Chapter 2276 by Marina Vittori

Thaddeus was defeated. After risking his life and mustering his final strength for one decisive blow, Dalen effortlessly overwhelmed him.

Thaddeus had lost his will to fight. His body could endure no more, and he feared Dalen’s unpredictable prowess.

Despite Dalen’s youth, his cultivation was ten times stronger than Thaddeus’. Even when Thaddeus gave everything he had, he couldn’t penetrate Dalen’s defenses.

It was an overwhelming sense of despair. Even in his prime, Thaddeus wouldn’t have had the confidence to continue the match.

Thaddeus’ words prompted the referee to declare the final result, “Contestant Number 5 concedes. Contestant Number 19 is the winner!”

The arena echoed with cries of despair, curses, and insults.

“Dammit! What a useless ascetic priest. He couldn’t even handle a pretty boy. Such a disgrace.”

“Father Savier? He should call himself a jester! All talk and no skill. What a waste!”

“Screw you! You made me lose everything. Why don’t you just die already!”

Some disgruntled gamblers who lost their bets were furious and cursed loudly. They had high hopes for Thaddeus to win, so they went in and hoped for a big comeback.

At first, things looked promising. However, as the fight progressed, Thaddeus grew weaker. By the end, he hadn’t landed a single hit on Dalen and had exhausted himself.

“What a complete waste!” they grumbled. They wouldn’t have bet a dime if they had known Thaddeus was such a weakling. Unfortunately, it was too late for regrets, so they could only vent their anger with curses.

“Who would’ve thought Dalen would win? Dr. Rhys certainly has a sharp eye, “Alicia said, smiling.

Initially, she had doubted Dalen’s abilities. After all, Thaddeus displayed remarkable strength comparable to that of a grandmaster martial artist.

Despite Thaddeus’ aggressive attacks, he couldn’t gain the upper hand against Dalen and eventually had to admit defeat.

While Thaddeus looked weak, keen observers could tell that Dalen’s cultivation was significantly more advanced.

Despite Thaddeus’ best efforts, Dalen effortlessly thwarted each move with calm and composure. This highlighted the significant gap in their abilities.

“Yeah, he won. But something feels off. “Aurora scratched her head in confusion.

Thaddeus’ attacks were fierce and intimidating, yet Dalen’s responses seemed oddly passive. He either defended or countered but never took the initiative to attack. It was as if Thaddeus was punching a pillow with all his might.

Even though she knew Dalen was stronger, the match lacked the excitement of an intense clash she had imagined.

“Dalen is more than meets the eye,” Fenley said. “He might seem as harmless as a lamb, but underneath that facade, he’s a fierce tiger. When he bares his fang, he’s lethal.”

“Oh?” Alicia raised an eyebrow, clearly taken aback. “If you hold him in such high regard, Dalen must be even more formidable than we thought.”

She knew he had high standards and rarely acknowledged ordinary martial artists. Only geniuses caught his attention.

To earn Fenley’s respect meant Dalen stood out among the rising stars of the Celestial Alliance. After hearing Fenley’s assessment, Alicia couldn’t help but feel a mix of surprise and curiosity.

“If I’m not mistaken, Dalen’s strength could match up with the tenth-ranked expert on the Legendary List,” Fenley said.

“What? The tenth-ranked expert on the Legendary List?” Aurora’s eyes widened in surprise.

The Legendary List featured the top talents in Dragonmarsh, and each was a dominant force in the martial world. Compared to them, someone like Thaddeus was just a small fry.

She acknowledged Dalen was strong. He was much stronger than Thaddeus, but claiming he could rival Jude, the tenth-ranked expert on the Legendary List, seemed hard to believe.

“Fenley, do you have that much faith in Dalen?” Alicia asked, equally surprised.

She couldn’t understand why Dustin and Fenley valued Dalen so highly when he hadn’t shown any extraordinary skills. She wondered what was the secret behind their confidence in Dalen.

“Dalen achieved grandmaster status in martial arts by the age of 20. Additionally, he’s mastered the art of defense technique known as the Evasio Incantation. These accomplishments alone set him apart,” Fenley remarked thoughtfully.

He continued, “And this is what we know about him. There are still aspects of Dalen that have yet to be disclosed.

“Given his Shadow Citadel’s background, it wouldn’t be surprising for them to nurture a talent ranked in the top ten on the Legendary List.”

Suddenly, he turned to Dustin and smiled. “Dr. Rhys, what do you think?”