118 Chapter 118 – Liam’s Unveiled Might, Asher’s Radiant Gamble
The water dragons roared through the air, their liquid bodies shimmering with deadly intent. Most men would have scattered or thrown up desperate defenses against such a powerful technique. I simply stood my ground.
“Move, you idiot!” someone shouted from the crowd.
I didn’t need to. At the last possible moment, I shifted my weight slightly to one side. The dragons crashed into the empty space where I’d been standing, their jaws snapping on nothing but air.
Asher’s eyes widened. My dodge had been so minimal, so effortless, that it looked as if his attack had simply passed through me.–
“Impossible,” he muttered. “No one evades the Water Dragon Strike that easily.”
I shrugged. “First time for everything.”
Asher’s face darkened with anger. He launched himself forward, crossing the distance between us with impressive speed. His right fist, wrapped in a swirling vortex of water energy, shot straight for my chest.
The crowd gasped. Even Eamon covered his eyes, unable to watch what he thought would be my devastating defeat.
The impact of Asher’s fist against my chest echoed across the clearing. A triumphant smile lit his face – until he realized I hadn’t moved an inch. I stood firmly rooted, having absorbed his full–strength blow without flinching.
“Decent punch,” I commented. “But you telegraph your moves with your left shoulder.” Confusion flickered across his face. Then pain, as I grabbed his extended wrist and squeezed. I applied just enough pressure to hurt without breaking bones.
“My turn,” I said quietly.
My palm struck his chest with measured force. Not my full strength – that would have killed him – but enough to send him flying backward ten paces. He managed to land on his feet, but only barely, his boots skidding across the dirt as he fought for balance.
118 Chapter 118–Liam’s Unvolled Might, Asher’s Radiant Gamble
118 Chapter 118 – Liam’s Unveiled Might, Asher’s Radiant Gamble
The water dragons roared through the air, their liquid bodies shimmering with deadly intent. Most men would have scattered or thrown up desperate defenses against such a powerful technique. I simply stood my ground.
“Move, you idiot!” someone shouted from the crowd..
I didn’t need to. At the last possible moment, I shifted my weight slightly to one side. The dragons crashed into the empty space where I’d been standing, their jaws snapping on nothing but air.
Asher’s eyes widened. My dodge had been so minimal, so effortless, that it looked as if his attack had simply passed through me.
“Impossible,” he muttered. “No one evades the Water Dragon Strike that easily.”
I shrugged. “First time for everything.”
Asher’s face darkened with anger. He launched himself forward, crossing the distance between us with impressive speed. His right fist, wrapped in a swirling vortex of water energy, shot straight for my chest.
The crowd gasped. Even Eamon covered his eyes, unable to watch what he thought would be my devastating defeat.
The impact of Asher’s fist against my chest echoed across the clearing. A triumphant smile lit his face until he realized I hadn’t moved an inch. I stood firmly rooted,
having absorbed his full–strength blow without flinching.
“Decent punch,” I commented. “But you telegraph your moves with your left shoulder.” Confusion flickered across his face. Then pain, as I grabbed his extended wrist and squeezed. I applied just enough pressure to hurt without breaking bones.
“My turn,” I said quietly.
My palm struck his chest with measured force. Not my full strength – that would have killed him – but enough to send him flying backward ten paces. He managed to land on his feet, but only barely, his boots skidding across the dirt as he fought for balance.
118 Chapter 118–Liam’s Unvelled Might, Ashor’s Radiant Gamble
The silence that followed was absolute. No one in the crowd made a sound. They were too shocked by what they’d just witnessed the Young Lord of the Lane Family, a respected Inner Strength Master, had been repelled like a novice.
Violet Miller’s jaw had dropped open. Beside her, Alistair looked like he’d been struck by lightning. Even Selina Burton, who prided herself on her composure, couldn’t hide
her astonishment.
“That was…” Eamon whispered, “Incredible.”
Asher recovered his balance and stared at me, reassessing. “I underestimated you,” he admitted grudgingly. “That won’t happen again.”
“It already has,” I replied..
His eyes narrowed. “What do you mean?”
“You’re still underestimating me. That wasn’t even ten percent of my strength.”
The crowd murmured in disbelief. Asher’s face contorted with rage. “Liar!”
He launched into a flurry of attacks, his fists and feet moving in a complex pattern taught only to the Lane Family elite. Water energy coated his limbs, adding power and reach to each strike.
I simply stepped through his assault, moving with casual grace. His fist missed my face by centimeters. His kick swept harmlessly past my knee. Each near–miss infuriated him further, making his attacks more desperate and less precise.
