Chapter 325


    "Roald, what are you waiting for?" Felis asked, puzzled and anxious. They had to win a bout today,


    no matter the means.


    "vin is not invincible, and he certainly can''t challenge beyond his rank in the Advanced Mage


    tier," Admus also urged. If Roald didn''t step into the fray, they would have to.


    Roald''s face was stern, and his presencemanding, but the golden sword at his back slowly


    became tranquil.


    "Roald, you…" Felis and Admus sensed something amiss.


    "This is not like when we were Novice Mages. We are Advanced Mages now. I am one stage above


    you, and it''s not fitting for us to spar. Once you ascend to Stage II, I shall ept your challenge,"


    Roald said calmly, voicing words he himself resented. He couldn''t afford to lose! He had just


    advanced to Stage II, and his mastery was not yet stable.


    The crowd erupted into murmurs. Was that a refusal?


    Not only were the Protégés below the stage surprised, but the Elite Protégés also raised their


    eyebrows in unison.


    Roald, with the strength of a Stage II Advanced Mage, refused vin''s challenge. Was it really just


    a feeling of impropriety. Everyone had their own judgment.


    The five Elders had already left. The moment Roald dered his refusal, they knew there was no


    need to stay. It was a tacit concession!


    Thousands of Protégés looked at each other in dismay. Was this the Goldgrace Roald they knew?


    "Roald, won''t you reconsider?" vin''s gaze was piercing as he continued to stare at Roald.


    "When you reach Stage II, there will be a battle between us."


    "I ask you again, will you fight or not?" vin''s voice suddenly rose, resonating through the arena.


    His body was erupting with fierce lightning, bright and blinding, nearly enveloping him in a disy of


    overwhelming might. His hands were clenched, and a ck vortex howled as it spun. The


    Shadowbringer seemed almost uncontroble.


    At that moment, vin''s will to fight was immense. His lightning and killing intent swept across the


    arena, subduing many.


    Roald frowned deeply, showing a hint of hesitation.


    Then vin suddenly dispersed the lightning and grasped his hands firmly, reining in the


    Shadowbringer. He strode away from the Arena. Was Roald far from what vin had expected, not


    worth the challenge anymore?


    Roald almost shouted out, epting the challenge, but in the end, he couldn''t open his mouth.


    The 5th Arena fell into an eerie silence. Was it over, just like that? After two days of tumult, was this


    how it was going to end?!


    They had expected an oue where vin was either soundly defeated or narrowly victorious.


    And now?


    The challenge match initiated by Roald and the other four Golden Protégés had inadvertently made


    a hero of vin.


    "I feel like the Golden Protégés have suddenly weakened."


    "It''s not that they''ve weakened. It''s that vin''s Shadowbringer is too terrifying."


    "Without the Shadowbringer, Semar and the others could probably contend with vin."


    "No wonder he swept through The sh of Eight Orders, vin''s Shadowbringer is indeed


    fearsome."


    "I heard vin''s Sword Skill is not bad. Too bad we didn''t get a chance to see it."


    Sparse discussions began among the crowd, but most were still in shock, struggling to ept what


    happened.


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    "Well, now vin has be the strongest of the new generation in Cobalt Strike," Niks


    muttered. Who in Cobalt Strike would dare challenge vin now? Weren''t you all curious about


    how vin could rece Roald and enter the top five of the Eight Orders? This should be quite


    clear now.


    But in Niks'' judgment, vin shouldn''t be strong to this extent, should he?


    Myke whispered, "Between vin and Celesse, who is stronger?"


    "Their rtionship is special. There''s no need to draw a clear line between who''s stronger or


    weaker."


    Roald, Admus, and Felis all stood in the arena in silence, their minds a whirl ofplexity. “Have


    we suddenly weakened? Why don''t we even have the courage to challenge vin?”


    After vin left, the result of the bout spread quickly throughout Cobalt Strike.


    Semar''s crushing defeat, the silence of Admus and Felis, and Roald''s refusal, had all shaken the


    entire Organization of Protégés, as well as the Elders everywhere. Although Roald''s supporters


    strenuously argued that Roald simply did not want to bully vin with his rank, clear-sighted people


    could guess Roald''s state of mind at the time; he couldn''t afford to lose!


    Just as Niks said, who would dare to be dissatisfied now? It was time for the Protégés of Cobalt


    Strike to start epting reality, for vin had indeed grown stronger.