An Understated Dominance - Chapter 2353

Abigail took advantage of the relaxed rules at Sacred Wyrm Summit and started betting pools. Caleb, curious about the excitement, decided to try his luck. At first, he won a good amount, but soon his luck changed, and he lost it all.

Feeling the thrill and wanting to keep playing, he wagered his Divine Talisman. Things quickly spiraled out of control from there. Before he knew it, he had lost many talismans and realized he had gone too far. Azalea ended up with the talismans because of his reckless gambling.

“Where did you get a Divine Talisman?” Kendricks asked, frowning and looking troubled. The Divine Talisman was a prized item at Sacred Wyrm Summit, and the lightning talisman Azalea had used was especially rare. Kendricks thought it was strange for someone from the Mystic Arts Order to have such talismans.

“It’s a secret,” Azalea replied with a grin. Before the match, Abigail had given her three Divine Talismans. She had already used one successfully, and if she played her remaining two right, she still had a chance to win.

“Hmph! You think you can beat me with that Divine Talisman? Dream on,” Kendricks scoffed as he threw his golden saber to the ground. It sank into the battle ring, leaving the hilt sticking up. Then, he slowly pulled out a black blade from his back.

The sword was broken and looked plain, but the moment he unsheathed it, everything changed. He radiated a fierce intensity and power. The golden light that once surrounded him disappeared, replaced by a swirling black mist, making him look like a demon rising from the depths.

“Wow! Kendricks is really going all out!” someone exclaimed.

“That blade he’s wielding…”

Kendricks held the Demonblade, and it looked strange, as if it was tainted by dark energy.

“If I’m right, that’s the legendary Demonblade, once known as one of the ten greatest swords in the world. It was broken by a mysterious elder and sealed away. I can’t believe it’s in Kendricks’ hands now. Even in this broken state, it still holds incredible power,” someone said.

“With the Demonblade and the Bloodfiery Rampage technique, he’s turning into a powerhouse. That Mystic Arts Order disciple doesn’t stand a chance,” another spectator added.

Everyone watching felt a chill as they saw Kendricks surrounded by dark energy.

Finding the Demonblade was rare, but using it was even harder. Most swordsmen couldn’t even pull it from its sheath. Even if they did, the dark energy could easily drive them insane.

But Kendricks seemed unaffected, showing he had mastered the Demonblade and claimed it as his own.

“You’ve forced me to draw the Demonblade. Consider it an honor to die by its edge,” he declared, pulling out the sword.

In one smooth motion, he swung the Demonblade in a simple slash. As he did, a dark aura burst from the blade.

Suddenly, the world felt like it was sinking into darkness. The blackness threatened to consume everything. Wherever it went, the ground withered, and the air grew heavy. It was silent but filled with deadly intent.

“Abyssal Parasol!” Azalea shouted without hesitation, activating her seal.

The once-dim parasol flew up, glowing a fierce crimson light. It formed a tall wall between her and the dark aura rushing toward them.

But the dark aura tore through the wall and shattered the Abyssal Parasol. The divine artifact exploded, proving useless against the overwhelming power.

As Kendricks launched his attack, Azalea felt panic rising within her. She quickly stepped back, throwing hidden weapons in a desperate attempt to defend herself. But no matter how many poison darts she fired, they vanished the moment they touched the dark energy surrounding Kendricks’ blade.

In a moment of fear, she shouted, “I concede! I give up!”

Just then, a bolt of blue lightning struck from the sky, hitting the dark energy. The explosion rang out as the lightning shattered it.

When the black energy faded, Oron stepped in front of Azalea, shielding her from further harm.

“Stop!” Kendricks yelled, his anger boiling over. He had been moments away from finishing her off, but Oron’s quick action had interrupted his attack.

“Contestant number 12 has surrendered. There’s no need for any more violence,” Oron said calmly.

The tournament rules were clear: contestants could fight to the death, be knocked out of the ring, or surrender voluntarily. Since Azalea had chosen to surrender, Kendricks had no right to continue the fight. Oron was also motivated to protect her because she held a Divine Talisman, possibly linked to one of the disciples from Sacred Wyrm Summit.

“Thank you, Master Oron, for saving me,” Azalea said, still shaken from the near-miss.

If Oron hadn’t used his Stormcraft to deflect the dark energy, she wouldn’t have survived that attack.

Azalea understood just how far behind she was compared to the masters on the Legendary List. Even with her divine artifacts, she couldn’t compete.

But thankfully, she had the sense to concede when she did.

If she hadn’t acted quickly, today might have been her last day.