CHAPTER 117: PERFECT SYNERGY

Chapter 116

"Second Jungle Art: Panther Strike!" Jay called out, slashing the air four times with his fingers.

To the spectators, it appeared to be a wild, meaningless flurry—nothing visible, no aura, no waves of energy. But their skepticism shattered when one of Blazer’s firebirds was suddenly sliced clean into three. The flames dispersed into sparks, scattered like dying embers in the wind.

Gasps erupted from the crowd.

The second firebird, however, continued its charge, reaching Jay’s side in a blur of heat and light. Without hesitation, Jay’s fist surged forward, Qi flowing from his core, spiraling through his veins and concentrating into his knuckles. When the fist collided with the flaming construct, a blast of searing heat hit him like a tidal wave.

Jay’s expression twisted in pain, his jaw clenched tightly as steam hissed off his skin. But he didn’t step back.

Instead, he poured more Qi into his fist, letting it burn, letting it channel through the pain—and with a grunt, he shattered the firebird into molten fragments.

The crowd stared in a stunned silence, half expecting Jay to be incinerated, but he stood tall. Only a faint frown creased his usually impassive face.

Then, that frown vanished—replaced by a faint, teasing smile.

"If that’s your strongest attack," Jay said calmly, his voice low but clear, "then you’ve already lost."

Blazer, now fully consumed by his rage and flames, let out a roar and charged. His speed doubled, flames spiraling violently around him as his feet scorched the stage.

Jay moved purely on instinct.

He leaned sideways—barely—just as Blazer’s flaming fist shot past, missing his face by inches. Even so, the heat was enough to sting his skin. The flaming projectile that followed exploded against the arena barrier, shaking it violently and sending ripples through the protective field—a testament to how terrifying Blazer’s power had become in his rage state.

Jay quickly retreated a few meters, taking several sharp breaths as he steadied his Qi. Across the battlefield, Blazer stood with eyes locked on him, breathing heavily, the fire around him surging like a storm.

The atmosphere tightened.

"This match is done," Jon muttered beside Rin, arms folded. "There’s no way Jay can keep enduring those kinds of attacks. If what he’s shown so far is all he has... he’s finished."

Rin didn’t respond, only watching the stage with wide eyes.

Han, however, didn’t agree entirely. He nodded at Jon’s logic—but only under one condition.

If this is Jay’s full strength.

Han was certain it wasn’t.

I wonder... Has he mastered all fifteen Jungle Arts already? Han thought, a small smirk appearing on his lips.

Blazer didn’t wait for anyone to speak. He surged forward again, fire exploding beneath his feet. Each step scorched the ground black as he charged, becoming a burning comet aimed straight at Jay.

Jay stood ready—one hand raised in front, the other by his side. He was preparing to use Wolf Clutch again.

As Blazer closed the gap, Jay moved in—but suddenly, an intense wave of heat exploded from Blazer’s body, catching Jay’s hand mid-technique and stunning him.

That brief hesitation was all Blazer needed.

With a roar, he slammed two flaming fists directly into Jay’s chest.

The impact thundered across the stage. Jay’s body was launched like a ragdoll, skidding across the arena. He tumbled violently, rolling over and over before coming to a halt—mere inches from falling out of bounds.

The crowd fell into stunned silence.

For several seconds, no one said a word—too shocked to process what had just unfolded. Moments ago, Jay had the upper hand, dominating the match with ease. But when Blazer entered his rage form, everything shifted. Jay looked like he was being overwhelmed.

"This battle is over," muttered the Undying Flame, rising from his seat. "Any more and someone’s life might be lost..."

He was just about to signal the end of the match when a hand caught his wrist.

He turned—and saw the Beast.

The towering man simply shook his head and nodded toward the stage.

"I don’t think the kid’s done yet," he said, his voice calm, confident.

Gasps rippled across the arena—followed by an eruption of cheers.

Jay was standing.

Not only that—he looked... fine. His chest was scorched slightly where Blazer had struck him, the fabric of his robe burned and darkened—but otherwise, he stood tall, smiling as though nothing had happened.

"Damn... I knew coming to this tournament was the right choice," Jay thought with a grin. "Now... time to get serious."

