"We can't slim this whale, Ezio," Adrian said as he huffed. He was having a hard time dodging Xiao Chen's attacks.
"He has too many things." Ezio wasn't any better. They were battling for half an hour, and Ezio ran out of everything he had. He used the tattoo five times already, yet Xiao Chen could still pull out talismans as if they were regular papers.
Except for summoning his avatars and using Mana, he had already used his every means. And at this point, he didn't know if he could win or not. He thought he considered every possibility for this plan, but now he realized he underestimated Xiao Chen's mother's love for him.
'What can I do?' He thought in his heart. For the first time in his life, he felt desperate. He could have used his Mana and spells but it wouldn't change the outcome. Xiao Chen was stronger than them in many aspects.
Not only was he Three Layers ahead of them, but he also had too many items. Those Three Layers also had significant qualities that allowed him to suppress Ezio and Adrian. The Second Layer, Revolving Core/Stormy Pool helped Xiao Chen to replenish his spent Qi and Mana much faster than Adrian and Ezio. Although because of Mana Ocean and Seamless Body Ezio had more essence energy, he already spent them.
"Anon, can you win?" Ezio asked in his mind. He had no other choice.
"I can try," Anon answered seriously. He was always like that.
"Can you at least tell me your name, before we die?" Ezio asked.
"Uttering our name will cause more damage than dying here, Main," Anon said with a sigh. In the next second, Ezio was forced back to the spectator seat as Anon took control. Xiao Chen and Adrian looked at Ezio at the same time. They had seen this happen before and were actually scared.
"Ezio, is that you?" Adrian asked.
"Support me from behind," Anon ordered. His tone was different from Ezio's. When he was in control, others were just side actors.
He disappeared from where he was standing and appeared behind Xiao Chen. The latter has seen this move so many times now, so he threw a talisman without looking back. Anon who appeared behind the Prince Fool caught the talisman and followed after Xiao Chen who made his escape after he left a clone of shadow.
The talisman exploded just as Anon arrived in front of Xiao Chen. But Anon was nowhere to be seen. He switched places with the Shadow Clone.
"You can do that?" Ezio asked in shock. He knew he could phase in and out in shadows and create a clone, but he didn't know he could switch places with the shadow.
The talisman exploded right under Xiao Chen. Although it was his Qi that detonated the paper, he was still susceptible to the damage. He couldn't do anything but watch, as flames swallowed him.
The phoenix flames alleviated the damage, but he was still in a bad shape. His face was burned with some of his clothes, and there were holes in his armor. His hair was disheveled and his eyes were looking mad.
"Don't force my hand." Xiao Chen shouted as he took out hundreds of talismans. "I will bury all of you if you force my hand!"
"Stop!" Adrian shouted in panic. They couldn't win this battle, he was certain now. "Just stop, Ezio has nothing to do with this."
"Just kneel in front of me, and I will forgive this." Xiao Chen said as he looked at Ezio.
"Ezio, we have to live for another day. Pride is not more important than our life." Adrian said with telepathy.
"My pride is," Anon said without bothering with telepathy. His eyes turned black as a dark aura covered his whole body. A King silhouette appeared behind him, petting the wolf. The azure wolf looked at the Prince Fool in disgust and opened its maw.
"ROAAARRR!" The howl was so potent, that even the formation shook. All the monsters outside of the barrier fell on their knees and were shivering in fear. The roar was more than a wolf. There was something ancient in that howl. Something pressured their beings. This was a difference in life forms. Whatever caused that roar was something they couldn't look at directly, let alone challenge.
Xiao Chen and Adrian weren't any better. Those monsters were behind the barrier, Prince Fool and Adrian took the full brunt of the howl and were losing control of their muscles. Ezio, who was watching from the spectator seat, saw the image haunting his dreams overlapping his body. For a second, the avatar wasn't looking in disgust, but smiling in satisfaction.
"In front of a true ruler, ants should bow their heads to the ground," Anon uttered slowly. It sounded like a chant instead of a simple sentence. "When you see your King, you kneel to the ground, lest you anger him."
All of a sudden, the sword in his arm oozed a different feeling. The sharp aura was humming in excitement. The sword in Adrian's hand and the giant Dragon Fault in Xiao Chen's hand started to quiver in fear.
"Sword Intent?!" Xiao Chen asked in absolute terror. His uncle mentioned this to him and even showed his mastery in it. It was a level only those at the peak of Ascending Realm could achieve. Even Taro Mars hasn't mastered any Weapon or Elemental Intent, but the kid across from him could unleash this unbelievable power.
Ezio too was bewildered with the revelation. His second Qi Signium, Thunder Dragonfly allowed him to comprehend Short Sword Mastery, and the third one allowed him to master Sword. But it hadn't been long since he awakened the last one, yet for some reason he mastered Sword Intent!
One second Anon was standing proudly and looking down at everything in existence, the next, he was next to Xiao Chen, and swung his sword. The sword moved like a beam of light and cut even the air. Prince's hand that were holding talismans severed from the rest of the arms, and fell to the ground. Anon didn't stop, and swung the sword once again. Nothing could stop the advance of the weapon. Not the armor nor the barrier. With the second flash, Xiao Chen lost his two arms. And without waiting, Anon stepped on Prince's head. Plastering its worthless face into the mud. Xiao Chen was so shocked that he couldn't even breathe. His vision changed so fast that he failed to understand what was going on.
He knew what he was seeing was the dirt on the ground. His nostril, his mouth, filled with dirt. The pressure at the back of his head was a foot. Something was stepping on him. Something was forcing him to prostrate to the ground in submission. He couldn't accept it. How could he submit to another person? A one younger than him, weaker than him. How could he kneel and prostrate to another man?
He was destined to be the King. Ruler of the Purple Lands. It was his fate. He was to do whatever he wished. He had a dream. He worked hard for his dream. But despite how much he resented, he couldn't move from where he was. The foot on his head locked him to the dirt.