Chapter 50

February 4th.

On this day, the capital city of Chiyan was deserted by its crowds.

The eighty thousand seats in the Douwuchang had sold out three days ago; outside the arena, tens of thousands of spectators who could not enter gathered, a sea of people stretching as far as the eye could see. Every tavern, tea house, and even the rooftops of residential buildings along the streets were packed with people, all stretching their necks to gaze toward the Douwuchang. Peddlers pushed carts through the crowd, hawking various foods and drinks, their business more than ten times better than usual. The air was filled with the aroma of roasted bread and the rich scent of ale.

Everyone was talking about the same thing—the duel between Count Wodun and Marquis Blumer.

This was not merely a duel. It was a direct collision between two geniuses, and the final verdict on the marriage of the Seventh Princess Nina. Various versions of gossip circulated in the streets, and some had wagered their entire fortunes, placing heavy bets at the major gambling houses.

"Here they come! Here they come!"

Amidst a commotion, the crowd automatically parted to form a path.

Wodun, dressed in tight-fitting combat attire with the warblade "Tulu" on his back, strode powerfully toward the Douwuchang. He stood over two meters tall, his broad shoulders like mountains, each step steady and forceful. Behind him, Linlei, Aikesi, Beibei, Diliya, Xierman, Xili, and others stood in a single line. Beibei crouched on Linlei's shoulder, his two small eyes darting around, surveying the surging crowd.

"Is that Count Wodun? So tall!"

"Who is that beside him? He seems to have even stronger momentum."

"That is his elder brother Linlei! Have you heard of the Dragonblood Warrior family?"

The clamor of discussion surged like a tide, but Wodun ignored it, his gaze fixed straight ahead on the Douwuchang.

"Nervous?" Linlei asked softly.

Wodun took a deep breath: "A little."

"Normal." Linlei patted his shoulder, his gaze steady and certain. "Remember what I taught you: defend with full power for the first three sword strikes. Once you survive them, the field is yours. Blumer's sword technique is famous for its speed; the essence of the Light Shadow Sword lies in the explosive power of the first three moves. The longer you drag it out, the more advantageous it is for you."

"Mm." Wodun nodded heavily.

On the other side, Blumer arrived amidst a crowd of followers. He wore blue warrior combat attire, with the longsword "Ice Dream" on his back, his face stern, his gaze sharp as a blade. Unlike Wodun's steadiness and heaviness, Blumer exuded a sharp and fierce temperament, like a drawn sword. Behind him followed several senior brothers from the Wushen Sect, and a group of nobles from the Didu—those noble youths, each dressed in magnificent robes, wore arrogant smiles on their faces, as if the outcome of this duel was already decided.

Blumer's gaze swept over the crowd, landing on Wodun's back in the distance; the corner of his mouth curled slightly upward, revealing a cold arc.

The two met at the entrance of the Douwuchang, their gazes clashing, sparks flying.

At this moment, all the surrounding noise seemed to freeze. Two young geniuses, one the rising star of the Dragonblood Warrior family, the other the Wushen Chichuan Dizi of the Wushen Sect master, their gazes collided in mid-air; the clash of invisible Momentum caused everyone around them to instinctively step back a few paces.

"Wodun, after today, you will know what a gap is." Blumer sneered, his voice not loud, yet clearly reaching everyone's ears.

Wodun remained expressionless, not even lifting his eyelids: "Less nonsense, let's settle it on the stage."

True strength does not need to be proven with words.

The two brushed past each other, each walking toward their respective rest areas.

Inside the Douwuchang, the eighty thousand seats were completely filled. The battle platform was three hundred meters wide and three hundred meters long, its surface constructed from large blocks of solid stone, with a large-scale Magic Array added on top; faint blue magical patterns shimmered on the stone surface, sufficient to withstand any attack below the Saint Domain. Eight massive stone pillars stood around the platform, each embedded with magic crystals capable of projecting the scene on the battle platform onto large Magic Screens outside the Douwuchang, allowing the tens of thousands of spectators outside to see every detail of the duel.

The viewing seats on the east and west sides of the platform were for the relatives and friends of the two sides. On the eastern seats, Princess Nina had arrived early. She wore a pale purple long dress, with simple crystal hair ornaments on her head; her face was exquisite yet haggard, for she had not slept well for several nights. Her hands were tightly clasped together, her knuckles white from the force. Beside her, several maids accompanied her cautiously, daring not to say a single word.

On the western seats was Wodun's entourage of relatives and friends.

On the main platform directly in front, three judges were already seated—Kainien, a Wushen Chichuan Dizi of the Wushen Sect; Emperor Qiaoan of the Empire; and the Rock Sword Saint Heidesen, making his grand entrance last.

