Planet Pulverizer: A Mortal's Ascent

Chapter 170: Concrete

Amidst the roaring and enthusiastic applause, doubts inevitably surfaced.

Many had strong confidence in the World's Top Martial Competition Committee and Li Pin's consistent performance since entering the top ten. He had been, after all, trailing closely behind Yan Hongtu, Zhao Yushi, the Great Sun Chosen One, and Cheng Yufeng. Nevertheless, skeptics still couldn't help but voice their concerns.

After all, Li Pin was just too young.

***

In the conference room, Zhang Songbai could no longer contain his frustration. "How could he have gotten first place?"

"It's completely illogical. The committee needs to issue a public statement. Otherwise, people will start questioning the fairness of the World's Top Martial Competition," said Qiao Feiyu.

Wan Qingshan urged the person next to him, "Where's Phantom? Why hasn't he sent any updates? He's been there for an entire day. Isn't that enough time for him to determine whether Li Pin is truly strong?"

"Do you still doubt the strength of Taibai's prodigy, Li Pin?" Su Mai raised his voice. "You can check the newly added 210 points. One is from an Orc Fighter, and the other is from a Crimson-Tooth Tiger! I don't need to explain what these ferocious beasts signify. Killing one beast could be luck, but twice in a row? That only means one thing!"

With a wave, he confidently said, "Even Tianyuan Society has underestimated Taibai's prodigy. His cultivation has long reached the Martial Saint realm, yet the world still views him as a Quasi-Martial Saint. The problem lies with the committee for not giving him a seeded spot, not with Li Pin."

"How could Li Pin defeat mid-tier ferocious beasts, which even newly promoted official Astral Cultivators might struggle with? What's his secret?" Ying Yu also asked in a deep voice.

"The secret? It's his strength, of course! You question Li Pin's achievements because of his age, but youth doesn't mean weakness. This world has never lacked brilliant geniuses who shine in their era," Su Mai passionately argued, standing his ground.

No one believed that anyone would dare cheat in the World's Top Martial Competition. However, out of concern for their own competitor's interests, others still made a few non-committal remarks. After all, raising a few doubts wouldn't cause any harm.

What if these discussions led to decisions that impacted Li Pin's state of mind, causing him to falter and make mistakes? That could potentially give their country's competitors an edge!

As the arguments continued, time slowly passed.

In less than an hour, Wan Qingshan received news. He announced, "Alright, we have reached Phantom. He's on his way back at full speed. He also confirmed that Li Pin's achievements are entirely legitimate."

At those words, the debate in the room paused slightly.

Even Su Mai was caught by surprise, his pupils dilating. While he had been defending incessantly, his staunch support for Li Pin was largely due to his position, which required him to believe in Li Pin. In reality, when Li Pin took first place, his heart skipped a beat.

He had been worried that Li Pin might have used some underhanded tactics. Now, hearing Wan Qingshan's words, his anxiety was finally eased.

"I'd like to see how exactly his achievement is 'legitimate,'" Zhang Songbai growled.

After all, Yan Hongtu had held first place all along before Li Pin took the top spot.

***

Soon, Phantom returned in an aircraft.

Without pausing, he headed straight to the high-standard conference room.

As soon as he entered, Wan Qingshan noticed something and said with surprise, "You're injured? Did a ferocious beast actually spot you?"

"A ferocious beast..." Phantom let out a bitter smile. "If I told you my injuries weren't from a beast but from an accidental fight with Li Pin, would you believe me?"

"A fight with Li Pin?"

"Injured while fighting Li Pin? Haha, you must be joking."

"Phantom, there's no need to downplay yourself just to praise Li Pin. You're a seasoned Martial Saint!"

Many didn't believe Phantom words.

Even Su Mai couldn't help but ask, "Did you really get hurt in a fight with Li Pin? How is he!? As a member of the organizing committee, how could you fight a participant? That's unfair!"

"It was an accident, and the committee will provide compensation," Phantom quickly replied. "As for Li Pin... he's fine. All my counterattacks were purely defensive. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been so disheveled."

He was telling the truth. His confrontation with Li Pin had been limited to grappling techniques, aimed at subduing him and preventing the situation from escalating.

He had avoided using other fist and leg techniques, secret arts, or lethal moves. However, he had clearly overestimated his own abilities and underestimated Li Pin, which led to this situation.

"What exactly happened?" Su Mai asked with a stern voice.

"I was hiding in the shadows to observe Li Pin, and then... he noticed me."

"Impossible!" As soon as Phantom finished speaking, Wan Qingshan couldn't help but refute him. "You have thoroughly mastered the Shadow Walker technique. You are capable of slipping past even me undetected. Our enhancement may focus on physical strength, but our external perception is still unmatched by any Martial Saint. If you could evade me, how could Li Pin, a mere grandmaster, detect you?"

