Planet Pulverizer: A Mortal's Ascent

Chapter 205: Clown

Beneath the stage.

Cheng Yufeng was still immersed in the extraordinary display of skill between Li Pin and Song Wuya. He put himself in their shoes, imagining swapping places with Li Pin and Song Wuya, and then asked himself honestly what the result would be.

And it was clear to him how it would end. Whether it was Li Pin's sword or Song Wuya's saber, he couldn't block either. In other words, he had to admit that Li Pin and Song Wuya were stronger than him. If they were to fight to the death, he would ultimately be the one to perish.

This came as a shock to Cheng Yufeng. After all, who was he? The son of Cheng Tianshui, the Divine Sword Manor’s Sect Master; the younger brother of Cheng Yujian, a renowned and rising star in Tianyuan’s Astral Cultivators' scene; and the one destined to fulfill Cheng Yujian's unfinished wish and compete for the title of King of the Century.

Yet now... all of that didn’t matter.

This was Cheng Yufeng’s first time participating in the World's Top Martial Competition! He had thought that with his background and Sword Saint-level strength, participating in the intermediate category of the martial competition would be a walk in the park, an easy slaughter.

But what happened?

He failed to take first place in the preliminary. However, he had brushed that off as killing ferocious beasts was not his specialty. But then, Li Pin directly defeated him in the first match of the round-robin.

After that, Zhao Yushi challenged him in the second match. This woman beat him right in front of everyone, adding another defeat to his record in the competition.

Fine.... we could say that his sword-drawing speed had been affected since she was a woman, making his loss understandable.

But, the battle between Li Pin and Song Wuya made Cheng Yufeng realize that he couldn't even defeat Song Wuya.

This reality... was hard to accept for someone who thought himself destined to compete for the title of King of the Century.

As Cheng Yufeng struggled to come to terms with the situation, he suddenly noticed the surrounding atmosphere quieting down.

Everyone's gaze was now on him.

Even his tactical instructor was softly urging him, "If you're not confident, just decline. You've already fought Zhao Yushi once, and with your injuries still not fully healed, it's perfectly reasonable to refuse his challenge. Don't act on impulse. If you really can't swallow your anger, challenge him in the third round and teach him a lesson he'll never forget."

Cheng Yufeng paused, realizing what was happening, and looked toward the stage. As he thought, Yan Hongtu's eyes were locked onto him.

Hearing the whispers around him, Cheng Yufeng's expression immediately turned cold. "I didn't quite catch that just now. Yan Hongtu, are you challenging me?"

Yan Hongtu nodded slightly. "That's right. If you didn't hear clearly, I'll repeat myself one more time. The Dragon Gate Hall and the Divine Sword Manor are both top-tier factions in Tianyuan. Over the past few decades, countless experts have emerged from both sides, but there's never been a definitive answer to who is stronger in training disciples. Today, why don't we settle it with a fight between us?"

Whoosh!

Cheng Yufeng abruptly stood up.

His tactical instructor quickly intervened. "Don't let him provoke you! Yan Hongtu's mindset is focused on hunting and killing. In his eyes, any trap or scheme is just a part of legitimate hunting tactics. As long as he can ultimately kill his prey, his Martial Will becomes stronger!

"You haven't fully recovered from your battle with Li Pin, and with your injuries compounded by the fierce fight against Zhao Yushi, facing Yan Hongtu, who's still in good fighting condition, would only lead to certain defeat!"

He spoke gravely, "Failure isn't what's truly terrifying; it's getting lost in that failure and losing yourself that is!"

After a while, Cheng Yufeng, having abruptly stood up, managed to calm himself down.

In his current state... he wasn't confident about defeating even a grandmaster at Blood Renewal perfection, let alone a Quasi-Martial Saint like Yan Hongtu. Acting rashly would only lead him into a trap, turning him into prey waiting to be hunted.

With this in mind, he looked directly at Yan Hongtu. "If you want to fight, then let's fight. Two days from now, a life-and-death duel. Do you dare?"

"Why wait two days? Either we do it today, or you concede right now." Yan Hongtu chuckled. "Is it so hard to admit that the Divine Sword Manor is inferior to the Dragon Gate Hall?"

Cheng Yufeng spoke coldly. "I can represent the Divine Sword Manor, but who are you to challenge me? You are not even a Martial Saint. What qualifications do you have to represent the Dragon Gate Hall in challenging the Divine Sword Manor?

"If you insist on representing Dragon Gate Hall in this challenge, I will demand that my father inquire with Dragon Gate Hall about today's events. I'm curious to see how they will respond."

Upon hearing this, Yan Hongtu's expression immediately changed.

As Cheng Yufeng pointed out, being the son of the Divine Sword Manor's sect master meant he could represent the manor to some extent. But Yan Hongtu... He wasn't even a Dragon Prince, so what right did he have to represent Dragon Gate Hall?

Especially since Dragon Gate Hall had always prided itself on fairness and neutrality. If the Divine Sword Manor really sent a message to question Dragon Gate Hall over this... things could take a bad turn.

If Yan Hongtu performed well in the competition and claimed the Dragon Prince title, all would be well. But if he failed to make it into the top three....

He might be expelled from Dragon Gate Hall.

