A deafening blast echoed through the air. The blood-red curved longsword wielded by the black-armored warrior had severed the silver dragon's head in half. The shockwave generated by their collision swept out in all directions like a tidal wave, blowing up debris in its path.The crowd was forced to retreat by the gusting wind, struggling to keep their eyes open.Moments later, after the chaos subsided, a transformation had already taken place on the battlefield. On the left, Vincent held his silver spear with a solemn expression, his clothes torn. His hand that was gripping his spear trembled slightly.On the right, Marco stood in silence. The eerie red glow of his Demon blade faded as he sheathed it slowly. They stood 30 feet apart, gazing at each other across the field without uttering a word. It seemed as if time had frozen. "What happened? Who won?" The crowd exchanged looks of confusion. That final blow had been too quick for ordinary martial artists to follow. The
"What just happened? How did it end up like this?"After a brief silence, the scene erupted into chaos. What happened was out of everyone's expectations. Vincent, coming from a prestigious family with exceptional spear techniques and profound cultivation, had maintained the upper hand against Marco. So, how was he defeated after just a single strike? What exactly happened?"He... lost?" Ruby was stunned. She stood with her eyes wide open, she was at a loss. From the moment Vincent made his appearance, she had been watching him. His handsome appearance, noble charisma, powerful cultivation, and unparalleled spear techniques had captivated her.She had imagined countless scenarios of Vincent winning the battle, but she never expected this outcome. "How could this be…" Miles was rendered speechless and appeared somewhat embarrassed.His earlier confident declaration that Vincent would emerge victorious and that Marco would be defeated now seemed misplaced. "Vincent is a semi
Many among the crowd were moved by Vincent's fearlessness. Despite his defeat, he still held his head high, refusing to submit to Marco. It was a commendable spirit that served as a lesson for everyone present. However, with Vincent now seriously injured, and his weapon snapped in half, he would only end up jeopardizing his life if the battle continued.A prodigy like Vincent should not just meet his end here. "Vincent Lenim! The results are clear. Stop being stubborn and withdraw immediately!" Quincy rebuked. Even though the Celestial Alliance had numerous disciples, only a few of them were truly talented, and Vincent was one of them.As a semi-grandmaster, Vincent should feel proud for holding his ground against a grandmaster for that long, and Quincy did not wish to see him endanger his life recklessly for a momentary outcome. "As long as I'm still standing, I won't admit defeat!" Vincent roared, the broken half of his spear still in hand.With that, he took a step for
"I'll ask once more, who else wishes to challenge the Kimboku warrior?" Quincy spoke up again. He truly wished for a skilled martial artist to come forward voluntarily, defeat Marco, and bring honor to the country. Otherwise, he would have to step in himself. "What's the matter? Is no one brave enough to challenge our master?" The butler sneered and continued his provocation, "It looks like the rumors are true. You Dragonmarshians are just weak and cowardly eastern scoundrels!"His statement stirred an uproar among the crowd."You fucking asshole! What did you just say? I'll fucking kill you!""You son of bitch! Don't you mess with us!""How dare you insult us! I swear to god, I'll kill all of you!" The martial artists roared in fury, clenching their teeth with simmering resentment. Several impulsive young men even made a move to charge forward, but Quincy stopped them. Even in the rare case that they were able to defeat Marco, turning the duel into a brawl would undo
"Hey! Who the hell are you? Can you not mess around here? Get out of here!" "That's right! You don't belong to a guild and yet you dare take on the challenge? What gave you the courage to do so?" "And I thought it was someone exceptionally formidable, but turns out he's just a nobody!" Dustin's declaration not only frustrated Quincy, it also invited the crowd's insults. They might have shown him respect if he were from a prestigious guild. However, Dustin was merely a wanderer without a name for himself. A nobody like him had no right to issue a challenge.Since this was the final battle and concerned the honor of the country, their defeat would be a disgrace to all martial artists in the nation. They would never place their hopes on an unknown martial artist. "Young man, this battle is not a game. If you're not fully confident, just give it up." Quincy shook his head, appearing somewhat disappointed. While having courage was admirable, it had to be accompanied by skill.
Quincy's eyes widened in astonishment. It was shocking that he wasn't able to react in time to Dustin's silver needle with his skills. If used against Marco, Dustin might just have a chance of winning. Not to mention, Quincy had sensed the faint aura of a grandmaster through the silver needle that flew by. He wondered if the unknown young man before him could actually be a martial arts grandmaster."Elder Douglas, I think I qualify for a duel now, don't you think?" Dustin asked. After a moment's hesitation, Quincy eventually nodded. "Alright, since you're this confident, I'll give you a chance. I hope you won't disappoint us."If Dustin was a grandmaster, coupled with his amazing hidden weapon techniques, there was a good chance that he might just emerge victorious. "Elder Douglas, is this a joke? You're really going to allow him to duel?""Elder Douglas, that kid is just a lone wanderer! How is he worthy of representing Dragonmarsh in a duel?" "It's such an embarrassme
"I'm dying to see just how badly he loses!" Ruby was indignant. She didn't believe that an attention seeker would manage to turn the tide when even a talented prodigy like Vincent was defeated. She was confident that the precious sword on the Renowned Treasure List was as good as hers. "Who are you? Identify yourself!" the butler demanded as Dustin approached. He had expected Quincy to take matters into his own hands, not the sudden appearance of a young man. With an unknown figure stepping forward, even if Marco emerged victorious, it wouldn't enhance his reputation. "My name is Dustin Rhys. I'm here to witness the prowess of a Kimboku warrior for myself," Dustin declared calmly."You're no match for our master. Get Quincy to duel our master," the butler replied haughtily. To Marco and his butler, the nobodies from Dragonmarsh were simply not worth the effort. Fighting them would only be a waste of time.It was only by defeating prominent figures like Quincy that woul
"What the hell? The brat may be despicable, but Dustin shouldn't underestimate him either! What the hell is he thinking?""He might not even win with a weapon. Fighting without a weapon is just foolish!"The crowd exchanged remarks among themselves. No one expected Dustin to utter such arrogant words even after two consecutive defeats. "Is this bastard crazy? Fighting with bare hands against Marco is just like suicide!" Miles was both surprised and puzzled."Hmph! He must be trying to find an excuse when he loses. This is his way of escaping the situation. He knows he can't defeat the brat and will use his lack of a weapon as an excuse for losing. "I've seen through his petty tricks!" Ruby spoke as if she had figured out Dustin's clever plan. "Is that so?" Realization hit Miles. It was a cunning move from Dustin. Despite knowing he would be defeated, he still insisted on basking in the limelight. His shameless tricks seemed to know no bounds."Dragonmarshian, if you don't