Chapter 206: Assumption
Chapter 206: Assumption
Crack!
As the sound of bones breaking resounded, Yan Hongtu\'s arm violently trembled. The Great Sun Chosen One\'s headbutt had shattered his ulna and dislocated his radius, leaving his arm grotesquely bent.
The impact sent Yan Hongtu flying four meters through the air before crashing. Even after landing, he couldn\'t stop himself from stumbling back another six steps.
Yan Hongtu steadied himself and looked at his arm in fright. "My... my arm...."
In contrast, the Great Sun Chosen One appeared slightly dizzy but quickly shook it off and regained his composure. He wiped his bald head, now slightly red but still shiny.
A vicious glint flashed in the Great Sun Chosen One\'s eyes. He strode forward and charged at his opponent like a terrifying beast. He closed the distance between them with a few leaps.
Realizing the danger, Yan Hongtu ignored the intense pain in his arm and quickly retreated. However, though Yan Hongtu was fast, the Great Sun Chosen One was faster.
Speed was always relative. Compared to Li Pin, the Great Sun Chosen One\'s speed was a liability. But to someone like Yan Hongtu, who wasn’t even a Martial Saint, the Great Sun Chosen One’s speed was staggering.
The Great Sun Chosen One unleashed his full speed. As he dashed, he diffused an overwhelming pernicious aura that crashed down on Yan Hongtu like a suffocating wave, nearly freezing his breath.
As the Great Sun Chosen One drew closer, ready to seize his prey, Yan Hongtu suddenly executed a swift sidestep and narrowly evaded his pursuer\'s grasp. It seemed as if he had employed some unique secret art.
By the time the Great Sun Chosen One managed to halt his momentum and turn around, Yan Hongtu had already launched a counterattack from behind. With a few powerful strides, Yan Hongtu accelerated. His body taut like an arrow, he launched himself from behind.
The speed he mustered at this moment far exceeded what a practitioner at his level should be able to achieve.
Yan Hongtu had been previously forced to acknowledge the immense disparity in strength between him and the Great Sun Chosen One, so he opted for a kick instead of a punch this time.
Carrying the momentum of his charge, he arched like a long bow before delivering a flying kick. The force behind the kick was so immense that it seemed to compress the very air around him, building up to channel a devastating explosion upon impact.
However, even as Yan Hongtu\'s kick threatened to land, the Great Sun Chosen One didn\'t bother to dodge. He let out a low growl, his muscles bulging as his height rose to nearly two meters, transforming him into a towering golden giant.
With a fearsome and relentless momentum, he crossed his arms and fiercely collided with Yan Hongtu\'s powerful kick.
A visible white shockwave erupted between them as they clashed.
The sounds of rending cloth and breaking bones mingled together
The Great Sun Chosen One\'s violent charge abruptly halted, and the sleeves on his crossed arms were shredded to pieces by the explosive force.
However, that was it.
Yan Hongtu, on the other hand, fared far worse. The degree of injury he suffered from this clash was much more severe than when he met the Great Sun Chosen One’s headbutt. The leg he had used to deliver the kick had been broken and twisted, and he was hurtled through the air from the sheer impact.
He felt as if he had been struck by a speeding car going over a hundred kilometers per hour. This time, he was sent flying more than a dozen meters before crashing to the ground. He continued to slide backward for several more meters before finally coming to a halt.
The sheer impact of this clash of forces left everyone stunned.
Was this the same Great Sun Chosen One who had hastily surrendered in his fight against Li Pin after a single exchange, without any semblance of a strong contender?
It suddenly dawned on everyone that the Great Sun Chosen One was actually this powerful.
Overwhelming!
This was pure, one-sided domination!
***
A Martial Saint couldn\'t help but sigh. "The gap is simply too big. Even if Yan Hongtu were at his peak, he wouldn\'t stand a chance against the Great Sun Chosen One."
Another Martial Saint chimed in, "The gap between Martial Saints and great grandmasters is undeniable. Not every Martial Saint can defy the natural order like Duan Yidao or Song Wuya."
"Just watch. If Yan Hongtu\'s tactical advisor has any sense, he should recognize the situation and concede right now. Otherwise, Yan Hongtu..." the Martial Saint glanced at the Great Sun Chosen One, who had already neutralized the force of the kick and was striding forward toward Yan Hongtu, "will get killed before he even realizes it."
His words made several Martial Saints nod in agreement. Their gazes instinctively turned toward Yan Hongtu\'s tactical advisor.
Before the advisor could speak, a terrified shout came from the stage, "I concede! I concede!"
That was naturally Yan Hongtu.
Unbeknownst to Yan Hongtu, his tactical advisor had been troubled about whether he should concede on his behalf, as he knew it would upset Yan Hongtu. Yet here he was, surrendering before his advisor had even made a move.
This infuriated the Great Sun Chosen One. "Concede? Why are you conceding? Weren\'t you running off your mouth at the start, challenging one contestant after another, strutting around with your cocky attitude? Where is all that now? This is all you have to show? You run off the moment the fight begins? Aside from jumping around like a monkey, what else can you do? You—"
"Ahem!" The host below quickly interrupted. "Great Sun Chosen One, please mind your conduct. There are a lot of people watching."
