Planet Pulverizer: A Mortal's Ascent

Chapter 172: Warrior

"Li Pin, what perfect timing!"

Seeing that Li Pin was the one who had arrived—and not Zhao Xingge and Tuo Bahai, who were merely here to make up the numbers—Su Feiyu was both surprised and delighted.

"How did you... get here?" Li Pin asked.

"I couldn't find any ferocious beasts inside, so I decided to try the outer area..." Su Feiyu explained, then added. "I didn't leave the distress signal because I was injured, but because... I discovered a wounded Orc Warrior! And... its injuries are severe!"

"An Orc Warrior!?" Li Pin was startled, his pupils dilating. "An Orc Warrior in the Shadow Forest!?"

Orcs!

In the world of Gaia, they were the most widely distributed species of demonic creatures. The term "Orc" didn't refer to a single race but rather encompassed a vast and diverse category of beings.

Creatures that have evolved into "humanoid" form, such as Demonic Cats, Crimson-Tooth Tigers, Giant Demonic Spiders, Demonic Wolves, Yetis, Leopard Demons, and many others all fell under the category of orcs.

All orcs evolve toward the exalted and undescribable Astral God. Since the Astral God had a humanoid form, beasts evolving toward it reached a "humanoid" stage, hence the term orc.

Because of this, orcs were found in every corner of Gaia. From Orcs to Orc Fighters, and then to Orc Warriors. They had a complete hierarchical system. Beyond Orc Warriors, there were Orc Chieftains, Orc War Generals, and those who ruled over a region like kings, the Orc Tyrants.

However, that wasn't the main point! The main point was that... there was an Orc Warrior in the Shadow Forest!

As the saying goes, "Shallow water cannot raise a true dragon."[1]

In the Shadow Forest, apart from the ferocious beasts in the underground palace, those roaming the forest's surface weren't particularly high in level. The Orc Warriors were essentially the leaders of Orc Fighters groups. Considering that even Orc Fighters could wield bone clubs as tools, it was clear that Orc Warriors would be even more intelligent.

Orc Warriors had developed sufficient forging skills to create their own armor and battle axes, arming themselves like Astral Cultivators. To obtain enough Astral Crystal to forge powerful armor and battle axes, they often commanded their subordinate Orc Fighters to hunt ferocious beasts to collect the Astral Crystals and materials for them.

Thus, each Orc Warrior from the Shadow Forest represented a substantial fortune.

There was a saying among the Astral Cultivators: an Orc Warrior in the Shadow Forest was equivalent to a mobile supply station. Encountering one was like striking gold.

Of course, Orc Warriors were no weaklings. Each Orc Warrior had a remarkable qi and blood level of three hundred. This was on par with high-class Astral Cultivators. It went without saying that it had a formidable presence.

For martial artists like them with qi and blood levels below forty, approaching one would almost certainly result in death or severe injury. It was similar to how an ordinary person would fare against a fierce tiger.

"That Orc Warrior has even inspired you to take up the challenge... how severe is its injury?" Li Pin asked.

"Very severe!" Su Feiyu replied firmly. "I suspect that if we wait another day or two, it might either die on its own or pull through the critical point and start recovering from its injuries."

Li Pin glanced at Su Feiyu. "Die on its own?"

If the beast died on its own, Su Feiyu could easily claim the points for this high-tier ferocious beast by delivering a final strike at the last moment, it could secure her a spot in the top ten!

As the committee had stated, luck was also a part of a martial artist’s strength!

However, as they saying goes, "Even after death, the tiger's might remains."[2]

Even a severely injured high-tier ferocious beast would still exert deadly pressure, right? Li Pin thought.

Perhaps, he could use this pressure to gain deeper insight into his spiritual state similar to the Martial Will, enabling him to enter that state at will.

With this thought, Li Pin's spirits lifted. "Let's go have a look."

Su Feiyu nodded.

The two quickly headed a few hundred meters away.

After crossing the shadows of the forest, a small ditch soon appeared in Li Pin's view. Su Feiyu gestured for Li Pin to follow, and they carefully entered the ditch, cautiously peeking out to see ahead.

Beneath a small tree, a massive figure was leaning against a small trunk, motionless. If not for its undulating chest, it would look no different from a corpse.

Compared to the 2.56-meter Orc Fighter, this Orc Warrior stood noticeably taller at over 2.8 meters.

Its skin was mottled green, with heavy armor on its shoulders and chest. Although the armor appeared somewhat crudely made, it was extremely thick.

Li Pin wondered what would happen if he struck the Orc Warrior's armor with his Lingfeng Sword. Most likely, the sword would shatter on impact. The armor seemed impenetrable.

Fortunately, the Orc Warrior's armor wasn't a seamless full-body suit. There were several exposed areas. This gave Li Pin a chance to defeat it, despite his combat power not matching that of an official Astral Cultivator.

"How is it?" Su Feiyu whispered. "The Orc Warrior has many injuries... severe enough to prevent it from standing normally. It's been lying here since yesterday...."

