Chapter 152: The Appearance of the Beast God's Battle-Heaven Art!

"Could this guy really be that Gu Fan?" people in the surrounding crowd murmured to one another.

"Is this punk Gu Fan?" Liu Tiandu asked, squinting at the man before him.

"I think it must be him," Liu Qisui nodded as he looked at Gu Fan.

"I somehow feel he is different from others, though I can't quite put my finger on it," Ye Zhanxin said, his eyes narrowing slightly.

To him, Gu Fan always possessed something unusual, though he had no idea what it was...

Hearing Ye Zhanxin say this, the other two also developed a similar feeling—something very strange, very peculiar.

Being watched by so many people made Gu Fan somewhat self-conscious. He rubbed his nose awkwardly and called out, "H-Hello everyone, I am Gu Fan. Gu as in Gu Fan, Fan as in Gu Fan..."

Everyone, including the three Ye Zhanxin: "............"

"This punk, could this be his first time appearing in a scene like this?" Liu Tiandu twitching the corner of his mouth, said.

"It's possible..." Ye Zhanxin and Liu Qisui nodded.

Gu Fan trotted up toward the elevated arena, wearing a smile as he looked at the three men. "Three Senior Brothers, hello. I am Gu Fan. Gu as in Gu Fan, Fan as in Gu Fan."

The three: "........."

"Ahem, I am Ye Zhanxin. Ye as in the Ye family, Zhan as in battle, Xin as in the heart."

"I am Liu Qisui. Liu as in willow branch, Qing as in azure, Sui as in easygoing."

"I am Liu Tiandu. Liu as in the Liu family, Tian as in the sky, Du as in admiral."

The three men introduced themselves in turn. Since the other person was so enthusiastic, they could not afford to be impolite.

"Hello, hello," Gu Fan nodded and cupped his fists.

"Junior Brother Gu Fan, are you new here?" Liu Tiandu asked, feeling quite curious.

"Ah~ I've been in the sect for five years..." Gu Fan replied.

That's right, five years! Five years ago, Gu Fan's family was exterminated. He had arrived at the Lingtian Sect all by himself, battered and bruised, and joined the sect. Afterward, he met Qingmu, whom he had regarded as his only family member ever since. Since then, he had remained holed up in his room, practicing cultivation desperately and rarely seeing the outside world.

"Five years? Why have we never heard your name?" the three said in astonishment. The three of them could be said to have played around everywhere, so their experience and knowledge were naturally broad, yet none of them had ever heard of this Gu Fan.

Gu Fan rubbed his nose awkwardly and said, "Well, I've always stayed in my room cultivating and rarely witnessed the outside world."

"Alright, since the four of you have arrived, let's begin." Just as Gu Fan finished speaking, a magical beast flew across the sky, carrying an elderly man on its back. Needless to say, this elder was the referee for the match.

With that, the elder slowly descended toward the ground.

"Elder!"

The crowd bowed slightly and shouted. Gu Fan was stunned for a moment, then hurriedly followed suit and shouted along.

"Mm, the four of you..." The elder glanced at the unfamiliar Gu Fan and continued, "Rely on your own abilities. Remember the sect rules of the Lingtian Sect."

"Yes, Elder," the four of them nodded and said. Gu Fan thought to himself, why do I always get the feeling they all think I'm weak...?

"Very well, now the four of you will draw lots, and your matches will be decided by your numbers," the elder announced, after which a box appeared in his spatial ring.

"Understood." Ye Zhanxin was the first to step forward, reaching into the box to touch an item before walking away with a sphere in hand.

Next came Liu Qisui, then Liu Tiandu, and finally Gu Fan.

The drawing was completed quickly.

"Now, reveal your numbers," the elder commanded.

The four men then revealed the numbers on their spheres.

Ye Zhanxin had number two, Liu Qisui had number one, Liu Tiandu had number three, and Gu Fan still could not escape number four.

"Alright, number one versus number two, number three versus number four! Now for the first match, number one versus number two: Ye Zhanxin versus Liu Qisui!"

The elder shouted.

"Oh ho, aren't you lucky? You drew Junior Brother Gu Fan," Liu Qisui said, looking at Liu Tiandu with a trace of envy.

