Chase Chu's heated gaze toward Princess Serene didn't go unnoticed—he was the center of attention on the arena, and every movement he made was being watched closely.
Many eyes were already filled with murderous intent, wishing they could cut him down on the spot for daring to look at Princess Serene so brazenly. And when Princess Serene responded with a sweet smile, even more people felt infuriated.
Just then, Chase stepped up to the Testing Screen, frantically circulating Nether force inside his body. This time, he was preparing to unleash his most powerful attack—if it still couldn't surpass first place, he'd have no choice but to transform into a Golden Dragon.
Unlike Evan, when Chase transforms into a Golden Dragon, he gains immense dragon power—but it comes with severe side effects. Maybe it's because his bloodline hasn't been fully baptized yet, or perhaps his true bloodline strength hasn't been completely awakened.
If he could fully awaken his bloodline, his strength would soar even higher. This is his final trump card to win, but the price is steep—he'd be unable to move for two whole days, his body weak and wracked with pain as if he were dying.
That's why he didn't transform into the Golden Dragon right away—unless absolutely necessary, he wouldn't risk it. Now, he could only hope his second strike would break through; if it did, he wouldn't need to transform.
Chase took a deep breath, and the longsword in his hand flashed with a ghostly light. In a burst, he shot into the air, spinning rapidly—only afterimages could be seen overhead, his real body impossible to pinpoint.
With a forceful slash, his sword unleashed a barrage of sword-qi that filled the sky. In an instant, all the sword-qi converged into a massive, several-meter-long sword of energy that struck the Testing Screen squarely.
Boom! A deafening crash echoed across the arena, and the surrounding space shook violently. Chase spun with the recoil, landing several meters away—his maneuver was almost identical to the purple-robed youth's, and the rebound force couldn't touch him.
At that moment, cheers erupted from both the stands and the crowd below. Chase's strike was flawless in both power and retreat, and Evan was genuinely pleased—he hadn't expected his son to mature so much.
The Testing Screen flashed with light again, and soon a number appeared—everyone was holding their breath, waiting to see Chase's combat value. In moments, a number that shocked the entire crowd appeared.
"Eighty-five! That's an extremely high score! I never expected you to hit eighty-five combat value—your future is limitless. Congratulations on passing!" The elder beamed at Chase, having always thought highly of him, and now Chase hadn't let him down.
"Eighty-five?" Chase repeated when he heard the number, but his expression was disappointed. Others thought he was so shocked he couldn't speak, but in reality, he wasn't satisfied at all.
"Eighty-five—is that not enough for you? You still have one more chance; are you planning to try a third attack?" The elder noticed something off in Chase's expression and asked.
"I'm going for a third strike—I want first place!" Chase declared with conviction. His voice wasn't loud, but everyone heard him clearly. They couldn't figure out what he was thinking; eighty-five was already second place, so did he have an even stronger trump card to reveal?
For a moment, everyone's anticipation for Chase's final attack soared. Evan watched his son with a broad smile—he didn't know what Chase's next move would be, but if Chase chose to strike again, he must have something even more powerful up his sleeve.
"Brother Evan, your son is something else! To reach such a high combat value—his next attack will be even more spectacular. Truly, the tiger father breeds no dog son!" King Victor Zhao said to Evan.
"You're too kind, King Victor. Chase just wants to take first place so he can marry Serene fair and square—so no one can gossip. I think you understand that, right?" Evan replied.
"Even second place is enough—there's nothing for anyone to say. I never said my daughter's husband had to be first in the tournament. If first place turns out to be some ugly fellow, Serene would lose out, wouldn't she? I've already thought this through." King Victor laughed.
Meanwhile, the purple-robed prince below the arena was filled with killing intent. If Chase really took first place, he'd find a way to kill him—Princess Serene belonged to him alone, and no one else would be allowed to touch her.
Chase was completely unaware of the looming danger, but with Evan here, he wasn't afraid of even true superpowerhouses. After glancing at the Testing Screen, he retreated several steps.
Dragon force surged through his body, and with a thunderous dragon roar, a golden dragon appeared above the arena—Chase's transformed dragon body wasn't huge, only about ten meters long.
Seeing Chase transform into a golden dragon stunned everyone—it was far beyond what they'd imagined. The Netherworld did have dragons, but never golden ones; those only existed in the Immortal Realm.
But now one was right here, proving that this kid was from the Immortal Realm. That was what baffled the crowd most, but Chase didn't care—he rapidly circulated dragon force and focused it into a single golden dragon claw.
In a flash, his dragon claw struck the Testing Screen dead-on. There was no violent spatial shock—just a slight tremor in the screen—but Chase was blasted dozens of meters away, only stopping after falling off the arena.
He reverted to human form, looking extremely weak and pale, but his eyes stayed locked on the Testing Screen—he had to see what number his final strike produced.
In a blur, Evan shot down from the stands to where Chase had landed—his speed was so shocking that even King Victor was stunned.
"Chase, are you alright?" Evan asked worriedly, pulling a Jadeheart Lotus seed from his storage ring for Chase to swallow, while channeling a stream of Chaos Immortal Force into his son's body.
"I'm fine, Dad! I won't let you down!" Chase replied weakly.
The Testing Screen flashed with white light—Chase's final score appeared. When the elder saw the number, his whole body shuddered. He looked at Chase in shock and announced:
"Your third combat value is ninety—the first time in history anyone has reached ninety! Your potential is limitless. You're truly a peerless genius!"