Chapter 2482 - 398 - 408

Chapter 398: Power of the Flame

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

Wild and untethered, Lie Jian swore to show the world his unchallenged dominance. With his back facing the opponent, Lie Jian waved his fists in the air to stir up the audiences.

Zhang Buyu remained placid, but his eyes were as sharp as the blade strapped to his back.

"Let's start!" Lie Jian waved at Zhang Buyu, willing him to attack first. Lie Jian had been interested in seeing Zhang Buyu's blade strike. So far, Zhang Buyu had finished all matches in one blow. However, this time, he was about to face Lie Jian, member of the Great Houses. So, things could work out quite differently.

Zhang Buyu slowly unsheathed the blade called White Water as he gradually became more serious. He knew that Lie Jian was not an ordinary opponent, and an uphill battle was ahead of him.

"Kom!"

Zhang Buyu charged up his soul energy and easily reached level six. The other three Inner Court disciples watched their court brother's advancement in disbelief. Although Zhang Buyu was the most powerful among four of them, none of the three court brothers had realized that he had already been able to reach level six. Zhang Buyu was a very humble person and mostly kept things to himself. He was also very supportive of his younger court brothers, and therefore, everyone in the inner court regarded him as the amiable elder brother instead of a powerful warrior.

The sol reading indicated that Zhang Buyu's soul energy had reached six hundred.

Ye Kai finally remembered that the grandmaster used to tell him that he had great talent, but lacked perseverance and focus like Zhang Buyu. Zhang Buyu had been focusing on practicing the White Water blade ever since he joined the court; his focus and dedication had finally paid off.

Just like many other inborn abilities, focus and patience was also a talent that could not be learned.

Lie Jian was taken back by Zhang Buyu's sol reading, since it was the highest shown on the board ever since the beginning of the tournament.

Zhang Buyu focused his attention on his blade, trying to be one with the blade instead of its wielder. Over time, he had concluded that the biggest hurdle in mastering the blade technique was to overcome his own ego; he should let go of himself and let the blade take control.

While training, Zhang Buyu focused heavily on the techniques that allowed him to win the battle with one decisive blow. Because of that, the grand master used to comment that he was the most talented blade user. The decisive blow saved Zhang Buyu from making unnecessary moves, thus reducing the chance of making errors.

The rings on the back of White Water were filled with energy, and started to rattle against the metal. Lie Jian recognized his opponent's power right away, and thought that this fight was going to be very interesting.

Lie Jian pumped his fists, and a GN blade suddenly appeared in his hand. As the heir of the Great House, Lie Jian was well versed in many weapons, including blades. The advantage of using a blade was in its aggressiveness, and such character was in line with that of the Tactics of the Blaze.

As Lie Jian channeled more GN force into the blade, the GN blade started to catch fire as the flame's intensity increased by the second.

The weapon conjured from the GN force was much better at transmitting the wielder's energy than a regular weapon, thus giving Lie Jian more leverage during the battle.

The air on the stage burned with smoke and belligerence. Although Lie Jian's GN blade was a more advanced technique, Zhang Buyu held an advantage in his higher soul energy.

Such a high sol reading was rightfully earned by Zhang Buyu from years of hard work while being driven by his obsession with Martial Arts. This aspect of his struck a resemblance with Wang Ben.

The fiery GN blade and the White Water lashed out almost simultaneously; each causing a small explosion in the air. The two fighters' bodies turned into two streaks of light that were on the course of collision.

They did not collide. Instead, they seemed to have barely brushed each other's shoulder. They didn't stop until they were a few dozen feet apart in the opposite direction of each other; and then came the thunderous roar as the stage splitting in half.

A gush of blood splatted onto the ground from a large seared-wound on Zhang Buyu's chest. Despite the injury, Zhang Buyu turned his back towards his opponent as if nothing had happened to him.

Although there was no visible wound on Lie Jian's body, his face had turned pale like a piece of paper. Suddenly, a gush of blood spewed out from his mouth.

The rowdy Martians who were ready to cheer for their victory suddenly became quiet.

Cheers and applause erupted from the Templar's Disciples instead. Although Lie Jian's GN blade had greater damage output, the Martian's move was far from capturing the essence of the way of blades.

The seemingly simple strike from Zhang Buyu was a result of years of perfection, like a speck of diamond extract from a mountain of coal.

He was the blade, and the blade was him; that was the essence of a perfect blade strike.

Lie Jian finally lost his balance and dropped to one of his knees. The GN blade also faded away.

The audiences gasped at the development.

"Honey, did you see what happened when they exchanged blows?" Ma Xiaoru asked.

Wang Tong shook his head. "It's incredible! I think only Lie Jian knows what happened."

The development had hit home for Wang Ben. His training method was very similar to that of Zhang Buyu; the only difference was that instead of using a blade, Wang Ben choose to rely on his fist. However, Wang Ben conceded that Zhang Buyu was able to use the technique much more freely than him. In other words, Wang Ben could only use the technique when the condition was right, but that was not the case for Zhang Buyu. It was hard for Wang Ben to wrap his mind around the number of hours Zhang Buyu had poured into his training to summon such unyielding force at will.

Zhang Buyu regarded Lie Jian with a slight sympathy, then said, "You better call for a medic right away. I must have cut through your GN nodes; it isn't a joke."

"Ahh-Hahahaha! Awesome! Excellent!" Lie Jian laughed as he slowly picked himself up. This deadly blow he had received was a wake-up call for him. Superior damage and good technique were the two sides of the same coin. He never thought that someone of his age would have achieved such a great understanding in the way of blades. Lie Jian conceded that he had underestimated his opponent.

If there had been any sympathy on Zhang Buyu's face, it was gone after Lie Jian's outburst. Lie Jian rubbed the corner of his mouth, smearing the blood over his cheek as his body started to catch fire anew. Zhang Buyu furrowed his brows: charging up soul energy was the most unwise action when GN nodes were damaged.

Another stream of blood spewed out from Lie Jian's mouth, but he didn't drop to his knee this time. Instead, he pounded his chest and shouted as flame engulfed his body.

A defeat was… UNACCEPTABLE!

The ultimate form of the blaze— Phoenix Reborn!

Zhang Buyu was caught off guard by Lie Jian's outburst of actions. He noticed that not only was the Martian fully recovered, but the energy emitting from him was much greater than before. The GN flame spread from the Martian's body across the entire stage.

Lie Jian gave the young Templar an ugly grin and said, "Let's do this again!"

Zhang Buyu raised the White Water and was about to strike.

"Seriously! He is still fighting?"

"Damn, Brother Zhang knew only that one move. If he repeats too many times, that a*shole might gain an advantage over him."

The young Templars were overwrought by the development. They had never seen Zhang Buyu use any other moves other than the straightforward attack that he had already demonstrated. His lack of variety in his moves might set him in a disadvantageous position.

Despite the incoming attack, Lie Jian didn't raise his defense, as if he wanted to taunt Zhang Buyu.

Holding the blade above his head, Zhang Buyu took a deep breath as he twisted the handle of the blade about his wrist while he gathered strength.

A blade was not just an extension of the wielder's body, nor was it deadly simply because of its sharp edge; the power of any blade was in its soul.

Suddenly, Zhang Buyu struck again; his move was simple and elegant as ever. As a sense of respect rose inside Lie Jian, as the Martian hurled his fist at the attacker.

The ground exploded and blood splatted over the rubble. Zhang Buyu had cut through Lie Jian's defense, into his flesh.

However, that was not the end. Lie Jian suddenly grabbed the back of the White Water as flame engulfed it. In a blink, the blade was reduced into a pool of molten steel.

Chapter 399: Heir of the Legend

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

Despite the injury, Lie Jian knotted his face as he punched at Zhang Buyu with the full might he could muster. Having lost his blade, Zhang Buyu was practically defenseless at the moment.

The two were so close, and the blow came so suddenly, that Zhang Buyu didn't even have a fraction of a second to react. His GN defense was quickly overwhelmed by the flame, and menacing fire poison started to invade his system.

The blow sent the young Templar's body flying like a kite with its string cut, until he hit the energy barrier and thudded back to the ground.

The other three inner court disciples gasped and jumped out of their seats in surprise. Lie Jian's attack lacked any appreciation for technical finesse, and was overwhelmingly powerful.

Lie Jian licked the blood off his knuckles as he savored the feeling of striking an opponent down.

In Lie Jian's world, strength always trumped over skills.

Lie Jian posed as he pointed a finger at the sky; a cue for his fans to start their worshiping.

"LIE JIAN! LIE JIAN! LIE JIAN..."

"LIE JIAN! LIE JIAN! LIE JIAN..."

Lie Jian cupped his ears, willing his fans to shout louder. Soon, he reasoned, his name would be hailed across the entire Confederation.

The list of combatants making it into the semi-final was fresh out of the oven: Li Shiming, Patroclus, Wang Tong, and Lie Jian.

This was perhaps the most competitive semi-final the public had ever seen, and anything was possible. By then, no event in the entire Confederation was more important than the tournament.

Some people argued that perhaps the only year which the world had seen a roster of stronger combatants was three hundred years ago, during the time of Li Feng and Rilangalos.

Since Li Shiming and Patroclus had still held back their power during their last fight, their following fights were bound to be even more exciting to watch.

The semi-final was to start in three days. Meanwhile, in light of the few close calls of public safety catastrophe, the tournament committee decided to use those three days to beef up the security measures.

However, the potential danger had spurred more ticket sales, as everyone wanted to experience the thrill of being so close to the great power. Soon, all semi-final tickets were sold out. The number of audiences for this year's semi-final was over ten times more than last year.

