Chapter 226: You Lost

Huaxiang Chen's astonishment was beyond words.

The observation stands were already in an uproar!

"Is this a mistake?! He knows palm techniques too?"

"I understand why Senior Brother Hua kept his palm techniques hidden; after all, the sect leader's strongest skill is palm techniques. It wouldn't make sense for his chief disciple to only cultivate sword arts."

"But what about Jiang Fan? He's also proficient in palm techniques?"

Yan Yuqing's face was flushed with joy.

She was already surprised that her uncle could draw with Huaxiang Chen using sword arts.

But what surprised her even more was that he still had a hidden move!

The Grand Sect Leader and the elders could no longer stay seated.

Especially the Grand Sect Leader.

He had assumed his chief disciple would secure a clear victory.

But what was the outcome? He actually drew with the opponent!

What astonished him most was that this young man, like Huaxiang Chen, had also concealed his palm techniques!

"Have you found out?"

"Who exactly is this person?"

The Grand Sect Leader suddenly grew anxious, wondering if his proud disciple might actually lose.

The elders said:

"We're still investigating. We'll have results soon."

"This is truly baffling. Where did this kid come from?"

"We haven't heard of such a formidable young disciple among the Nine Sects!"

"Sect Leader, don't panic. Even if this person is proficient in palm techniques, he won't be able to defeat your disciple."

"After all, Xiang Chen's palm techniques were personally tutored by you."

Upon hearing this, the Grand Sect Leader felt slightly relieved.

He still had great confidence in Huaxiang Chen's palm techniques.

He just didn't know what kind of combat style this suddenly appearing dual-cultivation genius possessed.

At this moment, Huaxiang Chen on the arena stage was at a loss for words, his mind a jumble of emotions.

He had thought Jiang Fan only understood physical techniques, so he brought out his cultivation.

He had thought his sword techniques would surely win, but Jiang Fan displayed sword techniques superior to his own.

He had thought he had a hidden trump card in his palm techniques, but Jiang Fan also displayed palm techniques.

A profound sense of suffocation washed over him.

He knew he had truly encountered a formidable opponent!

This Jiang Fan was not the spiritless "waste" that rumors claimed. On the contrary, he was terrifyingly strong!

If he didn't take this seriously, he might very well lose.

Realizing this, he focused with unprecedented intensity, saying:

"Let me experience the power of your palm techniques!"

"A Single Leaf Conveys Autumn!"

His palm movements were ethereal, like a drifting falling leaf, unpredictable in direction. As they approached Jiang Fan, they transformed into numerous illusions, making it impossible to tell which palm was real and which was a phantom.

A profound-level advanced palm technique? Jiang Fan narrowed his eyes, immediately gathered his qi, and struck back with a palm!

"Startled Dragon!"

As a profound-level high-grade cultivation method from the Primeval Void Ancient Tree, even as a profound-level high-grade art, its power was absolutely among the pinnacle of its rank!

As the two palms clashed, dragon roars erupted, like two dragons howling. Large swathes of illusory palm prints were shattered, revealing the real hands.

Bang—

The two collided head-on, producing a dull, explosive sound. Both were forced back two steps.

Huaxiang Chen was greatly surprised! Jiang Fan's palm techniques were still superior and more refined than his own?

He started to panic. His most prideful palm techniques couldn't even faze Jiang Fan!

"Seven Stars Pointing to the Moon!"

He unleashed his second move.

Jiang Fan was not to be outdone.

"Dragon Command!"

An even more powerful palm strike met it. This palm strike was still evenly matched!

Huaxiang Chen was stunned! He had used his full strength, yet he still couldn't overcome Jiang Fan?

He was the second strongest elite of the Grand Elder Sect, the Sect Leader's chief disciple, the very face of the Grand Elder Sect!

How could he possibly lose to Jiang Fan?

Gritting his teeth, he decided to stake it on spiritual energy. Although Jiang Fan possessed palm techniques that could rival his own, his cultivation was a fatal flaw!

So, he leaped forward, engaging in a grand battle of palm techniques.

The Sect Leader, elders, and disciples, who understood Huaxiang Chen's intentions, all fell silent.

