A Dish Best Served Cold (The Man In Rage)

As Ye Fan uttered these words, his feet gradually lifted off the ground. Step by step, he ascended the stairs, drawing nearer to Chu Qitian's location. As Ye Fan approached Chu Qitian, his body gradually became bigger before the latter, and Ye Fan's once feeble aura began to surge steadily. As Chu Qitian noticed the shift in Ye Fan's aura, a look of surprise crossed his face.

"You... you've been concealing your true strength all along?" Upon hearing Chu Qitian's remark, a faint smile adorned Ye Fan's handsome face. That was a smile of successful execution, exuding pride and confidence, a clear indication that everything was under control.

"Did you only just realize that now? I must say, you're quite arrogant. You were so overconfident that you only now notice my true strength."

Ye Fan shook his head with disappointment as he spoke. Throughout history, it had been evident that arrogant armies were bound to face defeat. From the very start, Chu Qitian underestimated Ye Fan. He had simply regarded Ye Fan as a persistent nuisance, someone difficult to eliminate due to their strong resilience. So, throughout the entire encounter, Chu Qitian never granted Ye Fan enough attention or recognition. Previously, Ye Fan's resistance was simply regarded by Chu Qitian as a desperate struggle, an ineffectual attempt to fight back from a position of weakness.

However, unbeknownst to him, the battle that had just taken place was actually a meticulously planned setup by Ye Fan, all leading up to this pivotal moment.

"Symborsus, you are undeniably strong, incredibly strong. Throughout all these years, I can confidently say that you are the most formidable opponent I have ever encountered. If we had engaged in a no- holds-barred, life-or-death battle right from the start, the one who would have emerged defeated would undoubtedly have been me," said Ye Fan.

"However, you made a fatal mistake. That mistake was underestimating and belittling me, Chu Tianfan! If you had unleashed your full strength against me from the beginning, I might have been defeated and resting in Mount Kransbay by now. But you didn't. You chose to hold back, using only the power you deemed necessary to confront me. Your intention was to conserve your strength for climbing Celestial Road. However, little did you know that your restrained attack was the very opening I needed. It gave me the opportunity to catch my breath and regain my strength."

Ye Fan's words were profound, and in his deep, captivating eyes, a flicker of distant and chilling light gleamed. He resembled a colossal dragon perched atop a towering mountain, its gaze fixated on the distant horizon.

Indeed, both Symborsus and Ye Fan had held back their true power in the previous battle. For the most part, Ye Fan had relied on Raijin Thunderdrake, passively enduring the attacks. While enduring the onslaught, Ye Fan's body frantically circulated the power of Celestial Cloud, drawing strength and concealing his true abilities. Of course, in the midst of all this, Ye Fan also skillfully employed the Nine Steps of Yunyang to gradually drain Chu Qitian's strength. Indeed, in the midst of this simultaneous growth and decline, the disparity in strength between Ye Fan and Symborsus was gradually closing.

Up until this moment, Ye Fan sensed that the time for his counterattack had finally arrived. It was also the moment to commence the ultimate showdown. Ye Fan's words reverberated through Celestial Road. While listening to Ye Fan's words, Chu Qitian's expression turned increasingly grave. Eventually, as Ye Fan ended his sentence, the raging fury within Chu Qitian transformed into an icy coldness, accompanied by a surging wave of murderous intent.

"You insolent brat! How dare you scheme against me and play mind games! But do you honestly believe that your deceitful tactics alone can defeat me? Let me make it clear to you: even if you have a myriad of schemes, in the face of absolute power, you are nothing but a speck of dust. Your unconventional methods are no match for my overwhelming strength! The only purpose they serve is to delay your inevitable defeat."

Chu Qitian's voice turned cold as ice, its resonance echoing like a thunderous clap.

"Indeed? Then let us engage in battle and witness the outcome."

Ye Fan's expression was calm when he spoke. On his handsome face, there was no hint of apprehension or trepidation. On the contrary, there was an unprecedented serenity. He resembled a deep pool and a dried well, unaffected by even the fiercest storm, with no ripples disturbing his inner calm. One might wonder if it was due to self-confidence or the certainty of victory being within reach. However, none of those were the correct answer.

Symborsus had a valid point earlier; in the grand scheme of true power, Ye Fan's tricks amounted to nothing more than minor techniques. The sole benefit of his techniques was to slightly tip the scales of victory in his favor. For Ye Fan, the outcome of victory or defeat, life or death, still remained unknown.

