40: Fate is determined

Lin Fan cackled, standing in the center of the battle arena, his entire body enveloped in swirling Devilish Qi.

His crimson eyes swept across the entire venue, finally fixating on the Saint's seat, on the figure who had never once looked him in the eye.

"Jiang Chen!"

"Next, it's your turn!"

He roared, his voice filled with glee and the arrogance that came with an inflated sense of power.

Defeating Song Ningxue gave him a misconception that even the so-called True Disciples were nothing special.

As long as he killed all these people and then trampled Jiang Chen underfoot, he would be able to wash away all his humiliation and reclaim everything he had lost!

In that instant, all eyes in the arena converged on the Saint's seat, on the white figure who had remained calm and composed throughout.

Facing this undisguised provocation, Jiang Chen finally made a move.

He slowly put down the teacup in his hand and stood up.

Jiang Chen did not immediately enter the arena but instead turned his head and smiled slightly at Jiang Shengtian.

"Father, I'm going for a bit."

Jiang Shengtian looked into Jiang Chen's eyes, nodded, and said with an authoritative voice, "You may."

Having received permission, Jiang Chen then took a step.

He did not use any movement technique, but simply walked, step by step, treading through the Void Realm, slowly approaching the battle arena.

With each step he took, an invisible pressure emanated from his body.

The clamor in the square instantly subsided.

Everyone's gaze was fixed on the white figure walking slowly.

Lin Fan watched Jiang Chen, who was getting closer and closer, and the madness on his face intensified; the devil core within him spun wildly, and power surged through his limbs, giving him the illusion of being able to control everything.

"You've finally decided to come down and die!" Lin Fan sneered.

Jiang Chen finally landed on the battle arena, standing ten zhang opposite Lin Fan.

He looked at Lin Fan, who resembled neither human nor ghost, and a smile appeared on his face.

"Lin Fan, do you know what you look like right now?"

Jiang Chen ignored his shouting and instead spoke in a gentle voice.

Lin Fan was startled.

"Like a maggot that fell into a cesspit, thinking it was invincible because it wrapped itself in armor."

"Your so-called strength is nothing but something that cannot see the light of day. The power you are so proud of, in my eyes, doesn't even qualify for a second glance."

Jiang Chen's voice was calm, yet every word pierced Lin Fan's heart!

"You're courting death!"

Lin Fan's self-esteem was completely shattered; he roared, transforming into a black lightning bolt, and punched towards Jiang Chen's face!

This punch, imbued with Devilish Qi capable of tearing through the Void Realm, was three parts stronger than when he defeated Song Ningxue!

However, facing this violent attack, Jiang Chen didn't even bat an eyelid.

He merely extended two fingers.

His index and middle fingers.

Under countless astonished gazes, those two fair and slender fingers effortlessly clamped onto Lin Fan's fist.

Time seemed to stand still at that moment.

The violent Devilish Qi, upon contact with Jiang Chen's fingers, melted away without a trace, like snow meeting the sun.

"How... how is this possible?"

Lin Fan's sneer froze; no matter how he urged his power, he couldn't advance an inch, nor could he break free.

"I told you, your power is very weak."

Jiang Chen's voice echoed in Lin Fan's ear.

He exerted a little force with his fingers.

"Crack!"

A sound of bone-cracking rang out.

Lin Fan's entire arm, from his fist to his shoulder, shattered bone by bone!

"Ah!!!"

A heart-wrenching scream pierced the sky.

Jiang Chen flicked his hand, and Lin Fan was thrown out like a dead dog, rolling over a dozen times on the ground before stopping.

"This... this is over?"

The Disciples watching the battle were all dumbfounded, barely able to believe their eyes.

That arrogant Lin Fan, who had defeated the True Disciple Song Ningxue, couldn't even withstand a single move in front of the Saint?

On the high platform, Xiao Tiandu's hand, resting on his sword hilt, unconsciously tightened its grip.

He believed he could also defeat Lin Fan, but certainly not with such effortless ease as Jiang Chen.

Nangong Mingyue's cool eyes gleamed with brilliance.

She had guessed that Jiang Chen was strong, but she hadn't expected him to be this strong.

Su Qinger covered her mouth, her eyes filled with shock.

Jiang Chen's supremely domineering figure formed a stark contrast with the Lin Fan from her memories, who used to hide behind her, whimpering.

"No! I haven't lost yet!"

On the battle arena, Lin Fan struggled to his feet, his shattered arm rapidly recovering in a bizarre manner under the surge of Devilish Qi.

"Jiang Chen! You forced me to do this!"

He roared to the sky, and an ancient ring flew from his finger, hovering in the air.

"Teacher! Help me!"

From the ring, an ancient, ethereal Soul body emerged. He glanced at Lin Fan, then at Jiang Chen opposite him, and let out a helpless sigh.

"Fate... oh, fate..."

In the end, he couldn't bring himself to completely sever the master-Disciple bond with Lin Fan and chose to pour his last bit of power into Lin Fan's body.

Boom!

A terrifying aura, far exceeding what came before, erupted from Lin Fan! His cultivation, at this moment, was forcefully elevated to the Peak of the Seventh Realm Soul Transformation!

"Jiang Chen! Die for me!"

Lin Fan's aura surged, and his confidence swelled to its Peak.

He formed hand seals, and the Devilish Qi around him merged with the old man's Soul Power, transforming into a hundred-zhang-long black-purple devil core, which chopped down from above!

This strike seemed to cleave the very heavens!

"Soul Burning Secret Art? How interesting."

Jiang Chen looked at the world-destroying strike, and a hint of interest finally appeared on his face.

He no longer passively defended but slowly raised his right hand, forming a sword with his fingers.

He casually pointed a finger at the descending devil core.

"One Finger to Fix the Universe."

At the tip of his finger, a golden light appeared.

The golden light was initially only the size of a grain of rice, but it instantly surged, transforming into a golden pillar of light that pierced through heaven and earth, meeting the black-purple devil core.

The devil core, which was powerful enough to threaten an Eighth Realm Mahayana expert, began to melt and disintegrate from its tip the moment it touched the golden pillar of light.

Overwhelming!

After annihilating the devil core, the golden pillar of light, undiminished in power, arrived in an instant and pierced through Lin Fan's chest.

"Pfft!"

Lin Fan's body trembled violently. He looked down at the bowl-sized hole in his chest, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"Why... why..."

The power within him receded like a tide.

Jiang Chen walked slowly to him, looking down at him from above.

"Do you still not understand?"

"From beginning to end, you were never my opponent. Your so-called fortuitous encounters, your so-called struggles, in my eyes, were nothing more than a show to amuse me."

"You thought Su Qinger left you because of me? Wrong. It was because you were too foolish, and incurably so."

"You are weak, so you are jealous, so you resent. You blame everyone else for your mistakes, but you never considered that it was because of yourself."

"You thought that by gaining great power, you could seek revenge on me? Even more wrong. This power of yours was merely something I deliberately left for you to make me more interested."

"Lin Fan, your entire life is a joke."

Every word from Jiang Chen was like a knife, sharply stabbing into Lin Fan's heart, utterly crushing his last shred of dignity.

"No... it's not... you're lying!"

"Pfft!"

Lin Fan could no longer bear it; he spat out a mouthful of heart's blood, and the light in his eyes completely dimmed.