Clank! Clank! Clank!
The sun hung high up in the skies of the Uncharted Wilderness, beaming down all of its majestic glory upon the frozen earth. Piles of snow slowly melted away, turning into pure, glacial water. Though, that didn't mean the winter was over… In fact, it was still far off. Temperatures remained consistently around the freezing point, making it impossible for wildlife to flourish. The West of the Kori Federation was so cold that human skin would crack and fall off without any gloves or heat packs.
Well… Not that it mattered to the Prince of Water…
Holding onto the Spear of Aiglos, Shin charged towards his opponent. A tall and jaw-dropping beauty, whose face was as white as the snow that surrounded her, tip-toed her way around the bull-charging youth. Shin's movements were sublime and effortless. There were no wasted muscles, and every single part of his body was engaged in his spear art. Theoretically, Shin could mow down any foe with his sanctified spearmanship, and he had done just that with thousands of martial artists back in the Lantis Republic.
However, the woman he was facing was no pushover. Standing at the peak of the Ice Fairy Sword Dance, Yeunghi was a bona fide swordmaster of the Dalgeom Sect. Although the Ice Fairy Sword Dance wasn't as prestigious as the other sword arts that the Dalgeom Sect had, it didn't mean that it was inferior. To a certain extent, it was the contrary. For a cultivator to learn the legendary sword art, they must first have a mutated Ice-Element Sword Spirit and ideally, they had to be female.
Just like the other pillar sword arts that the Dalgeom Sect, it was exceedingly difficult for someone to reach the pinnacle. However, once there, the swordmaster would stand alongside all of the legendary figures that once used a sword. Yeunghi, having inherited Durandal, ergo the entire Ice Fairy Sword Dance faction, was one of the said legends.
So what if Shin was the top martial artist of his generation? He couldn't beat the light footwork and expert swordplay of the Spirit Emperor. The Spear of Aiglos was regularly parried, and the sharp tip of the spear never found its way onto Yeunghi's robe. The pattern continued on for quite some time, with Shin charging into Yeunghi's strike zone, only to be brilliantly countered. Yeunghi's Durandal flashed, seemingly tired of the constant bombardment and struck Shin's weapon right at its neck. The spear shot out of the Prince's hand, while Shin fell straight to the ground with a loud thud.
"Tsk… Tsk… Tsk..." Back laid flat on the floor and snow covering his entire face, Shin clicked his tongue multiple times in frustration.
"Are you alright?" Yeunghi skipped over, while her blade found its sheath.
"Yeah, I'm fine..." Shin blinked, and his hands met Yeunghi's. The Spirit Emperor pulled the young man up to his feet, tapping off the remnant dust that remained on his clothes. At that moment, Kanari and the twins, who had been spectating the entire affair, walked over to the duo. Kanari seamlessly handed over the wet towel she prepared as if she had been used to the action.
"I can't believe I hadn't landed a single hit on you yet, senior..." After cleaning his face, Shin turned his bright azure eyes to the sword fairy. "I've managed hit Senior Jimga and so many other swordmasters… You're the only one that I've failed to land a single blow on..."
"That's supposed to be normal, you irregular..." Yeunghi folded her arms and scoffed. Who in the right mind would think that a Rank 70 Spirit Emperor would lose to a Rank 50 Spirit Lord, particularly one that had just recently been promoted? Yet, Shin was capable of fighting Jimga, the Tyrant Sword, one-on-one for at least fifteen moves. The bulging eyes of the Dalgeom Sect elders were priceless, Yeunghi felt. It took the Ice Fairy Sword Dance to finally push Shin to his limits, and regain some face for the Dalgeom Sect.
"I have been training to fight a swordsman since the day I picked up a spear, after all..." Shin shyly rubbed his nose.
Yeunghi shrugged her shoulders. "But honestly… Your spearmanship is quite queer… I've never seen someone use every muscle in their body to create a ceaseless flow that continuously crashes upon their opponent… It was quite troublesome to avoid all of the strikes..."
"Ah, the Infinite Tsunami Spear?" Shin beamed. "That's a move that was developed by the Lantis Republic spearmen. Perhaps you've just haven't seen it in battle thus far..."
"Sounds logical… The Lantis Republic has always been the secretive one among the three superpowers..." Yeunghi nodded as she turned towards the elderly bodyguard that followed Shin around. Zishen noticed the Spirit Emperor's gaze but didn't really bother to match it. Instead, he looked up at the clouds, whistling as he felt the foreign atmosphere. If one had to rank the power levels of all the Spirit Venerates and Tier 9 Spirit Beasts present, Zishen would unquestionably be listed at the top. He was the only Dragon Lord that existed in the present day, and he'd soaked up the energy of the Celestial Dragon's corpse. Given the right push, Zishen could easily become a Primordial Beast and dominate the entire Lantis Archipelago. There was no question in Yeunghi's mind that Zishen was one of the trump cards that the Lantis Republic held.
And yet… His existence was only made public a few years ago…
It made one ponder… How much have the Lantis Republic hidden away throughout the centuries? They were known for their neutrality and self-sustenance. It didn't matter how badly the Himmel Empire or the Kori Federation were quarrelling, the Lantis Republic would always keep a neutral stance. Thus, not much was known about the maritime nation.
'Shin will become the bridge that connects the Lantis Archipelago to the Terre Continent…' Yeunghi glanced at the handsome young man, who was busy reassuring Kanari about his physical condition.
'As long as he remains the Prince of the Lantis Republic, the world would stand to benefit...' The woman thought, holding her blessed blade up. The Durandal was a package with the Ice Fairy Sword Dance, one of the most powerful sword arts in the Dalgeom Sect. Typically, it would only be used for the Master Sect, protecting all of its assets from foreign interests. However, Yeunghi was willing to break that one rule… 'Fine then… Maybe, I'll teach him something...'
