Not long after Leonard hastened his fighting pace, the manticore roared.
"Guhaaakk! Guhurrk!"
The bloodied manticore, fleeing desperately, finally succumbed to its injuries and began thrashing as if giving up on life. It had used up its venomous stingers, and now only the rounded part of its tail remained, which it swung with all its might. Even that transformed into a mace that easily surpassed the speed of sound.
Rank A monsters had undeniable might, even on the brink of death.
Five Elements Style
Black Tortoise First Form: Soul-Deflecting Shell Mirror
Leonard used the black sword to parry the manticore's mace-like tail with a single deflection, then drove the white sword into its unguarded crown. It was a joint attack from the black and white dual swords.
Five Elements Style
White Tiger First Form: Mountain Crusher
The manticore's skull shattered with a crunch. The monster collapsed and moved no more. Even for a Rank A monster, the brain remained a fatal weak point. The manticore's skull, usually resilient enough to withstand most sword energies, had not been able to endure the sheer force of the White Tiger First Form's pulverizing strike.
"These are far more powerful than I expected," Leonard murmured, marveling at the dual swords in his hands rather than the fallen manticore at his feet.
Deflecting with the Black Tortoise Form, striking with the White Tiger Form—that was all there was to it. Yet, this simple strategy had brought down a Rank A2 monster, a manticore at the Mature Demon Tier, with ease. Despite the manticore spewing out an arsenal of wretched flames, launching venomous stingers, and fighting with brute strength, it hadn't posed any real threat.
Was what Heavenly Demon said correct? I rushed too much with both my sword techniques and internal energy.
Using dual swords allowed Leonard to execute a seamless combination of attack and defense. Had he relied on a single sword to wield both the Black Tortoise and White Tiger Forms, he could never have toyed with the manticore so effortlessly.
Leonard realized that his past self's stubborn adherence to the ultimate goal of mastering the Five Elements with one sword was shortsighted, like a frog in the well. He had overestimated his own level of skill. Without Heavenly Demon's advice, he might have been wandering in the dark for much longer in this life.
That death match was worth it.
Satisfied, Leonard sheathed his dual swords and retrieved the high-grade mana stone floating in front of him. The mana stone's power tingled in his palm. If low-grade mana stones were like droplets and mid-grade stones were like small ponds, then this high-grade mana stone was akin to a lake. Absorbing just one would fill twenty percent of his dantian, and it was a useful resource during emergencies.
After storing the high-grade mana stone and the pieces of the manticore's tail and hide in his subspace pouch, Leonard stood up.
It's good to search for the shadow knights, but I should also practice my swordsmanship by hunting a few more monsters. If I can handle not just two, but three or four swords, I might even stand a chance against a Transcendence Tier opponent.
The Valley of Lions proved to be an unexpectedly fitting training ground for Leonard. Manticores didn't congregate in one place; they preferred having solitary lives, minimizing the risk of group encounters. Their combat abilities were well-rounded, and their cunning tactics left no room for complacency.
I haven't seen their special abilities yet, but I'll probably encounter one that uses them while hunting.
With determination in his eyes, Leonard ventured deeper into the Valley of Lions. The manticores were the dominant predators born and raised in the valley, but the scent of blood carried by the sandy wind marked the intrusion of a slaughterer into their daily lives.
***
In his second encounter, Leonard encountered a manticore with a goblin's head. It was certainly weaker than the manticore with a troll's head.
However, it compensated for its weakness with cunning tactics typical of weaker creatures. The moment it judged Leonard to be stronger than it, it tried to escape. It led him into pre-laid traps, then attempted a counterattack.
Five Elements Style
Vermillion Bird First Form: Blazing Explosion
Leonard incinerated the venomous rain with a single swing, then thrust his sword into the forehead of the charging manticore.
Five Elements Style
Azure Dragon Eighteenth Form: Thunderclap Return
He stabbed like thunder, then withdrew like lightning. While this technique was originally a series of rapid thrusts, executing just one thrust allowed him to prepare for the next move. Of course, the manticore died instantly when it was pierced through the forehead. After ensuring the beast was dead, Leonard retrieved his dual swords and reflected on the battle.
The combination of the Vermilion Bird and Azure Dragon Forms was decent, but it didn't quite match up to the Black Tortoise and White Tiger Forms. Using the Vermilion Bird Form to obscure the enemy's vision and then finishing with the Azure Dragon Form was an aggressive strategy, but it lacked balance and stability.
I need to try a different combination next time.
Leonard moved on to hunt another target. His training, accompanied by the spilling of the manticores' blood, continued.
He faced a manticore with an ogre's head on his third encounter. The manticore was several times more powerful than the previous ones. Unlike the others, which relied on venomous stingers and traps, this one challenged Leonard to close combat, and its physical prowess was on an entirely different level.
Five Elements Style
White Tiger Fifth Form: Heavenly Steel Wave
The manticore's claws moved at superspeed and clashed with Leonard's sword.
Leonard planted his feet firmly on the ground. He countered the incoming attack with a strike that sent a shockwave through the manticore's body. Leonard's attack would have shattered the internal organs of a human and caused them to bleed from all orifices, but the manticore's robust physique had absorbed the blow with little effect. Or perhaps, this particular manticore's ogre head granted it such resilience.
"Grrr...!"
With blades and claws clashing, Leonard and the manticore exchanged intense, murderous gazes inches apart. In this moment, they were equals with the intention to kill one another.
