Rising from the Ashes (Andrew and Lauren) novel Chapter 1218

The crowd could not help but wonder if Andrew was just that hurried to die,

"Dragon Claw Strike!" With a low, lethal growl, Ellis struck, his eyes full of murder.

His hands curled into claws, shooting straight for Andrew's chest and eyes, going for nothing less than a kill shot right from the start.

However, Andrew's expression did not change. He stepped back once, then again, calm and fluid. It looked casual, but every move was calculated—just enough to slip right past Ellis's deadly thrusts.

"Not bad. That's some decent footwork," Ellis sneered, his tone mocking even as he circled again.

Then, his wiry frame lunged low, sweeping toward Andrew with a lightning-fast kick.

Andrew's voice remained quiet and steady. "Dragon Claw Strike and Golden Cicada Stance are elite techniques from Silverthorn Monastery. Too bad you only learned the shell, not the substance."

He stopped moving. Like a rock in a river, his stance suddenly locked in place.

Ellis's sweeping legs, fast as a blur, collided full-force into Andrew's planted stance, right as his own momentum was fading.

A dull ache pulsed up Ellis's leg, enough to make him wince. He pulled back, rising to his feet with an unsettled look in his eyes. 'What the hell? How did this punk just read the flaw in my strike that clearly? That wasn't supposed to happen.'

His thoughts raced, but he shook them off. It had to be luck—dumb luck. He let out a deep breath, then roared, his palms flying forward.

One strike after another echoed through the air like whip cracks.

"Let's see how you handle this!" Ellis snarled. "This is Palm of Hollow Truths—another Silverthorn technique. If you recognized Dragon Claw and Cicada, let's see what you do with this one!"

The crowd recoiled at the sheer force of his blows. The air vibrated with every strike—shockwaves blasting through the alley.

Palm of Hollow Truths was a devastating technique. Legend had it that it was almost impossible to withstand.

To counter it? You would need to be someone at the level of a martial king.

Ellis never even considered that possibility. That kind of power was a pipe dream, unreachable for almost anyone.

If Andrew were already a martial king, Ellis would have bowed down instead of picking a fight.