The reason Hu Lei was so confident was that he had always lived up to his name — his speed was extraordinary, swift as lightning, fast as thunder. His velocity was absolutely unmatched.
It was precisely because of this that Hu Lei had dared to challenge Jiang Chen, that he had entertained thoughts of crushing Jiang Chen beneath his feet.
Only, this time, he discovered just how badly he had been mistaken.
His speed was certainly formidable, but the golden light descended even faster than he had imagined. Once it enveloped his figure, Hu Lei found that no matter what he did, he could not escape beyond the golden light's range. No matter how he twisted and turned, he simply could not break free from the golden bell's area of effect.
Moreover, as the golden light continued to intensify, Hu Lei could clearly feel his body growing heavier and heavier, while his footwork grew slower and slower.
"This isn't good — there's something uncanny about this golden bell!" Hu Lei broke into a cold sweat, gritting his teeth as he slammed outward once more, trying to use brute force to crack open an opening and escape.
However, he had clearly underestimated the golden bell's binding power. Once the golden light locked onto a target, even a cultivator at the ninth level of the Celestial realm might not be able to break free, let alone Hu Lei.
Powerful as Hu Lei might be, he was only approaching the upper tier of the Celestial realm — he had not truly entered it. In other words, his own cultivation level was inferior to Jiang Chen's.
In a battle between equals, Jiang Chen could still crush his opponents. How much more so against a Hu Lei whose cultivation fell short?
Jiang Chen routinely challenged those above his realm. A mere Hu Lei truly did not command even a fraction of his attention. Never mind one Hu Lei — even three or five of them, Jiang Chen could handle with ease.
As the golden bell's binding force continued to intensify, the bell pressed ever downward, creeping closer and closer to the ground.
Boom!
The golden bell landed squarely on the ground, sending up a cloud of dust. Hu Lei was sealed completely inside.
When the golden bell touched down, every genius watching from the surrounding area turned pale, their hearts sinking along with it.
If, before, many of them had still harbored hopes of defeating Jiang Chen and using him as a stepping stone, then at that moment, they had utterly given up.
A Jiang Chen like this was simply not someone they could challenge.
Hu Lei was indisputably ranked among the top geniuses of the Ten Great Sacred Lands — and what had become of him? Hadn't he still gotten his face ground into the dirt?
The golden bell lifted slightly, and Hu Lei clambered to his feet, covered in dust and looking thoroughly wretched.
Jiang Chen did not press his advantage. Instead, he asked, "So? How about it?"
Hu Lei was a bit of a scoundrel, but even he understood in this moment that he had to concede defeat. If he didn't, the golden bell would never be withdrawn, and he would have no choice but to lie there and take a nap.
Though his expression was thoroughly glum, Hu Lei still said through a bitter face, "I lost. But I'm still not convinced. I think I fell into your trap with this bet. If we had fought a proper, head-on battle, I refuse to believe I couldn't beat you."
Hu Lei was still being stubborn.
But Jiang Chen couldn't be bothered to argue. He smiled and said, "You lose, you pay. Since you've admitted defeat, hurry up and hand over your wager."
Trading barbs over who had truly won or lost held little meaning. If Hu Lei wanted to be stubborn about it, let him be stubborn.
Jiang Chen only cared about results. This kind of squabble over pride had never interested him.
The golden bell released its grip, and Hu Lei's entire body loosened at once.
He stood frozen in place for quite some time before fishing two trial beads out of his pocket with a miserable expression. "These are the trial beads I've collected so far. Take them."
Jiang Chen accepted them without the slightest hesitation, a smile on his face.
However, after taking the trial beads, Jiang Chen did not nod to let him leave. Instead, he continued to fix his gaze on Hu Lei.