Chapter 165: Pride

Chapter 165: Pride

Li Pin remained silent, giving him a puzzled look. Such demeanor....

The Great Sun Chosen One spoke solemnly. "Do you know who I am?"

Li Pin observed the man, over six feet tall with bulging muscles and a smooth, almost reflective scalp. He called out his name. "Great Sun Chosen One?"

"Since you know me..." The Great Sun Chosen One pointed toward the distance. "As fellow contestants, I'm showing you respect. Don't be ungrateful and make me say the word."

"The word?" Li Pin smiled. "Fight?"

The Great Sun Chosen One stared at Li Pin's faint smile with an indifferent look. After a few seconds, he slowly said, "Is that supposed to be funny?"

"Obviously, you're the one making me laugh," Li Pin responded.

"I know you. You're Li Pin, the prodigy who achieved Aura Cultivation at twenty-three. I must say, it takes a lot of courage to talk to me like that."

The Great Sun Chosen One stepped forward slowly. As he did, the qi and blood he had cultivated to the pinnacle of the Martial Saint realm began to surge within him.

"You must have thought I'm too afraid to do anything that might provoke the two ferocious beasts, and so you can do whatever you want, right?"

The Great Sun Chosen One's qi and blood continued to surge. As they intertwined with his mental spirit, Li Pin vaguely perceived a blazing, towering figure, reminiscent of the highest supreme Buddhist deity in his spiritual perception. Advancing toward Li Pin with great intensity, the figure exuded a formidable and imposing aura.

Based on the appearance of that deity, it was unmistakably the Great Sun Buddha, the highest-level deity in Buddhism.

"Or do you think that, just because you reached the Aura Cultivation realm at twenty-three and possess 'unparalleled' talent, you are the best among the younger generation of Tianyuan? Do you know that I started martial arts at eighteen, reached Core Formation in a year, achieved Aura Cultivation in three years, and forged my Martial Will in six years, by the age of twenty-eight?

"Compared to your seven years of practice since fourteen to reach the Internal Aura realm, I achieved the same level in just four years! Tell me! What have you accomplished that gives you the right to be proud in front of me!?"

In the next instant, his colossal qi and blood, surging to a monstrous forty or even forty-one, erupted. Along with this, the Great Sun Buddha visualized in his mental perception opened its divine eyes.

The moment those eyes opened, an overwhelming spiritual pressure descended like a towering mountain. The terrifying, almost tangible radiance surpassed even Shooting Star Song Wuya's Saber Intent from back then.

Song Wuya's intent had been meant to intimidate him. On the contrary, the Great Sun Chosen One directly manifested the Great Sun Buddha through his Martial Will with the intention to suppress and crush Li Pin in the spiritual realm.

The nature of the two approaches was fundamentally different!

"What right do you have to be arrogant in front of me?"

The Great Sun Chosen One's voice resonated with a deep, thunderous Sanskrit chant, chilling the soul and stirring the spirit.

Martial artists with weaker willpower would likely succumb to this powerful chant, bowing down involuntarily to worship this majestic, Buddha-like figure. Unfortunately for him, Li Pin was no ordinary martial artist with weak willpower. The spiritual intimidation did not shake his resolve in the slightest.

Li Pin even proactively sought to comprehend the nature of the mental pressure emanating from the Great Sun Buddha, seeking to discern the distinctions between this mental shock manifested through Martial Will and the more conventional expression of fist or sword intent.

He met the Great Sun Chosen One's advancing steps and took a step forward. "First come, first serve. Achieving Martial Saint at twenty-eight is indeed impressive, but it doesn't grant you the right to prioritize yourself and demand that I leave."

Li Pin was affected to some extent as well.

However, having previously fought the Crimson-Tooth Tiger, he had honed his mental spirit. His strong willpower surged through his body, instantly suppressing the restless Atomic Will. In comparison to the organic will, the Atomic Will was comparatively feeble.

While inanimate objects lacking organic will could be easily influenced, living beings, especially the humans known as the Gaia Overlord, have had their will tempered and minimized the Atomic Will disturbances to the extreme.

Even before achieving Martial Saint status, Li Pin remained unaffected by it. This was even more so for someone like the Great Sun Chosen One, who had condensed his Martial Will.

Just a look was enough to realize that he was completely undeterred. His charge showed no signs of slowing.

The Orc Fighter and the Crimson-Tooth Tiger, despite their intense desire to defeat each other, could not ignore the two humans who had entered the fray. With only a few dozen meters apart from each other, both the Orc Fighter and the Crimson-Tooth Tiger broke off their battle.

The Orc Fighter roared. With its massive physique—far surpassing that of the Great Sun Chosen One—and a bone club over two meters long, its attack range extended to a full three meters. As it swung the club, a shockwave ripped through the air. The blow, swift as thunder, would have shattered any old tree or pulverized any solid rock.

Meanwhile, the Crimson-Tooth Tiger, too, charged at Li Pin with the might of a king. Although injured and moving slower, its forelimb muscles provided unparalleled explosive power. The Crimson-Tooth Tiger's muscle toughness and bone density far exceeded that of humans, and its low growls and pounces brought a suffocating pressure that would terrify any Martial Saint, let alone a grandmaster like Li Pin.

Yet, Li Pin's eyes showed no trace of fear, only the indomitable spirit and willpower honed to its limit.

Having hunted a Crimson-Tooth Tiger before, he deeply understood the power and sharpness of the ferocious beast. Facing this beast head-on? Even a Martial Saint, including the contenders for the King of the Century title, would be struck dead on the spot, let alone a grandmaster like him.

At this moment, Li Pin concentrated completely on the kinetic energy and charging momentum of the sprinting Crimson-Tooth Tiger. He quickly analyzed the optimal attack trajectory and speed based on the tiger's injuries and physical characteristics.

Unlike humans, ferocious beasts were straightforward, focusing solely on killing efficiency.

Once he had weighed all these factors, the kinetic energy, momentum, injuries, physical characteristics, and the effects of the hurricane generated by the tiger's charge to the surroundings, Li Pin made his move!

With less than ten meters between them, he erupted his Blood Core.

Since the Great Sun Infinite Secret Art was still imperfect, he used the Blood-Seething Secret Art!

His qi and blood boiled instantly with intense heat, transforming him into a blazing fireball resembling the Great Sun Golden Crow, soaring into the air under spiritual guidance, illuminating the sky.

Almost the moment he leaped, the Crimson-Tooth Tiger pounced with pernicious aura, and a torrent of bloodlust. This instantaneous burst of velocity was nearly beyond human reaction time. Anyone, without prior preparation, had no chance to dodge!

However... just like how people couldn't dodge bullets but could avoid them by predicting the shooter's aim, as the Crimson-Tooth Tiger charged in with its terrifying, pernicious aura, Li Pin followed right after and leaped into the air. He soared several meters high and executed a near 180-degree spin in midair.

Head down, feet up!

At the same moment, the Crimson-Tooth Tiger lunged, its pernicious aura passing just half a meter below Li Pin...

Within that infinitesimal distance, with the Blood Core already erupted and the Blood-Seething Secret Art fully activated Li Pin concentrated all his power into his sword and thrust with lightning speed!

Sizzle!

With a barely perceptible sound, the Lingfeng Sword pierced through the Crimson-Tooth Tiger's head from top to bottom, sinking in up to the hilt!