The first match of the tournament would be between Wang Tong and Li Shiming.

"Boss, you kick a*s! I don't think you will have any problem handling Li Lame Shiming." Karl announced.

"We already know that Lame-Li is as lame in the bed as he is on the stage. Haha!" Hu Yangxuan laughed out loud.

Since Wang Tong had already made a miracle by making it to the semi-final, he was not burdened by the desire for the title of champion. However, Wang Tong had his motivation of winning the fight: Ma Xiaoru. He needed to prove to Ma Xiaoru that she had made the right choice.

"OK guys, stop giving him pressure. Do your best Wang Tong." Zhou Sisi said.

"Can't say that I'm sold on my victory yet, but I won't be defeated that easily either." Wang Tong held Ma Xiaoru's hand and announced with conviction.

"Do your best. I don't care if you are the champion or not" Ma Xiaoru blushed as she spoke.

"You are too soft on him. Better let him know of your expectation earlier on! Haha." Zhou Sisi jested without any jealous undertone. Zhou Sisi had come to terms with the fact that Ma Xiaoru would be a much better girlfriend for Wang Tong than herself.

After a few hours of chitchatting, the group left Wang Tong's room. Everyone knew that Wang Tong needed to rest to face the formidable opponent, Li Shiming.

Wang Tong and Wang Ben fist pumped a goodbye like two bros before the latter left without saying a word. But, the simple gesture spoke louder than any words.

Although Wang Tong knew that the journey ahead was treacherous, having his friends around had given him courage and determination to press forward until the end.

After everyone had left the room, Wang Tong about turned and leered at Ma Xiaoru. Ma Xiaoru knew what he was thinking, so she rebutted, "You have a match. We can't do it."

"Haha! Babe, don't be afraid. Haven't you forgot about Karmamudra? You see, I haven't fully recovered from last match and I need your help."

"Oh? How?" Ma Xiaoru was taken back by the news and lowered her guard.

"Ah-Ha!" Wang Tong grabbed Ma Xiaoru's arm and threw her onto the bed. "Of course, I'm not injured. But you can still help me! Haha!"

"You—" Ma Xiaoru was cut short by Wang Tong's fiery kisses, and then the two rolled around on the bed, hands all over each other.

Soon, the air in the room was sweetened by the caressing, kissing, and groping. The two's soul energy also intertwined with each other, effectively enhancing Wang Tong's flow of soul energy.

That night, Ma Xiaoru let Wang Tong enjoy her ripe fruit until the last drop of juice.

Meanwhile, inside Li Shiming's dark room, he sat cross-legged on the floor while cultivating the Tactics of Vayu. The closer it got to the semi-final, the calmer he felt.

Li Shiming was convinced that Wang Tong must die at his hands. He had come to terms with the fact that only he was capable of doing away with Wang Tong. Also, he wanted to do so to send a message to whoever was pulling the strings behind the scene: only an heir of House Li could inherit the power of the Blade Warrior.

By then, anger inside Li Shiming had burned away any sense of reason in his mind. He believed that only the blood of his enemy could wash away the humiliation.

Inside Patroclus's room, the Ivantian Prince was arranging a flower bouquet. Zhang Jin watched as a tapestry of colors appeared right in front of her eyes, each petal seeming to tell a different story.

"You are in a good mood."

"Of course," Patroclus said quietly; still busy with the flowers.

"You were kind of a d*ck, you know? Heidi is a girl, and you punched her in the face. That's a bit too much, don't you think?" Zhang Jin questioned him indignantly.

Patroclus smiled and said, "I already held back my power. There is no difference between a man and a woman on the battlefield."

Zhang Jin shocked her head and said, "What if one day you would have to fight me?"

Patroclus paused and then said, "That will never happen."

Zhang Jin didn't press on; she knew Patroclus was right. He could prevent that from happening like nipping the bud off the branches.

Inside a hospital, Lie Jian was receiving treatment on his damaged right hand. Although he was the only injured combatant, with the help of advanced Ivantian medic equipment, the doctors should be able to patch him up in time.

Suddenly someone knocked on the door.

"Come in!"

"Master, we have finally found some clues, but—"

Lie Jian furrowed his brow "But what?"

"But, it was not Wang Tong. He was seen watching Einherjar Wannabe's show a few weeks ago."

"Hum... Does Patroclus know of this?"

"Hard to say... Oh, and we have heard rumors that Patroclus seems to be convinced that Wang Tong is the heir of the Blade Warrior. So far, Li Shiming has been silent on it."

Lie Jian was shocked by the news. He waved a hand as the man in black slowly backed out of the room.

"Oh, for f*uck sake! I knew something was not right! They think I don't exist? B*astards!" Lie Jian was infuriated on being treated as irrelevant. He gritted his teeth and swore that he would avenge this humiliation.

Chapter 400: The Worthy Heir

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

The thought of Li Shiming's embarrassment made Lie Jian giggle. There had been a secret organization created by General Li Feng to seek his successor after his death. However, after hundreds of years, no one had ever heard of anything from this organization. The group remained silent even when Li Shiming started to rise to power. House Li's embarrassment didn't stop there when House Ma rejected their marriage proposal. The recent series of events ought to have dealt a devastating blow to the reputation of House Li.

Although Lie Jian felt lighthearted after savoring the trying situation that House Li had to endure, he couldn't get the alluring shapes of Li Ruoer and Ma Xiaoru off his mind. Such a shame that one of them was already taken and deflowered. But, Li Ruoer was still single. Lie Jian decided to make a move before he lost the opportunity again.

Lie Jian knocked on his table, and a servant plodded in.

"Master."

"I want to know everything about Li Ruoer. Her favorite color, her hobbies, sports... You know what I mean."

"Yes, master."

Days of inactivity on the bed due to his injury and the thought of Li Ruoer had fanned the flame of bodily pleasure in Lie Jian. A beautiful young nurse happened to walk in right when the martian was about to find a way to relieve himself.

"Master, I have brought you the wine you had ordered."

This nurse was one of his entourage that he had brought to the moon from Mars. Usually, he wouldn't even spare a glance at such a low born girl. However, her appearance right then was rather convenient to quench Lie Jian's perverse thirst.

"Come closer." Lie Jian commanded.

The young nurse hesitated, but plodded toward the martian unwillingly nevertheless.

Lie Jian lurched at the young girl and dragged her onto his bed. The young girl sobbed; she was too scared to cry.

Three days later, the first semi-final match was about to start. At the end of the match, people would find out who was a better fighter between the Heir of House Li and the Dragon Warrior. The match was rich due to the drama between the two warriors. However, the drama didn't stop at their personal life, as rumors had started to spread that Wang Tong was the heir of the Blade Warrior.

It was believed that only the heir of the Blade Warrior could reach the full power of the Tactics of the Blade, and coincidentally, Wang Tong also used the Tactics of the Blade to its full intent.

Also, it had been believed that once the heir of the Blade Warrior revealed himself to the world, a genius warrior would also be born into house Dower, such as Patroclus. Although these theories held no more validity than children's bedtime tales, popularity had lent credence to the claim that Wang Tong was the next Blade Warrior.

The fact that Patroclus had ignored Li Shiming and challenged only Wang Tong meant that the Ivantian prince was more interested in the latter. If Wang Tong were not the next Blade Warrior, why would Patroclus, the heir of House Dower, the frenemy of the Blade Warrior, do that?

The speculations had cast a different light on the match between Wang Tong and Li Shiming. Many believed that the Blade Warrior and General Li Feng were the same people. If that were the case, then who would be the worthy successor, Wang Tong or Li Shiming?

All things considered, Li Shiming was not only General Li Feng's kinsman but also nearly perfect in most areas. On the other hand, Wang Tong had already gotten his foot in the door as he had mastered the Blade Warrior's Tactics of the Blade.

On the paper, the two seemed to be equally qualified as the heir, and therefore, the answer hinged upon the outcome of the match.

Based on a conservative estimate, there would be over one billion people tuning in while the match was on air. Although neither of the combatants had made a statement to clear the air on the rumors, people knew that their answer would be waiting for them at the end of the match.

"Someone is leaking information about our young master."

"Do you know who that is?"

"We are still investigating. It must be someone influential and powerful."

"Should we start our operation then?"

"Not now. We should wait for Grand master's order."

"I am afraid that would be too late."

"He should be fine right now. But, we need to find out the source of the rumors soon."

The voices faded away.

Truth be told, most people wouldn't give a dime about the heir of the Blade Warrior, neither did the tournament committee. However, the drama provided an excellent marketing gimmick.

After the MC announced Li Shiming's name, the heir of House Li strode onto the stage with confidence and purpose. Respect rose inside everyone's heart regardless of where they came from.

Li Shiming stood at the center of the stage quietly, as if he were holding a moment of silence for his ancestors and their glory, the same glory that he had sworn to bring House Li back to.

After a while, Li Shiming raised his arms into the air as a swell of cheers erupted from the audiences. Although the match was hosted on the home planet of the Dowers, the Ivantians knew that House Li was the dominating House of all great houses.

Before the cheers for House Li had subsided, Wang Tong appeared on the stage. Hearing the thunderous cheers, Wang Tong finally understood how much general Li Feng meant to the world even three hundred years after his passing.

Suddenly, an unexpected question occurred to Wang Tong: If he had become the next Blade Warrior, would he choose an outsider as his heir?

Wang Tong wholeheartedly agreed that Li Shiming was much better than him in many ways. Yet, the Blade Warrior had chosen him instead. The thought didn't scare Wang Tong as it would a couple years ago. But there and then, Wang Tong only felt a sense of responsibility and eagerness to get stronger to protect his loved ones and the world.

