"So, you're Chase?" Just as Chase decided to ignore Douglas, another man stepped forward from behind Douglas, glaring at Chase with hostility."And who are you?" Chase noticed the man for the first time. At first, he thought this individual was merely one of Douglas' staff. After all, someone of Douglas' status in the Webers would typically have several attendants. However, this man was different. He boldly stepped ahead of Douglas and spoke directly to Chase. It was clear he was not a mere attendant. No subordinate would dare act so presumptuously."Listen carefully, Chase. I'm Herbert Weber, one of the White Tiger Guards. Today, you'll fall by my hand!" Herbert declared arrogantly, staring down at Chase, who was still seated at the entrance. His stance conveyed a sense of superiority."Another one from the White Tiger Guards," Chase muttered. Without even lifting his gaze, he pointed to the bag next to him. "If you're here to watch, it'll be 20 spiritual stones. Otherwise, leave
The man's calm recounting made the crowd realize just how formidable Chandler was."Chase is only at stage seven martial lord, but Chandler is at stage nine! He doesn't stand a chance!" one person exclaimed."Exactly, the gap between their levels is just too great. Chase is in real trouble this time," another agreed, and the crowd began murmuring their concerns.At that moment, Chandler, who was dressed in a combat outfit, leaped onto the arena. "Now that both fighters are ready, I'll announce the odds," Skylar declared. "Chandler's odds are set at 1.2, while Chase's odds are at 2.8!"With such a disparity, it became clear that even Skylar did not believe in Chase's chances. Given the power gap between them, it was not hard to understand why.The spectators eagerly placed their bets on Chandler. Although the 1:2 odds meant that betting ten spiritual stones would only earn them two extra if Chandler won, everyone knew this was a sure thing.There was no way Chandler could lose aga
Chandler spoke furiously. He was almost knocked out of the arena by Chase's punch earlier, but fortunately, he managed to dissipate that terrifying force at the last moment.It was clear now that Chase was not just a name without merit.Chandler dismissed his arrogance and unleashed his full strength, releasing the overwhelming aura of a peak martial lord."It's over. Chandler's serious now. Chase is done for!""Yeah, I thought for a second Chase might actually pull off a miracle and punch him out of the arena," someone murmured."That was just because Chandler underestimated him. Now that he's serious, Chase probably won't even have another chance to throw a punch. The gap in their power is just too big.""Right, I was almost about to complain to the miracle doctor about some insider trickery!" The crowd's murmurs pushed the excitement to a peak.Things proceeded as expected. Chandler unleashed his full power, seemingly to regain his lost dignity, and launched a powerful punch
At that moment, Chandler could not believe it. With his 16th punch, he had once again gathered all his true energy, yet he still could not defeat Chase in a single blow.Chandler quickly realized that he had been caught in Chase's trap. He was already entangled in Chase's momentum and could not break free no matter how hard he tried.By the 17th punch, Chase only stepped back slightly. With the 18th punch, he did not move at all.On the 19th punch, they were evenly matched. With the 20th punch, Chandler was pushed back just a little.Although it was only a tiny step, it sent waves of shock through Chandler's mind.How was this possible? Not only had Chase neutralized his full-power punch, but he also managed to push him back. Chase was like a madman, relentlessly difficult to deal with. Any ordinary person who suffered such injuries would have lost most of their strength by now, but Chase still seemed full of energy, as if the blood on his chest did not even belong to him.Chan
As expected, Chandler flew like a cannonball with one punch. He was sent to the edge of the arena. He landed at the boundary, only stopped by the restrictive mechanism set up by Skylar.Chandler's body slid down against the mechanism. He was still breathing but appeared lifeless in the eyes. He mumbled repeatedly, "Impossible… It's impossible… He's only a stage-seven martial lord… It's impossible…"Even on the verge of losing consciousness, he kept muttering. It was not just Chandler who could not believe his defeat; the entire audience sat in stunned silence, the only sound being Chandler's murmurs echoing throughout."Impossible… Impossible!"The crowd exchanged bewildered looks until Chandler's head slumped to the side. He had been completely knocked out. Then, someone finally muttered, "It's rigged."This ignited an uproar."It's rigged! Give us our money back!""Refund! Refund!"The crowd roared in unison, with the loudest voices coming from those who had bet on Chandler t
From another section of the audience, another person stood up and declared, "I forfeit too!"It was clear that this was yet another challenger who, after seeing Chandler's defeat, decisively chose to forfeit.Skylar paused in surprise. "I just told you guys to tell me in advance, but now, you people are changing your minds again. Fine, I might as well ask outright," he muttered.Skylar then turned his gaze toward Herbert in the audience. "Herbert, are you going to forfeit too?"As soon as Skylar said this, everyone's eyes focused on Herbert."Herber Webert! It's really him! I didn't expect him to challenge Chase. But surely, he won't back down, right?""Herbert is one of the White Tiger Guards! He's supposedly one of the top-ranking members of the unit. No one but White Tiger himself can command him. Who would've thought that even someone from the White Tiger Guards would challenge Chase?""Yeah, White Tiger and Basalt are both part of Bactria's national defense forces. They're
