Chapter 204: Secret-Code

Several members of the judging panel leaped to their feet.

"Not good!"

"Save him!"

One of them quickly activated the astral equipment dedicated to maintaining the safety of the event participants. A beam of starlight shot through the air and pierced into the Great Sun’s Golden Flame, formed from Li Pin's intense qi and blood that warped the very fabric of space.

The starlight and the golden flames intertwined in a blinding flash, merging into a single entity.

Having elevated his mental spirit and infused his sword with the essence of the Great Sun Infinite, Li Pin had delivered a devastating blow. However, the judging panel’s timely intervention blocked his attack just as it was about to cleave Song Wuya in two after shattering his strike.

Bang!

The golden flames exploded outward accompanied by a burst of starlight!

The starlight and golden flames, carried by a violent gust of wind and shockwave, formed a visible trail of fiery debris, like a shooting star. It was as if someone had struck a red-hot piece of steel with a sword, sending sparks flying dozens of meters in every direction.

The light faded. The starlight's intervention had blocked the attack, but the violent sword qi still blasted Song Wuya's body, leaving him covered in dozens of sword wounds.

His airborne figure was enveloped in a mist of blood, appearing grievously wounded. Nevertheless, the members of the judging panel knew that his life had been spared.

As long as he didn't die on the spot or succumb to the backlash from his own Blade Intent, they had ways to save him.

***

"What happened!? I remember Song Wuya’s saber technique was clearly superior when they clashed just now. How did the situation reverse so quickly?!"

"Li Pin's swordsmanship might not match Song Wuya's saber, but Li Pin's overall strength is clearly higher. While Song Wuya excelled in saber techniques, the World's Top Martial Competition isn't just about that. That's why he lost."

"Song Wuya is indeed a formidable swordsman. Fortunately, he held the upper hand in the sword clash. Though he was eventually defeated by Li Pin after he went all out, at least he managed to avoid a fate similar to Duan Yidao’s, being consumed by his own Saber Intent. This is the best outcome."

"What on earth is going on? How could Li Pin's power have surged so suddenly? And the extent of it! It feels like..."

One by one, the Martial Saints shot to their feet, their eyes glued to the World's Top Martial Competition arena. They dared not blink, afraid of missing a single detail.

Their emotions had been stirred, and they discussed heatedly, trying to understand what had just happened on stage.

How could Li Pin's aura have skyrocketed so abruptly, allowing him to completely reverse the situation and defeat Song Wuya, who had clearly had the upper hand?

That feeling....

***

In the indoor viewing area, Mo Wangqing, having also attended the event, couldn't help but express his amazement as he watched the defeated Song Wuya.

"I thought I had already glimpsed Li Pin's limits, but I never expected that he could still surprise us like this."

He wasn't alone; Wan Qingshan, Zhang Songbai, and others similarly exchanged looks of surprise.

"That was..."

They were Top-Tier Astral Cultivators with a cultivated Starlight Body, but they had once been Martial Saints as well. With their experience, they could clearly sense what Li Pin’s earlier situation entailed.

"Is that the transcendent state of an Extreme Martial Saint?" Zhang Songbai mused aloud.

"Yes," responded Mo Wangqing. With unwavering certainty, he declared, "That was the transcendent state of an Extreme Martial Saint!"

Wan Qingshan observed as Li Pin's aura rapidly diminished, a clear result of a deficiency in primordial qi and spiritual strength. He couldn't help but ask, "It... has only been a few months since Li Pin... learnt to unleash Spirit Force. How could he possibly grasp the transcendent state that only Extreme Martial Saint could master?"

"What is the transcendent state? It's a special state that occurs when a Martial Saint—having resolved to forsake everything, including life and death—channels all their Vitality, Qi, and Spirit to ascend and embark on the path of the Astral Cultivator.

"This state isn't exclusive to Extreme Martial Saints. Even a grandmaster can occasionally enter the transcendent state... but their transcendent state is often like a moth to a flame... The moment they step into it, they undergo their final ascension, a one-way path with no retreat, where failure will mean death."

Mo Wangqing explained, "Considering that all those who entered the transcendent state had perished, we know very little of it, making it virtually unknown. But that doesn't mean it doesn't exist."

Su Mai was taken aback. "A one-way path with no retreat, where failure means death? Then what about Li Pin...?"

"He's different from those people," stated Mo Wangqing, a sliver of admiration evident in his tone. "Although he hasn't yet stepped into the realm of Extreme Martial Saints, he... already possesses the qualification to challenge and compete with them, and to vie for the title of King of the Century when his momentum peaks."

Of course, this was merely a qualification. With Li Pin’s current strength, he was still far from standing out among the dozens of Extreme Martial Saints and claiming the title of King of the Century.

But this potential was more than enough for Wan Qingshan, Zhang Songbai, and the others to be astounded. For a moment, they exchanged glances, each seeing the shock in the other's eyes.

Having the qualification to compete for the King of the Century was nothing extraordinary. In the Tianyuan Federation, dozens of Martial Saints were qualified to do so. In fact, nearly half of the top ten in the adult category possessed this level of capability.

But Li Pin stood out among these people because....

He was just twenty-three years old! At twenty-three, he too shared the same qualifications!

