Planet Pulverizer: A Mortal's Ascent

Chapter 262: Thunder

Chapter 262: Thunder

In the martial society at Jiang Province City.

"The King of the Century, huh?" Cao Tianyou was sipping tea in Chairman Lian Hongchen's office. "I was already surprised when Li Pin entered this year's King of the Century Competition, but I never expected... the outside world would hold him in such high regard. It's truly... unbelievable."

He sighed deeply. "I never dreamed that the boy from Zanglong City all those years ago could achieve such heights."

Lian Hongchen nodded gravely. "Him becoming world champion and Tianyuan's top martial artist was already the limit of our imagination, but the King of the Century...."

He waved his hand. "I don't even dare think about it."

"And yet, here we are, watching something we couldn't even dream of unfold right before our eyes..."

Cao Tianyou lamented, "I've always understood that not everyone can be judged by the same standards. The differences can be so vast it's like comparing different species. But Li Pin... he has shattered my understanding of human limits, time and time again."

"Isn't it the same for me? When I learned that Li Pin was dubbed the 'King of the Century,' it felt as if the world itself became a little surreal," Lian Hongchen replied with a smile.

However, as soon as he finished speaking, Cao Tianyou fell silent.

Lian Hongchen's smile faded as well.

The room grew quiet for nearly half a minute.

Cao Tianyou eventually broke the silence. "The competition is still months away yet Li Pin already received this title.... Isn't it a bit too high-profile?"

"Indeed, it does seem rather high-profile." Lian Hongchen exhaled slowly. "I called Chairman Liu Xuanfeng to ask about this. He also consulted Prince Su Mai... but this is the decision from above. In their words, they want to create a heroic image, a figure to promote the Tianyuan martial arts community! Li Pin isn't just young and powerful, his public image is impeccable. So..."

"It came from above?" Cao Tianyou was somewhat confused. "With Li Pin's talent, they hold him in such high regard, and even crowned him King of the Century before the competition. Isn't that—"

Before he could finish, Lian Hongchen's expression turned serious. "Sect Master Cao, be careful with your words!"

Lian Hongchen calling him "Sect Master Cao" out of the blue shook Cao Tianyou's heart, for he understood the implication. It was "Sect Master," no longer just "Old Cao." This simple shift in attitude immediately made him realize the gravity of the situation.

Yet... he still felt discontent, and resentment stirred in his heart.

"Li Pin...." A flicker of pain crossed Cao Tianyou's eyes. "He's only twenty-three! Just twenty-three! At such a young age, he has achieved so much and even earned the title of the King of the Century.

"Who's to say he won't truly become the King of the Century in the future? Every past King of the Century, except for that particular one who ran into unforeseen events, managed to transition from a martial artist to an Astral Cultivator! Once Li Pin becomes an Astral Cultivator, he might even become a legend in a decade or so! He's a legend in the making!"

"The sharpest sword comes from constant honing, and plum blossoms bloom after enduring the cold. This might be... a form of tempering from the higher-ups for him. We know Li Pin's character. He must have accepted this. Otherwise, he wouldn't remain silent," Lian Hongchen said. "At his current level of fame, no one could force him to do something against his will."

"At this point, even if he wants to withdraw, who would believe him?" Cao Tianyou said. "They would only think he is retreating to advance, biding his time before making his move. Even if he publicly states he won't participate in the King of the Century Competition, no one would dare bet against him changing his mind at the last moment."

Lian Hongchen listened and remained silent for a long time.

Finally, he spoke. "At this point, all we can do is trust him. Trust that Li Pin will create another miracle. Just like he's done in Jiang Province, time and time again, turning the impossible into reality. He'll carve his way through obstacles, break all barriers, and in the King of the Century competition, rise to the summit amidst countless opponents.

"He will become... the strongest King of the Century in history!"

Cao Tianyou listened and, after a brief pause, reluctantly nodded.

***

In contrast to the cheers and immense pride the people of Jiang Province felt for Li Pin's accomplishments, some perceptive individuals began to sense the storm lurking behind Li Pin's King of the Century title.

However, whether they celebrated Li Pin or sensed the undercurrents behind his title, the attention on other Supreme Martial Saints like Ye Chengyuan and Bai Liying had diminished significantly.

As for the once highly anticipated Wang Liancheng, expected to shine and snatch the crown, few mentioned him anymore. It was as if people had tacitly accepted that this unparalleled prodigy, personally nurtured by the supreme expert Fu Qingtian and others, had fallen out of the running.

It was like the King of the Century Competition had nothing to do with him anymore.

***

Meanwhile, Li Pin, the very person at the center of the discussions, was running freely across the land as the storm overhead brewed.

He was... pursuing a storm, chasing this source of thunder and lightning.

A month ago, he witnessed a thunderbolt tearing through the sky. The Lifeform Force Field resonated with the descending thunder and sparked a faint connection with that immense power, pushing the bioelectricity within him.

Since then, he had become a seeker of the wind, relentlessly pursuing storms. In each encounter with the thunderstorm, he sought to grasp the external changes revealed by the Celestial Force Field, namely, the celestial phenomena! The cosmos!

This Celestial Force Field governed the planet's operation, including all celestial phenomena and the flow of electromagnetism.

In comparison to the concept of the Celestial Force Field, thunder and lightning were... insignificant, barely worth mentioning.

