Chapter 246: Nothing More Than That

Many members of the Chen family were observing Chen Fei seriously for the first time. As they took in his poised bearing and imposing presence, whispers spread through the crowd.

These murmurs were nothing short of a sting to Chen Tian’s pride.

What truly unsettled him, though, was the fact that—standing there—Chen Fei bore a striking resemblance to Chen Xingjia.

“Chen Fei… I underestimated you,” Chen Tian muttered, rising slowly, his gaze locked on Chen Fei.

Chen Fei glanced back at him indifferently.

When the tragedy occurred, what strength did Chen Tian even have? At best, he was just a participant—never the one making decisions. But there were still some things Chen Fei needed answers for.

“Enough talk. Get down here.”

Chen Fei stabbed the blunt-edged giant sword into the ground with a heavy thud. Cracks spiderwebbed outward from where the blade landed.

Chen Tian raised an eyebrow at the sight.

“If you’re in such a rush to die, then allow me to help. Don’t worry, since the Ancestor favors you, I’ll go easy. But you defied your elders, so some pain is only fair.”

Chen Fei let out a cold laugh.

Seeing how unbothered Chen Fei was, Chen Tian sneered and suddenly flashed forward, appearing in front of him.

“Little brother, don’t say I didn’t warn you—my Crashing Wave Palm stacks endlessly. Once caught in it, you’ll either be crippled… or dead!”

Hearing that, several members of the Chen family paled.

Up in a nearby tower, Chen Wang frowned deeply, visibly uneasy.

“Patriarch, should I intervene?” a nearby elder asked.

Chen Wang turned toward the speaker, his gaze icy cold. The elder immediately shut his mouth and stepped back in silence.

“Chen Xingjia…” Chen Wang muttered, his tone laden with complicated emotion.

Chen Tian wasn’t exaggerating—Crashing Wave Palm was indeed a technique that focused on stacking power. Each strike added more force, and the momentum built endlessly unless interrupted. If uninterrupted, its power could become overwhelming.

Chen Tian had prepared to counter a possible interruption from Chen Fei. This was also his way of testing Chen Fei’s strength.

He wanted to know exactly what made Chen Fei so arrogant.

But to his surprise, Chen Fei didn’t interrupt him at all.

Instead, he used his massive, blunt-edged sword to block head-on.

“You’re looking to die!” Chen Tian’s eyes flashed with malice. He sent out a second palm, stacking it seamlessly onto the first.

Chen Fei lifted his massive sword horizontally, as if he’d already anticipated the trajectory.

He blocked it again—with precise timing and minimal effort.

What unfolded was nothing like what the audience expected.

Their battle had devolved into something more akin to forging steel, with strike after strike crashing against iron.

Chen Fei’s sword was thick and heavy, yet he used it with surgical precision.

Every time Chen Tian launched a palm, Chen Fei blocked just before the impact peak—neither too early nor too late.

Though Chen Tian continued stacking his Crashing Wave Palm, something felt… off.

The strikes landed, but it was as if they were being guided away from their explosive potential.

“Your Crashing Wave Palm isn’t bad,” Chen Fei said calmly, “But it’s still lacking against my Formless Sword Style.”

For Chen Fei, this wasn’t a desperate battle—it was sparring.

In fact, this was perfect for refining his technique.

The more Chen Tian added to his palm strikes, the more Chen Fei adapted.

Both techniques relied on accumulation, but Formless Sword Style was clearly more refined.

As time passed, Chen Tian’s expression finally shifted.

Yes, his strikes grew stronger—but the energy drain was enormous.

Chen Fei’s seemingly casual defense was draining Chen Tian dry!

The pressure around them surged, creating an oppressive forcefield.

Spectators were pushed back dozens of meters from the sheer clash of energies.

“If I’m not mistaken… that was the 87th palm, right? Young Master Tian truly is exceptional—so many layers!” someone murmured.

“No, that was the 89th! Nine is the ultimate number. In theory, Crashing Wave Palm can stack endlessly, but at the 90th palm, each strike costs as much energy as the previous 89 combined!”

“He’s hit his limit. He even activated his Spirit Form!”

Several Chen elders stood by, concern etched into their faces.

While they were commenting on Chen Tian, their minds were actually stunned by Chen Fei.

How was he still standing?

He wasn’t just surviving—he seemed completely in control!

“Chen Fei… you really surprised me. Forcing me to this extent—you should be proud!”

As he spoke, Chen Tian’s eyes turned blood-red.

“Spirit manifestation?” Chen Fei raised an eyebrow.

Dark fur began sprouting across Chen Tian’s body, his frame bulking up until he was twice his normal size.

“Bear-Wolverine Spirit!” Chen Fei remarked, surprised.

The Bear-Wolverine was a fusion of two ferocious beasts, and the wolverine was known to be the fiercest among bears.

In terms of raw physical boost, this Spirit could easily be considered top-tier.

Chen Tian’s current strength wasn’t just because he was the main heir.

This Spirit alone was a powerhouse advantage.

Once awakened, his attacks immediately became fiercer.

Even Chen Fei began to feel pressure. His arms ached as the massive sword took the brunt of Chen Tian’s blows.

With a thud, Chen Fei’s Void Heaven Cauldron Spirit materialized around him in a shimmering aura.

The Chen family gasped in disbelief.

“Auxiliary Spirit?”

“That garbage Spirit actually appeared on the Fifth Young Master?!”

Everyone knew auxiliary Spirits had limited applications.

Especially cauldron-type Spirits—at best, they provided defense. In the combat world, they were almost useless.

To many, it was as good as having no Spirit at all.

Even Chen Tian looked confused—almost stunned into losing control of his technique.

Once he recovered, he began laughing wildly.

“A Cauldron Spirit? Hahahaha! This is hilarious! Chen Fei, you really are a trash Spirit holder! You think that qualifies you to become the next Patriarch?!”

A vicious gleam appeared in Chen Tian’s eyes.

If Chen Fei truly had such a useless Spirit, he wouldn’t hold back anymore.

“Ninety-three!”

He called out the final palm strike.

Chen Tian had reached his absolute limit.

The Crashing Wave Palm at this level consumed more energy than all the previous strikes combined!

He didn’t believe Chen Fei could withstand this.

“Die!”

With a roar, Chen Tian’s bear-shaped arm smashed toward Chen Fei.

The sky changed.

It was as if the heavens themselves were crashing down upon Chen Fei.

But Chen Fei looked… disappointed.

If he wanted to defeat Chen Tian, he could have done it long ago.

He dragged the fight out—only to use Chen Tian as a sparring partner.

But this was all the strength he had?

So underwhelming.

As the colossal bear-palm came crashing down like a mountain, Chen Fei twisted his wrist.

The massive, blunt-edged sword pivoted.

A sword without an edge—yet still overwhelming.

A simple move—yet the earth beneath his feet cracked and split outward like a spiderweb.

The onlookers stumbled back, not daring to get too close.

In that instant, both of their final attacks collided.

BOOM!

A deafening explosion echoed out.

Nearby buildings shattered like paper.