Chapter 78: Disabled

"We can't hold him off any longer."

In the meeting room of a high-rise building in the martial society, Lin Yuzhi stood in front of a transparent glass window, gazing down at the bustling martial competition below. From his vantage point, he could see a large number of martial artists hurrying back and forth to their respective matches.

Behind him sat Qiu Chufeng, Shu Shaoyan, Xiao Yunfeng, and several others in their designated seats. While Shu Shaoyan and Xiao Yunfeng appeared relatively calm, Qiu Chufeng's face was etched with deep concern.

Lin Yuzhi turned around to look at the huge screen mounted on the wall and said, "We can't block this brat by normal means anymore. You all need to discuss who should give up their spot."

The big screen was showing the first training area, where Li Pin's opponent had just surrendered.

"Five matches in three days, four of which were against Core Formation masters. Many people will suspect something is wrong if they think about it. Even if we can suppress media discussions, we will still bear significant risks if things were to escalate," Lin Yuzhi explained.

He wasn't concerned about whether what he did was right or wrong, his only worry was whether it would bring him any risks. If risks didn't exist, then the question of right or wrong became irrelevant, and he could do as he pleased.

"Chairman Lin, your intention is to support Gu Haoran, but if Li Pin enters the top ten and proceeds to the round-robin stage, there's no guarantee that Gu Haoran can defeat him as well," Qiu Chufeng remarked.

Lin Yuzhi didn't respond to Qiu Chufeng's words. Instead, he asked, "What's your plan then?"

"We'll give it another try," Qiu Chufeng replied. "Originally, I intended to wear him down with two more Core Formation experts. But now it seems unless we intervene ourselves, other Core Formation experts may not be willing to confront him before reaching the round-robin stage threshold. That leaves us with no choice but to take matters into our own hands."

Understanding his implication, Lin Yuzhi shook his head. "Even Han Li isn't confident that he can defeat him."

"Not confident, but he shouldn't fare too bad against him," Qiu Chufeng remarked. "And... as you all already know, I've brought someone from the capital city."

"Thunder Fist Zhou Chaoguang?"

Lin Yuzhi and the others were naturally aware of the Aura Cultivation Grandmaster's arrival from the capital city yesterday.

He wasn't any Aura Force Practitioner, but an authentic Aura Cultivation Grandmaster.

Despite not having entered the Internal Aura realm, he has been cultivating the Light Thunder Fist since his youth. While its name, "Light Thunder Fist," might sound plain, the technique itself was an authentic legacy passed down from a Martial Saint.

Zhou Chaoguang began practicing this technique when he reached the Core Formation realm. After twenty years of rigorous training, even though he hasn't perfected his Internal Aura realm or reached the peak of human limits, his fist intent has been honed to an incredibly powerful level.

Unfortunately... he wasted too much time honing his fist intent. Now at fifty-two, his body's capabilities are on the decline. Otherwise, he would have surely reached Martial Saint level.

Qiu Chufeng nodded. "Exactly, it's him,"

"Are you planning to have Zhou Chaoguang attack and kill Li Pin?"

Hearing that, Shu Shaoyan appeared somewhat startled. She immediately stressed, "No! The Solar Vermilion Sect cannot afford such risks. Assassinating a participant of the competition will inevitably lead to an investigation from higher authorities. Especially someone like Li Pin, who has made a name for himself! The investigative team might even bring astral equipment. One misstep and the entire Solar Vermilion Sect could be implicated! You wouldn't dare to do such a thing! Zhou Chaoguang would never agree!"

"We are law-abiding citizens and would never engage in clandestine attacks on competitors," Qiu Chufeng affirmed, turning to Lin Yuzhi. "I hope Chairman Lin can arrange for Han Li to face Li Pin tomorrow and Zhou Chaoguang to be the referee."

Upon hearing this, Lin Yuzhi quickly deduced what was happening.

Shu Shaoyan and Xiao Yunfeng were taken aback. Soon after, they nodded in realization. "This could work."

Lin Yuzhi reassured them, "It's a minor issue. Leave it to me."

He then smiled and said, "Make sure your disciple, Han Li, is well-prepared. We can't afford any mistakes."

Having made a deal with the Gu family to ensure Gu Haoran's victory, he had to keep his word.

"I understand," Qiu Chufeng replied with a grin. "Han Li has been training diligently lately. To boost his progress before the finals, he's been consuming top-grade medicinal herbs and special medicines. I'm confident he will astonish everyone with his performance tomorrow."

"Is that so? Well, we shall see," Lin Yuzhi responded with a smile.

***

As Fang Lingjue convened with Li Pin, he greeted him with a smile. "Today seems quite relaxed. Did those folks realize they can't hold you back anymore and decided to let you breeze into the top ten?"

"Who knows," Li Pin replied. "It's also possible they've arranged even stronger opponents ahead for me."

"By the way, you've already completed five matches. I checked, and despite the large number of competitors this time, there are typically seven rounds. They won't have many more opportunities. Unless something unexpected happens, tomorrow should be the most crucial day for you," Fang Lingjue remarked.

"I'll wait," Li Pin said.

Fang Lingjue responded with a smile. He too had been targeted, but just not with the same intensity as Li Pin. His next opponent would most certainly be a Core Formation expert, but that was of no importance to him.

So long as he wasn't matched against Gu Haoran, Jiang Zhenhai, or Zhou Yuanfei, he feared no other Core Formation expert.

However, even if he did face these three, the outcome would only be known after the fight.

Still, Fang Lingjue was not a nobody. To ensure the seeded player entered the top ten round-robin matches, the martial society would not arrange powerful Core Formation experts to compete against them. If they had to, they would select someone similar to Wang Zuo, who had been injured in a previous match.

At that moment, a voice called out, "Li Pin, Fang Lingjue, there you are."

Zhao Yuan hurried over to them.

Zhao Yuan was now past thirty-six, so he couldn't compete in the intermediate category. As for the adult category, he was well aware of his own abilities. Therefore, he chose not to participate in this grand martial competition.

"My Master happened to be looking for you," Zhao Yuan said to Li Pin.

"What's up?" Li Pin asked.

"I suppose Chairman Jiang has already told you about his plan to introduce you to Chairman Lin yesterday evening?"

"Yes," Li Pin responded without further elaboration. This was his answer.

Seeing his response, Zhao Yuan slightly restrained his expression, pondered for a moment, and said, "There's something else you need to know... Wang Zuocai... His injury is very severe."

"Very severe?" Fang Lingjue repeated, surprised. "Don't we have the astral equipment? How...?"

"The purpose of astral equipment is to rapidly enhance the body's self-healing abilities. It accelerates the healing process for injuries that can heal on their own. However, for injuries that the body cannot heal by itself, speeding up the healing process can have adverse effects. Otherwise, there wouldn't be so many deaths and disabilities in past competitions," Zhao Yuan explained, pausing briefly.

"The arm Wang Zuocai used to block Gu Haoran's Aura Force suffered a comminuted fracture, a very serious one."

"Comminuted fracture..."

Recalling Zhao Yuan's mention of the word "disabilities," Fang Lingjue was shocked. "You mean...?"

Zhao Yuan nodded solemnly. "Even if his hand heals eventually, it's likely he'll be left disabled."

Glancing at Li Pin, he continued, "In other words... Wang Zuocai's martial arts career is over."