While the old drunkard muttered to himself, Zhang Wen had already found himself in a desperate battle. To be honest, the reason Zhang Wen hadn’t been instantly overwhelmed by Douglas at the beginning was largely due to his extensive reading at the Almeythys Academy’s library, which enabled him to immediately recognize that the long blade in Douglas’s hand was the priceless Urchinite weapon.
As Douglas swung the shark-shaped blade toward Zhang Wen in a seemingly careless manner, Zhang Wen almost forcibly halted his forward momentum and twisted his body to dart past Douglas’s side.
However, even though Zhang Wen only lightly grazed Douglas’s blade with his crystal energy sword during their brief encounter, he still felt as if he had been struck by Capono’s full-force Eagle Slash.
Damn it! The saying “you get what you pay for” really applies in every world. This bastard’s Urchinite blade must be worth at least ten or twenty million Imperial Shields—definitely far superior to my own crystal energy sword, which is only worth a couple of thousand Imperial Shields! Zhang Wen bitterly chuckled inwardly while desperately using the Spring Water Technique to alleviate the aching pain in half his body, as if it had been struck by a massive hammer.
Before Zhang Wen could even catch his breath, Douglas’s second wave of attack arrived right on schedule. The shark-shaped Urchinite blade once again slashed through the air with a sharp, piercing sound, this time cutting horizontally from behind Zhang Wen. At the front of the blade, a foot-long red flame extended outward.
I can’t engage him head-on! The moment Zhang Wen caught sight of that red flame, he had already made his decision.
“Whoa!” Amid the astonished cries of the entire audience, Zhang Wen threw his body backward with all his might, narrowly avoiding the horizontal slash by mere millimeters.
But immediately afterward, Douglas’s Urchinite blade suddenly shifted from a horizontal slash to a downward strike. At that moment, Zhang Wen’s entire body was arched backward, seemingly trapped with no escape.
Just as the blade, radiating red flames, was about to make contact with Zhang Wen’s body, his crystal energy sword struck the ground.
Clang! The crystal energy sword struck the Urchinite arena, producing a sharp metallic clang. The immense force exerted by Zhang Wen caused the sword to snap instantly, but the resulting counterforce propelled his body backward, narrowly dodging the deadly downward strike once again.
This time, the spectators in the arena widened their eyes in stunned silence. The two rapid attacks from Douglas had left them all breathless with fear. Moreover, the Hermit had now lost his only weapon.
In the blue rest area, Linoia’s expression turned serious as she tightly furrowed her delicate brows. She could clearly see that Douglas had held nothing back in those two attacks.
“That guy is genuinely trying to kill the young Hermit,” the usually cheerful old drunkard said grimly to Xiluo and Ironface.
“Hmph!” Xiluo coldly snorted, his hands in his pockets occasionally producing metallic clinking sounds. Ironface remained expressionless, his eyes fixed unwaveringly on the two fighters on the arena.
After two consecutive failed attacks, Douglas did not pursue further. He suddenly halted his advance and, with a seemingly casual gesture, swung his Sea God’s Wrath toward Zhang Wen.
As Douglas swung, the red blade aura at the tip of the Sea God’s Wrath, which had previously flickered unpredictably, suddenly surged several times larger. Then, the blade aura detached from the Sea God’s Wrath and flew straight toward Zhang Wen.
Still regaining his footing, Zhang Wen had no choice but to hastily dodge aside. However, the blade aura veered past Zhang Wen and flew toward his rear.
“Ahh!” As the blade aura, nearly a full meter in length, flew straight toward them, the two Mindcasters who had been broadcasting the match from that direction turned pale with fear and quickly leaped to the sides. Several spectators in the stands instinctively scrambled to avoid the incoming attack as well.
Clang!
The blade aura struck the protective barrier at the edge of the arena, producing a sharp metallic clanging sound. The incredibly sturdy Urchinite arena cracked under Douglas’s strike, forming a massive fissure nearly as thick as a finger.
Douglas’s single strike silenced the entire audience. All their gazes focused on Zhang Wen on the arena.