"Young Master Shin, have you fought against Junius… The Blade of Death before?"
"Hmmm? Ah, yes… Quite a few times actually..." Shin recalled all of the training sessions where Junius would leisurely spar with him, honing the young boy's skills into perfection. Of course, those sessions didn't count as Junius was far more powerful now, and his swordplay had been altered drastically. "The most recent time I fought him… It was a disaster… His 'Pierce' was deadly fast, and his swordplay was utterly unbeatable. The Starlight Blade, Natasha Aldana, wasn't capable of landing a single strike on his body, and had been injured after a few exchanges."
"Mmmm, if Natasha couldn't land a hit, it must mean that his sword arts are on the same level as ours..." Yeunghi frowned and scratched the bottom of her chin. "Could you describe how he moved in detail?"
Shin quickly shuffled up to his feet. "Hmmm, how would I put it? It was like thrusting my weapon into water?" Shin thought of the aptest description. "Junius' swordsmanship is quite unique. No matter what I tried to do, I couldn't break his guard. Whenever I was in range of him, he'll simply parry and move the flow of battle into his advantage. It was as if I was dancing in a river. Actually, there are some similarities between your sword skills and Junius'."
"Care to elaborate?"
"Mmmm..." It took a few seconds for Shin to think of the words. "Just like the Ice Fairy Sword Dance, Junius' swordplay was gentle… It never seemed capable of decapitating heads or slicing flesh… It was just like… nature… However, just like a rampaging river, it can turn torrential very quickly. Also, the Ice Fairy Sword Dance and Junius' swordplay both rely heavily on agility and reaction time. So every time I imagine Junius being in your position, I can see him performing the same exact manoeuvres..."
"Ah, I get it..." Yeunghi's face lit up, enlightened. "I know how you can beat the Blade of Death now..."
"Really?! Do tell!" For the first time since the training started, Shin jumped right to the face of the sword fairy. Kanari's face contorted, carefully observing her man for traces of infidelity.
"It's quite simple, actually… Since his style is similar to mine, I'll tell you the weaknesses of the Ice Fairy Sword Dance, and you'll learn how to counter his movements accordingly."
"..." The training grounds were silenced. No one dared to breathe a single word… In fact, no one even blinked. They couldn't believe their ears.
"W-Why would you do that?" Shin's face instantly tightened… Weaknesses of one's martial arts were supposed to be well-guarded secrets. Should someone with nefarious motives hear of the Ice Fairy Sword Dance weaknesses, Yeunghi's entire faction may as well be kicked out of the Dalgeom Sect!!!
"Take it as an investment..." Yeunghi smiled. "Now, the Prince of Water will owe me a favour. Next time if the Dalgeom Sect is in peril, Young Master Shin… You mustn't be idle..."
"An exchange of favours, huh..." Shin squinted as he weighed the pros and cons of the transaction. However, no matter which way he saw it, Shin would win no matter what. There was no hesitation with his next words. "Deal! If it's within my means, I'll definitely be certain to repay this favour that Hero Yeunghi has bestowed upon me! Also, I swear to never divulge the information you share with anyone! Not even my loved ones!"
"Hehe, I'll take your word for it!" The Spirit Emperor's eyes radiated with happiness. Then, she looked at the spectators that still had their jaws dropped. "Ah, please excuse us. The next matter we'll be discussing is kind of private..."
"Kanari, Emma, Ella… Please head back first," said Shin.
Yeunghi did the same with her companions, particularly Jimga. "You can come check on us in a few hours."
"Are you sure about this?" The Tyrant Sword questioned Yeunghi.
"Don't be a worrywart!" Yeunghi giggled. "I won't tell him the weaknesses of every single form that the Ice Fairy Sword Dance has! Just the general picture of how to defeat it, so that he'll adapt his style to fight the Blade of Death! Also, I trust in the boy!"
"If you say so..." Jimga threw his head back, thinking: 'I'm just afraid that you're underestimating Shin's comprehension abilities...'
And sure enough… Just six hours later…
Two figures emerged out of the training ground, each with drastically different expressions. Shin's lips were connected to his ears as his face was radiating with a satisfying sheen. His entire body was sweaty, and his core temperature shot up through the roof, but Shin didn't care. The Spear of Aiglos in his hands were trembling in pure joy as if it had absorbed the world's best mana source.
Yeunghi, on the other hand, was completely aghast. Her cheeks were hollowed in, and her posture slouched. The Spirit Emperor looked like she'd been through a devastating nightmare, one that had utterly torn her soul apart. Strands of unkempt hair dropped down from her scalp, showing the signs of extended stress and complete anguish.
"Do I even want to know what happened?" Jimga folded his arms, with a face that emitted the tone 'I told you so.'
"That bloody freak… All I did was show him some weak points..." Yeunghi didn't even need to complete her sentence, and Jimga could already guess the rest. "Hey… He won't point his spear at the Dalgeom Sect… Right?"
"Who knows?" The Tyrant Sword shrugged his shoulders. "Well, at the very least… You've gotten into his good books..."
"ARGHHH!!! I'm so going to create new moves!!!" The Ice Fairy swore as she raised Durandal into the air. "I won't let that brat win because he'd learnt how to counter half of my techniques!!!"
"Half, you say..." Jimga rubbed the temples of his forehead, exhaling with a deep sigh… Fortunately, the Prince of Water was solely focused on fighting the Black Masks… A man of his calibre would most definitely topple the Dalgeom Sect and the Kori Federation if he chose to...
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