Chapter 5 Cliffshatter Strike

"He accepted the challenge!" "Owen actually dared to accept?" "Does he think it's still three years ago?" The arena buzzed with disbelief. Most onlookers thought Owen was overestimating himself, especially those from the outer factions, who openly mocked him. Otto, after all, was at the peak of the Eighth Grade True Martial Realm and could even challenge some weaker Ninth Grade opponents. Owen, based on his earlier fight with the battle puppet, was only at the initial Eighth Grade True Martial Realm and relied heavily on his agility to last 38 seconds against the puppet. Otto had lasted 41 seconds through sheer power, showing a clear disparity in their strengths. Bert, observing the situation, frowned. While the Su family had its grievances with Owen, they still stood united against external threats. He felt Owen was being reckless but chose not to intervene, as sparring among the younger generation was a common occurrence in the family. "Excellent," Otto sneered, drawing his battle blade. "As the young Master and former top talent of the Su family, praised throughout the Skyblaze Empire, it'll be quite the achievement to humiliate you in front of everyone." Otto, already armed, offered, "Owen, you can make the first move." Without a word, Owen gripped his sword and lunged forward, delivering a powerful overhead strike, simple but forceful. "He's not using his agility and is coming at me head-on?" Otto smirked. "He's too rash," Bert muttered, shaking his head. A novice at the Eighth Grade True Martial Realm charging at a seasoned peak Eighth Grade warrior seemed foolish. Otto responded with a horizontal slash, unleashing a burst of spiritual energy. The clash of their weapons produced a resounding clang, with neither gaining an immediate advantage. They exchanged several more blows, each equally matched. "How is this possible?" Otto thought, stunned. "I'm using nearly eighty percent of my strength. I should easily overpower a typical Eighth Grade warrior, yet I'm evenly matched with him?" Frustrated, Otto stopped holding back, his spiritual energy surging violently. His blade glowed with increased power, but still, he couldn't gain a decisive upper hand. "What's happening?" spectators murmured, baffled by the evenly matched contest. Even Bert, a seasoned Misthaven Realm practitioner, looked puzzled. Owen's sword technique, Cliffbreaker Techniques, was relatively simple and focused on raw power, while Otto's blade technique was clearly superior. Owen, however, was smiling inwardly, recognizing the changes within himself. "My spiritual energy quality has improved significantly since practicing the bloodline technique. Even at the initial Eighth Grade True Martial Realm, my burst power surpasses Otto's." "Now!" Owen's eyes sharpened. "Enough of this!" Otto, enraged, gathered his spiritual energy into a final, powerful strike. His body crackled with lightning, and he swung his blade down with immense force, using his strongest technique, Seven Storm Blade. "Cliffshatter Strike!" Owen countered, using the most powerful move from the Cliffbreaker Techniques. As he swung, he subtly merged a fraction of his bloodline power with his spiritual energy. Boom! The clash created a powerful shockwave. Otto, confident in his victory, was shocked as an overwhelming force hit him, like being struck by a wild beast. "Urgh!" Otto spat blood, his weapon flying from his grasp as he was launched backward, crashing to the ground unconscious. The arena fell silent, everyone stunned by the sight of Otto, who had seemingly used his full strength, being decisively defeated by Owen. "How could this happen?" they whispered, struggling to comprehend how Owen, supposedly weaker, had defeated Otto in direct combat. Bert, too, was left in confusion, only Owen understood what had transpired. "The power of the bloodline," Owen thought, filled with elation. "I only used a fraction of my bloodline power, yet it amplified my attack tenfold, enough to incapacitate Otto with a single strike." Imagining the full potential of his power left Owen both excited and awed. He knew that as his strength grew, his ability to harness this power would only increase. Taking a deep breath, Owen noted the attention on him but said nothing. He sheathed his sword and left the arena, disregarding the unconscious Otto. For Owen, Otto was never a real threat, merely a means to gauge his newly awakened abilities. Vic, who had instigated the confrontation, watched with a grim expression. "Owen, you might have some strength, but you're nothing compared to my brother. When the Sword Token competition comes, my brother will show you all what real despair looks like!"