However…
When the obsidian sword had struck against his fist, a strange energy had easily penetrated past his vaunted defense and directly attacked his spirit, catching him off guard and stabbing viciously into his soul.
He felt dizzy, and his head hurt so much it threatened to split apart.
“What a Prodigy Sword Saint. He’s even managed to develop a soul attack technique.” After a moment, Haydson regained his normal faculties. “A young fellow who isn’t even a half-century old was actually able to develop such a unique attack.”
Haydson had tasted this sort of attack long ago!
Soul attacks actually weren’t that unique.
For example, that ‘eldest disciple’ of the War God, Fain, who Linley had met, had caused Linley to nearly faint when his lightning technique struck Linley. It had taken Linley quite a while to recover. This, too, was a form of soul-based attack.
For example, the War God, who simply by speaking could cause someone’s soul to shudder.
The basic principle underlying soul-based attacks was quite simple; it was using one’s spiritual energy to form an attack, then use it against the opponent’s soul.
Simply put, it was a spiritual attack.
But although it was easy in theory, it was extremely difficult to do in practice. This was because spiritual energy, normally speaking, was very soft and malleable, like cotton. In order to do a spiritual attack, one had to transform the cotton into a sharp knife and use it to pierce the opponent’s soul.
Even most Saints were only able to, at most, broadcast their spiritual energy. To use it to attack? To transform cotton into a knife?
Difficult!
But although it was difficult, those top-level experts who had been meditating on the Elemental Laws for a long time were capable of reaching that level. Haydson had previously experienced this sort of soul-based attack.
“Olivier’s spiritual energy is not very strong. Most likely, it is only on the level of a magus of the eighth rank. If he had the spiritual energy of an Arch Magus of the ninth rank, I would most likely be badly injured. If it was on the level of a Grand Magus Saint…” Haydson laughed calmly.
And then, Haydson looked down into the Channe River.
The Channe River had already regained its usual calm, but Olivier hadn’t reappeared yet.
“Olivier, it seems you won’t come out until you’ve finished repairing your arm.” Haydson laughed loudly, his voice shaking the heavens and reverberating throughout the land.
“Repairing his arm?” Linley frowned, feeling surprised.
“Splash!”
A waterspout suddenly erupted from the river, and a black blur instantly shot up into the sky, once more standing in mid-air and staring at Haydson. Olivier’s damaged, twisted right arm had already returned to its normal condition.
Olivier laughed coldly as he looked at Haydson. “Repairing an arm? Haydson, even if you wanted to do such a thing, you wouldn’t be able to.”
“Light-style elemental essence is indeed miraculous. Some top-grade light-style magi are able to heal even the most grievous of wounds in an instant. However… in terms of defense and attack, the Laws of Light are inferior to the Laws of the Earth,” Haydson said confidently.
The Laws of the Earth.
Linley, too, trained in the Laws of the Earth.
“How can you possibly understand the subtle mysteries of the Laws of Light?” Olivier asked calmly. “Haydson, don’t be over-confident. You didn’t enjoy the feeling of my sword attack just now, did you.”
Haydson frowned.
Even an extremely powerful soul, upon receiving a soul-based attack, would suffer some wounds.
“With your soul damaged, will you be able to use 100% of your power?” Olivier drew his Lightshadow sword with his left hand.
He wielded his obsidian sword with his right hand, and his Lightshadow sword with his left.
“But I’m different. My arm was broken, but now it is healed. I’m not impacted in the slightest.” Olivier dual-wielded his weapons, with a layer of dazzling white light covering his Lightshadow sword, while a layer of light-devouring cold black aura covered his obsidian sword.
Two diametrically opposite forces.
“I want to see how you will deal with these two totally opposite forces!” Olivier’s eyes flashed with a cold look, and then he instantly transformed into a blaze of white light, as radiant as the sun, while at the same time, an unremarkable series of black lights flashed amidst his radiance.
His speed suddenly increased to his utmost limit!
The skies were once again filled with over 108 Oliviers.
