Planet Pulverizer: A Mortal's Ascent-Chapter 274: Suffocating

"Everyone, attack together!"

When these words were spoken, it wasn't just Tai Long, Fangs, and the others who had already stepped forward—even the eyes of the other silent Martial Saints standing in the pouring rain dilated.

They... had over three hundred Extreme Martial Saints on their side! What a terrifying lineup! Even if they were to face over a hundred Astral Cultivators head-on, they could still crush them!

And now, Li Pin, a mere Martial Saint, dared to challenge them all, raving about being some kind of Martial God?

Heh!

This was simply... arrogance beyond belief.

Fangs was especially annoyed by these words. He already had a violent temperament, and his Martial Will was filled with massacre and brutality.

Smart—a word normally so positive, but to him, it became the greatest insult.

Fangs clenched his fists even harder and looked up at Li Pin. Due to the terrain, Li Pin was standing at a higher spot than them, making it appear as though he was looking down on them.

"I've seen descriptions of your arrogance in the reports more than once... but I never thought that anyone in this world could be arrogant to such an extent!"

Fangs slung a top-tier war saber over his shoulder. This was an astral equipment meant for frontline combatants, forged from Darkmoon Crystal. It could enhance a Martial Saint's combat prowess to an extreme.

Among the spirit weapons Martial Saints used, even some rare astral equipment couldn't surpass this blade, named Darkmoon, by much.

"Everyone, attack together!" A cruel, twisted smile crept onto Fang's face. "Who do you think you are? An Astral Cultivator? Even if you've made a breakthrough of the life-and-death barrier and became an Astral Cultivator, against more than three hundred Martial Saints... the only choice you'd have left is how you want to die!"

Boom!

Clouds of dust rose as soil was blown into the air, and the ground beneath Fangs' feet shattered with a thunderous crash.

Mud mixed with rainwater splattered in all directions.

With the explosive force from his feet, Fangs shot through the rain like a cannonball, charging directly toward Li Pin, who was on the cliff.

Amidst the thunder and rain, Fangs resembled a brave hero swinging his blade at a demon king, singing a battle song of courage and glory.

"Kill!"

Tai Long, along with three Supreme Martial Saints from three other nations, followed suit.

"I'm utterly... speechless. What kind of upbringing could produce such an arrogant person!" Tai Long bellowed coldly.

These fours' speed couldn't match Fang's, and even their astral equipment was slightly inferior to his. However, they didn't shame the status of Supreme Martial Saints. Not only were their qi and blood level at around 49 points, but their mental spirit had also been tempered to an extreme.

That was especially the case with them participating in this King of the Century grand battle. Each of them had entered their Transcendent State, with their mental spirit attributes reaching 45 or even 46 points. It also made their battle intent burn like flames.

Whether it was their blade slashes, sword strikes, or every punch they threw, they all unleashed the most powerful Spirit Force from their peak physical states.

Five figures dashed through the rain, closing the gap of over a hundred meters between them and Li Pin.

The King of the Century battle had already reached the most intense state almost at the same moment it was started.

Rumble!

Thunder roared!

A dazzling silver dragon illuminated the sky, etching this scene into the hearts of all the Martial Saints, as if... it was an epic beginning!

***

Almost right after the flash of lightning, seemingly due to the stormy weather, or perhaps due to the interference caused by all the Martial Saints activating the might of their astral equipment, in any case, almost all television programs simultaneously lost their broadcast feed.

Each show's host appeared on screen, continuing the broadcast through verbal reports. Some shows had even brought in renowned Martial Saints ahead of time to ask for their thoughts on the King of the Century battle to fill the time.

As for the audience... many were naturally cussing out. The signals had cut out at this critical moment, eliciting outrage.

However, even with the signal lost, the image of all the Martial Saints surrounding Li Pin was deeply imprinted in their minds.

Those unaware were even left wondering why all these people had been targeting Li Pin right at the start of the competition.

On the other hand, those aware of the situation sighed deeply.

"The tree that stands out in the forest is the first to be blown down!"[1]

"The shot hits the bird that sticks its head out!"[2]

"Li Pin is worthy of the King of the Century title and thus poses too great a threat to all the Martial Saints. Once the King of the Century battle enters the chaotic melee stage and everyone starts fighting fiercely, it will be difficult to form alliances.

"In such a situation, Li Pin, whose strength surpasses even the Supreme Martial Saints, will become everyone's nightmare! Their only option is to eliminate the biggest threat before the chaos begins."

Additionally, the sight of Li Pin not only refusing to flee when surrounded by hundreds of Martial Saints but even inviting them to battle made some people dissatisfied.

This was even more so for the Martial Saints from the Dragon Gate Hall who had come into contact with Li Pin before.

Martial Saints like Fang Ziyou and Zhou Heng all voiced their opinions.

"That condescending attitude... it's as if he sees the hundreds of Martial Saints on the King of the Century battlefield as nothing."