Realizing this, Yan Hongtu quickly changed his tone. "You're still injured, so it's understandable if you don't want to fight."

Then, he turned to his next target. "Sir Ying Long—"

"I refuse," Ying Long directly interrupted Yan Hongtu before he could finish, clearly expressing his stance.

Yan Hongtu's gaze then shifted to Su Feiyu. "Sixth Highness, you're still in good shape. Surely you don't intend to—"

"I'm in decent condition, but I've already fought once. Challenging me now would be seen as taking advantage of someone when they're down. To ensure fairness, why don't you first have a match with Zhao Yushi or the Great Sun Chosen One? I'll accept your challenge after that," Su Feiyu responded calmly.

Yan Hongtu chuckled. "Fairness? It's fine in competitions, but when we face ferocious beasts, they don't care about fairness—"

"Indeed, you should be grateful that fairness is valued in this competition. Otherwise, with the difference in our statuses, as a mere great grandmaster who isn't even a Martial Saint, you wouldn't even be worthy of speaking in front of me," Su Feiyu replied bluntly.

This remark left Yan Hongtu feeling somewhat awkward.

Cheng Yufeng, Ying Long, and Su Feiyu had all clearly refused his challenge, and as for Li Pin...

He didn't have the right to challenge him.

Song Wuya was still unconscious, which meant an automatic refusal.

With Nan Lifeng being an unsuitable target, only the Great Sun Chosen One and Zhao Yushi were left. Both were formidable opponents.

Even though both had already fought and consumed considerable energy, defeating them would still be difficult for him.

However, Yan Hongtu’s gaze still lingered on Zhao Yushi and the Great Sun Chosen One for a moment. Eventually, we'll have to fight... Better to get it over with while they're still not fully recovered. Maybe I can snatch a victory.

Zhao Yushi's strength was undeniable. His tactical advisor had always warned him that she was the most likely to win this competition.

As for the Great Sun Chosen One...

He had sparred with Li Pin before. Superficially, he seemed overwhelmingly powerful, but it was clear that his strength was more bark than bite.

Could he be similar to Nan Lifeng? Just stronger in that he has the cultivation level of a Martial Saint?

With this thought, his gaze fell on the Great Sun Chosen One. "The Great Sun Divine Sect's—"

The Great Sun Chosen One pointed at himself. "Challenging me, right?"

Yan Hongtu nodded. "Yes."

As soon as Yan Hongtu confirmed his decision, the Great Sun Chosen One responded with immediate action. With a burst of power beneath his feet, he strode forward, instantly crossing the dozens of meters between him and landing on the stage. The speed and the momentum he had burst forth with as he charged forward left Yan Hongtu no time to react.

The Great Sun Chosen One clasped his hands together, cracking his knuckles with a series of sharp snaps, then twisted his neck as he spoke. "I've been fed up with you for a while. Always challenging others when they're down, and now you think you're something just because you've killed a few ferocious beasts? Do you even understand what it means to be a Martial Saint?"

Seeing that the two seemed to be on the verge of a real fight, the host quickly signaled with a wave of his hand and said, "Let the match begin!"

After the announcement, he swiftly ran off the stage.

The Great Sun Chosen One wasted no time with pleasantries. "Die!"

The Great Sun Chosen One seemed to transform into a wrathful vajra, his entire being bathed in a golden radiance. Roaring, he charged straight at Yan Hongtu. His attack was direct and simple.

Yan Hongtu knew very well that the Great Sun Chosen One excelled at frontal assaults. So, as the Great Sun Chosen One made a move to grab him, Yan Hongtu swiftly shifted his position, changing direction three times in the blink of an eye.

The Great Sun Chosen One roared, "Are you performing acrobatics here?"

His speed, initially already close to Yan Hongtu, suddenly surged. With his body lunging forward, he instantly grabbed Yan Hongtu's shoulder, his arm glowing with a golden light.

Yan Hongtu was horrified. "Not good!"

With a burst of strength from his left hand, he unleashed a powerful Aura Force and landed a thunderous strike on the Great Sun Chosen One's arm gripping his shoulder.

Clang!

His left hand was supposed to have hit the Great Sun Chosen One’s arm of flesh and blood. However strangely, the moment his Aura Force collided with the golden radiance about the Great Sun Chosen, it erupted with a resounding boom, like the toll of a massive bell!

Amidst the explosive shockwaves and violent force, the Great Sun Chosen One's arm barely wavered. Instead, his five fingers tightened like a steel clamp!

Crack!

The sound of bones shattering echoed clearly across the stage.

Yan Hongtu's face turned ashen. His shoulder blade had been crushed by the sheer force of the Great Sun Chosen One's grip!

But he was a tough fighter. As soon as his shoulder blade shattered, he abruptly shrank his shoulder and slipped out from the Great Sun Chosen One's grasp.

Immediately, he swung his right hand with full force, aiming a devastating punch at the Great Sun Chosen One's head. The strike unleashed a visible white wave of force, as if the air itself had been torn apart by the punch.

Yet, instead of retreating, the Great Sun Chosen One let out a low roar.

"Vajra Subdues Demon!"

Bathed in a golden glow, he stepped forward and met Yan Hongtu's incoming punch head-on with a ferocious headbutt!

Head and fist! A direct and unadorned collision!