Chapter 44 - Punching Through Golden Bell Cocoon
“As expected of Senior Brother Gu Zhan, he’s indeed powerful. He effortlessly pushed Chen Fan into such a state with just a few moves.”
“Obviously. Senior Brother Gu Zhan is a strong contender for the top 10 outer sect disciples, while Chen Fan is just a rising star. How could he compare to Senior Brother Gu Zhan?”
“Did you guys count? How many moves has it been?”
“Two moves. Senior Brother Gu Zhan took the initiative and used two moves. The first move, White Tiger Holds Corpse, immediately suppressed Chen Fan, leaving him defenseless and at the mercy of Brother Gu Zhan’s relentless assault.”
“I think Chen Fan can take on three more moves before he is defeated.”
The disciples below the arena discussed. They admired Gu Zhan and looked down on Chen Fan.
If Gu Zhan and Chen Fan were both wealthy men, the disciples saw Gu Zhan as someone rich with background and influence and Chen Fan as a nouveau riche. When the two stood side by side, the disparity between them became evident.
“Damn it. This Zhan really isn’t going easy at all. He wants to win quickly. It's outrageous that he dares to disregard Senior Brother Fei Kuang's warning!” exclaimed one of the Heaven's Alliance members, his face filled with anger.
Fei Kuang, positioned at the forefront of the gathering, wore an expression of extreme displeasure, his countenance as dark as an impending storm.
“Damn it, Gu Zhan really deserves to die. He dares go against my word. Gu Zhan, you better pray that we don’t get into the arena together, or I will kill you and show you the power of the Heaven’s Alliance!”
A fierce and icy cold murderous intent flickered in Fei Kuang's eyes.
“How is it, Chen Fan? You can admit defeat now, right?” Gu Zhan looked at Chen Fan and said, standing where Chen Fan was earlier instead of continuing his attacks.
Gu Zhan had executed two powerful moves in quick succession. White Tiger Holds Corpse alone had rendered Chen Fan defenseless, putting him at a disadvantage where he could only passively endure the onslaught. Chen Fan should now be well aware of his formidable strength.
“Keep going.”
Chen Fan shook his head.
“You are one of those guys who just cling to their fantasies, aren’t you? Since that’s the case, don’t hate me if I fail to hold back my strength and injure you. I’ve already warned you multiple times,” Gu Zhan said.
“Come!”
Chen Fan beckoned, curling his palm. His qi and blood surged rapidly, akin to the mighty Yangtze River.
Waves of strength surged inside him as the Myriad Elephants Divine Art’s power erupted.
“Good lad, you are dead set on fighting till the end, aren’t you?” Gu Zhan remarked, observing Chen Fan's provocative gesture. Suddenly, he whistled a few times, his voice resembling a tiger’s roar. His tendons and bones emitted creaking sounds as he swiftly lunged forward.
Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh.
He moved so fast that it felt like he was creating a vacuum in the front by displacing all the air.
Gu Zhan’s current momentum was like a ferocious tiger hunting its prey with full strength. His speed left people tongue-tied.
“What?”
“This is Senior Brother Gu Zhan’s full strength?”
“He was holding back previously? Is he finally going all out?”
The crowd watched in astonishment as Gu Zhan unleashed his speed, resembling a real white tiger.
Gu Zhan shouted, raising his arms. Immediately, an oval-shaped qi shield materialized, enveloping him.
The qi cover resembled a colossal bell, completely enveloping Gu Zhan within its protective barrier.
Bang!
Chen Fan's fist collided with the bell, but his attack was neutralized.
“What a powerful defense!”
Chen Fan’s eyes narrowed fiercely.
“Well done. You caught me off guard with your strength outburst, but breaking through my Golden Bell Cocoon is impossible. When I’m done regulating my primeval qi, your defeat is inevitable.”
Gu Zhan’s expression grew more serious. He realized that he had underestimated Chen Fan and that they were evenly matched in terms of strength.
However, he held great confidence in the impenetrability of his Golden Bell Cocoon, believing that Chen Fan couldn’t possibly break it.
He decided to execute his killer move after regulating his qi. Defeating Chen Fan wouldn’t be too difficult, then.
“I can’t break it? I’ll prove you wrong!”
The images of ten thousand elephants materialized behind him, and his tendons and bones vibrated in unison as he unleashed a rapid series of strikes. His primeval qi spun, unleashing hundreds of punches in mere seconds.
Bong, bong, bong...
The Golden Bell Cocoon trembled under the onslaught, and the powerful sound waves became visible to the naked eye, rippling in all directions.
Gu Zhan trembled, a trail of fresh blood seeping out from the corner of his mouth. Chen Fan's relentless barrage of attacks had left his organs, leading to internal injuries.
“Impossible, Chen Fan. Your cultivation can’t possibly be robust enough to let you unleash a hundred punches with such terrifying force. Moreover, your body shouldn't be able to withstand such a continuous assault!” Gu Zhan exclaimed, thoroughly shocked and perhaps a bit dumbfounded.
“I’ll tell you the truth. I was struck by lightning and miraculously survived that disaster. It strengthened my flesh, tendons, and bones. That's how I could obliterate Sun Youwei with a single punch.”
Chen Fan cried. Almost simultaneously, the ancient wild elephant behind him, a condensed form of his primeval qi, curled its trunk and descended like a heavenly body, trampling the earth as it gathered on Chen Fan's arm.
“This punch will break your Golden Bell Cocoon!”
Rumble!
With a force that could move mountains and rivers, his fist emerged from above, resembling a colossal ax cleaving through a mountain. Like a mighty elephant uprooting a tree, his presence grew larger, exuding an aura of power and majesty. His arm, seemingly forged from iron bones and steel tendons, possessed an intimidating thickness that sent shivers down the onlookers’ spine.
Pop!
The entire Golden Bell Cocoon crumbled into pieces.
Chen Fan resembled a massive elephant charging forward. His fist shot out like an arrow, stopping right in front of Gu Zhan's face.
The wind from Chen Fan's fist blew against Gu Zhan's face, stretching his skin backward. He instantly shut his eyes, seemingly waiting for his death.
“You’ve lost,” Chen Fan said, his voice devoid of any emotion.
Gu Zhan opened his eyes, looking at Chen Fan standing before him. He smiled bitterly and said, “I lost. I didn’t expect you to be so strong. To think I acted so arrogantly before. What a joke!”
Gu Zhan walked off the arena dejectedly.
Once considered a formidable contender for a position among the top 10 disciples of the outer sect, Gu Zhan's prospects had drastically changed. At the very least, he had hoped to secure a spot within the top 100, but now, he could not even break into the top 500.