An Understated Dominance by Marina Vittori

Just as Alicia was about to be struck down by Brian's deadly palm strike, a silver needle suddenly hit his wrist with precision.

The force of the impact caused him to stagger backward several steps. Then, a wave of excruciating pain surged through his arm. His body trembled uncontrollably and left him momentarily incapacitated.

"Crap!" Brian cursed. He quickly yanked the silver needle out from his wrist, which eased his pain slightly. "Alicia, run!" Aurora shouted.

Freed from his grasp, Alicia snapped out of her daze and bolted at full speed.

"Where do you think you're going?" Brian, now recovered from the pain, refused to give up.

With a sudden burst of speed, he transformed into a blur and lunged toward her. Even if he was going to die, he was determined to take her down with him.

"Bastard! How dare you!" Fenley's eyes widened in fury upon seeing that. He immediately propelled himself into the air, then delivered a palm strike toward Brian from above.

The air erupted with a thunderous boom. Suddenly, a colossal illusory image materialized behind Fenley. It radiated a commanding presence that set shivers down on everyone's spine.

When he thrust his palm downward, the colossal illusory image mirrored his movement instantaneously. In a flash, the energy surged, and debris scattered.

A golden palm shadow hurtled toward Brian like a projectile. At that moment, Fenley was consumed by a killing instinct.

"Four Elements of God's Technique?" Brian's face paled as the golden palm shadow hurtled toward him. As a Celestial Alliance disciple, he understood the terror of this technique.

Alloy's Four Elements of God's Technique was the skill responsible for propelling the Celestial Alliance to global dominance.

Brian was incredulous that Alloy had passed it down to Fenley. And judging by Fenley's energy, he could tell Fenley had mastered it.

With no tto spare as the golden palm shadow closed in, Brian swiftly channeled his internal energy to form a protective shield. Then, he crossed his arms over his chest and assumed a defensive stance.

A thunderous crash echoed as Fenley's shadow palm slammed solidly into Brian's energy armor. Brian was instantly sent flying like a ragdoll. He was hurtled over 30 feet before crashing into the garden rockery.

Another resounding boom followed as the rock formation shattered from the impact. He continued to skid across the ground for another eight or nine yards before stopping.

Brian's mouth gaped as he coughed a torrent of blood. He lay on the ground and couldn't crawl to his feet. His complexion turned ashen, and his attire was torn to shreds. Blood dripped from his arms, and he looked miserable.

He had always known Fenley was formidable, but he hadn't anticipated the extent of his strength.

After all, Brian was at least one of the top three grandmaster martial artists among the elite disciples of the Celestial Alliance.

Despite not being as skilled as the top-ranked Fenley, Brian hadn't expected such a stark difference between them. It was a sobering realization for him as he finally grasped the extent of his misjudgment.

His meager strength paled in comparison to Fenley's. With just one move, Fenley had inflicted grave injuries upon him, which highlighted the unbridgeable chasm in their strength.

Brian struggled to cto terms with the reality before him. Despite his relentless efforts, he wondered why he remained powerless against Fenley. Rather than closing in on his rival, Brian felt his efforts pushed him further away.

"Surround him!" As Brian collapsed from his injuries, members of the enforcement team swiftly encircled him. Swords were drawn, and their gaze fixed on him. Yet, they refrained from hasty actions.

After all, he was a grandmaster martial artist. They understood the danger he still presented, even in his weakened state. A final, desperate move from him could result in casualties among them.

"Alicia, are you okay?" Aurora breathed a sigh of relief when she saw her sister narrowly escape danger.

"I'm fine, thanks to Fenley." Alicia swallowed nervously, as her composure still rattled from the Come.

Shel m ordeal. She hadn't anticipated Brian's ruthlessness or expected him to take her down with him. Once Fenley confirmed Alicia's safety, he approached Brian with a grim expression.

Upon seeing him, the enforcement team parted to let him through.

"Any last words?" Fenley towered over Brian and looked at him coldly.

"Fenley, I admit my mistake. I know I was wrong. I'll return to the guild with from Master Alloy. Please, spare my life!" Brian's voice strained as he coughed you and plead for forgiven guild with up blood. His once arrogant demeanor had now completely softened and devoid of his former arrogance. Yet, he could still sense Fenley's killing intent.

"Before you took Alicia hostage, there was still hope. I would have pleaded with Master Alloy on your behal m based on our guild's solidarity. But now, that opportunity is lost." Fenley's voice remained icy and resolute. He continued, "You've sealed your fate with your own actions by committing such heinous crimes. Today, you must die." Then, he struck Brian's head with a fatal blow.

A thunderous explosion filled the air as Brian's head erupted like a melon struck by a cannonball.