Blumer’s face was filled with confidence.
The demonically ferocious-looking Linley, standing in mid-air, was now surrounded by 108 shadow-Oliviers. Linley had to admit that this speed was absolutely astonishing.
“Linley, are you ready?” Olivier actually gave Linley a warning.
Clearly, Olivier was feeling extremely confident.
Linley only chuckled calmly.
A sudden white flash, utterly piercing to the eye. Even Linley had to squint, but right at that moment, the Icedream sword, covered with white light, reached Linley’s head, piercing directly through it.
“Ah!”
Everyone let out simultaneous cries of alarm. Did the mighty Linley die just like that?
But not a hint of blood came out from Linley’s head, despite having been pierced through by Icedream. Suddenly, ‘Linley’ slowly disappeared. It had just been a shadow!
“You are indeed quite fast. Unfortunately, in front of me, you aren’t qualified to be arrogant about it!” Linley’s voice rang out from the air a hundred meters away.
Olivier stared at the distant Linley, his face growing solemn.
“How incredibly fast!” The eyes of the Monolithic Sword Saint Haydson, watching from the judge’s platform, shone brightly. Linley’s speed wasn’t one whit inferior to Olivier’s.
A wave of surprised murmurs filled the Colosseum. And then, silence once again.
The viewers all felt as though their very souls had been shocked by this exciting battle.
“Is that so?” Olivier’s face grew cold. He had never met anyone faster than him. As for someone on par with his speed, the only one to date had been the Monolithic Sword Saint. He didn’t believe this youngster Linley could match him.
After all, his speed was so fast that it had already exceeded human limits.
This sword technique and movement technique was based on Olivier’s insights into the Elemental Laws of Light. This movement technique, in principle, could reach the speed of light itself. However, due to the limits of his body and his battle-qi, he could only reach his current level of speed.
“You don’t believe me?” Linley chuckled.
Another flash of white light. Linley began to move as well, as both reached a terrifying level of speed.
Shadowed blurs everywhere!
Countless shadows and blurs appeared everywhere. The eighty thousand watchers felt their vision grow blurry. They simply couldn’t tell which of the shadows were the true bodies of Linley and Olivier. The two had simply reached an absolutely terrifying level of speed.
“What astonishing speed.” As they really began to compete, Linley couldn’t help but feel surprised. “If it wasn’t for the fact that I had cast the Windshadow spell in advance, I wouldn’t be able to match this Olivier in speed.”
Linley was fast, true.
But the insights that Olivier had gained into the Elemental Laws of Light were extremely powerful. However, supported by the most powerful speed-enhancing spell, the Windshadow spell, Linley’s speed had been instantly raised to a level equivalent to Olivier’s.
“Swish!”
A deep gouge suddenly appeared on the dueling platform; clearly, it had been cut by a longsword. But then in the blink of an eye, a huge crater appeared with a thundering sound.
The eighty thousand viewers stared fixedly with wide eyes, not wanting to miss a thing.
“Motherfucker, this is real speed. Our Academy’s teacher keeps on bragging, but compared with these guys? He’s just a child who has barely learned to walk.” Watching this battle, a youngster was so excited that his eyes were turning bloodshot.
These eighty thousand viewers had perhaps never seen this sort of high-speed battle before in their entire lives.
This sort of battle would only occur when the two combatants were equally matched in speed. If one of them was too slow, the battle would have ended instantly.
“Bam!”
Linley’s black draconic tail brushed past Olivier’s clothes, viciously smashing against the dueling platform, causing every single inch of the platform to crack. In the next instant, Linley and Olivier both disappeared.
The battle was so high-speed that the onlookers could only barely see some shadows and blurs when the two lowered their speeds to exchange blows. But once the combatants returned to their maximum speed, not even their shadows could be seen!
“Whoosh!”
A tornado seemed to have sprung into being out of nowhere in the middle of the Colosseum. As the wind howled, the eighty thousand onlookers could just barely make out two hazy figures standing in the middle of the wind, staring at each other.
