divine Sword Manor quickly raised their white flag and rushed to the arena to check Cheng Yufeng's injuries and escort him off the stage.

Considering that the Jiang Province already had a piece of astral equipment for healing injuries, the World's Top Martial Competition naturally had them too, and they were bound to be more advanced.

Even with a broken hand, it's merely a matter of how many treatments it would take to heal. It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that, as long as the head wasn't shattered, any serious injury could be healed.

"Wait!"

As Cheng Yufeng was being escorted off the stage by the Divine Sword Manor, Li Pin said, "Cheng Yufeng, in truth, you're not weak."

He continued seriously, "Although you didn't manage to force out my final form, you did compel me to use my Spirit Force. Your swordsmanship has honed my fist techniques. In that regard, you are excellent."

"Excellent!?"

Li Pin's words had been meant to praise, but to Cheng Yufeng’s ears, they were humiliating to the extreme. As a Martial Saint who had condensed Martial Will, his fighting spirit would not easily wane despite having his Sword Intent shattered.

"Li Pin!"

Cheng Yufeng suddenly looked up, his eyes blazing with a fiery light. "My swordsmanship is just a step away from perfection. When I perfect it, I will definitely seek you out again to settle the score. At that time, I want you to swallow every word you've said today."

Li Pin nodded slightly. "Alright, I look forward to that day."

He was satisfied that his praise and encouragement had rekindled the dispirited youth’s fighting spirit.

Li Pin meant what he said. Cheng Yufeng had been able to force out his Spirit Force. In that regard, he was indeed a decent opponent.

As Cheng Yufeng was escorted off the stage by the Divine Sword Manor, the host announced, "The first winner of the first round of the World's Top Martial Competition has been decided! He is the top contender from the preliminary rounds, Li Pin from the Taibai Kingdom! Let's hear a cheer for him and congratulate him on winning the first round!"

The audience immediately erupted, their cheers deafening.

"Li Pin! Li Pin! Li Pin!"

At that moment, the entire World's Top Martial Competition arena echoed with chants of Li Pin's name.

Meanwhile, Li Yunyao, Lin Xiaolu, Qin Rouran, and others couldn't help but clap till their palms turned red, their excited faces flushed with excitement.

"I never expected Li Pin to defeat Cheng Yufeng head-on, making him the first Martial Saint to lose in the competition."

Zhao Yushi, the Great Sun Chosen One, Song Wuya, and Duan Yidao looked at Li Pin with complex emotions. Unlike Li Pin, Cheng Yufeng had multiple publicly recorded combat videos that spoke volumes.

They were all Martial Saints with immense self-confidence and unwavering Martial Will, and in their hearts, they believed they wouldn’t lose out to anyone. Despite that, they had to acknowledge that Cheng Yufeng was a formidable opponent. Unlike the Martial Saints who received empty, ceremonial titles from their nations, like the Taibai Kingdom, he was a true blue Martial Saint.

Not a single one of these lofty contestants had absolute certainty in their chances of victory against this Sword Saint of the Divine Sword Manor. Yet....

Li Pin had defeated Cheng Yufeng, the top seed and the most likely candidate for the championship. This outcome had a significant psychological impact on them.

"Li Pin... is incredibly strong."

"Incredible! Li Pin is truly something else. It's one thing to make a stunning debut, but he seems determined to push his limits even further! Cheng Yufeng, one of the top five seeds and a powerful Martial Saint from the Divine Sword Manor, was unexpectedly the first to be eliminated."

"With such severe injuries, even with the aid of astral equipment, Cheng Yufeng will likely need two to three days to recover. Plus, having used a secret art, he might not be able to compete effectively in the next few rounds."

"Li Pin's victory over Cheng Yufeng cost Li Pin dearly too. The blood flame that surged from him indicates he used a secret art, which is highly depleting of his primordial qi. Although the Pill of Rebirth can help mitigate the damage, it's uncertain whether he will fully recover in time for the next round."

"That's not necessarily the case. He could choose to challenge Su Feiyu, who also comes from Taibai. If Su Feiyu forfeits, Li Pin will get an extra two days to recover, giving him the chance to vie for the championship."

