Chapter 189: Hunter

Whoosh!

Yan Hongtu pulled out his weapon. It was a sword, an almost 1.8-meter-long broadsword.

Holding his sword with a two-handed grip, his gaze fixed coldly on Li Pin. In that instant, thoughts raced through his mind. He remembered his consistent top ranking from the start of the competition, the glory he had enjoyed. And then...

Li Pin came around. With a stroke of luck, he emerged out of nowhere and got a huge chunk of points, costing him first place. This had disrupted his performance, ultimately leading to his disappointing fourth-place finish in the preliminaries, not even making it into the top three.

At the root of it all... the person responsible was Li Pin!

Now, it was time to settle the score.

Li Pin glanced at him. "A strength type, I see."

This was only natural. Yan Hongtu specialized in battling ferocious beasts. Against these resilient and large-bodied creatures, heavy weapons were more effective. For instance, the upper limit of Li Pin's Lingfeng Sword's attack prowess couldn't match Yan Hongtu's nearly six-foot-long broadsword.

Many Astral Cultivators often chose massive battle axes, like the Asura Battle Axe forged from Ashura Stone or the Purgatory Axe made from Purgatory Stone. These axes could inflict immense damage on ferocious beasts with a single swing.

Even those who weren't skilled with axes would opt for giant broadswords. The emphasis was on size and weight. In contrast, swords became less common among higher-class cultivators.

"Forgive me!"

Yan Hongtu didn't concern himself with formalities or who should strike first. As soon as he finished speaking, he lunged forward, fiercely roaring. His qi and blood surged violently through his body. Just moments ago, he appeared calm and composed. Now, he erupted, like a blazing inferno.

Activating a powerful secret art, his stature expanded dramatically. He grew from just under 1.9 meters to around 1.95 or 1.96 meters.

His overwhelming qi and blood, robust physique, and the pernicious aura he had honed through countless battles against ferocious beasts made him a terrifying force as he held his broadsword. Even Li Pin's previous opponent, the fearsome Dragon Elephant Chi Tiexin, paled in comparison. In terms of sheer power and ferocity, only the Great Sun Chosen One could hope to match him.

Li Pin was delighted. "Good!"

Despite Yan Hongtu's less-than-noble tactics, his all-out attack took Li Pin by surprise.

Yan Hongtu’s massive figure descended alongside his terrifying broadsword with the ferocity of a ferocious beast, instantly putting Li Pin in the zone.

Yan Hongtu’s only flaw was his speed. While the momentum was impressive, the sword technique lacked finesse. Even before Li Pin was pushed to the state of triggering his Martial Will, he could clearly perceive the trajectory of Yan Hongtu's incoming blows.

However, that was to be expected. Given that Yan Hongtu was merely a grandmaster without a fully formed Martial Will, Li Pin couldn’t have asked for more. His sword technique had already reached a level comparable to a Martial Saint like the Great Sun Chosen One in terms of momentum. This level of performance was enough for Li Pin to treat him as a genuine opponent.

In the next moment, a furnace seemingly ignited within Li Pin's tranquil body. A continuous flow of qi and blood erupted. Under the influence of the Blood-Seething Secret Art, he burst into intense, violent blood flames, transforming him into a god of war bathed in fire.

This scene left many spectators momentarily stunned.

"Li Pin already erupted his Blood Core and likely used some secret art in his fight with Cheng Yufeng earlier... How could he have recovered so quickly? Or had he only used his secret art for a short period so it left only minimal side effects?"

However, many who didn’t favor Li Pin winning were secretly delighted. He had already suffered severe damage to his primordial qi from his previous fight with Cheng Yufeng. And now, he was depleting it even further against Yan Hongtu.

Given Li Pin's character flaws, if he was provoked into another battle, they could essentially fight a half-crippled Li Pin while they were at their peak.

By then, so what if Li Pin was a Martial Saint? He would likely still be overwhelmed by these Quasi-Martial Saints.

As the competitors and their tactical advisors were devising strategies to exploit Li Pin's weaknesses, Li Pin lunged forward. Instead of dodging, he strode directly into the path of the descending blade.

His form dashed with lightning speed, cutting through the terrifying force of the strike. With a powerful side hook, he aimed to send Yan Hongtu and his sword flying.

Yet, in that instant, a fierce glint flashed in Yan Hongtu's eyes, already brimming with a savage aura.

When Li Pin charged into his attack, Yan Hongtu no longer saw him as a human. Instead, Li Pin appeared to him as a ferocious beast—an enraged, fang-bared creature, roaring with fury, intent on tearing him limb from limb.

The Martial Will Yan Hongtu intended to condense was... the will to hunt!

He was about to unleash his strongest strike to hunt this "ferocious beast!"

Initially, his attack, while formidable, lacked speed. But this was precisely the trap he had set to ensnare his prey. Once the "beast," underestimating his true capabilities, launched its assault, the latter half of his Martial Will, a spiritual enhancement specifically designed for hunting, would activate. This would drastically increase the speed and power of his strike.

