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“Is that… the Immortal Diamond Skin? From the Western Buddhist Sect?” Even the Martial Sovereigns–including Roman himself–couldn’t keep the disbelief from their voices.
Gasps and stunned cries echoed from every direction. Theresa’s expression twisted in astonishment. Though still in her youth, she had heard tales of the rare body–honing technique whispered through the martial world–an ancient legacy from the remote Buddhist sects of the western lands.
“No way… Grayson actually mastered the Immortal Diamond Skin?” The one–armed elder stood frozen, eyes wide as if he’d seen a ghost.
When he finally spoke, his voice quivered like brittle glass. “Grandpa, what exactly is the Immortal Diamond Skin?” the pale–dressed girl asked with a chill running down her spine.
The old man’s gaze grew heavy. “It’s an external martial discipline born from a secluded offshoot of the Western Shaolin lineage. The technique forges muscle and bone through relentless discipline–when mastered, it bestows a body as unyielding as iron–immune to blades, untouched by flame or flood, able to take the blow of a bullet without yielding p>
Nearby, Yvette and Madeline overheard the explanation.
Their blood ran cold as they thought, If this is true … then isn’t Grayson not only powerful in technique but physically untouchable? Is there anyone who can stand against him? Everyone’s gaze was irresistibly drawn to Grayson, breath held in silent tension.
All had the same thought: With a body as unyielding as forged steel, could Leander’s attack truly break through such armor?
Leander’s blue–glowing fist had struck him dead center, yet Grayson didn’t budge an inch. He stood unmoved–like a colossal boulder weathering a storm. In contrast, the brilliant force that had rocketed toward him with such fury scattered into fading sparks, as if the impact had never existed.
Theresa’s heart sank. That same blow had once obliterated Alek without resistance. Yet now, it was like striking a mountain with mist.
Against Grayson, it might as well have been a breeze. Only now did she truly comprehend why the one they called the “Jade Emperor” had reigned supreme, commanding fear and reverence across Astria’s martial world. This? This was the weight of his legend made manifest. Even with all the faith she had placed in Leander, doubt began to creep in. Could he truly prevail against such a monstrous force?
The energy of their clash had faded into silence, but Leander stood tall atop the stone pillar, undisturbed, a faint smile tugging at his lips–as though the storm had never touched him. And
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then, for the first time, Grayson lifted his gaze. A single line of crimson traced down from the corner of his mouth, melting soundlessly into the rain.
Grayson–injured? The realization swept through the summit of Glidewing Mountain like a thunderclap. Gasps erupted as all eyes snapped to the dent marring his gleaming, golden–toned chest–a fist–sized imprint pressed deep into the unyielding surface.
He had mastered the Immortal Diamond Skin, a discipline that forged the body into a fortress of bronze and steel. And yet, even that formidable defense had failed him. Leander’s punch had pierced through it all, leaving him wounded in plain sight.
The crowd wasn’t alone in their astonishment–Grayson himself was struck with a rare jolt of dread. He had believed he was already granting Leander the highest level of recognition, treating him as a peer among the legendary masters of the age.
Yet, in this critical moment, he realized his judgment had still fallen short! Even after invoking the full might of his Immortal Diamond Skin, that one punch had torn through his defenses, leaving a mark that rattled more than just his bones!
Leander calmly withdrew his fist and clasped his hands behind his back. There was no arrogance in his expression–only a trace of quiet disillusionment. “They say the ‘Four Extremes‘ stand at the summit of Astria’s martial world,” he said, his tone calm but cutting. “I expected that facing one of them would show me the peak of martial arts. But it seems I set my expectations far too high! So, this is the mighty ‘Jade Emperor‘? Nothing more than hollow legend p>
The moment those words left his lips, the atmosphere across the mountaintop shifted violently -faces paled, brows furrowed, and disbelief rippled through every soul present. Grayson — once an unshakable monolith in Astria’s martial world – was now being dismissed by a teenager barely on the cusp of adulthood?
A silent wave passed through the gathering: The balance of Astria’s martial world is about to be overturned!
Just a few strides separated the two. Grayson’s gaze narrowed. The sting of humiliation pricked deeper than the pain of his injuries.
Shock twisted in his chest, quickly giving way to something darker–rage. Me, the “ Jade Emperor, ” a title earned through blood and dominance, now being belittled by a junior?
“You’ve overstepped, Leander!” His gaze turned glacial, the light in his eyes dimming like dying
stars.
A ripple of three–colored energy erupted beneath his feet, surging upward and swirling into a spinning disc of shimmering hues–crimson, azure, and jade–hovering before him like a summoned sigil. Then, with a flick of his finger, a thread of ethereal light laced through the falling rain, pulling the elements into harmony. A monstrous blade of wind, glinting with the
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same tri–colored brilliance, formed in the air–a ten–foot tempest forged of elemental fury.
