Chapter 463 Transformation in Defeat
"Old monster," James inwardly cried out as Dane's strength far exceeded his imagination.
Just one exchange, and he was already wounded. Yet James didn't falter—with a swift shift of his feet, he launched another finger strike toward Dane.
His spear shot forth like a streak of lightning, its speed so incredible that only a blurry line remained visible!
Thirty feet away, Dane remained perfectly calm. Only when the domineering spear reached his face did he suddenly slam forward with his right fist, the force of his punch echoing with the roar of a raging beast.
With that single strike, he forcefully halted the spear mid-flight.
In that moment, James flashed out his Piercing Blade and lunged forward, man and sword as one, his momentum like thunder!
Dane, who had maintained his superiority throughout, showed a hint of surprise for the first time. He grabbed the spear with a backward motion and thrust it forward violently.
The spear struck like a thunderbolt, traversing heaven and earth! When spear and sword collided, light and shadow shattered as James was sent flying backward.
He twisted several times in midair before landing on the steps with a dull thud, his face paler than ever before.
After sending James flying, Dane didn't stop. He hurled the spear directly at James's heart like lightning.
James's pupils contracted as he suddenly clasped his hands together, and between his palms, the Piercing Blade slashed forward.
Another earthshaking explosion erupted, and immediately, a powerful force burst forth before James.
In an instant, he was thrown backward rigidly, crashing into a pillar of the Mystic Alliance before falling to the ground.
A sweetness rose in James's throat that he could no longer suppress, and he spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.
Milo, Ruby, and the others were utterly shocked. They had witnessed James's abilities before and considered him the strongest of the younger generation, yet against Dane, he couldn't even last ten moves.
Could Dane truly possess High Level strength?
Seeing James injured, Ruby and the others rushed over to support him. "President Williams!"
Francis silently stepped forward, his eyes coldly fixed on Dane. He knew he couldn't win either, but he would fight to the death to protect James.
Terrence and the woman, however, took pleasure in James's misfortune—had they not all been members of the Mystic Alliance, they would have openly cheered.
"I'm fine!" James stopped them from approaching, half-kneeling on the ground as he coughed.
This was the first time since his debut that he had been defeated so thoroughly, yet there was no dejection or pain on his face, nor had he fallen into despair.
During his year as a son-in-law, what humiliation hadn't he endured? What was a mere defeat compared to that?
James breathed deeply, reciting the incantations to circulate the Shadowless Heart Sutra, hoping to recover some strength.
But as soon as he began, excruciating pain shot through his body, followed by abnormal changes. His blood vessels heated uncontrollably, then his entire body burned.
James felt as if every cell was racing through his body in waves. His bones cracked audibly as blood repeatedly rushed to his throat, nearly making him vomit blood several more times.
"James, I won't kill you today," said Dane, watching James's face rapidly alternate between red and white, clearly suffering severe internal injuries.
With contempt, he continued, "Because killing you now would be meaningless. I want to destroy you in one week, at Maple Hill, in front of everyone."
"Not only will I avenge Aurelia, but I'll also show the world that the Celestia Martial practices are nothing but fragile toys in my eyes and hands."
"Even if Kirk Gutierrez himself came, I would crush him just the same. Don't think about escaping. Anyone I, Dane, want to kill cannot be protected or escape. Consider yourself warned!"
After speaking, he turned toward the exit. Francis and the Mystic Alliance members tried to block him, but Ruby harshly stopped them: "Don't stop him. Let him go."
She knew clearly that no one present could stand against Dane—even with Francis joining, they had no chance of winning and would only provoke a massacre.
The Mystic Alliance members could only grit their teeth and make way, the frustration evident on their faces.
They felt a sense of dejection—their own territory had been invaded as if it were unguarded. The Glowing Oasis Mystic Alliance would likely become a laughingstock.
"James, remember, seven days from now, come to Maple Hill to meet your death," Dane called out. "One second late, I'll kill ten people. One minute late, I'll kill a thousand. If you dare not show up, I'll exterminate your entire family."
He departed with arrogant swagger as the group from Lumaria left with raucous laughter, kicking down any Mystic Alliance members who had come rushing to the scene.
At this moment, the woman suddenly approached James and, without warning, slapped him across the face. "Useless trash!"
Clearly, she had decided James was as good as dead and no longer bothered to hide her contempt.
"You—" Milo and the others were about to step forward in anger when Terrence glared them into submission. "What are you doing? Rebelling? Is Elysia wrong to call James worthless?
"Inferior in skill, careless in conduct, yet daring to challenge others—he harms himself and others, more useless than useless. James, this matter began with you and should end with you. Resolve this quickly and don't implicate the Mystic Alliance."
Terrence delivered the finishing blow: "Furthermore, from this moment on, your authority as chairman of the Glowing Oasis is suspended."
You will not be permitted to sacrifice our members as cannon fodder. Disobey, and you die."
"Elysia, summon Atticus to the Glowing Oasis to lead the law enforcement members in completely overseeing the Glowing Oasis Mystic Alliance until Lancelot returns to Celestia to decide what to do."
With James half-dead, Terrence could now easily defeat ten like him, so his arrogance naturally flared.
Elysia was overjoyed. "Understood."
James ignored Terrence's words and didn't care about Elysia's slap. He quietly gazed at the sky, his mind clearer than ever before, his eyes growing inexplicably bright.
Suddenly, he could see the flapping wings of birds in the sky and feel the gentle flow of blood within his body.
A surging power welled up in his Energy Core, seemingly ready to burst forth at any moment.
Meanwhile, in the business car leaving the Glowing Oasis Mystic Alliance, Primrose bit her lip and looked at Dane, saying softly, "Mr. Banks, why didn't you just kill them all?"
She added quietly, "If we don't kill him now, I'm worried he might run away, or call on Kirk for help, or even get the Three Cornerstones of Celestia involved."
"Killing James would be easy, but that's not the outcome I want," Dane replied, his gaze fixed ahead.
"I don't just want to cut down James; I want to humiliate the entire Celestia Martial practices. I want everyone to know that we are forever the strongest martial nation."
"For such a weak opponent, let him live another week. Let him spend his remaining days in fear and despair."
"He won't dare run—the lives of his entire family surely matter more than his own," Dane continued.
"As for seeking help, our challenge was issued openly and fairly, and James agreed to the duel. Even Kirk wouldn't have grounds to interfere."
"The Three Cornerstones may be terrifying, but they have an obvious weakness—they pose as gentlemen and good people."
"As long as we're not assassinating the chairman of Glowing Oasis secretly, the Three Cornerstones won't take any action. So in seven days, James will have no choice but to obediently go to Maple Hill to meet his death."
Dane saw far and clearly, filling Primrose with admiration. Yet beside them, Manuel's heart trembled violently.
Dane, hailed as the Sword Saint of his generation, turned to look out the window and wiped away a trace of blood from the corner of his mouth.
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