Planet Pulverizer: A Mortal's Ascent

Chapter 174: Decisive Blow

"Li Pin! Die!"

Upon witnessing this scene, Zhao Sha let out a thunderous roar. His qi and blood surged like a boiling volcano, erupting with overwhelming force.

He seemed to have activated some kind of secret art, forcing his qi and blood to surpass the limits of his physical body. He channeled this rapidly spinning qi and blood into his sword, bombarding Li Pin's sword with explosive force, wave after wave.

Battered by the relentless assault, Li Pin's sword was slowly being pushed back toward himself, closer and closer till it seemed as if Li Pin’s own sword was about to slice into him.

Li Pin growled, "You're not even a Martial Saint, yet you dare strike at me? Who gave you such courage!?"

His internal organs resonated in unison, causing his qi and blood to surge. A brand-new Force formed through the gaps in his lungs and pulsed through the intersecting blades.

The double-layered force!

Zhao Sha, bearing the brunt of the attack, felt as if he could barely hold onto his short sword. The qi and blood he had unleashed through his secret art were dissipated by the force of Li Pin's strike, causing its power to rapidly diminish.

Seizing this opportunity, Li Pin tightened his right hand's grip on Green Bird's wrist and jerked it with a sudden burst of strength.

Crack!

Green Bird's entire arm snapped and was twisted at an unnatural angle under the force.

The intense pain caused the Quasi-Martial Saint to lose her grip on the Emei Twin Dagger, allowing it to fall.

Almost simultaneously, Li Pin lifted his right foot and kicked out with lightning speed, striking the falling Emei Twin Dagger's hilt.

The force in his leg erupted.

The dagger, which had been falling, was propelled forward like an arrow released from a fully drawn bow under Li Pin's kick, shooting out at an incredible speed.

Whoosh!

The dagger whizzed through the air.

"No...."

Before the terror in the eyes of the top-tier expert, whose potential could have led her to become a future Martial Saint, could fade, the Emei Twin Dagger had already pierced through the air with a sharp whistle. It penetrated her chin at a thirty-five-degree upward angle, passing through her skull and emerging from the back of her head. An inch of the blade, trailing a mist of blood, was visible.

A wound such as this, piercing through the skull, left no chance at survival. No human, or even an Orc Warrior, could survive it.

Zhao Sha's eyes burst with rage. "Li Pin!"

Fueled by his secret art, Zhao Sha's qi and blood surged. His qi and blood seemed to resonate with his spirit and killing intent, amplifying his power and pushing his short sword to its limit. He bypassed the intercepting Lingfeng Sword and aimed straight for Li Pin's throat.

As the saying goes, "The shorter the blade, the deadlier it is." In close quarters, the short sword clearly had the advantage over the longer Lingfeng Sword.

But as Zhao Sha's sword, infused with pernicious aura, descended, Li Pin released his right hand’s grip on Green Bird's lifeless body. With his left hand, he swung the Lingfeng Sword horizontally to deflect the short sword, blocking the attack just inches away.

Simultaneously, his right hand snapped out abruptly. His muscles and bones resonated as force surged from his internal organs. He delivered a punch that struck the blade of the short sword dead-on.

Then, a surge of Force erupted!

The organs resonated with each other, and the Force, akin to the unity of the Five Elements, exploded with the swing.

Bang!

The shockwave exploded outward.

It felt as if the short sword wasn't hit by a punch but by a sniper bullet. The violent Force surged through the short sword, causing the web of Zhao Sha's right hand to crack open. Blood gushed from his palm.

The impact drove Zhao Sha back several steps.

Immediately after, Li Pin swiftly spun around. As he did, the Lingfeng Sword in his hand executed a 360-degree arc and slashed downward. The intense friction between the blade and the air created a piercing screech, so swift and fierce that Zhao Sha had no choice but to cross his sword in defense immediately.

However, the moment the longsword met the short sword, Zhao Sha turned horrified. "Not good!"

He decisively discarded his sword and retreated!

Almost the same moment he released it, the short sword shattered under the overwhelming force of the long sword. The blade, like a streak of light, continued its downward arc, ripping through Zhao Sha’s clothes and leaving a bloody gash across his chest.

If he hadn't reacted in time and pulled back, that 360-degree slash... would have cleaved him in half from top to bottom.

"Damn it... How is Li Pin this strong...!"

Such swordsmanship, such explosive power....

Even Song Wuya and Duan Yidao might pale in comparison!

No!

Even if Song Wuya and Duan Yidao were ambushed by the three Quasi-Martial Saints, the only way they could pull through was by fleeing and adopting a hit-and-run strategy. A direct confrontation would spell death for them!

But Li Pin...

Zhao Sha glanced at Poison Fang, who was struggling to his feet after being thrown by Li Pin and gasping for breath. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of Green Bird's lifeless body, killed by her own weapon piercing her skull. In an instant, he made up his mind.

He turned around and made a run for it!

Li Pin's strength was far beyond what the Tianyuan Society had claimed! He was more than a mere Quasi-Martial Saint capable of unleashing Spirit Force! He was fully qualified to compete for the title of the world champion against the five seeded competitors!