"Ha, haha, good luck, good luck," Liu Tiandu laughed heartily. He hadn't expected to be so lucky as to get eliminated in the first round—wait, by the time it comes around, who knows if they'll still be saying that? Lucky? More like a nightmare...

"Uh, are you guys really that certain I'm going to lose?" Gu Fan, having stepped down from the platform, asked Liu Tiandu with a somewhat displeased expression.

"Ahem, Junior Brother, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have spoken out loud beforehand. But it doesn't matter, you're still young and completely capable of continuing to work hard! Don't worry, Senior Brother will go easy on you later," Liu Tiandu nodded awkwardly, patting Gu Fan's shoulder with a righteous and selfless air.

"Hehe, then many thanks, Senior Brother," Gu Fan chuckled, expressing his gratitude while giving a slight cupped-fist salute.

"Haha, you're welcome, you're welcome. Come, let's sit to the side and watch them fight," Liu Tiandu told Gu Fan. The two walked over to a spot and sat down.

Since the other party was so confident, he wouldn't crush his spirit just yet.

He would just sit back and watch the show.

..........

On the stage:

"Brother Ye, please show mercy," Liu Qisui said.

"Rest assured, we're all fellow disciples of the Lingtian Sect; I understand," Ye Zhanxin nodded and said.

Liu Qisui was a four-star Douzun, while Ye Zhanxin was a six-star Douzun.

"Are the two of you ready? Keep it friendly and stop upon success. Begin!" The elder's words fell.

As the elder's voice trailed off, the two leaped backward into the air.

Simultaneously, a slender yet slightly broad longsword appeared in Liu Qisui's hand.

Ye Zhanxin produced a large heavy sword, etched with black patterns that looked extremely imposing.

With a soft shout, the two pointed their swords at each other and charged.

Clang—!

The two swords collided, producing an extremely sharp screeching sound of friction.

Swish, swish, swish—!

The two exchanged blows mid-air.

Then, Ye Zhanxin exerted a bit of force, a single downward stroke of his sword directly driving Liu Qisui back.

Liu Qisui's expression shifted slightly as he immediately set up a defense, only stopping when he was forced almost to the edge of the arena.

Liu Qisui let out a breath. "Brother Ye is truly extraordinary."

"You're not bad yourself," Ye Zhanxin replied.

"Brother Ye, take this move of mine!"

"Thunder Profound Sword Technique!"

Liu Qisui let out a sharp cry, and instantly, a bolt of lightning descended from the sky, landing directly upon his blade.

Crackle, crackle, crack—!

He raised his hand, pointing directly at Ye Zhanxin, and shouted, "Brother Ye, be careful!"

"Bring it on!"

"Blazing Fierce Slash!"

Ye Zhanxin's fighting spirit surged as he shouted, gripping his large sword like a saber and charging straight into Liu Qisui's offensive.

In an instant, a burst of flames spiraled around the tip of the large sword, erupting into a roaring blaze at its base.

Boom, boom————!!

"Ah-ha—!"

Liu Qisui was sent flying backward with a cry, barely managing to control his flight to a halt high up in the air.

Ye Zhanxin fared somewhat better, pushed back a much shorter distance and stopping steadily mid-air.

"Wanna go again?" Ye Zhanxin asked, raising his chin slightly.

"Come on, why wouldn't I!"

"Glaring Light Sword Decision!"

Following Liu Qisui's shout, numerous sword projections materialized in the air. These projections were as sharp as iron pillars, plunging downward along with Liu Qisui's body straight toward Ye Zhanxin.

"Haha, well met!"

Ye Zhanxin laughed heartily, his fighting spirit soaring as he unleashed his Dou Technique to meet the descending swords head-on!

"Wave-Breaking—Flame Dragon!"

Roar, roar—!

Instantly, the sound of a dragon echoed, and a massive fire-formed dragon coiled around Ye Zhanxin's body.

The flame dragon's body swayed slightly, sweeping away the sword shadows falling toward it.

"What?" Liu Qisui's expression changed drastically at this sight. His gaze turned solemn as he gripped his sword and pointed it downward.

Having cleared away the sword images, the flame dragon transformed into a stream of fire that attached itself to the large sword. In an instant, the heavy sword transformed into the shape of a dragon and charged at Liu Qisui.