This match had been long overdue. 'Bring it on, Li Shiming!'

Li Shiming locked his eyes with the man he should have done away with while he was only a pathetic worm. Li Shiming had ignored him for too long. When he finally realized how big of a threat Wang Tong was, he had already lost his woman, as well as his right to inherit what was rightfully his.

Li Shiming gave Wang Tong an ugly smile, "It's a big day for both of us."

Both fighters' eyes lit up with eagerness to defeat their opponent. Li Shiming had made it clear that he knew all about Wang Tong's secrets, and today's match would be their showdown.

To Li Shiming, this could be the final hurdle he had to overcome in his life. Defeating Wang Tong would not only solve the problem at hand, but it would also prove that even Li Feng could make mistakes.

"Now, show me what you have learned." Li Shiming announced as his soul energy soared to level six in a blink.

Wang Tong mirrored his opponent's action and charged his soul energy to level six as well. Two streams of energy roiled in the air, clashing with each other. But, the audiences were unable to tell who held the advantage.

Both fighters shouted at the top of their lungs as they lunged at each other. Neither of the fighters held back their power in the bare-knuckle round.

As the dominating faction on earth, the birthplace of martial arts, House Li had a long tradition of martial training. Li Shiming's every move had been improved over hundreds of years, so that not even a breath was wasted.

"Incredible! Li Shiming used over ten different kinds of fist techniques, but they blended in with each other so perfectly."

The interpreter of the fight was a senior researcher called Zhang Zhongren. He had been and still was a die-hard supporter of House Li.

"Wang Tong's moves are also very interesting! They are not from any technique that I know of, but are extremely effective." The other interpreter, Rockefeller, announced.

"In a fight between high-level warriors, the basic training still matters. And at that, Li Shiming is much better than Wang Tong." Zhang Zhongren said with conviction.

Chapter 401: The Speed of Vayu

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

"I dare say that both in terms of natural talent and skills, Wang Tong was ahead of the game compared to many other fighters. Li Shiming should be careful, otherwise…" Rockefeller smirked as he praised Wang Tong, but he was once again cut short by fan-boy Zhang Zhongren.

"Perhaps, he is well rounded like you said, but that would mean that his skills are too spread out. And, you don't need me to remind you of the importance of having a focus in cultivation, do you?"

"Buzz off. That fanboy knows nothing about Boss." Karl grunted.

Meanwhile, Li Ruoer and Ma Xiaoru were having entirely different feelings about this fight. Ma Xiaoru's only wish was to have Wang Tong win the game so that they could finally be together officially, while Li Ruoer's feelings were much more complicated. On one hand, she wished her brother would win, since she was also a member of the House Li. On the other hand, she wanted Wang Tong to win, since she was also hopelessly in love with her former rival.

To any ordinary fighter, it would be an honor to stand on the semi-final stage. However, Li Ruoer knew that Wang Tong wouldn't care about the honor or fake glory; he was on the stage for entirely different reasons.

"Kom... KOM!"

On the stage, Wang Tong had landed a blow on Li Shiming, but he had also received a kick in the side.

Wang Tong felt that his Layered Fist of Tong had fallen short against Li Shiming's formidable double GN force defense. Plus, Li Shiming also possessed incredible control over the flow of his GN force, which made Wang Tong's attack even more impossible to land.

Much like Wang Tong, Li Shiming was also taken aback by the power of Wang Tong. He had used the powerful "Swirl Kick" that should blow any level six fighter a few feet away. But, Wang Tong still held his ground even after being dealt a direct blow.

After a few rounds of punches and kicks, Li Shiming was surprised to find out that Wang Tong had used the real version of the Tactics of the Blade.

"Your Tactics! Is it the Blade? " Li Shiming's eyes were lit up with astonishment. There were only a handful of people who knew about this version of the Tactics of the Blade.

Wang Tong flexed his body and then announced. "Yes, the authentic version!"

Li Shiming could feel that the tactics pulled and pushed the energy smoothly inside Wang Tong's system. The thought that Wang Tong had gained his family secret had infuriated the heir of House Li. It was hard for Li Shiming to wrap his mind around the fact that the precious heirloom, of which he had been denied inheritance, would have fallen into the hands of such a low life scum.

Spurred by jealousy and anger, Li Shiming lunged forward with such force that he seemed to have bent the space itself. He then pounded his fist on Wang Tong.

Wang Tong blocked the punch instinctively; the impact made him feel like he was hit by a semi-truck. Despite his effort of anchoring himself by digging his heels into the ground, Wang Tong flew a few dozen feet back, leaving two deep tracks on the ground.

Wang Ben pulled a taut face as soon as he saw Li Shiming's attack. It was the Air Breaking Fist. He was surprised to see how easily Li Shiming had pulled off such an advanced fist technique, even though he had focused his training mostly on swordplay.

Also, Wang Ben was further taken back by the fact that the powerful attack had only forced Wang Tong a few dozen feet back, without doing any real damage.

Wang Tong quickly gathered himself and shook his arms as a stream of energy flew through them. Suddenly, he disappeared and then re-emerged only a few feet away from his opponent, then charged.

Wang Tong raised his hand, which by then had already turned into a blade. Li Shiming stood still and didn't evade the attack. When the GN force infused hand-blade was only a few inches away from him, he suddenly thudded his boots heavily on the ground, sending out a shockwave that immediately blew out the shimmering GN Blade Aura on Wang Tong's hand.

So powerful was Li Shiming that any common techniques would be useless against him. His ability to snuff the blade aura was the testament of his incredible talent in martial arts.

However, just when Li Shiming thought that he had countered Wang Tong's attack, the floor exploded underneath his feet, blowing him into the air. Wang Tong didn't hesitate as he lunged up and delivered an uppercut to his falling opponent.

"Kom!"

Wang Tong's strike had hit home, and Li Shiming was blown a few dozen feet away; it was Wang Tong's tit-for-tat response to the blow he had received earlier.

Zhang Jin shook her head and lamented, "Li Shiming shouldn't have underestimated Wang Tong. Although he never received any formal training, he was still mighty powerful. What do you think Patroclus?"

"Those are not important things. You will see." Patroclus answered.

Zhang Jin was bewildered by Patroclus's answer. But, she conceded that no one would understand anything between the three of them anyway.

To put it in simple terms, Li Shiming had undergone formal training which he excelled at. Meanwhile, Wang Tong had embarked on an entirely different route that was unique to himself, and could not be repeated. For example, it might take Wang Ben months of repetitive training to commit a move to the muscle memory, but it would only take Wang Tong an afternoon to master it. Wang Tong's unique advantage was his knack for understanding almost anything related to martial arts. This advantage was much more important for those who had reached high soul energy level. A perfect and quick understanding of new techniques was what would set Wang Tong apart from other level six fighters.

On the stage, the two fighters closed in again, and the fight turned into a brawl. However, the audiences could still tell that the two fighter's fighting styles were wildly different.

Although Wang Tong's moves lacked the purpose and fluidity of textbook move sets, it was incredibly efficient and effective.

Both fighters had by then realized that they had met a powerful foe, and therefore, both of them slowed things down and tried to find out each other's weakness before committing to a full-on assault. Such weakness might be found in the opponent's techniques, but it could also be a flaw in the way that different moves were connected.

However, even after a while, none of the fighters had shown any sign of such a weakness. The battle quickly turned into a stalemate.

After a few rounds of fruitless probing, both fighters backed away from each other. Li Shiming expected Wang Tong to use the new Mastery moves he had just learned, But, Wang Tong didn't feel that the time was right to attack with soul energy yet, and he was right. During a fight with such a high-level warrior such as Li Shiming, any significant moves that required concentration and perfect timing would easily open a window for the opponent to take advantage of.

Li Shiming's patience was wearing thin, so he revealed his legendary blade Vayu. He figured that if Wang Tong kept his guard high, it would be almost impossible to find any weakness in him. Therefore, he might as well finish the match with his most potent attacks.

As the silver blade slithered out of the dark-skinned sheath, the glinting tip traced a curve in the air and pointed directly at Wang Tong, like a viper quietly watching his prey before lashing out with its venom. Seeing the blade, Wang Tong pull a taut face; he knew things were about to get serious. However, he still insisted on fighting barehanded.

Since there was still some distance between him and the Blade, Wang Tong decided to test the water using some ranged attacks. He folded his hands, and a fiery drake appeared in front of him, lurching at Li Shiming. No one saw Li Shiming move, but the fire dragon was sliced in half by a flash of a metallic light.

Li Shiming heaved a sigh and then said, "Are you trying to test me with such a pathetic trick?"

Before Li Shiming's voice faded away, he disappeared into thin air as he charged at Wang Tong at lightning speed, the Speed of Vayu!

Wang Tong barely had enough time to evade the attack. He felt an icy wind blow across the nape of his neck; the coldness made his hair stand on their ends. When he finally gathered himself, he saw a few strands of hair were cut, and had fallen to the ground.

Although Wang Tong had evaded the deadly blade, he did not see the second kick coming. Wang Tong was sent flying into the air. However, before he had fallen back to the ground, Li Shiming caught up with him and elbowed him in the side, sending Wang Tong's flying sideways. Using his incredible speed, Li Shiming repeated the attack from below Wang Tong again.

In a blink, Wang Tong had received three consecutive blows, two of which was dealt while he was in the air.

"This...This is the power of the Vayu! The SPEED of VAYU! Haha!" Zhang Zhongren shouted and laughed.

"Li Shiming might have already reached level seven in his cultivation. Such speed will be hard for anyone to catch up." Although Rockefeller was a supporter of Wang Tong, he had to concede that the Speed of Vayu had given Li Shiming a decisive advantage.

