noveldrama
Chapter 280: Winner
Chapter 280: Winner
Chapter 280: Winner
Ying Zhen gazed at the cliff, where numerous Martial Saints, now devoid of any will to fight, saluted Li Pin. The sight left him somewhat incredulous. "Is it... over?"
"It seems so," Bai Liying replied.
"So... what does this mean? We won?" Wan Yuexin muttered with a hint of confusion.
"Li Pin is one of us, a Tianyuan representative. With everyone obeying his orders, he is naturally the King of the Century. So yes... we've won," Bai Liying said, her expression complicated as she glanced at the figure atop the cliff.
A premonition stirred within her—this would likely be the final King of the Century Competition.
After seventy years, the King of the Century Competition would finally end with the rise of this Martial God, Li Pin.
But... maybe that's for the best.
This sort of finale for the King of the Century... would make it memorable for every Martial Saint of this generation, ensuring it would never be forgotten.
Ye Chengyuan was lost for words. "Did we really... just win without lifting a finger?"
I haven't even gotten the chance to step into the battlefield and face any Martial Saints....
After spending countless hours preparing himself for a life-or-death fight, he had sailed for several hours to reach this godforsaken land of Crimson Flame Island. He'd been there for less than thirty minutes, breathing in the salty sea air, and now... it was time to pack up and leave?
This... is absurd.
Yet, when he gave it more thought, it made sense.
Li Pin has wiped out dozens of Martial Saints with a single wave of his hand. Eighteen Martial Saints who had consumed the Heavenly Demon Disintegration Pill were instantly annihilated. They had died leaving nothing to show for it.
Even Cang Shengjie, who had injected himself with Golden Blood and wielded a rare astral equipment set powerful enough to sweep through all the Martial Saints of Crimson Flame Island, has fallen to Li Pin.
What chance is there left? What can these Martial Saints even do? Die for nothing?
Facing death in a final, desperate stand for a slim chance at the Ultimate Transcendence was one thing, but willingly walking into a sure-death situation with no hope of survival was another. Even the most prepared Top-Tier Martial Saints wouldn't tread such a path leading to doom.
Besides... Li Pin has opened a new path for them, a path beyond Martial Saints, the Martial God. With a new direction in sight, and a goal to strive for, who would want to throw away their life now?
"The clouds have cleared," White Emperor suddenly said.
His words startled everyone, making them realize that the torrential downpour from earlier had already stopped.
It wasn't just the rain, but the thick clouds overhead were also dispersing, revealing the bright midday sun—or rather, the sun at half-past twelve.
In little over ten minutes, the sky above Crimson Flame Island had shifted from night to day, almost as though the island had gone from rainy season to dry season.
The rapid change in weather left everyone in awe.
"The weather over the sea really can shift so abruptly..." a Martial Saint marveled.
"Is it really... just a simple weather change?" Bai Liying hinted at something deeper.
Her words quickly made the others realize something. In an instant, most of Tianyuan's team members' pupils dilated.
Buzz, buzz!
At that moment, several high-tech drones came into view, swiftly passing through the sky.
With the astral equipment no longer interfering and the instruments functioning properly again, these advanced machines reappeared over Crimson Flame Island. Broadcasts on countless television programs resumed as well.
Watching this scene, Ye Chengyuan said, "The King of the Century Competition has finally ended... With less than a hundred Extreme Martial Saints either dead or injured, this must be the battle with the lowest casualty rate in history."
"Li Pin... Martial God Li's strength is way too overwhelming. After witnessing his power, no one was willing to resist him. It is only natural for the death toll to be low." Bai Liying glanced at the group behind him. "Martial God Li seems to be explaining the mysteries of the Lifeform Force Field. I'm thinking of going to listen—anyone coming?"
"I'm in!"
"Me too."
"The Lifeform Force Field... It's the foundation of Martial God! I want to understand how Martial God Li mastered this force, which Supreme Expert Lord Fu Qingtian concluded was unattainable for Martial Saints. Not only that, but how he even went beyond, tapping into the Celestial Magnetic Field to walk the path of a Martial God."
One by one, the Martial Saints echoed in agreement.
Before long, over half of Tianyuan's Martial Saints had left to listen.
Ying Zhen watched the departing crowd and frowned. He wanted to join but recalling his earlier comments about Li Pin... he couldn't bring himself to go.
As more people left, he finally turned to Wang Liancheng. "Martial Saint Wang, is the King of the Century Competition... really over just like that?"
Wang Liancheng's expression remained the same. At least, it did on the surface.
I... have always been highly favored by the supreme Fu Qingtian.... Always regarded by everyone as Tianyuan's ace to win the King of the Century title. The federation had even pushed Li Pin into the limelight to ensure my safety.
Yet... I haven't even made a move since the start of the competition.
Li Pin had effortlessly defeated everyone, beating them into submission. Now, they wholeheartedly listen to his teachings as he explains the Lifeform Force Field.
Despite all that...
Wang Liancheng's mouth twitched.
