Chapter 954: Clearly Stronger

The Rat Lord blocked the Mage Sage Sefillia, and after returning to the spectator seats, none of the audience noticed anything unusual—they were completely unaware of the exchange.

Mage Sage Sefillia gave the Void Arena organizers a token of respect; after all, she was a major figure of the Lawful Alliance. Even if she longed to grind Su Xiao into dust, she would only kill him covertly—not by openly striking.

“Hypocritical woman.”

The Rat Lord gulped down strong liquor. If he wanted to kill, he wouldn’t hide or hesitate—he’d aim and fire directly. As for consequences? He’d deal with them after the kill.

From the current situation, Mage Sage Sefillia won’t strike again anytime soon.

“Roar!!”

The crowd’s cheers merged into a single roar. So many spectators had come to this Void Arena thanks to the hype of the Lawbreaker’s return—some had rushed here on a whim, while the Demon Clan had hurriedly arrived after hearing the news, paying exorbitant prices for tickets.

Thud. Thud. Thud…

The war drums above sounded three times—the match was about to begin.

Su Xiao walked across the yellow sand, the soil beneath his feet slightly loose, which would hinder his burst speed—but his opponent was affected the same way.

Su Xiao’s opponent was tall, towering beyond normal human limits; conservatively estimated, he stood over five meters tall, like a small giant.

Most giants give the first impression of being clumsy, but this small giant was different. Though over five meters tall, his frame was not bulky—instead, he appeared lean and agile.

As for his appearance, it remained unknown—he was fully encased in iron-gray armor, his helmet sealed except for eye slits and breathing holes. The helmet’s shape was peculiar, like an inverted iron barrel.

“Bao Nai Chi Peng Le… (Unknown language).”

The small giant wielded a broad-bladed greatsword, at least three meters long and over forty centimeters wide. To be struck by it—even just tapped by the spine—would be devastating. Combined with his size, his power was overwhelming.

“Ladies and gentlemen, you all believe this match is the one you’ve most anticipated—but why ‘one of’? Surely you’re also eager for the Prince of Wind’s bout.”

“But back to the matter at hand. Among the combatants, the Lawbreaker needs no introduction from Hacket—you’ve all heard rumors of him, at least in part. That was a terrifying era, when magic became taboo across most planets. But that era has passed, and most grudges have faded with time.”

“Crossing time and space, today we are fortunate to witness the Lawbreaker’s battle. But! Though the Lawbreaker is powerful, his opponent is no mere fool. He hails from the shallowest layer of the Black Abyss, having survived there for a full year. He has no name—only a number: 51. His race is unknown. He cares nothing for honor or treasure. He came to the arena for one reason: to fight. He lives only to fight!”

As Hacket finished speaking, the stands erupted in uproar. The Void races knew what the Black Abyss was—a forbidden zone within the Void, teeming with peril and still unexplored in its entirety. Even its shallowest layer was a death zone. Surviving there for a year meant this man was no ordinary fighter.

“Spectators, roar your loudest—for the battle between the 51st from the Black Abyss and the Lawbreaker!”

Hacket was ecstatic, but Su Xiao, standing on the yellow sand, was unimpressed.

“Just start already. Save the fluff for after the fight.”

Su Xiao muttered, his body warmed up and in peak condition. He gripped the hilt of Zhanlongshan at his waist, the blade slowly unsheathing.

Qing.

Zhanlongshan emitted a sharp ring.

“There it is! The legendary companion blade of the Lawbreaker! Hacket is already thrilled… What?! Wait!”

Hacket shouted—because Su Xiao had already sprinted toward the small giant.

“Match begins.”

Hacket hastily declared the match started, to ease his embarrassment.

Boom!

A thunderous collision echoed through the arena. Su Xiao’s blade met the small giant’s greatsword. Shockwaves rippled outward. The yellow sand field, like a pond struck by a stone, sent concentric layers of sand surging outward like ripples.

Waves of sand swept outward, finally striking the energy barrier.

At the center of the field, Su Xiao and the small giant locked eyes.

Hssss—

Two auras surged toward each other—one pale red, pure killing intent; the other dark red, thick as congealed blood, corrosive and clinging.

Creak. Creak. Creak…

The auras eroded each other. Clearly, Su Xiao’s pale red aura was sharper, purer—and slowly pushing back the dark red.

After just one exchange, Su Xiao sensed his opponent was no pushover. Due to his size or some ability, the opponent’s strength slightly exceeded his own, his speed lagged behind, and his durability was likely equal. As for combat experience? It was anyone’s guess.

The small giant had fought or fled daily for a year in the Black Abyss—his experience couldn’t be weak. That dark red aura was forged in the shallowest layer of the Abyss.

Their blades locked. Su Xiao’s right arm muscles bulged, his left arm hung loose, fingers rapidly flicking—as if manipulating something. In truth, he was deploying Jie Duan Xian around his enemy. Two more seconds, and it would be ready.

“Jiameng (Unknown language).”

The small giant sensed something. He tightened his grip on the hilt, leaning forward with force.

The sudden surge of power made Su Xiao grunt. His legs, already sunk into the sand, sank deeper.

If he’d faced such a foe before, Su Xiao would’ve struggled. Now? Different. He’d just completed the Demon Hunter Set—40% increased melee damage, plus 20% more maximum HP. That meant at least a 30% boost to survivability. Not to mention he’d mastered Zhi Gan. His close-range power had surged further.

Su Xiao twisted his longblade. The small giant’s greatsword slashed diagonally.

The small giant froze in confusion. He couldn’t fathom why Su Xiao had withdrawn power—this was practically suicide. Though baffled, he instantly altered his swing. The greatsword, originally aimed at Su Xiao’s shoulder, now angled toward his face, ready to cleave him in two.

With Zhi Gan mastered, Su Xiao no longer met force with force. There was no need.

The greatsword slashed toward his face, wind screaming. Just as it neared his skull, Su Xiao’s left hand yanked.

Ziiii—

A thin, buried strand of blue metal wire snapped free, coiling around the small giant—placed by Su Xiao during the earlier shockwave.

Sensing this, the small giant immediately withdrew his strike—but it was too late.

Crunch!

The sound wasn’t Jie Duan Xian breaking—it was the wire snapping taut. The wire had wrapped around the small giant’s neck, and a small segment had also latched onto his heavy sword. The blow meant to cleave Su Xiao’s head instead struck his own neck. The crunch was the sound of Jie Duan Xian slicing through his helmet’s armor.