The Great Vajra Palm!
Monk Miaozhen thrust his palms forward, aiming directly at Gu Yuan's chest.
Gu Yuan's expression turned stern, and he also extended his palms. The formidable defense, formed by the combined power of Qian Xiang and the Heaven Splitting style, carried immense force.
Four palms met.
*Bang!*
Monk Miaozhen felt a colossal force surge from the opposite side, causing his entire body's bones and sinews to hum. Even his Great Sun Tathagata Golden Body couldn't completely block it.
Similarly, Gu Yuan was not unaffected. The rebound force from Monk Miaozhen's Great Sun Tathagata Golden Body, combined with the force of Monk Miaozhen's attack, resulted in an even more intense counter-shock for Gu Yuan. Even his "Rib-Twisting Tendons," a top-tier martial bone, vibrated ceaselessly.
Earth Element - Earth Heart!
The surface of the arena beneath Gu Yuan's feet began to vibrate. This was a special method to channel the force he received into the ground, thereby avoiding injury.
However, Monk Miaozhen lacked such a miraculous technique. He could only rely on his Great Sun Tathagata Golden Body to directly withstand Gu Yuan's full might.
From this, it was evident that Monk Miaozhen's external hardening martial arts were extremely potent, comparable to the first place in the Central Plains Prefecture martial arts examination.
Subsequently, the two released each other's strength. As their palms danced, they stirred up large volumes of air, and the entire arena resounded with the clang of metal.
"Benefactor Gu, your force-dispelling method is truly superb," Monk Miaozhen said to Gu Yuan, still having the energy to converse amidst his attacks.
Gu Yuan smirked and replied, "Want to learn? I can teach you."
"Hahahaha, Benefactor Gu jokes. How can such a profound technique be easily imparted to others?" Monk Miaozhen smiled faintly, letting the conversation drop.
"These two are both masters of external hardening. I underestimated this Gu Yuan!" Zhao He exclaimed in disbelief, watching Gu Yuan fighting on par with Monk Miaozhen.
"Heh, there's still so much you don't know. Who knows how many trump cards this Gu Yuan is hiding," Yuan Lei sneered, glancing at Zhao He with a look of deep mockery.
"......" Zhao He's forehead turned black as he looked speechlessly at Yuan Lei.
On the arena, their fists and shadows intertwined, their bodies constantly shifting, stirring up vast currents of air with deafening roars.
Blazing Sun Fist!
Gu Yuan's eyes lit up as he seized a momentary opening from Monk Miaozhen. Violent flames erupted from his fist, carrying scorching heat as he fiercely struck Monk Miaozhen's chest.
*Dong!*
However, Monk Miaozhen's Great Sun Tathagata Golden Body was extraordinary. He withstood Gu Yuan's direct punch, and the scorching flames emanating from the fist made the attacked area uncomfortable for Monk Miaozhen, its moisture evaporating under the high temperature, causing slight shrinkage.
Although the Great Sun Tathagata Golden Body was incredibly robust, Monk Miaozhen's cultivation realm was what it was: merely Body Tempering Completion. No matter how strong, it couldn't completely isolate the forces of water and fire.
The impact force from the flames sent Monk Miaozhen staggering back several steps. Looking at his slightly shrunken flesh on his chest, he looked up at Gu Yuan and smiled, "Benefactor Gu, if we continue fighting like this, we won't be able to determine a winner anytime soon. How about we settle it with one decisive blow?"
"Agreed." Gu Yuan pondered for a moment, then nodded.
"Good." As Monk Miaozhen's words fell, the golden light on his body suddenly condensed, revealing a flesh and blood that seemed like gold or iron. Golden light gathered in his right hand, emitting scorching heat.
"This Great Vajra Fist is my strongest strike, Benefactor Gu. You must be ready to receive it." As soon as he finished speaking, Monk Miaozhen tensed his waist and legs, unleashing a punch towards Gu Yuan. His body instantly covered several meters, appearing before Gu Yuan, and he threw his fist.