"Li Pin is too arrogant. Even though the drone broadcasting the footage was far away and I couldn't hear what he was saying, I could clearly see that the Martial Saint named Fangs had clenched his fists!"

"Everyone has to pay the price for their choices. Since Li Pin has chosen arrogance, he must be prepared for the day someone beats him to death."

Meanwhile, Zhao Yushi, Song Wuya, and the Great Sun Chosen One remained silent, simply watching the show that had lost broadcast feed, now reduced to a host narrating the scene.

Even Zhao Yushi could hardly resist the urge to speak up in rebuttal.

Li Pin was indeed arrogant. However, he was able to back his arrogance up each and every time. He had repeatedly proven that he had the strength to back up his arrogance.

He was simply speaking the truth.

"Time will prove everything," Song Wuya said simply.

"Just wait. All these comments are made too early. After the King of the Century Competition ends, the world will know who the truly arrogant one is."

***

In the pouring rain and atop the cliff slope, Li Pin calmly watched many Supreme Martial Saints rushing at full speed to attack him. A hint of approval flashed in his eyes.

"A true Martial Saint, no matter the environment or opponent, should never lose the courage to draw their sword or throw their punch! I'm very satisfied with your performance. Next, there's only one thing you guys need to do...." Li Pin slightly extended his hand toward the five rushing at him like a storm. "Use all your strength, and make your way to me."

As soon as he finished speaking, the torrential rain, including the drops falling on Li Pin, seemed to be frozen in mid-air by an invisible force.

Li Pin pressed down his extended right hand.

All the suspended raindrops around him were pushed away by an invisible force, turning into fine sprays that scattered in all directions!

Fangs had only been ten meters away from Li Pin when the raindrops scattered. At that moment, Fangs, the fastest of those rushing toward Li Pin, suddenly halted. It was like a mountain had suddenly pressed down on him during his sprint. A crushing weight bore down on his back, forcing his posture to bend slightly under the pressure.

Under this oppressive force, he could clearly feel the energy in his body quieting down at a visible rate. His blood, once boiling with power, now felt cold as the raindrops from the sky struck his face.

It even felt... icy!

He wasn't the only one to experience this! Tai Long and the other three Martial Saints felt the same as they neared the ten-meter mark from Li Pin.

"What is this!? A domain!?"

"What's going on!? Why... do I feel as if I'm carrying a massive mountain on me..."

Tai Long instantly noticed something with his sharp senses and his pupils contracted. "No! No! It's not that we're carrying something, but... our qi and blood is being suppressed, weakening us to the point where we can't even resist the pull of gravity, to the point that it's bending our spines?!"

What kind of secret art was this!? What kind of evil sorcery was this!?

The closer they got to Li Pin, the more intense this horrifying sensation became.

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By the time these elite Martial Saints were only seven or eight meters away, they felt as though even the simple act of raising their hands would drain all their strength.

"Impossible!" Fangs roared. "Secret art, Massacre Dragon! Release!"

In that instant, the qi and blood power that had originally been suppressed seemed to once again return to his body, his physical body seemed to regain its strength.

"Stop with the tricks! Break through it!"

With the explosive power of the Massacre Dragon, Fangs let out a low roar like a true tyrannical dragon born of slaughter, unleashing a surge of blood energy that shattered the oppressive force around him.

To the keen senses of the Martial Saints, his qi and blood appeared as a blood dragon, roaring skyward with wings outstretched and exuding an endless aura of menace.

Using this surge of energy, Fangs leaped forward again, closing the gap to just three meters from Li Pin.

Buzz!

At that moment, it seemed as though an invisible ripple emanated from Li Pin. Under this invisible ripple, the blood dragon that had roared skyward and spread its wings was suddenly hit as if by a close-range nuclear explosion.

In this ripple, like the shockwave of a nuclear blast, the blood dragon, no matter how massive, was instantly ignited and reduced to ash in the blink of an eye.

Ahhh!

As the blood dragon was shattered and his qi and blood once again suppressed, Fangs suddenly felt all his strength drain. He stumbled and nearly lost his balance.

Clank!

He abruptly used the war saber in his hand to support himself, barely managing to steady his figure.

"How is this possible!"

Fangs was not only powerful, but he also had a high level of mastery of killing techniques. However, right now, Fangs looked up in disbelief at the figure standing three meters away, calmly watching them.

The figure was standing there without moving at all.

But he himself... had been drained of all his strength just trying to get close to Li Pin.... He had even erupted his secret art, one meant for life and death situations, yet it was of no use!

At this moment... an unprecedented icy cold feeling rose within him. In his daze, that figure had transformed into an insurmountable mountain, one he could never overcome.

That immense weight, that towering presence, that greatness... it made one feel... suffocated!

1. Metaphor to describe how those who are too prominent or different are more vulnerable to attack, criticism, or misfortune. ☜

2. Metaphor to describe how those who are too outspoken, take risks, or make themselves known are more likely to face consequences. ☜