Wang Tong slowly picked and gathered himself up. Li Shiming stood still and didn't attack, as he tried to come to terms with the reality. So far, he was very disappointed with Wang Tong's strength, and the weakness in him had added salt to Li Shiming's injury of being denied the right to inherit Li Feng's power.

Deep down, Li Shiming would rather see an overpowered Wang Tong than a weakling.

Chapter 402: Murderous Intent

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

Wang Tong picked himself up to his feet and dusted his clothes while lamenting his careless slip-up.

Before the smirk on Li Shiming's face faded away, Wang Tong disappeared and reappeared above Li Shiming, with his fists boring down on him.

Without any hesitation, Li Shiming lashed out Vayu to counter the attack. In a heartbeat, a dozen Blade Aura shot out at Wang Tong. However, Wang Tong easily evaded the attacks with phantom-like movement and closed in on Li Shiming. Wang Tong struck with a knee bash, but it was blocked by Li Shiming, and then he quickly followed with another Layered Fist of Tong. Li Shiming didn't have time to react to the second attack and was blown in the air. Before Li Shiming thudded back to the ground, Wang Tong shouted as thousands of icicles materialized in his hand and flew towards Li Shiming.

"Kom!"

Wang Tong's third attack struck home.

Silence fell into the arena after the audiences witnessed Wang Tong's amazing speed. However, Wang Tong didn't intentionally speed up his moment. After having been dealt a blow by the Tactics of the Vayu, the tactics of the Blade automatically gained the same speed capability.

Wang Tong finally understood the importance of the tactics of the Blade, and why Li Feng would leave these tactics for his true heir instead of any blood kin.

Li Shiming rubbed away the blood at the corner of his lips. He had registered that Wang Tong had copied his speed ability, but speed was only one of many abilities up his sleeve.

"Zzen!"

Li Shiming and Wang Tong both disappeared from the view simultaneously.

"Kom!"

"Kom, KOM!"

The audiences could see nothing but flashes of light on one end of the stage and occasional sparks on the other.

Cao Yi watched the fight with disbelief. Such speed would impose a tremendous burden on fighters' body, so much so that it was impossible to pull it off for any ordinary human. What made the feat even more impossible was the constant violent impacts which would add more burden to their already overloaded body.

Apache watched the scene with a knotted face. Although he had been proud of his speed, he could only use the speed ability once during a battle, since any more usage would tap too much into his system and cause premature failure of his body. However, the Tactics of Vayu had sustained Li Shiming's speed all the while, and so did Wang Tong using whatever tactics he was using.

"Kom!"

As a GN explosion erupted in the air, the two warriors finally appeared into everyone's sight.

Judging from his tattered clothes, Wang Tong had received more blows than Li Shiming, who floated in the air with his usual pomposity. He didn't seem to be impressed by Wang Tong's ability to reach the same speed as him.

Seeing Li Shiming's seemingly placid face, Li Ruoer shivered. Only his sister would be able to detect the tumultuous undercurrent inside Li Shiming. Wang Tong's blatant copying of the speed ability of the Tactics of Vayu had infuriated Li Shiming. Such an insult would never be tolerated, and the punishment for him was death.

Li Ruoer could see the menacing luster inside her brother's seemingly calm eyes, that held the thin edge of reasoning. If the situation continued to escalate, Li Ruoer worried that it would go out of control.

In everyone else's eyes, Wang Tong had made history again for being able to catch up with the speed of Vayu. Although many people still believed that Li Shiming would claim the victory, in the end, they conceded that it would be a much harder battle for the heir of House Li than they had expected.

A curl hung on the corner of Li Shiming's lips as his soul energy spread out to cross the stage like a blanket. Such powerful presence of energy could only be felt when veterans such as General Hu Ben were fighting on the battlefield. In fact, there was another name for such soul energy, the combat qi.

Surrounded by belligerent soul energy, people felt like time had been turned back, and it was Li Feng who stood on the stage instead of Li Shiming.

The energy started to gather and quickly formed a whirlwind beside the Vayu. By then the fight was no longer a tournament match between two academy students; it had turned into a battle of life and death between two deadly warriors.

Everyone in the audiences could feel the unmistakable sense of menace in the air. Li Shiming's soul energy was infused with his intention to kill, seeping out of the energy barrier and digging its claws into some combatants' old wounds.

It was hard for those audiences to imagine what it would feel like to face Li Shiming one on one like Wang Tong did. Such force and overbearing presence could only be achieved from hard training in the military. It was clear then that Li Shiming had endured hardship during his Norton expedition, and his enlistment was not just a perfunctory gesture.

With a turn of a wrist, Li Shiming poised Vayu closer to him, but the movement stirred up the soul energy which could be felt even by the audiences.

Only Patroclus and Lie Jian were unruffled by the flow of combat qi, as no one other than the two knew that Li Shiming had already become so powerful.

Zhang Zhongren, the fanboy, and Rockefeller both stared at each other in astonishment.

Although Li Shiming was a new level six fighter, he had already been exposed to many aspects of being an Einherjar. Such an advantage was unheard of among most level six fighters.

"With such Einherjar-level soul energy, Wang Tong would be hard pressed to win the game. That being said, Wang Tong has already offered us many memorable moments during his journey in this year's tournament, and his defeat, although inevitable, would be a victory for him in a way. "

"Hehe, seems like Li Shiming worked hard while he was in the military. I used to doubt the news report about him saving an entire colony all by himself, but now it seems like that was not fake news at all."

"Yes, of course, that was true. I doubt any of his would-be opponents could say the same about their military service." Zhang Zhongren said with a smug.

"Maybe that's true, but every fighter has their own merits and faults. We will have to wait and see how the fight turns out."

Although Rockefeller felt sorry for Wang Tong's imminent defeat, he had to accept the reality.

On the stage, Li Shiming had completely overwhelmed Wang Tong thanks to his immense and omnipresent soul energy. Another silvery glint flashed across the stage toward Wang Tong.

"Zzen!"

Despite the blood gushing out of Wang Tong's wound, he didn't evade the attack. Instead, he stared at Li Shiming and studied his move unblinkingly.

Li Shiming had hidden his murderous intent deep down to the finest detail of his execution. However, Wang Tong was keen enough to pick up the cue right away—Li Shiming wanted him dead.

It occurred to Wang Tong that he had miscalculated the great houses' tolerance for his audacious moves. However, since Li Shiming had made the message clear, Wang Tong conceded that it was about time to stop fooling around.

Wang Tong drew a large gulp of air as the wave of energy surged through his body. Suddenly a golden light lit up inside Wang Tong's body, sending a whirlwind of energy up into the air.

The golden energy clashed into Li Shiming's sea of soul energy as Wang Tong quickly registered the malicious intend hidden under the flow of Li Shiming's combat qi.

The combat qi that Li Shiming emanated out was much more potent than soul energy. It was usually used by veteran warriors on the battlefield while fighting against the Zergs. However, the minimum requirement of using the combat qi was level six soul energy, and therefore, the combat qi was rare to be seen. So far, only the Einherjars were able to master this technique.

It was said that the Einherjars could subdue a level six fighter by using only the combat qi alone, without even lifting a finger.

Opposite Li Shiming's combat qi, Wang Tong countered it with his combat qi. It was immediately obvious to Hu Yangxuan that he had already encountered Wang Tong's combat qi many times while sparring with him, although he didn't know what it was at that time.

"Arghh!"

Wang Tong shouted as his combat qi shot through the entire arena. In half a heartbeat, Wang Tong's combat qi was about to overcome Li Shiming's.

Chapter 403: The Phantom Cut

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

The world seemed to have blurred out while Wang Tong was in the heat of the battle with Li Shiming. However strong Wang Tong could be, he wouldn't be able to unleash his full potential without the aggressive attacks of his opponent.

As everyone thought that Wang Tong had reached his full power, he continued to impress them by multiplying the power of his combat qi. Although Li Shiming's combat qi was powerful, it seemed to have quickly fallen short.

Under such pressure from Wang Tong, Li Shiming was forced to defend himself. He conceded that he had miscalculated Wang Tong's ability. Li Shiming's initial scheme was to use his combat qi to create an illusion of battle going out of control, so that it would be easier for him to deliver the murderous strike amidst the chaos. However, he didn't expect Wang Tong to be able to hold his ground firmly.

Lie Jian's face had become taut. He was taken aback by Wang Tong's display of power. Lie Jian conceded that the only person he knew who was as powerful as Wang Tong was his Einherjar father.

The MC Zhang Zhongren became quiet, since he simply couldn't comprehend what was going on.

Zhang Zhongren and Rockefeller cast a knowing glance at each other; not every audience knew that the two fighters had already reached the Einherjar Level as they did.

Although not every Einherjar had a powerful combat qi, the fact that both of them possessed such ability was a true sign of their promising future.

Were they destined to become Einherjars?

The importance of this game was palpable, since the two fighters' performance seemed to suggest that the earthlings were about to gain two more Einherjars, a development that would have far-reaching political influences.

Both Zhang Zhongren and Rockefeller knew that it was two entirely different stories to the world between a promising young warrior and a potential Einherjar.

Meanwhile on the moon, more than a few lightnings streaked across the sky. To a pair of trained eyes, those were not lightning, but energy flows of Einherjars that were echoing the presence of a new member. Some of those Einherjars who responded to Wang Tong's power were entirely unknown to the world.

Some audiences such as a couple of council members had already started to ponder over the implication of the appearance of another powerful fighter on the earth in addition to Li Shiming. Meanwhile, most audiences were only interested in the progress of the match. Li Shiming had lost the edge over his opponent and was forced to be on the defensive side.