The moment Heidesen appeared, the entire Douwuchang erupted. This legendary figure, hailed as the strongest in the Saint Domain, even just sitting there, was enough to make people's blood boil. He looked very old, with gray hair and a face covered in wrinkles, wearing a plain gray robe, looking like an ordinary old man. He sat casually on the chair, hands resting on the armrests, eyes closed, as if dozing off. But no one dared to look down on him because of this.

"Everyone, be quiet!"

The silver-haired elder hosting the match proclaimed loudly, his voice amplified by the support of Qi, echoing throughout the arena, even drowning out the clamor of eighty thousand people. The eighty thousand spectators gradually quieted down, their gazes all focused on the battle platform. Inside the Douwuchang, it was utterly silent, with only the sound of the wind and flags flapping in the wind.

"Today's great battle is the most important duel in the Douwuchang recently. The two sides of the final battle: one is Marquis Blumer, a Wushen Chichuan Dizi; the other is Count Wodun of the Dragonblood Warrior family. Between these two, who is the true genius?"

The silver-haired elder paused, raised his voice, and his entire demeanor surged with momentum: "Now, please welcome the challenger—Marquis Blumer!"

Blumer tapped his toe, and his whole body floated onto the platform like a falling leaf, his posture elegant, drawing a round of cheers. His figure was light and graceful, as if he were not fighting but performing a work of art. The Ice Dream sword behind him trembled slightly, emitting a crisp humming sound, as if responding to his master's battle intent.

"The challenged—Count Wodun!"

Wodun strode onto the battle platform, each step causing the surface to tremble slightly. He did not possess Blumer's ethereal posture, but every step of his was full of Strength Profound Mystery, like a moving mountain. He reached the center, grabbed his shirt with one hand, and tore it off, revealing his muscular upper body.

"Roar—"

The audience seats instantly erupted with earth-shattering cheers. Those muscles cast like steel, that body like a God of War, drove countless people to madness. Wodun's upper body was covered in scars left by battles; every scar was like a medal, recounting his past combat experiences. The lines of his pectoral muscles, abdominal muscles, and shoulder and back muscles were as perfect as a sculpture, gleaming with a bronze luster under the sunlight.

"Wodun!" "Wodun!" "Wodun!"...

The shouts of tens of thousands of people merged into a torrent, echoing above the Douwuchang.

Blumer snorted coldly, his gaze icy. He hated this kind of scene the most; clearly, he was the more elegant and powerful party, yet these ignorant commoners were always attracted by that barbaric strength.

The silver-haired elder looked toward the main platform; His Majesty Emperor Qiaoan nodded slightly. The Emperor of the Empire wore a solemn formal robe today, his expression grave and calm, but there was a hint of complexity hidden in his gaze. After all, this duel concerned the future of his daughter.

"The duel, begin!"

The moment the words fell, Wodun's body instantly changed. Greenish-blue dragon scales surged out from beneath his skin, one by one, tightly covering his entire body, shimmering with a metallic luster under the sunlight. A dragon horn sprouted from his forehead, curved and sharp; a thick dragon tail whipped out from his tailbone, its tip bearing sharp bone spurs, swaying flexibly in the air. His pupils changed from black to gold, with a glimmer of golden light passing through the vertical pupils.

Dragonblood Warrior transformation!

"Oh—"

The entire arena gasped in shock. Many were seeing a legendary Dragonblood Warrior for the first time; that grotesque yet powerful body was shocking to the core.

Blumer's gaze sharpened; his right hand reached back and drew the Ice Dream sword from his back.

"Light Shadow Sword!" he shouted lowly, and his whole body turned into a streak of light charging toward Wodun.

Fast! Fast to the extreme!

Blumer's figure left a series of afterimages in the air; every afterimage was vivid, as if more than ten Blumers were simultaneously attacking Wodun. This was the essence of the Light Shadow Sword technique—creating illusions with extreme speed so the opponent could not distinguish truth from falsehood, then finding a flaw in an instant to deliver a fatal strike.

Wodun only saw a flash of light before his eyes; the Ice Dream sword was already at his face. The cold sword wind made his skin tighten; he could even feel the bone-chilling cold radiating from the sword tip. He had no time to think; his body instinctively turned sideways while raising his left arm to block.

"Pfft!"

The blade scraped across the dragon scales, leaving a white mark. Wodun's whole body was driven back three steps by the massive impact, each step leaving a deep footprint on the hard stone platform. A sharp pain shot through his left arm; although the dragon scales blocked the blade's cut, the impact force still transmitted through the scales into his bones.

"First sword." He counted silently in his heart.

Blumer, seizing the advantage, did not spare him; his figure moved again, turning into a sky-filling array of illusions. Sixteen Blumers appeared simultaneously on the battle platform, each holding the Ice Dream sword, each performing a different action—some thrusting, some chopping, some sweeping, some slashing—making it impossible to distinguish truth from falsehood. Sixteen sword lights wove into a net of death, enveloping Wodun.

