After the third match between Zach and Anzi came to a conclusion, the last quarterfinal match of the tournament was supposed to be between Olivier Arkaland and Annara. However, with the situation of the half-blood girl currently in custody of the Magus Alliance, the Sword Saint immediately qualified and entered the semifinal without a fight. By this time, the sun had reached up high in the sky as noon arrived. As scheduled, before the semifinal matches started, the tournament would be having a one hour break for the acolytes to prepare and condition themselves. While normally one might be busy with their preparation for the momentous occasion, the same couldn't be said for Emery. Once again, he was unable to have some peace of mind to prepare for his upcoming match, as he was visited by a group of people at his private terrace. The group was led by someone he recognized. A female grand magus who exuded an intimidating aura a��� Zach Talon's master and one of the elders of Zodiac City, Lilith the Dark Salamander. Apparently, she had come with a request for him. "Emery, we need you to stall your match for as long as possible!" said the grand magus without any ounce of shame. "I want you to hold on for three hours! I will make sure Zach is ready by then." No matter how positively he thought about it, Emery felt it wasn't a request at all, but an order. Before Emery could say anything, all of his friends quickly expressed their disapproval hearing such a brazen request, especially Julian who showed more reaction than the others. However, with just one glance from the powerful grand magus, everyone fell silent as their bodies involuntarily trembled. They found themselves unable to say any more words. Even Magus Shena didn't say anything, Emery naturally understood the reason. As much as higher-ups of Zodiac City supported him, in the end Zach was their true champion. Most importantly, these people wouldn't want the nephew of the king to lose without giving a fight. Still, it didn't erase the fact the request was a burden for Emery, and everyone in the room knew it. His opponent, Mahinder Nieves the Monk, was the one known to have an endless spirit pool, meaning that if Emery aimed for a protracted fight from the start, he already gave his opponent the advantage a��� an extremely huge one at that. Simply put, the request basically meant asking Emery to give up on the tournament for Zach's sake. At the same time, the sound of a bell sounded, signaling that the break time was over. Immediately after, both Emery's and Mahinder's pictures appeared on the screens throughout the arena, as the two of them were introduced to the audience. Before long, they would be called upon. Just as Emery was about to move, he was stopped by Grand Magus Lilith again. Glaring at him, she menacingly said, "This is what the king wants and you will agree to this!" Emery gave a gesture of respect to the grand magus and said, "Thank you for your utmost confidence in me," before continuing to walk towards the arena, leaving behind the annoyed grand magus. While his feet carried him into the arena, Emery heaved a sigh. He really couldn't help but think about his luck. In the previous fight, he had been distressed by the thought of his master's safety, now he was bothered by the unfair request Zodiac City had made of him. At this, he couldn't hold himself from letting out another sigh. He certainly wished he could grant the king's request. But even if he was strong enough to do as requested, the truth was Emery wanted this match to progress as fast as possible. That way, he would be able to join the investigation regarding his master Xion right away. Lost in his thoughts, Emery was oblivious to his surroundings until he found himself in the center of the arena, all crowds cheering and standing in front of the famous rank one. Mahinder Nieves, the Divine Monk. The other party was a bald handsome young man with a calm demeanor. He was dressed in a brown robe that covered his body from neck below, but leaving his right shoulder exposed. A bead necklace could be seen hanging on his neck reaching down to his chest. He opened his eyes when Emery arrived at the arena. Looking at the latter, he brought his palms together in front of his chest and confidently spoke with a smile. "I am looking forward to a good match." Emery couldn't help but have a positive impression about his opponent. Despite his current fame and prowess, the other party was much more friendly than he thought. Still, knowing the monstrous power hidden behind that kind smile, Emery wasn't going to underestimate him. In fact, as soon as the match was announced, he immediately used his most powerful buffs. He knew he couldn't afford to hold back against an opponent of this magnitude. [Immortal Gate - stage 6] [Twilight Transformation] Both Emery's form and strength rapidly changed as the buffs took effect. As he let out a loud howl, Emery started his offensive with the most dependable spell in his repertoire. The next second, the ground cracked as something shot out. [Jade Root] Emery gathered all the spirit energy he got in his nature core as he cast the spell, holding back nothing to create as many roots as he could. The arena swiftly turned unrecognizable, as it was taken over by the lush, dark green roots. Dozens of roots as thick as an arm emerged from the ground and attacked Mahinder from all directions. Seeing that, the monk calmly whispered a string of words before a dazzling light enveloped his entire body like a blanket. The roots struck the light mercilessly, only to be crushed to pieces. In spite of that, Emery kept casting the spell, continuing to send roots over. Eventually, as more and more roots struck, Mahinder was forced to finally jump out of the light and destroy the roots himself. However, Emery was already prepared. The moment Mahinder jumped out, he promptly cast [Blink] and appeared right above the former with a swirling sphere of two colors already formed in his hand. [Dao Matter] Mahinder looked like he was about to cast something, most likely a defensive spell. But before he could do so, Emery used his other arm to unleash the spell he had prepared. [Attraction] The sudden pull of the gravity force created an opening on the Monk's defense. Without wasting a single moment, Emery slammed his hand down, sending his powerful spell right at his opponent's chest. KABOOOOOM!!!