Blazer, still consumed by rage, didn’t hesitate. With a furious roar, he charged once more, flames bursting around him. His right fist glowed red-hot, condensed with even more energy than before, and it shot straight toward Jay’s head.

"Sixth Jungle Art: Snake Curl!" Jay declared.

His body twisted unnaturally—like a snake—dodging the flaming fist with a fluid, unpredictable movement. In a blink, he was behind Blazer.

"Ninth Jungle Art: Crocodile Clamp!"

Jay grabbed Blazer’s arm and twisted violently.

A sickening crack echoed through the arena.

Blazer’s arm had been snapped at the joint—but in his rage form, he didn’t even flinch. He threw a wild punch with his other arm, which Jay narrowly dodged by ducking.

"Wolf Clutch!" Jay shouted, slamming his body upward, grabbing Blazer, and hurling him into the ground with bone-rattling force.

The arena shook—but Blazer wasn’t finished.

With an explosion of flames, he shot up again like a meteor reborn. Jay leapt back, creating distance.

"Fourth Jungle Art: Cheetah Stride!"

Jay vanished—only to reappear in front of Blazer in an instant.

"Seventh Jungle Art: Hyena Rush!"

He became a blur of motion, launching a relentless barrage of punches and kicks. Each hit landed with brutal force—faster and heavier than the last. Blazer couldn’t block. Couldn’t counter. He was being battered from all sides.

The crowd inhaled sharply—imagining themselves in Blazer’s place.

If it had been them, they’d be dead.

Jay didn’t stop. Within seconds, he landed dozens of devastating strikes. Then—he twisted, pivoted, and delivered a final, vicious uppercut to Blazer’s chin, sending him soaring into the air.

Jay followed—jumping even higher.

Clasping both hands together above his head, he shouted:

"Fifth Jungle Art: Gorilla Smash!"

He came down like a hammer from the heavens, slamming Blazer on the head and driving him straight into the ground with a deafening crash. The impact left a massive dent in the arena floor, smoke and dust exploding outward.

Silence returned once more.

Just a moment ago, Jay was the one being overwhelmed. Now, in only a few deadly moves, he had turned the tide—utterly decimating Blazer.

Han watched from the stands, his eyes narrowed. He wasn’t just surprised at the comeback...

No—he was stunned for a different reason.

The Jungle Arts were notoriously difficult to master—not just because of their complexity, but because of the immense physical and mental strain they placed on the user. Yet Jay had unleashed several of them in quick succession... without so much as a change in expression.

What truly caught Han’s attention, however, wasn’t just Jay’s composure.

It was the way he seamlessly blended one Jungle Art into another—chaining techniques together so naturally that they enhanced each other’s power. That kind of synergy... wasn’t recorded anywhere. Even Han, a master in his own right, had never seen it done before.

"He’s good," Han thought, eyes glinting with interest. Now more than ever, he wanted to fight Jay himself.

Several tense seconds passed... then stretched into minutes.

Still, Blazer didn’t move.

The referee began to step forward, preparing to announce the result.

But just then—Blazer’s body twitched.

A moment later, he slowly, shakily rose to his feet.

The fearsome aura that once surrounded him had completely vanished. His eyes, once blazing infernos of rage, had dimmed to a dull ember. Blood covered his face—his own—and his body trembled as he stood. He was broken. Barely conscious. But he stood, defiant to the end.

Jay watched him with calm eyes... and then, unexpectedly, smiled.

He raised a hand—and gave Blazer a thumbs-up.

It was meant to show respect. To say, You fought well.

But in Blazer’s eyes, it was mockery.

With a guttural growl, Blazer charged one last time.

His movement was sluggish—too slow for Jay. Every punch that Blazer threw landed against Jay’s chest, small bursts of flame erupting with each strike. But Jay didn’t flinch. He didn’t even blink.

He just smiled.

"It’s futile," Jay said softly, his voice steady. "You’ve lost."

Then he raised a finger.

With a flick powered by Qi—Qi Flick Technique—he tapped Blazer’s forehead.

Bang.

Thud.

Blazer’s body hit the ground like a sack of rocks.

He didn’t get up again.

He couldn’t.

Blazer had been defeated. Jayden had won.

To be continued...

Here’s the Chapter, guys!

Don’t forget to vote and comment! 🔥💬