Even in the current situation, the chances of victory for Ye Fan were quite slim, to be honest. Before the battle, Duanmu Wan'er had already alerted Ye Fan about Symborsus and his existence beyond their realm of life, and those beings from other realms possessed extraordinary power and strength that surpassed the boundaries of normalcy.

Hence, she warned Ye Fan that if he chose to challenge it for the Sky Gate, there was a high probability that the battle that night would be Ye Fan's final one. That was also the reason why Duanmu Wan'er hesitated to let Ye Fan face the danger alone. However, despite all these warnings and dangers, Ye Fan remained resolute and chose to ascend Celestial Road without any hesitation! He disregarded the possibility that this could be his final battle, or that there might be no chance of survival.

He believed that taking a risk and fighting for a chance was better than passively awaiting death. In Ye Fan's life, he had already experienced significant losses and sacrifices. Therefore, this time, he was determined not to lose Angie or anyone else important to him.

"You seem determined to invite your own destruction, huh? Chu Tianfan, are you truly certain about this? If you choose to retreat now, even after I unlock the Sky Gate, I can guarantee that you won't be harmed in the least! Moreover, I assure you that I won't encroach upon your Jiangdong territory or meddle with China in any way!"

It appeared that Symborsus was unwilling to take the risk of battling against Ye Fan at the cost of its own life. After all, Symborsus believed that these inferior and contemptible Earthlings were not deserving of it risking its own life. Moreover, it wanted to save its strength to open Sky Gate.

So, at present, Symborsus was doing everything in its power to avoid engaging in a fight with Ye Fan. Ye Fan chuckled and remarked, "Don't you think it's a bit redundant to keep asking these questions at this stage?"

"Very well!" Chu Qitian sneered.

"If you're so eager to meet your demise, Chu Tianfan, then I shall fulfill your wish today! Even if it means abandoning my pursuit of ascending Celestial Road and unlocking Sky Gate, I will ensure that you meet your end!"

Huff...

The fierce wind howled, and its sound resonated through the air. The Symborsus before Ye Fan's eyes was finally consumed by anger, its fury reaching its peak. Without holding anything back, the Symborsus unleashed its full power at that moment. Meanwhile, everyone witnessed Chu Qitian's once slender figure rapidly expanding in a terrifying manner. Veins and blood vessels, resembling coiling pythons, surfaced on his body.

The once human skin was now adorned with patches of blood-red scales, resembling the scales of a dragon. The ancient and mysterious sound of the chant resonated with even greater intensity, rolling and echoing throughout the surroundings.

After a millennium, Symborsus finally bared its sharp fangs once again, ready to unleash its true power. A battle that spanned across millennia commenced, once again unfurling between the Chu family and Symborsus. The final battle was finally about to begin.

At this moment, the entire world was enveloped in silence. Ye Qingtian fell silent, and his companions, Aaron, Carlo, and the rest, joined him in wordless contemplation as they stared into the distance. In Jiangdong, figures like Li Er and Lei Lao San stood in awe, their eyes fixed on the distant scene, filled with deep admiration. Inside the Chu residence, Grand Old Lady Chu clung tightly to Chu Lin, holding him in her arms and cherishing the son left behind by Ye Fan in this world. Tang Yun's eyes were filled with tears, causing them to turn a flushed red. Within her tearful gaze, the reflection of a slender figure could be seen.

In Yanjing, tears streamed down Xu Lei's face uncontrollably. She was in rage! She despised her own incompetence! She resented the fact that every time Ye Fan confronted a life-or-death situation, all she could do was stand by and watch.

What she despised, even more, was the cruel hand of fate that dictated their lives. She constantly questioned herself, wondering why it always fell upon Ye Fan's shoulders to face the calamities alone. She also wondered why some people were born into lives of comfort, wealth, and glory, while Ye Fan had to endure a tragic background and a lifetime of hardships and suffering.

In India, Noa asked with a choked voice, "Junie, Ye Fan will win, right?"

Junie's beautiful eyes brimmed with concern, but she nodded through teary eyes and said, "Yes, he will surely emerge victorious."

Even though the battle had not yet commenced, the mere presence of certain individuals in the face of the impending storm was enough to bring tears to others' eyes. Simply because behind him, the lives of billions of people were at stake. It was also because he stood at the forefront of life and death, fighting for the sake of all humanity.