The White-robed Pope seemed surprised that Zhang Fan could tear apart the vine of the Holy Light Flower. He had previously seen Zhang Fan's bronze ancient sword unleash sharp sword qi, yet it failed to sever the vine.
"Is his strength even greater than that of an Earth Immortal?" The White-robed Pope knew Zhang Fan had achieved great feats in body cultivation, but he estimated his level to be merely equivalent to that of a peak Divine Realm expert.
However, at this moment, Zhang Fan had torn it apart with his bare hands and used the vine as a whip, sweeping it towards him. The whipping sound, accompanied by a howling wind, carried a force that seemed to make even space unable to bear it, astonishing the White-robed Pope.
Despite his best efforts to resist, the White-robed Pope was still sent flying backward, crashing into the Holy Light Flower behind him, a trickle of blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.
For the first time in a long while, the composed and calm White-robed Pope appeared somewhat disheveled.
Seizing the advantage, Zhang Fan stepped in the air, as if shrinking distances, and in a single stride, appeared before the White-robed Pope.
Innumerable whip shadows reflected in the Pope's seemingly icy eyes. Whether graceful or fierce, Zhang Fan moved like a master who had practiced for decades, wielding the vine and cornering the White-robed Pope, completely dominating the fight.
"Bind!"
The White-robed Pope mobilized the power of the Light Domain, pressing down on Zhang Fan with all his might, attempting to slow him down.
"Disintegrate!"
Zhang Fan no longer concealed his methods. An extremely powerful domain fluctuation spread outwards from him.
Under the formidable Disintegration Domain, the Pope's Light Domain instantly vanished. The White-robed Pope also felt a powerful pulling and crushing force acting upon him, attempting to tear his body apart.
Generally speaking, the domains of every cultivator are in opposition to those of other powerhouses. Within a given area, only one domain can exist. In a battle between the two, only the domain of the stronger party can persist, while the weaker domain will dissipate.
Within the coverage of the Disintegration Domain, the floor and walls of the great hall also suffered from this disintegrating force, emitting crackling sounds.
Concurrently, after unleashing the Disintegration Domain, Zhang Fan was like a fish in water. In contrast, the Pope was constantly affected by the domain's power, his combat strength reduced by at least thirty percent.
With this disparity, the gap in strength between the two became even more apparent.
"Die!"
Despite 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 chaotic fierce beast capable of cleaving the heavens and earth, lunging towards the White-robed Pope.
Facing this strike from Zhang Fan, the White-robed Pope felt the terror of death. He knew that, on his own, he could not withstand Zhang Fan's move.
"I invoke the Arbiters!"
The White-robed Pope shouted aloud, his voice echoing, long and clear, throughout the great hall.
The instant the Pope's voice resounded, the four stone statues on the four walls of the hall erupted with dazzling holy light. Just as Zhang Fan lunged at the Pope, an incomparably smooth mirror of light suddenly appeared before the Pope, separating him from Zhang Fan.
Even with the obstruction, Zhang Fan's movements did not cease in the slightest. The incredibly sacred horn atop his head instantly collided with the mirror of light.
Tiny cracks appeared on the mirror of light, and in the blink of an eye, the cracks spread, and the mirror of light shattered with a roar, turning into a cascade of holy light.
As the holy light dissipated, four old men clad in white robes emerged. Each of them possessed a restrained aura, appearing like ordinary people.
However, Zhang Fan's expression turned grim, his eyes like a hawk's as he stared at the four individuals.
He discovered that these four suddenly appearing white-robed elders were all Golden Core realm powerhouses. None of them were weaker than the Pope, and the elder standing at the forefront exuded an aura that put Zhang Fan under considerable pressure.
He was at least in the middle stage of the Golden Core realm, possibly even an expert in the late stage, to elicit such a feeling from Zhang Fan.
"This Saint Master Zhang's strength far exceeds my predictions. It seems we must trouble the Arbiters to capture him," the White-robed Pope said to the leading Arbiter.
"Campbell, for a mere Chinese brat in the Divine Realm, you have awakened us. Do you know how much faith power we have lost?" the leading white-robed elder said with displeasure.
"Esteemed Arbiters, please believe me, the value of the person before us is far more precious than faith power," the White-robed Pope said confidently.
Zhang Fan had no desire to listen to their nonsensical chatter. With his current strength, he was confident against one Golden Core realm expert. Facing two, with all his trump cards, he could still fight.
But before him were five, and the four who appeared later were all exceptionally powerful, much stronger than the Pope, who had only recently entered the Golden Core realm.
Zhang Fan did not hesitate and charged towards the outside of the Holy See. His speed was so great that in less than a breath, he reached the entrance of the great hall.
The wide doorway was now blocked by numerous 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, encircling the entire church.
"Such combat power from a mere Divine Realm cultivator, and you appear to be no more than twenty years old. It seems you possess great fortune. Perhaps, as Campbell said, your value is indeed much more important than that faith power." The leading white-robed elder stepped forward slowly, his eyes fixed on Zhang Fan with a fervent gleam.
Zhang Fan had no mood to listen to these old ghosts' ramblings. He channeled the power of his divine body and slammed his fist heavily against the light shield blocking his path.
Under the impact of his immense strength, layers of water-like ripples flowed across the light shield. Although it vibrated violently, it stubbornly refused to break.
"It's useless. This was conjured with the aid of our Holy See's guardian relic, the 'Heart of Holy Light.' With your strength, even if it were doubled, you could not break it."
"Cease your futile resistance. As long as you are of some use to the Holy See, I can grant you a swift end." The white-robed elder slowly extended his palm as he spoke.
A gigantic hand reached out towards Zhang Fan, seeming to encompass heaven and earth, leaving no room for evasion.
Facing this colossal hand, Zhang Fan felt immense pressure.
"Spirit Suppressing Finger!"
Zhang Fan's body underwent rapid changes. He gradually became like luminous glass, and an equally colossal finger appeared above Zhang Fan's head, finally pointing towards the immense palm print.
Zhang Fan attempted to break the whole with a single point, but he did not anticipate that the white-robed elder's strength was almost enough to crush him. With a mere collision, the jade finger, like luminous glass, shattered with a roar.
Zhang Fan was repelled by this formidable force, crashing heavily against the light shield, blood trickling from his lips. He sustained no minor injuries.
"To be able to block one of my palms with your strength is indeed an astonishing talent," the white-robed elder said with a smile.
The White-robed Pope and the other three white-robed elders watched this scene from a distance, their evaluation of Zhang Fan rising once more.
"If we allow this Saint Master Zhang to continue growing, it is likely that within ten years, our Holy See will find it difficult to suppress him. Fortunately, he has walked into our trap today, saving us considerable trouble." The White-robed Pope said with ease.
The other white-robed elders heartily agreed with Campbell's sentiment.
"Therefore, today, he must die!"
...