Gu Yuan's blood and qi erupted within him like a volcanic explosion, instantly exceeding his limits. All the power within him was channeled into his right fist. His entire right arm became covered in bulging veins, his skin turning blood-red and emitting a scorching aura – a condition caused by excessive qi and blood circulation.
With an indomitable spirit, he fiercely met Monk Miaozhen's explosive punch, fist colliding with fist.
*Boom!*
The air between their colliding fists instantly exploded, turning into a layer of white shockwaves that swept outwards. The two figures locked in a stalemate remained still, their muscles visibly trembling in a rhythmic pattern – they were using the force-dispelling method to mutually neutralize each other's formidable strength.
After a few breaths, both simultaneously retracted their fists and slowly straightened up, standing opposite each other.
*Hoo!*
Gu Yuan exhaled a breath tinged with blood, emitting a higher temperature than usual.
Meanwhile, a trace of golden blood flowed from Monk Miaozhen's lips, though it was not very noticeable under the cover of his golden body.
"Amitabha, a monk does not speak falsehoods. I have lost. Benefactor Gu's skill is supreme; I am ashamed to be inferior," Monk Miaozhen clasped his hands together, murmured a Buddhist chant with his head bowed, and then conceded defeat to the referee.
The referee announced Gu Yuan's victory.
The crowd erupted in an uproar.
They hadn't expected the duel to end with a single decisive blow.
From the stands.
A hint of admiration flashed in Yan Hongyi's eyes.
The seemingly simple final strike from both sides contained a great deal, including the contest of their respective strengths, external hardening, and force-dispelling techniques. Ultimately, while Miaozhen's external hardening was superior, Gu Yuan was slightly stronger in the other two aspects.
Therefore, this match was Gu Yuan's victory. Moreover, the two managed to preserve their combat strength relatively intact, ensuring they could participate in subsequent matches – a very wise decision.
Gu Yuan and Monk Miaozhen returned to the contestant area chatting and laughing, which surprised the other contestants.
It seemed Monk Miaozhen had been convinced by Gu Yuan's strength, which was why he was conversing with him so calmly.
Xiao Yixian, also known as Chongyang, had a flash of realization in his eyes. Having been in opposition with Miaozhen for so many years, he understood the temperament of the monks in the Vajra Temple very well; they wouldn't respect you unless you had completely subdued them with your martial prowess.
Yang Tiankui, who had been meditating with his eyes closed, opened them at some point. His gaze fixed on Gu Yuan, his expression fluctuating between light and shadow, as if deep in thought.
Yun Yuqin's elegant face showed little emotion, but her bright eyes sparkled with curiosity. She found it somewhat perplexing how this young martial artist from a small place could win over the renowned prodigy of the Vajra Temple.
Tian Yuan City.
Inside the heavily guarded villa complex, Chu Ling, upon seeing Gu Yuan once again defeat a formidable opponent and reach the sixth position, felt an urge to shout with excitement. However, remembering that others were in the house, she suppressed the impulse. She watched the handsome young martial artist on the screen, her beautiful eyes reflecting a hint of inexplicable emotion.
"Good! Well done, Gu Yuan, for defeating that bald donkey from the Vajra Temple! Truly, t..."
Lu Feng was speechless, deciding not to engage with this simpleton.
*Ring-ring.* A phone call sounded.
Lu Feng picked up the phone. After listening to the other party speak a few words, his expression turned serious. He nodded, said a few things, and then hung up. He hurriedly got up and went out.
"Hey, hey, hey, Old Lu, where are you going?" Wang Qifeng asked, bewildered.
Lu Feng replied without looking back, "The Night Patrol received a call. They said they have intelligence on the Demon God Cult. I'm going to check it out."
"What, those demon brats from the Demon God Cult have shown themselves? I'm going too." Wang Qifeng abruptly stood up and quickly followed Lu Feng's footsteps.