In the end, Herbert gave up and chose to forfeit. This decision drew a chorus of boos from the audience."What a letdown! They promised three matches, but we only got one! This ticket wasn't worth it at all.""Well, you can't really blame Chase. Who could've predicted that the remaining two challengers would back out after seeing Chase fight? Who could've known they'd be too scared to even step onto the arena?""Exactly. I thought Herbert, one of the White Tiger Guards, would at least take his chance. But even he ended up too frightened to fight Chase!"The crowd's comments were filled with mockery, but Herbert paid no attention. He kept his head down as he walked out of Herb Hall, with Douglas trailing behind him. On the way out, Douglas could not stop complaining."Herbert, why did you forfeit? If you had stepped up and shown your true skills, you might not have lost!""And you have the nerve to talk!" Herbert retorted. "You told me Chase wasn't that strong, so I came here to p
The old man's voice carried the weight of countless years, like an ancient relic awakening."I'm indeed a descendant of the Collins family. Who might you be, sir?" Chase quickly paused, eager to engage now that the elder had finally spoken."Me... Just call me Murdoch," the elder started to introduce himself but suddenly changed his mind.Chase did not press further, instead responding in line with Murdoch's cue. "Murdoch, may I ask why you stopped me?"Chase had sensed that this elder had been awake for some time but had chosen to ignore him until now. The fact that Murdoch called out just as Chase was about to leave suggested he had something important to convey."Did you just have a fight?" Murdoch did not answer and instead posed a question of his own.Chase nodded without hesitation. "Yes.""And what level was your opponent?" Murdoch's gaze was fixed on the bloodstains still evident on Chase's clothing."He was a stage-nine martial lord," Chase replied with some pride."I
"That's right! Kill him!"The remaining warriors gritted their teeth, their faces twisting with rage as they spread out and surrounded Chase.Although they were wary of Chase's strength, there was not a trace of fear in their expressions."I don't enjoy killing unnecessarily," Chase said calmly as his gaze swept across the group. "If you leave now, I promise not to harm any of you.""Stop wasting your breath!" the bearded man roared. Brandishing a long blade, he charged at Chase. "Kill him! Kill this beast!"In an instant, icy flashes of blade light sliced toward Chase.These attackers, all at the mid-stage of martial god, unleashed their sharpest attacks without hesitation. Each move was deadly and decisive, aiming to give Chase no chance to retaliate.However, Chase simply raised his palm and struck. With each punch, he unleashed an overwhelming force that shattered all the incoming blades of light.The last attacker was blasted into the air, coughing up a mouthful of blood b
'This place must have more monsters. I'll return later to collect them. If other warriors grab the spoils, it'll be a huge loss,' Chase thought to himself.He stood up, his gaze sweeping across the distant warriors. "Scram," he said coldly.At that moment, the sound of rushing wind echoed in the distance. Eight warriors dashed forward at incredible speed, landing near Chase in the blink of an eye.These eight individuals were all martial gods, and among them were two particularly powerful elders who had already reached the mid-stage of martial god.The two leading figures radiated the most imposing aura. One wore a purple crown while the other had a thick beard and piercing, sinister eyes."Where's Lysander? What happened to him?" the bearded man demanded."He's dead," Chase replied indifferently."What?! Who dares to kill him?!" The bearded man erupted in rage, his eyes burning with fury as he glared at Chase.The other warriors were equally shocked. Lysander, an early-stage m
Lysander's body trembled as he gathered all the martial god energy within him, channeling it into his legs. He unleashed a flurry of kicks, each imbued with the force of his energy.At that moment, Lysander appeared like a masterful fighter. His movements were sharp and relentless.Each kick was faster than the last, and every punch carried a force that could shatter mountains as it slammed into the wild tiger's abdomen.The tiger howled in pain as its massive body slid several feet to the side. Its stomach was dented and bleeding profusely.However, Lysander's situation deteriorated rapidly. His body was drenched in blood, and his injuries became critical.The tiger lunged again, its jaws clamping down on Lysander's shoulder with a sickening crunch. Bones shattered, and blood sprayed in all directions, soaking his clothes."Help me!" Lysander cried out desperately."Run! Just run!" shouted the remaining martial artists who had not gotten far.The scene resembled a nightmare, l
The next day, Chase continued his journey.Suddenly, the ground began to tremble violently. In Chase's line of sight, a massive tiger-leopard hybrid came barreling toward him, its enormous paws smashing trees into splinters as it charged forward.This beast was akin to a martial god-level wild tiger, with a hulking frame, fur as tough as iron, and an aura radiating intense negative energy.The wild tiger let out a deafening roar. Its soundwaves reverberated in all directions, shaking the earth and instilling sheer terror in anyone who heard it."Damn it! That beast is back again!" a young martial artist cursed through gritted teeth.His left arm hung limp, shattered, and his chest bore a gruesome gash. He had nearly died from the tiger's earlier attack."Run! If we don't run now, we're dead!"The remaining five or six young martial artists turned and fled in panic.This wild tiger's strength was overwhelmingly powerful. Even elite martial god-level warriors would avoid a direct
The giant ape's massive club swept through the air, creating a terrifying gust that caused the crowns of nearby ancient trees to tremble violently.Meanwhile, Chase executed the techniques of his secret codex with agile movements. His figure flashed like lightning as he dodged the attack with precision.He surged forward without hesitation and delivered a fierce punch directly to the ape's abdomen.This strike was even more powerful than before, twisting the ape's intestines into a mess and splattering blood across the ground.The giant ape howled in anguish, thrashing wildly in an attempt to shake off its pain.Out of the corner of his eye, Chase noticed a crimson serpent coiled nearby. It slithered sinuously, measuring around ten feet long, with a body that released a pungent stench.The snake's cold, piercing gaze was fixed on Chase. It emanated a chilling sense of oppression. Its forked tongue flicked out menacingly as it launched itself at him.Chase's expression hardened.