Roar, roar—!!

"Not good!" The elder on the sidelines shifted his expression and cried out.

Just as he was about to step in to stop it, he suddenly halted upon seeing the current development.

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Then he breathed a sigh of relief.

Liu Qisui's sword was knocked out of his hand, flying away and clattering onto the ground.

A fierce tongue of flame flashed past his sides, the intense heat rushing toward his face. Looking at the large sword thrusting directly toward him, Liu Qisui closed his eyes.

At the very last second, the tip of the heavy sword stopped a mere fist's distance from his forehead.

Thus, the two bodies remained suspended mid-air, under the gaze of the onlookers who watched the scene unfold.

"Senior Brother Ye has won!"

The crowd cheered excitedly in their hearts, murmuring amongst themselves.

Realizing he was unharmed, Liu Qisui slowly opened his eyes, his pupils instantly contracting as he stared at the sword tip right in front of him. If it had moved even a fraction further, he would have been a dead man.

Cold sweat immediately broke out, and his heart hammered wildly—

"Brother Ye, you win," Ye Zhanxin said with a rigid expression.

Liu Qisui let out a slight breath and nodded, "Yes, I lost."

As his words faded, the crowd below erupted into cheers.

"Many thanks, Brother Ye, for showing mercy." The two descended, and Liu Qisui cupped his fists.

"Brother No need for that, Brother Liu. We are fellow disciples engaging in a spar, not mortal enemies locked in a life-or-death struggle," Ye Zhanxin shook his head slightly and said.

"True enough. Then let's step down first and watch their match," Liu Qisui said.

"Alright," Ye Zhanxin nodded.

"The first match, Ye Zhanxin versus Liu Qisui: Ye Zhanxin wins!" The elder's voice rang out, "Next up are number three and number four: Liu Tiandu versus Gu Fan!"

"Let's go, it's our turn," Liu Tiandu smiled heartily.

Gu Fan felt a bit helpless, hoping the other guy would still be able to laugh in a moment.

He followed him up.

"Come, come!! Let's place our bets and see who wins this match! Senior Brother Du is one-to-ten, Gu Fan is one-to-hundred! Come on, place your bets!" A disciple shouted, setting up a gambling table.

The elder could only shake his head helplessly; the sect rules didn't forbid gambling, so he didn't interfere.

"I'm betting on Senior Brother Du!"

"I'm betting on Senior Brother Du!"

"Buy Senior Brother Du!"

........

Voices rang out one after another.

On the stage, Gu Fan was equally helpless—was he really that easy to bully?

"Haha, Junior Brother, they just like to do this, don't take it to heart," Liu Tiandu said with a happy smile upon seeing how many people supported him.

"Hold on, can I bet on myself?" Gu Fan asked.

"Oh? You want to bet on yourself? Sure! Go ahead," Liu Tiandu laughed, figuring Gu Fan had no chance of winning anyway.

Hearing this, Gu Fan trotted down and shouted, "Junior Brother, I want to bet on myself to win. I have ten thousand spirit crystals right here." Gu Fan produced the crystals and said.

"Senior Brother, are you sure? This is ten thousand spirit crystals!" that disciple said.

"Yes, yes, if I win, does that mean I get one million spirit crystals?" Gu Fan asked.

Everyone thought he must have lost his mind; money wasn't meant to be squandered like that, and there was no way he could possibly defeat Senior Brother Liu Tiandu.

"Yes, yes, if you win, you get one million spirit crystals," the disciple nodded and said.

"That's good, that's good," Gu Fan smiled, then turned and walked back toward the arena.

"Brother Ye, should we go cheer for Junior Brother Gu Fan? Place a bet on him?" Liu Qisui suggested.

Ye Zhanxin pondered for a moment and nodded, "Alright."

Afterward, the two walked over and each placed a bet of one million gold coins on Gu Fan's side.

If he won, they could walk away with a hundred million gold coins, though neither of them truly believed Gu Fan would win, given that Liu Tiandu was a three-star Douzun!

Seeing Ye Zhanxin and the others placing bets, Gu Fan didn't mind; he figured they were just doing it to encourage him. Besides, what's a few gold coins?

"Just wait, you won't be losing out. You all think I'm going to lose? Then I'll just have to win and show you!" Gu Fan thought to himself.