"Just now, when Li Pin faced that young man from the Great Sun Divine Sect... it seemed like he tapped into the human body's limit?" Mo Wangqing glanced at Wan Qingshan. "Did you give him an Essence-Gathering Pearl?"

"Yes, due to some misunderstandings, our committee needed to compensate him. Considering he had already achieved Martial Saint status and would soon need to prepare for his physical limits, we compensated him with an Essence-Gathering Pearl..." Wan Qingshan quickly explained.

Mo Wangqing wondered, "Could a single Essence-Gathering Pearl have raised his physical strength to near human limit? Perhaps he possesses a unique physique?"

Su Mai's interest was piqued. "A unique physique?"

Wang Liancheng's innate divine strength was the best example of a unique physique!

If an ordinary Extreme Martial Saint was qualified to compete for the King of the Century, then... a person with a unique body physique would surely be a prime contender! Comparing them to the ordinary Extreme Martial Saints was like comparing seeded competitors to regular ones. There's simply no comparison.

Mo Wangqing paused in thought for a moment before making a decision. "If he wins first place, reward him with another Essence-Gathering Pearl. Then... observe how efficiently he refines it."

"Understood," Wan Qingshan agreed without hesitation.

Mo Wangqing nodded.

He then glanced at Song Wuya, who had been carried off due to severe injuries.

The swordsman's performance was also impressive,

he thought.

However, whether he deserved strong cultivation support would depend on whether he could regain his composure after the battle with Li Pin.

Even if he failed to break into the top three due to excessive consumption in this battle, as long as he could maintain his sharpness and vigor and not lose himself despite this battle, it would be worth considering granting him a Dragon Prince spot for further training in the Dragon Gate Hall.

***

The crowd was naturally unaware of these discussions between the high-ranking officials. By now, Li Pin had already stepped down from the stage amidst the crowd's cheers.

Tuo Bafeng immediately approached him, concern etched on his face.

Li Pin waved him off and took a Pill of Rebirth.

Li Yunyao, Lin Xiaolu, and Qin Rouran couldn't hide their worry when they saw this.

"My brother, he...."

"That must be his real secret art," Tuo Bafeng explained. "Earlier, Martial Saint Li used something similar, but those techniques only depleted his primordial qi and didn't have much impact on him. However, in his fight against Song Wuya, he used a genuine secret art. It lasted only for a moment, but the toll it took on him must have been immense."

Glancing at Li Pin, who had already closed his eyes to rest, he added, "Let's not disturb him."

Li Yunyao watched Li Pin rest. "His real secret art...."

Even she could tell he was far from recovered.

***

As Yan Hongtu waited for the host to call his name to the stage, his heart brimmed with resentment. "Damn it! Now would have been the perfect opportunity to deal with Li Pin!"

Because Yan Hongtu had already faced Li Pin once, he couldn't challenge him again. Otherwise, he would have provoked Li Pin into fighting no matter what.

Just then, he heard his tactical advisor speak. "The only opponent you can challenge now is Nan Lifeng."

Yan Hongtu glanced at Nan Lifeng. "I know."

If I can’t defeat Li Pin, a win against Nan Lifeng will have to do.

"Nan Lifeng's tactical advisor just contacted me privately. Apparently, Nan Lifeng isn't as injured as we thought. If the both of you fought, it would likely end in mutual destruction."

Yan Hongtu sneered. "Am I supposed to be afraid of him?"

"What he means is... there's no need for you two to waste your strength on each other. He hopes you'll challenge someone else. If you don't face him, he'll provoke Li Pin into a fight at that time!"

The tactical advisor paused. "He's willing to offer a secret art in exchange if you agree. I think it's worth considering."

Yan Hongtu frowned. "Who should I challenge? Who would accept?"

"Challenge them one by one, starting with Cheng Yufeng. He's in the worst condition. If he refuses, try to provoke him. If he still doesn't take the bait, move on to the next one, like Su Feiyu or Ying Long. Eventually, challenge the Great Sun Chosen One and Zhao Yushi. If you press hard enough, someone will eventually accept."

The tactical advisor's words left Yan Hongtu in deep thought. He glanced at Li Pin. This man, who had thoroughly humiliated him before, was clearly at his most vulnerable moment. However, no matter how much he wanted to, he couldn’t take advantage of this opportunity.

Since he couldn’t challenge Li Pin, he could make do with Nan Lifeng, who couldn’t refuse him. However, if his tactical advisor's information was true... then Nan Lifeng might put up a fight. Rather than risk a mutually destructive battle, he was better off targeting the weaker opponents first. After all, there was always a chance of a decisive victory.

With that, he gave a barely noticeable nod to his advisor.

By now, the host was already calling out Yan Hongtu's name, so he stopped hesitating and stepped onto the stage.

Before the host could finish, Yan Hongtu had already locked onto Cheng Yufeng. "The Divine Sword Manor and the Dragon Gate Hall are both top martial arts factions within the Tianyuan Federation. You are the sword saint they've meticulously nurtured, and I am the grandmaster the Dragon Gate Hall carefully cultivated.

"Why not settle this on stage? Let's see who truly has the superior skill and represents their faction more effectively."