Not even five or six minutes had passed, yet Austin was already riddled with wounds. Fortunately, every injury he sustained was superficial, and he had not yet lost the ability to fight! At this point, Austin finally fell silent, having lost both the desire and the time to speak. Despite Angellica appearing quite leisurely, one could never be certain when her next attack might land. It seemed the only recourse was an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth! A brilliant idea struck Austin at this moment; he felt this was his singular chance to salvage his honor!
Taking several deep breaths, Austin brought himself to his optimal state. He then fixed his gaze directly on Angellica, much like a predator stalking an opportunity!
After a brief silence, Austin finally moved, charging toward Angellica at top speed!
Angellica’s expression remained unchanged, intending to counter stillness with motion.
But just then, Austin suddenly swayed left and then right, actually splitting off an illusion of himself. Another sway followed, and a second phantom appeared. This was none other than the "Butterfly Step," a technique he had secretly learned from Angellica two years prior—he had never expected to deploy it now!
Austin certainly lived up to his self-proclaimed genius; to separate into two phantoms without any guidance was truly remarkable!
The moment he unveiled this move, the viewing stands erupted in clamor!
"Look quickly, Austin has finally used his ultimate technique!"
"I know the name of that move; it’s called 'Phantom Image.' It’s Austin’s signature move. Back at the 'Reclusive Magic Academy,' he defeated other masters using only this one skill!"
"This move is too dazzling! To split off an identical figure—I truly can’t tell which one is the real body."
"How magical is this technique? Where did he learn it?"
"He created it himself; he’s known it for two years!"
All the spectators were captivated by the move, yet none noticed that Angellica’s brow had furrowed once more.
Others might not know, but she was perfectly clear: this technique was precisely what Austin had stolen from her. Though he had made certain alterations, it was still instantly recognizable as the "Butterfly Step!"
While somewhat angered that Austin was using this move against her, Angellica now understood Zhong Shenxiu's earlier words: what Austin had learned was merely the surface appearance. If he became too obsessed with this technique, it would ultimately be his undoing!
The moves created by Zhong Shenxiu were not ones that outsiders could master just by glancing at them; otherwise, he wouldn't be renowned as a "Ghostly Talent!"
Angellica suddenly let out a cold snort, her eyes filled with disdain. Employing such a superficial move in front of her was like bringing a knife to a gunfight—utterly presumptuous.
She had, after all, completely mastered the essence of the "Butterfly Step" through two years of continuous training. With her current strength, she could effortlessly conjure seven clones!
What Austin didn't know was that conjuring clones was merely the preliminary phase of the "Butterfly Step." Its true core essence lay elsewhere, something she had only learned from Zhong Shenxiu in the last six months!
If one were to describe it, this illusionary duplication was nothing more than the absolute beginner stage of the "Butterfly Step!"
True masters would never be disturbed by the phantoms conjured; they could easily discern the real body by sensing the opponent’s aura!
Angellica could do exactly that now. She could pinpoint the true attack even with her eyes closed!
Consequently, Austin's seemingly formidable assault was effortlessly evaded as Angellica took a slight step to the side.
Austin assumed it was luck and unleashed his "Phantom Image" repeatedly, but the result was the same. Angellica moved as if playing with a child, drifting through the web of strikes Austin cast!
Shock swept over the stands again, instantly silencing the crowd. Everyone stared blankly at Angellica; they weren't drawn by her beauty, but utterly bewildered by the bizarre spectacle!
Because they were unaware of the secrets of the "Butterfly Step," they only saw the swords aiming straight for Angellica, which she appeared to ignore. Then they saw the blades pass straight through her body, as if she had been pierced, yet Angellica remained completely unharmed!
"Wh-what is going on?" Everyone’s eyes widened, and some frantically rubbed them, trying to confirm if they were seeing an illusion!
"Does this girl possess immunity to the 'Phantom Image'?"
"Could it be that even this girl is an illusion, given that she’s completely untouched?"
Questions born of wonder and doubt finally erupted after a moment of stunned silence.
One couldn't blame them for their astonishment; the scene was too bizarre, too uncanny. These were people with some experience, not first-time spectators, but they had never witnessed a match as breathtakingly dramatic and strangely supernatural as this one!
