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
"I'll restrict my strength to that of an early-stage martial lord, but let me warn you, just because you're now a late-stage martial lord, don't think you can be complacent," Murdoch said with a sharp tone."I'll show you that the difference between stages and levels can be completely disregarded, especially since I sense an unusual life force within you. My strikes will be lethal, so from now on, you'd better remain vigilant at all times because I might attack suddenly."Now, let's see your strength," Murdoch continued. "Hit me with everything you've got. If you manage to make me take even half a step back, I'll count today as your win!"Chase hesitated at Murdoch's dismissive attitude. He could not quite grasp the situation. First, Murdoch claimed to know his father and offered to teach him some advanced techniques. Now, he wanted Chase to hit him?Chase could not help but wonder if this old man was a masochist.Murdoch's impatience flared. "You've got such a dull spirit! I told
Chase lay flat on the smooth, water-like surface, resting for a good one to two hours before he managed to muster enough strength to get up.With a thought, he exited the Dragon Vein Secret Realm and reappeared in Herb Hall, only to see Trek and a few other Basalt comrades staring at him in disbelief."Trek, go call Miracle Doctor Skylar," Chase ordered weakly, not wanting to move."No need, I'm already here. What on earth happened to you? Why do you look like this?" Skylar asked, his face filled with shock. As a skilled healer, he could easily tell that Chase had taken quite a beating.Chase did not bother explaining and simply asked Skylar if he had any medicinal herbs to help nourish his body."I do have them, but why do you need them? Did the battle with Chandler really injure you that badly?" Skylar asked curiously."Yes, a bit, but mostly, I need them for my closed-door cultivation," Chase replied evasively.This simple response caused Quinn, who had been standing nearby,
Stretching lazily, Chase sat in front of Trek and Quinn, taking sip after sip from the bottle of wine. Seeing their worried, long faces, he chuckled. "I'm fine, really. My strength is advancing by leaps and bounds."Hearing this, Trek and Quinn exchanged glances. It seemed Chase had somehow managed to gain insights even while getting beaten up.Once he felt a bit better, Chase sent Trek off first. Trek was only helping out at Herb Hall during the day and still needed to return to the base at night. Fortunately, his cultivation level made the distance easy to cover.The next day, Skylar told Chase that no one had signed up to challenge him. Without hesitation, Chase went straight into the Dragon Vein Secret Realm to continue his training.Before starting, he casually asked if he should practice some blade or sword techniques.Murdoch flew into a rage, scolding him about not even having learned how to walk properly yet and already wanting to run. After that, Murdoch used the pretens
"I know I'm not your match," Ford said, bowing his head. "So, I willingly admit defeat. But I still want to see the Holy Path with my own eyes. That is why... I'm making this shameless request."His explanation actually made sense.Chase and the others already knew that Sky Dragon Holy Land was founded by the dragons who had ascended from the lower realm. It was not difficult to believe that they had the secret techniques needed to transmit battle footage.It also meant that all the rumors about Chase being a mysterious hidden expert were probably a joke among the major Holy Lands and sects. At least, among those sects that had close ties with Sky Dragon Holy Land, they probably already knew about Chase's true strength.Maybe all the Saints and Saintesses who had shown up at this little tournament in Light Divine City were actually here just to test Chase's abilities.Realizing this, Chase chuckled quietly and said, "Of course, you can come along, Ford. But first, I have to actual
After stepping down from the stage, Chase did not waste any time on unnecessary words.He quickly avoided the crowd of onlookers who acted like crazed fans and returned to the reserved inn room with Willow and the others."Tomorrow, your opponent will be the Saint of Sky Dragon Holy Land, Ford," Walter said excitedly."They say Sky Dragon Holy Land was established by the dragons who ascended from the fifth level. You thrashed the Lightning Dragon back on the fifth level the last time, so this time should be just as easy.""Where'd you get such reliable information?" Willow asked, feeling a little surprised.After all, with Walter's rather fearsome appearance—looking every bit like a bandit—most people would not want anything to do with him."I have dragon blood, remember?" Walter patted his chest proudly."Last time, after absorbing the Poison Dragon's core and a good amount of blood essence, the concentration of my dragon lineage became strong enough to catch Sky Dragon Holy La
On the main stage, Chase watched the sea of runes flying toward him. Suddenly, a spark of understanding struck him.He channeled his vital energy into the right index finger that had fused with the divine bone. Recalling the sword manual techniques, streaks of lightning-infused vital energy shot forth as sword energy.He moved his finger through the air, as if painting across the void. Each stroke unleashed a brilliant sword aura, razor-sharp and unstoppable, shattering everything in its path.Jade's rune barrage was broken apart one by one. Fragments of spiritual light and shattered runes drifted through the air.Every slash of Chase's sword aura was executed with such precision that not a single movement was wasted. The angles and trajectories were so perfect that each attack struck the runes at their most vulnerable points, maximizing impact.Among the spectators, only Carla, Fallon, and Ford—who had just rushed over—could truly appreciate the brilliance of his swordplay.More
