Chen Xiaolian stood within the competition arena. Surrounded by the sky shaking howls and din from the spectators, he appeared very alone.
Chen Xiaolian was silent.
Standing opposite him was ‘Spiritshadow’ whose body was enveloped by swirling smoke. A pair of eyes gazed out of the smoke and regarded Chen Xiaolian curiously.
At present, Spiritshadow was feeling conflicted.
When he found out that the combatant sent by Blade Mountain Flame Sea Guild was Bluesea, he felt that he was screwed.
Although Blade Mountain Flame Sea Guild’s strength was far inferior compared to his Rodriar Guild, he knew all too well that he was no match for Bluesea.
Rodriar Guild had chosen to follow the conventional approach. For the first Blood Verdict, they had sent out Spiritshadow. While he was not the strongest, he was also not weak. He had barely managed to reach [A] class.
This was pretty much someone that Rodriar Guild had thrown out to test the waters.
They had not expected Bluesea to personally step forward for the first Blood Verdict.
When Spiritshadow was still waiting in the passageway, he was shocked to hear Bluesea’s name.
He believed that he would certainly lose this battle!
That damned Knights of Darkness Guild! They had long since figured it out and had sent out Jacob and Oswald to lead the way.
They saw through Bluesea’s scheme, but they chose not to inform Rodriar Guild!
Clearly, the cooperation between the six guilds was not a harmonious one.
Spiritshadow had already braced himself for a loss of face.
He had no intention to fight a desperate battle against Bluesea. Since he knew he had no chances at all, why bother?
Besides, he was certain that Bluesea held the radical conviction of fighting to the death in this Blood Verdict.
To challenge an expert who was clearly stronger than him, one who also held a suicidal mindset…
Spiritshadow was not that idiotic.
He had made up his mind to throw in the towel the moment he stepped onto the arena.
Humph! Damned demon knights guild! You want to screw over Rodriar Guild? I won’t foolishly engage Bluesea in a life or death battle and help you exhaust Bluesea’s strength!
Besides, consider the situation. Even if he did surrender, his Guild Leader would not blame him.
That was Spiritshadow’s plan.
However, after stepping into the arena, he found that his opponent was not Bluesea!
Blade Mountain Flame Sea Guild actually chose to change their combatant at the final moment?
Spiritshadow’s heart suddenly became reinvigorated.
Blade Mountain Flame Sea Guild was lacking in high-ranking experts. That was a generally recognized fact in Zero City.
It was a conventional large-scale guild that had no [S] class guild to support it. The guild only had Bluesea and Thunderflame; these two [A+] class experts could only barely support it.
At that moment, when Spiritshadow cast his gaze at his opponent, he saw a lean youngster with a somewhat lost look on his face.
Spiritshadow himself became dumbfounded.
“Brat! So… … … it’s you!”
Spiritshadow felt his blood furiously rushing up his head! An immeasurable feeling of joy emerged from his heart.
“Ha ha ha! I finally found you, you despicable bastard of a brat!”
Spiritshadow who was hidden within the smoke howled out in rage.
Chen Xiaolian regarded the fellow before him and his eyes lit up. “So… it’s you? You are the silhouette from the mine?”
Spiritshadow’s body floated closer toward Chen Xiaolian and he said coldly. “It turns out you were deceiving me! You are from Blade Mountain Flame Sea Guild? But, how did you acquire the mine then?”
“I had just joined Blade Mountain Flame Sea Guild,” answered Chen Xiaolian honestly.
“Just joined?” Spiritshadow was flabbergasted. Then, he abruptly laughed out. “In other words… … you are but a cannon fodder? Ha ha! Bluesea must be scared stiff, right? After knowing the combatants we’re sending, he regretted his decision, didn’t he? That is why he chose someone who had just joined the guild to be a scapegoat? Figures, a minor character like you can only depend on the C11 mine to qualify to become a member of Blade Mountain Flame Sea Guild. But Bluesea would not care about whether a minor character like you lives or dies. See? When the chips are down, he threw you out to face death! Humph!”
Chen Xiaolian lowered his head to look at the war blade in his hand and said, “Are you done talking?”
“… … … what?” Spiritshadow was startled.
Chen Xiaolian pointed at the surrounding grandstands. “Everyone is looking at us. They are probably waiting for us to start fighting. I feel that… … we should not have them wait too long, right?”
Spiritshadow laughed out. “Ha ha! Brat! Did you think that because you were able to beat me back in the mine, you can beat me again now? Back in the mine, I was using a spirit body, thus you were able to use a loophole to beat me! Today, I will teach you the meaning of…”
Without giving Spiritshadow the time to finish his words, Chen Xiaolian suddenly sprinted forward!
Chen Xiaolian took two big strides and his body suddenly vaulted through the air; he raised Skyblade up!
Spiritshadow had not expected Chen Xiaolian to take the initiative and attack – however, he was still a veteran of a hundred battles. Would someone like him be careless? Additionally, this was Blood Verdict! Those nonsensical words earlier were just a smokescreen by Spiritshadow to disrupt his opponent’s state of mind. He had not let down his guard at all. He was prepared at all times!
