My Celestial Ascension - Chapter 924: The Duel (1)

Chapter 924: The Duel (1)

At the edge of a massive arena, Yuan stood with a calm expression. He looked completely relaxed, with no tension in his eyes nor any sign of concern.

His posture was so at ease that it seemed as though he were merely taking a walk in the park.

“What is this human doing? Shouldn’t he be worried about his safety?” Countess Katarina spoke with a hint of disappointment in her voice.

“Is he planning suicide?! This is unbelievable… I’ve never seen such a clueless human,” Count Leopold added, looking equally disappointed.

“I have no idea what he is planning… However, there is something different about him. I can’t quite pinpoint it yet,” Count Eldrick said calmly, though his sharp gaze remained fixed on Yuan.

King Evander sat in his seat, observing Yuan with a thoughtful expression.

“I do not believe he is as simple as he appears. After all, he managed to cross the mysterious storm barrier to reach this place,” King Evander said in a low voice, clearly anticipating the duel between Yuan and Countess Isolde.

“I can only say that he is strong… unbelievably strong!” Nerith spoke with a serious expression, her eyes practically glued to Yuan.

’I wonder how long it will take you to defeat Countess Isolde—the Empress of Fire… I’m really looking forward to this duel!’ she muttered inwardly, excitement flickering across her face.

Countess Katarina raised her brows and chuckled softly. “Oh? It seems Princess Nerith has already witnessed the might of this human… would you mind sharing your insights with us?”

Nerith nodded and said, “I had a duel with him and lost miserably. I wouldn’t even call it a fight. He was toying with me as though I were a mere child trying to harm an ancient warrior.”

“What?! You lost to him? How is that even possible?!” King Evander immediately rose from his seat, his eyes widening in disbelief.

“T-This is hard to believe—that someone of your stature would lose to a mere human, Princess Nerith…!” Countess Katarina said, her voice trembling.

Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the arena, Countess Isolde stood with an expression as cold as ice, her eyes locked onto Yuan like a predator watching its prey.

’What an interesting person… He shows no sign of weakness at all. How can he remain so calm in the face of battle?’ she wondered inwardly, a small grin tugging at her lips.

“Shall I make the first move, or will you?” she asked, her fingers transforming into sharp claws capable of slicing through stone.

“I prefer to let my opponent make the first move… please, come at me,” Yuan replied with a soft smile, his voice calm and fearless.

“You speak as though you have already won the duel… I like it. What admirable courage you possess, Yuan,” Isolde said with a wide grin as her aura surged outward.

Instantly, the air turned cold and heavy, as though an invisible mountain had descended upon the arena. Everyone present could feel the crushing pressure.

Cracks began forming beneath her feet as the ground trembled from the sheer force of her power.

’Interesting… She is definitely stronger than Princess Nerith…’ A smirk appeared on Yuan’s face, his anticipation rising.

Suddenly, Isolde transformed into a streak of crimson light and shot toward Yuan at incredible speed, appearing before him in the blink of an eye.

’Her movements are precise, without a single flaw… She is quite formidable,’ Yuan thought as he calmly raised his hand to intercept her attack.

Bang! A powerful shockwave swept across the arena the instant Isolde’s claws collided with Yuan’s palm, which had effortlessly blocked the lethal strike.

“…” Shock rippled through the entire arena as everyone stared wide-eyed at the scene, utterly unable to believe what they had just witnessed.

“H-How did that human manage to stop Countess Isolde’s attack?! This is unbelievable!” Katarina covered her mouth, her voice trembling with shock.

“I-I have no idea… it should be impossible to stop her strike… even I wouldn’t be able to block that attack without suffering injuries,” Count Eldrick said, his eyes wide with disbelief.

King Evander silently observed the battle for a moment without commenting. After watching closely, he turned to look at the vampire nobles.

“This is difficult for me to believe as well. Look at how he is matching her every move. He seems to know exactly where her attacks are directed,” he said, his gaze fixed on Yuan as he moved across the arena.

“Truly marvelous… he is predicting every single attack so flawlessly. It would take me hundreds of years to achieve something like this,” Nerith muttered, her eyes shining with excitement as she watched the fight.

“This duel is nothing more than a performance to him… a foolish theatrical display for his own amusement,” Valeria said, a soft chuckle accompanying her words.

Every head immediately turned toward Valeria, who stood beside Nerith with a calm smile, her gaze following Yuan’s movements.

“What do you mean by that, young lady?” King Evander asked, raising his brows in confusion.

With a faint smile, Valeria replied, “What I mean is… he is toying with her. If he wished, he could end this duel in a matter of seconds. The outcome was decided long before it even began.”

“This is outrageous! How could a mere human become so strong? It is simply impossible!” Count Leopold exclaimed, his voice firm with disbelief.

“Since no one believes my words, let the outcome of this duel prove them,” Valeria said confidently, returning her attention to Yuan.

Cling! Cling! The sound of violent clashes echoed, followed by shockwaves that cracked the ground and surrounding walls, sparks scattering through the air.

Yuan deflected every blow Isolde launched at him as effortlessly as turning his hand. His bare palms alone were enough to stop her razor-sharp claws.

“You are more impressive than I initially thought… It seems I must use my full power now,” Isolde said with a mysterious grin as her aura suddenly shifted.

A brilliant crimson energy enveloped her body, and the surrounding air trembled violently as a powerful shockwave shook the arena.

Isolde underwent a dramatic transformation. Her teeth sharpened into fangs, her expression turned colder, and her already pale complexion became even more deathly.

Blood began to seep from her palm, yet instead of dripping to the ground, it gathered and took shape—forming a massive crimson scythe.

“Interesting… so vampires can use their own blood as weapons. That is quite a unique ability,” Yuan muttered, clearly amused as he studied the weapon.

“From the look on your face, I can tell you know very little about us vampires,” Isolde said while tightening her grip on the scythe.

“Unfortunately, I come from a place where vampires do not exist,” Yuan replied with a calm smile.

“Hmm… interesting. From your words, I can tell you are speaking the truth,” Isolde said. “If you manage to defeat me in this duel, I would not mind telling you more about our kind.”

“In that case, I will certainly win this duel,” Yuan answered with a grin.

“Should I create a weapon for you? After all, there is no way you can fight me empty-handed.”

“No need to trouble yourself. I already have my own weapon,” Yuan said before drawing out the simple wooden sword he used for practicing his techniques.