Planet Pulverizer: A Mortal's Ascent

Chapter 106: Teaching

Li Pin looked up at the statue. "Fu Qingtian...."

"Even though the bronze statue can't fully capture the true essence of this supreme master, his two great titles alone should give you an idea of the remarkable figure he was fifty years ago," Zhou Xiuyuan said.

Two great titles?

The King of the Century!

The Legendary Astral Cultivator!

The first represented the highest honor in the martial arts world, while the second stood for the pinnacle of achievement among Astral Cultivators. In the presence of such a supreme expert, even the entire Taibai Kingdom would pale in comparison.

"For the Astral Hall, finding Aura Cultivation Grandmasters to teach the students is not a problem. Hiring Martial Saints, on the other hand, is quite challenging. To date, we've only had two Martial Saints, and they rarely hold classes throughout the year."

As Zhou Xiuyuan spoke, he recalled that Li Pin had killed Qiu Chufeng and quickly added, "I mean Martial Saints who have condensed their Martial Will."

Li Pin nodded. "I understand."

After all, Qiu Chufeng's title as a Martial Saint was too undeserving. He was essentially an Internal Cultivation Grandmaster.

Perhaps he had been able to reach the pinnacle of the Internal Aura realm in his prime, but when he fought Li Pin, he was way past his prime and his combat prowess had declined.

"The Atomic Will resists any hostility toward Astral Cultivators. Even grandmasters who have perfected their Internal Aura cannot fully exert their strength against Astral Cultivators if they harbor hostility. Only Martial Saints who have condensed their Martial Will can suppress this agitation. This marks a critical threshold, signifying that such beings genuinely possess the capability to pose a threat to Astral Cultivators."

Zhou Xiuyuan, with a mix of emotions, continued, "When Martial Will is condensed to its utmost, it allows the martial artist to control the finite body with boundless mental spirit. Martial Saints can employ certain extreme meditation techniques. These methods involve burning oneself out to elevate their will and forcibly meditate on the Astral God. Once they succeed, a whole new world opens up to them."

Li Pin understood what Zhou Xiuyuan was trying to say. It was clear that Zhou saw potential in Li Pin, believing that he could condense his Martial Will and reach the realm of a Martial Saint.

Although the chances of a Martial Saint successfully elevating their will and meditating on the Astral God were slim, practically a life-and-death struggle, there was another path for martial artists.

The path to becoming the King of the Century.

This path was even more brutal and blood-soaked.

Countless Martial Saints from the Six Extremities would gather for this world war, facing off against other Extreme Martial Saints. Through the blood and bones of their opponents, they would build their invincible momentum, forging the supreme crown of the King of the Century! With this unparalleled spiritual conviction, they would reach the peak of sublimation, break through their shackles, and meditate on the Astral God. From that moment on, their strength would skyrocket!

In today's world, the King of the Century Competition had been held six times, or rather, five.

The confusion stemmed from the fact that the first King of the Century Competition was a spontaneous event initiated by the Martial Saints themselves. Over a dozen of the greatest Martial Saints gathered for an unregulated battle, seeking inspiration through life-and-death combat, aiming to break their limits and create a path beyond the realm of Martial Saints.

In the end, they failed but succeeded at the same time.

Every King of the Century, except for one unfortunate case, had carried the supreme honor of martial arts and stood at the pinnacle of the Astral Cultivator system, becoming legends in their own time. Even those Martial Saints who survived the King of the Century grand battles and were lucky enough to meditate on the Astral God have, at the very least, achieved the rank of Top-Tier Astral Cultivators.

This was why martial competitions in various countries were promoted with such vigor and had such incredible popularity.

For instance, the finals of the World's Top Martial Competition were personally hosted by the supreme expert, Fu Qingtian, every time. For many people, this was their only chance to witness a legendary Astral Cultivator.

After exchanging a few words, the two saw that it was nearly time and entered the Sixth Education Building through a special passageway.

The best time for Astral Cultivators to awaken was before the age of eighteen. After that, a person's mind would become more and more muddled, making it increasingly difficult to awaken. Under these circumstances, nearly every Astral Cultivator student was a young face.

When Li Pin first entered, he thought he had come to a university... or even a high school. He felt as if he was about to teach a class of high school students.

Just as Zhou Xiuyuan had said, Li Pin had amassed immense popularity from the Jiang Province Martial Competition. A large number of people had come to listen to his lecture. There were at least fifty or sixty people inside, enough to fill a large class.

As soon as Li Pin appeared, a commotion arose.

"It's really him! I thought it might be someone with the same name, but I came to check since there aren't many people named Li Pin."

"My dad told me he's even stronger than the rumor suggests. He even killed Qiu Chufeng, the Sect Master of the Solar Vermillion Sect."

"If I'm not mistaken, he's only twenty-two years old. How did he reach the Aura Cultivation realm at that age? I've been at the Astral Hall for two and a half years, and I still can't condense my qi into Force... It's so hard!"

"Are you crazy? You can't compare our Force Cultivation to theirs. Sure, we haven't manifested our Force yet, but if we were to compete in the martial competition, we'd win the championship easily."