"But the Light Divine Pearl is a creation-grade treasure. It's still only at the martial god level. It's far from being fully awakened," Fallon said with a frown.While the two spoke, Jade and Chase had already clashed head-on. Jade had unleashed her Thousand Eyes and Flowers.Countless ancient runes, shining with brilliance, shot out from the light screen behind her. Each rune faintly contained the essence of martial arts, distorting the space as they passed.If one's cultivation was insufficient, one's mind and soul would likely be shaken first, followed by one's body being pierced by the runes.As the rain of runes blasted toward Chase like a raging storm, the spectators below gasped as they were finally witnessing a truly grand spectacle.Willow and the others were awed by the sheer momentum of Jade's ultimate move. Although they knew Chase would not be harmed, they could not help but feel anxious."Can Chase block it?" Lisa asked worriedly while glancing at Willow."My mast
Jade gritted her teeth as she gathered all her vital energy, preparing to unleash her ultimate move. It was the very origin of her title—Thousand Eyes and Flowers.Behind her, a vital energy screen spread open like a peacock fanning its tail.The surface was covered with intricate patterns, resembling the eye-like spots on a peacock's feathers.These patterns were not mere decorations. Each one was an ancient rune, capable of releasing a devastating vital energy attack.When Jade unleashed this move, everyone below gasped in shock."No way, this is just a friendly tournament match. Does Jade really need to go this far?""Should we reinforce the arena's defensive array? I'm afraid someone might get caught in the crossfire.""Tsk, tsk, it's been so long since we last saw Jade lose her temper. She's even more stunning when she is angry!""You're such a pervert. If you get hit by that move, there will not even be a corpse left of you!""You don't understand. There are worse ways t
Inside Universal Holy Land, Clive and his master were facing off against the woman suspected to be the Dark Divine Pearl. Meanwhile, at Light Divine City, Chase's fourth round at the tournament's semifinals had already begun.His opponent was Jade, the Saintess of Modest Lady Holy Land, also known as Thousand Eyes and Flowers.It was already extremely rare for two contestants with such a rare same surname to appear in the same tournament. They belonged to different factions yet both were advancing to the final few rounds. Not to mention, if Yara had revealed his phoenix bloodline and inheritance, he might have very well made it to the finals too.The people with the surname Fries were terrifying beyond words!These were the thoughts running through Chase's head for no particular reason. On the other hand, after Jade saluted, she launched her attack without hesitation.Chase, still a bit distracted, was startled by the ferocity of her strike. Such a name and demeanor, paired with
Skyler spoke proudly.Clive kept having the feeling that something did not seem right when he heard Skyler's words."The Holy Path will only open after winning the tournament championship. Only those selected by the champion can enter. I was already eliminated in the second round…" Clive stammered."Won't you become the champion after killing the current champion? Isn't killing Chase Collins what you want to do?" Skyler was frustrated with Clive.Clive finally realized what felt wrong about all of this."You're not Skyler," he said coldly.The Universal Element Priest had also locked down on Skyler with his vital energy at this point. "Reveal yourself. Who are you? What did you do to Skyler?""Oh? How did you know?" Skyler was taken aback but quickly calmed down and asked the question. "What's wrong with my charisma and appearance?"He looked at his body and clothes while asking the questions with curiosity and calmness. This person had admitted to pretending to be Skyler."Fir
"His will is a blur." Clive sounded helpless when he added, "But it's a will that is extremely frightening and evil."He had the right to this opinion as someone who had faced Klondike directly.When Klondike's will was directed at him, Clive could feel unlimited fear and helplessness. Any second more of facing Klondike might make him lose his mind.He could barely take the energy pumped into him. He only managed to get through it because of his guilt for Rania and his desire to live.The thought of begging Klondike was equivalent to seeing death.There was one reason why he was brave enough to talk about Klondike with the Universal Element Priest and Skyler. It was because Klondike was in a stage of being half awake and half asleep. Clive only dared to discuss Klondike when he was asleep.However, speaking of anything that crossed the line would attract his attention, and Clive was not willing to see that happen.The Universal Element Priest and Skyler glanced at each other. The
Both of those disciples thought they could see Skyler lose his temper, but he reacted calmly. The attempts to fan the situation seemed to have failed. Had they lost credibility with Skyler for their misguided actions?They broke into a cold sweat from fear.Those disciples had offended the previous and current Saints. It looked like they had just made life tougher for themselves.They glanced at each other and gave a long sigh.…Inside Universal Element Palace, Clive had placed Rania down on a training mat while he knelt in front of his master, the Universal Element Priest. "Master, please save Rania North. I'm willing to pay any price without regrets!"He spoke with great determination, and there was a grim look on his face."Silly boy." The Universal Element Priest glanced at Clive and sighed."Rania North seems to have been poisoned by a vicious curse and an extraterritorial poison. I can temporarily save her life, but her face…" He shook his head."I'm grateful enough that