The fierce wind gradually died down.
Olivier looked solemnly at Linley, the Icedream sword in his hands gleaming with all seven colors of the rainbow, like a beautiful illusion.
As for the demonic Linley, his draconic tail quivered behind him, and the Bloodviolet sword in his hand was covered with a strange violet light.
A suppressive aura filled the Colosseum.
“I admit that your speed is no lower than mine,” Olivier spoke out.
Linley’s dark golden eyes were fixed on his opponent. He said calmly, “And your speed isn’t any lower than mine either.” After having competed just then, these two experts found that neither could gain an advantage over the other based on speed.
If they continued to compete in such a manner, there would be no end.
“Dare you face my attacks head on?” Olivier stared Linley, a surge of an aura of battle-lust erupting forth from him.
“Why wouldn’t I dare?” Linley’s body began to emit that same ferocious battle-lust.
The eighty thousand onlookers were so excited that they were beginning to quiver. Good heavens. These two experts were going to fight head on now. Even the Monolithic Sword Saint, Haydson, was watching carefully.
As for Blumer, Wharton, and the others, they were each eager to see their older brother achieve victory.
Linley and Olivier stared at each other in mid-air. In the same instant, the two of them moved in a direct line towards the other.
“Bang!” Sudden sonic booms erupted from them as they reached a terrifying level of speed.
While charging at Linley, Olivier’s body seemed to have fragmented into seven or eight people, and the Icedream sword in his hands had transformed into ten million sword-shadows.
“You want to compete in sword speed?”
The Bloodviolet sword in Linley’s hand flickered, then in the blink of an eye, Linley’s body seemed to have been surrounded by a tornado while at the same time, countless flashes of violet light simultaneously struck at Olivier.
“Clang!” “Clang!” “Clang!” “Clang!”
Countless clashing sounds could be heard, and then, Linley’s iron-whip-like draconic tail turned into a blur as well, smashing viciously against Olivier.
“Clang.” The Icedream sword in Olivier’s hand slammed against Linley’s draconic tail, then he flew backwards at high speed.
10
The Two Geniuses
Olivier immediately flew backwards to the viewing platform, staring at Linley with a hint of surprise in his eyes.
But then, Olivier began to laugh loudly. “Great, great, great! The speed of your sword attacks actually can match my ‘Phantom Dream Sword’ technique.”
“You aren’t bad either. You were actually able to block my ‘Rippling Wind’ technique,” Linley’s cold voice rang out.
Profound Truths of the Wind – Rippling Wind.
Lightshadow Sword – Phantom Dream Sword.
The strength of these two techniques were equal.
After praising their opponents, the two geniuses fell silent, carefully watching the other. Clearly, this exchange had resulted in both men viewing the other as equals.
The tension in the Colosseum was so thick, it could be sliced with a knife. The terrifying, repressive aura caused the eighty thousand viewers to feel as though they didn’
t even dare to breathe.
“If you can receive this next attack of mine, I can spare your life.” A hint of appreciation towards Linley could be seen in Olivier’s eyes. “By receiving this next attack, you’ll be demonstrating that you are qualified to be considered a rival of mine.”
As soon as he said these words, Barker and the others actually began to curse.
“Fuck his granny, this Olivier wasn’t able to show any superiority over Lord Linley at all, and he actually dares say something like…‘by receiving this next attack, you’ll be qualified to be my rival’? What sort of bullshit is this?” Gates cursed loudly.
Barker and the other brothers were muttering unhappily as well.
Indeed, these words from Olivier made many of the people watching this battle unhappy. They had clearly seen how Olivier hadn’t been able to seize any advantage. How could he say such a thing? This was simply too arrogant.
“Rival?” Linley laughed calmly. “If you can take this next sword of mine, you’ll be qualified to be my rival as well.”
The two said the exact same things to each other.
