An Understated Dominance

The venue fell into stunned silence as all eyes were drawn to the injured and unconscious Jude. Nobody had anticipated this outcome.

Just seconds ago, Jude had been dominating the match. He relentlessly attacked Dalen and was on the verge of shattering his barrier to secure victory. But suddenly, he collapsed to the ground.

The sequence of events unfolded so quickly that the spectators barely had time to process what had happened.

“What just happened? Jude lost?”

“That was odd! What the heck happened a moment ago?”

“This match is full of surprises.”

After a brief moment of silence, the spectators erupted into an uproar.

Jude’s defeat was utterly unexpected. At first, he toyed with Dalen and underestimated him. However, his overconfidence allowed Dalen to seize the opportunity and deliver powerful blows.

Furious, Jude unleashed a fierce assault that left Dalen struggling to defend himself. But against all odds, Jude lost, and Dalen emerged as the surprising victor.

The sequence had so many twists and turns that it bewildered everyone.

“Wait, Mr. Shade actually won?” After a brief moment of shock, Ruby laughed excitedly. “Crystal, did you see that? He won. This is amazing.”

“He actually pulled it off?” Crystal’s eyes widened in disbelief at the outcome.

Although Jude had given Dalen a chance during the match, he ultimately shifted the momentum in his favor through his exceptional skill. His Spectral Clone and Spectral Sprint techniques were powerful enough to secure victory.

Still, she couldn’t understand how Dalen made such a comeback.

“Dr. Rhys, your friend is really impressive. I can’t believe he actually beat Jude. That was totally unexpected.”

Alicia and the others exchanged looks of surprise.

In terms of strength, Jude was clearly superior. After all, reaching the Legendary List demonstrated his exceptional talent. His mastery of the Spectral Sprint and the Spectral Clone technique showcased his remarkable abilities.

In contrast, Dalen hadn’t displayed any particularly overpowering techniques, which made his victory seem puzzling.

“Jude underestimated him and gave away too many chances.” Fenley finally spoke up. “But to be fair, Dalen is no ordinary martial artist. He has a remarkable ability to seize opportunities, and even the smallest flaw can be exploited by his keen insight. That’s a rare talent.”

While others might not have noticed, he had seen it clearly. Dalen won because he accurately identified Jude’s true form among the eight clones at the critical moment. But that was only part of the reason.

He also had predicted where Jude’s true form would land, and he had just a split second to attack. If he missed that moment, defeat would have been inevitable. But he seized that fleeting instant.

As Jude’s true form attacked, Dalen chose to trade blows. He took a punch from Jude while unleashing his signature technique, Pyro Touch.

Jude was already injured, and with his lower physical resilience, the impact from Dalen’s Pyro Touch knocked him out cold.

Ultimately, Jude’s loss was justified because Dalen’s victory was not merely due to luck but genuine strength.

However, Dalen’s power was not just a matter of cultivation level. His keen insight and perceptive abilities were something even Fenley envied.

Dalen sighed as he relaxed his tense muscles in the battle ring. After all, it was a close call.

He wouldn’t have had a chance to counterattack if he hadn’t sensed Jude’s subtle flaw. Techniques like the Spectral Clone and Spectral Sprint were challenging to counter, so he figured that luck played a significant role in his victory.

As expected, every master on the Legendary List was formidable. If Jude, ranked tenth, was this tough, Dalen couldn’t imagine how powerful the top- ranked masters must be.

With his win over Jude, Dalen advanced to the top eight. He had achieved his main goal for this trip and upheld the reputation of the Shadow Citadel.

As for advancing to the finals, he had no intention of pushing his luck. He knew the opponents ahead were too strong, so he could only do his best and let fate take its course.

After the sixth match ended, the seventh round kicked off. This round featured two talented disciples from the major guilds.

On one side was Kieran Rowan, the principal disciple of the Echo Myst Clan, and on the other was Zane Soren, the senior disciple of the Embraco Order. 2

Both were renowned figures in the martial world. Though they hadn’t secured spots on the Legendary List, their strengths were nearly on par.

As the match commenced, Kieran and Zane didn’t hold back. They unleashed their full strength and fought with remarkable intensity.

With the honor of their guilds at stake, neither was willing to back down. They showcased a variety of impressive techniques, which resulted in a brutal exchange that left them bloodied and scarred.

In the end, Zane managed to gain the upper hand and knocked Kieran out of the battle ring. However, Zane didn’t escape unscathed. Though he won, it was a hard-fought victory.

This match was the most closely contested and evenly-matched fight since the quarterfinals began. With the seventh match over, the eighth and final match of the day began.

“Now, let’s welcome contestants number eight and number nine to the ring.”

As the battle ring was cleared, Oron’s voice echoed.

“Finally, it’s my turn.” Dustin stretched lazily, then walked straight to the battle ring. He didn’t even bother to check the numbers to guess who would be his opponent.

It was Jeremiah Price, the foreign contestant sent by the Hall of Gods to compete in the Combat Tournament.