Chapter 209: Inquiry

"Quick! Someone, come quickly!"

As Li Pin walked down the arena amidst the cheers of countless spectators, Tuo Bafeng immediately called for medical personnel to examine his injuries.

However, Li Pin waved his hand. "No need."

He was more aware of his own injuries than Tuo Bafeng.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," Li Pin affirmed. "I'll undergo a round of astral equipment treatment later, then go back to recover and prepare for the final battle the day after tomorrow."

"The final battle...."

Tuo Bafeng was momentarily dazed hearing these words.

We are already at the final battle? Zhao Yushi is the only opponent left?

Tuo Bafeng couldn’t help but look at Li Pin deeply.

Never before had a Martial Saint from Taibai been so close to winning the title. It was so close it was almost within reach. Moreover, his prospects of claiming the title were brighter than Zhao Yushi's.

After so many battles, Tuo Bafeng had come to fully recognize Li Pin's strength. With Li Pin's power, the odds of him defeating Zhao Yushi were heavily in his favor, possibly as high as sixty to forty, or even seventy to thirty!

"Let's go," Li Pin said.

***

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Li Pin left the World's Top Martial Competition venue.

Meanwhile, many prominent figures, filled with mixed emotions, dispersed one by one. Many of them went out of their way to approach Su Mai and offer their congratulations, to which he responded with a smile.

Riding on Li Pin's momentum, Su Mai had become the star of the viewing platform, second only to Mo Wangqing, whose status was a level above theirs, and Wan Qing Shan, a royal representative from the Tianyuan Dynasty.

***

While others departed in small groups, Mo Wangqing took a private passage before boarding a luxury car. The car headed directly toward a scenic area near the outskirts of the Tianyuan capital city.

This area was not open to the public; even the Tianyuan Dynasty's maps only had sparse records of it, and any news related to this area couldn't be sent out at all. Even many locals, let alone out-of-town tourists, were unaware of this scenic area, mistaking it for a common mountain range.

The vehicle drove through this lush area filled with vegetation.

If anyone were to come here, they would discover that every flower, ancient tree, and shrub had been meticulously maintained by specialized gardeners. Furthermore, upon closer inspection, each area revealed itself as a masterpiece of thoughtful design.

Living in such a serene, shaded environment would lift anyone's spirits.

Having driven through the area for a while, the vehicle soon arrived at a vast estate with over ten thousand square meters of green space. After passing a decorative rock garden, the vehicle pulled up in front of the manor's main hall.

Greeted by a line of servants, Mo Wangqing got out of the car and proceeded into the estate toward a study.

In the study, a man in his forties was on the phone.

"Staying hidden for this long is already pushing it. If we're exposed, so be it. He is at Yuanyi Mountain. With the few of us keeping watch, I don't believe those rats can touch him."

"

Mm

, how's the latest Astral Detector model working out? Very good! Sure, it's a bit of a drain, but it's necessary, especially for those key locations. If we can get a heads-up on any Astral Energy activity, we'll have more time to prepare."

"Satellite 103 is down again? From spying on the Degenerate Temple? How long did that thing even last? At this rate of losses, even Tianyuan won't be able to keep up."

The phone call lasted a few minutes. After hanging up, the man turned around and looked at Mo Wangqing.

When he turned, Mo Wangqing saw a faint starlight surrounding the middle-aged man, giving him a dreamy aura.

Mo Wangqing quickly lowered his head, realizing that his probing gaze had triggered a starlight reaction within him. "Master."

"Still can’t control the connection between your internal Astral Energy and your mind?" the man asked.

To have Mo Wangqing, a Master Astral Cultivator, address him as "Master," it was clear who this middle-aged man was.

It was none other than Fu Qingtian! The winner of the second King of the Century Competition! A Legendary Astral Cultivator! And Tianyuan's Supreme Expert!

The revelation of any of these identities would result in a significant public upheaval.

In this world of immense power, their actions and utterances possessed the capacity to represent the collective will of the billions of inhabitants of the Tianyuan Federation.

"Sorry to have disappointed you, Master," Mo Wangqing said softly.

"The most important thing for a Master Astral Cultivator is the integration and harmonization of the mental spirit with the Atomic Will. Without mastery over your own emotions and will, you won't be able to stabilize your Astral Techniques, let alone harness infinite mental spirit to control the infinite Atomic Will and unleash earth-shattering Astral Techniques," Fu Qingtian said.

Mo Wangqing could only lower his head in reprimand.

"Since you've chosen 'Make Tianyuan Great Again' as your spiritual anchor, you should use it to purify your mental spirit and will. Don't let other thoughts get in the way."