The match started to take on a sinister undertone as soon as both fighters started using the combat qi.

Both warriors started attacking at the same time, as two explosions erupted on the ground under their feet. The Vayu wheezed in the air with a brilliant blade aura around it, while Wang Tong's layered fist of Tong hurled towards Li Shiming with the might of a god. Wang Tong wished to dedicate this match to his teacher Mr. Wannabe by defeating his opponent with the Layered Fist of Tong, which he had learned from the old ghost.

"Kom, Kom!"

Every impact of the fist and blade sent a shockwave throughout the arena. It was still quite obvious that Li Shiming had an edge regarding speed. Ever since the start of this round of attacks, both warriors gave all they had, and did not allow their opponent any time of respite. So careful and well planned were their executions that neither of them was able to spot a weakness in the other's moves.

Although Wang Tong's attacks and defense seemed to be improvised on the spot, they were practical and to the point. However powerful were Li Shiming's attacks, Wang Tong was always able to counter them with ease.

"Zzen!"

"Kom!"

As Vayu cut through Wang Tong's shoulder, Li Shiming was dealt another blow on his chest.

Both fighters suddenly took a few steps back at the same time. They both had wished to overcome the opponent with their combat qi. However, neither of them had succeeded. After the training in the crystal space under Mr. Wannabe, Wang Tong had become practically immune to the combat qi attacks. On the other hand, Li Shiming's father Li Zhedao had also taught his son to defend against the combat qi, although the Einherjar's training method was extremely gruesome. Despite the fact that Li Zhedao had gained the title of Einherjar, he watched as the reputation of House Li tattered right in front of his own eyes. The sense of urgency and Li Zhedao's complete lack of care for his children resulted in the most inhuman training routines that borderlined on child abuse. However, not only had Li Shiming made it through the training, but he also did it with a smile on his face. So reserved was Li Shiming with regards to his feelings that he kept a nonchalant smile on his face even when his body was struggling to keep up with Wang Tong. Such reservedness, shrewdness, and patience were what his father most needed, but also lacked.

Li Shiming pointed the Vayu towards the ground as he was ready to unleash the ultimate coup de grace of the Tactics of Vayu. Sometimes, the deadliest attack was the quietest.

"Super Speed!"

Li Shiming's movement was so swift that Wang Tong knew that he could no longer rely on his eyes, not even his sixth sense. He could only rely on his instinct.

"Zzen!"

The cold blade pierced into Wang Tong's shoulder and almost severed his collarbone. Wang Tong knew that any more slip-up might mean only one thing: death.

Spurred by his anger, Li Shiming attacked again. He flashed forward, and before he reappeared, Vayu showed itself first.

Although the attack was deadly, Li Shiming didn't make any sound while executing the move.

"Vayu's attack: Phantom Cut!"

This was a renowned technique used by Li Feng three hundred years ago. As many Zergs died under this move as there were stars in the galaxy.

The uniqueness of this attack was its stealthiness, since it would not give off any hint of aggressiveness or sound. While coupled with Li Shiming's lightning movement, the stealthy attack would make the perfect concoction of death.

Even with his razor-sharp awareness, Wang Tong didn't sense the incoming attack until it was only a few inches away. Wang Tong conceded that this attack was even more stealthy than the Stealth Zerg.

Li Shiming's first attack struck home, and he quickly connected it with two more attacks. Without any flashy moments or techniques, Li Shiming was able to land blows on his opponent continuously.

By then, Li Shiming's murderous intent was laid bare in front of Wang Tong. The three blows he had received were aimed at his vital organs. Luckily, Wang Tong was able to evade the attack just in time. Otherwise, the battle would have already ended with his bleeding corpse on the stage.

While staring in Li Shiming's shiny eyes, Wang Tong knew that he had been making a performance for the audiences to cover up his real plan. Li Shiming had purposely appeared to be weaker while waiting for the perfect moment to do away with Wang Tong under the disguise of self-defense, and it worked.

By then, Wang Tong's soul energy and GN force had become so powerful that it started to resonate with a few veteran generals' seas of consciousness. No one would question Li Shiming even if he cranked up his soul energy to the point that it became dangerous.

No one would know that Li Shiming had orchestrated every turn of the event that led to the death of his opponent.

Li Shiming started the Phantom Cut as he disappeared into thin air again.

"Zzen!"

Rarely any move worked the second time while used against Wang Tong, but the Phantom Cut did. The blade stuck home again, and it was another close call for Wang Tong.

"Does he want to kill Wang Tong?" Zhang Jin shook her head and asked.

Chapter 404: Two R*scals!

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

Patroclus shook his head and replied, "That is not the case, Jin. It is not Wang Tong's life Li Shiming wants, he only wants to prove his point that the Blade Warrior should have chosen him instead of Wang Tong."

If this message didn't get across, even if Li Shiming got rid of Wang Tong, there would be a second Wang Tong. With the slightest hint of hope, Li Shiming wished that all this was part of a test that the Blade Warrior had set up for him.

At this point, anything was possible, and Li Shiming was convinced that he had made the right choice.

Zhang Jin cast a glance at Patroclus, and immediately knew that Patroclus was right. Nevertheless, it surprised her that Patroclus would have known Li Shiming so well. Perhaps, she thought, the two were not that different after all.

On the stage, Wang Tong had already received the sixth blow. Although he had prevented the blows to land on his vital points, the strikes had injured him. The match seemed to be about to come to an end. Even after a long fight, Li Shiming's movements were still fluid and smooth like liquid silver. Although Wang Tong had defeated Michaux, he was pinned under Li Shiming's thumb and could not fight back.

Thus it was, the power that had to build three centuries of glory for the House Li.

Li Shiming gathered his strength and used the Phantom Cut on his opponent again. However, as the tip of the sharp blade glided through the air, it missed its target by a margin.

Wang Tong's evasion worked this time, and seizing the opportunity, he finally unleashed the Layered Fist of Tong. The sudden development had caught Li Shiming off guard, but his incredible speed had saved the day again as Li Shiming flashed out of harm's way.

The close distance finally gave Wang Tong an opportunity to study Li Shiming's move up close. It only took half a millisecond for Wang Tong to see through Li Shiming's tricks. A smile slowly crept onto Wang Tong's lips as he lamented the price he had paid for such an obvious solution.

Li Shiming didn't pause after he retreated. Instead, he followed with more Phantom Cuts. So persistent was the phantom cut technique that even Lie Jian had become its victim during the last tournament.

Having gained a number on Li Shiming's ability, Wang Tong had predicted the precise landing spot of Vayu. Before Li Shiming got close, Wang Tong yanked his fist and hurled it at Li Shiming. Li Shiming was thrown off balance by the sudden counter-attack and struggled to gather himself and retreat.

Wang Tong didn't chase after Li Shiming. Instead, he patched himself up with bandages and announced, "Interesting and marvelous! But, did you know that a real phantom was not only quiet, but also has no heartbeat either?"

Li Shiming's incredible speed and the stealthy ability of the Phantom Cut was a double whammy for making the moments undetectable. However, as long as Li Shiming's heart kept on beating, it sent a loud and clear signal to Wang Tong about his whereabouts, like a brilliant beacon on a starless night. However potent was the techniques of House Li, Wang Tong had out-witted it with his street-smartness and common sense.

Both Patroclus and Lie Jian were pleasantly surprised by Wang Tong's anti-stealth method. However, they conceded that it would be difficult for them to execute such a method while in the heat of the battle.

Wang Tong's unconventional technique amused even Li Shiming. He smiled broadly as if he were enjoying the development much more than Wang Tong.

Wang Tong felt a chill at the sight of Li Shiming's smile. It irked him that he could never know what the heir of House Li was thinking through his thick mask.

"Looks like Wang Tong has found the counter for Li Shiming's Phantom Cut! That was incredible!"

"The heartbeat? Is it as simple as it sounds?"

Rockefeller nodded, "What a pity that this moment of epiphany came a bit too late. With his injuries, the remaining fight won't be any easier. "

"My lady, Wang Tong is about to lose the battle. Are you sure he is The One?" If Princess Heidi were right about the identity of the new Blade Warrior, Wang Tong should have already defeated Li Shiming by now.

"Let's see," Heidi answered. She was not only impressed by Wang Tong's ability to pick up new abilities but also how well those new abilities blended in with his existing moves. Seeing Wang Tong countering Li Shiming's attack, Heidi had become more certain of the relationship between the earthling and the Blade Warrior.

Li Shiming flashed out of the view. Was he going to use the Phantom Cut again?

Wang Tong struck back with the Layered Fist of Tong, However, instead of using the stealth attack, Li Shiming had used a direct frontal attack with Vayu.

"Zzen...Zzen...Zzen!"

Blood splattered again amidst the din of the attacks as Wang Tong was struck and forced back.

"You won't defeat me. Tell me, why do you never use a weapon?"

Although Wang Tong's fist was as powerful as any weapon, it was no match for the legendary blade of Vayu. Therefore, Li Shiming had a huge advantage over Wang Tong by using the blade.

"Do you mean that I am not your worthy opponent if I can't find a way to counter your weapon Vayu?" Wang Tong licked the blood off his fist and asked. He could tell that Vayu was much more powerful than Li Ruoer's Rosy. The difference could come from the power of the wielders, but Wang Tong was not sure of the exact cause of such gap.

Li Shiming nodded.

In a real battle, a good weapon was as important as a solid METAL.

Many people seemed to have forgotten that the blade in Li Shiming's hand was the legendary weapon used by General Li Feng.

"Did you know this all along?" Zhang Jin asked Patroclus.

