Chapter 278: Mutate

"Martial God! Martial God!"

Upon receiving his confirmation, the minds of the Martial Saints surged with thoughts. Almost everyone was silently chanting these two words—Martial God!

"Condense the Lifeform Force Field, refine electromagnetism into the body, integrate it with the Lifeform Force Field, then comprehend the mysteries of heaven and earth, the movement of planets, and finally use one's own magnetic field to resonate with the Celestial Magnetic Field... so this is the path beyond a Martial Saint?"

"A path beyond Martial Saint... exists!?"

"Martial God! Martial God! What a title! Martial God Li, for you to publicly and honestly share with us the secret of becoming a Martial God, you are truly deserving of the title!"

At that moment, the eyes of countless Martial Saints shone with fervent longing. A seed called hope began to take root in their hearts. Before they stepped onto Crimson Flame Island, they had been repeatedly urged by their factions to assist their nation's seed competitor to claim victory at all costs.

Given that the competition was a life-or-death struggle for a chance at ultimate transcendence, it was understandable for them to favor their nation's chosen top contender. After all, the moment they joined the King of the Century Competition, they had already accepted that it was either success or death.

However, even then... they were Extreme Martial Saints each with their own unwavering Martial Will! And now, Li Pin was telling them that he had discovered a path beyond Martial Saint, which involved refining the Lifeform Force Field into a magnetic field and harnessing the Celestial Magnetic Field for oneself! A path... known as Martial God!

With this path in sight, they no longer needed to risk everything to break through the deadly threshold of transcendence. Now, they had another choice—the path of Martial God!

Some Martial Saints, their thoughts suddenly clear, couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"

Hahaha.

"

"The King of the Century grand battle! Its ultimate purpose, for seven iterations, has always been for the Martial Saints of the world to convene and seek a breakthrough, through countless battles, and carve a new path for martial artists! Transitioning into the Astral Cultivation System? That was merely a desperate choice! Martial God, this is the true path for Martial Saints!"

Their voices echoed across the cliff. "For seventy years, countless Extreme Martial Saints sacrificed their lives for the King of the Century Competition, yet none of them managed to forge a new path. Now, Martial God Li has done it! This is the greatest validation of the competition's purpose, and its most significant achievement since its inception!"

Every other Martial Saint shared the same sentiments, without exception.

The greatest achievement of the King of the Century Competition....

Li Pin! Martial God Li!

One Martial Saint, overwhelmed with emotion, shouted, " We are honored to witness this moment! From this day on, Extreme Martial Saints no longer need to gamble their lives in pursuit of that elusive final transcendence. They no longer need to burn themselves out refining qi into Spirit or meditate on the Astral God. Before us, lay the path beyond Martial Saint...."

He raised his hands high as if opening up a new world. "Martial God!"

As the words left his mouth, the Martial Saints, who had been muttering to themselves, were suddenly filled with renewed passion. "Martial God!"

"Seventy years of sacrifice from countless Extreme Martial Saints for the King of the Century Competition, and finally, we have an answer...."

"The realm beyond Martial Saint... is Martial God!"

In an instant, more and more people began shouting this term.

In just ten seconds, over a hundred Martial Saints were shouting in unison, "Martial God! Martial God! Martial God!"

Among them, Xi Mi took a deep breath and stepped forward. With a reverent, pilgrim-like stance, he knelt before Li Pin. "Today, how fortunate we are to challenge the first Martial God in martial history... This is the highest honor of our lives!"

His sincere prostration reminded the other Martial Saints of the scene not long ago.

If you can reach me unharmed and draw your sword, believe me, that will be the most glorious moment of your life!

This was the greatest mercy Li Pin, the Martial God, had shown them.

Because at that moment, the world will praise your courage, for you had dared to stand before a Martial God and draw your sword!

Those words echoed in everyone's minds as they looked at the figure standing atop the cliff.

Li Pin's bold words had become a reality.

The Martial God realm had emerged for the first time and would surely be recorded in the annals of martial arts, even in the history of humanity. It would be studied, remembered, and admired by countless generations.