“This strike,” he declared coldly, “is no ordinary attack. Its essence is water, its motion born of wind, its heart searing with hidden fire. A convergence of three primal element forces. Show me, Leander–can you endure its wrath?” With a cry like a blade slicing the heavens, he summoned forth a masterpiece of elemental mastery. “Trinity Stormblade–sever!” Content originally comes from.net
Harnessing the fluid nature of water, he froze it mid–air, laced it with the savagery of wind and the hidden burn of fire–what emerged was a crystalline arc of ice forged by three elements in perfect, lethal balance. It shimmered with a deadly brilliance, bearing the sharpness of a god- forged relic.
Off to the side, Tsaric’s eyes flickered in surprise. That single blade–condensed from fury and precision—was not far removed from the effortless slash of his own sword, one honed through decades of mastery.
“Grayson, you’re a disappointment.” Leander’s voice was calm, but contempt dripped from every word. “I thought you might be worth my full strength. But clearly, I was mistaken. Just another creature blinded by the limits of his own shallow pit! Elemental tricks like these? You dare parade them before me p>
The wind blade, infused with the might of three volatile elements, was already upon him—its edge shrieking through the downpour, aimed straight for his skull. Yet, he remained still, utterly composed. He simply lifted his hand, as if brushing away an inconvenience. The spectators‘ hearts nearly stopped. Was he seriously going to block that monstrous blade with just his bare hand?
A peculiar hiss cut through the air. Grayson blinked—and in that instant, a searing red brilliance slashed across his vision. In the blink of an eye, the fearsome wind blade he’d summoned suddenly fractured mid–air, crumbling into shimmering mist. Where it had soared moments ago, there was now only vapor, rising in twisting coils toward the stormy sky.
“No… No! That’s not real—it can’t be!” His voice cracked with disbelief, eyes bulging as he searched for the cause. For the briefest second, just before his technique crumbled into mist, he caught a fleeting glimpse of it—a streak of red flame coiled between Leander’s fingertips, flickering into existence for a split second before vanishing.
Perched at the edge of the cliff, Yvette narrowed her eyes as she caught sight of the flicker of fire that danced between Leander’s hands–so brief it could have been an illusion. That fleeting flame stirred something deep within her–a strange, inexplicable familiarity that tugged at her memory, though the source remained just out of reach.
Leander, unshaken, raised his arm with quiet confidence. His fingers curled in a slow, deliberate beckon, an almost taunting motion. “Are you hiding something more?” he said coolly. “Unleash everything you’ve got. By the end of this fight, I’ll leave none of your tricks standing p>
That one slight movement–so restrained, yet so commanding–was like a dagger to Grayson’s
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pride. Rage flickered in the depths of his eyes, but even as fury welled up inside him, he couldn’t deny the truth gnawing at his core: from the moment the battle began, he had never once gained the upper hand.
The crowd of Martial Sovereigns–once toppled by the might of Grayson–now stood rooted in stunned silence. None of them could have envisioned a day when the man hailed as the “Jade Emperor,” an emblem of invincibility, could be brought to such a standstill. Leander’s power had far exceeded what anyone in the audience thought possible. It was no longer just remarkable–it was unthinkable.
Grayson’s eyes narrowed, the flicker of shock in them quickly fading. Though Leander’s abilities were enough to startle even him, fear never took root in his heart. After all, he had weathered countless storms, dominated battlefields from coast to coast. To him, this was no end.
A legacy like his wasn’t undone by a single rising star.
Perched high upon a jagged cliff, Raymond stood unmoving, eyes locked onto the battlefield below. His eyes narrowed with a mixture of tension and expectation. A subtle shift in the air told him what he had been waiting for–Grayson was finally about to play his final hand.
With a sudden sweep of Grayson’s arms, the storm itself seemed to recoil. In a breathtaking display of control, the entire downpour froze in midair. Within a vast circle–stretching dozens of feet across and centered on both him and Leander–not a single droplet could fall.
Before the crowd could even register what was unfolding, beams of white light surged across the sky, threading together strand by strand. In mere moments, they wove an immense lattice -an intricate net of brilliance stretched wide, casting a ghostly veil over the heavens like a spider sealing off its prey. Within the heart of this web stood Leander—already ensnared.
“Jeff!” Grayson’s voice thundered across the sky. “What you see is the result of over a decade of relentless forging atop Shire Peak. This is the ‘Infinite Silken Trap‘, woven from my cultivated inner strength and bound by the breath of the four skies! Every strand you see—each faint line hanging in the air–is sharper than the finest divine steel.
“Now that you’re caught inside, your strength means nothing. There is no escape. Not even a miracle will save you! This is the final stroke of my hand p>
He roared with triumphant madness, his voice tearing through the mountain air. Leander’s strength was undeniable–but now that the ‘Infinite Silken Trap‘ had descended, he was nothing more than prey in a sealed cage, a lamb laid bare before the butcher’s blade.