“Clang!” Haydson, his face solemn, drew his earthen-colored heavy sword from his back.
“Haha… you’ve finally drawn your sword.” Olivier’s laughter shook the heavens. The countless spectators were all silent.
Tonight, the night sky was covered by thick clouds, giving the battlefield a very gloomy aura. The spectators below even had the feeling that those dark, thick clouds were so close to Olivier and Haydson that the two could touch the clouds just by raising their hands up.
“Boom!” “Boom!”
Terrifying sonic booms could be heard, as each time Olivier streaked through the sky at high speed, there would be an eardrum-rupturing sonic boom. The power of those sonic booms in the sky was so great that even those lit torches wavered, the flames pressing downwards from the pressure.
Gales of wind caused everyone’s hair to begin to float upwards.
Countless people stared fixedly at this spectacle, hoping they could clearly see what was happening in the skies.
“Clang!” “Clang!”
Each time Olivier’s dual swords clashed against Haydson’s earthen-colored heavy sword, those two light-style and darkness-style bursts of energy would strangely combine and attack together, seeking to break through Haydson’s attack.
“I didn’t expect Olivier to have this sort of attack!” Watching the battle with his head raised, Linley sighed secretly.
He had to admit that Olivier was a genius. Light and Darkness were two diametrically opposed types of Elemental Laws, but Olivier not only was able to train in both at the same time, he was also able to use them together in a very perfect manner.
“Haha…”
With each consecutive blow, Olivier’s loud laughter rang out. “Haydson, what, are you just going to defend? Can it be that your soul is so wounded that you can’t even attack?”
“BOOM!”
A terrifying thunderclap could suddenly be heard from the cloud-covered skies as an enormous bolt of lightning snaked down and struck the ground. A few seconds later, a torrential rain began to fall.
In the blink of an eye, the world was covered with rain.
“Damnit, why does it have to rain now?” the millions of spectators began to curse aloud. Most people had not brought any rain gear. With the rain suddenly descending upon them, they were transformed into a series of half-drowned chickens. However, these spectators continued to raise their heads high, staring at the duel in the skies.
But thanks to the torrential rain, they couldn’t even fully open their eyes as they stared upwards.
How miserable!
Many people were forced to take off their clothes and try to use their clothes to block some of the rain, so as to allow themselves to continue to stare upwards at this duel between absolute experts, which they might not have the chance to see again in a hundred years. But despite this… the thick, heavy rain prevented them from seeing much of the battle in the skies.
Right now, there were very few people who could clearly see what was going on in the skies.
Linley, of course, was one of them.
“Master Linley, what is going on in the duel above?” Emperor Johann asked Linley urgently. The imperial clan was still quite comfortable, because as soon as the rain had started, many large umbrellas were immediately deployed above them.
Linley and the others all continued to
sit comfortably dry under those umbrellas.
“Your Imperial Majesty, Haydson continues to defend, while Olivier is wildly attacking him. However… it seems Olivier is totally unable to harm Haydson.” Linley smiled.
But although that was what he said, in his heart, Linley was wondering to himself, “Every single one of Olivier’s attacks contains a spiritual attack component. What sort of shape is Haydson in, exactly?”
The torrential rain continued to fall.
Those countless torches had been extinguished by the rain long ago. Right now, only the illuminating spells of a few light-style magi provided a bit of illumination in the area.
“Olivier, are you finished attacking?” Haydson said calmly.
“What?!” Olivier was suddenly stunned.
Could it be that despite him having attacked for so long, he hadn’t been able to injure Haydson at all? His soul-based attack was his secret weapon.
Wielding both swords in his hands, Olivier stood in mid-air, staring at Haydson.
Haydson looked calmly at Olivier. “When I received your first soul-based attack, I was indeed injured, but afterwards, since I was prepared for them, your attacks weren’t able to harm me at all.”
“Prepared?” Olivier was stunned.
How would one defend against a soul-based attack? Even Olivier himself had no idea.
