Rooaaar!
A sound, deeper and more domineering than any tiger's roar, echoed through the arena—a sound that carried the ancient majesty of a flood dragon.
Darian's eyes narrowed.
Heavenly Gang Wandering Dragon Hand.
This was no ordinary martial art. It was the Valeblue Clan's supreme high-grade technique—reserved only for the clan head and the clan's number-one genius—and cultivated alongside the mid-grade Heavenrend Force to achieve its full power.
Lucian had clearly been taught this ultimate skill.
Buzz!
In Darian's vision, two azure flood-dragon shadows, each a foot long, coiled tightly around Lucian's hands. Even for someone already in the Valor Soul Stage of the Mortal Purification Stage, this top-tier technique demanded absolute focus. As Lucian's white origin force surged to its peak, a fierce, domineering aura rolled outward in all directions.
Roar!
Behind Darian, golden-red qi and blood erupted like a raging tide, his Holy Dao battle aura surging violently. The phantom of a golden tiger took shape, its eyes burning with predatory light. He knew Lucian was no longer holding anything back.
The Heavenly Gang Wandering Dragon Hand was the Valeblue Clan's ultimate art—its power a tier above mid-grade techniques like the Earthfiend Tiger's Courage Fist. The gap between them was like that between cloud and mud.
Darian had heard tales: when Theron was a youth, he had used this very technique to tear apart two opponents of the same realm who relied only on mid-grade martial arts.
For ten years, Darian had focused entirely on condensing the origin of his Warborn Covenant. In terms of techniques, the Earthfiend Tiger's Courage Fist was all he had mastered. Against Lucian's full Mortal Purification cultivation and this high-grade art, he could not afford the slightest negligence.
Roar!
The golden tiger phantom radiated unyielding dominance. Darian poured all of his Holy Dao battle aura into his fists, fully condensing the killing move of the Earthfiend Tiger's Courage Fist—Tiger Shatters the World!
Across the arena, the dragon's cry rose higher. Lucian's cold eyes locked onto Darian, azure light suddenly blazing across his hands.
In an instant, his palms became azure dragon claws, their sharp aura splitting the air.
"Darian! Let's see you block this!"
Bang!
Lucian's feet struck the ground like thunder, propelling him forward in a blur. The azure claws lunged, slicing the air like twin blades.
The cutting edge of their approach stung Darian's face, but his expression remained calm. Golden fists rose to meet them.
Bang! Thud!
Golden tiger fists collided with azure dragon claws in an explosive clash. The power behind Lucian's strike was several times greater than before—his Heavenly Gang Wandering Dragon Hand tore at Darian's guard like a predator trying to rip free of a trap.
So this is the true might of the Heavenly Gang Wandering Dragon Hand… formidable indeed!
The golden tiger phantom trembled, but Darian's Holy Dao battle aura roared back in defiance.
"Fall, Darian! Under my hands, you have no chance!"
Lucian's sneer deepened as he pressed the assault, his claws moving with lightning speed.
Roar! Bang!
Suddenly, his claws split into afterimages, bypassing Darian's guard to rake straight for his chest.
Darian twisted to dodge, but Lucian's speed was merciless. The azure claws tore across his right shoulder.
Bang!
Azure light flared and vanished. Darian staggered back three steps, blood streaking his robe.
Lucian's eyes darkened—he had been certain that strike would end it.
From the stands, the voices rose like a tide:
"I told you! Once Lucian uses his true strength, Darian can't last!"
"Too strong! The Heavenly Gang Wandering Dragon Hand is invincible!"
"Darian's defeat is only a matter of time."
Theron sighed inwardly. Darian's explosive strength had been a pleasant surprise, but defeating Lucian was a near-impossible task.
Aeris's eyes glittered with triumph. She could already see Darian lying broken under her Brother Lucian's foot.
Even Seraphina's cold gaze flickered with doubt— Darian was proving harder to measure than she had thought. Valtor remained unreadable.