Five Elements Style
Azure Dragon Eighteenth Form: Thunderclap Return
Leonard unleashed a flurry of electric strikes from his other hand, piercing the manticore in multiple places. Restraining with the White Tiger Form and piercing with the Azure Dragon Form proved to be a good combination.
"Gwaaargh!"
The manticore, wounded in the stalemate, retreated. The immense strength from its ogre head allowed it to momentarily shake off the White Tiger Form's pressure. However, losing the initiative to attack was more critical to the fight. Leonard advanced a step and whirled his dual swords into a dizzying dance.
Five Elements Style, Two Divinities
East Azure Dragon and West White Tiger
Crazy Wind Swift Lightning
The sword in his right hand executed the Azure Dragon Form, while the sword in his left hand wielded the White Tiger Form, creating an inescapable zone. The swift sword cut off the path ahead, and the heavy sword suppressed the manticore thoroughly. To break through this storm-like swordplay, one needed the skill to read its flow. Naturally, the manticore with the ogre's head did not possess such a skill.
In an instant, the manticore was torn and shredded in numerous places. It writhed in agony, revealing a fatal opening.
Five Elements Style
Two Profound Divine Principles: Dragon Tiger Double Assault
Leonard slashed the manticore's tough neck with the Azure Dragon Form, creating a weak spot in its resilient body. Then, with the White Tiger Form, he swung his sword down like an executioner's axe. It was as if a dragon and a tiger were simultaneously biting down to kill.
Snap!
The moment the blue and white sword energies crossed paths, the manticore was decapitated, and it ceased to move. The manticore had been unbelievably mighty even at the Mature Demon Tier.
The Azure Dragon and White Tiger Forms work well together. Perhaps it's because they are opposing elements? If so, the Vermilion Bird and Black Tortoise Forms might also complement each other.
Leonard confirmed his hypothesis after piercing the heart of his fourth opponent with the Vermilion Bird Form. He had found that the Vermilion Bird and Black Tortoise Forms did indeed complement each other well. Though the Vermilion Bird Form lacked the sheer weight of the White Tiger Form, its intricate blend of illusory and heavy attacks allowed for more complex maneuvers. Against a human opponent, it could prove even more effective than the White Tiger Form.
Reflecting on his findings, Leonard muttered a few words to himself, "It's good that I figured out the compatibility with dual swords, but I haven't encountered a manticore with special abilities yet. Are they really that rare?"
It was possible that the manticores capable of using special abilities had human heads. Though it was unfortunate he hadn't faced one, Leonard had no intention of wasting time searching for the rare manticores. It was time to track down the shadow knights.
A chill ran down his spine. At that moment, Leonard instinctively raised his guard, sensing a threat deeper within the Valley of Lions. It felt as though he would suffer greatly if he didn't.
Just then, a wave of energy surged from a distant and unseen source, reaching Leonard.
"Argh!"
The Five Elements Qi enveloping his body wavered, causing his blood to churn. Though the stability granted by the Five Elements True Dragon Ring had transcended his qi's stability during his Sword Emperor days, he still sustained internal injuries.
Leonard's eyes widened as he realized what impact the wave of energy had on living beings.
Petrification?! The ability to turn living creatures to stone?
Even from several kilometers away, this indirect exposure made him feel stiff. Leonard, with his high resistance to magic and protective qi, felt his defenses shake and suffered internal injuries. Those hit at a closer distance would be doomed.
Thinking quickly, Leonard tilted his head in contemplation.
In the Valley of Lions, are there any monsters capable of fighting a manticore of at least the True Demon Tier?
There were none. No matter how he pondered, there were no such creatures. That left only one possibility for the targets of this wave of energy: the Kurdish Kingdom's Order of the Shadow.
"I have to confirm it."
Leonard grasped the signaling device hanging around his neck and slowly infused it with energy, activating the circuits within. The device required precise energy manipulation to function.
A beam of light shot out of the signaling device toward a specific direction—toward the center of the Valley of Lions, where the petrification wave had originated.
Flash! Flash! Flash! Flash! Flash!
It didn't stop at once or twice. The signaling device flickered five times in succession before going silent. This indicated the presence of at least five shadow knights. As if to confirm this, a roar incomparable to the manticores he had faced before echoed.
The sound was immense, and the ground trembled with the fury contained in the roar.
The battle was still ongoing. The shadow knights seemed to have withstood the petrification wave. Leonard realized there were no Swordmasters—no Transcendence Tier knights—among them.
If a Swordmaster was present, the roar would have contained more fear than anger, even for a Rank A3 True Demon Tier manticore.
While powerful enough to threaten a Tenth Degree External Force Tier knight, the difference between a True Demon Tier manticore and a Transcendence Tier being was overwhelming. A Transcendence Tier knight would have effortlessly nullified the petrification wave or paralyzing roar and then proceeded to decimate the opponent.
There was no better opportunity than right now, when the Fifth Shadow wasn't present. Leonard swiftly dashed toward the source of the wave.
The manticore's cry was abnormal. If there are five shadow knights, it must be injured. This could be my chance to reap the benefits.
Facing either the five Eighth Degree External Force Tier shadow knights or the True Demon Tier manticore alone would be perilous for Leonard. Both were formidable threats. However, if both sides were having a face-off, forming a precarious balance, both sides could inflict fatal damage to each other.
This time, I'll try using three swords.
At some point, another sword had joined the collection at his waist. The three swords clicked lightly as he moved.