The massive ape spread its enormous wings that spanned 25 feet in width, creating a dark shadow that blocked out the sunlight like two great black clouds.The ape let out a deafening bellow, a primal roar that resonated with the ferocity of an ancient beast.In an instant, the surrounding area—nearly 300 feet in radius—was swept by fierce winds. Sand whirled through the air, grass was uprooted, and trees swayed violently as their branches rattled and leaves scattered.The air was heavy with a menacing energy."A monster!" Chase muttered, narrowing his eyes as he took a defensive stance.The aura emanating from this creature was suffocating, its strength comparable to that of a martial god at its peak."Perfect! Let this serve as a lesson to all those fools that I'm not someone to be trifled with!"Chase launched himself forward without hesitation, closing the distance with the towering beast.His fist collided with the air, creating a sharp sonic boom that reverberated through
A sharp blade appeared in Chase's hand.This was a spiritual artifact named Azure Edge, forged by a renowned swordsmith after considerable expense and effort.A flash of cold light swept across, instantly felling over a dozen ghostly creatures.They stood no chance against Chase's strikes. Their throats were slit, and their heads separated cleanly from their bodies.A crimson crystal dropped into Chase's palm.It appeared unremarkable at first glance, but it contained a thick, viscous vitality and was more potent than ordinary blood. A faint spiritual essence seemed to pulse within it, emanating an almost sentient energy."Is this a ghost crystal?" Chase's eyes lit up with excitement.He immediately sat down cross-legged, focusing on restoring his depleted vitality.Within his core, his Sea of True Energy roiled and churned. Vitality surged as waves of energy coursed through his bloodstream, refining his muscles and bones."This ghost crystal is incredible. It's allowing my bo
Chase's pupils contracted as he sensed the impending danger.He unleashed a barrage of punches in an instant, executing the most powerful technique from the Dominion Codex.The void trembled and cracked as Chase staggered back several steps. Despite the force of his strikes, his attack barely grazed the massive beast's claws, leaving only minor scratches.The beast howled furiously, its eyes filled with unrestrained violence.Chase fixed his gaze on it, and he asked in a wary tone, "Who… or what are you?"The creature's aura was pure savagery. Its heavy, steel-like scales were nearly impenetrable. Chase's full-strength attacks barely left a mark, let alone inflicted critical damage.The beast let out a deafening roar and leaped forward, spewing a foul, dark liquid at Chase.Where the liquid hit the ground, it immediately began to corrode, releasing an acrid stench. The substance seeped into the soil like acid, causing nearby plants to wither and die almost instantly.Chase reac
"Damn it! What kind of mysterious medicine is this? The pain is unbearable!"Moments later, Chase calmed down, and his expression was dazed as he muttered to himself, "That scene… Could it have been an illusion?"Chase refused to believe it was merely an illusion. After all, if it were, how could he have seen that towering, majestic mountain?That night, Chase stayed in the cave instead of leaving. He continued to study the Dominion Codex, determined to master the technique as quickly as possible and ascend to a higher realm.…Meanwhile, a man clad in armor stood suspended in the air in another location.The man's posture was upright, his features sharp and striking, with eyes as deep and vast as the cosmos. He exuded an overwhelming aura of sharpness and power."So, it was an illusion?"The man frowned slightly, sensing a faint aura belonging to the Ghost King bloodline emanating from Chase. This discovery puzzled him."Something feels off," he murmured. "This human's bloodl