And those who dared to draw their swords before a Martial God would surely be recorded as well!

If this wasn't the highest honor, what was?

"Martial God... I want... to try again," said a Supreme Martial Saint with deep reverence.

He wasn't the only one. The other Martial Saints' gazes were also filled with longing.

They now realized that when Li Pin suppressed them earlier with his Lifeform Force Field, it wasn't to humiliate them. They simply... weren't worthy to challenge him.

Martial God Li had given them an opportunity, a gift, allowing them to experience the intricate workings and mysteries of the Lifeform Force Field up close.

𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

***

On Tianyuan Federation's side, the Martial Saints whispered amongst themselves.

"The King of the Century Competition... it seems, no longer needs to be fought."

"The people have spoken!"

"What King of the Century!? The King of the Century Competition only exists to uncover the path beyond Martial Saint. Now that Li Pin has descended with the Martial God realm, the title of King of the Century... has lost its meaning!"

The Martial Saints who harbored no ill will toward Li Pin even felt a sense of shared pride.

After all... this Martial God was born in Tianyuan!

Wan Yuexin, however, couldn't help but glance at Wang Liancheng. "At this rate... this King of the Century Competition might be halted halfway through. We..."

Wang Liancheng remained silent. He simply stared at the figure on the cliff, now the focus of the entire world.

After a long silence, he finally said, "Our goal has always been to win this King of the Century Competition. Now that victory is certain, our goal has been achieved, hasn't it?"

Wan Yuexin was momentarily stunned.

Tianyuan's ace...no longer intended to take action? Well... it made sense. With victory secured, there was no need for him to step in.

Besides, as Wan Yuexin recalled Li Pin’s overwhelming power in wiping out dozens of Extreme Martial Saints with a single strike, it seemed that even if their ace acted, they would still win effortlessly.

Tianyuan... has already won without lifting a finger.

***

Just then, a low, suppressed roar of anger emerged from the crowd, "Are you kidding me? How could things unfold in such an absurd manner?"

Shortly after, the leader of the Great Shang group, Cang Shengjie, began to breathe heavily, as if wrestling with his thoughts.

His frame trembled, his eyes bloodshot as he glared at the figure commanding the admiration of hundreds of Martial Saints.

"I came here for the title of King of the Century, not to watch some self-proclaimed 'Martial God' show off with tricks!"

With a roar, his qi and blood surged rapidly. It wasn't clear whether Cang Shengjie had taken some sort of banned drug or had used a forbidden technique. Nonetheless, his towering frame began to swell, quickly surpassing two meters in height.

He reached out and gripped a pitch-black weapon that looked like a mace.

Gasps of astonishment rippled through the crowd.

"The Arbiter Spirit Weapon!"

This wasn't all. Cang Shengjie wore a gauntlet resembling the claw of a fierce bear, with gemstones gleaming faintly on it.

Furthermore, his forearms were reinforced with bracers, securely protecting both hands. Around his neck, a necklace enhanced his reflexes and mastery of qi and blood to their limits.

A well-informed Martial Saint's voice trembled. "The Power Stone! Knight's Brace! Green Jade Ice Essence! My heavens, these are all rare astral equipment! A whole set of rare astral equipment plus an Arbiter Spirit Weapon...!"

Even Top-Tier Astral Cultivators would struggle to gather a set like this!

In fact... even a Master Astal Cultivator might not have the means to possess a full set of rare astral equipment!

As the power of the astral equipment and the Arbiter Spirit Weapon fully activated, Cang Shengjie was enveloped in a field of starlight.

The starlight's intensity rivaled even a Top-Tier Astral Cultivator's Starlight Body.

"There will be only one victor in this King of the Century grand battle, and that's me, Cang Shengjie!"

The Supreme Martial Saint roared, his qi and blood amplified by the starlight, shining brighter than ever. For the first time in years, he stepped forward to handle the national matters his elder brother had always managed.

I will not disappoint you, brother! I promise!

With unwavering resolve, his burning fighting spirit soared to the heavens.

