After The Calamity-Chapter 17: I Won

As soon as Tian Han finished his sentence, Mu Shen lunged at him without waiting even a second. Before Tian Han could fully grasp what was happening, Mu Shen appeared right in front of him.

The moment Mu Shen appeared before him, he raised his hand and opened his palm. Then, with all his might, he thrust it toward Tian Han. Instinctively, Tian Han lifted his arms to block. Seeing this, a scornful expression appeared on Mu Shen's face.

"Does this kid really think he can block my palm strike?"

Mu Shen's palm strike was rushing toward Tian Han at full speed. Just before it landed, Tian Han reflexively wrapped his body in Arcen energy, forming a shield. At that moment, Mu Shen's palm hit him squarely. The force of the impact pushed Tian Han back several steps.

"Ow! That hurt! Don't you have a heart? I'm just a little kid!"

After being pushed back, both Mu Shen and the spectators widened their eyes in shock. Their astonishment was written all over their faces.

"How is this kid not dead?!"

While everyone stood frozen in disbelief, Chun Hai remained the only one who didn't react—his face held a satisfied smile.

The audience and Mu Shen were dumbfounded. How could a mere child survive a strike from someone in the Arcen Awareness stage?

Mu Shen roared in anger.

"You little brat! So you were lying when you said you hadn't reached Arcen Awareness?!"

Tian Han's face contorted in confusion.

"What is this guy even talking about? Why would I lie about that?"

"Why would I lie? Are you stupid?"

Hearing Tian Han's words, Mu Shen clenched his teeth, a vein bulging from his temple. His face made it clear—he wanted to tear Tian Han apart.

"You arrogant brat! You dare call me stupid? I was just planning to cripple you, but now... now I've decided to kill you."

Once more, Mu Shen charged at Tian Han, but this time Tian Han was ready. He waited for Mu Shen to get close. As Mu Shen approached with fury, he once again raised his palm to strike.

Just before the palm could connect, Tian Han slightly leaned his body to the side. Thanks to his short stature, Mu Shen's attack missed.

As Mu Shen missed, Tian Han clenched his fist.

"Guess this is how it's done."

Arcen energy surged into Tian Han's fist. As soon as it was fully charged, he punched straight at Mu Shen's abdomen.

Mu Shen noticed the incoming strike, but it was too late to dodge or block. Tian Han's punch landed squarely.

Bam! A direct hit!

Mu Shen was flung back by the force, blood trailing from the corner of his lips.

A heavy silence fell over the arena. No one had expected this. Everyone thought the boy would get utterly beaten, but instead, he had landed a solid blow.

The audience's surprise only grew. Chun Hai, however, looked at Tian Han with a mixture of curiosity and excitement. Was he starting to admire this boy?

Mu Shen steadied himself after being knocked back, wiped the blood off his mouth with the back of his hand, and glared at Tian Han. Rage burned in his eyes, but he realized something—this child wasn't someone he could take lightly.

He didn't let his fury take over. Instead, he tried to calm himself. Meanwhile, Tian Han stood deep in thought, paying no attention to either his opponent or the crowd.

"My punch just now carried a lot of Arcen energy... but I don't know how I did it. It felt as natural as moving my arm, but I used too much energy. I can feel my reserves draining. Next time, I should control it better instead of going with the flow."

Mu Shen, noticing Tian Han's absent-mindedness, felt another vein pulse on his forehead.

"This arrogant brat... is he seriously not paying attention to me? Does he think this fight is going to be easy? I changed my mind—I won't kill you. I'll break every bone in your body, then slowly peel your skin. Stay calm, Mu Shen... If you lose control, you'll lose this fight."

Taking a deep breath, Mu Shen steadied himself and looked at Tian Han again—who was still lost in thought in the middle of the arena.

Without warning, Mu Shen rushed at him once more. As Mu Shen charged, Tian Han snapped back to attention and took a fighting stance.

Mu Shen reached Tian Han and launched another palm strike. As Tian Han ducked again, Mu Shen grinned and suddenly halted the strike—opting instead to kick Tian Han square in the face.

Before Tian Han could react, the kick landed, sending him flying several meters. He tumbled to the ground, clearly struggling to regain his balance.

As he tried to rise, Tian Han saw Mu Shen charging again. A wave of panic hit him—things were getting serious.

Tian Han realized the only reason he landed his earlier punch was because his opponent had underestimated him. If he let his guard down now, he'd at least end up with broken bones.