While the contestants and their tactical advisors were focused on Li Pin's next move, others speculated on how he would manage his recovery.

As time passed, the audience joined the discussion, and the topic began to get a bit outrageous.

"So cool, Li Pin! Even though the odds were a bit small, I'm betting on him again next time!"

"Guys, does anyone understand? Li Pin won, but why does everyone think he'll miss out on the championship? Big Brother Li Pin is strong and handsome and he is working so hard. How could he not win?"

"Total nonsense! If Li Pin doesn't win, we should storm the World's Top Martial Competition!

Fortunately, these discussions didn’t get to the contestants or the organizing committee. They ignored them entirely.

The committee's attention was mostly focused on Mo Wangqing, who smiled slightly and said, "An impressive performance, wasn't it? That level of Sword Intent and Fist Intent. Back in our day, we might not have reached such a level."

"Master Mo, you are too humble," Wan Qingshan said with a smile.

"Master Mo, Li Pin's performance is far from what you achieved during your Martial Saint period," Su Mai joined.

Mo Wangqing waved his hand. "Not comparable. If you compared me at twenty-three with him now, I'd probably be defeated in a single exchange. After all, I only perceived my true self and became a Martial Saint at twenty-six."

He watched Li Pin, who had just left the arena. "Let's continue watching the matches."

Seeing this, others fell silent. Su Mai, however, was thinking about having a serious conversation with Li Pin later.

Master Mo Wangqing represented the will of the supreme expert Fu Qingtian. Mo Wangqing’s attentiveness to Li Pin meant Fu Qingtian was keeping an eye on Li Pin. If Li Pin performed well in the World's Top Martial Competition and truly joined Fu Qingtian's sect, not only would Li Pin's status soar, but the Taibai Kingdom would also benefit from it.

After all, Fu Qingtian was Tianyan's supreme expert!

***

"Let’s thank Li Pin and Cheng Yufeng for the thrilling match. Next, let us welcome Zhao Yushi to the stage!" The host took over, introducing Zhao Yushi with enthusiasm. "Zhao Yushi earned her fame with her Thunderbolt Spear six years ago...."

As the host introduced Zhao Yushi, she deliberately walked past Li Pin leaving the arena and paused for a moment.

"Did you challenge Cheng Yufeng because you believe you are the strongest and that no one among us could threaten you, no matter who you fought? Is that it?" Zhao Yushi asked.

"Of course not," Li Pin responded honestly. "I chose my opponent based on the list my tactical advisor provided."

Zhao Yushi frowned upon hearing this.

A tactical advisor? What kind of tactical advisor would suggest he challenge Cheng Yufeng first?

Was it to defeat the strongest opponent while he was at his best?

Did he have absolute confidence in Li Pin, or was he taking a risk?

What if the two of them ended up mutually injured...?

The host had nearly finished the introductions, so Zhao Yushi could only forget about it for now and step up to the arena.

Li Pin had not lied to her. He had indeed chosen his opponent according to the list his tactical advisor, Tuo Bafeng, provided.

It was just that his method of selection was a bit unconventional.

***

Li Yunyao rushed to Li Pin's side in excitement, her eyes sparkling. "Brother! You were amazing!"

Lin Xiaolu and Qin Rouran also chimed in.

"Big Brother Li Pin, congratulations on your first victory."

"Congratulations, brother."

Li Ping nodded at them. He then quickly noticed Tuo Bafeng, with his helpless expression.

As for Su Feiyu, she was a contestant, so she had her own resting area and couldn’t come over to congratulate Li Pin. She simply gave him a distant nod to express her congratulations.

"Zhao Yushi... You know without me saying that an opponent with such clear advantages and disadvantages could be the strongest among all the contestants if she performs well and doesn't face a counter. You should watch her matches and learn her strategies," Tuo Bafeng advised.

Li Ping nodded in understanding.

At this moment, Zhao Yushi was much more serious than Li Pin.

Her first opponent was Ying Long.