"Haha. Only the Deva Lance can counter the power of Vayu." Patroclus knew that a superior weapon was the only sure way of gaining a definite edge over an opponent whose power was at par with his. Among all the weapons in the world, only the Deva Lance possessed the same power as Vayu.

In other words, since Li Shiming had a decisive advantage over his opponent due to his superior weapon, his victory was guaranteed. Li Shiming didn't want to achieve victory solely relying on the hardware advantage, as he had tried many times to subdue Wang Tong using his swordplay techniques alone. By then, Li Shiming conceded that he should just finish up the match using whatever method necessary.

Vayu bore down on Wang Tong with the intention to end the match there and then. The execution was direct and simple.

"Clank! Kom!"

As a violent shock wave swept across the arena, a golden lance appeared in Wang Tong's hand, and it blocked the path of Vayu.

Wang Tong growled as his charged GN force into the golden lance. As if hit by a car, Li Shiming was blown back a dozen feet. Wang Tong twirled the lance in one hand before he rested it against his shoulder.

It had been a while since last time Wang Tong had to use the weaponized Charcoal. The very last time was while Wang Tong was fighting for his life the crystal space against Mr. Wannabe.

"...What? What kind of a weapon is that? Is stopped Vayu!"

"I have never heard of it before. It must be a new invention."

Even as the two event interpreters marveled at the power of the golden lance, the battle changed tides on the stage again. Vayu shone with an intense blue light while the lance matched it with a brilliant golden hue. Suddenly, another silvery white light shot up from the audience; it came from the Deva Lance!

"Is that what resonance is?"

"I thought that was made-up!"

"We have the Vayu and Deva, but what is the other weapon called?"

"This is incredible! Who exactly is Wang Tong?"

A swell of murmurs rose from the audiences as the development piqued everyone's interest.

Li Shiming fixated his eyes on the golden lance and asked, :"Does it have a name?"

Wang Tong's knee-jerk reaction was to shout out "Charcoal". However, after a second thought, Wang Tong announced, "Einherjar."

"Lance of Einherjar." Li Shiming repeated its name in his mouth and tried searching for any clue in his memory. After a while of fruitless searching, he said, "You think you can defeat me with that stick?"

Wang Tong's wounds had already stopped bleeding. Such injuries are only a little bit worse than scratches for Wang Tong. "Well, I have to try. And, don't call it a stick… It's a lance." With the Lance of Einherjar in his hand, Wang Tong seemed to have gained more confidence and determination.

"R*scals! They both had been holding back their power from us!" Hu Yangxuan lamented as he shook his head.

"I don't blame them. My brother said Patroclus could counter any move as long as he had seen it once." Li Ruoer commented coldly.

Chapter 405: Fell From Grace

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

The cameras that were broadcasting the event cut to a close-up special of Patroclus. The crew knew that the Ivantians had been eager to see their Prince's reaction to such development.

No one knew exactly how powerful the Tactics of the Deva King were. All they knew was that the Tactics of the Deva King were the hardest tactics to master in the world.

However, Patroclus was not the main concern of the warriors on the stage. To reach Patroclus, they needed first to finish the opponent standing in front of them right now.

Li Shiming swept Vayu in the air as his soul energy started to levitate his body. Wang Tong smiled knowingly as he swung Einherjar at lighting speed, hovering in the air at about the same height as Li Shiming.

For the two powerful warriors, controlling the airflow around them using soul energy was simply a piece of cake. Some of the more talented level six fighters who were on the verge of becoming an Einherjar could not only walk in the air, but also in space without any protection.

Wang Tong's ability to match whatever Li Shiming flaunted had made Li Shiming wonder if he were wrong about the Blade Warrior's decision.

What perplexed the commentators was the fact that Wang Tong seemed to be unaffected by the severe blows he had sustained.

"Kom! KOM!"

Li Shiming and Wang Tong both knew that there was no turning back from here. It was a match of life and death.

By Then, Li Shiming had completed unshackled the energy sealed inside the Vayu, as blue lights erupted from the blade, beckoning wild gales around him.

On the other side of the arena, Wang Tong's golden energy was no less belligerent than that of Li Shining. Amidst the brilliant golden hue, the Lance of Einherjar scintillated like a bright beacon in the night.

The two fighters started the attack at the same time as they both disappeared from the audiences' view and reemerged at a close range with each other at the center of the stage. The lance and the blade collided again, sending a thunderous roar through the arena. The two players had forsaken unnecessary moves and focused solely on the GN force output. Such confrontation was a testament to the fighters martial arts foundations.

Li Shiming had trained hard every day just for this match. His hard work coupled with his unrivaled talent made he firmly believe that no one in the world could exceed him in terms of martial arts foundations.

"I am Li Shiming, and I will win!"

On the other hand, although Wang Tong was forced to train like a dog by Old Fart, he didn't train nearly as hard as Li Shiming did. However, thanks to the gruesome training in the crystal space, Wang Tong was able to hold his ground during this bare-knuckle round.

Vayu's Blade Aura glinted off the shiny blade and flew at Wang Tong. Li Shiming started to become more aggressive in his actions. The technique he used was called the Waterfall Flower.

Each strike carried more blade aura than the last. Li Shiming remained calm as he was fully engrossed in the fight. He felt as if it were not the blade he was carrying, but the responsibility and the family honor.

With a lance in his hand, Wang Tong didn't evade any of the attacks. Instead, he let the lance meet the blade head on. As someone who had butted heads against an Einherjar, Wang Tong was not afraid of a level six fighter.

Li Shiming carried on the Waterfall Flower to the thirty-fifth move, as the blade aura utterly engulfed him, threatening to kill anyone who dared to approach.

There and then, Li Shiming lashed out the thirty-sixth move as the Vayu become blindingly bright. Wang Tong knew that this was the killing move. However, he didn't retreat or evade the attack. Instead, he plunged into the attacker with the lance without hesitation. Wang Tong had such confidence because he remembered that Mr. Wannabe had told him that there was not one in the world who could stop him.

Blast Lance of Tong!

"Kom!"

The Waterfall Flower was one of the deadliest techniques of House Li. After the first thirty five moves, Li Shiming had charged up a tremendous amount of power in the last strike, making the final attack almost unblockable.

To a level six fighter, the thirty-sixth move was the apex of skills. On the other hand, Wang Tong seemed ill-prepared as he hurried to improvise an attack with his lance.

A blinding burst of light erupted from the point of contact, and the fast-spreading light soon smothered the audiences' views like a thick blanket.

"Kom!"

When the light finally faded away, everyone was shocked by what they saw, as over a million audiences gasped in unison.

Vayu was thrown aside; the tip of the lance pierced right through Li Shiming's shoulder. Was the invincible House Li and the legendary Vayu defeated so easily?

Li Shiming pulled the lance out of his shoulder slowly and painfully. As soon as the lance left his body, he fell to the ground, face whiter than paper. He laid on his side, lacking any vigor to get up as he stared at Vayu a few feet away from him.

"Vayu was no match for his lance?"

"Why?"

"It shouldn't end like this!"

This defeat was a devastating blow to Li Shiming. The Waterfall Flower had never been countered in the entire history of House Li. However, he had failed and brought shame to his family name.

Li Shiming reckoned that the fault wasn't in the technique, since the Waterfall Flower had been proven by Li Feng to be flawless. His downfall was his opponent's overbearing power; he was simply too weak.

Wang Tong's eyes were fixated on his lance as he was taken aback by his performance. He realized that he had gone beyond his damage output limit during that last strike.

He didn't strike just once, but three consecutive times. His skill had surpassed Mr. Wannabe.

The dead silence still loomed over the arena. No one could believe that House Li could be defeated and neither did they want to see the backbone of the human race crumble.

Although House Li had become everyone's easy target to hate and envy, seeing the helpless Li Shiming, all they could think of was how much House Li had given to the human race.

The remorse inside the arena could even be felt inside Ayrlarng. No one was cheering for Wang Tong, as they felt sorry for Li Shiming.

Li Shiming didn't make it to Patroclus as Wang Tong defeated him with his lance of Einherjar. The reality was often cruel, as a hero would rise only by stomping on others' broken backs.

Before this fight, everyone believed that only Patroclus and house Dower could bring down House Li. However, after this fight, Wang Tong was added to the equation of the power struggle.

Wang Tong had defeated Michaux Odin and then Li Shiming. Was there anyone who could stop his winning streak?

Li Shiming gazed at Vayu, and for the first time, he wondered if he deserved this blade. All of his ambitions and grand plans seemed more like a joke to him. He could not turn back time, and had become the loser.

Without thinking much, Li Shiming reached out and grabbed Vayu in his hand. The handle felt comfortable; he had gotten used to the feeling when he was as tall as the blade itself.

Ever since he was a child, Li Shiming had sworn to protect his family honor. How could his journey end here?

For every other member of House Li, Li Feng was no different from a god. However, Li Shiming always remembered his name with a hint of jealousy.

"Why did he choose Wang Tong but not me?" Li Shiming asked himself.

Li Shiming tightened his grip, and suddenly, a flow of energy surged into him as realization dawned upon him: if Li Feng could ascend godhood from mortality, so could he.

He needed to prove to everyone that only he was the true heir of Li Feng!

Li Shiming's hands trembled as energy shot through his body. Although his face looked pale, it was gaining a tinge of redness by the second.

"What a pity!" Zhang Jin lamented.

Like House Ma, House Zhang never had to face the brutal competition of METAL combat, as they excelled in an entirely different, but also important field.

Patroclus watched Li Shiming quietly and said, "Li Shiming is not done yet. Wang Tong's attack might have helped him to release his full potential. "

Zhang Jin was taken aback by Patroclus's comment, as she recalled that Patroclus had confessed that Li Shiming was one of his worthy opponents.