Mu Shen kicked again, but this time Tian Han rolled away just in time to avoid it. Still, Mu Shen kept up the pressure, not giving him a single moment to stand.

Tian Han had no opening to get to his feet.

"If this keeps going, I'll definitely lose. I have to do something... but what?"

As Tian Han searched for a way out, Mu Shen continued his relentless assault. With each strike, the arena's sandy ground was kicked up into the air. Tian Han's eyes sparkled when he noticed this.

"I got it!"

He clenched his fist and began gathering Arcen energy. Noticing this, Mu Shen rushed in, not giving him a moment's rest. Just then, Tian Han unleashed the Arcen energy in his fist.

A small explosion erupted, lifting the sand into the air. Using the veil of dust as cover, Tian Han managed to stand up.

As the cloud of sand slowly dispersed, both Mu Shen and Tian Han became visible again. Tian Han was now fully focused on the battle, his eyes locked on Mu Shen's every movement.

Seeing that Tian Han was finally taking the fight seriously, Mu Shen felt more composed.

Without wasting time, Mu Shen charged at him again. Tian Han didn't flinch—he stood his ground and waited.

Mu Shen threw a punch. Tian Han dodged and countered with one of his own. Mu Shen avoided it as well. The two began exchanging blows—punches and kicks, each one imbued with Arcen energy. If any of those hits landed on an ordinary person's head, it would explode like a balloon.

As the fight dragged on, neither side could land a clean hit. But Mu Shen noticed something—Tian Han was improving with every second. Whether it was his control over Arcen energy or his close combat skills, both were sharpening as the duel continued.

Mu Shen was horrified. This boy was evolving in the middle of battle. Each second made him stronger, and the fight increasingly difficult.

"What the hell is this kid? A monster? He's growing as we fight?"

Mu Shen realized something—if he didn't end the battle quickly, he'd lose. He stopped holding back and launched his ultimate move.

"Steel Palm Strike!"

Mu Shen opened his palm and thrust it forward, but this was unlike his previous attacks—it was something entirely different. When Tian Han saw it, it felt like a colossal wave was crashing down on him. Taking this hit would end very badly.

Mu Shen pressed forward with the Steel Palm. Every instinct in Tian Han's mind screamed at him.

"If I get hit by this, I'm finished... but I can't dodge—it's too fast."

His body entered a panic. He couldn't evade or block. But then, his body moved on its own.

Arcen energy wrapped around Tian Han's legs and feet. As it gathered, Tian Han drew a half-circle into the sandy floor with his foot.

The moment the half-circle was completed, the sand lifted and formed a wall. Seeing this sudden wall, Mu Shen hesitated for just a second before continuing his strike.

That split-second hesitation was exactly what Tian Han needed—it gave him the chance to escape.

Mu Shen's Steel Palm tore through the sand wall like paper. But as he burst through it, confusion spread across his face.

"Where did he go?"

Just as Mu Shen scanned his surroundings, Tian Han burst through the remains of the sand wall. His right arm was glowing bright blue.

Mu Shen noticed him and turned quickly—but it was already too late. Tian Han had poured all his remaining Arcen energy into his right arm, and his punch crashed straight into Mu Shen's chest.

Boom!

A massive explosion erupted. The sandy ground erupted into the air. Through the swirling dust, a body was flung at full speed and slammed into a wall.

It was Mu Shen—unconscious, his chest caved in, blood pouring from his mouth, embedded awkwardly into the wall.

The audience couldn't believe their eyes. The arena fell into silence.

How? How had this child won the fight? That question echoed in every mind. But there was no room for reason now—the match was over, and Tian Han had won.

As the dust settled, at the center stood a small boy holding his right arm. It was completely drenched in blood, the skin peeled away, bones even visible in places.

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Yet the boy stood tall and firm, unwavering. There wasn't a trace of pain on his face—only excitement, joy, and satisfaction. Anyone who looked at him could see it. Though his arm was now useless, all he felt was the thrill of battle.

"That was... so much fun."

Hearing those words sent chills down the spines of the audience. In this state, was fun really what he felt?

A spark of excitement and ambition lit up in Chun Hai's eyes.

"At last... someone who might one day be my rival."

While others stood stunned in the arena, the boy lifted his face to the sky and shouted with joy and satisfaction:

"I'm Tian Han! I won!"