Chapter 22 : Ultimate

"Begin," the old man announced, marking the start of the second round. 

However, instead of launching into action, Chen Fan and Jiang Haoran stood still, their gazes locked as warm smiles crossed their faces, reminiscent of old friends reunited after a long separation. The crowd couldn't hide their confusion, their faces a mix of curiosity and bafflement.

"You should go first," Jiang Haoran finally broke the silence, his tone calm and his smile unshaken.

"Alright," Chen Fan replied with a slight nod. He began to step forward, his pace slow and deliberate, each step building tension in the air. Both the crowd and Jiang Haoran watched in puzzled silence, unsure of his intentions. Chen Fan stopped just a meter away from Jiang Haoran and, with measured precision, adopted a punching stance.

The crowd erupted into murmurs, their expressions a mix of disbelief and skepticism.

"What's he trying to do? Is this some sort of joke?"

"Look at that focus! He's channeling all his power into that right hand!"

"Smart, though. Unless the saint wants to eat his words, he has no choice but to let the kid make his move."

"Still, with the gap in cultivation, this might be his only shot."

Even Jiang Haoran's composure faltered momentarily as he took in Chen Fan's peculiar behavior. However, his confidence soon returned, and he smiled faintly, reassured by the vast difference in their cultivation levels.

Twenty seconds passed. Then thirty. Then a full minute.

Impatience began to creep into Jiang Haoran's expression. He hadn't expected to waste this much time on someone so far beneath him in cultivation. Just as he was about to urge Chen Fan to act, his eyes widened. The energy radiating from Chen Fan's right hand was unmistakable, its force palpable. Instinctively, Jiang Haoran crossed his palms, reinforcing them with Qi. When Chen Fan's punch connected, the sheer force pushed Jiang Haoran back three meters.

"So, you can react," Chen Fan remarked with a sly smile. It wasn't his full strength, of course. His true intent was to provoke Jiang Haoran, to chip away at his calm demeanor and force him to unleash his true power. Judging by the flicker of irritation in Jiang Haoran's narrowed eyes, Chen Fan's plan was working.

The crowd erupted in astonished exclamations, but Jiang Haoran paid them no mind. Reflecting on the moment, he realized he had underestimated his opponent. If he hadn't reacted in time, he would have been knocked out of the arena.

For the first time, Jiang Haoran's smile faded, replaced by a steely seriousness. Without wasting a word, he shot a Qi bullet directly at Chen Fan, its speed noticeably faster than his previous attacks.

Chen Fan infused Qi into his index finger, meeting the incoming bullet with pinpoint precision. A single tap caused it to burst into harmless fragments of energy. Jiang Haoran's eyes widened briefly before regaining their calm.

Hoh, as expected of a saint, Chen Fan thought, slightly impressed by his opponent's composure.

Jiang Haoran didn't hesitate. He unleashed a flurry of Qi bullets, each one fired with deadly accuracy. Yet, as before, every bullet burst upon contact with Chen Fan's deftly reinforced finger.

As the final Qi bullet disintegrated, Jiang Haoran appeared at Chen Fan's right side in a flash, his left leg already swinging forward in a powerful thrust. Chen Fan sidestepped the attack with a light movement, evading the strike entirely.

Without missing a beat, Chen Fan grabbed Jiang Haoran's leg and swung it with incredible force, hurling him into the air. In the same moment, Chen Fan crouched slightly before leaping upward with explosive power, the ground beneath him cracking from the sheer strength of his takeoff.

As he soared upward, Chen Fan's knee shot toward Jiang Haoran's stomach, only to be blocked by both of Jiang Haoran's hands. The collision's force propelled them higher, their clash now carrying them above the arena's edge. Jiang Haoran, a moment slower in releasing his block, couldn't stop Chen Fan from grabbing his face.

With a swift spin of his body and pure physical strength, Chen Fan hurled Jiang Haoran downward. The impact was devastating despite their mid-air positioning. Jiang Haoran crashed into the ground, his body sprawled as he stared at the sky. The arena floor beneath him sank, cracks spidering outward in every direction.