Liu Tiandu watched Ye Zhanxin and the others place their bets without caring much, assuming they were merely throwing a bone to Gu Fan for moral support, and besides, gold coins were plenty.

"Come on, Fan Junior Brother, Senior Brother will hold back," Liu Tiandu felt almost guilty about bullying someone else.

"Hehe, then many thanks, Senior Brother!" Gu Fan said.

"You're welcome, you're welcome!" Liu Tiandu replied.

"The second match will be a friendly spar. Both sides get ready, begin!"

The refereeing elder announced.

An eight-star Douzong versus a three-star Douzun—this was no joke.

"Junior Brother, to save time, how about we decide the victor in a single move?" Liu Tiandu stepped back to create some distance and spoke up.

"Oh? Junior Brother shares the same thought. Let's settle it in one move and not waste any time," Gu Fan narrowed his eyes and nodded.

"I must ask Senior Brother to use your full strength. Even if I lose, I will have no regrets," Gu Fan said, fearing that if he really got into the zone, he might resolve the opponent in a single strike.

"Haha, good! Junior Brother has backbone, so Senior Brother will unleash a full-strength strike. Don't worry, Senior Brother knows when to pull his punches," Liu Tiandu smiled as a white longsword materialized in his hand.

"Martial Void Sword Technique!"

Liu Tiandu moved with ghostly agility, executing a Dou Technique to charge rapidly toward Gu Fan, the aura of a three-star Douzun bursting forth completely!

He leaped into the air, forming a vortex, sending endless atmospheric shockwaves toward Gu Fan.

"Be careful, Junior Brother!"

..........

"My word, Liu Tiandu this punk is actually playing for keeps. Alas, that Junior Brother is bound to lose," Liu Qisui exclaimed, then let out a sigh.

Ye Zhanxin remained silent, staring fixedly ahead. His previous bet wasn't a blind guess; he sensed something different about Gu Fan.

"Not necessarily. Watch." Ye Zhanxin uttered just five words.

Liu Qisui looked startled, turning his gaze back to the stage.

..........

At this moment, a massive scythe materialized in Gu Fan's hand—none other than the Asura Blade. He raised his head slightly, his gaze turning solemn. He knew he would never be able to block this move if he relied on his current self.

If he couldn't even block this, how could he ever exact revenge or reach the peak?!

Gu Fan took a step forward, his footfalls heavy as they struck the ground. He gripped the scythe tightly, the chain attached to its rear floating and circling around his body.

Killing intent transforming into battle intent!

Gu Fan's eyes flashed with a faint red hue, fiercely converting his dense killing intent into battle intent and attaching it to the scythe.

"Earth-Shattering Slash! Flame Slash!" Gu Fan shouted inwardly, simultaneously activating the Reverse Ascension technique!

This was his first battle! He could not afford to lose!

Stamping his foot, Gu Fan's figure vanished from the spot, charging forward with utmost speed!

In an instant, a ball of red flame carrying a crimson aura manifested upon the scythe.

Through the enhancement of Reverse Ascension, the power of Earth-Shattering Slash and Flame Slash was more than doubled.

Clenching his fists, Gu Fan brought the scythe directly down against Liu Tiandu's sword!

.......

"What? He intends to take it head-on?" Liu Qisui stared in astonishment.

"Feel his aura—it's so strong!" Ye Zhanxin's fighting spirit ignited.

"Th-This is? What..." Liu Qisui's eyes widened.

"Could this be?" The elder narrowed his eyes, looking thoroughly startled.

.......

Gu Fan swung the scythe down with all his might!

Boom!——!!!!

An immensely powerful shockwave blasted Liu Tiandu's sword out of his grip. He was sent flying backward, hurtling straight past the outer perimeter of the arena!

Just as he was about to crash into the wall, the elder materialized out of nowhere, catching Liu Tiandu and preventing the impact.

The caught Liu Tiandu wore a look of utter bewilderment, having no clue what had just transpired.

What on earth just happened?—

"Ah-ha—" A stream of fresh blood spilled from Liu Tiandu's mouth. He felt like he looked utterly pathetic today.

Clang—!

At that exact moment, Liu Tiandu's sword plummeted from the sky, landing right in the middle of the arena, directly in front of Gu Fan.