Chen Xiaolian vaulting into the air was exactly what Spiritshadow had wanted. He laughed loudly, “You’re courting death!”
His robes quivered and large clumps of mist roared out from Spiritshadow’s body.They whistled loudly and shot toward Chen Xiaolian who was in the middle of the air!
The mist was not actually mist. Rather, it appeared to possess a physical body!
Seeing the clump of mist charging toward him, Chen Xiaolian who was in the air immediately felt himself being wrapped up by layers after layers of invisible and tensile power!
Despite being gentle, the power was also tough. It was the feeling one would get after falling into water; the feeling of zero resistance all around them. Yet at the same time, a stifling sensation was also present.
Additionally, the mist was bone chillingly cold! The mist fell upon his body and he felt an invisible cold energy instantly pierce into his soul! Countless ghastly wails could be heard in his ears and mind!
This was not some ordinary mist!
Chen Xiaolian’s mind lit up!
This was…
Undead energy!
…
Chen Xiaolian was correct.
Spiritshadow was a lich and this undead energy was his special skill to defeat his opponents! This undead energy can instantly disrupt his opponent’s state of mind, At the same time, it would corrode his opponent’s mental and physical strength while slowing down their movement speed.
This was a very powerful energy-based attack!
At the same time, Spiritshadow’s body swiftly retreated. As for the ground before him, he raised both hands…
Hwah! Tens of clawing skeletal arms popped out from the ground before clawing their way out…
Countless number of skeletons appeared on the ground and they rapidly merged together to form a…
“Die! Taste the power of my Bone Devil!”
A skeletal monster with a height of over three metres appeared on the arena. Black flames, which seemed to have come from the depths of Hell itself, swirled around it.
It’s one skeletal hand held onto something that appeared like the fang of a large beast, a huge… bone blade!
Bone Devil! A powerful undead creature!
Chen Xiaolian was still in the middle of the air, seemingly unable to extricate himself from the entrapment of the never-ending undead energy. After the Bone Devil appeared, it swung its large, white, bone blade!
Black flames licked the surface of the bone blade!
Weng!
The bone blade hacked downward and a black mass of flames sprayed out as a black coloured sword beam shot through the air toward Chen Xiaolian!
When the bone blade struck the ground, a gully of three to four metres was instantly formed on the ground. Black flames spread to the ground, burning it in the process!
Chen Xiaolian who was in the middle of the air shouted. He raised the war blade in his hands and positioned it before him in a vertical stance…
The black coloured sword beam enveloped his body…
…
Up in the grandstand, when Chen Xiaolian was immobilized in the middle of the air by the undead energy, Soo Soo and Qiao Qiao had screamed out in unison and jumped up from their seats.
Qiao Qiao had wanted to run down the grandstand, but Qiao Yifeng grabbed her. Gritting his teeth, he said, “Don’t be reckless… once the competition arena’s battle begins, no one is allowed to enter… besides… …”
Qiao Yifeng glanced at the surrounding Sentinel mechs.
Qiao Qiao’s eyes had turned red. Then, Soo Soo suddenly tugged Qiao Qiao’s sleeve and whispered in a soft voice, “Sis… Xiaolian oppa seems… … to be fine.”
“What?”
Qiao Qiao looked down only to see Bone Devil’s appearance!
…
Nicole sat in the corner, her cap pressed down. She stared intently at the on-going battle.
When she saw Spiritshadow utilize the undead energy and summon his Bone Devil, Nicole sighed.
“Using his trump card right off the bat? This Spiritshadow is seriously not holding back at all.”
Nicole’s eyebrows knitted together.
She sensed something very strange afoot.
Chen Xiaolian had appeared instead of Bluesea. This question had yet to be answered.
At present, from Nicole’s perspective, Chen Xiaolian had no chance of victory at all.
Rodriar Guild’s Spiritshadow may not be a top-ranking master, but he was still a famous figure in Zero City.
An infamous [A] class expert was certainly not some soft and easily crushed persimmon!
Nicole believed herself to be familiar with Chen Xiaolian’s strength – they had fought side by side in the Tokyo instance dungeon. From what she could recall of that time, Chen Xiaolian’s strength was only so-so. Although he was quite intelligent, he still had to go all out in the instance dungeon. Comprehensively speaking, there was nothing special about his strength.
She recalled that Chen Xiaolian’s forte lied in melee attacks. He had a fairly decent axe skill. But, other than that… … energy-based attacks were certainly his weakpoint!
Considering how no more than a few months had passed since the end of the Tokyo instance dungeon, Nicole did not think that Chen Xiaolian could experience any quantitative leap in strength.
And so…
“It seems he’s going to die here…”
…
The incoming black coloured flaming sword beam engulfed Chen Xiaolian!
Qiao Qiao who was on the grandstand stiffened and she nearly fainted on the spot. Soo Soo who was beside her, clenched onto her sister’s sleeve tightly while casting a strange gaze at the arena.
