Chapter 218: Return in Glory

Finally, with the intermediate category of the World's Top Martial Competition coming to a close, the battles for the adult category began.

Compared to the intermediate category, which boasted only five Martial Saints at most—among whom Li Pin and Song Wuya attained a breakthrough during the competition—the adult category had much higher standards. All ten participants were Martial Saints without exception. Additionally, they were all at least second-tier Martial Saints.

These Martial Saints didn't have any issues acting against their Martial Will, ensuring their strength wasn't hindered.

Even so, these tier-two Martial Saints found it difficult to reach the top three. This was because there were several third-tier Martial Saints and three Extreme Martial Saints above them.

The clashes between these Extreme Martial Saints vividly illustrated the term "human weapon."

If it weren't for the fact that the arena was made out of Seismic Rock, capable of absorbing tremors, the Spirit Force erupted with their every move would have shattered the floor.

Their every move could easily crack rocks. Their full-power impacts could cause the ground to sink and collapse, creating craters several meters wide. It was no exaggeration to say that a strike from a Martial Saint at full power was no less destructive than a hand grenade explosion. Breaking walls, shattering rocks, and destroying buildings were all easy feats.

Given a little time, they could even collapse a skyscraper by demolishing its supporting walls.

That was why a single Martial Saint could suppress an entire nation before the rise of Astral Cultivators.

Moreover, what set humans apart from animals was their ability to use tools. If a Martial Saint was backed up by logistical support, such as firearms and artillery, they could use guerrilla tactics to defeat thousands or even tens of thousands of enemies given enough time.

Li Pin watched the exchange between the two figures on stage. "Extreme Martial Saint...."

He knew that he still had a little way to go.

That was especially true considering that his mental spirit was only at twenty-six. The prerequisite for mental spirit for an Extreme Martial Saint was forty.

***

Time passed, and soon the the adult category's champion came into the limelight.

A forty-two-year-old Extreme Martial Saint named Wan Lichang claimed the championship.

Wan Lichang was not originally surnamed Wan, but his remarkable talent, shown when he placed in the top three during the 10th World's Top Martial Competition, quickly caught the attention of the Tianyuan royal family.

The royal family had arranged for him to be married to a princess, granting him the Wan surname and providing focused training.

He did not disappoint the royal family's expectations, emerging as the champion for the adult category this year and earning the title of being first in Tianyuan.

***

With the end of the competition for the adult category, the World's Top Martial Competition officially concluded. This triennial martial arts event, lasting three months, had come to a close.

Lately, many influences had sought to recruit or get close to Li Pin. However, Su Mai had blocked most of them.

Furthermore, to avoid disappointing Li Pin, Su Mai made a series of promises to him. Not only did he state that he planned to purchase him a piece of rare astral equipment, but he also bestowed a series of titles upon the Li Family.

Li Pin's late father was honored as one of the Top Ten Inspiring Figures of Taibai for his diligent work and for raising such exceptional talent.

As for rewards in the form of money and resources, they were abundant.

Even the Qin Family benefited greatly. Their company, which had been facing a bottleneck, now entered a new phase of development.

However, the key point wasn't just the accolades. The Taibai Kingdom granted Li Pin the title of a Viscount with actual power. An area outside Jiang Province City, covering more than one thousand square kilometers, was granted to Li Pin as his fief. The fief included three towns with a total population of 120,000.

𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

This was not a position, nor a lease, but an actual fief. Everything produced on these 1,033 square kilometers belonged entirely to Li Pin, and the 120,000 people were under his jurisdiction.

As long as he didn't engage in inhumane acts, he could establish his own laws and no one would bat an eye.

Aside from the extensive enfeoffment at the founding of the Taibai Kingdom, almost never before had a fiefdom with real authority been granted to anyone. The last time someone was enfeoffed as a real power earl was fourteen years ago, when an Astral Cultivator successfully became a Master Astral Cultivator.

However, the earl's fief wasn't bigger than 10,000 square kilometers.

Li Pin's treatment... was something that many top-tiered Astral Cultivators didn't enjoy.

***

On the way back, Su Mai introduced the situation of Li Pin's fief to him.

After finishing the introduction, he smiled and said, "Among the top Astral Cultivators from Taibai, only twenty-six have been granted fiefs. And among the top-tier Astral Cultivators, only thirteen. The fact that His Majesty is willing to grant you 1,033 square kilometers south of Liusha River shows how much importance he places on you, Martial Saint Li."

Li Pin nodded slightly.

He didn't really care much about the so-called fief. Firstly, his Viscount title was not hereditary, meaning that if he were to be met with an accident and die, his relatives and descendants would not have the right to inherit the title. This was clearly a precaution the royal family took in case he failed to transition into an Astral Cultivator.

They would take away all these rewards and benefits if he failed.

However, if he really succeeded in his transition in the future....

At the very least, once he became a Top-Tier Astral Cultivator, enjoying a fief of over a thousand square kilometers would be perfectly reasonable.