Yet, it was this seemingly trivial force that pierced through the fog clouding Li Pin's heart, offering an opportunity to realize a long-held suspicion.

Over the past month, Li Pin had been chasing after thunder, and nearly every close encounter brought deep insights.

By now, he had reached a tipping point.

Today, thunderclouds once again loomed ahead, accompanied by raging winds and torrential rain.

"It's close, close!"

Li Pin immediately climbed the nearest hill.

Thunder roared!

Rumble, rumble!

Lightning slashed through the heavens, illuminating the world like a silver dragon bearing its claw.

Li Pin looked up at the sky, his senses heightened to their peak.

Standing atop the hill, he swiftly retrieved a Primordial Electric Crystal from his backpack before swallowing it and beginning to refine it.

As the crystal entered his body, the electric current within him seemed to resonate with the positive and negative charges in the atmosphere.

His Lifeform Force Field also began to harmonize with the power of the Primordial Electric Crystal.

In that instant, streaks of electricity flickered across Li Pin's body. They resembled the static sparks people see when removing wool sweaters in winter, but these were far more brilliant and dazzling.

As the electric sparks formed, a vivid and indescribable connection seemed to take shape between him and the world around him.

In that fleeting moment of resonance, the Vitality, Qi, and Spirit within him gathered. His Lifeform Force Field pulled all the electrical energy upward before eventually condensing into a punch!

With a forceful strike, his fist shot towards the sky.

Li Pin let out a low growl. "Thunder!"

As he threw the punch, his Lifeform Force Field concentrated the electric energy into a blinding beam, tearing through the air.

Rumble, rumble!

Above, thunder roared! It was as if power had been awakened, swirling in the sky.

"Not enough! Still not enough!"

Li Pin raised his head.

Bean-sized raindrops pelted his face, drenching him completely.

He paid no attention to it. He pulled out three more Primordial Electric Crystals and swallowed them all at once. His digestive system roared to life. Under his precise control, the crystals rapidly dissolved, permeating every corner of his body. He could even feel the interference and damage this power caused to his bioelectricity.

The disruption had begun to affect his bodily functions.

Yet Li Pin remained focused, his Lifeform Force Field surging. Under his meticulous control, the power of the Primordial Electric Crystals condensed once again.

Then... he threw another punch!

"Come!"

This punch shot toward the sky.

The discharge phenomenon instantly tore through dozens of meters of the rain curtain in front of him, illuminating the dark storm-like daylight.

But that wasn't the key.

The key was that as Li Pin unleashed his punch, a special force in the heavens responded again. A bolt of lightning suddenly shot down from the clouds.

This time, its target wasn't the hilltop or the towering trees above, but... Li Pin! Li Pin was the target!

It felt as though the thunder in the sky had been drawn down by his fist.

Rumble, rumble!

Deafening thunder echoed across the heavens, reverberating endlessly.

Unfortunately, despite Li Pin's best efforts, the electric phenomenon from his punch lasted only a brief moment before dissipating.

Without the guidance of his Lifeform Force Field, the thunderbolt failed to reach him and instead veered off, striking a tree a hundred meters away, splitting it in half.

Fierce flames and bright light erupted for nearly a hundred meters.

Li Pin had no interest in admiring this natural spectacle unfolding so close to him.

"More. I need more electromagnetic power!"

His willpower condensed to its peak.

The repeated surges and releases of his Lifeform Force Field had taken a toll on his Vitality, Qi, and Spirit, but the light in his eyes remained sharp and clear.

This time, he took out five Primordial Electric Crystals and swallowed them all.

His organs mobilized wildly as a stronger surge of electromagnetic power erupted from within, interfering with his bioelectricity and causing his body to tremble uncontrollably.

Even Li Pin, a Martial Saint with the "Clairvoyance" talent that allowed him to precisely control his cells, couldn't stop this trembling. This was proof of just how strained his internal state had become. But he paid no mind to it. The light in his eyes shone even brighter, like stars piercing the night.

"Let me see how this world, how this universe, truly operates!"

With a long howl, Li Pin threw another punch.

His Vitality, Qi, and Spirit erupted along with the strike. Under the guidance of his Lifeform Force Field, mixed with the power of the Primordial Electric Crystals, the punch shot forth as a dazzling light, shattering the air.

Rumble!

Thunder cracked through the sky!

Blinding lightning trailed behind his punch, fully unleashed.

This was the power of the Primordial Electric Crystal, yet it was also his own strength.

Dazzling lightning, like a divine sword, pierced through the air, splitting the sky as it surged hundreds of meters upward!

As the bolt of lightning tore through the atmosphere and soared into the stormy clouds, a silver dragon-like flash of lightning was drawn from the clouds and descended with a deafening roar.

In that moment... there was no longer any barrier between the two forces.

One force rose, another fell.

Man and heaven. Life and planet.

At that moment, a historic interaction was made.

The two forces intertwined, interacted, and clashed, emitting a blinding light that transformed the darkness into a daylight sky for thousands of meters

Amidst the dazzling light, Li Pin abruptly opened his eyes.

His gaze pierced beyond space and matter. In a perceptual form, he touched a force from another realm, beyond the rain, thunder, clouds, or sky. It was...

"The planetary movement!"

Rumble, rumble!

The sky-splitting thunder reverberated through the hill less than three hundred meters high.

"Hahaha!" Amidst the pouring rain, Li Pin let out a hearty, unrestrained laugh. "I saw it!"