"Trivial tricks." Wodun closed his eyes, no longer using his eyes to capture, but using his heart to feel.

Wind, air currents, killing intent...

This was another lesson Linlei had taught him—eyes can deceive, but intuition cannot. When your opponent is fast enough to create illusions, your eyes become the most unreliable sense. You need to use your skin to feel the flow of air, your ears to catch the sound of the blade cutting the wind, and your instinct to perceive the killing intent directed at you.

Left!

He snapped his eyes open, golden pupils erupting with a terrifying radiance. His dragon tail whipped out like a steel scourge, roaring with the wind, and swept precisely toward the third phantom on the left.

"Crack!"

The force of that tail was astonishing; a sharp explosion even rang out in the air. Blumer was whipped flying backward, somersaulted mid-air, and landed on one knee. A bloody gash appeared on his left arm; his clothes were torn, and blood dripped from his fingers onto the stone platform. Had he not blocked with the Ice Dream Sword at the last moment, that tail would have snapped his bones.

"Such immense Strength Profound Mystery!" Blumer thought, a chill running through him, a hint of wariness flashing in his eyes. He knew Dragonblood Warriors possessed great power, but he never expected it to be this strong.

In the spectator stands, Linlei nodded slightly: "Not bad. Fast reaction."

Aikesi frowned, his gaze deep: "Blumer hasn't unleashed his full power yet. Those few sword strikes were merely probes; the true killing move is still behind."

Indeed, Blumer rose, his gaze becoming even more sharp. He slowly raised the Ice Dream Sword; golden light began to swirl upon the blade, growing ever more intense, as if a small sun was contained within the steel. His Momentum climbed step by step; his robes fluttered without wind, and his long hair danced behind him.

"Light Shadow Sword — Phantom Dream Sword!"

His figure split again; this time not sixteen, but a full thirty-two phantoms! Thirty-two Blumers surrounded Wodun, each radiating terrifying Momentum, each brimming with killing intent. Thirty-two Blumers struck with their swords simultaneously; thirty-two beams of golden light pierced toward Wodun from all directions, sealing off every escape route. Above, below, front, back, left, right — nowhere to flee.

Wodun had nowhere to hide.

"Then I'll take it head-on!" he roared, his voice like a dragon's cry, echoing over the Douwuchang. Dragonblood Battle Qi within him churned wildly; emerald-green Battle Qi gushed from the gaps between his dragon scales, forming a protective film over his body. Gripping the warblade Tu Lu with both hands, he swung out fiercely —

"One Blade Fatal!"

That strike condensed all his Strength Profound Mystery and Battle Qi, carrying an unstoppable Momentum as it cleaved downward. The blade of Tu Lu erupted with blinding emerald-green light, colliding violently with Blumer's golden sword light mid-air.

"Boom!"

The battle platform shook violently; the Magic Array's light flashed wildly, barely holding back the aftermath of that strike. Yet fine cracks still appeared on the platform's surface, spreading from the center outward like a spiderweb. The magic crystals atop the eight stone pillars lit up simultaneously, desperately maintaining the Magic Array's stability; fine fissures even appeared on the crystal surfaces.

The thirty-two phantoms vanished simultaneously. Blumer's true body was knocked flying backward, tumbling several times in the air before he barely stabilized his stance. Upon landing on one knee, a trace of blood already seeped from the corner of his mouth. The base of his right thumb was split open by the impact, blood staining the hilt of the Ice Dream Sword red.

"Excellent!" Roaring cheers erupted from the spectator stands. Tens of thousands rose simultaneously, waving flags and scarves in their hands; their shouts nearly tore the Douwuchang's dome from its foundations.

Blumer landed, kneeling on one knee, looking up at Wodun, a hint of madness flashing in his eyes. He knew that if they continued fighting like this, he would likely lose. And what would losing mean to him? It meant losing Nina; it meant shaming the Wushen Sect before everyone.

No, he absolutely could not lose.

He spoke softly, gripping the sword with both hands; the golden light on the blade began to mix with white. That was a mutation produced after compressing Light Battle Qi to its extreme; the whiter it became, the higher the compression, and the greater the power. Yet simultaneously, the burden on the body grew geometrically.

Linlei's expression changed; he shot up from his seat: "Wodun, be careful!"

"Light Shadow Sword — Aurora Sword!" Blumer roared, his entire body transforming into a dazzling beam of white light, piercing toward Wodun at an unbelievable speed.

Too fast!

The speed of that white light had already surpassed the limit achievable by a Level 9 Warrior; a piercing shriek tore through the air, the sonic boom produced as the blade broke the sound barrier. Where the white light passed, the air was torn apart, leaving a deep trench on the ground.

