Evan held Jack's cold gaze steadily, his own expression calm and collected. Once upon a time, he would have felt a wave of unease wash over him whenever Jack directed that icy stare his way, but now, all he felt was a simmering anger.
Jack hailed from the Ice Household, and every time they engaged in a friendly spar, Jack had made it his mission to abuse and torment Evan. His behavior was nothing short of malicious.
Evan couldn't understand why Jack harbored such intense hatred towards him, but he had reached his breaking point. He refused to be Jack's punching bag any longer. It was time to take a stand.
ραпdα- n૦νe|`c,0m "Why can't I be here? I'm really getting annoyed by your stupid glare. What's the big deal?" Evan said to the big boy.
"The training ground is not for those who are mentally unstable." Jack sneered.
"How dare you speak so rudely to the Crown Prince? Apologize now!" Seraphine, who was in the disguise of Havelock, chimed in, her voice filled with indignation.
Evan turned his head towards her and raised an eyebrow, trying to decipher what her true intentions were. Did she want to stand up for him? Or did she want to add fuel to the fire and watch him burn?
"Why should I apologize?" Jack stubbornly retorted as he stared at Evan and Havelock. "I haven't said anything wrong."
"You most certainly have," Evan declared firmly. "Just so you know, I stopped having nightmares days ago, and my paranoia went away with it. I am a changed person now. And if you don't believe me, go ahead and confirm with the Patriarch."
"Congratulations on your recovery," Jack snickered sarcastically. "But I don't see why I should apologize." He shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly.
"You won't?" Havelock's eyes widened in disbelief.
Her acting was so fake that Evan's nose felt itchy. She could fool everyone else, but now him. He could tell that she was just acting to make things difficult for him.
"Who's going to make me? Your master, who has always lost to me, or... his crippled father?" Jack sneered mockingly.
"You shouldn't have said that," Evan spoke up, his voice seething with suppressed anger.
"What are you going to do about it, huh? Fight me?" Jack taunted. "Or are you going to back down and run to the Grand Patriarch like a coward? Let me tell you something; he's already leaning towards our side. Before you know it, you'll be stripped of your title, and it'll be given to someone worthy, like Asher or me!" Jack gloated.
"That day won't come in this lifetime," Evan stepped forward, his towering frame overshadowing Jack.
Jack felt like he was being swallowed up by the massive shadow that Evan cast over him. He gulped nervously, wondering when Evan had gotten this big. When did he become taller than him?
Evan scrutinized Jack, his gaze sharp and penetrating. As he did so, a status screen suddenly appeared before him, displaying Jack's information in detail.
According to the screen, Jack was 17 years and nine months old, had reached the 6th level of the Soul Manifestation Realm, and had not yet awakened his soul plate. Furthermore, his stats were quite impressive and comparable to Evan's own!
Evan was surprised to see that Jack's cultivation level was two levels higher than what he remembered. Perhaps Jack had deliberately concealed his true strength, pretending to be weaker than he actually was so he could catch his opponents off guard. Or maybe he had consumed powerful elixirs to boost his cultivation rapidly.
"Jack, I challenge you to a Duel of Obedience! Do you dare accept?!" Evan boomed, looking down at Jack with an intense gaze. He stood head and shoulders above the smaller boy, his commanding presence filling the training ground.
The other members of the Frost Clan who were training nearby were taken aback by Evan's sudden challenge, their movements coming to a shocking halt. The Crown Prince was infamous for his lack of skill in combat. He was known for being below average when it came to fighting. He had never actively participated in battle unless forced to by the clan. This was the first time he had ever openly challenged someone to a duel, and it was against Jack, the person he had always lost to in sparring sessions.
"You're challenging me?!" Jack scoffed, unable to believe what he was hearing. "And to a Duel of Obedience, no less. Do you even understand what that means?"
Evan nodded resolutely. "I do."
Many of the other members of the Frost Clan were unfamiliar with the term, so they felt left out and confused.
"Wait, what kind of duel is a Duel of Obedience?" an intrigued bystander asked.
Havelock took a moment to explain, "It's a fight where two combatants will engage in a fight, and the winner will earn the right to issue a command or directive that the loser must obey. This isn't your typical fight - obedience to the victor's command is the ultimate price of defeat. And failing to uphold this agreement is a severe offense that can lead to the loser being exiled from the clan for good or worse."
"Got it, thanks for explaining," the bystander said, nodding in understanding.
"Hey, everyone, check it out! His highness and Sir Jack are about to face off!" Suddenly, another onlooker called out, drawing the attention of the others who had not yet noticed.
All heads turned towards them.
The excitement in the air grew as everyone gathered around to witness the highly anticipated Duel of Obedience between Evan and Jack.
"What makes you so confident, Evan?" Jack inquired, a hint of hesitation in his voice as he noticed Evan's unusual behavior.
Evan chuckled and taunted, "You wouldn't understand even if I told you. Your head's so far up your own backside that you can't see the light of day."
Jack's eyes twitched as he felt deeply insulted.
"You seem eager for a fight. Well, I'm ready to give you one," Jack retorted, unsheathing his blade and lunging towards Evan.
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