Chapter 71: Sharp

Zhang Chiyan's plan all along was to trade injuries for injuries! He aimed to create an opportunity, seize it, and exchange his injury for Li Pin's life, putting an end to this genius once and for all!

He wanted the Solar Vermillion Sect's Sect Master, Qiu Chufeng, to understand that cultivation level wasn't everything and that true martial strength encompassed more than just realm. Instead, the true determinants of life or death in a battle were mentality, execution, strategy, and ruthlessness!

A lethal blow!

Li Pin immediately discerned Zhang Chiyan's intention.

Zhang Chiyan, the Core Formation expert from the Solar Vermillion Sect, was here to kill him. In order to achieve this, he was willing to unleash his Blood Core to deliberately take an injury in exchange for Li Pin's life. Such ruthlessness was beyond belief.

At this moment, Zhang Chiyan's punch, empowered by the eruption of his Blood Core, was mere millimeters away. The intense collision and friction between Core Force and the air created low-frequency shockwaves that resonated through Li Pin's eardrums and into his skull.

The punch was a mere second away from striking his vital points, potentially ending his life on the spot.

At this critical moment, Li Pin's mind remained remarkably calm. His upper body seemed flexible, almost boneless. Swayed by the force of Zhang Chiyan's punch, he leaned backward. However, in that very motion, he slid toward Zhang Chiyan, his entire form resembling a slanted triangle.

Swoosh!

Fist force erupted!

The strong wind from Zhang Chiyan's Fire Serpent Strike fiercely slapped Li Pin's cheek, causing his hair to flutter wildly. At this moment, the fist was less than two centimeters from his temple. The force within the fist even caused ripples to spread across the skin of his temple.

It was just two centimeters, yet it felt like an insurmountable chasm that one could never cross in a lifetime. In a swift sidestep, Li Pin had already closed the distance to Zhang Chiyan. Lowering his shoulder, he drove it hard into Zhang Chiyan's exposed armpit, stopping his Fire Serpent Strike dead in its tracks.

Li Pin couldn't exert his full strength in this stance, but with his powerful physique as a Core Formation martial artist and the support from his legs, he was able to unleash just enough to send Zhang Chiyan, who weighed over eighty kilograms, flying backward.

Zhang Chiyan's armpit felt as if it had been struck by a hammer. A searing numbness spread through his arm, causing him to lose all sensation in it.

Li Pin subsequently sprang up from his half-squatting position with incredible speed, his body extending into a taut stance. Without delay, he erupted his Blood Core. The violent force surged through his entire body and, in an instant, he regained his balance. He launched himself upright and switched from leaning back to charging forward.

Striding like a shooting star, he covered a meter and caught up to Zhang Chiyan, who was still flying backward.

Li Pin had unleashed his Blood Core Eruption with sharpness and decisiveness!

Harnessing the explosive power of the Blood Core, Li Pin accomplished feats ordinary people couldn't even imagine.

The series of rapid changes left everyone in disbelief. By the time Zhang Chiyan, Jiang Zhenhai, and even the officiating personnel reacted, Li Pin was already like a serpent gliding across the ground, his fist force aimed precisely at the right side of Zhang Chiyan's head, ready to strike.

Zhang Chiyan's pupils dilated.

This is bad!

Zhang Chiyan instinctively tried to cross his arms to block the attack, but as he attempted to do so, he abruptly realized something. Li Pin's earlier strike had caused him to lose all sensations in his left arm. It was momentarily paralyzed!

As for his right hand, in his bold attempt to seize the opportunity to deal a fatal blow to the "genius" Li Pin, he risked injury for a chance to take him down. And he had precisely injured his right hand at that moment, the hand which was crucial to execute his best defensive maneuver right now!

To top it all off, Li Pin chose to deliberately attack from his right side, the side where he was most vulnerable at this moment!

Zhang Chiyan's face contorted with horror, and fear filled his eyes as he tried to shout, "I surr—"

𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

Core Force erupted!

Li Pin's punch shattered the air and broke the sound barrier, striking Zhang Chiyan's right temple with brutal conviction and sharpness.