“Olivier, you must understand, although soul-based attacks are special, you aren’t the only one to use them. There have been quite a number of people in the history of the Yulan continent who have developed soul-based attacks, and I have tasted these attacks before as well. You are only a warrior, after all. Your spiritual energy is far too weak. Most likely, you are only at the level of a magus of the eighth rank. If you were at the ninth rank… then perhaps I would be injured even if I prepared for your attacks. If that were the case my victory today wouldn’t be this easy.”
The Monolithic Sword Saint, Haydson, looked calmly at Olivier.
“What?!” Olivier found it difficult to accept this.
This was an unbelievably heavy blow to him!
“Olivier, you are already quite impressive, to have reached this level before even a half-century of life.” Haydson gently stroked the earthen-colored heavy blade in his hands. “Now, prepare to receive my most powerful attack. Consider this my way of showing respect for your power. As to whether you will live or die, that will be up to heaven.”
Olivier felt that this was very laughable.
Whether he would live or die?”
“Haydson, don’t be too arrogant. If you have the ability to do so, then come and kill me. Enough talk.” Olivier’s body once more began to blaze with that brilliant white light, intermixed with that dark black light.
Half his body was covered with pure white light. The other half, pitch black.
“Come!” Olivier’s black and white hair flowed freely in the air. He radiated light in every direction, and the power of those two swords in his hands reached a crescendo as well.
Wielding his earthen-colored heavy sword in one hand, the Monolithic Sword Saint, Haydson, had a smile on his face.
“This is my most powerful attack. The name of the attack is… ‘Worldbreaker’. If you are to die, I wish you to die with full knowledge of what killed you!” Haydson had already forgotten how many so-called geniuses had died to him.
Was Olivier the sixth, or the seventh?
He had forgotten.
But Haydson knew that if a genius were to die, then they would no longer be a genius.
“Elder brother!” Blumer roared mightily into the skies. “Be careful!” Tears streamed down from Blumer’s eyes, but given the torrential rain, no one could tell if they were tears or just raindrops.
Although the torrential rain was thunderously loud, powerful experts were still able to clearly hear the words between these two combatants.
Hearing his younger brother’s shout, ensconced in black and white light, the corner of Olivier’s lips actually tugged upwards, forming a perfect curve. Surrounded by black and white light, Olivier was very dazzling to the eye. To the spectators below, Olivier seemed to be a bright star shining in the night rain.
“Boom!”
Olivier suddenly moved, and a terrifying sonic boom could be heard as he transformed into a dazzling line of light that streaked towards the Monolithic Sword Saint, Haydson.
“Haaaaaaaaargh!” Haydson let out a loud yet calm shout.
The Lightshadow sword and the obsidian sword seemed to have merged together, and the dark light and the white light crackled and swirled together, as Olivier, his face fierce, viciously swung down both swords at close range for one final blow…
But as Haydson swung his giant earthen sword towards him, it seemed to carry the power to shatter the entire world.
“BAAANG!”
A terrifying loud collision sound could be heard, as though the world itself had exploded. At the same time, a terrifying gust of hurricane-like wind blasted in every direction as the torrential rain fell down in sheets, carried by the force of that blast of wind.
“Splash!” A human figured covered with dim black and white light fell at high speed into the Channe River… and on the surface of the Channe River, a large amount of a red colored liquid could be seen.
27
A Time and a Place
In turn, Haydson’s body had been knocked flying far away at high speed by this terrifying clashing force. Only after flying backwards for nearly a hundred meters did Haydson stabilize himself, and a hint of blood leaked out from Haydson’s mouth.
Haydson wiped the blood away, staring down at the Channe River.
“What a fine Prodigy Sword Saint. His final attack truly was powerful,” Haydson murmured to himself. At a do or die moment, Olivier’s final attack had reached a new level of power, and had actually broken through Haydson’s defense and struck Haydson’s body, causing him to be injured.
