At that moment, everyone broke into a cold sweat for Chu Feng. In a situation where dodging was impossible, nobody thought Chu Feng could block Gong Luyun's punch.
In truth, Gong Luyun himself thought the same. He figured that although Chu Feng had managed to dodge his previous attacks, that was only because his moves were too simple. If Chu Feng had mastered a powerful movement technique, he could indeed evade them. After all, a year ago, Chu Feng had used a similar movement art to avoid one of his strikes.
However, he had no doubt about the power of his own attack. He was certain that if this punch landed, given his current strength, it would absolutely be enough to take Chu Feng's life. That was why he hadn't bothered using a martial art, delivering this final blow as just another straightforward punch.
He watched his fist draw closer and closer to Chu Feng, noting the increasingly clear look of fear on Chu Feng's face.
The smug smile on Gong Luyun's face grew wider, but he didn't notice the corner of Chu Feng's mouth lifting into a wicked grin, the smile of a scheme succeeding.
"Boom!"
The punch landed without incident. An explosion like thunder boomed, and formidable Mystic Force swept out in all directions. Shrouded in Mystic Force, Chu Feng flew straight back like a bolt, only coming to a gradual halt near the edge of the Combat Platform.
"It hit! It really hit! Is Chu Feng dead?"
In that moment, almost everyone present couldn't help but stand up, casting their eager gazes toward Chu Feng, who was enveloped in white mist interwoven with Mystic Force.
Although most assumed Chu Feng was dead, people still wanted to see what state his body was in, how badly it had been ravaged by Gong Luyun's punch.
Finally, all the energy dissipated, and Chu Feng's body came into view once more. However, contrary to expectations, he hadn't turned into a pile of mush. His body remained intact.
Even so, Chu Feng now lay face down like a dead dog, utterly still, not a trace of life about him.
"He lost. In the end, Chu Feng lost. Although he's formidable, a rarely seen genius, he just hasn't grown yet. With a cultivation of Yuan Martial Seventh Level, to hold his own against Gong Luyun like this... he's already remarkable."
"What a pity for such a genius. Did he really die just like that? The Spirit World Guild people don't seem to be reacting. Would they really allow their own Spirit World Master to be killed like this?"
Seeing this, nearly everyone believed Chu Feng was dead. They felt the life-and-death duel had reached its conclusion, and even Su Hen, who had harbored high hopes for Chu Feng earlier, sighed with regret.
Su Mei clung to her sister, sobbing bitterly. Her heartbroken cries made everyone's heart ache. If Su Rou hadn't been restraining her, she would have rushed over immediately to hold Chu Feng on the platform. After all, in her heart, Chu Feng was her beloved.
Su Rou, who had some understanding of Chu Feng's abilities, furrowed her delicate brows slightly. Watching Chu Feng on the platform, she cursed inwardly: "Damn Chu Feng, what the hell is he playing at? If he doesn't get up soon, Xiao Mei is going to cry herself to death for you!!!"
But besides Su Rou, how many among the million spectators present truly knew the ins and outs of Chu Feng, knew what he was capable of? In fact, Chu Feng's previous simple exchange with Gong Luyun had already shocked everyone, making them think he was an extraordinary genius.
So, almost everyone assumed Chu Feng was dead. Even Gong Luyun, standing on the Combat Platform, checked Chu Feng several times and confirmed he had no life force.
With that, he laughed happily, turned to face the surrounding crowds, cupped his fists to the sea of people, and declared in a booming voice: "I thank everyone for coming today to witness my battle with Chu Feng. However, the result of today's duel was somewhat beyond my expectations—both regrettable and boring."
"In the beginning, for the sake of our fellow sect members, I held back, deliberately going easy on the first two punches, hoping the pressure within them would warn Chu Feng to back down, to abandon this life-and-death challenge with me. Really, if he had been willing to admit defeat, I would have absolutely given him a chance to live."
"Alas, Chu Feng was stubborn beyond belief. Not only did he refuse to give up, he provoked me repeatedly. Bound by the rules set that day, I had no choice but to end things with him in the third move."
"Though it was a forced move, not something I wished to do, I want to tell everyone that today's duel was won by me, Gong Luyun! Gong Luyun has won!!"
At that moment, the smile on Gong Luyun's face reached its peak, and the last two sentences were shouted with extraordinary volume, as if displaying his kingly dominance.
However, the expected cheers and applause never came. Instead, the entire arena was deathly silent, an eerie atmosphere that left him utterly bewildered and at a complete loss.
Then, a voice sounded, and his heart instantly began to race. His expression changed drastically, his head feeling as though struck by a ten-thousand-pound hammer, buzzing and reeling like a thunderclap from a clear sky.
"Gong Luyun, three moves are up. You can go kill yourself!!!" A clear, resonant voice came from behind Gong Luyun, piercing his heart like an invisible blade.
With a heart full of unease, Gong Luyun slowly turned his head, only to discover with shock that Chu Feng, who had seemed devoid of life moments ago, was now standing on the Combat Platform. Not only was he not dead, but he was also looking at him with a beaming smile.
ps: You guys are super awesome! Looks like Mifeng (author's pen name) is going to have to release eight chapters today. So, as promised, if every chapter released today gets over 1000 'top' votes before midnight tonight, tomorrow Mifeng will push out five more chapters. What are you hesitating for? Vote and make them see the dominance of our Martial God readers!!!