Chapter 27 : Gu Muchen vs Zhou Yuze

Bai Mulan immediately turned away and descended from the arena without hesitation. Watching her leave so efficiently, Chen Fan was momentarily stunned. He hadn't expected this woman to be so methodical—whether it was stepping into the arena, fighting, or leaving, she moved as if everything was merely routine. Throughout the entire match, not a single emotion had flickered across her face.

Shaking his head slightly, Chen Fan dismissed the idea of talking to her about the mysterious box in his home. If it happens in the future, then so be it, he thought. With that, he, too, stepped down from the arena and returned to his seat.

Meanwhile, Bai Mulan let out a secret sigh of relief. Thank goodness there's no such thing as "plot power" forcing me to act a certain way, she mused. The entire fight, from start to finish, had left her with no unnatural feelings toward Chen Fan. She didn't suddenly feel intrigued, flustered, or drawn to him. It seems the "plot" is truly broken, she concluded inwardly.

Just then, the voice rang out in her mind once more.

[As expected of the heroine, her act of maintaining the cold goddess persona is flawless. But deep down, she must be curious about Chen Fan, right?]

[Even though nothing grand happened, just the fact that he defeated her without caring about her beauty must have made an impression. If it were anyone else, it would be seen as normal, but since it's the protagonist?]

[It'll seem like he's different, like he's not swayed by her looks, making Bai Mulan unconsciously start thinking about him.]

[Next, when they sit together, she'll probably strike up a conversation—pretending to ask about the fight.]

The sudden narration startled Bai Mulan, but she quickly regained her composure and considered her next move. For now, she decided to play along with the supposed "plot." If she disrupted it, this so-called "villain voice" might try to fix it, keeping its focus on her actions. But if she followed along, it would likely turn its attention toward setting up the next phase of events.

Of course, this is just a hypothesis, she reminded herself. She still didn't fully understand the person behind this voice or their psychological tendencies. But for now, gathering more information took priority.

"Zhou Yuze and Gu Muchen stepped into the arena" The old man's voice quickly silenced the crowd, making it clear that the tournament would proceed without delay. Though murmurs about the previous match still lingered, the audience's attention swiftly shifted to the second fight.

"I'll say it again—I hope we fight next," Chen Fan remarked to Zhou Yuze, his tone carrying genuine encouragement.

Zhou Yuze scratched his head awkwardly, clearly uncertain about his chances against the Saint of Jade Spirit. "Haha, don't get your hopes up too high," he replied before making his way toward the arena. His steps were quick, yet his gaze frequently drifted downward, his nervousness evident.

Chen Fan chuckled at the sight but quickly turned his attention to the fight. He was eager to see how capable Zhou Yuze truly was. After all, his opponent was hailed as the strongest contender in the competition.

A brief glance to his right revealed Bai Mulan sitting quietly, her face devoid of emotion. She neither seemed bothered by her previous loss nor particularly interested in the upcoming match.

"Begin!"

The old man's sudden announcement interrupted Chen Fan's thoughts. Once again, he found himself impressed by the man's efficiency—he seemed intent on finishing this competition as quickly as possible.

The audience wasted no time in speculating about the outcome. Many believed the match would end swiftly, given the Saint's overwhelming victories so far, whereas Zhou Yuze had only barely scraped by in his previous fight.

On the arena floor, both fighters remained motionless. Zhou Yuze's earlier awkwardness had vanished, replaced by intense focus. He recalled how every one of Gu Muchen's previous opponents had been defeated with just a single glance. To avoid the same fate, Zhou Yuze kept his gaze fixed on Gu Muchen's chest, watching for the slightest movement.

Suddenly, his pupils shrank—another Gu Muchen had appeared at his right side, preparing to strike. Reacting instinctively, Zhou Yuze leaped backward to create distance. But just as he did, the real Gu Muchen lunged forward and landed a powerful kick to his stomach, sending him flying several meters away.

Chen Fan narrowed his eyes. Illusion.

It was clear now—Gu Muchen's first attack had been nothing more than an illusion, a perfect feint to bait Zhou Yuze into retreating. By the time he realized his mistake, the real Gu Muchen had already closed the gap and struck.

From the gasps and murmurs among the crowd, it was evident that most of the spectators hadn't caught on. Many believed Gu Muchen had conjured a physical clone rather than an illusion. Only Chen Fan, with his extraordinarily sharp spiritual sense, could discern the truth. It was the same ability that had allowed him to predict Bai Mulan's spike earlier. The only exception so far had been Jiang Haoran's attack, which used an advanced concealment technique.

