The white-robed Pope was somewhat surprised that Zhang Fan could tear apart the vines of the Holy Bright Flower, as his previous sword energy, unleashed by his ancient bronze sword, had failed to sever them.
"Is his strength even greater than that of an Earth Immortal?" The Pope knew Zhang Fan had achieved great heights in his physical cultivation, but he had estimated his strength to be only on par with peak Divine Realm cultivators.
Yet, at this moment, Zhang Fan had ripped them apart with his bare hands and was now wielding the vine like a whip, lashing out at him. The wind howled with such ferocity that it seemed space itself could not withstand the power, making the Pope feel a tremor of fear.
Despite his best efforts to block, the Pope was still sent flying backward, crashing into the Holy Bright Flower behind him, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
For the first time in a long while, the usually composed and unflustered Pope appeared somewhat disheveled.
Zhang Fan pressed his advantage relentlessly. With a stomp of his foot in mid-air, he moved as if shrinking space, covering the distance to the Pope in a single step.
Innumerable whip shadows flashed before the Pope's somewhat icy eyes. With movements both sinuous and powerful, Zhang Fan, like a master who had trained for decades, wielded the vine in his hand, cornering and beating the Pope, holding an absolute advantage.
"Bind!"
The Pope channeled the power of his domain of light, pushing it towards Zhang Fan with all his might, seeking to slow him down.
"Disintegrate!"
Zhang Fan no longer concealed his abilities. An incredibly potent domain fluctuation spread outwards from him.
Under the formidable domain of disintegration, the Pope's domain of light instantly dissipated. The Pope himself felt a powerful pulling and crushing force acting upon him, threatening to tear his body apart.
Generally, the domain of one cultivator was in opposition to the domains of others. Within a given area, only one domain could exist. In a confrontation, only the domain of the stronger party would persist, while the weaker domain would vanish.
Within the range of the disintegration domain, the floor and walls of the hall also succumbed to this disintegrating force, emitting crackling sounds.
Simultaneously, after unleashing his disintegration domain, Zhang Fan moved with newfound freedom, as if a fish in water. In contrast, the Pope was constantly affected by the domain's influence, his combat effectiveness reduced by at least thirty percent.
With this imbalance, the gap in their strength became even more apparent.
"Die!"
Although holding an absolute advantage, Zhang Fan, aiming for a swift conclusion, directly unleashed his divine ability, 'Heaven-Splitting Horn'. At this moment, Zhang Fan seemed to transform into a primordial fierce beast capable of cleaving the heavens and earth, charging towards the white-robed Pope.
Facing Zhang Fan's attack, the Pope felt the terror of death. He knew that, on his own, he could not possibly withstand this move.
"Please, Arbiters, intervene!"
The Pope cried out loudly, his voice echoing long and clear throughout the hall.
The instant the Pope's voice resounded, the four stone statues on each side of the hall erupted with dazzling holy light. Just as Zhang Fan was about to reach the Pope, a perfectly smooth mirror of light suddenly appeared before the Pope, separating him from Zhang Fan.
Even with the obstruction, Zhang Fan's momentum did not falter. The incredibly sacred horn atop his head collided with the mirror of light.
Cracks began to appear on the mirror of light, spreading rapidly within moments. The mirror shattered with a roar, dissolving into a cascade of holy light.
As the holy light dissipated, four white-robed elders emerged. Each possessed a restrained aura, appearing no different from ordinary people.
However, Zhang Fan's expression turned grim. His eyes, sharp as a hawk's, fixed on the four figures.
He discovered that these four suddenly appearing white-robed elders were all cultivators of the Core Formation realm. Not a single one was weaker than the Pope, and the elder standing at the forefront exuded an aura that put considerable pressure on Zhang Fan.
He was at least in the mid-stage of Core Formation, or perhaps even late-stage, for Zhang Fan to feel such pressure.
"This Master Zhang's strength far exceeds my expectations. I must trouble the Arbiters to apprehend him," the white-robed Pope said to the leading Arbiter.
"Campbell, to awaken us for a mere Chinese brat of the Divine Realm, do you know how much faith power you have cost us?" the leading white-robed elder said with displeasure.
"Esteemed Arbiters, please believe me, the value of the one before us is far more precious than that faith power," the white-robed Pope stated confidently.
Zhang Fan had no desire to listen to their idle chatter. With his current strength, he was confident in facing one Core Formation realm cultivator, and even with two, he could fight with all his trump cards.
But before him were five, and the four who had just appeared were not ordinary in strength, far superior to the Pope who had just entered the Core Formation realm.
Without hesitation, Zhang Fan charged towards the exit of the cathedral. His speed was so immense that in less than a breath, he reached the hall's entrance.
The wide doors were now blocked by a multitude of vines. Zhang Fan extended his hands and pulled with all his might, tearing open a gap. Just as he was about to rush out, a massive light shield appeared, enclosing the entire cathedral.
"Such combat power from a mere Divine Realm cultivator, and you appear to be no older than twenty. It seems you possess great fortune. Perhaps, as Campbell said, your value is indeed far more significant than faith power." The leading white-robed elder stepped forward slowly, his eyes fixed on Zhang Fan with a fervent glow.
Zhang Fan, having no inclination to listen to these ancient ghosts' pronouncements, channeled the power of his divine body and slammed his fist into the light shield blocking his path.
Under the impact of the immense force, layers of water-like patterns rippled across the light shield. Though it vibrated violently, it refused to break.
"It's useless. This was conjured with the aid of our Holy Denomination's sacred artifact, the 'Heart of the Holy Bright'. Even if your strength were doubled, you would not be able to break it."
"Cease your futile resistance. As long as you can be of some use to our Holy Denomination, I can grant you a swift end," the white-robed elder said, slowly extending his hand.
A colossal hand reached out towards Zhang Fan, seeming to encompass heaven and earth, leaving no room for evasion.
Facing this immense palm, Zhang Fan felt an overwhelming pressure.
"God-Suppressing Finger!"
Zhang Fan's body underwent a rapid transformation. He gradually became like glazed porcelain, and an equally massive finger materialized above his head, finally pointing towards the colossal palm print.
Zhang Fan attempted to shatter the palm with a single point, but he had underestimated the white-robed elder's strength, which was almost a crushing superiority. Upon mere contact, the jade finger, like glass, exploded.
Zhang Fan was sent flying backward by this ferocious power, crashing heavily against the light shield. Blood trickled from his lips, and he sustained no small injury.
"To be able to withstand one of my palms with your strength is indeed an astonishing prodigy," the white-robed elder said with a smile.
The white-robed Pope and the other three white-robed elders watched this scene from afar, their evaluation of Zhang Fan rising once more.
"If we allow this Master Zhang to continue growing, perhaps within ten years, our Holy Denomination will find it difficult to suppress him. Fortunately, he has come to us willingly today, saving us much trouble." The white-robed Pope said with ease.
The other white-robed elders wholeheartedly agreed with Campbell's words.
"Therefore, today, he must die!"