Li Pin's eyes were cold and filled with murderous intent. "Did I say you could leave?"

As he strode forward, the earth beneath him trembled violently as if struck by a giant hammer, sinking and forming a pit over a foot deep. Debris scattered in all directions.

With this explosive force, Li Pin shot forward like a cannonball, tearing through the air with a fierce hurricane and sword intent. He closed in on Zhao Sha in an instant.

Though he had yet to strike, the ominous sword intent and the invincible momentum he had accumulated from slaying countless opponents bore down on Zhao Sha like a mountain, making his heart nearly stop.

An indescribable terror surged from deep within, rising to his throat as he let out a shrill scream. "Ah!"

Zhao Sha, sprinting desperately, roared in fury. This overwhelming sword intent and overpowering force had thoroughly crushed his spirit. He had lost all will to resist. His only thought was to escape as quickly as possible with all the strength he could muster.

Li Pin's gaze remained fixed on Zhao Sha. In that instant, his rapidly shifting form took on a subtle transformation. "Lilong!"

The Lilong was no longer just a Lilong! It now resembled a Tengshe more! A dragon-serpent with wings! So much so that... it couldn't even be described as a dragon-serpent!

It was more like a... Kunpeng!

At that moment, Li Pin’s spirit seemed to enter a new state, free and unrestrained—soaring through the skies, traversing vast distances!

In this extraordinary, fused state, Li Pin, who had already been faster than Zhao Sha, saw his speed surge even more. The longsword in his hand shot forward like a bullet fired from an anti-materiel sniper rifle. It tore through the air with a sharp, ear-piercing screech before brutally piercing the back of Zhao Sha's skull.

Fast! Unbelievably fast!

Not just his movement, but also his sword!

Driven by his mental spirit, this sword seemingly broke through the constraints of air and broke the sound barrier.

Bang!

The horrifying speed generated by the mass-energy effect caused Zhao Sha's head to explode like a watermelon struck by a sledgehammer the instant it was met by the long sword.

His headless body continued to sprint forward for a few more steps due to momentum, before finally... collapsing to the ground.

This once-arrogant Quasi-Martial Saint had died without leaving even a final word.

Li Pin slowed down. Giving his longsword a shake, he turned around and fixed his gaze on Poison Fang.

With the bloodstained sword in hand, Li Pin strode like a shooting star toward the struggling Poison Fang.

Poison Fang, whose chest had caved in from Li Pin's earlier strike, likely had several broken ribs piercing his internal organs. His combat strength had diminished to nearly nothing. Seeing Li Pin approaching, the horror in Poison Fang's eyes bolstered rapidly.

"Li Pin.... You can't kill me. We're both contestants in the World's Top Martial Competition. If you kill me, they will investigate, and you will be held accountable. The best outcome for you would be losing your qualifications and being sent to the front lines. It's not worth sacrificing such a bright future because of me...."

Poison Fang’s eyes were desperate. "I... I promise I won't mention today's events to anyone. I can even testify that Green Bird and Zhao Sha were killed by the Orc Warrior.... Besides... I'm willing to compensate you.... What do you want? Money! Property! Women! I can give it all to you...."

Li Pin remained expressionless, walking straight up to Poison Fang with his sword in hand.

The pernicious aura accumulated from slaying two Quasi-Martial Saints, combined with his current cold and unwavering demeanor, made his presence overwhelmingly terrifying.

"I...."

Seeing Li Pin remain unmoved, Poison Fang seemed to resign to fate. He let out a bitter laugh and stopped pleading. "I was a part-time bounty hunter for five years, always on the edge of danger. I never thought that I would meet my end, not from countless battles with ferocious beasts and demonic creatures or the World's Top Martial Competition, but in a feud among my own kind...."

Li Pin raised his sword...

"Haha... Li Pin... You think it's that easy to kill me? I've reached the peak of martial arts. Today, I'll use the life-and-death pressure you're putting on me to transcend and truly step into the Martial Saint realm..."

Poison Fang let out a loud laugh as his qi and blood surged, seemingly preparing for a final desperate counterattack. However...

Not everyone could easily enter the extreme transcendence state.

Without sufficient mental conviction or the determination to risk everything, taking this step was nothing more than a fool's dream. And Poison Fang, if he hadn't pleaded for his life and had instead immediately fought with everything he had after getting up, might have had a sliver of hope to break through into the Martial Saint realm. But unfortunately...

He hadn’t done so.

In the moment when Poison Fang's blood surged, Li Pin's sword flashed with lightning speed.

Poison Fang's eyes widened as he tried desperately to dodge.

"Li Pin!"

However, his injuries left him no chance at altering his fate, despite his will.

As soon as he moved, the pain quickly spread throughout his body, causing his movements to slow involuntarily.

In that brief moment when his movements slowed, the Lingfeng Sword instantly pierced through his throat.

Sizzle!

Thrust! Withdraw!

Fluid and seamless, a single, continuous motion.