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Chapter 156: Evolve
Chapter 156: Evolve
Chapter 156: Evolve
Tianyuan Dynasty, the ruler of the current era. Even on its own, it could rival major factions like the Great Shang and the Royal Empire among the Six Extremities of the world, much less the alliance-based Star Alliance, Solar Radiance, and the East Sea's thirty-six countries.
As one of the few developed nations, the Tianyuan Dynasty's economy and per capita income were on par with the Taibai Kingdom.
It had an astonishing population of 600 million, twice that of the Taibai Kingdom. Together, the populations of these two countries accounted for nearly half of the entire Tianyuan Federation, highlighting their advanced development and livability.
Of course, the two countries had different definitions of "liveability." Taibai emphasized national peace and stability, while Tianyuan focused on national strength. When it came to perilous regions within the borders, Tianyuan faced a far more severe situation than Taibai.
Especially to the north of Tianyuan, where a vast expanse of over two million square kilometers of mountains and valleys was filled with countless demonic creatures. That area alone drew a significant portion of the Tianyuan Dynasty's—the Federation's, even—resources.
To address this, with the Tianyuan Dynasty taking the lead, the Tianyuan Federation constructed a massive strategic fortress cluster on Gaia in that region, known as the Demon-Sealing Fortress. Tens of thousands of Astral Cultivators were constantly stationed there, combating and thoroughly purging the demonic creatures within.
This also served as a crucial foundation for maintaining the balance between the Tianyuan Dynasty and other countries within the Federation.
As the train arrived at the station, an official from the Tianyuan Dynasty Martial Society, accompanied by an Astral Cultivator, personally led a team to welcome and show respect to Prince Su Mai.
Among all nations within the Federation, Taibai and Tianyuan shared the best relationship. To some extent, Taibai was considered Tianyuan's backyard and wallet, and the two sides maintained a very harmonious relationship.
The group quickly arrived at the Martial Arts Village, situated on the outskirts of the Martial Society.
This village was specially built for the World's Top Martial Competition. It covered an area of over ten thousand square meters, featuring mansions and courtyards arranged in different zones according to the various countries.
Taibai's area featured six courtyards and mansions, each as spacious as Li Pin's residence in Jiang Province, with rooms capable of comfortably accommodating eight to ten people and including dedicated training rooms.
As for those accompanying Li Pin to the capital city to cheer for him, such as Lian Hongchen and Cao Tianyou, they would need to find their own accommodations.
While the World's Top Martial Competition was still five days away, many national teams had shared Li Pin and the group's sentiment and arrived early to acclimate to the environment. Therefore, the once-quiet Martial Arts Village was now bustling with martial artists, each exuding a commanding presence and robust vitality.
Li Pin and the others put down their baggage and rested for a moment before Su Feiyu appeared at the door.
"May I come in?" she asked.
Li Pin glanced at her.
They had only parted less than an hour ago, but she had already changed into a new outfit. She wore a pink gown with a sheer, delicate overlay and an ornate gilded belt that accentuated her perfect waistline. Her figure was so striking, it seemed almost unfair.
While the princess also practiced martial arts, she wasn't as reckless as Li Yunyao. Her presence inevitably drew eyes to the golden flame pendant nestled beneath her fair collarbone.
If she were to endorse pendants, necklaces, or rings, she would undoubtedly become an instant hit.
Li Pin couldn't help but glance at her one more time.
If he wasn't mistaken... that pendant was an astral equipment.
Astral equipment required special care, as their core component, the Astral Crystal, constantly dissipated energy. Without proper maintenance, hastily crafted astral equipment could become useless within ten days or half a month due to the loss of Astral Crystal energy.
The Sixth Princess treating astral equipment as an accessory was a testament to the royal family's grandeur.
"Please, come in," Li Pin said.
"How are you adjusting?" Su Feiyu asked.
"It's fine. Although Taibai and Tianyuan are four thousand kilometers apart, the climate and culture of the two countries are still quite similar."
"That's good to hear. If you experience any discomfort or have any problems adjusting, let me know about it. Don't let it affect your performance in the upcoming competition."
Li Pin smiled. "Once martial artists have condensed qi into Core, our body functions reach an extraordinary level. We are not so easily affected by a change in environment."
If he, as a martial artist, was so fragile that he couldn't handle even minor changes, it would only mean he had much more work to do.
"While that's true, it's still wise to be cautious," Su Feiyu said with a smile. "I've accompanied my royal brother here a few times and am familiar with the area. Would you like to go out for a walk? It would be a good chance to see the other competitors."
Before Li Pin could respond, Li Yunyao eagerly jumped into the conversation. "Sure, sure! Let's take some photos too. I never imagined I'd be at the World's Top Martial Competition. I need to record my experience throughout this one month!"
Su Feiyu glanced at Li Yunyao. A minor level-one martial artist. She's getting all worked up.
However, Li Pin smiled and said to Li Yunyao, "If you like it, we can go and have a look.
He turned to Su Feiyu and accepted her offer. "Thank you for your assistance, Your Highness."
Su Feiyu's expression was slightly unnatural, but she promptly responded. "It's my pleasure...."