Still reeling from the unexpected blow, Zhou Yuze hesitated for just a moment—long enough to make a critical mistake. His eyes met Gu Muchen's.

Instantly, his body froze. The crowd watched in stunned silence as Zhou Yuze stood motionless, his gaze empty, a thin trail of blood trickling from his eye.

Regaining his focus, Zhou Yuze immediately staggered to his knees, his eyes filled with deep confusion. Wasn't my heart just pierced?

He saw Gu Muchen standing in the arena—two versions of him. The scene was unfolding exactly as it had moments ago. When he first met Gu Muchen's gaze, he had panicked, yet everything had seemed normal. The fight had continued—until Gu Muchen summoned dozens, even hundreds, of clones, relentlessly attacking him before finally driving a blade into his heart.

Realization struck. So that's how his technique works...

Gu Muchen's ability is a powerful illusion technique that is nearly indistinguishable from reality, making it exceptionally dangerous. Unlike traditional illusions that transport the target into a visibly different dream-like realm, Gu Muchen's illusion seamlessly overlays reality, deceiving the target into believing that everything is unfolding normally. However, in reality, they are standing frozen, fully under Gu Muchen's control.

Within this false reality, Gu Muchen could fight with power far beyond his actual abilities, making him practically invincible. The only way to escape was either to recognize the illusion for what it was—or to die inside it.

"Oh? You're still conscious?" Gu Muchen remarked, slightly impressed as he observed Zhou Yuze, who remained awake without any signs of fainting. "It seems you're not in the top four for nothing."

This was the first time Gu Muchen had encountered an opponent at the same cultivation level who could still stand after falling into his illusion. Within his illusion, he could be as powerful as he wanted, but if he did anything too outrageous, the opponent might realize they were being deceived.

The main drawback of this technique was that he couldn't move while using it, and the energy consumption was immense. At his current level, he could only slightly manipulate time perception—one second in reality equated to five seconds within the illusion. This put immense strain on the enemy's mind, overloading their brain.

Additionally, if the opponent "died" in the illusion, they would experience extreme exhaustion in the real world. More importantly, any energy they expended in the illusion would also be depleted in reality. Since their qi was unconsciously released while fighting in the illusion, it would dissipate in the real world, leaving them drained.

Without hesitation, Gu Muchen unleashed the illusion on Zhou Yuze once again. The effect was immediate—Zhou Yuze froze in place, blood trickling from his mouth, eyes, nose, and ears. After nearly a minute, he regained his senses. As his vision cleared, he found himself facing the same scene, with two versions of Gu Muchen standing before him. It was only then that Zhou Yuze realized he had once again been ensnared in an illusion.

I don't know when I entered the illusion, Zhou Yuze thought bitterly. Even now, he couldn't tell whether he was in the illusion or not. His entire body felt heavy, and every movement was agony. He could feel blood dripping down his face.

"Still not down?" Gu Muchen muttered, a slight surprise in his voice as he looked at Zhou Yuze. Though the man was visibly shaking, he showed no sign of collapsing. "I didn't expect his endurance to be this strong... Perhaps he's better than me," he mused. As he of thought this, a slight throb of pain shot through his head. At most, he could use the illusion technique twice before suffering a backlash from the strain. 

Deciding to forgo the illusion for now, Gu Muchen moved in closer to Zhou Yuze, using wind and fire to assault him relentlessly. Burn marks and deep cuts appeared all over Zhou Yuze's body. Exhausted and barely able to defend himself, Zhou Yuze couldn't even block the attacks properly. Gu Muchen knew it wouldn't be long before he could end the fight.

The audience watched in stunned silence as the one-sided beating continued. It wasn't even a fight anymore—Zhou Yuze couldn't land a single blow on Gu Muchen. The entire ordeal dragged on for some time.

Finally, Gu Muchen delivered a powerful punch to Zhou Yuze's chest, sending him flying backward. Zhou Yuze crashed to the ground several meters away, his body covered in blood and burns. His appearance was so pitiful that the audience couldn't help but feel sorry for him. At this point, no one in the crowd doubted that Zhou Yuze would be unable to stand again.