"Stop!"

"Li Pin! I dare you to do it!"

Two voices filled with shock and anger echoed from below the stage.

Li Pin remained unfazed.

Bang!

The sheer ferocity of the blow shattered Zhang Chiyan's skull on impact, causing numerous blood vessels in his brain to burst from the shockwave. Blood surged violently from the right hemisphere to the left under immense pressure, turning his head into a bloody mess.

He hadn't managed to utter the word "surrender" in time. Unable to withstand the force of the blow, his body plummeted straight down, with his head hitting the ground first, followed by his lifeless body.

Fresh blood erupted in a violent spray. Without any suspense, he died on the spot.

***

Woosh!

The disciples of the Solar Vermillion Sect stood up one after another and rushed frantically toward the center of the arena.

Standing among them, Jiang Zhenhai also erupted with tremendous force and strode forward like a shooting star.

Fang Lingjue swiftly followed and stepped boldly in front of Jiang Zhenhai and the others, halting their advance. "Stop right there! What are you trying to do!? Interrupt the martial competition!?"

Jiang Zhenhai's gaze fell sharply on Fang Lingjue, his eyes flashing with chilling intent.

At this moment, the officiating personnel from the martial society regained his composure, looking visibly alarmed. After a brief glance at Jiang Zhenhai and his group, he swiftly turned his attention to Zhang Chiyan.

"Hurry! Get the astral equipment! Get it here quickly!"

Jiang Zhenhai glanced at Zhang Chiyan. "It's too late."

The right half of Zhang Chiyan's face was pale, while the left half was drenched in blood. This was because Li Pin's punch had forced all the blood in his brain to settle heavily towards the left side. This gruesome scene made the Core Formation martial artist's body truly terrifying to behold.

"The astral equipment in the martial competition can heal even fatal injuries, but... it can't revive those who have died on the spot."

Jiang Zhenhai raised his head and looked at Li Pin who was standing at the center of the arena. "You are so ruthless!"

"You could have shown mercy and refrained from delivering a fatal blow! Yet, you chose to strike to kill, aiming directly for his head! This is deliberate murder!"

"Li Pin! You dare kill a disciple of Solar Vermillion Sect!? We will make you pay with your own blood!"

"This is a martial arts exchange, you ought to have fought with restraint! Li Pin, your cruelty shows no regard for martial ethics!"

The surrounding Solar Vermillion Sect's disciples began to echo in agreement.

"Are you blind?" Li Pin responded calmly. "Didn't you see? He was the one who tried to kill me first."

With that, Li Pin didn't bother wasting any more words on them. He turned around and swiftly walked away.

"You—" One disciple tried to speak, but at that moment, Fang Lingjue stepped forward.

"Threatening other competitors with your faction's influence? It seems the Solar Vermillion Sect believes it is above the martial competition. Remember, every match is under surveillance. If we send this evidence to the martial association, what consequences do you think the Solar Vermillion Sect would face?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the uproar from the Solar Vermillion Sect disciples came to an abrupt halt.

In a martial competition, personal grievances had to not extend beyond the arena. If their actions of threatening competitors were reported and judged, not even the top sects in the capital city could bear the consequences, let alone the Solar Vermillion Sect.

"Our disciple momentarily lost his composure. We will handle his expulsion from the Solar Vermillion Sect internally," Jiang Zhenhai quickly raised his hand to calm his disciples. He continued, "As for us, the match is over. We only wish to retrieve the body of our sect's martial artist. This should not be against the rules, correct?

At this moment, the officiating personnel quickly announced, "Winner: Li Pin!"

Fang Lingjue sighed inwardly as he observed the situation unfold. Things had escalated quickly. The Solar Vermillion Sect had lost a Core Formation expert.

He understood that Li Pin's actions were justified, but the situation had now taken a troubling turn. It seemed that he would have deeply offended the Solar Vermillion Sect with this incident.

Immediately, he rushed towards the training arena's exit to catch up with Li Pin.

Jiang Zhenhai watched Li Pin leave, his expression ice-cold, seemingly lost in thought.