Planet Pulverizer: A Mortal's Ascent

Chapter 242: Calm

"Select a group of elite talents from all over Tianyuan for six months of intensive training, to compete for the King of the Century title?" Li Pin quickly grasped what Ran Dongshen meant. "Lord Ran, are you asking me to go?"

"Yes. Dragon Gate Hall has three slots. After careful consideration, I chose three candidates. Ye Chengyuan, Cang Yunxiao, and... you," revealed Ran Dongsheng. "I presume you already know Tianyuan hasn't claimed the King of the Century title for four consecutive terms. And the situation with the Degenerate Temple remains unresolved. I'm sure you realize how serious this is...."

As someone living in Taibai, which bordered Nanli Country, Li Pin was perhaps among the most knowledgeable about The Degenerate Temple.

More than a year had passed, but the threat from the Degenerate Temple still had yet to be fully contained. The temple's spreading might appear to have slowed to a stalemate, but in reality... the temple continued to press into Nanli's territory.

Now, it was less than six hundred miles from Jiang Province, a border region of Taibai. Jiang Province City itself was just under a thousand miles away. Forces were secretly assembling at the province's borders, preparing defensive fortifications.

Ran Dongshen continued, "The world's situation is worsening.... Ferocious beasts and demonic creatures are evolving faster than we expected. If humanity continues holding together the Six Extremities and over a hundred nations but with limited unity while fighting separately, no one knows where the future will lead."

His tone turned heavy. "To prevent these creatures from growing stronger, the legends of the Six Extremities have convened more than a dozen meetings. A decision has been made. Before these beasts and creatures become an unstoppable threat, all Master and Legendary Astral Cultivators around the world will unite for a purge of the perilous regions.

"Places like the Bloodmoon Gorge of Solar Radiance, the Demon-Sealing Fortress of Tianyuan, the Degenerate Temple, Dark Moon Island of the East Sea's thirty-six countries, and the Tenfold Heavenly Domain of the Star Alliance, all fall within the purge's scope."

"What does this have to do with the King of the Century Competition?" Li Pin asked.

"It has everything to do with it," said Ran Dongsheng. "Uniting the powers of the Six Extremities and Gaia's hundred nations to clear out these perilous regions requires a supreme commander. But... who should be chosen? None of the Legends fully trust one another, and they can't afford to fight amongst themselves for the position, risking internal conflict.

"So... the deciding factor will fall on this season of the King of the Century Competition."

Li Pin quickly understood. "You mean whichever faction's Supreme Martial Saint emerges victorious, the supreme commander will be selected from that faction?"

Ran Dongsheng solemnly nodded.

It was then that Li Pin understood the immense significance of this year's King of the Century battle.

The weight of the supreme commander's role was undeniable, almost equal to being the leader of humanity.

Despite the assumption that the commander would not harbor malicious intent during the purges whoever they were, every participating party found it crucial to be the ones appointed with leadership.

There were many reasons for this. For instance, fighting bishop-level ferocious beasts and demonic creatures often required several Legends to act together. At those times, deciding who led the charge, who endured the heaviest attacks, and who delivered the finishing blow was of paramount importance.

The one tasked with leading the charge would undoubtedly be in the greatest danger. Their potential fall was inevitable. This alone highlighted the significance of the supreme commander.

Additionally, with so many perilous regions worldwide across the Six Extremities, deciding which one to purge first was equally important.

What if, after purging just three or five regions, humanity suffered such heavy losses that the entire plan had to be halted?

Even if the plan continued, the sooner a region was cleared, the sooner the responsible nation could seize development opportunities. This would slowly widen the power gap between nations.

Eventually, the balance between the Six Extremities would break. With the ongoing threats from ferocious beasts and demonic creatures, people would long for global unity.

At that point... merging the five extremities into the strongest one might become a natural course of events.

Thus... this battle involved the fate of the nations!

"The news that the supreme commander will be decided through the King of the Century Competition has caused quite a stir across the Six Extremities."

Ran Dongsheng paused to weigh his words before continuing. "In reality, the reason the Divine Adoration Sect has been able to remain active within Tianyuan for so long without being eradicated is because foreign powers are backing them... and even some domestic factions are covering for them. But just as foreign forces meddle, so does Tianyuan."

He glanced at Li Pin. "This world has never truly been at peace! The surface harmony between nations is only due to the mutual threat of ferocious beasts and demonic creatures. Beneath that, dark currents have always surged."

"So, the Divine Adoration Sect's attack on Wang Liancheng... happened because someone in the shadows cooperated with them?" Li Pin asked.

