Jared’s punches seemed almost languid, yet each one found the tiny gaps in Rylan’s defenses. Every deliberate strike churned the commander’s blood and rattled the cage of his ribs.

Bang!

Crack!

Thud!

Golden arcs of raw spiritual energy splashed across the martial arts arena. Every time Jared’s foot struck the iron-gray paving, the stone buckled, leaving craters that smoked under the pressure of his weight.

The surrounding Imperial Guards stared, transfixed. A cultivator of Earthly Immortal Realm Level One was holding his own against Realm—an Earthly Immortal Realm Level Eight powerhouse—and was, unbelievably, beginning to press the advantage.

Yuliana let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. Jared wasn’t only fast and strong; his battlefield poise was surgical, each blow dropping precisely where it ruptured Rylan’s rhythm.