It was like a hunter who had laid a double trap, waiting for the precise moment to spring it. As the prey fell into the snare, the hunter would execute the perfect kill.

The thrill of outsmarting his opponent, of using intelligence to overcome brute force, and of civilization prevailing over savagery sent a surge of excitement through him. His mental spirit and qi and blood reached a fever pitch, culminating in what could be his strongest Spirit-Qi Unity.

Yan Hongtu let out an excited bellow as his blade instantly broke through Li Pin's incoming punch trajectory and slashed toward him. "Kill!"

The sword carried with it rampant violence and overwhelming ferocity that it seemed like it would descend upon the man who had even overpowered Cheng Yufeng and reap his life! The one everyone had deemed the strongest opponent in the preliminaries!

"It's over!"

Buzz, buzz!

The blade trembled violently as it descended toward Li Pin. The intense vibrations seemed to shatter everything in their path, much like the white shockwave from an Aura Force breaking through the air.

Yan Hongtu could see bursts of Aura Force exploding and dispersing in all directions amidst the high-frequency vibrations. It was as if someone was continuously bombarding his thunderous strike with outward bursts of the Force.

While these bursts of energy were individually weaker than a grandmaster's all-out Aura Force strike, there were simply too many of them. The frequency of the vibrations was far too rapid.

Under this terrifying frequency, the blade's ferocity and edge were gradually blunted by the constant barrage of energy, as if it were cleaving through a quagmire.

The once earth-shattering strike noticeably slowed.

In the end, Li Pin's punch, which seemed to have been outpaced earlier, caught up to the decelerating blade and connected solidly with its side, half a meter from its target.

Bang!

The sound of metal colliding with metal echoed through the air. A visible shockwave erupted from the point of impact, sending ripples of energy outward.

The violent force surged up Yan Hongtu's arm, the intense shockwaves splitting open the web of his palm and threatening to wrench the sword from his grasp. Fortunately, the broadsword was a two-handed weapon. By gripping it firmly with both hands, he had retained his hold on the precious blade.

Yet, the force rebounding from the blade traveled through his body, disrupting his balance and causing him to involuntarily lean forward and to the left.

"Not good!"

Sensing his balance slipping, Yan Hongtu's expression darkened. He unleashed his surging qi and blood once more. Following the momentum of his body, he shot forward like an arrow, narrowly missing Li Pin and retreating violently. In a swift motion, he spun his broadsword in a full 360-degree arc behind him, anticipating Li Pin's pursuit.

However....

After deflecting the incoming blade with a powerful punch, Li Pin had stopped in his tracks. He turned and calmly watched Yan Hongtu.

For a moment, Yan Hongtu found himself filled with shock and uncertainty. His grip on the sword tightened, his hands trembling slightly as a trickle of blood seeped from the hilt.

"Not a bad strike." Li Pin beckoned him over. "Come, let's continue."

Yan Hongtu's eyes narrowed. "You..."

After catching his breath, Yan Hongtu burst forward once more. This time, he held nothing back when it came to movement. With a burst of full speed, he closed the distance to Li Pin in a few bounds.

The descending strike was accompanied by an ear-piercing screech. The blade seemed to slice through the very air through a unique force application, emitting a sharp whistle that shook one's soul. The shrill whistle, fused with the blade's cold killing intent, was almost like a mental attack.

In a life-or-death struggle, such a sudden and jarring sound could easily disorient the opponent, leaving them vulnerable to a fatal blow.

Yet, Li Pin... seemed completely unfazed. He extended his arm, thrusting directly toward his opponent's upper body.

As Yan Hongtu advanced, he felt as if the space around him was being pulled along with his movement.

The moment Li Pin struck, the sensation of cutting through mud returned. It was as though... Yan Hongtu had already fallen into Li Pin’s domain before they even clashed. It was like he had been ensnared in a meticulously woven spider web.

He believed himself the hunter, laying traps and repeatedly seeking the thrill of the perfect kill. Yet, from the moment he attacked, he had already been checkmated.

Bang!

Fist force erupted!

Once again, Yan Hongtu's strike was effortlessly deflected. The violent force surged through his arm gripping the blade and through to his body, nearly sending him flying. He was forced to leap into the air, performing a 360-degree spin to barely dissipate the terrifying force transmitted along the blade.

His opponent's physique and strength were on a completely different level. It was as if he were facing... a true ferocious beast!

A bead of cold sweat formed on Yan Hongtu's forehead. "How is this possible?!"

Li Pin didn’t pursue. He remained in his spot. "This strike lacked a bit of spirit."

Even when Yan Hongtu had been forced to leave himself wide open as he performed a mid-air spin to deflect the force, Li Pin remained stationary.

Once Yan Hongtu had recovered his balance, Li Pin gestured once more. "Come."

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