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"The second match, Liu Tiandu versus Gu Fan: Gu Fan wins!"

The elder shouted, sounding somewhat in disbelief.

.........

"Oh, my word! That was ruthless!"

"What just happened?!" Liu Qisui yelled, completely dumbfounded!

The surrounding crowd was also at a loss. Was that not... a bit too fast?!

Good heavens! This guy is insanely strong!

"I'm, I'm... I'm done for..." Only the person running the gambling stall wore an ashen, heavy expression. Many people had placed high-odds bets on Gu Fan!

Even if he died, he wouldn't be able to pay that back...

"Such strength!" Ye Zhanxin's fighting spirit surged as he spoke.

"Damn it, this punk is definitely a wolf in sheep's clothing!" Liu Qisui pointed at Gu Fan on the stage and shouted.

.............

"Is... is it over?" Gu Fan muttered on the stage.

Just like that, it was over in a single move. He hadn't expected the effects of Reverse Ascension to be so potent.

Even he couldn't believe he had knocked down a dignified three-star Douzun with a single blow.

"Well then, pardon my offense. Pure luck, pure luck," Gu Fan cupped his fists toward the crowd, looking thoroughly modest.

"Pure luck?! Luck my foot!"

The crowd screamed inwardly, breaking out into curses.

At this moment, Liu Tiandu sat in his seat looking entirely vacant, continuously replaying the scene in his mind. What on earth had happened just then? He had only felt an overwhelmingly powerful shockwave that his entire body utterly failed to withstand, sending him flying.

Then, he slowly raised his head to look at Gu Fan, who was sitting nearby drinking water. A trace of fear welled up within him—for no particular reason, he was simply terrified.

"Um, Senior Brother, are you alright? I might have hit a bit too hard just now and failed to hold back properly, thinking you could take it, so I unleashed a full-strength attack," Gu Fan walked over, looking somewhat awkward, completely oblivious to the fact that others were actually afraid of him.

"Ah!" Liu Tiandu jumped in fright, then shook his head quickly. "I'm fine, I'm fine. It's just that my skill was inferior to yours. Failing to control one's strength during a spar is normal."

"Next up, the final battle of ring number thirty: number one versus number four, Ye Zhanxin versus Gu Fan! Both fighters, step up quickly." The elder's voice rang out.

"Ah, it's my turn. I'll head up first, get some rest," Gu Fan told Liu Tiandu.

Liu Tiandu nodded. "Alright."

..........

Shortly after, the two stepped onto the arena, standing on opposite sides.

This time, Ye Zhanxin no longer viewed Gu Fan as a newcomer, but treated him with the utmost seriousness as a powerful opponent.

"Junior Brother Fan, you are very strong. You give me a unique feeling, and I truly hope to have a proper battle with you!" Ye Zhanxin radiated fighting spirit from head to toe, burning with eagerness as he spoke.

Gu Fan's gaze turned solemn. The opponent was a six-star Douzun, whereas he was merely an eight-star Douzong; the gap between them was still quite substantial.

"Very well, Senior Brother. I, too, am eager to have a good fight with you! Let's both give it our all!"

"Indeed!"

Ye Zhanxin could barely contain his impatience.

"Both of you, keep it friendly and do not take lives. The match begins!" The elder's voice fell, seeing how eager they both were.

The moment the elder's voice trailed off, the two figures vanished from the spot, their respective weapons materializing in their hands simultaneously.

Clang——!!

When they reappeared, it was at the center of the arena, their blade and sword colliding directly.

Clang, clang, clang——!

The two unleashed a flurry of rapid attacks against each other.

The crowd below watched with rapt attention, sensing that this battle would be extraordinary. Not daring to speak, everyone held their breath for fear of missing a single second, their eyes locked firmly on the stage.

Saber against sword, sword against saber; their rapid exchanges generated a continuous cascade of sparks.

"Junior Brother Fan, you truly are strong!" Ye Zhanxin's fighting spirit burned intensely, his heart racing with excitement.

"Senior Brother is equally so," Gu Fan smiled. This was the smile of a true warrior.

"Haha, good, let's keep going."

"Take this move of mine—Earth-Grade Dou Technique: Wave-Breaking Decision!"