Wodun had only time to raise his warblade to block.

"Clang!"

The metallic clash pierced the eardrums; sparks flew in all directions. Wodun was knocked flying backward, Tu Lu flying from his grip, tumbling several times in the air before crashing to the ground with a "clang." His left palm had been pierced by the sword tip; blood sprayed, and white, bare bone fragments protruded from the wound. Ice

"Wodun!" Nina cried out, springing up from her seat, her face deathly pale.

Just as the sword tip was about to pierce his chest, Wodun suddenly sidestepped, his dragon tail whipping the ground hard to gain leverage, while his right leg, carrying his entire body weight and momentum, kicked out fiercely.

"Thump!"

Blumer was kicked flying sideways, crashing heavily against the edge of the battle platform. His left arm twisted grotesquely, clearly broken; white, bare bone fragments pierced through the skin, blood streaming. The Ice Dream Sword flew from his grip, landing on the ground with a crisp clatter; the light on the blade instantly dimmed.

Wodun knelt on one knee; a deep wound on his chest gushed blood, staining the stone platform beneath him red. Although he had sidestepped to avoid the vital point, that strike still left a wound on his chest deep enough to see the bone. He gritted his teeth and rose; his right leg trembled slightly, yet his gaze remained as firm as iron.

"Surrender," he said in a deep voice, his tone slightly hoarse from blood loss, yet every word rang with weight. "Your arm is already broken."

Blumer struggled to his feet, his face as pale as paper; his left arm hung uselessly at his side, blood dripping from his fingers. Yet his eyes were filled with unwillingness, a near-mad obsession: "I haven't lost yet!"

The right hand gripping the sword trembled violently, yet he still raised the Ice Dream Sword. The tip aimed at Wodun, but anyone could see he no longer had the strength to launch another attack.

"Enough!" A cold voice came from the main platform, like a basin of ice water in the dead of winter, instantly extinguishing Blumer's last fighting spirit.

Everyone looked; it was the Rock Sword Saint, Heidesen. He had opened his eyes at some unknown moment; those dull old eyes now sparkled with sharp light. He looked at Blumer indifferently, his tone as calm as stating a fact: "You have already lost. To continue fighting is merely to court death."

Blumer's face turned iron-green; his lips trembled, yet he dared not refute. The hand holding the sword slowly lowered; the Ice Dream Sword crashed to the ground with a "clang."

"I..." He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but finally only lowered his head, his voice hoarse and bitter. "I surrender."

The entire arena fell silent for a moment, then erupted in cheers like mountains calling and seas roaring.

"Wodun!" "Wodun!" "Wodun!"...

The shouts of tens of thousands merged into a torrent, shaking the Douwuchang's walls so they trembled slightly. Those who had bet on Wodun's victory jumped up in excitement, while those who had bet on Blumer hung their heads in despair, tearing up their betting slips.

Wodun stood on the battle platform, covered in blood. He turned to look at the spectator stands; his gaze swept past the crowd and settled on that familiar figure.

Nina was already in tears, hands covering her mouth, yet smiling with boundless happiness.

Just as Wodun was about to descend from the platform, a figure suddenly flew up from the spectator stands, landing lightly on the platform.

It was Aoliweiya.

He wore simple hemp robes; his graying hair fluttered in the wind. His gaze was calm as water, yet everyone felt an invisible pressure.

"Linlei," he spoke, his voice not loud yet clearly reaching everyone's ears. "Come out."

The entire arena fell silent once more.

Everyone's gaze turned toward Linlei in the spectator stands.

Linlei rose, his expression calm. He had long anticipated this moment.

"I'll be back shortly," he said with a smile to Diliya. With a flick of his toe, his entire body floated onto the platform as if weightless.

Two peerless geniuses faced each other in mid-air.

"Aoliweiya, are you stepping in for your younger brother?" Linlei asked.

Aoliweiya shook his head: "He lost; his skills were simply inferior."

Aoliweiya fell silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled: "Today, consider your younger brother the winner. Another day, we shall find a place and fight properly."

"I am always ready," Linlei nodded.

Aoliweiya turned, helped his younger brother Blumer to his feet, and walked off the platform without looking back. Just as he reached the exit, he suddenly glanced back at Aikesi.

That gaze was thoughtful.

Aikesi returned the gaze calmly, offering a slight smile.

Aoliweiya said no more, taking her younger brother and vanishing into the crowd.

"Everyone!" the silver-haired elder stepped onto the stage in time, speaking loudly, "The outcome of today's great battle is already clear. The victor is—Count Wodun!"

Cheers erupted once more, lasting without end. Tens of thousands cheered simultaneously, their voices rising wave upon wave, spreading throughout all of Chiyan City.

Wodun leaped down from the battle platform, grabbing Nina who rushed forward, and the two embraced, weeping together.