“Rumble.” The torrential rain continued to fall nonstop, and on the surface of Channe River, the waves of water roiled about. Quickly, that ‘scarlet red’ color atop the surface of the river dissipated and disappeared from sight.
A deathly silence!
Everyone had fallen silent, and the people at the two banks of the river stared into the Channe River. Everyone wanted to know, had that glorious Prodigy Sword Saint died, just like that?
“Elder brother!” Blumer didn’t hesitate at all. Shedding bitter tears of pain, he threw himself directly into the turbid waters of the Channe River.
“Master Linley, did Olivier die?” Emperor Johann was worried.
Linley shook his head. “I’m not sure either.” As he spoke, Linley lowered his head to glance at Bebe, who looked upwards at Linley with resignation. “Boss, Olivier’s aura is extremely weak right now, and he isn’t even breathing. I can only detect the barest hint of life in him. It seems he really is about to die.”
The countless spectators were all discussing this situation in hushed tones, wondering if Olivier had truly died. But everyone still remembered… Olivier’s dazzling final blow.
“Plop!” Water sprayed everywhere.
Carrying a body, Blumer rushed out of the water. Linley could instantly tell that Olivier’s face was drained of all blood and was completely white, and his lips were ashen as well. He was no longer breathing.
Only by using spiritual essence to probe him could one sense that Olivier was still alive.
“Move, move!” Carrying the Lightshadow sword, the obsidian sword, and his older brother Olivier in his arms, Blumer charged directly towards the direction of Emperor Johann.
Blumer’s eyes were filled with tears.
“Your Imperial Majesty, your Imperial Majesty, where are the healers? Quick, quick!” Blumer shouted frantically.
For this battle, Emperor Johann had prepared in advance for the most exalted Arch Magus of light magic of the ninth rank in the palace to come.
“Mr. Anders, quick, save Olivier,” Emperor Joha
nn immediately said.
A silver-haired old man immediately walked out from behind Emperor Johann and hurried towards Olivier’s prone body. His hands glowing with white light, he touched Olivier’s body. Soon, color began to quickly reappear in Olivier’s face.
“How is he? How is my older brother?” Blumer said frantically.
Although Blumer was very stubborn and very cold towards others, in Blumer’s heart, he loved Olivier like a father. His older brother had raised him ever since he was young. To Blumer, there was nobody more important than his older brother.
“Don’t be hasty. Just now, all I did was heal the simpler wounds Lord Olivier has sustained. I need to use more healing magic to address his internal injuries.” The silver-haired old man nodded as he spoke, then immediately began to mumble the words to a magic spell. Blumer watched, feeling anxious and nervous, but he didn’t dare to interrupt the work of this light-style Arch Magus.
Soon…
A starry light entered Olivier’s body, and the wounds on Olivier’s body began to rapidly heal. The efficacy of this healing magic was quite astonishing.
“Hrm?” The silver-haired old man shook his head, puzzled.
“What is it?” Blumer asked frantically.
The silver-haired old man shook his head, frowning. “Lord Olivier’s body has been totally healed. His external injuries, his organs, and his broken bones are all restored. But Lord Olivier didn’t wake up. This…”
Linley was carefully inspecting Olivier as well.
“Olivier’s soul has been wounded,” Bebe said mentally to Linley. “I can feel that his spirit is extremely weak right now.”
Just at this moment, the gray-robed Haydson flew over slowly from the sky, agilely and gracefully coming to a halt in front of Emperor Johann.
“Haydson!” Blumer stared hatefully at Haydson.
His one and only older brother, his one and only family member. Blumer felt boundless hatred towards Haydson. If it wasn’t for the fact that he was far weaker than him, Blumer probably would’ve charged straight for him.
“Stop staring at me. Your older brother’s spirit was heavily wounded, and he is hovering at the point of life and death, but that isn’t because of me. When executing his final attack, your older brother seemed to utilize some sort of forbidden technique to attack me, hoping to take me down with him.” Haydson’s face was rather pale as well.
Baruch Rising_Book 3 of the Coiling Dragon Saga Page 21
