Chapter 136


    The Protégés below were both amused and curious, some urging Tarner to finish it quickly.


    The presiding warrior raised his hand high in the air and clenched it forcefully. "The match begins


    now!"


    With a loud shout, Tarner''s eyes zed with fury, and a fierce wave of energy burst forth, sweeping


    across most of the tform. His aura surged wildly around him like mes engulfing his body. His


    hair whirled about as if caught in a tempest. His fierce gaze was locked on vin from a hundred


    paces away.


    "Tarner!" The crowd''s excitement soared, many chanting his name.


    "vin, brace yourself!" Tarner charged forward like a ferocious tiger. He was tall and mighty, with


    broad shoulders and powerful arms. His footsteps were so heavy that the very Arena thrummed


    with his approach.


    vin stood unruffled at the edge of the fighting tform with his eyes closed, and his right fist


    clenched. Except for the slow, forceful tension in his right arm, his body showed no sign of


    readiness for battle.


    "vin, what are you waiting for?" Niks shouted from below, anxiety clear in his voice.


    "vin, dodge Tarner; assess his strengths and weaknesses first," Myke urged, concerned for his


    friend. Why was he just standing there?!


    With a mighty roar, Tarner''s strong energy boiled over, not only was his momentum fierce, but his


    long hair and garments whipped around him in the turbulence. His aura was astounding, as a


    terrifying force was coursing through him, focusing especially in his right arm and fist. He threw his


    punch without any flourish, yet everyone felt the explosive power behind it.


    "Bravo!" Many in the crowd felt their passions ignited by his disy of strength.


    "Move!" Mari''s brows furrowed.


    This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    "That''s not right!" Cedrick suddenly murmured, sensing a strange power emanating from vin.


    Where was it? The fist!


    vin could feel the st of air rushing toward him. In a critical moment, he opened his eyes, and


    his tensed right arm shot out with precision, colliding with Tarner''s in a fierce sh.


    Boom! Their fists met like two colossal stones smashing together, the impact sending a powerful


    shockwave exploding from the point of contact.


    To the onlookers, the oue seemed certain; vin would surely be sent flying, perhaps even


    with his right arm rendered useless.


    However...


    As their fists collided and Tarner''s wave of energy threatened to engulf vin, a dark mist surged


    from vin''s fist, like a ck, gleaming dagger that pierced into Tarner''s knuckles in a fleeting


    moment.


    Tarner''s face twisted in shock, his pupils dted as he heard his own heart pounding thunderously in


    his ears. In the next instant, as if struck by lightning, his assaulted arm was violently knocked aside.


    The force of their impact was so immense that Tarner lost control of his body, flipping backward


    through the air before crashing down onto the dueling tform, rolling several meters before


    coming to a stop.


    The Arena fell silent, and the fiery atmosphere was frozen as expressions of disbelief stered the


    faces of all. The minds and visions of the spectators seemed to have slipped out of ce, leaving


    them momentarily dazed.


    Even the stoic and imposing Commanders above were taken aback by the turn of events.


    Tarnery on the ground, his right arm trembling uncontrobly, his skin an angry red from the


    subdermal cells that had burst under the force of the blow. As hey there, his consciousness


    flickered, and his vision darkened as if he had been sucked into a vortex filled with sounds of


    ughter, screams, and roars. Struggling to rise, he felt like his mind was a muddle of confusion.


    vin''s right arm was numb. His hand opened and closed as he tried to regain sensation. After a


    moment, he slowly approached Tarner amidst the silent crowd.


    Tarner shook his head, his rity returning. Without thinking, he sprang to his feet, his energy


    ring once more. But in the next second, vin stepped forward, delivering a crushing blow to his


    chest with the force of eight thousand pounds, shattering the energy around him and striking


    Tarner''s torso with a crisp crack of breaking bones, sending him flying once again.


    This time, the force was even greater, and Tarner was hurled from the dueling tform, flying


    toward the ranks of the Earthbound Spirits.


    "Tarner!" The crowd awoke from their stupor as one rushed to intercept, catching Tarner mid-air.


    However, the impact was so great that they nearly toppled uponnding.


    The Arena fell silent once more, eyes shifting between the Earthbound Spirits and vin on the


    tform, mouths agape in astonishment.


    What had just happened? That was the question on everyone''s mind, and many couldn''t help but


    voice their disbelief.


    The eight Commanders in the stands furrowed their brows, their keen eyes having missed the


    unfolding events – not out of carelessness, but because none had truly believed that vin would


    survive Tarner''s mighty blow, let alone with such a cunning move.