He seemed as though he wanted to say something. However, as he recalled the immense strength Li Pin displayed when he successively defeated dozens of Martial Saints, including an opponent like Cang Shengjie... he swallowed these words back.
In the end, he only uttered a simple phrase. "The bigger picture is what matters!"
Ying Zhen was taken aback.
The bigger picture? What was the bigger picture?
Securing the title of King of the Century has always been the bigger picture!
Li Pin had become the Martial God, a title far beyond any King of the Century. He had already gained the recognition and respect of everyone.
So, at this moment... he was the bigger picture!
***
"There's footage, we've got footage."
"The rain seems to have stopped! Could the heavy rain earlier have disrupted the signal?"
"It has been half an hour since we lost the feed... I wonder what's the situation like."
With communication restored, countless eyes were drawn to the live broadcast.
In Jiang Province City, Li Yunyao, Lin Xiaolu, Qin Rouran, Xiang Xiaoyue, and others widened their eyes, staring at the big screen, closely following the drone footage, not wanting to miss a single detail.
Finally, as the drone approached, the scene on Crimson Flame Island unfolded before everyone's eyes.
What the viewers saw was a large number of Martial Saints divided into two groups. One group belonged to the Tianyuan Federation, numbering in the dozens. However, half of them had already split off, heading toward a sea cliff on the island.
The other group... consisted of over three hundred Martial Saints, gathered together. Additionally, a few scattered Martial Saints also appeared, joining this larger assembly.
Yet, what surprised everyone was that the supposed life-and-death battles, the expected fierce struggle between these more than three hundred Martial Saints... was nowhere to be seen.
What the people watching saw was the Martial Saints... coexisting peacefully. They formed a semi-circle, attentively listening to a man standing atop the cliff as he spoke.
The atmosphere prevalent on the island wasn't one of tension and murder.
Rather, it was full of peace, like the atmosphere felt when a teacher guided his students.
The teacher in this context was... Li Pin, of course.
Inside a house, a women couldn't help but shout with joy upon seeing Li Pin's figure appear on screen.
"Li Pin!"
"It's Brother Li Pin!"
"I see Brother Li Pin! He's alright!"
After a brief moment of excitement, Xiang Xiaoyue glanced at the time on her watch. "Has the King of the Century Competition not started yet? But... time's already passed, hasn't it? Could they be using a different time zone?"
They weren't the only ones with this thought.
At this moment, nearly everyone, looking at the peaceful scene atop the sea cliff on Crimson Flame Island where Martial Saints from all over the world coexisted harmoniously, wondered the same thing.
"What's going on!?"
"Why haven't the Martial Saints started fighting yet!?"
"If a group of dozens of Martial Saints represents one faction, then three hundred Martial Saints... surely, they can't be from the same side, right?"
"The man at the center... is that Li Pin!? Are these Martial Saints planning to attack him first!? But... it doesn't look like that's the case? They don't look like they're about to fight at all. In fact, they kind of seem to be looking at him with respect, no?"
Similar questions echoed from the crowd.
Even the Tianyuan headquarters was filled with confusion. However, unlike the rest, the high-ranking figures at the headquarters quickly noticed some unusual details.
Various Master Astral Cultivators all voiced their thoughts.
"They've already fought! The signs of intense battle are obvious. Many of them still carry the marks of a recent clash!"
"There's been a noticeable shift in the group that attacked Li Pin on the sea cliff earlier. Four or five dozen Martial Saints have vanished. Whether they went in another direction or what seems unclear."
"These Martial Saints aren't exhibiting any will to fight at all, as if the battle's already over. But... it's only been half an hour since the King of the Century officially began."
Fu Qingtian stared at the screen in silence.
Seeing the positions of Li Pin and the over three hundred Martial Saints standing around him, and noticing the expressions the Martial Saints wore when facing him... he couldn't wrap his head around what he was seeing.
After thinking for a moment, he issued an order. "Get me in touch with Wang Liancheng!"
Technically, no one was allowed to contact the competitors during the King of the Century Competition, but since the order came from Fu Qingtian...
"Yes, sir," someone quickly responded.
In no time, communications were established. One of the drone feeds showed Wang Liancheng answering the call.
He wasn't the only one. Xi Mi, Meng Xueya, and others made similar moves. Clearly, their respective factions had come to the same decision as Fu Qingtian.
To them, the rules of the King of the Century Competition were theirs to set. What harm could a little interference cause?
Soon, Wang Liancheng's voice came through the command room.
—Your Excellency.
"What's going on? Why hasn't the King of the Century Competition started yet?" Fu Qingtian asked.
—The King of the Century Competition...
Wang Liancheng hesitated for a moment.
—It's already over.
Fu Qingtian, Yuan Zhenchuan, and the Master Astral Cultivators present all looked surprised. "It's over?"
However, they weren't concerned about how the competition played out. They only cared about one thing.
"Who won?"
—As you can see...
Wang Liancheng raised his head slightly, glancing toward one of the drones flying overhead. Then, he turned his gaze toward the figure standing atop the cliff, his expression complicated.
—The final winner... is Li Pin.