"Martial God? So what! Warriors of Great Shang, now is the time to show your loyalty to the nation! Kill him! Use the blood of this Martial God to consecrate the glory of Great Shang and reignite the light of Gaia!"

As soon as Cang Shengjie's command hit their ears, he charged fearlessly into the storm.

Behind him were eighteen of the forty or fifty Martial Saints of Great Shang. They immediately swallowed a pill, their expressions resolute.

"That's... the Heavenly Demon Disintegration Pill!"

After consuming the pills, the eighteen Extreme Martial Saints unleashed their secret techniques. Their qi and blood erupted, billowing like beacon fires into the sky. Their overwhelming strength now rivaled even a mid-tier ferocious beast.

That was especially the case for Cang Shengjie, who was at the forefront. With the enhancement from his full set of rare astral equipment, he seemed to have transformed into a high-tier ferocious beast. His qi and blood, interwoven with starlight, surged violently, ready to tear apart any Extreme Martial Saint who stood in his way.

"You... are courting death," Li Pin said in a low voice.

The next moment, a change occurred to the Lifeform Force Field.

A faint rumbling came from the ground, and the entire cliff began to tremble.

A massive section, weighing thousands of tons, broke free, crashing down into the sea below. Huge chunks of debris and clouds of dust rose. The broken-off section plunged into the sea, sending waves over ten meters high surging.

The Martial Saints watching grasped what was happening, and their eyes widened, unwilling to miss a single detail.

"The Celestial Magnetic Field!"

This was the power of a Martial God!

"No one will stop me from seizing the final victory. Anyone who dares block my path, even a god, I will kill!"

Enveloped in starlight and blazing qi and blood, Cang Shengjie roared toward the heavens. He charged forward under the protection of the eighteen Martial Saints enhanced by the Heavenly Demon Disintegration Pills.

He raised his Arbiter Spirit Weapon high, slashing through the air toward Li Pin's head, now only a few meters away.

"Die!"

Buzz, buzz!

The Arbiter Spirit Weapon closed in. But just as it was only meters away, Li Pin twisted his hands sharply, controlling the Lifeform Force Field he condensed.

In an instant, the eighteen Extreme Martial Saints who swallowed the pill seemed as though they had been hit by a jet traveling at thousands of miles per hour or crushed beneath a massive millstone.

Like the others before them who rushed in trying to take advantage of the situation...

Bang!

Despite their qi and blood being amplified to the level of a mid-tier ferocious beast, the eighteen Extreme Martial Saints were reduced to dust in the face of the overwhelming power of the Celestial Magnetic Field, exploding into mists of blood!

The only one still standing... was Cang Shengjie.

The starlight from his rare astral equipment shattered completely. The residual force slammed into him as if a prehistoric beast had trampled him. He sprayed blood in every direction.

Though he hadn't been crushed by the force of the Celestial Magnetic Field, the impact still sent him flying backward with every bone inside him shattered, leaving him a barely recognizable figure.

Bang!

He crashed heavily into the muddy ground, mouth twitching in pain. Even with injuries this severe, his unyielding fighting spirit remained unbroken, growing stronger with each passing moment, surging toward the sky.

"I refuse... I won't lose... I'll bring home the victory... bring it home..."

With this unrelenting will, his bloodstained right hand suddenly pressed against his waist, injecting a vial of golden liquid into his body through a booster device.

This was... the Golden Blood!

"I won't lose... I can't lose!"

With the boost from the Golden Blood, Cang Shengjie's shattered veins and broken bones began to pulse with life again.

His already enormous body swelled once more. Muscles bulged across his entire frame, while something rapidly grew from his back

His agonized roar echoed through the air as he struggled to his feet once again. "I will not lose!"

As he rose, his back burst open, revealing grotesque, menacing bone spikes.

Meanwhile, his height surged from two to more than two and a half meters.

Cang Shengjie, now covered in explosive muscle, sprouted vicious bone spikes from his shoulders. "Li Pin!"

Fully transformed, Cang Shengjie let out a monstrous roar, his voice rippling with terrifying qi and blood and ferocity.

At this moment, he... had mutated into a monstrous, horrifying being.