“Stand still and fight!” he shouted.
“If you insist.” I stopped moving.
His right hook caught me directly on the jaw with enough force to shatter granite. The impact cracked like thunder.
The crowd gasped, expecting me to crumple.
I turned my head slowly back to face him, completely unharmed. “That was better. You put your weight behind it this time.”
The blood drained from Asher’s face. “How are you still standing?”
Instead of answering, I struck. One punch, holding back most of my power.
It
118 Chapter 118–Liam’s Unveiled Might, Asher’s Radiant Gamble
connected with his sternum and lifted him off his feet. He flew backward, crashing into the ground fifteen paces away, his body carving a furrow in the dirt.
“Asher!” Alistair shouted, taking a step forward before remembering the rules of the
duel.
To his credit, Asher struggled back to his feet. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, and his breathing was labored. The impact had likely cracked several ribs.
“That was…” he coughed, “only a lucky hit.”
“Then I must be very lucky,” I replied.
His eyes flashed with dangerous determination. “I’ve been holding back. No more
games.”
“As you wish.”
Asher closed his eyes briefly, centering himself. When he opened them again, his aura had changed. The spiritual energy around him condensed, growing denser and more focused..
“Water Dragon Imperial Stance,” he announced. “My family’s highest technique.”
The air grew heavy with moisture. Droplets of water formed all around him, hanging suspended as if gravity had been temporarily nullified. His spiritual energy caused the droplets to glow with an eerie blue light.
Even I was impressed. This was a master–level technique, one that few could execute properly.
He launched himself forward with twice his previous speed. The water droplets followed, forming a comet–like trail behind him. His fist, now glowing with concentrated energy, aimed directly for my heart.
I could have dodged. I could have blocked. Instead, I chose to make a point.
His fist connected solidly with my chest. The impact sent shockwaves through the ground beneath our feet. Several onlookers lost their balance as the earth trembled.
When the dust settled, I remained standing, unmoved. Asher’s fist was still pressed against my chest, his entire body trembling with the effort he’d expended.
118 Chapter 118–Liam’s Unveiled Might, Asher’s Radiant Gamble
“Impossible,” he whispered, his voice breaking. “That was my full strength.”
I looked down at his fist, then back to his face. “And now you know it’s not enough.”
With a casual flick of my hand, I sent him tumbling backward again. This time when he hit the ground, he couldn’t immediately stand.
The crowd was utterly silent, struggling to process what they were witnessing. Alistair’s face had gone pale. Violet looked like she might faint. Even Selina Burton seemed shaken to her core.
I walked slowly toward Asher as he struggled to rise. “Are you prepared to honor our agreement?”
He managed to get to one knee, breathing heavily. Blood stained his expensive clothes. His pride was clearly more wounded than his body.
“This… isn’t over,” he gasped.
“It is,” I said firmly. “You’ve lost. Accept it with dignity.”
“Never!” he snarled.
With a surge of desperate energy, he forced himself to his feet. His hands formed at new seal, different from anything he’d used before. The spiritual energy around him. changed quality, becoming brighter, more concentrated.
“What is he doing?” Eamon whispered in alarm.
Alistair stepped forward, genuine concern on his face. “Asher, no! That technique isn’t stable yet!”
Asher ignored the warning. Light gathered in his palm, coalescing into a dagger–shaped manifestation of pure energy – the external projection of Inner Strength. It was a rare and advanced technique that few cultivators ever mastered.
The crowd gasped collectively. Even I was surprised. External projection was far beyond what I’d expected from him.
“This is the Lane Family’s forbidden technique,” Asher announced, his voice strained but triumphant. “The Light Dagger of Water Severance. It can cut through any defense, any barrier, any body.”
118 Chapter 118–Liam’s Unveiled Might. Asher’s Radiant Gamble
The light in his hand pulsed dangerously, casting sharp shadows across his face. The energy was unstable, fluctuating between brilliant white and sickly yellow. Asher was pushing beyond his limits, risking his cultivation base for a chance at victory.
“You shouldn’t have humiliated me,” he said, his eyes wild with a dangerous combination of fear and determination. “Now you’ll pay the price.
The light dagger in his hand stabilized, settling into a piercing blue–white radiance that hurt the eyes to look at directly. He raised it, preparing to strike.
“Asher, stop!” Alistair shouted. “That technique will damage your meridians!”
But Asher was beyond reason now. With a cry that was half rage and half pain, he lunged forward, the light dagger aimed directly at my heart.
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