Chapter 164 - 114: But I Always Show Up

Chapter 164: Chapter 114: But I Always Show Up

"Just concede," Rex said, his fists leaving a trail of afterimages in the air. "Your Constitution is too far below mine. You can’t use Water-Fire Heaven Extremes, and a Water Shield won’t hold. You have no chance of winning."

BAM!

His words came to an abrupt halt. Chen Shang had reached out and forcefully caught Rex’s left fist. It sounded like two blocks of solid iron crashing together, producing a dull, heavy thud. He hadn’t parried the blow, redirected the force, or used any Witchcraft. He simply locked his fingers around the fist, his palm pressed flush against Rex’s knuckles to completely halt the attack.

A surge of Power entirely unique to Chen Shang welled up from deep within his bones. The Gourd Little Vajra entry, activated! His Constitution skyrocketed instantly—one hundred and thirty, one hundred and fifty, one hundred and seventy, one hundred and eighty... finally stopping at one hundred and eighty-three. It was still two points lower than Rex’s, but they were now in the exact same weight class.

Rex’s eyes widened in shock. He hadn’t sensed Chen Shang casting any Witchcraft. There were no Rune fluctuations, no tremors of Magic Power, and no aura of a Bloodline awakening. Yet Chen Shang’s Power had surged out of nowhere, growing immense enough to catch his fist head-on.

Chen Shang’s remarkably calm face was reflected in Rex’s pupils. "I was planning to hold some of my trump cards in reserve... Did you really think I was just another fragile Wizard Apprentice?"

Rex fell silent for a moment. "What kind of Witchcraft is that?"

"Just a self-enhancement," Chen Shang replied. He rolled his neck, eliciting a series of loud cracks, before casually pushing Rex’s fist away. Rex stumbled back two steps, steadied himself, and re-evaluated his opponent.

"Good." The corners of Rex’s mouth curled up slightly. The previous indifference in his eyes vanished, replaced by a burning fervor. "Then let the real battle begin!"

He Charged once more, holding nothing back this time. The moment his feet kicked off the ground, a crater exploded into the arena floor. Flying gravel pelted the defensive barrier, producing a frantic CRACKLE. His body shot toward Chen Shang like a cannonball, moving so fast it left an afterimage in the air. Chen Shang didn’t dodge. Instead, he stepped forward to meet Rex’s incoming strike. He bowed his stance, twisted his waist, and threw a punch!

The two fists collided in midair. For a split second, time seemed to slow down. Skin met skin, muscles compressed, and bones vibrated. Energy rippled out from their knuckles, traveling up their arms before violently detonating.

BOOM!

A visible shockwave erupted from the point of impact, forcing the front row of the audience to instinctively lean back. The Apprentices sitting nearby all threw up their arms to shield their faces. A spiderweb of fissures shattered the arena floor beneath the two fighters, rapidly spreading outward until it hit the edge of the defensive barrier. Several Stone Slabs buckled and flipped over from the cracks, exposing their grayish-white undersides.

Rex’s fist had been stopped. His pupils constricted sharply, but his battle intent only blazed hotter. Never before had an Apprentice of the same Level managed to block his full-strength strike head-on. With a Constitution of one hundred and eighty-five supplemented by Muscle Enhancement Witchcraft, the Power behind this punch exceeded a thousand degrees. It could easily hammer a thick iron golem into a pancake—or punch straight through it. Yet Chen Shang’s hand hadn’t trembled, and his body hadn’t swayed. He just stood there, fist against fist, taking the brunt of the attack without giving an inch!

"Your Constitution... it’s only a temporary boost..." Rex gritted his teeth and initiated a fresh round of reinforcement. Veins bulged along his arms as his muscles swelled, straining the cuffs of his Leather Armor to their limits. "I refuse to believe your technique is better than mine, too!"

He retracted his fist, twisted sideways, and drove a vicious knee right toward Chen Shang’s abdomen. Chen Shang pressed his left hand down to intercept the knee while swinging his right elbow in a brutal arc toward Rex’s temple. Ducking to evade, Rex grabbed Chen Shang’s arm with both hands, attempting to hurl him away. Chen Shang immediately planted his feet and lowered his center of gravity. Rooted to the spot, he refused to budge, simultaneously throwing a savage elbow strike at the back of Rex’s head. The two traded blows with blinding speed, exchanging over a dozen moves so fast that even some Second Level Apprentices couldn’t track the action.

A flurry of whispers broke out across the audience.

"This Chen Shang... how is his Constitution this freakish?"

"Does he specialize in Biological Runes? Certain Witchcraft buffs would explain it."

"But can Witchcraft buff combat technique, too?"

"His Elemental Witchcraft was even recognized by Elemental City."

"Don’t forget he’s also Cultivating the Repulsive and Attractive Dual Force! Where does he find the time to study all this? Is he really that talented?"

Back in the arena, Rex let go and took a step back. Bringing both hands together in front of his chest, he abruptly pulled them apart, drawing out a faint pale Blue Light String between his arms. This was Body Refining Stream Witchcraft, an Energy attack unleashed using the physical body as a medium. He pushed the Light String toward Chen Shang. As it flew through the air, it stretched and elongated until it was as thin as a single strand of hair. Chen Shang sidestepped, letting the Light String graze past his shoulder before it slammed into the defensive barrier behind him.

The shield shuddered violently, and a jagged, hairline fracture spiderwebbed across the pale Blue membrane. It took several breaths for it to slowly stitch itself back together. Someone in the audience gasped. This was a designated arena for Second Level Apprentices, which meant the sheer force of that attack was rapidly approaching the absolute limit of what a Second Level Apprentice could withstand.

Rex’s hands traced graceful arcs through the air. The Light Strings wove between his fingers, casting a pale Blue web of traps across the arena like a spider spinning its silk. Chen Shang’s Eye of Truth easily pinpointed the gaps between the glowing threads. He could avoid them, but not indefinitely—the sheer volume of Light Strings was steadily increasing, shrinking the safe zones. Rex wasn’t trying to land a direct hit with his Electric Light Strings; he was trying to herd Chen Shang into a corner.

Taking a deep breath, Chen Shang slightly lowered his stance before exploding forward in a burst of speed, drawing an instant uproar from the crowd below.