Bang!
A dull thud rang out, like a blow striking solid rock.
The icy smile on Zhang Shaojiu's face froze. The contempt in his eyes turned to shock, then disbelief.
And he was not the only one. Every disciple present was stunned, while Old Zheng, standing a short distance away, slowly lowered the small pebble he had slipped into his palm at some point.
A trace of surprise rose in Old Zheng's eyes, though no one knew what he was thinking.
For the person standing in front of Lian Taoze at that very moment was none other than Zhou Chen, who had been lingering at the back with almost no presence at all.
Zhou Chen's expression remained as still as an ancient well, as tranquil as a deep pool. He stood without moving, showing no sign of gathering his strength, and simply raised both arms to catch Zhang Shaojiu's two crashing palm strikes with effortless ease, as casually as plucking a drifting feather from the air!
Only the wind from Zhang Shaojiu's blows brushed his cheeks, stirred the black hair over his forehead, and swept past his dark, tranquil eyes.
Gasp!
Everyone present sucked in a sharp breath when they saw what had happened!
Lian Taoze, standing behind Zhou Chen, widened his eyes in particular. After sensing Zhou Chen's aura, his lips trembled, and tremendous delight and excitement burst into his eyes. Finally, he squeezed out a few stunned words: "A Second-Rank Martial Artist... Junior Brother Zhou, you've broken through to the second rank too?!"
Those words were like a boulder hurled into a placid lake, sending towering waves surging up with a boom!
The silent courtyard erupted into an uproar. The watching disciples cried out in trembling voices:
"What? Senior Brother Zhou has broken through to the second rank