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Chapter 28: A Whisper Without Sound
The crowd leaned in.
Bao Ren cracked his fists, stone dust falling from his gauntlets. "I'll try not to break your bones, alchemist boy."
Clinton stood still, calm, one hand in his robe.
Narvek buzzed inside his mind.
> "Remember: minimum impact. No flaring. Stay underestimated."
"Copy that," Clinton muttered, stepping into position.
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The First Strike
> "Begin!"
The signal echoed like a thunderclap.
Bao Ren moved first, as expected. His steps rumbled the stage—Earthquake Step, an aggressive style meant to disorient enemies with shockwaves.
Clinton tilted his head.
> "Aggressive. Predictable."
"He's trying to stun you with the third step. Dodge left," Narvek advised.
On the third stomp, Clinton sidestepped—elegant, lazy, as if he were dodging falling leaves. His hand flicked forward—
> Whump!
A gentle push landed on Bao Ren's chest. Barely noticeable. A soft pulse, like a sigh.
---
The Whispering Palm
Narvek's voice chimed:
> "Shockless Flow 1.1: Channel flame into nerve disruption. Delayed reaction. Minimal output. No flash."
Bao Ren froze mid-swing.
"Wh-what the…"
His arms drooped. Knees wobbled. Then—he collapsed.
The crowd was silent.
The referee blinked.
> "...Winner, Clinton?"
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Crowd Reaction
Someone in the audience laughed.
"Did that guy just fall asleep?"
"That wasn't even a punch."
"Did Bao Ren fake it?"
Clinton bowed slightly and walked off.
Narvek whispered,
> "Impact time: 2.7 seconds delay. Muscle paralysis. Whispering Flame manipulation—stable."
"It worked," Clinton replied, inwardly smiling.
No one cheered.
No one booed.
They were confused. Just how he wanted them.
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Backstage Ripples
Inside the resting area, a few other disciples now watched him differently.
Suyin smiled to herself. "Smooth."
Zhen Yu raised a brow. "Did he use… a flame technique? Without forming a seal?"
Meanwhile, the Poison Girl—Mei Huan—watched with no emotion. But her gaze lingered on Clinton longer than most.
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Instructors' Balcony
Elder Tian stroked his beard. "Interesting boy. That was flame control… but subdued. That's rare for someone his age."
Elder Luo scoffed. "A gimmick. He'll be exposed in the next round."
Far behind them, a shadowed figure observed—eyes hidden beneath a hood.
> "That wasn't a basic flame…"
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Clinton's Mind
> "Narvek, can I refine Whispering Palm to have longer paralysis?"
"Already doing it. Version 1.2 will affect meridians slightly if desired."
"Good. We'll need that when real opponents show up."
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Ending Note
On the arena board, names shifted.
Clinton's name advanced.
His next opponent?
Yin Rou—a wind cultivator known for razor-honed speed.
"I can see you used some tricks for Bao Ren
But you need to know it won't work for me, alchemist boy"
> "Fast. Annoying." Clinton muttered.
"I'm working on a suppression script. You'll like it," Narvek replied.
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End of Chapter 28
Ready for Clinton's second match to show off a little more skill—still subtle, but harder to ignore? Want to jump to Chapter 29?