Cheers erupted from the surrounding grandstands as members from several resident guilds began their applause.
Spiritshadow’s opponent… … … this kid substitute sent out by Blade Mountain Flame Sea Guild was too weak!
He was simply a minor and unknown character.
It would appear that Bluesea had truly made a quick substitution for the combatant list to send out a cannon fodder.
…
Spiritshadow also felt that he had won.
He knew of Chen Xiaolian’s strength… they had confronted each other back in the mine. While the kid’s martial techniques were not bad, it was only at a passable level in the eyes of a true expert.
Spiritshadow clenched his right hand into a fist and raised it – a sign of victory.
It was at that moment that a burst of exclamations resounded from the surrounding grandstands!
…
The black flames from the sword beam flashed before disappearing…
Chen Xiaolian was still floating in the middle of the air and the undead energy continued to swirl around him. His hands continued holding onto the war blade in a vertical stance before him!
However… it was clear to all…
He was alive!
He was very much alive!
Spiritshadow’s eyes were wide open like saucers.
“This, this is impossible! He blocked off Bone Devil’s death blade just like that?”
…
Chen Xiaolian exhaled and looked at the blade in his hand before checking his body. After ascertaining that he was unharmed, he eased up a little.
Skyblade, you really did not lie to me eh.
He looked at Spiritshadow and then at the three-metre-tall Bone Devil with black flames enveloping its body…
“This posture looks a little familiar, just like that Dark Avenger Lancelot… … but, you are way inferior compared to him.”
Chen Xiaolian snickered.
Skyblade’s voice rang into his ear. “Are you getting prideful now, kid? Do you only know how to block with my power? Idiot! My blade is used for hacking!”
Hacking?
“Correct! Hacking! Hack him!”
“Just hack?”
“Just hack! Just hack it!”
Skyblade’s voice brought with it a maddening atmosphere of war!
Chen Xiaolian abruptly raised his war blade up high and roared!
Weng!
A golden light suddenly shone out from the surface of the war blade!
The greyish mist like undead energy was shattered before the might of this golden light and it faded away!
Chen Xiaolian’s figure remained floating in the middle of the air and his eyes were fixed upon the burly looking Bone Devil. Next…
One blade!
Hack!
…
Golden light!
Dazzling golden light!
The golden light shone out from the war blade swung down by Chen Xiaolian using both hands and it brought with it an indomitable and Heavenly defying spirit!
The instant the golden light shone out, the spectators on the grandstand were nearly unable to open their eyes!
A buzzing sound was all they heard!
The golden light charged forward and the Bone Devil released a roar. It raised its bone blade only to immediately become shocked.
It’s bone blade had shattered!
Another shock!
It’s arm shattered!
Again!
It’s gigantic body fragmented into pieces of bones before shattering away!
The invincible gold!
Spiritshadow was already screaming in terror and he retreated rapidly. Seeing that the golden light was already before him, he felt an immeasurable sense of terror gushing out from his heart. He screamed sharply, “I, I, I surr… surr…”
Unfortunately, he did not have the time to completely utter the word ‘surrender’!
Weng!
The golden light swept across Spiritshadow’s body before slamming heavily upon the edge of the competition arena! There, an invisible force field blocked it and it transformed into specks of light that covered the sky.
At that very moment, Chen Xiaolian appeared to be standing within a galaxy.
Spiritshadow’s rigid body stood there in the competition arena.
A few seconds later…
His clothes slowly crumbled…
Even the flesh and blood on his body crumbled!
Finally, the only thing left standing there was… his skeleton!
Ka!
A crack appeared on the surface of the skeleton and it quickly spread out.
In the end, the skeleton crumbled as well!
The only thing left on the ground was a pile of greyish white bone powder.
The entire arena was deathly silent.
After a few seconds, the surrounding grandstands broke into an explosive uproar!
…
The grandstands were in a pandemonium!
At the front row of Rodriar Guild’s grandstand area, several figures had congregated together. They stared intently at the blade-wielding youngster in the arena with gloomy eyes!
A few of them were whispering.
“This is… … Skyblade?”
“No question about it, This is Skyblade’s move.’
“But he is not Skyblade!”
“Of course not… … could it be… Skyblade had been hiding away for so long to nurture an heir? Could this kid be Skyblade’s son?”
“No way. We have all seen his son before in Zero City.”
“Damn it!”
…
Chen Xiaolian stood in the arena as countless varying expressions were thrown at him from all around. He listened to the noise and shouts coming from the grandstands.
He was stunned for a few seconds. Then, he heard Skyblade’s voice.
“Have you felt the true meaning of power? [S] class power!”
Chen Xiaolian closed his eyes before slowly opening them up.
The look of confusion in his eyes was slowly replaced with clarity and resolution!
“I… … felt it!”
Shua!
Swinging the war blade, Chen Xiaolian turned around to look at the controlling arbiter who was seated closest to the arena and shouted.
“Isn’t it time to announce my victory?”