Yet, if anyone was more shocked than the audience, it was Austin, the principal participant. He had fully expected that by using the "Phantom Image," he could at least throw Angellica into disarray, if not defeat her outright!
But when Angellica evaded every strike, he knew he was wrong—terribly wrong! He could not defeat the Angellica before him; the disparity in their strength was too vast! Austin sensed that Angellica was clearly studying him now, her indifferent gaze concealing blades unseen!
As Austin grew increasingly unnerved in the fight, Angellica finally ceased dodging. With a sharp spinning kick, she sent Austin flying backward once more!
The longsword Austin held was also knocked from his grip by the force of that kick.
The power of this kick was immense, indicating Angellica had lost her patience for observation. Judging by the speed and angle of Austin’s flight, he was certain to be sent out of bounds this time!
No one present doubted this outcome!
However, Angellica suddenly accelerated, lunging toward the airborne Austin. In the blink of an eye, she was ahead of him, raising her foot for a strike that actually altered Austin’s trajectory!
That wasn't the end. What followed next made nearly every person in the arena nearly pop their eyeballs out!
Incredibly, one Angellica suddenly chased after the flying Austin, while another Angellica remained standing quietly in the original spot!
What was this?
Before the crowd could process this, a dull thud sounded again—Austin’s flight path was altered once more, and yet another Angellica separated from the others!
In mere seconds, an Angellica stood stationed at each of the four corners of the arena.
These four Angellicas looked nothing like phantoms; no one would doubt they were four real people. Austin was being treated like a volleyball, kicked back and forth between the four Angellicas in the corners—an endless, relentless cycle!
The entire viewing platform was plunged into a deathly silence. Everyone's eyes seemed unfocused, staring blankly at the center stage.
When Angellica finally stopped, the audience remained frozen in that same expression. Looking at Austin now, the sight was devastating: bruised and swollen all over, hair a mess. Though he had no fatal wounds, he had suffered at least a dozen broken bones.
Austin had completely lost the capacity to fight, his body shut down, and he had lapsed into a deep coma.
According to the rules of the competition, since Austin was unable to continue, the referee declared Angellica the victor. After this fight, one wondered if Austin would ever boast again; hopefully, he would learn to curb his arrogance, or he might not be so lucky next time!
After Austin was carried offstage, and after Angellica had departed, the audience members remained motionless, looking like statues carved from stone!
This eerie stillness lasted for about three minutes before it broke into a frenzy of roaring cheers!
"Heavens, what in the world did I just witness?"
"Gods, tell me this wasn't real!"
"Buddha, what is happening to this world?"
"Ancestors!"
It could be stated without exaggeration that after this match, Angellica’s fame would be legendary, and she would bring unparalleled glory to the "Reclusive Magic Academy!"
In fact, it wasn't just Angellica; the other members of the "Ethereal Mercenary Group" were also beginning to draw increasing attention. While other contestants from the "Reclusive Magic Academy" had been eliminated, they continued to advance, sweeping aside all opposition, unstoppable!
The leaders of the "Reclusive Magic Academy" were now ecstatic. A dream once considered unreachable had been realized at this moment, an excitement and joy beyond words!
These leaders were not ungrateful; they knew precisely who had brought them this success. Thus, Zhong Shenxiu’s salary was increased tenfold, and he was granted extensive authority, including admissions rights, academy planning oversight, and land transaction power.
However, none of this truly tempted Zhong Shenxiu. He hadn't nurtured Angellica and the others for the sake of the school administration's ambitions; they didn't carry that much weight with him. Zhong Shenxiu’s actions were purely for the sake of Angellica and the girls themselves!
Regardless, Angellica and the others were people who would follow him in the future; he needed to ensure they had wonderful memories to look back on!
For the past few days, Zhong Shenxiu hadn't paid attention to the "Royal Tournament" nor had he pursued his research and inventions; he had spent his time only with Robin!
To outsiders, Robin appeared the same as ever, but Zhong Shenxiu knew Robin was burdened by something, though he refused to show it.
At some point, Robin had shifted to occupy the number one position in Zhong Shenxiu's life!
As Robin’s master, he would provide Robin with a happy and fulfilling life—a promise Zhong Shenxiu had never spoken aloud to Robin!
[Note to Dear Readers: The current chapter has reached the final page of this book]