However, it had to be said that land and population were not as valuable as one might think in this world. Before the era of turmoil, the United Nations had a total of 804 countries. As the era of turmoil ended, the Six Extremities formed, and the human alliance was established.

Over the years, countries fell and rose, leaving the alliance with only 166 countries. More than six hundred countries were annexed, merged, or perished.

Because of this vast amounts of land falling into the hands of ferocious beasts and demonic creatures, inevitably shrinking humanity's share of the world.

Those territories theoretically still belong to these countries.

For example, Taibai Kingdom had over six million square kilometers of land, but most of its population was concentrated in less than a million square kilometers.

Additionally, these 166 countries could be divided into three tiers—the Six Extremities, developed countries, and third-world countries.

The higher-ranked third-world countries were somewhat better off due to their resources, economy, population, or minerals, as they received some level of protection from the Six Extremities. However, countries ranked any worse than that would find themselves in constant peril since the Six Extremities didn’t care about them, holding them in disdain.

Take the Vajra United Nations, ranked 144th, as an example. It had a population of 310 million and a land area exceeding ten million square kilometers. Yet only two million square kilometers of that land was really under their control.

Any Astral Cultivator willing to go there could easily snatch a large territory and many subjects.

If a High-Class Astral Cultivator were to go, they could directly take over a land area of hundreds of thousands of square kilometers, with millions of people. They could even establish their own kingdom.

Those were High-Class Astral Cultivators, Top-Tier Astral Cultivators could naturally do even better.

Of course, there was no real comparison between the Vajra United Nations and the Taibai Kingdom.

It had been thirteen years since that country's Master Astral Cultivator had died and no one had risen in their stead since then.

While facing threats from ferocious beasts and demonic creatures, the Top-Tier Astral Cultivators in the Vajra United Nations were divided into factions, constantly at war with each other.

Despite having tens of millions of square kilometers of territory and three hundred and ten million people, their total gross domestic product was less than that of a single city like Jiang Province City, let alone the entire Jiang Province.

Even the Five Elements Sect was richer than their province.

That country was war-torn and festered with poverty, disease, and the threats of ferocious beasts and demonic creatures. Even though a High-Class Astral Cultivator could easily reign over this place, few were willing to stay for long.

After all, a High-Class Astral Cultivator could live well and enjoy a high status in any advanced and prosperous country. Although they might not rule hundreds of thousands of square kilometers of land and millions of subjects alone, at least their lives would be secure.

They didn't have to worry about waking up one day to find themselves caught in the war between two Top-Tier Astral Cultivators, or that a high-tier demonic creature had reached their castle to devour them, taking them for a tasty treat.

From this perspective, many Astral Cultivators would rather live as billionaires in a country like Taibai than go to the Vajra United Nations to rule a domain of hundreds of thousands of square kilometers and millions of subjects.

Time flew as Li Pin and Su Mai conversed.

The train stopped at the capital for a day. Li Pin met the King of the Taibai Kingdom and participated in the ceremony to be enfeoffed as a viscount.

However, he did not stay in the capital for long.

After just three days, he returned to Jiang Province with Qin Rouran, Li Yunyao, Lin Xiaolu, and the others.

Somehow, news had leaked.

When the car carrying Li Pin drove out of the train station, a wave of cheers erupted from both sides of the station. Tens of thousands of Jiang Province City's citizens spontaneously gathered along the streets, shouting and welcoming Li Pin's arrival.

At this moment, the entire Jiang Province was booming with one name—Li Pin.

***

Su Feiyu had accompanied Li Pin to Jiang Province. In the car, she wore a smile. "If you were to run for Jiang Province Provincial Mayor, your election would be a done deal."

"Forget it, politics... aren't really my thing," Li Pin replied.

"Sometimes governing a place is not as difficult as you think. You just need to know how to use people. With your wisdom and power, you can rule a province. Your presence alone is the best guarantee for the prosperity and stability of this province."

Su Feiyu's smile widened slightly. "Besides... I believe that one day, you will become an Astral Cultivator, fighting on the front lines against ferocious beasts and demonic creatures. Your victories will inspire everyone in Jiang Province and Taibai. It's because you have the imprint of Jiang Province on you.

"When the day comes, even if you don't hold any official position in Jiang Province or Taibai, you will become the uncrowned king of Jiang Province, becoming a spiritual symbol for everyone!"

Li Pin did not respond. He silently sat in the car, looking out the window.

He was being escorted by police cars to his villa.

The entire villa area had been newly decorated with banners, balloons, and flowers everywhere.

His neighbors, whom he rarely met before, came out of their homes in their best attire and lined the streets to welcome Li Pin as he traveled down the road.

When Li Pin arrived outside his villa, he found Qin You, Qin Guangming, Mrs. Li, and the others waiting for him at the door. Jiang Province's series of administrative officials were also present.

It was at this moment that Li Pin finally realized what it meant to bring honor to his ancestors and return in glory.