To be honest, if the spectators had previously hoped that the Hermit would continue to hold out and defeat Douglas, now nearly ninety percent of them had changed their minds. No one had expected that the Sea God’s Wrath could possess such terrifying power, capable of shattering the previously indestructible Urchinite arena.
Zhang Wen’s eyes quickly scanned the crack in the arena’s edge caused by Douglas, and then he saw another blade aura flying toward him from the Sea God’s Wrath.
Zhang Wen instantly pushed the Spring Water Technique to its limit once again. He barely dodged Douglas’s second attack. Then came the third, the fourth…
The metallic clanging sounds of battle echoed continuously against the edge of the Urchinite arena. For a moment, the spectators in the fourth-tier hall fell silent. Almost all the Kaseres folded their hands, praying for their Hermit to have good fortune.
“That kid’s courage is truly extraordinary!” In the rest area, the old drunkard took another sip of wine and narrowed his eyes, watching the arena intently.
“Mm.” Ironface nodded slightly, while the metallic clinking sounds from Xiluo’s pockets had almost become a continuous noise.
Perhaps only they could see that although Zhang Wen kept dodging Douglas’s attacks, he wasn’t entirely passive. Facing the terrifying Sea God’s Wrath, Zhang Wen, unarmed, still refused to abandon the faintest chance of victory. Under Douglas’s relentless assault, Zhang Wen was continuously closing the distance between them.
However, precisely because of this, Zhang Wen’s situation grew more dangerous by the second.
“About time!” Just as the old drunkard’s wine bottle was almost touching his lips and Xiluo’s hand was nearly wearing a hole in his pocket, Ironface suddenly said.
Then, something almost unbelievable happened on the arena. Zhang Wen, who had already closed the distance to within less than ten meters of Douglas, suddenly charged toward him after narrowly dodging another attack!
A collective gasp echoed through the hall, a testament to how daring and risky Zhang Wen’s move was. Even the spectators in the stands knew that the greater the distance from Douglas, the safer Zhang Wen would be.
“Fool!” Douglas sneered coldly, raising the Sea God’s Wrath once again and swinging it powerfully toward Zhang Wen.
In an instant, the terrifying blade aura was already nearly at Zhang Wen’s nose. Some spectators with weaker constitutions couldn’t bear to watch and shut their eyes. At such a close range, even the Hermit wouldn’t be able to dodge Douglas’s attack. Then, the blade aura struck the Hermit.
“Ahh!” The spectators who kept watching shouted in shock, their eyes nearly popping out. Linoia widened her beautiful eyes in disbelief. On Douglas’s face, a mocking sneer appeared.
However, the expressions on everyone’s faces lasted only for an instant. In the next moment, almost everyone’s expression turned into pure astonishment. Because they suddenly saw that the blade aura had actually passed through Zhang Wen’s body!
An afterimage! When the crowd realized that Douglas’s blade had struck only an afterimage of Zhang Wen, even the most critical spectators couldn’t help but stand up and begin clapping vigorously.
But if Douglas had struck only an afterimage, then where was Zhang Wen himself now? Undoubtedly, behind Douglas.
The strongest “Shadow” technique of the Spring Water Method after breaking through to the second level. The ultimate skill Zhang Wen used to defeat Capono reappeared on the arena.
“Hmph!” Douglas’s surprise vanished in an instant. In the next moment, he had already let out a cold snort and suddenly rushed forward with all his might.
Zhang Wen followed like a shadow, silently keeping close behind Douglas. However, he did not immediately launch an attack. He clearly understood that the strongest point of the Shadow technique was its ability to strike while the opponent couldn’t see him. But at the same time, this very strength was also its greatest weakness. Because the moment he launched an attack, the Shadow technique would reveal its vulnerability.
Unlike Capono, who had been flustered when unable to see his opponent, Douglas remained completely calm throughout the same situation. Even though Zhang Wen was closely following behind him, he never found an opening to attack. He could clearly sense that the moment he tried to strike Douglas, he would face a counterattack ten times fiercer than before. Zhang Wen had to wait—for the perfect opportunity to strike decisively.
Douglas was clearly aware that Zhang Wen was right behind him. It had to be admitted that Douglas’s mental resilience far surpassed Capono’s. Despite being unable to see his opponent, he didn’t show the slightest sign of panic, continuing to methodically choose his movement paths in an attempt to make Zhang Wen reveal his weakness.
