Chapter 646: One Fiercer Than the Other

Ning Long flashed to Demaerke's side and let out a slight sigh of relief; he had merely passed out.

Helena saw it too; after all, as the Song Agent Commissioner, she felt a bit of regret that Demaerke hadn't died... could it be that he was being controlled?

Luo Bi returned to Li Hao's side, looking smug. Although it was a life-and-death contract, his Second Brother had said not to deliver a lethal blow, as the opponent had only paid for a victory.

If his Blue Fire Overlapping Force truly went on the offensive, it was very easy to break through defenses; even protection from Celestial Armament was of little use.

With Universe Power up, as long as they had the same equipment, they really didn't know what to fear. As for basic combat quality, although these Celestials had experienced battles, and some like this Star Sergeant Major were likely good at leading teams, in Luo Bi's view, none of them had experienced any real major scenes—at least the one he fought hadn't.

Li Hao wasn't too surprised either; he had a good idea after evaluating them. How should he put it? These nobles' so-called missions had a certain training effect, but one couldn't say too much. Of course, he didn't want to generalize; the power and foundation of the Celestial Civilization, especially their control over the rules, was not something humans could resist as a whole with their current strength.

Fronzo gave Demaerke simple treatment. Demaerke was still gasping for air and didn't want to open his eyes; his head was buzzing. He heard the discussions in his ears, but he couldn't hear them clearly and didn't want to; they must all be mocking him. An Ozil noble, losing to a low-class human—he really didn't want to live. He was ashamed and angry, and the key was that he had lost without any room to argue.

"First match, Luo Bi wins." Fronzo was quite calm. It seemed his Heavenly Fire Spear had found a good master; he even felt that Luo Bi was still not satisfied. High Priest Shilada's judgment was indeed extraordinary; no wonder she looked at humans so differently and opened the door of convenience for him.

Haosen's expression looked calm, but based on what others knew of him, he should be furious right now. The atmosphere also became heavy. Haosen glanced at Lavitan and nodded.

Lavitan smiled. Damn it, it seemed this dog Defatandisi had come prepared, playing a big game. Then he really had to go for the kill.

"Li Hao, let's get close and personal. I heard you were quite fierce at beating dogs a while ago," Lavitan laughed.

Lavitan, a Level 60 Star Sergeant Major, an existence in the top ten of the Heavenly Ladder. Actually, there was no need for Haosen to act; that he was willing to act was already quite exaggerated. Before Ning Long and Defatandisi arrived, these two were unrivaled in commanding the entire Verdict.

Li Hao smiled, and Cheng Konghai stepped out from the side. "To beat you, there's no need for Second Brother to act."

Lavitan frowned and looked at Li Hao. "Are you sure you want to send him to his death?"

"10 minutes?" Li Hao looked at Cheng Konghai and said.

"5 minutes," Cheng Konghai said. Since the beginning of the Apocalypse, Cheng Konghai never asked about his opponents, only how to fight.

"Don't be like that. It's rare to spar with an expert, and it doesn't cost money. Fight a bit longer."

The scene was buzzing with noise, everyone watching the three humans. This Dragon Alliance was truly interesting this time; they had thought it was just a grand event centered on the Dragon Race, but they didn't expect the main characters to be three humans, each more arrogant than the last.

The wild laughter attracted everyone's attention. Lavitan's laughter gradually subsided, and he looked coldly at the scrawny human before him. Born into the Titius Family, the second largest force in the Council of Elders, when had he ever suffered such an insult?

He used to be called the Little Overlord, and after entering the Verdict, his nickname was Overlord. Would someone with this nickname have a good temper?

Lavitan pointed at Cheng Konghai. "It's been many years since anyone dared to be so presumptuous in front of me. If I let you leave alive, I won't stay in the Verdict anymore!"

Li Hao smiled helplessly. He had been thinking about how to complete the mission well without killing the opponent, but he didn't expect that after slightly provoking the other party, they would be so eager. 5 minutes was a bit tight, but if he put in some effort, it wasn't impossible.

Aoliweina, Haosen, Didiao, and the others had their perceptions completely refreshed. Regardless of today's result, this group of new civilization species, the humans, would completely enter their field of vision. Although they were a Seed Civilization, they were truly different from seemingly powerful troop types like the Centaur Race or the Giant Race. These guys exuded a spirit from their bones of not submitting to anyone and wanting to fight everyone.

Just as Fronzo was about to announce the start of the battle, Helena suddenly interrupted with a smile. "Sorry everyone, let me interrupt for a moment. I heard there is a high-level battle at the Dragon Alliance, and Her Highness the Princess has arrived."

In an instant, the atmosphere at the scene became high-spirited. Although they had come to the Verdict, opportunities to see Princess Hermia were rare. After all, she was known as the most beautiful woman in the Star River, topping the charts for ten years and hailed by men of the Star River as the goddess they most wanted to marry: Hermia Augustus.

Hermia arrived accompanied by Guard Captain Los. The crowd at the scene bowed and saluted one after another. Even Demaerke, who was playing dead, struggled to crawl up, though his face was even more ashamed. As a Celestial and a noble of the Empire, he had actually lost to a human.

When everyone looked up, they were all attracted by Hermia's magnificent appearance. An impeccable representative of the Celestials, her snow-white skin glowed with a dazzling luster, and her eyes, which seemed to absorb the stars, were radiant. Any male who saw them would be instantly captivated. Her noble and elegant temperament was unique. The woman before them was about to become one of the most powerful people in the Star River Alliance and the fifth empress in the history of the Ozil Empire.

