Chapter 2202 by Marina Vittori
An Understated Dominance
Carter smirked while looking at the spear thrust toward him. With a swift motion, he faced the attack head-on with his sword.
Their weapons collided and created a shockwave of energy. The waves rippled outward like a tide, and it caused their robes to flutter and their hair to stand on end.
Both combatants stood firm. They were locked in a tense standoff as neither was willing to back down.
Brandon gripped his spear with both hands as he channeled his true energy while he tried to overpower Carter with his strength. But no matter how hard Brandon pushed, Carter held his ground.
The spear clashed with the sword, and the two were locked in a fierce struggle.
The air crackled with bursts of energy as their weapons strained against each other.
âHmm?â Brandonâs brow furrowed with surprise.
As one of the top ten talents of the Celestial Alliance, he should have easily dominated his opponent in Group C. However, he hadnât anticipated this relatively unknown figure to match him so evenly.
âCelestial Glide!â
As Brandon realized he was losing ground, he swung his long spear and knocked Carterâs sword aside. Then, he swiftly unleashed a fierce sweeping strike aimed at Carterâs waist.
In the end, every inch mattered. The long spearâs advantage lay in its wide- reaching attack range. It could strike before the opponentâs sword closed in.
Brandon had made up his mind. Since he could not overpower Carter with sheer strength, he would rely on his marksmanship and extensive combat experience to defeat Carter.
As the spear swept toward him, Carter leaned back. He narrowly dodged the attack like a falling plank.
âSerpentine Evasion!â
With his initial strike missed, Brandon swiftly thrust his spear again and aimed toward Carterâs chest. The timing was perfect, just as Carterâs body was about to touch the ground.
Most martial artists wouldnât have been able to react in time if they were in such a situation.
But Carter seemed to anticipate Brandonâs move. As the spear came at him, he slammed his hand onto the ground and launched into the air.
Brandonâs spear jabbed into the ground and created a hole. As Carter regained his footing, he utilized the spear shaft as a foothold and lunged forward.
His sword aimed straight for Brandonâs throat.
Brandonâs eyes widened, and he instinctively took two steps back. Using his spear, he deflected Carterâs attack. However, the force of the blow sent him staggering back several paces.
The onlookers gasped in shock at the sight. Their faces were filled with fear and disbelief.
âHoly shit! Whatâs happening? Why is Brandon being pushed back?â
âNo way! His opponent is just a nobody. Brandon canât be losing, right? Iâve bet a fortune on him!â
âEveryone, calm down. The match has just begun. Brandon hasnât shown his true strength yet. I believe heâll turn the tide in the end.â
âYeah, the predictions have never failed us. Letâs not freak out and just watch the match.â
Brandonâs unexpected performance left the gamblers nervous. They watched with bated breath. They had expected Brandonâs skill to secure an easy victory.
How did he end up at a disadvantage after just a few exchanges with Carter? What happened?
âMiles, do you think thereâs something unexpected going on in this match?â Ruby asked nervously from her seat in the audience.
She had just wagered all her celestial stones earlier. She knew that winning would bring a huge reward, but she also realized that losing would mean losing everything.
âDonât worry. Itâs just a minor hiccup and wonât affect the overall result,â Miles reassured confidently.
He understood that slip-ups are part of being human. So, he figured Brandon might have been a little careless earlier.
Miles was confident that defeating Carter would be a breeze once Brandon got serious.
At the first battle ring, Brandonâs expression turned grave. At first, he had underestimated Carter, but their recent exchange showed him that Carter was just as strong as him.
Brandon understood that victory might slip away if he didnât give his best.
âYouâre tougher than I thought,â Brandon remarked.
He adopted an aggressive stance with a piercing gaze. âI underestimated you earlier and almost paid the price. But I wonât make that mistake again. Because now, Iâll unleash my ultimate move and end this fight.â
âReally? Iâll be looking forward to it,â Carter replied with a faint smile.
âThunder Spearâs First Form- Thunder Wrath!â Brandon shouted. He drew back his spear before thrusting forward with a mighty force.
As the spear shot out, it was as if thunder cracked.
A blinding flash of white light burst forth, fierce and unstoppable, heading straight for Carter.
âWow, what a powerful move! Brandonâs proving why heâs one of the Celestial Allianceâs top ten!â
âThunder Spear packs a serious punch. Once Brandon lets it loose, thereâs no stopping it. Seeing it in action today proves why it got such a fearsome reputation!â
âCarter should take pride in being bested by Brandonâs Thunder Spear.â
Brandonâs display of power stirred the crowd into a frenzy.
The gamblers, in particular, were thrilled, their eyes gleaming with anticipation.
Amidst the display of the Thunder Spear technique, the spectators grew confident in Brandonâs impending victory.
âPfft! Thunder Spear? Itâs nothing special.â Carter stayed composed and smirked at the incoming spear.
With a quick movement of his foot, he surged forward like lightning, slashing his sword with astonishing speed.
The crowd couldnât track Carterâs sword movements. Instead, they only saw a blur before their eyes.
As the scene paused again, Brandon and Carter had already crossed paths.
At that moment, they were standing back-to-back several yards apart. Brandonâs frown deepened. His expression darkened while his grip on the spear trembled slightly.
Meanwhile, Carter maintained a calm expression, and blood dripped from his sword.
As the crowd looked on in confusion, Brandon suddenly coughed up blood and collapsed to the ground.
The spectators were left dumbfounded.