Hearing this, the Great Sun Chose One had no choice but to stop. "I could easily take on ten opponents like this!"
Yan Hongtu said nothing and limped off the stage. As he walked off, a nagging suspicion loomed in his mind.
Has Nan Lifeng set me up? Why should I even challenge people like the Great Sun Chosen One and Zhao Yushi? Wouldn\'t it have been better if I fought Nan Lifeng and secured a victory? If I had chosen him instead, would I have been in this miserable state now?
Nevertheless, he knew there was no point in regretting it now. All he could do was wait for Nan Lifeng to avenge his humiliation.
As he pondered, he glanced at Li Pin, only to find him looking completely indifferent to the situation.
Immediately, Yan Hongtu’s anger went through the roof. "Arrogant!"
Eyes drifting to Nan Lufeng, he thought, Just you wait, Li Pin! Someone will teach you a lesson and make you understand that, you may be powerful, but you are not invincible!
Nan Lifeng did not keep Yan Hongtu waiting long.
After he and the Great Sun Chosen One descended from the stage, Nan Lifeng took a few swift, almost weightless steps and was instantly at the martial arts arena.
The host immediately approached. "Competitor Nan Lifeng, since all your opponents have already had their matches, you can either choose to delay your match or challenge any of the contestants below. If they are willing to fight—"
"I challenge Li Pin!" Nan Lifeng declared.
The crowd’s gaze shifted to the resting Li Pin.
They weren’t surprised by this pick. Many had expected it, even.
"I know that even if I win against Li Pin, some will remark that my victory isn\'t well-earned. But let\'s think ahead, what does the title of the intermediate category champion represent? It means being the world champion, second only to the champion of the adult category! If Li Pin wants to claim the title of the best in the world, he can’t just be slightly stronger than the rest of us. That won’t cut it."
He boomed, "For someone to truly be a world champion, they must defeat and subdue all of us with absolute strength—not by luck. They must keep winning match after match. If he is left too weak by a match to keep on facing other challengers, how will he prove that he is truly the best? Even if he ultimately claims the title, he still wouldn’t live up to the hype of being the best!"
His righteous words echoed throughout the arena.
Having listened, many found some truth in his statements.
A few even echoed his sentiments.
"If you want to be the best in the world, you should thoroughly convince everyone!"
"Can a world champion title won by luck truly be called the best in the world?"
"Li Pin, we believe in you! With your strength, you can definitely win again!"
Though their words weren\'t intense and their numbers few, they managed to slowly sway the crowd\'s sentiment.
Seeing this, Nan Lifeng smiled slightly.
He had planted a few people among the spectators to cheer for him and echo his sentiments during his matches. The number was small, but a few words in a critical moment could influence the masses.
Just like now. As these few people set the tone, more and more spectators joined the call for Li Pin to compete, endorsing Nan Lifeng\'s claim of what it meant to be a "world champion."
With the people pressuring Li Pin, Nan Lifeng wasn’t afraid that he would refuse.
It would’ve been fine if he hadn’t voiced these ideas. But now that he had planted this thought in everyone’s minds, people would always criticize Li Pin behind his back even if he won first place.
If he made further effort to make this a widespread belief, he could cause Li Pin to develop an inner demon that would erode his Martial Will.
Tuo Bafeng saw Li Pin open his eyes and hurriedly advised, "Li Pin... don\'t let their words fool you! This isn’t the same as before. None of your previous fights had pushed you to this extent! It didn’t matter if you stepped up more than once because you knew you had strength to spare and were confident no one could beat you! But this time it’s different! The forbidden technique you just used has clearly consumed a lot of your energy ... If you go up now—"
"You’re right. It has indeed taken a toll on me," Li Pin acknowledged.
The Great Sun Infinite placed a tremendous burden on both qi and blood and spiritual strength. It didn’t matter that he had used it for a short duration. The consumption was still severe.
However....
Li Pin stood up. "Even if I am sapped, I still have more than enough strength to deal with a martial artist who isn’t even a Martial Saint."
Tuo Bafeng looked at him, unsure whether he was putting on a strong front. "Li Pin... think it over!"
Li Pin offered no further explanation. He took a step forward and directly walked up the competition stage.
This scene made Zhao Yushi, the Great Sun Chosen One, and others frown. It was unwise to choose to fight despite being severely exhausted.
Then, a sudden thought struck the crowd.
Could it be... related to Li Pin\'s Martial Will? Could Li Pin\'s Martial Will be to never refuse any challenge!?
"Li Pin, you\'re here. I knew you would—"
Nan Lifeng began to speak but was interrupted directly by Li Pin.
"Supposedly, after defeating Zhao Yushi, I would only have you and Ying Long left. I would secure the title of world champion after three rounds. Now, it seems I might be able to do it sooner."
With that, his gaze shifted to Ying Long. "If the organizing committee allows it... you two, fight me together."