“The masters on the Legendary List are undoubtedly formidable. But it’s not our style to give up without a fight at the Shadow Citadel. Given my responsibilities, I must take this chance. I hope you can understand, Jude.” Dalen remained composed with a faint smile on his face.
“Since you’re so full of yourself, bring it on. I’m eager to see what you’ve got.” Jude stood with his hands clasped behind his back. His posture looked arrogant, almost as if he were taunting Dalen to attack.
He wouldn’t be so dismissive if he were facing a strong opponent. But when it came to an unknown rookie, Jude didn’t see any reason to be concerned since it would only cost him a little of his time.
“Please forgive me,” Dalen said casually. He clasped his hands before lunging forward with a palm strike toward Jude.
Though the strike looked deceptively slow, it was actually astonishingly fast. The chill in the air arrived before his hand did.
As the palm wind swept by, the surface of the battle ring frosted over instantly. This was the Shadow Citadel’s signature technique, the Glacial Strike.
Rumor had it that this technique carried immense power and intense cold. Those struck by the palm wind risked becoming frozen and immobile or, in severe cases, losing their life on the spot.
Dalen used his signature move right from the start, which showed that he regarded Jude as a formidable opponent. He couldn’t afford to hold back when facing a master from the Legendary List because a moment’s hesitation could lead to his defeat.
The Glacial Strike rushed in with a gust of icy wind and slammed into Jude’s chest. Instead of reacting with surprise, Dalen frowned and quickly shifted to a defensive stance.
In the next moment, the figure he had struck vanished. Dalen realized he hadn’t hit Jude’s real body but only an illusory image.
“You are too slow. You can’t even touch me.” A mocking voice taunted from behind him.
Dalen turned to see Jude standing 30 feet away with his hands behind his back and a scornful smile. Without a word, Dalen launched another attack with even greater speed and force. The momentum was crackling like a thunderclap.
“It’s a futile effort.” Jude scoffed and shook his head. To him, Dalen’s persistence was nothing but foolishness.
Dalen’s second palm strike slammed into thin air. It created an explosive sound reverberating through the venue, highlighting the force behind his attack.
“Hey! Where are you hitting? I’m right here.” Jude’s taunting voice echoed from behind.
Dalen zeroed in on the sound without looking back and launched another palm strike. A white palm shadow shot forward that covered 30 feet, but Jude’s figure blurred again as if he had never been there.
“You’re too slow. With speed like that, you’ll tire yourself out before you even touch a hair on my head,” Jude continued to mock.
His figure flickered like a ghost as he darted back and forth across the battle ring. One moment, he was on the left, the next on the right, in front, and then behind. His movements were erratic and impossible to predict.
Surprisingly, Jude left no visible trace of movement. He was simply executing his Spectral Sprint. No matter how Dalen launched his attacks or chased him down, he couldn’t even touch the hem of Jude’s clothes. Jude was toying with him like a cat playing with a mouse.
“As expected of a master on the Legendary List, his Spectral Sprint Arts is simply amazing.”
“The difference in their strengths is staggering, and they’re not even in the same league. Even if Jude doesn’t throw a single punch, his agility alone is enough to keep Dalen at bay.”
“It’s humiliating to be played with like this. If it were me, I would have surrendered long ago to avoid this disgrace.”
As the spectators watched Dalen being led around like a dog, whispers erupted among them.
It was clear to everyone that Jude was toying with his opponent, and the match outcome was a foregone conclusion. Whenever Jude grew tired of the game, that would be when Dalen faced defeat.
“Crystal, Mr. Shade seems to be in a tough spot. If it keeps going like this, he’s bound to lose.” Ruby frowned in concern.
Every palm strike from Dalen hit nothing but air and failed to hurt Jude. His efforts were utterly futile.
“Though he is strong, he still falls short compared to the beasts on the Legendary List.” Crystal shook her head.
Those who made it into the top 16 were undoubtedly geniuses, but there had been a wide gap in skill even among them. The masters on the Legendary List were in a league of their own, while the rest were just there to fill the ranks.
“Hurry up! Faster.
“Why don’t you hit me once? I’m starting to feel anxious for you.
“I just don’t get it. With your weak skills, what gives you the nerve to challenge me?
“Have you ever heard of a fool trying to take on something too big for him? How ridiculous!
“Guess what? You’re that fool right now.”
Jude dodged the attacks in the battle ring while mocking Dalen as if watching a clown perform.
Throughout the fight, Dalen said nothing but relentlessly launched one attack after another. Each one was faster and fiercer than the last, and he completely disregarded his own stamina.
Jude continued to mock him, “I suggest you concede. If you keep this up, you’ll exhaust yourself. You need to know your limits-“
Suddenly, a sharp gust of palm wind surged toward him, interrupting his mockery. Unfortunately, his body had only started to blur into form, and he couldn’t blur out again.
Dalen timed his strike perfectly.
There was a loud explosion. Jude couldn’t dodge in time and took a heavy blow to the chest. The impact sent him flying through the air.