The stalemate between the two fighters on the arena made the surrounding spectators open their eyes wide in silence once again. Such an intense match was so captivating that missing even a second of it felt like a crime.
At this point, the speed of both Douglas and Zhang Wen had nearly surpassed the visual tracking ability of most spectators. In just a few seconds, they had already circled the arena several times.
“Tch!” Frowning in frustration as he failed to shake off Zhang Wen’s pursuit, Douglas suddenly caused another astonishing transformation in the Sea God’s Wrath in his hands.
On the surface of the Sea God’s Wrath, which had previously only faintly shimmered with a greenish glow, suddenly surged thin, snake-like currents of electricity. These tiny currents quickly gathered together, rapidly growing stronger. Eventually, they formed a terrifying arc of electricity as thick as a finger. Wrapping around the blade’s edge, the electric arc emitted an ear-splitting crackling sound, clearly indicating its immense power.
“This is… a transformation of battle energy?!” When Ironface saw the electric arc on the surface of the Sea God’s Wrath, even his “iron mask” couldn’t hide his astonishment.
“Wrath of the Gods!” Before Ironface could finish speaking, Douglas on the arena had already raised the Sea God’s Wrath high above his head and then brought it down with all his might!
Clang! The Sea God’s Wrath, flashing terrifying arcs of electricity, struck the arena floor with a heavy blow. A thunderous sound like a massive bell suddenly erupted, even causing the two Mindcasters near the arena to stumble backward and fall to the ground in shock.
The Urchinite arena also began to tremble violently. Suddenly, a sharp “crack” echoed out. Amid a shower of debris, the incredibly sturdy Urchinite arena split apart under Douglas’s strike, shattering into two halves!
And the terrifying electric arc that had been coiled around the Sea God’s Wrath instantly spread out like a giant net the moment the weapon struck the Urchinite arena. The crackling electricity surged across the entire arena in an instant.
The moment Douglas swung the Sea God’s Wrath toward the arena, Zhang Wen had already vaguely realized what he was trying to do. However, he hadn’t expected the attack from the Sea God’s Wrath to come so quickly or cover such a vast area. When the massive electric net reached Zhang Wen’s feet, he immediately felt as if his internal battle energy had frozen.
“Damn it!” Zhang Wen growled, instinctively using every ounce of remaining battle energy to leap backward with all his might. At the same time, Douglas suddenly turned around and unleashed another red crescent blade, this time surrounded by countless tiny arcs of electricity.
The crescent blade nearly grazed Zhang Wen’s heels as he leaped into the air, flying past him and slamming into the protective barrier behind him. It pierced straight through the half-foot-thick Urchinite barrier and even left a deep slash mark several inches into the marble column behind it.
Although Zhang Wen managed to avoid Douglas’s deadly strike by leaping backward, he soon crashed heavily to the ground. And right on cue, Douglas’s second crescent blade arrived.
“Hmph!” Glaring at the incoming blade, Zhang Wen snorted angrily. Then, the blade passed through his body once again. However, this time, a pool of blood left on the ground proved that Douglas’s attack had not been in vain.
“Hahaha, still refusing to admit defeat? This childish trick might work on an idiot like Capono, but do you really think it can work on me?” Douglas tossed his head back, laughing coldly. He held the electrically crackling Urchinite blade across his chest, not even bothering to turn around to look for Zhang Wen.
Zhang Wen continued to follow silently behind Douglas. Earlier, when Zhang Wen had fallen to the ground and used the Shadow Technique, the effect wasn’t as perfect as when he was standing upright. The blade aura Douglas had swung still grazed the side of Zhang Wen’s leg. Now, his right leg felt as if it had been electrified, the intense pain shooting through his nerves.
※※※
However, the greatest concern for Zhang Wen wasn’t the pain in his right leg. Using the “Shadow” technique repeatedly, a skill he had only recently mastered, had consumed a tremendous amount of his combat energy. He could no longer maintain the ghost-like state he had displayed at the beginning of the match and was now breathing heavily. Fighting an opponent like Douglas was taking a heavy toll. The energy consumed in the previous two matches had left him in a dire situation. Zhang Wen silently adjusted his breathing. His reserves of combat energy were nearly depleted, and continuing this battle for another two or three minutes would likely be his limit. He had to find a way to make Douglas reveal a weakness within that time frame—no matter what it took.
