The brown-cloaked figure was clearly a half-god level cultivator, and this half-god level of combat power was plain for all to see.
Even Yan Wanjun, witnessing the intensity of the brown-cloaked figure's attacks, secretly clicked his tongue in amazement. He wondered whether, if he himself were the one facing those two moves, he could even endure them—it was truly uncertain. Even if he barely managed to hold on, he would surely be gravely wounded, if not killed outright.
Elder Shun watched with boundless admiration and said to Chu Xinghan, "Xinghan, do you see? Jiang Chen is the true goal of your future path in martial arts."
Chu Xinghan watched in a daze, his spirit captivated and his eyes dazzled. If he hadn't been standing far enough away, if Elder Shun hadn't shielded him from most of the battle's shockwaves, then with his cultivation below the Heaven Rank, he probably wouldn't have been able to hold on at all.
Having traveled with Jiang Chen all this time, Chu Xinghan had long witnessed his strength. Back when Jiang Chen dealt with Commander Yan of the Blue Hawk Guard from the Blue Smoke Island Domain—a cultivator at the ninth level of the Heaven Rank at the very least—the man had barely been able to put up any resistance against Jiang Chen. So even then, Chu Xinghan had gained a thorough understanding of his true power.
Still, at this moment, he was shaken beyond words. Because this time, the opponent was not merely at the ninth level of the Heaven Rank—he had surpassed that level entirely and entered the realm of a half-god.
A true half-god—a realm that stood just one step away from the divine path.
The brown-cloaked figure's cultivation was so powerful that three or four Commander Yans attacking together probably still wouldn't have been enough to defeat him. And yet, Jiang Chen could handle him with such ease.
This was beyond what the word "genius" could possibly describe.
Thinking back to when he had first met Jiang Chen in the Eastern Kingdom—back then, Chu Xinghan had still been the second disciple under Grandmaster Shuiyue of the Purple Sun Sect, a first-rate genius in his own right.
At that time, Chu Xinghan had been an overwhelming presence against Jiang Chen. If Elder Shun hadn't intervened, projecting a phantom figure to frighten Chu Xinghan away and save Jiang Chen, the latter would have been utterly powerless to resist him.
Perhaps that had been Chu Xinghan's one and only chance to defeat Jiang Chen. After that, Jiang Chen's progress had been meteoric. He left the Eastern Kingdom for the Tiangui Kingdom, where he quickly made a name for himself and earned the opportunity to participate in the trial of the four great sects of the Sixteen Kingdoms Alliance.
It was then that Jiang Chen rose as a dark horse, fighting his way through triumph after triumph, slaying opponent after opponent, until even Long Juxue—the possessor of the innate Azure Phoenix Constitution—fell to his blade.
By that point, Chu Xinghan had already been left far behind.
However, it was during that trial at the Indestructible Spirit Mountain that Chu Xinghan had been betrayed and abandoned by his sect—and the one who saved him was none other than Jiang Chen.
After that, Chu Xinghan had followed Elder Shun and gained the life opportunities that followed.
It could be said that meeting Elder Shun had completely transformed Chu Xinghan's fate. Compared to his fellow disciples at the Purple Sun Sect, he was actually the one blessed with the best fortune.
But now, comparing himself to Jiang Chen, Chu Xinghan could clearly feel the gap between them.
Of course, Chu Xinghan harbored no jealousy toward Jiang Chen. He knew that Jiang Chen's current achievements had not come overnight.
Jiang Chen's success, if anything, gave Chu Xinghan motivation.
After all, Jiang Chen's background had been even worse than his own, and yet he had still reached this point. So there was no excuse for Chu Xinghan not to work hard!
The battle on the field continued.
The brown-cloaked figure, now raging with fury, had let his emotions be completely provoked by Jiang Chen. Two consecutive ultimate techniques had failed to inflict any damage whatsoever, and this inevitably caused a slight disturbance in his mental state.
As a result, although his attacks continued to escalate in intensity, their lethal power actually diminished compared to the second move—Five Fingers Forming a Mountain.
Moreover, most importantly, earth-attribute divine abilities were virtually useless against Jiang Chen, who possessed the Earth Core Origin Pearl.
The brown-cloaked figure unleashed a relentless series of fierce attacks in rapid succession, and in the blink of an eye, seven moves had already passed.