Fu Qingtian shook his head. "It's also your fault. The anchor you chose is too vague. If it had been purer and more specific, it wouldn't have been so easily disturbed."

He gestured for Mo Wangqing to sit before continuing.

"Just got back from the World's Top Martial Competition?"

Fu Qingtian had always personally hosted the World's Top Martial Competition.

While he couldn't personally handle every aspect of the competition, he delegated the supervision of the event to his disciples and required them to keep him informed of everything happening in the competition. Mo Wangqing's current visit was to provide him with an update.

"Yes, today, among the three competitors I had the highest hopes for, Li Pin and Song Wuya faced each other, and Li Pin won."

"

Oh?

" Fu Qingtian nodded. "You mentioned this young man before. I recall you said he's only twenty-three?"

"Yes, twenty-three!"

"And today is the second round of the intermediate category's round-robin, right? The seeded competitors are already facing each other?" Fu Qingtian asked while reviewing a document.

"Song Wuya took the initiative to challenge Li Pin."

Mo Wangqing began explaining the details concerning Li Pin in the World's Top Martial Competition.

"Transcendent State?" Fu Qingtian paused slightly, looking somewhat surprised. "So, Li Pin has mastered the Extreme Martial Saint's Transcendent State?"

Mo Wangqing nodded firmly. "Yes. Li Pin is indeed the most outstanding prodigy to emerge in the Tianyuan Federation in recent years. He's already a notch above ordinary Martial Saints. According to what you've said, Master, there are five tiers of Martial Saints, and he is currently in the second tier, rapidly progressing toward the third."

Fu Qingtian offered a word of praise, "Achieving this level at twenty-three is indeed impressive."

But that was as far as his compliment went.

Mo Wangqing hesitated for a moment. "I even suspect Li Pin might have a unique constitution, similar to Wang Liancheng."

"

Hmm!?

" At this, Fu Qingtian finally shifted his gaze from the documents to Mo Wangqing. "A unique constitution?"

"Yes."

Mo Wangqing proceeded to describe the efficiency with which Li Pin refined the Essence-Gathering Pearl.

Fu Qingtian pondered. "One Essence-Gathering Pearl increased his qi and blood from Blood Renewal perfection to nearly the human limits...."

"I've asked Wan Qingshan to prepare another Essence-Gathering Pearl for verification. If he also has a unique physique...."

"Simply having fast refinement efficiency is not enough to compare with Wang Liancheng." Fu Qingtian smiled. "The battle for the King of the Century title a year from now is destined to be Wang Liancheng's to win! You have no idea how far he's progressed under our meticulous training."

Mo Wangqing was slightly taken aback.

Wang Liancheng was a secret weapon in the Tianyuan Federation's bid for the King of the Century title, and even a Master Astral Cultivator like Mo Wangqing knew little about him.

However, Fu Qingtian's smile whenever Wang Liancheng was mentioned made it clear that his performance has surpassed expectations.

So much so that... it almost felt like the King of the Century title was already his to claim.

"Then, Master, what about Li Pin...?"

Fu Qingtian glanced at Mo Wangqing. "I know what you're going to say, but you should understand that I'm not skilled at teaching disciples."

Mo Wanqing himself was the best example. Despite investing countless time and effort into becoming a Master Astral Cultivator, he's still far from legendary status....

Fu Qingtian had poured his heart and soul into cultivating Mo Wangqing, yet the young man still remained stagnant. Furthermore, among his other disciples, the only one who had truly excelled had done so entirely through their own efforts. Thus, he had a clear understanding of his own limitations as a teacher.

"I devote most of my time and energy to Wang Liancheng, and I don't have enough spare time to teach another disciple."

Fu Qingtian paused briefly. "Send him to the Dragon Gate Hall, where professionals can guide him. That would be for the best."

Mo Wangqing, though a bit disappointed, was not disheartened. "It's a pity he doesn't have that fortune."

Fu Qingtian shook his head. "I can't risk ruining another young person's future."

Then, he remembered something and added, "Since you believe he has a special talent and have high hopes for him... Give him an additional Essence-Gathering Pearl and a copy of Martial Saint realm cultivation insights. If he has any further requests regarding secret arts, see to them as well."

Mo Wangqing nodded. "Understood."

As a disciple, it was his duty to obey the master's orders. Therefore, he remained silent after his master had spoken.

"I simply don't have the time to mentor him properly, and having him associated with me might do more harm than good.

"The rats from the Divine Adoration Sect have become increasingly audacious recently. Now, they've even set their sights on Wang Liancheng. Looks like it's time for a good cleanup."

"Divine Adoration Sect!" A sudden chill ran down Mo Wangqing's spine as he quickly nodded in compliance. "Yes."