Gu Zhun's monstrous form loomed large, his body swollen with corrupted energy that twisted his flesh into something grotesque and barely human. His eyes, now burning red, glared at Yan Jin with seething hatred, his breath coming out in ragged, guttural snarls. Muscles bulged and veins throbbed as his additional limbs twitched, ready to tear apart anything that dared to oppose him.
Opposite to him, Yan Jin stood like a shadow given form. His black robes flowed like dark water, and his long hair framed the black and gold bandages that concealed his eyes. Despite his blindness, his presence was suffocating, an aura of absolute control and dominance radiating from him. Every breath he took was calm, his posture relaxed, yet exuding a sense of imminent violence.
Gu Zhun lunged first, his monstrous arms swinging with brutal force. The air cracked with the sound of his fists slicing through it, the sheer power behind his strikes sending shockwaves rippling through the chamber. Yan Jin didn't flinch. He ducked, slipped past the first blow, and spun to the side, his movements fluid and precise.
The second swing came at him like a battering ram, but Yan Jin met it with a block, their bodies colliding with a bone-rattling thud.
The impact sent a shockwave through Yan Jin's frame, but he absorbed it like a mountain absorbing a storm. He twisted his body, using Gu Zhun's own momentum against him, and delivered a vicious elbow strike to Gu Zhun's ribs. The sound of cracking bone was sickening, and Gu Zhun's roar of pain echoed off the stone walls.
Gu Zhun retaliated instantly, his claws swiping down in a wild frenzy. Yan Jin parried the first swipe with his forearm, deflecting the clawed hand away, but the second strike came faster—a hammer blow aimed at Yan Jin's skull. Yan Jin barely had time to bring his arm up, the force of the hit sending him skidding backward, his boots scraping against the rough stone.
Yan Jin recovered instantly, his body reacting on instinct. He surged forward, closing the distance between them in a heartbeat. His knee shot up, driving into Gu Zhun's midsection with the force of a sledgehammer. Gu Zhun's body folded inward, the air rushing out of his lungs in a strangled gasp.
Yan Jin followed up with a brutal headbutt, his forehead slamming into Gu Zhun's nose with a sickening crunch.
The crowd watching from the arena's screens gasped in unison, unable to tear their eyes away from the savage exchange. "Did you see that? Yan Jin's fighting him like a beast!" someone shouted, their voice tinged with a mix of horror and excitement.
Gu Zhun staggered back, blood streaming from his broken nose, his vision blurring with rage and pain. He lashed out with all four arms, his claws slashing through the air in a whirlwind of violence. Yan Jin weaved through the assault, his movements impossibly quick. He dodged left, then right, his body flowing like water around Gu Zhun's attacks.
When Gu Zhun overextended, Yan Jin seized the moment, delivering a crushing palm strike to Gu Zhun's chest that sent him reeling.
Their bodies crashed together again, a brutal collision of flesh and bone. Yan Jin's fists hammered against Gu Zhun's torso in rapid succession, each punch delivered with surgical precision. The impacts echoed like drumbeats, the sound of flesh pummeling flesh reverberating through the chamber.
Gu Zhun grunted and roared, his corrupted blood spraying the floor as Yan Jin's relentless assault drove him back.
Gu Zhun's frustration boiled over. With a surge of corrupted energy, he grabbed Yan Jin's arm and twisted, trying to snap it like a twig. Yan Jin grimaced, his muscles straining against the hold, but instead of pulling away, he leaned into the pain. Using Gu Zhun's grip to anchor himself, Yan Jin launched a vicious counterattack, his free hand clawing at Gu Zhun's face.
His fingers dug into flesh, raking across Gu Zhun's eyes and ripping away chunks of corrupted tissue.
Gu Zhun howled in agony, flinging Yan Jin away with a wild burst of strength. Yan Jin hit the ground but rolled with the momentum, springing back to his feet with feline agility. His face remained impassive, even as blood trickled down his arm from the brutal exchange. Gu Zhun's face was a mess of torn flesh and seething fury, his corrupted energy flaring wildly as he charged again.
