At the summit of Swordgate Peak, two figures stood like immovable titans, separated by a hundred meters.
One was filled with murderous intent, while the other appeared calm and indifferent.
The clash of these two supreme warriors seemed to shake the heavens and earth, freezing the air and creating a scene like a motionless painting.
A crowd of 100, 000 watched in silence, their heads tilted upward, their breaths held.
The autumn sun poured over the land, yet it offered no warmth.
“You killed my disciple and slaughtered my servants, Lord Valerian Nox. Today, you die!”
Dario Bragg wasted no words.
With a thunderous roar, he launched a devastating punch.
A terrifying surge of lightning burst from his fist like an unstoppable mountain crashing toward Flynn.
The earth trembled at Dario Bragg’s fury, as though his sheer power could flatten the peaks.
A streak of lightning split the sky, like a divine weapon descending to the mortal world. The deafening rumble spread rapidly, leaving the onlookers in awe and terror.
A bolt from the blue.
A literal bolt from the blue.
Dario Bragg’s punch summoned a calamity from the heavens.
The crowd’s hair stood on end; goosebumps erupted across their skin as a chilling dread swept over them.
Terrifying.
Unparalleled power.
Overwhelming might.
“The battle has begun! One of them must die!”
The crowd erupted in gasps, their eyes glued to the peak, terrified of missing even a moment.
This was a fight they would talk about for the rest of their lives.
“Madeline, how does this compare to the battle on Jade Dragon Mountain?” Wayne, staring at the summit in awe, couldn’t help but ask.
Even as a scion of a trillion-dollar family, it was his first time witnessing a clash of such titanic power.
After all, elite cultivators were beyond his reach. To them, someone of his wealth was insignificant-an ant not even worth a glance.
“That battle pales in comparison to this!” Madeline exclaimed, equally stunned.
Dario Bragg’s strength was overwhelming. A hundred Jack Jenkins couldn’t compare!
Even with her lofty pride, Madeline knew that someone like Dario Bragg-a being akin to a god or demon-was beyond her comprehension.
She didn’t even dare to look up at him.
Yes, she didn’t even have the right to look up.
Like a commoner forbidden to gaze upon the emperor, even meeting his eyes would be a crime.
The gap between them was vast-galaxies apart.
Dario Bragg could ignore the most powerful family patriarchs, while she might never have the chance to meet someone like Orion Kennedy.
They were worlds apart.
What Madeline didn’t know was that this godlike Dario Bragg, who could scorch her eyes just by being in her presence, would be effortlessly crushed by Flynn today.
—
At the summit of Swordgate Peak, Flynn countered Dario Bragg’s terrifying punch with one of his own.
A deafening collision erupted as Flynn’s overwhelming force crashed into Dario Bragg’s lightning. It was like a meteor plunging into the sea, unleashing a colossal shockwave.
The sound roared across the skies of Pelens, the violent energy sweeping outward and reducing towering trees to dust.
The mountain trembled violently once more, sending massive boulders tumbling down.
“What’s happening? Lord Valerian Nox withstood the punch?” Paxton’s face was filled with shock.
Carter Hillridge and the others erupted in astonished discussion, their disbelief evident.
Even the elders of the noble families frowned slightly, a glimmer of surprise in their eyes.
Only the two Semi Earthly Sovereigns remained expressionless, their reactions unreadable.
Even Dario Bragg was momentarily stunned.
Impossible.
Even if he had used only half his strength, Lord Valerian Nox shouldn’t have been able to withstand it. At the very least, he should have been forced back several meters.
But Flynn hadn’t moved an inch.
It was true that he had reached the summit in a single step, but his strength was supposed to be far inferior to Dario Bragg’s.
Even if Flynn was hiding his true power, he couldn’t possibly surpass him-Dario Bragg was acknowledged as the undefeated champion below the Earthly Sovereign level.
Could Flynn be a Blademaster?
No, absolutely not.
Blademasters always carried swords. Some even had sword slaves to nourish their weapons with spiritual resonance.
From all the tales of Lord Valerian Nox, he had always fought alone, never wielding a sword or having a sword slave.
It seemed Dario Bragg had underestimated him.
Flynn wasn’t much weaker than him-perhaps he had even touched the threshold of the Semi Earthly Sovereign level.
But just as Dario Bragg thought he had figured it out, Flynn moved.
And he began to devastate.
—
Flynn closed the gap in an instant, delivering a palm strike that was both violent and overwhelming.
The force of his attack was like a mountain crashing down, vast and unstoppable.
Dario Bragg’s expression changed.
Too fast.
Far too fast.
Before he could react, Flynn was already in front of him, unleashing the full force of his devastating palm.
A sound like the explosion of a thirty-ton oil tanker echoed across the peak, accompanied by a massive shockwave that engulfed everything.
Dario Bragg raised his arms to shield himself, but he was sent hurtling through the air, leaving a trail of turbulent air as he broke the sound barrier.
He crashed to the ground a hundred meters away.
Thanks to his Semi Earthly Sovereign physique, he wasn’t severely injured, but his entire body felt numb.
“What?! How is this possible?!” the crowd on Carter Hillridge erupted in disbelief.
Five miles away, the spectators let out a collective gasp, their voices merging into a deafening roar.
What had they just witnessed?
Lord Valerian Nox had sent Dario Bragg flying with a single strike!
Vicente Clark’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. He rubbed them furiously, unable to believe what he had just seen.
But it wasn’t a dream.
It was real.
Even though the spectators could only make out two dots on the peak, the contrasting colors of their clothing-black and green-made it clear.
Lord Valerian Nox had taken the initiative, closed the distance, and sent Dario Bragg flying!
Layla’s eyes lit up with hope.
Could it be?
Meanwhile, Lilia’s gaze darkened.
She had thought Dario Bragg would destroy Flynn, avenging his disciple and servants.
But reality was proving her wrong.
Before anyone could comprehend what had just happened, Flynn leaped high into the air and descended upon the barely-standing Dario Bragg.
He unleashed a sweeping kick, as if hurling an entire mountain at his opponent.
Dario Bragg, of course, refused to go down without a fight. As Flynn leaped, his black robes billowed as he gathered his inner strength to counter the incoming attack.
But-
“Boom!”
Flynn’s leg struck like a collapsing mountain.
The deafening sound rang out as Dario Bragg was sent flying again.
The first palm strike had sent him from north to south.
This time, the kick hurled him from south to west!
The crowd at the base of Swordgate Peak erupted in madness.
Dario Bragg didn’t even have a chance to retaliate!
While the first strike could have been a surprise, the second was delivered against a fully-prepared Dario Bragg-yet he was still sent flying.
Lilia’s face turned pale, her heart sinking to the depths.
Meanwhile, Layla and Rose-once bitter rivals-were both cheering for the same man.
One knew who Lord Valerian Nox truly was.
The other remained in the dark.
But this was only the beginning.
What followed would leave Lilia in despair and the 100, 000 spectators in awe.