"...Are you done talking now?"
The moment those words left Lin's mouth—
The blue aura around his body exploded even more violently than before, to the point that the air inside the arena began emitting faint vibrating sounds while strands of his hair rose under the increasing pressure of his chi.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!
What remained of the floor beneath his feet cracked apart once again, and sharp blue energy spread around his long spear like endlessly spinning blades.
Meanwhile, Daren—
Immediately jumped backward with a fast reaction, his feet sliding over the shattered stones before stabilizing himself firmly. Then, for the first time since the battle began, he gripped his hammer with both hands and assumed a true combat stance.
But—
Despite that, he smiled.
"Really?"
He laughed lightly while staring at Lin.
"You're still able to stand after taking that direct hit?"
Then he tightened his grip over the hammer even more.
"Hahahaha… I think you're far more stubborn than you look, Lin."
In the next moment—
A heavy gray aura also began rising from Daren's body, a dense aura that caused the arena to tremble slightly beneath his feet.
Then he raised his hammer toward Lin and shouted in a loud voice that shook the entire arena:
"Then come, Lin!!"
"Come at me with everything you've got!!"
"Attack me with your full power!!"
"COME OOOOOOOON!!"
Lin gritted his teeth fiercely, then shouted as blue chi wrapped around his spear even more violently.
"First Martial Art…"
Blue lines rapidly rose around his body.
"…One Hundred False Spears!!!"
SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!
Lin disappeared from his position instantly, but this time—
He was not alone.
Dozens of blue spears suddenly appeared behind him all at once, spears entirely formed from condensed chi, launching at different speeds and tangled angles as though a complete storm of thrusts had charged toward Daren at the same moment.
Several disciples' eyes widened immediately.
"What the hell is this?!"
"Are they all real?!"
"No… impossible!"
"Where are all those spears coming from?!"
Meanwhile, Daren—
His eyes widened as well for a brief moment before he rapidly raised his hammer and began swinging it violently in every direction.
BOOM!! BOOM!! BOOOOM!!
Every strike from the hammer crushed multiple spears at once, but the number of attacks was so terrifying that some of them still pierced through his defense, leaving shallow wounds across his arms and shoulder.
"Tsk!!"
He gritted his teeth violently.
"This is much faster than before!"
Then his eyes widened slightly as he saw even more spears continuously approaching him without stopping.
"There's no other choice then!"
In a single instant—
Daren roared with overwhelming force that shook the entire arena:
"First Martial Art…"
Gray chi began gathering densely around his hammer.
"…Judgment of the Heavy Guillotine!!!"
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!
He slammed the hammer downward with crushing force, and the instant the hammer collided with one of the spears—
A gigantic gray pressure wave exploded around him like a raging storm.
SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!
All the surrounding blue spears shattered at once and transformed into scattered chi fragments that rained over the arena.
Even some disciples had to shield their faces from the violent winds produced by the impact.
"He crushed all of them with a single strike?!"
"My god!"
"That monster…!"
Meanwhile, Daren—
Raised his gaze directly forward while breathing heavily.
But—
Lin was nowhere to be seen.
"…Hah?"
At that exact moment—
His eyes froze because he heard a voice directly behind him.
"I knew…"
"…that you would use one of your martial arts, Daren."
Daren's eyes widened instantly.
Lin was directly above him from behind.
His spear was raised over his head while terrifying blue chi spiraled around the blade.
"You're too late, DAREEEEEEN!!"
Before Daren could fully turn around—
Lin screamed at the top of his lungs:
"Second Martial Art…"
A sharp blue pressure surged through the arena.
"…Fang of the Abyss!!!"
SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!
The spear shot downward at terrifying speed and pierced directly through Daren's shoulder.
"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!"
Daren's scream echoed throughout the arena as blood burst violently from his shoulder, causing several disciples to stand up in shock.
Meanwhile, Lin—
Immediately pulled his spear back and rapidly retreated before landing on the ground while breathing heavily.
"Hah… Hah…"
His breathing was visibly unstable, sweat constantly dripping from his forehead while the pain from Daren's earlier hammer strike still weighed heavily across his entire body.
Meanwhile, Daren—
Was also breathing with difficulty while blood continuously flowed from his shoulder.
"Tsk…!"
He pressed his hand over the wound for a moment before laughing lightly despite the pain.