Every luminous strand of this web shimmered with deadly purpose. What appeared to be delicate threads were in fact blades of ethereal steel–so refined and dangerous that even armored machines would be shredded into twisted scrap upon contact!
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This was the secret weapon he had honed in solitude for over a decade, originally forged to confront the legendary Gareth in a destined rematch. Yet fate had played its hand early. Instead of the elder, it would be the heir who would fall. Backed into a wall, cornered by a youth’s ferocity, Grayson had been forced to reveal the blade hidden deepest in his sheath. But now that it was unsheathed, he was certain–the final moment belonged to him.
As the vast white web unfurled above them, a wave of dread swept through the crowd. Not a soul dared breathe too loudly. Even the stoic Tsaric visibly paled at the sight. “To think Grayson could wield his inner strength to weave such a colossal net of power…” he murmured, stunned. “That’s no longer the realm of elite Martial Sovereign–he has stepped into heights few even dare to imagine p>
Off to the side, Roman exhaled quietly, a trace of regret in his eyes. “Leander fought brilliantly, relentlessly, and pushed Grayson to the edge–but he miscalculated. One misstep in a game of blades, and the whole board collapses!” He gazed up at the intricate lattice above the battlefield. “To be caught in this net is like being sealed inside a living array of blades–each thread sharp enough to sever flesh and bone. No matter how great his power, he’s shackled by a net of inevitability p>
Theresa stood rooted to the spot, her thoughts in turmoil. Just moments ago, Leander held the advantage, seemingly unstoppable. But now, with a single ruthless counter from Grayson, the momentum had shifted entirely—it was almost too surreal to believe. Could this really be the end? she thought, her heart sinking. Could the most promising Martial Sovereign of this generation fall here… without warning, without triumph?
At this thought, a bitter ache welled up in her chest as she slowly shook her head, unable to accept the turn of fate.
“Leander!” From the side, Yvette and Madeline cried out in unison, their voices trembling with fear as they watched him trapped inside the lethal web–surrounded on all sides, facing what seemed like inevitable death. While others looked on in horror, Colin’s fingers curled tightly into fists, a surge of emotion tightening in his chest. Though unspoken, he was inwardly exultant.
Leander was a phenomenon–his talent so monstrous, so unreachable, that Colin knew deep down he could chase for a lifetime and still lag far behind. But now? At last, someone who could shatter the myth has emerged. If today marked the end of Leander, then at last, Colin would be free of the suffocating shadow cast by that name.
The world would remember him–not as the second, not as the forgotten–but as the rightful heir to Brightstorm Holdings, standing alone at the summit.
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As Grayson’s fingers closed into a tight fist, the colossal mesh of white mist surged inward with alarming speed. What had once spanned the battlefield like a divine net now shrank into a suffocating trap barely a few feet wide, condensing into a dense knot of deadly threads, threatening to shred Leander where he stood. To the onlookers, the outcome was inevitable. The trap had sprung. Leander’s fate appeared written–there would be no escape.
But just as the net approached its final constriction, Leander tilted his head–and smiled, as if everything was unfolding exactly as he intended. “Grayson,” he said, his voice steady, cutting through the tension, “I warned you–your grasp of elemental force is shallow! Let me teach you what true elemental mastery really looks like p>
The moment his words faded into the air, he lifted his palm–fingers splayed–whereupon a blaze, bright as dawn, surged up between them. “Dragonfire!” In the blink of an eye, what began as a flicker in his grasp erupted into a roaring tempest of fire. Crimson infernos fanned outward like a sea ignited, leaping skyward and devouring the heavens themselves.
The once–dominant cloud net, pristine and vast, had no chance. The moment fire met silk, its pristine weave ignited like dry parchment. The entire trap collapsed, reduced to smoldering vapor in a breathless instant. Leander, once seemingly cornered with no way out, had in an instant turned the tide. The mighty “Infinite Silken Trap“, Grayson’s proudest trump card, had been utterly annihilated in a blaze of crimson fury.
Flames surged like a tidal wave across the sky, painting it in burning hues.
Every onlooker stood stunned, mesmerized by the sheer magnitude of the inferno. Even the most seasoned masters of occult arts would not claim to command such force–perhaps not even a fraction of what Leander had just unleashed.
Meanwhile, Yvette stood frozen at the edge of the cliff, her eyes shimmering with emotion as the sea of flame blazed before her. The brilliance of the inferno stole the breath from her lungs -and in that searing glow, a memory surged to life. Leander’s fiery silhouette, his hand commanding the flames like a deity of war, aligned perfectly with the vision etched into her soul–that night in the boiler room, when she had been taken by the Black Sorcerer.
Back then, she had glimpsed a figure wreathed in fire, a god of war who had burned through
the darkness!
Now, there was no doubt. “It was him… That night–it was really him!” Tears spilled silently down her face, cutting paths through her rain–kissed cheeks.
A sudden, unbearable ache surged in her chest–a grief so raw it felt like it would split her heart in two!
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