However, thinking about the relationship between Li Yunyao and Li Pin, a smile once again spread across her face. She ran her fingers through her hair and approached Li Yunyao. "Come on, if we're taking photos, we can't miss the collection of statues from past champions of the World's Top Martial Competition. It's the most significant site. I'll take you there."
Li Yunyao nodded repeatedly. "Yes, yes!"
She turned to Lin Xiaolu and Qin Rouran. "Are you two coming?"
"I... want to tidy up some things," Lin Xiaolu declined.
She was clearly more burdened and less energetic than Li Yunyao.
As for Qin Rouran, she had already pulled out her phone and started watching videos a while ago. When she heard Li Yunyao's question, she looked up in confusion. Li Yunyao had to repeat the question only for her to shake her head. "I want to lie down in bed."
Seeing this, Li Yunyao didn't insist.
The three of them quickly flagged down a sightseeing car and headed to the park at the entrance of the village. Along the way, Li Pin continuously observed the passersby. Less than one in ten of them were competitors, but most of the assistants accompanying them possessed martial arts skills.
Core Formation and Aura Cultivation martial artists, once a rare sight, were commonplace here. Every now and then, Martial Saints could be seen casually chatting and laughing with friends by the roadside.
"Since arriving here, Core Formation experts have become as common as street dogs; even Aura Cultivation martial artists are everywhere," Li Yunyao murmured softly.
Su Feiyu heard her comment and explained with a smile, "That's not entirely accurate. It's more about the level of people you're surrounded by. The World's Top Martial Competition, in particular, and since we're in the Martial Arts Village, we naturally encounter the cream of the crop from Tianyuan's two billion population.
"Strong individuals are bound to emerge in large numbers. It's like a noble conference, where the lowest rank is a baron, and there are hundreds of earls and marquesses. Can we really say that a baron has no influence in their own territory?"
Li Yunyao nodded. "That does seem true...."
Soon, the group arrived at Celebrity Park.
There were over thirty statues in the park. Among them, the statues of the intermediate category champions were made of stone, while those of the adult category were made of bronze. Each statue stood several meters tall, creating an impressive sight.
"Let me take you through the introductions," Su Feiyu said as she approached one of the stone statues. "This is the champion of the first World's Top Martial Competition, Cheng Long."
She briefly shared the accomplishments of this competitor. Meanwhile, Li Yunyao eagerly pulled out her phone and started snapping photos.
"Do you need help?" Su Feiyu asked with a smile.
"Sure!" Li Yunyao responded enthusiastically.
Unlike Li Pin's random attempts at taking pictures, Su Feiyu, having evidently taken specialized photography courses, only needed to adjust Li Yunyao's position and pose slightly. The final result was so impressive it could be used for a movie poster.
Li Yunyao swiped through the photos a few times and immediately fell in love with them. "Sister Feiyu, your photography skills are amazing!"
Su Feiyu smiled slightly. "Not really. It's because you're beautiful and photogenic. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to get such great shots."
Just from taking a few photos, their relationship quickly grew closer, and they started addressing each other as "sister" and "little sister" warmly.
Meanwhile, Li Pin was engrossed in reviewing the profiles of the intermediate category champions, from the first to the fifteenth session.
Before long, he realized something. "The first World's Top Martial Competition drew widespread attention with numerous participants, and the champion was a Martial Saint. In the second competition, the champion was a Quasi-Martial Saint, and by the third competition, the champion had dropped to a great grandmaster....
"By the sixth competition, a Martial Saint appeared again... but in the following competitions, there were only four instances of Martial Saints?"
Li Pin focused on the champions from the second to the fifth competitions.
"Wasn't it said that the early World's Top Martial Competitions were extremely competitive?"
"The competition was indeed fierce, but... times have changed," Su Feiyu replied. "Many believe that the turbulent times produced more Martial Saints due to harsh conditions, and that the Martial Saints from that era were stronger. But in reality, it's not so.
"The Tianyuan Society has some data.... Although many records from the turbulent period decades ago were lost and some are not entirely accurate, the data shows that during the first tournament, the number of Martial Saints in the Federation was less than a third of today's number."
"A third?"
"Yes! Not half, but one-third!"
Su Feiyu looked at the statues and continued, "Times are progressing, martial arts are evolving, and we are not standing still! In the first King of the Century Competition, there were eighty-three peak Martial Saints due to historical accumulation. By the second competition, there were only sixty-two. In the recent competition, there were as many as one hundred and twenty-eight peak Martial Saints participating."
"A golden age for martial arts? With the existence of ferocious beasts and demonic creatures, humanity's dominant position is in jeopardy. We're forced to embark on a new journey to compete with all creatures under the frost-laden sky for freedom. This is the worst of times!"
Su Feiyu's eyes sparkled with brilliance.
"But... the emergence of the Astral Gods has brought an unprecedented change after ten thousand years, reopening the path of evolution for us. Animals, plants and even humans are all evolving. The various professions and systems among humans are also evolving! The difficulty of becoming a Martial Saint today is simply incomparable to how it was sixty years ago!"
"Evolution..." Li Pin repeated the word.
"For us martial artists fighting against heaven, earth, and humanity, this is indeed the best of times!"
Su Feiyu looked at Li Pin. "So... don't you, don't we, want to see just how magnificent the peak of martial arts can be?"