Chapter 406: The Killing Blow

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

Li Shiming gathered his strength and soul energy, and passed Vayu to his left hand. Although Li Shiming was right-handed, the blade was as deadly in his left hand as it was in his right.

Despite the fact that Wang Tong's lance attack had overcome Li Shiming's Waterfall Flower, Patroclus was not all that impressed by its power. However, a tinge of surprise finally crept onto Patroclus's face when he watched as Li Shiming slowly picked himself up.

Wang Tong could feel the presence of the power as well. For some inexplicable reason, Wang Tong felt that Li Shiming had become a much more threatening opponent after he had received the blow.

"Bravo!"

A loud and clear cheer erupted from the front row seats; it was from Patroclus. It was the first time Zhang Jin ever heard praise coming out of Patroclus' mouth. He had remained silent even during the memorable fight between Wang Tong and Michaux Odin.

Ye Kai found it hard pressed to believe what he was watching as Li Shiming gradually merged his soul energies with the Blade.

This was the ultimate state for any sword user. So seamlessly was the soul energy intertwined that one could hardly tell the difference between the sword and the wielder.

So many blade masters from the Templar's Court had tried hard to reach that state. However, they all just failed.

"Zzen!"

The silvery blade slithered towards Wang Tong at lightning speed.

"Kom!"

The two warriors both fell to the ground. Wang Tong had received a blow in his side, but Li Shiming was not having a good time either. Only because of Wang Tong's incredible battle awareness did he avoid being hit at his vital point. Li Shiming's attack was so powerful that Wang Tong was caught off guard, and therefore, lost the precious time to evade the attack completely.

Although there were a handful of warriors, who had a power superior to Wang Tong, no one had seen a battle awareness as sharp as his.

On the other side, Li Shiming had pushed his limits during his last attack, and the overexertion had exacerbated his old wounds.

It was still hard for anyone to tell the outcome of this fight.

"One with the blade! Li Shiming had become the one with the blade!" Zhang Zhongren, the fanboy, shouted at the top of his lungs.

To be the one with the sword did not entirely depend on the wielder's skills and power, as the weapon's "will' also played an important part. It was as elusive as it sounded, and most people had only heard of such skill in legends. However, Li Shiming had proven to everyone its existence with his actions.

"Do you think I was finished that quickly?" Li Shiming's eyes lit up with a new found confidence. He had redeemed his name by unleashing the legendary skill.

Wang Tong clenched the lance tightly in his hand, trying as hard as he could to swallow down the pain. He conceded that Li Feng had a worthy heir after all, but he believed that he was better than Li Shiming. He wouldn't and couldn't lose!

Wang Tong suddenly realized that he was not fighting for Old Fart or Ma Xiaoru; he was fighting for himself. He had known it ever since the beginning, but not until then did he finally became willing to come to terms with his true desire.

Both warriors slowly stood up and started to gather their strength again.

"Kom!"

A swirl of energy burst into action around Li Shiming, tossing his long hair above his shoulder. Vayu hummed as if it were celebrating finding a new owner after three hundred years.

Patroclus watched quietly, but he could not hide the excitement inside his eyes and at the corners of his lips.

The God of Wind was reborn!

Wang Tong spun the lance like the blade of a helicopter. Whenever the lance touched the air, a thousand wisps of golden tendrils were born in the air, swirling and boiling within the tumultuous current. The splendid display was a testament to the power of the Dragon Warrior, the miracle of the confederation.

The lance spun even faster as Wang Tong charged up his energy; he finally had come to terms with his insatiable desire for power. With his desire for victory unshackled, Wang Tong wanted it more than ever.

"Kom!"

Li Shiming had fully blended himself with the blade aura, and both him and Vayu had transformed into an intense brightness that sent a ray of light directly at Wang Tong.

This was an unblockable attack, since the light seemed to come from all directions.

Wang Tong was quick to react as he twirled the lance, which transformed into a great serpent. Unknowingly, Wang Tong had unleashed the power that was beyond his current level of comprehension, as his attack shifted and warped the space in the most inexplicable way.

Li Shiming was still hovering in the air, unwitting of what was going on around him when a stream of blood gushed out of his mouth, before he thudded heavily back to the ground.

This magical development was not only the pivotal moment for this match, but would also become the pivotal moment in the human history.

As Li Shiming fell to the ground, Wang Tong was just ready to lash out his attack. However, much like his opponent, he was also dealt an invisible blow as he stumbled back, blood gushing out of his mouth.

No one could comprehend what had just happened; all they saw was that both warriors had fallen to the ground, and that was all that mattered to them.

"Who will eventually stand up?"

Li Shiming's hand twitched once as he struggled to stand up but failed. All the while, he clenched Vayu tightly in his hand, as if he were afraid that it would grow a pair of legs and walk away.

Wang Tong moved as well. He half leaned on his lance, and slowly but surely rose to his feet.

Li Shiming saw the shadow cast by Wang Tong, and finally gave up his effort. He had fallen, and so had House Li. Although Li Shiming possessed the rare talent and had unlocked the ultimate sword master ability, he was still no match with Wang Tong.

A tsunami of cheers and applause exploded in the arena. Wang Tong stood at the center of the stage, savoring the victory. Not only he had won the fight, but he also had finally come to terms with his desire.

The entire city of Shangjin was steeped in celebration. Even the majors and politicians joined the street party and shouted out their excitement like children in Disneyland. It was a miracle through and through, and it was the greatest honor that Shangjin ever had in the last three hundred years.

Karl and his friends rushed onto the stage and lifted Wang Tong high up into the air. The excitement and joy inside every S-club member were beyond description. From that day on, the S-Club was officially recognized as one of the most influential parties on earth because of their leader, Wang Tong, the Dragon Warrior.

Ma Dutian and Wuxin were taken aback by the result of the match. They were already pleased after Wang Tong entered the quarter-final, and never had they imagined that their would-be son in law would defeat Li Shiming.

"How...how did he do it?" As a level six fighter, Wuxin had no idea what had happened.

Ma Dutian grinned and then confessed, "I don't know either."

Wu Xin was shocked by her husband's reply. Even an Einherjar couldn't see through Wang Tong's abilities?

Patroclus's eyes didn't leave Wang Tong ever since the latter stood up and claimed the victory. For the first time in his life, Patroclus felt being challenged.

Seeing Wang Tong's victory, Samantha jumped out of her chair in sheer joy. The only one left for him was Patroclus.

After so many centuries, another youth embarked on the journey to save the world, and his name was Wang Tong!

Chapter 407: My Money Was Not On You

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

Ayrlarng had become one of the most popular Academies on earth despite the fact that it was an A-Class Academy. Having witnessed Wang Tong's victory, every young man and woman on earth wanted to join this renowned school.

After the fight, Wang Tong gained another nickname: Omni-Fighter, as people remembered that he had also won the championship at the fleet combat tournament.

Wang Tong had set the bar so high that people doubted if anyone would be able to match his achievements. Also, Wang Tong's success gave hope to many ordinary people who used to see the tournament as a game for the privileged few.

The feeling inside Earthlings was mixed with joy and remorse. They celebrated Wang Tong's victory as much as they mourned Li Shiming's defeat.

It was obvious that without Wang Tong, the stage would have belonged to Li Shiming. As a twenty years old fledgling, he had already made a great achievement by becoming one with the sword. However, even the most advanced sword technique was not enough to overcome Wang Tong.

A seventeen years old no-account defeating an heir of the great houses, such was the legend that Wang Tong had created.

No one knew the technique Wang Tong had used to overcome Li Shiming. After the match, some Ivantian media interviewed their Prince Patroclus, the wielder of the Deva Lance. Even the Ivantians, who were so proud of the Deva Lance, wondered if Wang Tong's golden lance was its match. So arrogant were the Ivantians that only a display of total dominance could shake their pride.

The interviewer's question was simple and to the point, "How would the Deva Lance deal with the Li Shiming's ability."

Patroclus's answer, "I don't know."

From a technical perspective, being the one with the sword was the apex of sword skills. It was more of an intuition than a trained skill, and its damage potential was boundless.

Some interviewer asked his opinion about Wang Tong's counter strike, and Patroclus answered with the same words but with more decisiveness, "I don't know." Patroclus didn't even understand what Wang Tong had done, much less give it a name.

Although Patroclus's answer was disappointing, people couldn't help noticing the anticipating smirk on his face.

Inside Zhang Jin's studio, the heir of House Zhang was carefully examining each frame, trying to catch a glimpse of Wang Tong's power. However, the more time she spent on reviewing the tape, the more suspicious it seemed.

"Patroclus, look! What was going on here?" Zhang Jin shouted out at Patroclus.

Patroclus closed in and examined the footage; Zhang Jin's brow furrowed after seeing that Patroclus was not surprised by what he had seen.

"Look here, watch. Wang Tong's attack started after Li Shiming had already been struck. Don't you think someone was helping Wang Tong from behind the scene?" Zhang Jin pointed at the screen. Then she noticed something else: Wang Tong's attack angle lined up perfectly with the blow that Li Shiming had received.

"Well, maybe it was Wang Tong. I don't see anyone behind him anyways." Zhang Jin continued, "Li Shiming also dealt Wang Tong a blow."

The more Zhang Jin tried to explain the situation, the muddier it felt.

"Jin, why bother? It's very obvious. Li Shiming had received a blow before Wang Tong had started the attack—Reversed Causality." Suddenly, Patroclus's eyes lit up with fire.

"Reversed Causality..." Zhang Jin chewed on the words as the gravity of the revelation setting in.

"Gosh! Doesn't that mean he is invincible?"

