Carlos stepped forward to challenge Owen, and all the prodigies present watched them curiously.
Before Owen's sudden rise to fame, Carlos was the most renowned top prodigy on the continent.
His talent and strength were quietly admired by many.
Now, with these two top geniuses about to clash, who wouldn't be curious?
"A Dark Emperor bloodline against a Godslayer Staff bearer, no matter the outcome, this battle is worthy of being recorded in the annals of history."
Edward tightened his grip on the quill in his hand, and the magic began to flow through his monocle, ready to document this momentous event.
He had thoroughly studied both Owen, who had recently risen to fame, and the seasoned prodigy Carlos.
Given their talents, their future achievements were boundless.
He was extremely curious about who would prove to be the stronger fighter.
On the surface, Carlos had been cultivating for many more years than Owen, and his tier was undoubtedly higher than Owen's current level.
Thus, he should have a greater chance of winning.
However, Owen's rise had been so rapid and mysterious that even Edward couldn't be certain Carlos would secure the victory.
One thing he could be sure of, though, was that this battle would be incredibly exciting!
High-ranking figures of the empire, such as Duke Charles, looked at Carlos with his gentle smile and couldn't help but frown and become vigilant.
They remembered clearly what Carlos had done in the past, even daring to plot against and harm the saint of Moonspring Kingdom. What wouldn't he dare to do?
This time, his challenge to Owen surely had no good intentions!
Marry, Alfonso, and the others present also looked at the two with great excitement.
They were all very curious about Owen and Carlos.
Now, unexpectedly having the chance to witness their battle was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for them!
Through their fight, they would surely be able to see the talents and strengths that these prodigies usually kept hidden and might even learn some new things from them.
Under the gaze of the crowd, Owen looked at Carlos, who had initiated the challenge, and beckoned him with a finger.
Carlos was incredibly strong, with unique talents, and was destined to be the future Dark Emperor.
Owen also wanted to fight him to see how much his own strength had grown.
Since he had ventured into Pharaoh's Tower, breaking through various levels, he had rarely encountered top prodigies.
Carlos was a perfect stepping stone.
Provoked by Owen's reverse challenge, Carlos's expression grew colder.
As the eighth prince of the Nether Kingdom, no one had ever dared to disdain him like this!
He cruelly licked his thin lips, then, in a flash, mana surged within him.
Like a streak of black light, he charged at Owen, who stood in the Royal Arena.
Possessing the Dark Emperor bloodline, Carlos had unimaginable talent in dark magic.
As he instantly appeared in front of Owen, his muscles and bones trembled slightly.
The blood-colored mana surged within him like a scarlet python, causing his entire body to turn slightly red.
His palms swelled and hardened, emitting scorching heat, and his aura became increasingly fierce, with faint handprints appearing in the air.
"Landshatter!"
Carlos unleashed the platinum-tier dark magic, a fusion of blood and magic.
If this strike landed on someone, even a gold-tier mage would suffer broken bones and torn tendons!
"Carlos, as expected of the top prodigy before Owen, is already at silver-tier level 9. This move could probably kill a gold-tier level 6 mage!"
"What's even more terrifying is that Carlos excels in dark magic, which is far more unpredictable and explosive than white magic. Owen is in danger!"
"The moment Carlos made his move, he went all out. It seems he holds Owen in high regard, perhaps too much so."
As Carlos unleashed his powerful strike, the onlookers, sensing its immense power, were all shocked and began to discuss it fervently.
"The top prodigy's position should belong to this prince!" Carlos declared confidently as his hand struck out, the wind howling and blowing through Owen's hair.
Seeing Carlos's incoming strike, Owen could feel that its power was slightly stronger than that of the gold-tier level 5 Sphinx.
While the Spellbeast BOSS was formidable, it still fell short compared to the truly top-tier prodigies of the human race.
However, having cultivated Obsidify to level 2, close to the level 3 Obsidian Bone stage, Owen remained exceptionally calm.
When he had broken through to silver-tier level 1, he had been able to kill the Sphinx.
Now, at silver-tier level 7, his strength had increased exponentially.
It seemed he had overestimated Carlos!
No, it was more likely that he had advanced too quickly in a short period of time!
With that, Owen also threw a punch, black light swirling around his fist as he pushed Obsidify level 2 to its limit.
For a moment, it was as if an indestructible black star was falling, tearing through the void, the air around it emitting a plaintive wail.
Bang!
The two fists collided, and a violent wind swept out, shaking the mana within a radius of tens of meters.
Even the arena beneath their feet seemed to tremble slightly from the impact.
This time, the two seemed evenly matched.
But soon, the sound of bones cracking filled the air as Carlos's slender body was sent flying, tracing a parabolic arc before landing at the edge of the arena.
His hands were incredibly numb, especially his right hand, which had collided with Owen's.
The bones in his fist had shattered, leaving his hand hanging limply, accompanied by excruciating pain.
"What am I seeing? Carlos was crushed by Owen in a single move, and it seems Owen used some form of dark magic!"
"Defeating the heir of the Dark Emperor's bloodline with dark magic, this is an incredible irony!"
"I can't believe how unreal Owen's strength is now. Carlos's earlier strike was immensely powerful, yet he was seriously injured by Owen's single punch!"
The onlookers, filled with excitement, couldn't help but stand up, craning their necks in disbelief at what they had witnessed.
"Owen's tier is only silver-tier level 7, while Carlos's tier completely surpasses his, reaching silver-tier level 9. Carlos is a top prodigy; how could this happen..."
Duke Charles and many other elders were equally stunned by the vast disparity revealed in just one exchange between the two.
From Carlos's earlier use of Landshatter, it was clear he was indeed deserving of his genius reputation.
The power and speed of that punch were something they would have taken very seriously, yet in front of Owen, he was completely overpowered!
Under the gaze of the crowd, Carlos's chest heaved as he coughed up a mouthful of blood. Even in his proud and arrogant eyes, a trace of shock appeared.
He could feel that Owen had used a highly domineering physical technique.
The power in that punch was like a flood beast, unstoppable and relentless.
The fist felt like a piece of well-tempered iron, impossible to resist!
Where on earth did this Owen come from?!
Carlos's face was full of disbelief.
He wanted to raise his hands and use dark magic again, but his right arm had been shattered by the fierce punch, hanging limply and sending waves of excruciating pain through his body.
Carlos's entire body trembled, contorted in agony, on the verge of fainting.
"Damn it!"
The pain and the increasingly loud discussions around him twisted Carlos's expression, a trace of hatred and madness appearing on his face.
"Owen, you are indeed impressive, the strongest genius I have ever seen. However, you still don't understand the true terror of the Dark Emperor bloodline!"
Carlos wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with great effort, steadied himself at the edge of the arena, and then made a gripping motion with his five fingers toward Owen.
"Come here!"
Gritting his teeth, a massive suction force suddenly emanated from his palm, like a small black hole, locking onto Owen and pulling him closer!
As a bearer of the Dark Emperor bloodline, his greatest talent was not cultivation, but Devour!
By devouring suitable targets, he could transform them into a part of himself using his Devour talent.