“Heh, you’re already out of breath,” Douglas sneered again. In the silent arena, he could clearly hear Zhang Wen’s labored breathing.
“Trying to force me to expend my energy like this is actually a pretty good tactic. Unfortunately, you’ve miscalculated.” Douglas smiled coldly as he spoke slowly, “In the Empire, anyone with even a little knowledge probably knows that weapons made from sea urchin stones can greatly enhance martial techniques. However, if you think that’s the only secret behind sea urchin stone weapons, then you’re sorely mistaken!”
“The greatest secret of sea urchin stone weapons lies in the fact that, when the sea urchin stone content in a weapon is fixed at several specific ratios, three Saint-level or higher energy inscription masters can carve special energy arrays into the weapon. This turns it into a divine weapon capable of storing combat energy in advance. I won’t hide it from you—my Sea God’s Wrath can store combat energy three times the user’s own capacity! Forcing me to use the stored energy in my Sea God’s Wrath—yes, I admit you do have quite some skill. But today, this is where your journey ends.”
“What? Impossible!” Before Douglas could finish his decisive declaration, the entire fourth-floor arena erupted with a thunderous exclamation that nearly blew off the roof.
“I guess it’s not looking good,” the old drunk in the red rest area sighed heavily, though he quickly followed it with a laugh. “Still, after fighting two matches already, he’s managed to last this long against this guy… I think it won’t be long before someone on the fifth floor finds themselves in trouble. Sigh! It’s been a long time since I’ve seen such an intense life-or-death battle.” The old drunk sighed again and took another heavy swig of his strong liquor.
“Hmm,” Xie Luo nodded slightly, the metallic clinking sound from his pocket gradually slowing down.
“Hmph! Still not going to talk?” Douglas continued to sneer, but his voice unconsciously carried something more. With his status and position, he was used to others fawning over him and seeking his attention. He had never experienced being ignored like this—talking as if into thin air.
The anger in Douglas’s tone made Zhang Wen’s mind stir. His eyes quickly swept between Douglas’s Sea God’s Wrath and the cracks on the arena floor. A bold plan slowly began to take shape in his mind.
Just as he saw Douglas preparing to speak again, Zhang Wen suddenly gathered every last bit of his remaining combat energy. The next second, amidst the startled cries of the audience, Zhang Wen appeared in front of Douglas—right in front of him.
As Zhang Wen suddenly turned to face Douglas directly, the distance between them was less than twenty centimeters. “Finally decided to show yourself?” Zhang Wen’s sudden appearance genuinely startled Douglas for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure. The sea urchin stone blade in his hand once again slashed toward Zhang Wen with a sharp whistling sound.
Zhang Wen swiftly retreated, but as soon as Douglas’s attack passed, he quickly returned to stand before Douglas again. The two stood face to face, so close that either of them could strike the other with just a single step.
Zhang Wen was clearly playing with fire by positioning himself this close to Douglas. However, this proximity not only made Douglas feel confident that he could easily defeat Zhang Wen, but it also created an unusual sense of pressure.
If Douglas had ever studied psychology on Earth, he would now understand that this pressure was actually the subconscious sense of danger one feels when someone invades their personal space.
“Tsk! Pretending to be silent and mysterious… how long are you going to keep this act up!” Douglas muttered coldly, and the electric current surging along the Sea God’s Wrath suddenly expanded outward.
With a furious roar, Douglas swung the Sea God’s Wrath straight at Zhang Wen. Zhang Wen retreated again, but this time Douglas didn’t stop—he only increased the force of his strike.
Boom!! The Sea God’s Wrath struck the ground for the second time. The arena, already cracked with huge fissures, collapsed even further along those lines, creating a massive crater. As the electric current from the Sea God’s Wrath instantly spread across the arena floor, the shattered sea urchin stones scattered like bullets across the battlefield.
Before the current could reach his feet, Zhang Wen had already leapt into the air. However, Douglas, equally prepared, swung another blade aura at Zhang Wen before he could land.