The sheer force lifted Gu Zhun off his feet, sending him crashing into a nearby pillar with enough force to crack the stone.
The spectators outside the labyrinth watched in stunned silence, the violent exchange playing out on the massive screens.
"This isn't a duel—it's a massacre!" another voice added, eyes wide as they watched the brutal display of strength.
Gu Zhun roared in fury, his monstrous arms flailing wildly as he charged back at Yan Jin. He swung with reckless abandon, each strike fueled by desperation and rage. Yan Jin ducked beneath one of Gu Zhun's arms, driving his shoulder into the corrupted fighter's chest and slamming him into the ground. The impact sent a spiderweb of cracks rippling across the stone floor.
Before Gu Zhun could even rise, Yan Jin's fist collided with his face in a brutal downward punch. Blood sprayed from Gu Zhun's mouth as his head snapped back, his body convulsing from the sheer force. But Yan Jin did not relent. He grabbed Gu Zhun by the collar, lifting him partially off the ground, and delivered a savage headbutt that sent a shockwave through both of their bodies.
Gu Zhun's vision blurred, his corrupted energy faltering as he stumbled backward. Yan Jin advanced like an unstoppable force, his movements precise and unyielding. With every punch, kick, and knee, he tore through Gu Zhun's defenses, systematically breaking him down. The sound of flesh meeting flesh was like thunder, each blow resonating with the weight of Yan Jin's unbridled fury.
Gu Zhun lashed out in a last-ditch effort, his claws swiping wildly in an attempt to catch Yan Jin off guard. Yan Jin dodged with a swift sidestep, his footwork impeccable. He countered with a punishing series of body blows, his fists hammering into Gu Zhun's torso with relentless precision. Each hit was a calculated strike, targeting weak points and exploiting every opening.
Gu Zhun's body convulsed with every impact, the once fearsome creature now reduced to a desperate, writhing mass. His corrupted energy flared erratically, sputtering like a dying flame as Yan Jin's unrelenting assault continued. Yan Jin grabbed Gu Zhun by the back of the neck, slamming his face into the stone floor with bone-crushing force.
The sound of Gu Zhun's skull cracking against the ground was sickening, his pained groans echoing through the chamber.
Gu Zhun tried to rise, his movements sluggish and disjointed. But Yan Jin was relentless. He stomped on Gu Zhun's back with a force that made the ground tremble. Gu Zhun cried out, his monstrous form buckling under the weight of Yan Jin's dominance. Yan Jin's foot remained pressed against his back, pinning him in place like an emperor asserting his absolute control.
"You can be the chosen one, child of god, hero, or savior," Yan Jin said, his voice cold and commanding as he stared down at the broken figure beneath him. "But I am the rule. I am the law. I am the Emperor."
Gu Zhun's red eyes flickered with a mixture of defiance and despair, but his body had already betrayed him. He was nothing more than a quivering, defeated shell, the corruption that had once fueled him now a dying ember. Yan Jin's words hung heavy in the air, a declaration of unchallenged supremacy.
With a final, disdainful shove, Yan Jin stepped away, leaving Gu Zhun sprawled on the floor. The monstrous figure's breath came in ragged, shallow gasps, his body battered and broken. The chamber was filled with the echo of Yan Jin's footsteps as he ascended the stairs, each step resonating with the authority of a sovereign claiming his throne.
At the same moment, Wei Xi and Yan Bai made they way into the core room, as they watched in confusion and disbelief Yan Jin's ascension.
Yan Jin reached the top of the altar and seated himself on the highest step, his posture regal and unyielding. He aimed his head, as if looking down at Gu Zhun, Wei Xi and Yan Bai. His aura was radiating a cold, imperial majestic feel. "... I am Huang". He said.
The spectators outside erupted into a mix of awe and fear, their cheers mingled with hushed whispers of disbelief.