Chapter 213: Chapter 213: The Real Battle Has Just Begun

The immense force sent Shen Haoran flying. The residual Powerful Qi gouged a long trench into the Martial Arts Arena as his body slid to a halt, where he lay facedown and motionless.

"Is it over? I guess Shen Haoran was no match for Ouyang Chen after all!" the crowd lamented, looking at Ouyang Chen, who still held his punching stance. ’For Shen Haoran to have made it this far as a Tier Four Spirit General is already incredible. His luck just ran out when he met Ouyang Chen. If he hadn’t swapped lots with Long Mo, he might have broken into the top ten!’

"Brother Shen!"

Seeing Shen Haoran lying motionless, the members of the Yao Sect cried out in worry. The power behind Ouyang Chen’s punch had been too ferocious; an ordinary person could never have withstood it!

"Calm down. Ouyang Chen’s punch was terrifying, but it’s not that easy to injure Shen Haoran!" Zi Mo said, his expression grave. His gaze toward Ouyang Chen was filled with apprehension, but he was worried, too. ’Is Shen Haoran really going to lose like this?’

On the arena floor, Ouyang Chen retracted his fist. He showed no sign of victory; instead, his brows were tightly furrowed as he stared at Shen Haoran’s prone form in the distance. ’That last punch... I felt like all of my Powerful Qi was blocked by that black Flame Armor. Even if the residual force hit him, it probably didn’t do much damage!’

"Get up. Stop pretending," Ouyang Chen said coolly. ’I thought that punch would end the fight. It seems I still underestimated Shen Haoran.’

Hearing Ouyang Chen’s words, the spectators were stunned, unable to process what was happening.

’Get up? Is Shen Haoran faking it?’

Sure enough, just as Ouyang Chen finished speaking, the prone figure of Shen Haoran stirred. He slowly climbed to his feet, rubble and debris CLATTERING off his body.

"COUGH, COUGH... Man, that really hurts!" Shen Haoran looked down at the purple Fist Seal on his chest, a wave of lingering fear washing over him. ’If the Flame Armor formed by the Fire Spirit Black Obsidian hadn’t absorbed most of the impact, that punch would have seriously injured me. The Eight Desolates and Six Harmonies Fist, especially when combined with the War God Physique, is truly terrifying!’

Seeing Shen Haoran get to his feet, the crowd gasped in amazement again. ’Ouyang Chen’s punch barely injured him? What kind of monster is this guy?!’

Up in the stands, a look of delight spread across Elder Huo’s face, and he let out a huge sigh of relief. He then turned to Mu Feng and snorted coldly. "Elder Mu, so this is what you meant by ’it’s over’? I told you not to jump to conclusions before the very end!"

At these words, Mu Feng’s face darkened. "Hmph. He’s just delaying the inevitable," he said coldly.

On the Martial Arts Arena, Shen Haoran took a deep breath to suppress the roiling qi and blood in his body. He stared at Ouyang Chen with a solemn expression, murmuring to himself, ’This difference in raw power is a real problem. The gap is just too wide... It seems I have no choice but to use that technique!’

At that thought, the Fire Spirit Black Obsidian within Shen Haoran’s body slowly surged forth, quickly enveloping him.

"Heaven-Dominating Tribulation!"

Shen Haoran let out a low roar. The Fire Spirit Black Obsidian covering him flared violently before retracting back into his body at an incredible speed. Simultaneously, a terrifying aura erupted from him, shooting straight toward the heavens!

CRACKLE...

Following a series of cracking sounds, the rubble at his feet began to levitate, trembling in mid-air. An instant later, it all exploded violently, turning into fine dust. The entire Martial Arts Arena began to tremble under the pressure of Shen Haoran’s aura.

Feeling the aura radiating from Shen Haoran, the crowd was once again shocked speechless. His presence had completely caught up to Ouyang Chen’s—it even seemed a little stronger. ’Isn’t Shen Haoran a Tier Four Spirit General? How could his aura suddenly surge so dramatically? Has he been hiding his true strength this whole time?’ everyone frantically wondered.

On the arena, Ouyang Chen’s expression changed as he felt the oppressive aura. He stared at Shen Haoran in disbelief, his brows knitting together. ’This presence... it’s already rivaling my own!’

Shen Haoran exhaled a scorching breath and clenched his fists, feeling the ceaseless stream of power welling up inside him. He licked his lips and said softly to Ouyang Chen, "Now, the real show is just beginning!"

BOOM!

The moment the words left his mouth, Shen Haoran blurred into an afterimage and vanished. The levitating stones, now deprived of his aura, all fell at once in a shower of rubble!

The instant Shen Haoran vanished, Ouyang Chen’s pupils constricted. A sense of crisis washed over him, making the hair on his arms stand on end as his body instinctively retreated!

BANG...

In the same instant he retreated, a massive fist appeared before his face, the sheer force of the punch sending Ouyang Chen’s long hair flying!

The punch having missed, Shen Haoran seamlessly transitioned from a fist to an elbow, aiming for Ouyang Chen’s chest! The follow-up was so fluid that Ouyang Chen had no time to counterattack; he could only cross his arms in front of his chest to block the blow!

BOOM!

Shen Haoran’s elbow, accompanied by a terrifying sonic boom, slammed viciously into Ouyang Chen’s arms. The horrific force sent him skidding backward for dozens of meters!

STOMP! STOMP! STOMP!

With every step Ouyang Chen took, the bluestone tiles beneath his feet fractured and cracked. Finally, he stomped his right foot down hard, forcibly halting his backward momentum and dissipating the immense force. The final bluestone tile under his foot was pulverized into dust by the raw power!

HISS...

Seeing Shen Haoran force Ouyang Chen back with a single blow, the crowd couldn’t help but gasp.

Ouyang Chen glared at Shen Haoran, his expression dark. Both of his arms were numb from the tremendous impact and still trembled uncontrollably.

"Good. Very good!" Ouyang Chen’s chilling voice rang out. Spiritual Power surged through his body, soothing the numb ache in his arms.

’To think that Shen Haoran, someone I’ve always seen as prey, could actually force me to use my full strength...’ This thought only intensified the killing intent in Ouyang Chen’s heart. He stared coldly at Shen Haoran as his own aura began to climb, finally matching the height of his opponent’s!

Seeing Ouyang Chen get serious on the stage, a flash of delight crossed Mu Feng’s eyes. "Ouyang Chen has activated his War God Bloodline. Just watch, this fight will be over soon!" 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

"You said the same thing a moment ago. Aren’t you afraid of being proven wrong again?" Elder Huo retorted, annoyed. ’This Mu Feng really talks too much nonsense!’

"Hmph. With his War God Bloodline activated, Ouyang Chen can fight evenly with a Martial Artist of the Spirit Marquis Tier, let alone some brat who’s relying on a Secret Technique to boost his power! Just you wait and watch the show!" Mu Feng snorted.

On the Martial Arts Arena, Shen Haoran rolled his neck, sending a series of loud cracks echoing from his bones. He then sank into a slight crouch, assuming a combat stance.

Ouyang Chen was finally getting serious. The real fight was about to begin!