Chen Fan stabilized himself in mid-air, his body poised for the next attack. Channeling Qi into his right arm, he positioned his left hand behind his back, where it released an explosive burst of flame. The force propelled him forward at incredible speed, closing the distance to Jiang Haoran in the blink of an eye. With precision and power, Chen Fan drove his right fist straight toward Jiang Haoran's stomach.

Just as Chen Fan's fist was about to land, Jiang Haoran hastily reinforced his stomach with Qi. However, the technique was incomplete due to the short preparation time. The impact caused intense pain to ripple through Jiang Haoran's body, and a trace of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth. Without hesitation, both of Jiang Haoran's palms glowed brilliantly before unleashing a Qi beam. Chen Fan quickly leaped backward to dodge, stabilizing himself a short distance away. He stood with a cautious smile, his sharp gaze fixed on his opponent.

Jiang Haoran slowly rose to his feet, wiping the blood from his mouth. When he saw the crimson stain on his hand, his eyes narrowed. His earlier underestimation of Chen Fan was now a glaring mistake. Calculations had shifted entirely. Chen Fan's strength, speed, and defense were on a level far beyond Jiang Haoran's initial judgment. While Jiang Haoran held a slight edge in raw power, he knew he was inferior in reflexes, tactics, and technique. For the first time, Jiang Haoran regarded Chen Fan as an equal.

Despite the escalating noise from the crowd, the world around Jiang Haoran seemed to quiet. The ache in his stomach from Chen Fan's devastating blow was a constant reminder of his disadvantage. This injury would undoubtedly hinder him for the rest of the fight. Knowing that prolonging the battle would only worsen his condition, Jiang Haoran resolved to end it quickly. Though he still had several tricks up his sleeve, he decided to unleash his strongest technique.

"Hm?" Chen Fan's eyes sharpened as he observed Jiang Haoran gathering Qi in both his palms and feet. Recognizing the shift in energy, Chen Fan immediately prepared himself, channeling Qi into his legs and hands, ready to counter whatever came next.

With a thunderous boom, Jiang Haoran stomped his right foot into the ground, spreading his arms wide. Instantly, Chen Fan felt his body being pulled toward Jiang Haoran with alarming speed. Jiang Haoran then slammed his other foot into the ground, causing a spike of light to erupt from beneath it.

Unbeknownst to Chen Fan, Jiang Haoran's technique involved spreading his Qi beneath the arena floor using a concealment method. This hidden energy, coupled with the enemy's focus on Jiang Haoran's glowing palms, made it difficult for most opponents to detect the trap until it was too late. The moment Jiang Haoran stomped, the Qi surged upward, creating a repelling force that lifted Chen Fan off the ground. Simultaneously, Jiang Haoran used the suction force from his palms to draw Chen Fan directly toward the spike of light.

The technique's downside was its immense energy consumption and its limited effectiveness against flying opponents. However, knowing that cultivators in the Foundation Building stage couldn't fly, Jiang Haoran had refined and perfected this move specifically for this competition.

Chen Fan, momentarily stunned, felt the powerful suction force holding him mid-air. He instinctively shot a flame toward Jiang Haoran, only to see the attack absorbed by Jiang Haoran's palm. The absorption caused minor burns on Jiang Haoran's Qi-enhanced hand, but it did little to slow him down. As the gap between them closed rapidly, Chen Fan realized he needed to change his approach.

Reacting swiftly to the imminent threat, Chen Fan raised his right hand and began generating fire, his concentration unwavering as he compressed it at an alarming rate. The force of the compression drained his Qi reserves quickly, but he had no other viable choice. His mind raced, calculating the risk. At the same time, he placed his left hand behind him, releasing a massive explosion that propelled him forward with incredible speed.

Chen Fan's plan was simple yet dangerous—he intended to unleash the fire from his right hand in a devastating explosion, catching Jiang Haoran off guard and leaving him no time to react. He focused all his energy on controlling the blast, ensuring that the impact would be focused on Jiang Haoran, while he himself would only endure minimal damage from the explosion. With the fire compressed and ready to release, his every movement was a calculated risk, trusting that his control over the blast would be enough to turn the tide in his favor.

Just as Chen Fan release the fireball, he froze momentarily, his eyes widening in surprise. Jiang Haoran, now mere inches away from the fire, wore a crazed smile. With no hesitation, Jiang Haoran brought his hands together in a thunderous clap.

BOOM