But only Gu Muchen and a few others could sense that the battle was far from over. Initially, Gu Muchen had easily overpowered Zhou Yuze, but as the fight progressed, the number of attacks Zhou Yuze was able to block and evade increased. By the time of the final exchange, Gu Muchen had to pour more energy into his last strike, hoping to end the fight quickly.

"He's gotten stronger", Bai Mulan suddenly spoke, startling Chen Fan, who hadn't expected her to comment.

"Yes, his strength and speed seem to have increased over time," Chen Fan nodded in agreement, realizing that the true battle was only beginning now.

"Who do you think will win?" Bai Mulan's question caught Chen Fan off guard, and he turned to look at her. He hadn't expected her to engage so eagerly in discussing the fight. There's more to her than just an iceberg, Chen thought before quickly responding.

"It depends on Gu Muchen. If he drags the fight out or lacks a fatal strike to end it in one blow, he'll be at a disadvantage."

Bai Mulan nodded thoughtfully, then returned her gaze to the arena. Mission completed, she thought inwardly. Of course, she also felt a slight curiosity about the outcome of the fight. She hadn't expected Zhou Yuze to hold his ground against Gu Muchen to this extent. But the main reason she stayed engaged was to follow the "plot." Sure enough, the voice in her head sounded again.

[Oh, it seems the heroine can't hold it anymore.]

[This will bring them closer later, and Chen Fan will reveal that he's living in the same house she once did and wants to ask about her belongings, deepening their bond.]

Hearing this, Bai Mulan froze for a moment. She glanced at Chen Fan in surprise before quickly turning her attention back to the arena. Thankfully, Chen Fan hadn't saw her reaction earlier, although she saw him glance at her before returning his focus to the match. Hearing the voice, Bai Mulan hadn't expected such a coincidence. Remembering the contents of her belongings in the box, she felt a wave of anxiety. I need to get it back quickly, she thought.

[Well, enough of the lovebirds. Come on, start the fight again. Why are you just standing there, Saint?]

With the voice cutting through her thoughts, Bai Mulan shifted her attention back to the arena, deciding to deal with the new information later. She, too, wanted to see how the fight would unfold. She observed Gu Muchen closely, watching as he sized up Zhou Yuze.

At that moment, Zhou Yuze began to rise. The anomaly surrounding him was impossible to ignore. His eyes glowed red, the cuts on his skin seemed to emit endless streams of blood-colored steam, making him appear... demonic.

Gu Muchen's heart tightened as he faced this transformation. Instinctively, he felt an immense threat coming from Zhou Yuze. He immediately prepared to use his illusion technique again but then saw that Zhou Yuze's eyes had turned completely red. The illusion no longer worked.

This revelation made Gu Muchen's mood grow heavier. It felt as if Zhou Yuze wasn't even conscious anymore, rendering his technique useless. He mentally noted yet another weakness of his illusion ability. Steeling himself, he assumed a defensive stance and was about to launch an attack when his pupils contracted in shock. In the blink of an eye, Zhou Yuze appeared right in front of him.

With a delayed reaction, Gu Muchen was unable to block the fist that collided with his chest, sending him hurtling backward. Mid-air, he quickly unleashed a barrage of fireballs, all illusions, intending to overwhelm his opponent. However, Zhou Yuze charged straight through the fiery barrage, seemingly unharmed, as if he could sense the presence of the illusions. Gu Muchen's pupils shrank in disbelief, realizing that Zhou Yuze could perceive his illusions. Before he could react, Zhou Yuze's kick struck his back, propelling him through the air. In an instant, Zhou Yuze closed the distance, moving faster than Gu Muchen, and appeared at his side, grabbing both of his arms before forcefully slamming him into the ground. The impact caused the arena beneath them to crack.

Before Gu Muchen could react, Zhou Yuze's foot slammed into his stomach, causing intense pain and forcing blood from his mouth.

Zhou Yuze immediately began unleashing relentless punches on Gu Muchen, who was now unable to defend himself. The sight left the audience in stunned silence. No one had expected the flow of the fight to shift so drastically in Zhou Yuze's favor so quickly. As Zhou Yuze, his body steaming with blood from the wounds, landed a punch to Gu Muchen's face, the crowd was filled with a sense of horror.

Suddenly, the old man appeared as if from thin air, intercepting Zhou Yuze's hand. "That's enough. He's already unconscious," he said calmly.

"The winner is Zhou Yuze," the old man announced. The audience remained silent, unable to comprehend what had just transpired. Their minds were still racing, trying to process the shocking turn of events they had just witnessed.