"I also find it hard to believe, but it's the truth," Phantom said. "He forced me out of hiding and immediately unleashed a powerful attack...."

He sighed. "As you can see by my condition, even though I was restricted to defensive counterattacks, Li Pin's strength is undeniable! I dare say his strength is absolutely... not weaker than either Song Wuya or Duan Yidao!"

Phantom was prudent in his wording. He did not claim Li Pin surpassed ordinary Martial Saints, only comparing him with Song Wuya and Duan Yidao.

These two had records of killing Martial Saints, so comparing them with Li Pin was sufficient to prove Li Pin's strength.

"Words alone are insufficient," Phantom said while taking out a small crystal chip. "I recorded his battle with the ferocious beasts and his fight with me. Everyone can view it directly."

Su Mai interjected immediately. "Wait a moment!"

He said, "The committee's secret surveillance of Li Pin is already an overstep. Whether in fighting the ferocious beasts or in his duel with you, he would have gone all out and used every lethal move at his disposal.

"If this information is made public, analyzed, and then shared with participants who advance to the round-robin competition, the fairness of the World's Top Martial Competition would be questioned!"

Su Mai's tone grew stern. His gaze at Phantom was filled with pressure.

Phantom broke out in a cold sweat, frightened. He wasn't sure if it was due to his mistake or Su Mai's intimidating demeanor.

"This is a mistake on our side," Wan Qingshan quickly said. "Furthermore, due to Phantom's actions, Li Pin has had to endure an extra battle, draining his mental and physical strength. The committee will make amends for this."

He then addressed the people present, "We will have professionals verify the authenticity of this information, so everyone can rest assured."

Though it was regrettable that others could not see Li Pin's battles against the two ferocious beasts and Phantom, they understood that such a mistake would not be made deliberately. The reason for the immediate display of the chip just now was likely because Phantom was still in an agitated state and had not yet recovered.

"I need to accompany the verification process," Su Mai stated firmly.

Wan Qingshan glanced at him and nodded. "Alright."

The three went to another room. An elderly man in his sixties entered shortly after. This man was a highly respected figure in the martial arts community, known for his fairness and authority.

As Phantom operated the special device, footage recorded from its perspective was soon projected onto a specialized screen. However, whenever the footage showed the Orc Fighter and the Crimson-Tooth Tiger, it became blurry and chaotic, as if there was a signal error.

Fortunately, Phantom, while observing, had consciously restrained his hostility and maintained his position as an "observer," so no damage was done to the equipment. The audience could still follow the events clearly.

When Wan Qingshan witnessed Li Pin's impressive sword techniques against the Crimson-Tooth Tiger and the Orc Fighter, he exclaimed, "Excellent swordsmanship!"

Su Mai's eyes lit up.

The footage then showed Li Pin's intense battle with Phantom after killing the Orc Fighter. The video was extremely shaky but captured the fight with remarkable clarity. Their clashes were as swift as lightning.

When the battle concluded with Phantom revealing his identity, Wan Qingshan couldn't help but say, "Well done!"

He turned to Su Mai with envious eyes and said, "Only twenty-three years old.... Taibai has produced a martial arts prodigy."

Su Mai smiled and replied, "It is indeed an honor for Taibai."

Wan Qingshan then tentatively suggested, "Since Taibai lacks strong institutions for martial arts training, why not have him come to Tianyuan?"

Su Mai immediately refused without hesitation. "Given Li Pin's demonstrated potential, it would be unreasonable not to offer him a Dragon Prince slot, wouldn't it? When it comes to training the Martial Saints, what institution could compare to the Dragon Princes of the Dragon Gate Hall?"

Wan Qingshan felt a bit disappointed upon hearing this. However, the matter might still have room for negotiation. "These videos are sufficient to prove that Li Pin's achievements are genuine."

Phantom nodded eagerly. "I'm just curious about how he was able to detect me...."

"Not everyone is the same," Wan Qingshan said. "There are indeed some exceptionally talented individuals in this world. Some have keen senses, others have remarkable vision... and then there's Wang Liancheng, who is said to have pushed human limits to a new realm. Li Pin... perhaps, as he himself claimed, has superior perception."

"Wang Liancheng!?"

Phantom was surprised that Wan Qingshan would compare Li Pin to such an anomaly. That prodigy was a crucial asset for their Tianyuan Federation in their bid to compete for the title of the King of the Century this season!

"Alright, let's announce this to the world," Wan Qingshan said to Su Mai. "This time, Taibai might just have a chance to produce the world champion!"