Jude was struck senseless by Dalen’s attack. He felt his life essence solidify within him, and his body stiffened. He was immobilized, and his internal energy couldn’t flow properly.
The Shadow Citadel’s ultimate technique, Glacial Strike, could instantly immobilize its target. Despite Jude’s strength, he was still unable to escape its effects.
“What the hell! Jude actually got hit.”
“That has to be a fluke, right? After throwing wild punches for so long, it was bound to happen eventually.”
The spectators were taken aback as they watched Jude get sent flying by a single blow. To them, the outcome of the match seemed clear-cut.
Jude had spent the entire time toying with Dalen without launching an attack, so the hit should be a coincidence.
At a glance, it seemed like Jude had carelessly thrown himself into Dalen’s palm. But there was no denying that this strike changed the one-sided domination’s outcome.
As Jude’s body went limp, Dalen seized the moment to strike. He leaped into the air to catch up to the airborne Jude and slammed his palm from above.
“You-”
Jude’s eyes widened in surprise. But before he could say more, Dalen struck him hard in the chest.
His body plummeted like a cannonball and smashed into the battle ring with a thunderous bang. The impact left a human-shaped crater in the ground, sending dust and debris flying into the air.
Jude coughed up blood. His hair was a tangled mess, his clothes were in tatters, and he looked utterly battered.
He hadn’t expected that a single misstep would give Dalen the chance to strike with such relentless force. Though he had mastered the Spectral Sprint technique, his physical resilience was lacking.
After being hit by the Glacial Strike, he became vulnerable when he couldn’t channel his internal energy for protection. After enduring two palm strikes, he was already gravely injured, and his energy was in disarray.
Before Jude could catch his breath, Dalen was enveloped in an icy aura and descended from above. He hurtled down with his palm thrust forward.
The sound echoed like thunder in Jude’s ears. A ten-foot-long white palm shadow materialized out of nowhere and crashed down on him like a small mountain. The force of this strike was far more devastating than the previous two. It was fierce and unyielding.
“You’re going too far!” Fury coursed through Jude as he faced an unavoidable attack.
He ignored the risk of damaging his circulatory pathways and forced his internal energy into a protective barrier. A loud crash echoed as the white palm shadow slammed the barrier and sent shockwaves through the air.
The barrier held for barely a second before shattering, but that brief moment was enough to save Jude’s life. Just before the palm descended, he regained control of his body and executed the Spectral Sprint technique.
The white palm shadow slammed toward the crater and created a loud explosion that shook the battle ring. By then, he had teleported around 160 feet away.
As soon as he reappeared, Jude coughed up blood. The forced activation of his internal energy while his circulatory pathways were frozen had caused severe internal damage. It worsened his injuries and likely hindered his future cultivation.
But compared to taking that strike head -on, it was worth the cost since one direct hit might have left him disabled or worse.
“What a bummer.” Dalen felt let down by the last attack that missed.
He had thought he found the perfect chance to end the match quickly. But he never expected Jude to be so decisive and willing to damage his own circulatory pathways to avoid the third strike.
After all, those who made it onto the Legendary List weren’t just ordinary martial artists.
“Oh my gosh! Who would’ve thought Jude would get beaten up like this? Totally unexpected.”
“No kidding! A master from the Legendary List, getting pushed to this point by some unknown rookie is just embarrassing.”
“Honestly, if Jude hadn’t underestimated his opponent, he probably would’ve ended this match ages ago. But instead, he tried to toy with him and nearly cost him everything.”
The spectators murmured as they watched Jude’s disheveled state. To them, his injuries were the result of sheer arrogance.
He had underestimated Dalen and didn’t take him seriously. Instead of playing it smart, he had ended up ensnared in his own game. The predicament was entirely his fault.
“Fine. You’ve got skills.” Jude took a deep breath and glared sharply at Dalen with intent to kill.
He continued, “Since I rose to prominence, no one has ever injured me like this. You’ve successfully pissed me off and awakened the beast inside me.”
Dalen didn’t reply. He just observed Jude’s internal energy flow continuously.
“Now, I’ll show you the consequences
of angering me,” Jude roared.
His body shook and split into three identical forms. With another shudder, they multiplied into nine.
Nine Judes charged in unison and lunged at Dalen from every direction.
“Die!”