The dignified chief disciple of the Sect Leader actually had to rely on outlasting his opponent with spiritual energy?

They didn't know whether to say Jiang Fan was too strong, or that the Grand Elder Sect's reputation was undeserved.

The Grand Sect Leader felt his face burn. His most prideful disciple, facing a junior at Foundation Establishment Stage Seven, was forced to rely on spiritual energy to win. Even if he won, he couldn't be happy.

The elder from Verdant Bamboo Peak consoled him: "Sect Leader, don't take it too much to heart."

"As long as we win, the Grand Elder Sect's reputation will be preserved."

"As for the process... as long as he wins, nothing else matters."

Every elder felt that winning in such a manner was disgraceful, and they all rushed to defend Huaxiang Chen.

"This young man cultivates both body and spiritual arts, and his sword and palm techniques are superior to Huaxiang Chen's."

"It's already impressive that he can win; the means don't matter."

"Cultivation is the most important part of strength. There's no shame in competing with spiritual energy."

At that moment on the stage, everyone believed that Huaxiang Chen would ultimately win.

In fact, Jiang Fan's spiritual energy was indeed rapidly depleting.

After two hundred moves, he was already showing signs of fatigue.

Huaxiang Chen's gaze sharpened. Seizing the opportunity, he struck with a palm, shouting:

"You're bound to lose!"

Jiang Fan knew that his palm techniques could no longer block this move. Helplessly, he withdrew his palm stance and said:

"Alright, then I'll just use a different technique."

As Huaxiang Chen's palm strike came, Jiang Fan mobilized his scarce spiritual energy. His eyes suddenly turned sharp. Pointing with his index and middle fingers like a sword, he instantly jabbed them out.

"Purple Qi from the East!"

An Earth-tier finger technique, the second form of the "Heavenly Cripple Finger." Its power far surpassed the first form.

In an instant!

A purple beam of light shot forth from his fingers, striking Huaxiang Chen's incoming palm!

*Pfft!*

His palm was instantly pierced by the purple light! The purple light's momentum did not diminish, forcing Huaxiang Chen to retreat repeatedly. He kept retreating until he was outside the arena!

The referee immediately shouted: "Huaxiang Chen is out of bounds!"

"Winner, Jiang Fan!"

As he finished speaking, he instantly leaped and flashed over. He casually drew his Black Profound Iron Blade and blocked the purple light that was heading straight for Huaxiang Chen's chest.

*Clang—*

The Black Profound Iron Blade violently trembled, shaking blood from the referee's hand.

The sudden outcome stunned everyone in the observation stands.

Huaxiang Chen lost?

The Grand Elder Sect's second strongest expert, the Sect Leader's chief disciple, just lost like that?

Sadness and unwillingness welled up in the disciples' eyes. Their senior brother had actually lost to an outsider! Some female disciples even shed tears.

Yan Yuqing was also stunned. She had thought her uncle was strong, but she never expected that just when she thought he was about to lose, he would unexpectedly unleash an incredibly bizarre and powerful finger technique!

"Is this Uncle's true strength?" Yan Yuqing's beautiful eyes shone brightly.

Little did she know, this was merely a sparring match. In a true life-or-death battle, Huaxiang Chen would have long met a tragic end like Elder Tie, perishing under the purple sword. There would have been no chance for two hundred exchanges.

This point, Huaxiang Chen also didn't know.

Standing outside the arena, his gaze lost focus. He only felt the world spinning around him. Everything seemed unreal.

He actually lost. Lost to the spiritless disciple from the Azure Cloud Sect, whom he had always looked down upon?

He was the chief senior brother of the Grand Elder Sect. Everyone in the sect was watching him!

He couldn't lose!

"I accidentally stepped out of the arena; let's do it again!" Huaxiang Chen stared fixedly at Jiang Fan, his eyes filled with unwillingness.

The referee, however, stopped him, saying: "There's no need to compete further."

"You cannot defeat him."

He raised his Black Profound Iron Blade. The blood from his hand had spread over more than half of the blade. It was very striking.

But what was most striking was a purple melted indentation on the blade.

This made Huaxiang Chen's pupils contract sharply!