This time, Zhang Wen had no choice but to push himself to the limit. In that split second, he activated the Spring Water Technique, using a nearby piece of arena debris to propel his body sideways by several feet. He narrowly avoided Douglas’s blade aura, but his unsupported body was struck hard by several pieces of flying debris. When Zhang Wen landed again, his shoulders and back were already covered in wounds.
Despite being hit by the debris, Zhang Wen still landed steadily on the ground. “That’s all you’ve got?” He said with a faint smile, as if the wounds on his body were nothing more than minor scratches, throwing a calm remark at Douglas.
“You’re asking for death!” The arrogant Douglas was completely enraged. He glared coldly at Zhang Wen, and the electric sparks along the Sea God’s Wrath began to surge again. The stored power within the Sea God’s Wrath was still enough for Douglas to use “Divine Wrath” at least two more times. As for Zhang Wen on the other side, it was clear that he no longer had enough combat energy to dodge even twice more!
The crackling sound of gathering electricity echoed clearly through the now silent hall. Douglas completed preparations for his third “Divine Wrath” in just a few short seconds.
Zhang Wen stood calmly in place, silently watching every move Douglas made. No one knew what Zhang Wen was thinking at that moment. Even Iron Mask and his two companions were shocked when they saw Zhang Wen intentionally provoke Douglas. They couldn’t imagine what reason Zhang Wen could possibly have to keep fighting. At his current level of combat energy, dodging one more “Divine Wrath” would already be his absolute limit.
“What possible chance do you still have?” Linoa whispered in confusion.
“Divine Wrath!” Douglas enunciated each word clearly as he spoke the name of the martial technique.
Douglas had full confidence in the power of “Divine Wrath.” He didn’t even care where Zhang Wen was standing. As long as he remained on the arena platform, there was absolutely no way he could escape the attack of Divine Wrath.
As Douglas swung his Sea God’s Wrath toward the ground, even the most optimistic spectators couldn’t help but hold their breath for Zhang Wen. The metallic clinking sound from Xie Luo’s pocket, previously frantic, suddenly stopped altogether.
At the moment the Sea God’s Wrath struck the arena floor, Zhang Wen once again launched himself into the air. However, to the disbelief of everyone present, this time Zhang Wen didn’t jump backward—he actually leapt directly toward Douglas!
“Ahh!” The audience had already lost count of how many times they had gasped involuntarily. They all knew that following Douglas’s Divine Wrath would be a terrifying blade aura! At the current distance between Zhang Wen and Douglas, there was no way Zhang Wen could dodge the next strike!
Could it be—he really wanted to die?
Douglas couldn’t help but feel a bit surprised in his mind. But he still instinctively swung his Sea God’s Wrath at Zhang Wen. However, just as Douglas was halfway through his swing, he suddenly noticed that the blade aura extending from the Sea God’s Wrath not only failed to lengthen as usual, but instead abruptly retracted back into the blade itself!
Immediately afterward, Douglas was even more horrified to discover that the remaining combat energy in his body was rushing uncontrollably into the Sea God’s Wrath like a broken dam releasing a tidal wave.
“Ahh!” Panicked, Douglas threw the Sea God’s Wrath to the ground. His eyes widened in shock and fury, his mind going completely blank for a moment from sheer astonishment.
When Douglas finally regained his composure from the brief panic, he realized Zhang Wen’s fist was already flying toward his face. Before Douglas could react, Zhang Wen’s powerful punch slammed straight into his nose.
Boom! A deeply satisfying dull sound echoed through the fourth-floor arena as Zhang Wen, channeling every last ounce of his remaining combat energy, sent Douglas flying with a heavy blow.
Crash! Douglas’s body slammed onto the ground and rolled several times across the arena platform.
“How is this possible? How could the energy in the Sea God’s Wrath be drained so quickly? What trick did you use?” A battered and disheveled Douglas struggled to his feet. He glared furiously at Zhang Wen, but the arrogance and confidence from moments ago were completely gone.
“Don’t you understand yet?” Zhang Wen said calmly, his figure suddenly flashing as he reappeared right in front of Douglas once again.
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