"If he knows how to reverse nature's causality, then yes," Patroclus replied, seemingly unaffected by the discovery.

"Are you planning to finish the fight before he could use that ability? That is not your usual style, you know?"

"You know me the best. I had been waiting for so many years, and perhaps I could finally get what I wanted: a defeat. So, who cares about styles?" Patroclus said with glee.

Unable to comprehend Patroclus's logic, Zhang Jin shook her head and sighed.

Zhang Jin noticed that as Wang Tong revealed more power after each match, Patroclus had become increasingly lighthearted. But, a question still tugged at Zhang Jin's heart: How powerful exactly was Wang Tong?

Zhang Jin knew little about Wang Tong, but she knew a great deal about Patroclus—at least she thought she did—so her estimate of the results of their showdown was fifty-fifty. The odds were much against Wang Tong before his victory over Li Shiming.

The excitement and anticipation brought a curl onto Zhang Jin's lips. She conceded that Wang Tong had breathed a new life into the landscape of METAL combat, shaken things up, and made them much more entertaining to watch.

As if time had turned back, Zhang Jin remembered her first encounter with Wang Tong, the wild boy with a robust smile and tatted clothing. Who would have thought that he could make such an impact on the world?

It was not only Wang Tong's smile that was memorable to Zhang Jin, but it was also the freedom and liveliness that burned inside his eyes.

Compare to other fighters, let it be Li Shiming, Patroclus, or Lie Jian, Wang Tong stood on the stage without the constraints and the weight of worldly matters. Therefore, it was much easier for him to show everyone who he was, and unleash his full potential without worrying about consequences.

Unlike Patroclus who had already gotten too familiar with his power even to bother fighting anyone he considered unworthy, Wang Tong would gladly accept any fight or challenge and discover new abilities in the process.

As Zhang Jin marveled at the dramatic turn of events, Wang Tong's earnest voice rang in her mind.

Although Wang Tong had won the battle, it was a costly victory. Both combatants were gravely injured, and the three days of resting period might not be enough for Wang Tong to fully recover his soul energy.

No visitors were allowed while both warriors were in the emergency care units. After seeing their powers, the politicians knew that they had gained two Einherjar materials, and they needed to be protected at all expenses.

Li Shiming was in a more critical condition than Wang Tong. Although his ultimate ability was powerful, Wang Tong's attacks were so unpredictable that no mortal human could hope to defend against them. However, even after Li Shiming was dealt a blow unwittingly, the amazing technique of One with the Sword had allowed Li Shiming to follow up with a strike and injure his attacker.

Nevertheless, Li Shiming's attack came too late, and he had lost the battle—that was a reality that he had to come to terms with.

Inside the medic pod, nano-bots were working diligently to fix Wang Tong's body. Although he was immobilized in the pod, Wang Tong's mind raced as he tried to remember his final attack. However, he couldn't remember a thing.

Without that mysterious final strike, he would not have been able to overcome Li Shiming, not even with his three consecutive strikes of "Layered Lance of Einherjar."

"Kiddo, you are getting better, especially that final attack. Without it, you would have been dead already."

"Thank you, Mr. Wannabe. You have been very supportive. "

"Well, tell you the truth, my money was not on you in the last match. His father is an Einherjar, and he started training much earlier than you. It was a no-brainer."

Too tired to reply, Wang Tong showed Mr. Wannabe a middle finger.

Chapter 408: Unscrupulous Strategy

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

"Well, I made it after all!" Wang Tong retorted.

"Haha, you had learned from the best. Li Feng wouldn't choose you if I didn't have any mojo. On the other hand, Li Shiming had done a great job by becoming one with the blade." Mr. Wannabe praised.

"Ah... about that… Do you know what happened at the end when I struck him with the lance? I can't remember a thing."

Mr. Wannabe pulled a tout face and said, "Oh.. mm... you have done a good job, rest well. I have something else to take care of, bye." Before Mr. Wannabe left, he rolled his eyes at Wang Tong. He knew what it was called, Reverse Causality, but he had no idea how Wang Tong had pulled that off. What was worse, Mr. Wannabe didn't want to admit that he couldn't answer his question.

Wang Tong didn't mind Mr. Wannabe's perfunctory reply. Not only had Mr. Wannabe provided an immeasurable help to him, but the most saline point in certain techniques could also never be taught. Although Wang Tong was victorious, the fight had exposed some of his shortcomings. Luckily, those shortcomings could be mended through strenuous training and conditioning.

Li Shiming possessed a keen battle awareness, but it was no match for Wang Tong's survival instincts. Even Mr. Wannabe admitted that he had underestimated Wang Tong's ability.

Before the fight, both combatants had equal power, and both of them had advanced their cultivation in the heat of the battle. But in the end, Wang Tong won the fight with a hair-thin margin.

Regardless of Wang Tong's recent improvement, he knew that the fight with Patroclus would be a tougher nut to crack than the last match. He promised himself that as long as he was able to move about tomorrow, he would go and watch Patroclus's fight with Lie Jian. Wang Tong conceded that he had almost exhausted his abilities while Patroclus was still holding back his power. He wished that Lie Jian would be able to force Patroclus to reveal more about his concealed abilities.

Everyone knew that as long as Lie Jian was able to defeat Patroclus, he would have gained the title of the champion, since both Wang Tong and Li Shiming would not be 100% after injury. Lie Jian's strategy was simple, 'Finish the fight as fast as possible and use the fire poison to slow down Patroclus.'

"Michaux, do you think I will win?" Lie Jian asked.

Michaux was amused by the question. "You never ask things like that."

"Hehe, yeah. Somehow, the more I advance my cultivation, the less confidence I have." Lie Jian said as he flexed his wrist. He always told Michaux his deepest feeling as Michaux, a friend since childhood, was the only person he could confide in.

Michaux smiled lightly and said, "Your winning chance is less than forty percent. It's not your fault though, Patroclus is just too powerful for you."

"So, you knew I will lose all the while?" Lie Jian asked without betraying his resignation.

The young master nodded.

"F*ck it! Even though the odds are against me, I will show him who I am!" Lie Jian burst out, his face knotted. He was still very confident in his abilities, despite the urge to agree with his friend's outlook.

"Let me help you. We can't let them look down on us Martians," Michaux announced.

"How? Do tell!" Lie Jian was pleasantly surprised. He knew that the Divine Masters had many tricks up their sleeves. Some might not appear to be deadly on the spot, but they could be useful when deployed at the right time.

"I learned a secret technique called Soul Transfer that allows me to store a part of my soul energy inside your sea of consciousness to increase your power," Michaux said.

"Really? Get out of here! Why didn't you tell me earlier!" Lie Jian's eyes lit up with glee. He knew that if he could have the aid of the young master, he might tip the scale on the battlefield in his favor.

Michaux gave Lie Jian an ugly grin and said, "It's just a small trick, useless for me, and ... could be harmful to you."

"I don't care, let's do it now!"

"It's still early. The energy would dissipate over time, so we better time it right."

"Whatever you say!" Lie Jian announced as he cracked his finger joints. He was willing to do anything for the victory.

The fight between Wang Tong had Li Shiming had rekindled the passion for METAL combat inside every ordinary citizen. However, today, another would-be legendary fight was about to pull back its curtain—Patroclus versus Lie Jian.

Although Lie Jian had missed his opportunity of avenging his last tournament's defeat, his performance had proven that he was back and more powerful than ever. The victor of this match would face the most popular fighter of this year's tournament—the Dragon Warrior, the Omni-Fighter, the one and only Wang Tong.

Wang Tong was still unable to move, and therefore, Ma Xiaoru set up a virtual display unit inside his bedroom. She would be watching the fight with Wang Tong beside his medic pod.

This match was an opportunity of a lifetime for most young warriors. They would never experience such event the same way after they grew up.

Inside the arena, the usually aloof Ivantians shouted and cheered at the top of their lungs. Drunken by Patroclus's intoxicating personality and overbearing power, the Ivantians worshiped him like a god.

Despite Patroclus's superior performance, his power was at par with a couple of other contestants that made into the final rounds, such as Wang Tong. However, many people still believed that he was the strongest among all younger generation fighters. The thought came to the audiences so naturally that they didn't even take a second to think how they had arrived at such a conclusion. In the audiences' eyes, Patroclus was a god, and he was invincible, was simple as that.

The clamor in the arena started to die down as the contestants were about to enter the stage. Patroclus appeared on the stage first, followed by Li Jian. One looked like a handsome prince from a fairy tale while the other a wild fiery beast.

After only a brief moment of quietness, the arena exploded with cheers and applause.

Not only were the Ivantians were excited about the match, but also the Martians. Once Lie Jian defeated Patroclus, House Lie would exert their influence outside Mars onto the entire confederation.

Patroclus waved in the air and a wave of ear piercing shrieks from his female fans immediately rose from the audiences. Patroclus was the idol of all teenage girls across the confederation, regardless of their origin.

Zhang Zhongren and Rockefeller weren't sure what to make of Patroclus's paparazzi squad. As a warrior, being idolized for the same reason as a movie star was not entirely a compliment. Nevertheless, any audience who had dabbled with history would know that it was a blessing/curse of House Dower. Rilangalos had also been the sex symbol during his time, and after his marriage, the teenage girl suicide rate of the same year was reported to have tripled.

Whether Patroclus's power was at par with his ancestor was yet to be seen, but his popularity among girls was definitely close to that of Rilangalos.

Patroclus turned to face his opponent and said, "Please!"

Lie Jian returned the courtesy as the two fighters bowed to each other, signaling the start of the battle.

Lie Jian straightened himself and thrust out his two large pec-muscles, as flame surrounded him.