“Haha… then have a taste of the power of my ‘Sword of the Aurora’!” Olivier laughed loudly. And then, he flew once more at high speed directly towards Linley.
Linley laughed coldly.
Linley, too, began to prepare the second stage of the Profound Truths of the Wind – Tempos of the Wind. This was a single-target sword attack, relying on ultimate speed and power.
“BOOM!” Sonic booms erupted.
Linley’s ferocious draconic tail swaying behind him, Linley transformed into a blur as he also charged straight forward, the Bloodviolet sword in his hands transforming into a brilliant violet light.
The brilliant white aura covering Olivier’s Icedream sword suddenly expanded dramatically, transforming Icedream and making it as dazzling as the sun itself.
The piercing white light forced everyone watching the battle to unconsciously narrow their eyes.
The most powerful attack of the Lightshadow Sword technique – Sword of the Aurora!
The most powerful attack of Linley’s Profound Truths of the Wind – Tempos of the Wind!
That devilish violet light moved as fast and as ferociously as a bolt of lightning, but at the same time it carried with it the gentleness of the spring wind. These totally opposite auras were manifested at the same time with this attack.
That sort of strange tempo caused many people to feel a strange fear in their hearts.
“What a powerful sword attack!” The Monolithic Sword Saint Haydson’s eyes lit up. He could completely sense how powerful this attack by Linley was.
This sort of strange, uniquely intersecting tempo caused a natural wind-edge to form on the surface of Linley’s Bloodviolet sword. Or, to put it more accurately, it was a spatial edge.
The devilish violet light. The piercing white light. They intersected in the middle of the air above the Colosseum.
“Boom!” The terrifying force of the collision blasted out in every direction. The dueling platform below was slashed open by countless invisible blades, with many gouges appearing on its surface. At the same time, a frighteningly powerful wave of force emanated in each direction, causing the eighty thousand viewers to sway and stumble.
“Crunch!” Some of the cups located near the edges of the dueling platform were actually shattered by the force of the wind.
Those onlookers held on for dear life against their stone seats as their bodies swayed. Only after that wild blast of wind left did the Colosseum slowly return to its normal calm. But to the shock of many of the watchers, many of their outer layer of clothes had been blown off of them by the wind.
What terrifying force.
Everyone stared in astonishment at the two experts in mid-air. At this time, Olivier and Linley were silently staring at each other in mid-air.
Tempos of the Wind. Sword of the Aurora.
Once again, they were equally matched.
Olivier stared at Linley, his gaze slowly brightening. A hint of a smile actually appeared on Olivier’s face. “Linley, what was the name of that sword technique you just used?”
Linley didn’t try to dissemble. “Profound Truths of the Wind, second stage – Tempos of the Wind.”
“Tempos of the Wind… Tempos of the Wind…” Thinking back to the attack Linley had just used, Olivier looked at Linley with eyes filled with approval. “Linley, I can hardly believe that you are a young grandmaster sculptor as well. To be so accomplished, but not yet be even thirty years old. I admire you.”
Olivier’s attitude towards Linley had totally changed.
“I previously said that if you could withstand this blow from me, I would spare your life. I will keep my word. From today onwards, your name has now been added to my list of rivals. I eagerly anticipate your growth and development,” Olivier said with a smile.
Linley frowned.
This Olivier was simply too arrogant.
Barker and his brothers were standing below them. Gates, the most irascible of the lot, immediately jumped to his feet. “Fuck his granny! Olivier, you didn’t beat our Lord. How dare you prattle on and swagger about like a bushy-tailed wolf! Fuck, I hate people like you.”
This loud shout caused the countless onlookers to be unable to control their laughter.
It must be said that many people agreed with Gates’ words.
The words that Olivier had just said were the words an elder expert would say to a junior. They had a lecturing aura to it. He had even said, ‘I look forward to your growth’ and ‘I will spare your life’.
If Olivier had truly won, others would acknowledge these words as having bearing and composure.
But he hadn’t won. Nobody could sense that Olivier had held even the slightest bit of advantage. If they continued fighting, it was hard to say who would win.