A brief silence spread through the arena, because everyone understood something now.
This battle… was no longer just a display of strength.
Both of them had truly begun collapsing.
Both of them were in pain.
And both were forcing their bodies forward purely to continue.
Yet despite that—
Lin suddenly smiled while panting.
"Hahaha…"
He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.
"Honestly, Daren…"
He breathed heavily.
"…I admit you're strong."
Then he coughed violently.
"Cough… Cough…"
He raised his spear again with difficulty.
"You're actually making me suffer, you bastard."
Meanwhile, Daren—
Laughed as well despite the blood covering his shoulder.
"Aaaah… this really hurts…"
Then he lightly shook his head.
"Hahahaha… that strike was seriously powerful."
He raised his gaze toward him with a smile.
"I really shouldn't have provoked you like that."
Then he pointed toward his bleeding shoulder.
"I truly regret my actions."
"But…"
He laughed again.
"Why did you stab me with that much force?"
"Aren't I your friend, you idiot?!"
Lin immediately shouted furiously:
"Your friend?!"
Then he pointed at him violently.
"And what about your first strike, you lunatic?!"
"You would've completely crushed my skull if I hadn't concentrated my chi over the upper part of my body!"
Then he gritted his teeth.
"And now you're complaining about your shoulder?!"
"It won't hurt nearly as much as your attack, idiot!!"
Daren burst into loud laughter.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Then he sighed while raising his hammer with difficulty.
"Seriously… this is annoying."
A brief silence passed between the two before Daren directly raised his eyes toward Lin, and this time his gaze was completely serious.
"Let's finish this then, Lin."
He raised his hammer higher despite his trembling arm.
"…Let's end it."
"The next strike…"
A heavy silence spread across the arena.
"…will decide the winner between us."
Lin slowly exhaled, then gave a tired smile.
"I knew…"
"…this would end like this."
He raised his spear before him.
"But it doesn't matter."
"We won't stop now."
"Let's finish what we started, Daren."
At that moment—
The two of them slowly drew in their final breaths.
Then—
They raised their weapons toward each other at the exact same moment.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!
The blue and gray auras exploded together violently enough to shake the entire arena.
Even the spectator stands began cracking slightly from the pressure of the chi.
Meanwhile, the disciples—
Some of them began retreating backward in genuine fear.
"That aura…!"
"Damn it… do they still have this much power left?!"
"They're truly monsters!"
Up above—
Kyle watched silently with narrowed eyes.
"…Hmm."
Then he slowly crossed his arms.
"At least… this battle is entertaining. I knew they were strong…"
"…but not to this extent. Hahaha."
Meanwhile, Shin—
Was shouting excitedly:
"DAMN!!"
"This is the best fight so far!"
Even Shireen—
Was staring at the arena without blinking.
"Neither of them…"
"…can even feel pain anymore."
Meanwhile, the Fifth Elder—
His expression began turning serious for the first time since the round started.
"…Their chi has gone out of control."
Then he narrowed his eyes.
"If those two attacks collide directly…"
"…the entire arena may be destroyed."
Inside the arena—
Both of them shouted at the exact same time.
"Third Martial Art…"
Lin roared:
"…Horizon Severing!!!!"
While Daren's voice thundered simultaneously:
"Second Martial Art…"
The gray aura around his hammer rose tremendously.
"…Tyrant's Judgment: Shadow Splitter!!!"
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!
Both attacks were unleashed at the exact same moment.
Lin's strike was sharp and blue, as though it could split space itself in half.
Meanwhile, Daren's strike—
Looked as though it was crushing the air and the very space before it entirely.
Then—
They collided.
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSHHHHHHHH!!!
Light exploded inside the arena with a blinding brilliance while dust and stones violently shot into the sky.
The arena completely vanished from sight.
No one could see anything anymore.
Only the gray and blue storm that had swallowed everything whole.
"Wh… who won?!"
"I can't see anything!"
"Damn it!!"
"Are they still standing?!"
Even the Fifth Elder himself was standing frozen in shock.
Meanwhile, Faiser—
Slowly narrowed his eyes while staring into the dense dust.
"…My god!"
Then an incredibly small smile appeared on his face.
"…So this really happened. It truly is fate. Hahahahaha."
In the next moment—
The dust slowly split apart from the center…
And what appeared within it—
Made everyone's eyes widen in complete shock.