"Wave-Breaking—Thunder Shadow Flame Sword!"

Ye Zhanxin shouted, countless bolts of lightning flickering around his body while a burst of flames manifested upon his heavy sword.

Gripping it in his right hand, he charged at Gu Fan with blinding speed!

Faced with this sudden offensive, Gu Fan's expression turned solemn.

"Kid, if you don't counter with a powerful strike, you'll be knocked out of the arena. Use an offensive Dou Technique to block it," Ji Mie said, watching the incoming attack.

Countless bolts of lightning lashed out toward Gu Fan, who flickered from side to side, narrowly dodging them.

Boom, boom————!!

The lightning bolts brushing past Gu Fan smashed into the ground, gouging out deep craters one after another.

At that moment, Ye Zhanxin's sword thrust straight toward him. With no time to execute a technique, Gu Fan's pupils constricted as he hastily raised his scythe to block in front of him.

Clang, boom——!!

"Ah——"

The immense impact sent Gu Fan flying backward, though he managed to stabilize himself mid-air by unfurling his Dou Qi wings.

The audience below had thought the match was about to end, only for the outcome to defy their expectations.

It seemed they could keep watching after all. How thrilling!

The elder had also been about to make a move, but hesitated for a moment. Seeing how things turned out, it wasn't necessary after all. Had he intervened just then, it would have been over.

Fortunately, he hadn't stepped in to stop it.

Ye Zhanxin was stunned; this attack of his hadn't even managed to knock the opponent down. The other party was truly formidable to possess such strength despite being merely an eight-star Douzong! If they were at the same realm, he probably would have lost long ago, right?

"Junior Brother Fan is truly remarkable, to have withstood my full-strength strike just now," Ye Zhanxin said, raising his chin as he looked at Gu Fan.

"Would Senior Brother care to take a move of mine as well?" Gu Fan smiled and said.

"Very well!" Ye Zhanxin's excitement reached a fever pitch, filled with anticipation.

Mid-air, Gu Fan slowly closed his eyes, then opened them. Instantly, his entire aura and temperament underwent a complete transformation!

Waves of battle intent surged from his body, and a faint red light flickered in his eyes.

Dou Qi and battle intent erupted within his body!

Roar————!!

Suddenly, the roar of a massive beast echoed, and a colossal magical beast phantom manifested around Gu Fan's body, standing tall and majestic like a beast god!

"What is that?!" The crowd below cried out in shock!

The elder was equally stunned, blurting out, "Th-This... could this be the Beast God War-Heaven Art?! How can anyone cultivate this without exploding from the pressure?!" Looking at Gu Fan's physique, how could he possibly remain completely unharmed?

Ye Zhanxin's expression turned grave, and a thin layer of cold sweat beaded on his forehead. He could now feel an overwhelmingly oppressive beast god pressure—it felt suffocating, terrifying!

"Heavenly Ye Battle Armor!" Ye Zhanxin summoned his battle armor for defense. Instinct told him that if he didn't defend himself, something terrible would happen!

High above, Gu Fan's aura skyrocketed. His physique expanded slightly, muscles bulging as he suddenly lifted his head, his eyes turning crimson.

"Beast God War-Heaven Art! Reverse Ascension!"

"Senior Brother, be careful!"

Under the state of Reverse Ascension, the power and pressure of the Beast God War-Heaven Art multiplied several times over!

As his words fell, Gu Fan gripped his scythe, his figure flickering as he vanished and reappeared directly before Ye Zhanxin in a split second.

"So fast!————"

The crowd gasped in astonishment.

The massive phantom swung downward in tandem with the scythe straight toward Ye Zhanxin.

A gigantic arc of the scythe swept across the air, tearing open a streak of empty void.

"Not good!" The elder shouted, sensing mortal danger! He flashed forward, but alas, it was too late.

The speed was too swift. Though Ye Zhanxin had been on guard every second, he still failed to react in time.

Boom——!!!!!

Ye Zhanxin raised his heavy sword to block in front of him, but the massive impact shattered the heavy sword into two halves. The shockwave slammed into Ye Zhanxin's body, sending him and his broken sword hurtling out of the arena bounds and crashing hard into the surrounding wall.

Bang, bang——!!

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