Li Hao looked at Hermia... and was also stunned for a long while. Luo Bi, who was on the side, suddenly leaned over. "Second Brother, holy crap, she looks seven or eight parts like the goddess Arths. I always thought no one could surpass the goddess, but this one... it's really hard to say."

(Note: The source text split the name "Arths" across lines 【28】 and 【29】. This translation maintains the flow.)

Seeing her in person, the feeling was truly very similar, yet still different. In Hermia's gentle gaze, there was actually an aura that made one look up in awe. This was the noble Princess, the future ruler of the Ozil Empire.

Hermia just returned the salute gently to everyone without saying anything. Fronzo signaled for the battle to begin.

With Hermia's arrival, the flavor of the battle changed completely. Lavitan's words just now might have been said casually, but if he still lost under the witness of Her Highness the Princess, he would truly have no face to stay in the Verdict. Moreover, leaving the Verdict after losing to a lowly human would not only smear the Titius Family but might even cause him to lose his status within the family.

With a flash of Star Swift, a Heavenly Martial Box landed. Lavitan stepped on it, and a crimson battle axe appeared. As the battle axe was gripped, battle armor spread to cover him.

"Red Slash."

Ninth-generation Zouli Scanning Conversion System, Gold Battle Axe, Fire Energy Core, Shoulder Particle Cannon.

Cheng Konghai also took out the Celestial Armament he couldn't put down, a dark purple Heavenly Martial Box. But as soon as this box appeared, it caused another round of whispers at the scene. Everyone looked at Fronzo, and Master Fronzo's expression also became a bit faintly sorrowful.

This piece of Heavenly Martial was called "Shura." Shura was an ancient school of the Celestials, passed down from the Galaxy Era. It was a bit niche, cultivating physical strength and emphasizing the unity of the person and the Star River; the body itself was the strongest weapon. Fronzo's son, Foye, was a successor of this school, and Fronzo had meticulously crafted this blood-linked Shura, but Foye eventually lost his life in the Abyss during a mission.

He was devoured by an Abyssal Creature, and when the rescue arrived, only this set of armor remained on the ground. Fronzo was decadent for a long time, later reincarnating as a semi-energy being, and this Shura was stored in the depths of the armory, hoping to be forgotten.

And a few days ago, Cheng Konghai had actually dug this Heavenly Martial out again. Knowing that Cheng Konghai also didn't like using weapons, Fronzo didn't know why his heart softened and he agreed.

"Shura."

Ozil Empire · Celestial Armament .

Ninth-generation Zouli Scanning Conversion System, Shura Gold Battle Armor, Double Fire Energy Core, Shoulder Particle Cannon.

This Heavenly Martial could be considered one of Fronzo's early peak works. Of course, due to the overall design, it was only suitable for the tactical use of the Shura school, and he didn't know why it appeared on this thin, small human.

When the black battle armor covered Cheng Konghai and the windows for his eyes finally closed, Cheng Konghai, who raised his head, felt unprecedented power and fulfillment. He hadn't felt comfortable using any of those other Heavenly Martial items; he couldn't unleash his fighting style wantonly. But this one felt like a summons from the netherworld, a connection of souls.

The battle armor was himself; he was the battle armor.

The crimson Overlord wearing battle armor and the black Shura. The Overlord holding the giant axe was twice the size of Cheng Konghai, and that giant battle axe looked like it could chop Cheng Konghai to pieces with one blow.

Although Luo Bi had secured one victory, Demaerke was considered a second-generation rich kid and not the top of the noble ranks; the Song-level had their own teams to carry them forward. Lavitan was different; his combination with Haosen was the backbone of the Verdict.

Lavitan, carrying the giant battle axe, stomped his foot lightly. With a boom, a Universe Storm raged. "Kid, having ambition is a good thing, but overestimating yourself comes with a price."

The violent flame Universe Storm blasted directly toward Cheng Konghai. At the same Zhou Lan Grade level, Lavitan's oppressive force was indeed much stronger than Demaerke's. However, facing such intimidation, Cheng Konghai lowered his head, *whoosh*~~~~

Terrifying power erupted from his thin, small body. In an instant, the raging Universe Flame met the oncoming Lavitan without any hesitation. If Lavitan's soul possessed the aura of an Overlord, then what Cheng Konghai radiated was that of an Abyss Overlord.

The two auras collided, neither giving way. This scene left everyone dumbfounded. That Luo Bi just now was already quite exaggerated, but this one... was even fiercer!

In just an instant, Aoliweina felt she should re-evaluate the definition of her relationship with humans. She glanced at her silly, happy brother Kuta... could this be the "fools have their own luck"? She had calculated for a long time, spending over a year understanding the situation and looking for a suitable stance, while Kuta had just arrived and bumped into such a fierce new civilization!

This wasn't even about whether Cheng Konghai could beat Lavitan; the potential these two displayed meant that Li Hao's situation was not an isolated case. Humans... needed to be investigated deeply and redefined. The Sea People possessed strong merchant attributes, and their transformation in this regard was definitely fast. Without conflicts of interest, befriending all forces that could be befriended was the advantage of the Sea People, unlike the Celestials who were subdivided so much, with interests intertwined.