Murmurs of discussion continued to rise from the crowd below.

Zhou Xiuyuan looked around the noisy education building and called out firmly, "Silence!"

Some of the newer Astral Cultivators, still holding on to their "fear of instructors," quickly quieted down and sat properly. However, the seasoned ones who had been at the Astral Hall for a few years remained relaxed, showing little regard for Zhou Xiuyuan or Li Pin.

Seeing this, Zhou Xiuyuan felt a bit helpless and turned to Li Pin, curious about how he would handle the situation.

"Young people having energy is a good thing," Li Pin said with a smile.

Due to their lack of control over their qi and blood, Li Pin could clearly sense the terrifying power hidden beneath their still-developing bodies. Each of them... was like a ferocious beast wrapped in human skin!

At this moment, a teenager who appeared to be around sixteen or seventeen raised his hand and asked, "Mr. Li, may I ask you a question?"

The teenager had a mushroom haircut and wore a blue and white school uniform, looking like the perfect model student.

However, that wasn't the main point. What mattered was the qi and blood level that Li Pin sensed from him. It was likely over fifty. If he could manifest his Force, he'd have the potential to take down a Martial Saint.

Not bad, not bad.

Li Pin nodded with a kind smile and said, "Please, ask ahead."

"Some people say you withdrew from the competition because you discovered that the rankings were rigged, and even though you had the ability to win, you chose to drop out. Is that true?" the teenager asked.

Li Pin didn't answer directly. "There's been a lot of talk about this. You'll have to judge for yourselves what's true and what's not."

"It's definitely true," said another student, a girl with braided hair. She stood up and elaborated, "I looked at your competition schedule, Mr. Li. All of your matches were against Core Formation fighters. That was obviously set up to wear you down with those challengers. Then, after you were exhausted, they'd send in a top expert to eliminate you."

She clearly had great faith in Li Pin. "But you're so powerful that you not only defeated Han Li, who was sent to take you down, but you also beat Zhou Zhaoguang, who the Solar Vermillion Sect had brought over."

She continued, "Is it true that you also killed the Solar Vermillion Sect's Sect Master, Qiu Chufeng, as revenge for this?"

The other students eagerly chimed in with their questions, all curious about the matter.

"Of course it's true," another student added. "After the Solar Vermillion Sect pushed you so hard, how could you just sit back? You must have gone straight to their headquarters that very night, sword in hand, and wiped them out completely!"

"'Killing someone within ten steps, then disappearing a thousand miles away without a trace!' Mr. Li, you truly embody the spirit of us Astral Cultivators!"[1]

The crowd buzzed with conversation, eagerly asking questions and discussing among themselves. The classroom was quickly starting to feel more like a press conference.

Among the younger students, some even looked at Li Pin with a hint of admiration, inspired by his bravery in standing up against oppression and injustice.

"Wow, is this a fan meet-up or something?" Zhou Xiuyuan remarked.

He seemed a little envious of Li Pin's growing popularity. With all these "fans" around, it seemed like he wouldn't need to stick around to keep order in the classroom.

However, while some admired Li Pin's actions and wished they could be in his place, there were others who felt annoyed by the attention he was getting.

One young man in his early twenties, sporting brightly colored short hair, looked on with disdain, barely sparing a glance at Li Pin. What's so special about martial artists anyway? Astral Cultivators are the future of this world! Shouldn't the instructors coming to teach at the Astral Hall be the ones trying to impress them?

"This Li Pin is really full of himself."

"In the Astral Hall, we Astral Cultivators are the main stars. We can't let some martial artist steal the spotlight! Big Brother Ying, can you stand for this?"

Egged on by his two friends, the brightly-haired man, Lian Ying, could no longer hold back. He stood up and loudly declared, "I've got a question!"

Li Pin smiled and responded, "What's your question, student?"

Lian Ying stepped forward, pushing aside a few students blocking his way. He stopped just six meters in front of Li Pin. He tilted his head and asked, "Li Pin, I hear you're quite the fighter?"

Li Pin quickly cupped his hands and replied, "You flatter me."

Lian Ying shouted, "Cut the nonsense! You're teaching a practical class, aren't you? Well, it's class time, so come on! Let's fight!"

"Yeah, you claimed the martial society had rigged the competition, targeting you. Well, why don't you show us if you're strong enough to back up those words? Let's see if you can walk the talk!"

Lian Ying's two friends chimed in.

Li Pin looked at him with surprise. "You... are sure you want to fight me?"

"Of course." Lian Ying raised an eyebrow. "What's the matter? Don't tell me you're scared. Or... do you look down on me?"

"Oh, no, it's not that," Li Pin replied, sensing Lian Ying's qi and blood level. It was around fifty-five. He waved his hand with a smile. "It's just... at your level, I could probably take on three of you."

His gaze shifted to Lian Ying's two friends, and he said kindly, "How about the three of you come at me together?"

1. Embodies the romanticized image of a powerful and elusive warrior. ☜