Chapter 189: Hunter

Chapter 189: Hunter

Whoosh!

Yan Hongtu pulled out his weapon. It was a sword, an almost 1.8-meter-long broadsword.

Holding his sword with a two-handed grip, his gaze fixed coldly on Li Pin. In that instant, thoughts raced through his mind. He remembered his consistent top ranking from the start of the competition, the glory he had enjoyed. And then...

Li Pin came around. With a stroke of luck, he emerged out of nowhere and got a huge chunk of points, costing him first place. This had disrupted his performance, ultimately leading to his disappointing fourth-place finish in the preliminaries, not even making it into the top three.

At the root of it all... the person responsible was Li Pin!

Now, it was time to settle the score.

Li Pin glanced at him. "A strength type, I see."

This was only natural. Yan Hongtu specialized in battling ferocious beasts. Against these resilient and large-bodied creatures, heavy weapons were more effective. For instance, the upper limit of Li Pin's Lingfeng Sword's attack prowess couldn't match Yan Hongtu's nearly six-foot-long broadsword.

Many Astral Cultivators often chose massive battle axes, like the Asura Battle Axe forged from Ashura Stone or the Purgatory Axe made from Purgatory Stone. These axes could inflict immense damage on ferocious beasts with a single swing.

Even those who weren't skilled with axes would opt for giant broadswords. The emphasis was on size and weight. In contrast, swords became less common among higher-class cultivators.

"Forgive me!"

Yan Hongtu didn't concern himself with formalities or who should strike first. As soon as he finished speaking, he lunged forward, fiercely roaring. His qi and blood surged violently through his body. Just moments ago, he appeared calm and composed. Now, he erupted, like a blazing inferno.

Activating a powerful secret art, his stature expanded dramatically. He grew from just under 1.9 meters to around 1.95 or 1.96 meters.

His overwhelming qi and blood, robust physique, and the pernicious aura he had honed through countless battles against ferocious beasts made him a terrifying force as he held his broadsword. Even Li Pin's previous opponent, the fearsome Dragon Elephant Chi Tiexin, paled in comparison. In terms of sheer power and ferocity, only the Great Sun Chosen One could hope to match him.

Li Pin was delighted. "Good!"

Despite Yan Hongtu's less-than-noble tactics, his all-out attack took Li Pin by surprise.

Yan Hongtu’s massive figure descended alongside his terrifying broadsword with the ferocity of a ferocious beast, instantly putting Li Pin in the zone.

Yan Hongtu’s only flaw was his speed. While the momentum was impressive, the sword technique lacked finesse. Even before Li Pin was pushed to the state of triggering his Martial Will, he could clearly perceive the trajectory of Yan Hongtu's incoming blows.

However, that was to be expected. Given that Yan Hongtu was merely a grandmaster without a fully formed Martial Will, Li Pin couldn’t have asked for more. His sword technique had already reached a level comparable to a Martial Saint like the Great Sun Chosen One in terms of momentum. This level of performance was enough for Li Pin to treat him as a genuine opponent.

In the next moment, a furnace seemingly ignited within Li Pin's tranquil body. A continuous flow of qi and blood erupted. Under the influence of the Blood-Seething Secret Art, he burst into intense, violent blood flames, transforming him into a god of war bathed in fire.

This scene left many spectators momentarily stunned.

"Li Pin already erupted his Blood Core and likely used some secret art in his fight with Cheng Yufeng earlier... How could he have recovered so quickly? Or had he only used his secret art for a short period so it left only minimal side effects?"

However, many who didn’t favor Li Pin winning were secretly delighted. He had already suffered severe damage to his primordial qi from his previous fight with Cheng Yufeng. And now, he was depleting it even further against Yan Hongtu.

Yet, the force rebounding from the blade traveled through his body, disrupting his balance and causing him to involuntarily lean forward and to the left.

"Not good!"

Sensing his balance slipping, Yan Hongtu's expression darkened. He unleashed his surging qi and blood once more. Following the momentum of his body, he shot forward like an arrow, narrowly missing Li Pin and retreating violently. In a swift motion, he spun his broadsword in a full 360-degree arc behind him, anticipating Li Pin's pursuit.

However....

After deflecting the incoming blade with a powerful punch, Li Pin had stopped in his tracks. He turned and calmly watched Yan Hongtu.

For a moment, Yan Hongtu found himself filled with shock and uncertainty. His grip on the sword tightened, his hands trembling slightly as a trickle of blood seeped from the hilt.

"Not a bad strike." Li Pin beckoned him over. "Come, let's continue."

Yan Hongtu's eyes narrowed. "You..."

After catching his breath, Yan Hongtu burst forward once more. This time, he held nothing back when it came to movement. With a burst of full speed, he closed the distance to Li Pin in a few bounds.

The descending strike was accompanied by an ear-piercing screech. The blade seemed to slice through the very air through a unique force application, emitting a sharp whistle that shook one's soul. The shrill whistle, fused with the blade's cold killing intent, was almost like a mental attack.

In a life-or-death struggle, such a sudden and jarring sound could easily disorient the opponent, leaving them vulnerable to a fatal blow.

Yet, Li Pin... seemed completely unfazed. He extended his arm, thrusting directly toward his opponent's upper body.

As Yan Hongtu advanced, he felt as if the space around him was being pulled along with his movement.

The moment Li Pin struck, the sensation of cutting through mud returned. It was as though... Yan Hongtu had already fallen into Li Pin’s domain before they even clashed. It was like he had been ensnared in a meticulously woven spider web.

He believed himself the hunter, laying traps and repeatedly seeking the thrill of the perfect kill. Yet, from the moment he attacked, he had already been checkmated.

Bang!

Fist force erupted!

Once again, Yan Hongtu's strike was effortlessly deflected. The violent force surged through his arm gripping the blade and through to his body, nearly sending him flying. He was forced to leap into the air, performing a 360-degree spin to barely dissipate the terrifying force transmitted along the blade.

His opponent's physique and strength were on a completely different level. It was as if he were facing... a true ferocious beast!

A bead of cold sweat formed on Yan Hongtu's forehead. "How is this possible?!"

Li Pin didn’t pursue. He remained in his spot. "This strike lacked a bit of spirit."

Even when Yan Hongtu had been forced to leave himself wide open as he performed a mid-air spin to deflect the force, Li Pin remained stationary.

Once Yan Hongtu had recovered his balance, Li Pin gestured once more. "Come."

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