Ran Dongsheng nodded. "I called you here today to give you a choice. You're still young. You can choose to avoid this battle, the most brutal one since the first season of the King of the Century Competition, because once you agree to participate... you will be targeted."

He sighed. "With the supreme commander position and the fate of nations on the line, underhanded tactics between countries are inevitable. While they may refrain from attacking the Legendary or Master Astral Cultivators, a Martial Saint..." n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Ran Dongsheng didn't go on. He knew he had gotten his message across.

Now, it was up to Li Pin to decide.

"The King of the Century Competition..."

Li Pin fell silent. He had already made up his mind not to participate, thinking his presence would disrupt the balance. But now...

After a long pause, he finally spoke, though his words seemed unrelated to the current topic.

"As I recall, this battle was once an event where dozens, even hundreds, of Martial Saints with no clear path ahead would take a desperate gamble, hoping to break free from their shackles and reach a new realm. A life-and-death battle with no rules, paying the highest tribute to the indomitable will and unwavering conviction of martial artists."

He looked at Ran Dongsheng. "So why... has the competition become so entangled with politics this time?"

Ran Dongsheng was slightly taken aback, a bit unsure of what Li Pin was getting at.

Li Pin reiterated, "The ultimate stage of martial arts—the final song of the Martial Saints, with thrones built on bones and glory paved in blood—should only exist for the pursuit of the martial arts' highest limits, without any other agenda."

Ran Dongsheng explained, "The King of the Century grand battle is the most fair and just competition in the world. Every Martial Saint participating in the King of the Century Competition reaches a transcendent state, releasing the brilliance they've accumulated over a lifetime in just a few days, months, or at most a year. It is the most influential duel globally. Only such a competition can truly justify the position of the human race's supreme commander."

Li Pin shook his head. "It's not the same.

"I don't know how the Astral Cultivators view martial artists. Even if they see us as actors or monkeys, on the stage of the King of the Century, we still risk our lives for the highest honor. But when the title of supreme commander is at stake, and some people start using foreign forces to assassinate Martial Saints vying for the throne, the nature of the competition changes."

He looked at Ran Dongsheng. "It's like a free-running steed. Originally, it races across the plains, competing with other steeds. Even if it runs to its death, at least it is free! But once it's placed on the racetrack, even if it runs with all its might for glory, that glory no longer belongs to the steed. It belongs to the gamblers and the spectators."

Ran Dongsheng understood Li Pin's point but remained somewhat confused. After a moment of contemplation, he finally grasped the meaning. Even though he now understood, he couldn't find any words of consolation.

After a long pause, Ran Dongsheng said, "This cleansing operation is crucial for the survival of the human race. Its outcome will shape the future landscape of the human world..."

He paused again before adding, "It also involves the heritage of countless nations and civilizations."

"So, what is the essence of human civilization's heritage?" Li Pin responded. "If survival means abandoning one's spiritual beliefs, does this race even have a future?"

Ran Dongsheng shook his head. "Telling me this is pointless."

"Yes, it's meaningless," Li Pin agreed, sharing the sentiment.

He realized it was futile. He was merely a Martial Saint, yet to fully step into the realm of the extraordinary. A High-Class Astral Cultivator could easily crush him. How could he possibly sway a lofty Legendary Astral Cultivator?

Perhaps, at this moment, the only thing he could do was...

"I refuse."

"Li Pin, I know what you're thinking, but don't act impulsively."

Ran Dongsheng looked at him. "If you agree and fully demonstrate your talent, during this six-month special training, our Tianyuan's Legends will certainly spare no effort to cultivate you.

"Not only will you have access to resources like Pill of Rebirth and Spirit-Restoring Incense, the Essence-Gathering Pearls will also be yours in abundance if you can refine them. They might even offer some resources that Martial Saints dare not even dream of, to cultivate a supreme martial artist almost exceeding the King of the Century specifications like Wang Liancheng!"

He stressed, "This is an opportunity many Martial Saints would never even dare to imagine in their lifetime."

"Perhaps... I am indeed being impulsive."

Li Pin tried to smile to maintain his composure but found himself unable to. In the end, he could only say, "I need some time to calm down."

"You should." Ran Dongsheng looked at him. "Putting myself aside, many people will also think your persistence is meaningless. So what if the King of the Century Competition has other factors involved?"

In a frustrated voice, Ran Dongsheng urged, "You must understand that in this world, strength is everything. This opportunity is too valuable. The right thing to do is to turn these benefits into strength. Without power, everything else is just an illusion."