As Chu Beichuan's voice faded, the four guards behind him immediately surrounded Chu Lan.
Chu Lan frowned slightly.
These four individuals were top-tier experts within the Chu Family, all possessing the cultivation of the Body Spirit Realm Ninth Layer. Any one of them could easily deal with Chu Lan.
However, Chu Lan was not worried in the least. He was not without a way to break through this predicament. Furthermore, he intended to kill Chu Beichuan today if the opportunity presented itself. If he simply provoked Chu Beichuan a little, this arrogant young master would surely take the bait in his fury.
"Chu Beichuan, if you have any ability, do you dare to fight me one-on-one?"
As soon as Chu Lan spoke, Chu Beichuan burst into loud laughter.
"Hahaha... You piece of trash, you actually dare to challenge me?"
Chu Beichuan wore a look of utter disdain as the aura of the Body Spirit Realm Sixth Layer erupted from him. "With someone like you, a mere trash, I can crush you with a single hand!"
Chu Lan smiled. He took a few steps back and said to Chu Beichuan, "Is that so? Then do you dare to fight me? Or are you going to be the cowardly turtle you always were in front of me?"
Anger appeared on Chu Beichuan's face. Being a conceited and proud person, how could he possibly tolerate Chu Lan's humiliation? In the past, regardless of talent or strength, Chu Lan had always outshone him. Whenever Chu Beichuan stood before Chu Lan, even as the son of the clan head, he had been forced to lower his head.
Just as Chu Beichuan was about to accept the challenge, one of the guards spoke up, "Young Master, you must not agree! Beware of tricks!"
"Tricks?" Chu Beichuan sneered dismissively. "What kind of tricks could there be? My strength is superior to Chu Lan's. No matter what schemes a mere trash like him tries to concoct, they will crumble in the face of absolute strength!"
The four guards exchanged glances, a trace of worry visible in their eyes. It was true that Chu Lan was currently considered a useless wastrel, but something still felt deeply wrong to them.
How could Chu Lan dare to venture into the Hundred Thousand Li Great Mountains without any cultivation at all? How could he dare to challenge Chu Beichuan, who was at the Body Spirit Realm Sixth Layer? More importantly, when they first discovered Chu Lan, he had emerged from the very depths of the Hundred Thousand Li Great Mountains! This meant that Chu Lan, entirely devoid of cultivation, had somehow survived unscathed for an entire day deep within the Hundred Thousand Li Great Mountains!
Even so, with four top experts of the Chu Family present, no matter what tricks Chu Lan had up his sleeve, it was impossible for him to harm Chu Beichuan right under their noses.
"Chu Lan, today I'll let you experience my true power!"
Chu Beichuan took a large stride, charging straight toward Chu Lan while extending his left hand to grab for Chu Lan's throat.
Chu Lan remained calm, his aura of the Body Spirit Realm Fifth Layer radiating outward.
This sudden aura startled Chu Beichuan, causing him to halt his movements entirely.
"Wasn't Chu Lan's Dantian crippled?"
"Could it be that he found some fortuitous encounter in the Hundred Thousand Li Great Mountains?"
The four guards were equally astonished, though they simultaneously let out sighs of relief. No wonder Chu Lan had been so unfazed when challenging Chu Beichuan—it turned out he had obtained a great opportunity that allowed him to cultivate once more. Unfortunately for him, Chu Lan was currently only at the Body Spirit Realm Fifth Layer, a gap far too vast compared to Chu Beichuan's Body Spirit Realm Sixth Layer.
"Hahaha... No wonder you dared to challenge me, Chu Lan," Chu Beichuan sneered. "So your Dantian has recovered! To restore a shattered Dantian must have required an incredible stroke of luck!"
At this thought, excitement bloomed on Chu Beichuan's face, replaced almost instantly by burning greed. If he could acquire the same fortuitous encounter that healed Chu Lan's Dantian, his own cultivation would surely skyrocket!
"Chu Lan, go to hell!"
With a furious roar, Chu Beichuan leaped into the air and lunged at Chu Lan. As his cultivation surged, a violent momentum erupted from him as he unleashed a martial art.
"Crimson Gold Fist!"
In the blink of an eye, Chu Beichuan was right in front of Chu Lan.
Seeing this, Chu Lan smiled. "Is this really just the Crimson Gold Fist at Great Accomplishment? What a pity."
If Chu Beichuan had cultivated the Crimson Gold Fist to the Realm of Perfection, combined with his Body Spirit Realm Sixth Layer cultivation, it truly would not have been easy for Chu Lan to deal with him.
"Crimson Gold Fist!"
Chu Lan also unleashed a martial art, hurling his fist directly toward Chu Beichuan.
At this sight, Chu Beichuan laughed contemptuously. "Chu Lan, how dare you? With your current strength, you actually dare to trade blows with me? Watch how I shatter your arm today!"
The two fists collided, sending shockwaves rippling violently outward into the surroundings.
"What?!"
Feeling the terrifying force transmitted from Chu Lan's fist, Chu Beichuan's expression instantly underwent a drastic change.
*Why is this happening?*
How could Chu Lan, whose cultivation was a minor realm lower than his, wield a Crimson Gold Fist that was even stronger than his own?
Before Chu Beichuan could make sense of it, his entire body was sent flying backward for over a dozen meters.
"Young Master!" the four guards cried out, their expressions turning pale with alarm. This was disastrous; if Chu Beichuan suffered any serious injury, the clan head would certainly show no mercy to the four of them.
Although Chu Beichuan had suffered a heavy blow, he was still at the Body Spirit Realm Sixth Layer and managed to stagger back to his feet.
"Damn it, I was just careless," Chu Beichuan muttered, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth as he stared coldly at Chu Lan. "I truly underestimated you, trash. Next, I will use my full strength!"
Previously, Chu Beichuan had only used less than ninety percent of his power. His aura swelled once more as he unleashed his most powerful martial art—the Cloud Firmament Palm!
Upon seeing this, a look of utter disdain crossed Chu Lan's brow. "You've only cultivated it to the realm of mastery. Chu Beichuan, let me show you what a true Cloud Firmament Palm looks like!"
With that, Chu Lan unleashed the Cloud Firmament Palm and charged straight toward Chu Beichuan.
"I was merely careless before. Now, let you witness the chasm between us—a gap you can never cross!" Chu Beichuan shouted.
Hearing this, a murderous glint flashed in Chu Lan's eyes, and he replied coldly, "Is that so? Unfortunately, the gap between us isn't just about raw power. More importantly, it's the gap in combat experience!"
As the former genius of Luoyang City, Chu Lan had crossed swords with countless martial artists. Every one of those past battles formed his vast reservoir of combat experience—something a mediocre wastrel like Chu Beichuan, whose cultivation was artificially inflated by medicinal pills, could never hope to compare with.
Just as Chu Beichuan's palm descended, Chu Lan reached out and locked onto his arm. As Chu Beichuan exerted force, Chu Lan leaned back slightly, effortlessly neutralizing the momentum. At the same time, his other hand drove the Cloud Firmament Palm straight into Chu Beichuan's chest.
"Stop! Chu Lan, stop!" Chu Beichuan shrieked, his expression twisting in absolute terror. A sudden surge of lethal peril chilled him to the bone.
Unleashing his full power, Chu Lan blasted Chu Beichuan flying dozens of meters away. Chu Beichuan coughed up mouthfuls of blood before crashing to the ground, completely unconscious.
"Audacious Chu Lan! How dare you severely injure Young Master Beichuan!"