Building Confidence, Initial Results

Beneath the giant Five Elements palm, Zheng Siqi's head rang and unbearable pain racked his body. Gravely injured, he had completely lost the strength to keep fighting.

If he hadn't raised a spiritual power shield and activated his protective treasure armor in time, he would probably have lost his life on the spot.

Most of his bones were now shattered. Even with healing pills, it would take him some time to recover.

More unbearable than the pain was the fact that he, a dignified immortal cultivator, had been defeated in a single move by a martial artist and pinned firmly beneath his palm.

He had been brimming with confidence, certain he could win easily. Now reality had slapped him hard across the face, swatting him straight out of the sky and into the dirt.

With a sharp clatter, the teacup slipped from Lin Jing's hand and shattered on the ground, spilling tea everywhere.

His eyes widened, his face full of shock. "How is this possible? Liu Yi is just a martial artist, a mere brute. How could he suppress an immortal cultivator at the Late Stage of the Golden Core with a single palm?"

"My eyes aren't playing tricks on me. This is real!" Li Yan rubbed his eyes hard, his voice trembling:

"Zheng Siqi is at the Late Stage of the Golden Core! How could he be defeated in one move by a mortal martial artist and pinned down like that? It makes no sense at all!"

Lin Jing murmured to himself, his spirit shattered and his eyes vacant:

"Could the Dao Seed Martial Dao Cultivation System really be this powerful?"

"Or is Liu Yi simply too strong?"

"If he can suppress Zheng Siqi with one palm, wouldn't dealing with me be as easy as turning his hand?"

At that thought, Lin Jing broke out in a cold sweat, a chill running down his back.

He had nearly ordered the system to be banned, but fortunately he had been cautious enough to test it himself. Once he understood the situation, he had promptly abandoned the idea.

Otherwise, if he angered the system, not only would he be forcibly unbound and lose this heaven-sent fortuitous opportunity, he might even bring a system extermination mission down upon himself.

Even with the Pure Void Sect backing him, allowing him to escape death, he would still be given a thorough beating by the system hosts.

Still shaken, he looked at Zheng Siqi's sorry state on the field and silently counted his blessings:

Fortunately, Zheng Siqi had been the first to challenge Liu Yi. If Lin Jing had rashly provoked him instead, he would probably be the one pinned beneath the giant Five Elements palm now.

"It's over! The Jin State is finished!"

Sima Han's face was deathly pale as he roared in despair. His legs gave way, and he collapsed to the ground.

The civil and military officials around him were likewise crushed by the terrible news. They knelt and sprawled on the ground, mechanically repeating, "It's over... it's over..."

Zheng Siqi's defeat had utterly shattered their last hope.

The power they had once relied on and the endless glory and riches they had enjoyed vanished in an instant.

From now on, they would be nothing more than ordinary scions of official families, no longer free to do as they pleased and forced to worry constantly about their family fortunes declining.

One careless mistake, and their lineages would fall from their lofty positions to become the lowly commoners they had once looked down on.

After a brief silence, the million spectators present stared at the hundred-meter-wide giant Five Elements palm.

At first, they looked dazed, unable to believe their eyes. Then their eyes burst with excitement.

"He won! Liu Yi won! That's wonderful!" Su Wantang no longer cared about maintaining her usual fairy-like image and jumped up and down with excitement.

Xu Wang burst out laughing. "The Dao Seed Martial Dao Cultivation System is every bit as good as the Immortal Cultivation System! My choice back then really was right!"

Xu Cheng'an's face was full of excitement. He clenched his fists so tightly that even his fingertips turned white.

Liu Yi's victory had completely cemented his resolve to give up immortal cultivation and focus on the Martial Dao.

He had a Lightning Spirit Root and unparalleled aptitude for immortal cultivation, but he had always struggled to decide which path to follow.

Now that he had witnessed Liu Yi suppress an immortal master with one palm, he was finally certain that the Martial Dao could also lead him down the path to becoming a powerhouse.

"Thank you for strengthening my resolve to pursue the Martial Dao."

Little Yellow jumped up and down with excitement, his tail spinning like a propeller as he barked nonstop.

Since he didn't dare speak, he could only send Liu Yi a frenzy of messages on Microchat:

"Master, you're amazing! So handsome I could explode! My admiration for you is like the surging waters of a great river, flowing on without end."

When Liu Yi saw Little Yellow's message, he replied excitedly, "Hehe, I know that. If you've got a way with words, say more."

He looked around as cheers from the crowd rolled toward him like waves. Every face was filled with excitement and shock.

Victory in this battle had come more easily than he had imagined.

And the impact of this victory far exceeded his expectations.

The giant Five Elements palm had defeated more than an immortal cultivator; it had also shattered the world's prejudice against the Martial Dao.

It had shown everyone that as long as they set foot on the path of the Martial Dao, they too could become powerhouses.

Liu Yi withdrew the giant Five Elements palm and turned his gaze to Zheng Siqi. "You've lost. Do you still want to fight?"

Feeling the suppressive force disappear, Zheng Siqi immediately pulled out a healing pill and swallowed it.

After a long while, he struggled to his feet and stared at Liu Yi in shock, his voice hoarse:

"Are you really just a martial artist? Not an immortal cultivator?"

"I'm a martial artist," Liu Yi said firmly. "My aptitude for immortal cultivation was too poor, so I switched to the Martial Dao long ago. The facts prove that practicing martial arts can make you a powerhouse all the same."

Hearing this, Zheng Siqi looked around in a daze. Seeing the excited or mocking looks on everyone's faces, he was utterly disheartened.

Then, with a thought, he recalled his flying sword to his hand.

Without another word, he took to the air on his sword and swiftly left the plain where he had lost all face.

Liu Yi looked around, then flashed over to Little Yellow, scooped him up, and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

In the Jin State's capital, Liu Yi used an illusion to conceal his face and figure, afraid that someone would recognize him.

After all, he was in the limelight now. If he were exposed, it might cause unnecessary trouble.

Walking through the capital's streets, Liu Yi saw that every passerby was excitedly discussing his victory. None of them favored the imperial court simply because they lived in the capital.

That was hardly surprising. The dilapidated thatched huts and brick-and-tile houses lining the streets stood in stark contrast to the grand gates and spacious courtyards.

One glance was enough to tell that life was hard for the capital's common people too, and that poverty remained the norm for most.

Moreover, in this world, life was even harder for the people of the capital.

The capital was full of scions of the powerful and wealthy. If ordinary people were the slightest bit careless, their families could be ruined and their loved ones killed.

But now the situation had completely turned around. With his victory, the system hosts had gained the upper hand, and the imperial court's prestige was greatly diminished.

From now on, those scions of the powerful and wealthy would no longer dare bully the common people without restraint as they had in the past.

More and more ordinary people were also beginning to practice martial arts. They were no longer a vulnerable group with no power to fight back.

As the saying went, "When an ordinary man is enraged, blood splatters five paces." Once the people had power, they would naturally no longer let others trample on them.

Of course, the changes had only just begun, and many injustices still existed in society.

But Liu Yi firmly believed that, given time, as more and more people gained power,

they would have more and more control over their own affairs on this land, and a greater and greater say.

Liu Yi looked at everything before him, his heart full of pride.

At last, in the Jin State of the mortal world, he had taken a solid first step toward "pulling the immortal cultivators and the powerful and wealthy down from their horses."

And as the system continued to spread, other countries would surely undergo earth-shaking changes as well.

He looked at the most luxurious brothel in the capital before him and stepped inside.

He had just won a great victory, and it was only right to celebrate properly.

"Little Yellow, let's treat ourselves just this once!"