“Hrmph.” Olivier sneered coldly. His cold, gloomy eyes swept the surrounding area, and the Colosseum immediately fell silent.
Olivier looked at Linley. Calmly, he said, “Six years ago, you would indeed have been able to stalemate me. But now…”
“You just barely qualify for me to utilize the obsidian sword. But if I use it then today you, a genius, would definitely lose your life,” Olivier’s calm voice echoed in the Colosseum.
Only now did most people in the Colosseum remember… Olivier had two swords on his back. The Icedream sword was only one of them.
Obsidian sword?
“Obsidian sword? Olivier, you’ve truly mastered it?” At the judge’s stand, the Monolithic Sword Saint, Haydson, spoke out, attracting the attention of everyone present.
From the looks of it, the Monolithic Sword Saint, Haydson, had some sort of prior relationship with Olivier.
Olivier turned to look at the Monolithic Sword Saint, Haydson. In a calm voice, he said, “Mr. Haydson, thank you for the advice you gave me six years ago. It resulted in me gaining certain insights. Three years of battles, followed by three years of quiet meditation in the desolate mountains. I have now mastered the ‘obsidian sword’, which is even more powerful than the ‘Lightshadow’ technique.”
The Colosseum was filled with cries of astonishment.
“Even more powerful than the Lightshadow Sword technique? No wonder Lord Olivier said that he was sparing Master Linley’s life.”
“That year when he defeated Lord Dillon, Lord Olivier had used the Lightshadow Sword technique. Back then, Lord Olivier only had a single sword on his back, but now he has two. Ten years. He really has improved.”
Many people sighed in amazement at Olivier’s prowess. The power he had demonstrated just now wasn’t his true power. How terrifying was Olivier truly?
“My Big Brother, he…” Wharton knew that Linley was fighting for his sake, and now, he was beginning to worry for Linley.
Wharton was worried, but Barker and his brothers, on the contrary, weren’t worried at all.
“Wharton, his Lordship hasn’t revealed
his true power yet.” Barker laughed as he glanced at Wharton. “When his Lordship sparred with you, he only used the Bloodviolet flexible sword. He didn’t dare test his true attack against you.”
“Right. Linley has an even more terrifying adamantine heavy sword,” Zassler said solemnly.
Having been with Linley for so long, Zassler and the Barker brothers knew exactly how terrifyingly powerful the adamantine heavy sword was. When Linley was only at the peak-stage of the ninth rank, his usage of the ‘Hundred Layered Waves’ technique with the adamantine heavy sword would have been irresistible by even Saint-level Undying Warriors despite them being known for their defense.
Even most mid-stage Saint-level experts would probably suffer a severe injury.
And now, Linley’s base power and battle-qi were all at the Saint level. If he were to once more utilize his ‘Profound Truths of the Earth’, most likely even peak-stage Saint-level experts wouldn’t be able to take a blow from him.
After all, the vibrational attacks that Linley had developed based on his insights was simply too terrifying. Battle-qi and muscle power virtually did nothing to defend against it.
“Linley, I eagerly anticipate your future challenge,” Olivier said with a calm laugh.
Olivier was also someone who pursued the peak of power. A good rival was hard to find. For Linley to be so powerful in his twenties meant that in the future, he would definitely be a good rival for Olivier.
“Lord Olivier really does have the bearing of an expert.” Many people sighed in praise. But Blumer, located near the judge’s stand, was unhappy. “Why can’t elder brother simply just kill Linley and get it over with?”
The spikes protruding from Linley’s head gleamed with a metallic light.
“Olivier.” Linley’s dark golden eyes stared at Olivier. “I told you long ago. A person should know their limits. Do you think your obsidian sword is very powerful?”
“Hrm?” Olivier’s face changed as he looked at Linley. Linley didn’t know what was good for him!
Baruch Rising_Book 3 of the Coiling Dragon Saga Page 8