The pain in his shoulder was sharp, but Darian's gaze burned brighter than ever.
So that's it. The Valor Soul cultivator I fought in the Ancient Beginning Forest must have been wounded already. He didn't use his full strength against me. Lucian is far stronger—and with his Spirit Core and this high-grade art, the gap is clear.
At his current displayed strength, he could not win.
In that case…
A gleam of resolve lit his eyes. It's time to use my trump card.
Buzz!
The Holy Dao battle aura around him surged violently, its waves rippling outward like an oncoming tide.
Empty had once told him: after condensing the Warborn Covenant's origin, his cultivated force was no longer ordinary origin force—it was Holy Dao battle aura, ten times stronger and more refined. Normally, his cultivation limited its true release, but after taking the Human-Grade Spirit-Bursting Pill and refining it for a month, he had learned to awaken the origin's power—if only briefly.
Golden-red qi and blood fused seamlessly with the pale-gold aura. This time, Darian unleashed everything.
Lucian's brows lifted for an instant before his sneer returned. "Parlor tricks! I've wasted enough time—this ends now!"
Roar!
The azure claws lunged again.
"Heavenly Gang Wandering Dragon Hand—Azure Dragon Claw!"
The twin claws ripped through the air toward Darian —only to halt mid-strike.
Lucian's pupils contracted. An overwhelming battle will crashed into him, vast and unyielding—like a war god standing eternal above the river of time.
What… what is this?
With a violent twist, he tried to break through. "Break!"
Bang!
The collision forced him back a step. As the golden aura faded, Darian stood revealed—tall, black hair streaming, eyes sharp as drawn blades, his entire form wrapped in pale-gold radiance.
From him radiated the same aura that had just shaken Lucian's mind.
The Warborn Covenant's origin… it truly doesn't disappoint!
Power surged through Darian, intoxicating in its might. This was why Empty had told him he could fight across realms. By forcing his Holy Dao battle aura to its peak and flooding his core, he could temporarily awaken the Warborn Covenant's origin. Its feedback multiplied his strength severalfold.
His cultivation had leapt from Marrow-Refining Minor Completion to Ironbody Tier Great Perfection—but with the origin's blessing, he now stood on equal footing with the Valor Soul Stage.
Roar!
The golden tiger phantom coiled around him once more. The Earthfiend Tiger's Courage Fist felt sharper, heavier—as if it too had evolved under the origin's influence.
Lucian's instincts screamed danger. He roared in defiance.
"Heavenly Gang Wandering Dragon Hand—Azure Dragon Seeking Claw!"
Golden tiger and azure dragon met in another earth-shaking collision.
"What's going on? Darian was losing just a moment ago!"
"How is he suddenly matching Lucian's full strength?"
The crowd was in an uproar.
Lucian's disbelief was written plainly across his face. "Impossible! He's only Ironbody Tier Great Perfection—how can he block me?"
Darian's eyes flashed. "Tiger Shatters the World—Break!"
Golden-red qi and blood surged like a flood as his fist hammered into Lucian's shoulder.
Thud-thud-thud!
Lucian staggered back, his qi and blood churning, vision swimming.
"You dare injure me? Azure Dragon Tears the Heavens!"
His claws extended, glowing brighter, swelling to three feet long as they slashed down.
"Good—come!"
Darian's fist met the strike head-on. The impact shook the arena to its foundation—only the elders' protective barriers kept it from collapsing.
"Lucian! Let's see who stands last!"
"Darian! Victory will be mine!"
The two charged one final time, no more holding back.
Behind Lucian, the Spirit Core blazed, giving birth to a three paces long azure flood dragon.
"Azure Dragon Devours the Heavens!"
Behind Darian, the golden tiger expanded to equal size, roaring defiance.
"Earthfiend Tiger's Courage Fist—Crush Him!"
Roar! Roar!
Golden tiger and azure dragon hurtled toward each other, their collision carrying the force to decide it all.