Su Feiyu was a bit embarrassed. "But the pressure from the Orc Warrior is so overwhelming that despite its severe injuries, I didn't dare to approach and test it."

"Hmm."

Li Pin's senses were sharp, he could only perceive very limited information but from his hiding spot. He had to rely on observation to determine how much strength the Orc Warrior had left. This was an Orc Warrior, after all, stronger than both the Orc Fighter and the Crimson-Tooth Tiger.

Its combat power had already exceeded the threshold that all the contestants could handle.

Half an hour had passed as they lay in the ditch, observing.

Judging by the Orc Warrior’s breathing rate, Li Pin could tell that Su Feiyu was right. It had indeed become extremely weak. Given another day or two, the Orc Warrior would die from exacerbating injuries without having to do anything.

Of course, a close-up inspection was necessary.

"I remember there was a fissure when we arrived?" Li Pin said.

"Yes, my safe house is there, with multiple layers of camouflage.”

"Alright, if the Orc Warrior still has strength, retreat directly. Don't worry about me," Li Pin said.

Su Feiyu immediately understood his intention and quickly said, "Should we wait a bit longer?"

Li Pin stood up. "No need."

"I'll go with you.”

"Are you sure?"

If the Orc Warrior still had strength, her accompanying him would just mean an extra kill for the Orc. First, her death, then his.

"Sure," Su Feiyu replied. "You came because you saw my mark. I must be responsible for you."

Li Pin nodded and did not insist.

The two emerged from the ditch and approached the Orc Warrior at a steady pace. As they neared, the Orc Warrior reacted. Its bell-like eyes widened, glaring at Li Pin and Su Feiyu. A chilling malice instantly surged toward them.

Li Pin and Su Feiyu got goosebumps; fear began to wash over them, emanating from their very cells and atoms. They were tempted to flee as quickly as possible.

Su Feiyu, in particular, involuntarily stopped in her tracks.

A strong interest flashed in Li Pin's eyes. "Atomic Will."

The sensation of the body resisting the will... it always fascinated him.

Nevertheless, as his mental spirit attributes grew stronger and his will sharpened, he managed to quickly suppress this feeling.

Su Feiyu, on the other hand, remained frozen, her face turning pale.

Li Pin paused. "How are you?"

Su Feiyu took a few seconds to steady her breathing. "I'm fine."

Then the two advanced towards the Orc Warrior again.

"Roar!"

The Orc Warrior roared, struggling to get on its feet.

Since the Orc Warrior had been lying down previously, it had been difficult to see. Only now, as it struggled and unfolded its massive body, did they realize that most of its torso seemed to have been torn apart by an overwhelming and terrifying force, leaving a bloody mess. Its internal organs were mostly destroyed.

The fact that it was still alive was thanks to its high-tier beast status, a testament to its resilient life force.

Seeing this, Su Feiyu let out a long sigh of relief.

"Roar!"

The Orc Warrior roared again, tightly gripping a giant ax the size of a table, its blade smeared with a hint of crimson.

Unable to rise despite its struggle, it seemed to understand that it couldn't fight the two humans in its current state. It decided to conserve its strength, sat back down, and fixed a cold stare at Li Pin, issuing a threatening growl.

"I'll draw its attention. You deliver the fatal blow," Su Feiyu said with a hint of excitement.

Li Pin nodded in agreement.

The team point distribution system was flawed. If someone was thirty to fifty meters away, it might misjudge and lead to an uneven distribution of points. Therefore, only those who landed the killing blow on the ferocious beast were guaranteed to earn points.

At that moment, a voice suddenly rang out from the treetop, dozens of meters away, "Hey, the two of you, let me lend you a hand."

"Hahaha, leave this high-tier ferocious beast to us."

Amid the cheers, three figures rapidly approached with incredible speed.

One of them was the renowned top expert just below the five seeded competitors, Zhao Sha, the Black-Face Deity from the Blackbird Kingdom.

The other two were also famous strong fighters, Poison Fang and Green Bird. They were both Quasi-Martial Saints who had manifested Spirit Force.

Dragons and snakes do not coexist. If Zhao Sha wanted to team up, he would naturally do so with teammates of similar strength; otherwise, he’d essentially be carrying his teammates.[3]

"Kill the Orc Warrior first!" Li Pin said decisively.

Without hesitation, he erupted his Blood Core and shot forward like an arrow leaving the bow.

But just as Li Pin made his sudden move, a heavy sword, emitting a sharp, piercing shriek, flew through the air and shot straight toward Li Pin's back.

Zhao Sha! It was his battle sword!

The Quasi-Martial Saint known as the Black-Face Deity had hurled his sword toward Li Pin without any hesitation. He had completely disregarded the rule that forbade contestants from killing each other, which would result in disqualification!

1. People with great potential need a challenging environment to fully develop their abilities. ☜

2. implies that even after someone powerful passed away, their legacy continues. ☜

3. implies people of two different levels are incompatible. ☜