Chapter 619 James VS Neil
The new guy was decked out in plain, rough clothes, his hair long and unkempt, looking like he hadn't seen a comb in months. He rocked straw sandals, his face scruffy with stubble, and overall, he looked like he'd been living on the streets. You could've easily mistaken him for a roadside beggar.
But when the crowd got a good look at his face, jaws dropped—it was Neil! The guy who'd vanished after James took him down a while back!
Now he was back, crashing James's big moment, radiating this intense vibe that screamed payback. Things just got a whole lot more interesting!
James was slightly surprised to see Neil. He didn't expect that in such a short time, Neil could break through himself and reach the peak of the fourth stage of martial arts.
The crowd, on the other hand, was hyped. Finally, someone who could take James down a notch!
Tomas was practically beaming, his face lit up with excitement.
He could tell Neil had leveled up big time—his aura was way more intense, way more dangerous. Clearly, he'd broken through his old limits.
As long as Neil was here to keep James in check, the Stewart family would stay on top as the number one family in the City of Mysteries!
Over the past few weeks, Tomas had tried reaching out to Neil. He knew his son was proud, borderline obsessed with his martial arts skills. After losing to James, Neil had gone radio silent, and it had been eating at him. Now, seeing Neil back, stronger than ever, Tomas could finally breathe easy.
"Neil, did you hit the fifth stage?" Tomas blurted out, his excitement spilling over.
The crowd froze, their scalps prickling at the thought. The fifth stage?
How insane would that be?
Nationwide, barely anyone could pull that off, right?
Everyone knew the Sword God was a fifth-stage master—basically a living legend.
But the Sword God was pushing eighty, while Neil? He's what, thirty?
Are kids these days just built different or what?
The moment Neil showed up, the Smith family's hearts dropped. They all shot nervous glances at James. James was their golden ticket now, but if Neil took him down, it'd all go back to zero—or worse.
It hit them hard: their futures were tied to James. They were rooting for him, praying he'd level up and crush Neil again.
But when they heard Tomas ask if Neil had reached the fifth stage of martial arts, they were terrified.
James's expression didn't change. Neil's appearance was indeed a surprise, but also an opportunity.
He could tell these family heads were here, but they weren't buying what he was selling. They'd turn on the Smith family in a heartbeat if they got the chance.
Neil's arrival? It was a test, but also a chance to prove himself.
James's gaze swept over Neil and immediately saw that the other party had successfully broken through to the peak of the fourth stage of martial arts, just like him, only one step away from the legendary fifth stage.
Not long ago, James had just killed Slayer, who was also at the peak of the fourth stage, gaining a deeper understanding of martial arts. If James fought Neil now, he would have an even greater chance of breaking through to the legendary fifth stage.
Everyone's eyes were on Neil, who said calmly, "Just a little bit more, but if I kill James today, I can successfully break through to the legendary 'Extreme Pathway' stage."
"Extreme Pathway stage?" Tomas frowned, puzzled.
Neil said, "The Extreme Pathway stage is the fifth stage of martial arts, the ultimate level humans can reach. My teacher, the Sword God, is at the Extreme Pathway stage and can be called a god."
His words caused an uproar. The legendary Sword God was actually Neil's teacher? This was too shocking!
The Smith family members were trembling with fear upon hearing this news, and even Alistair put away his smile, his face full of seriousness.
Only James remained calm because he had already guessed it.
Honestly, this was a win for him. It showed Neil's martial arts talent didn't measure up. Neil had a top-tier mentor, was older, and still couldn't match him. James? He'd started from scratch, just his dad's basics to guide him. Everything else? Pure grit and brains.
It's like comparing a trust fund kid to someone who built their empire from the ground up.
Who's got the real skills? No contest.
James, with his hands behind his back, said to Neil, "Neil, you're rushing it. Give it a few more months, let your level settle, and you'd have a shot—maybe thirty percent. Right now? Barely ten. Look, you're from the City of Mysteries too, and getting to this level wasn't easy. Walk away. I won't stop you."
His voice was steady, almost dismissive, like a seasoned veteran brushing off an overeager rookie.
But no one called him cocky. With his rep and status, he'd already outshined Neil. Even though Neil was also at the peak of the fourth stage, he looked small next to James.
Now James was the big villain, and Neil was the hero challenging the big villain.
Neil's eyebrows twitched, a flash of anger breaking through, like James had just slapped him with his words. He felt dismissed, underestimated.
But he caught himself, cool composure snapping back into place. "James," he scoffed, locking eyes with him, "you really think you're the top dog in this world? You've got no clue how much power I've got now. You don't know what I've been through, what I've figured out to get here. You're no match for me."
James also smiled and said, "Let me take a guess. You attended the Sword God's lecture, then went off to train, pushed yourself to the limit under that thousand-foot waterfall, and hit the peak of the fourth stage, didn't you?"
Neil's face froze.
James knew?
Did the Sword God spill the beans? No way.
So… how?
James seemed to see through his thoughts and said, "Don't bother guessing. I picked it up from your energy. You're rushing, your level's shaky, and you're not ready to take me on. Go back, grind for another year or two, then come find me."
He shook his head, feeling sorry for Neil.
Neil was once again enraged. He came this time with full confidence to defeat James!
"Nonsense, die!" Neil directly attacked James.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
