Chapter 57: Deadly Duel

“Snap!”

Li En had just reentered the battlefield; gravity’s restraint still clamped his flesh, an invisible shackle making every step agonizing.

“Snap!”

Each step left a crater; advancing even one pace was excruciating.

But the sword-wielding Holy Knight no longer cared for these environmental constraints.

His heart brimmed with fury toward the monster before him—and that will became silver light on his blade, a shield against sorcery.

Among melee specialists, few were uncommon who transmuted will into power.

But only the Holy Knight could purely wield will-force to outright endure sorcery.

“Holy Sword. Slay Evil.” The Hero’s blade blazed with the purest light of will.

The origin of this lineage of Heroic Souls was righteous rage against evil and injustice.

Li En lunged forward, stepping into the gravity field—his head and feet now perceptually inverted.

Stepping into the cave was like leaping from midair.

He did not resist gravity’s pull; instead, he used that instant of gravitational inversion to amplify his leap’s momentum.

At the peak, Li En gathered his strength.

“Ha!” A roar tore through the air—the might of the Wallbreaker shattered the evil sorcery’s restraint.

At his predetermined landing point, Li En broke free from gravity’s grip.

Light gathered along the blade’s edge.

Man and sword plummeted together, driven by inertia.

“Boom!” The light exploded.

This time, it was the full version: Shattered Sword. Break the Boundary.

From the blade’s tip erupted a furious storm of holy energy, its direction extending along the blade’s path.

For the first time, this technique did not injure Li En himself.

Yet he still did not strike his target.

“Clang!” A black-gray “shield” blocked the blade.

Li En frowned at the writhing “wall” before him.

It was a woven shield of bone—formed from at least ten “horns.”

Maria still stood there, but from her body protruded countless “gray-black tentacles.”

The familiar texture and hue instantly reminded Li En of the Horned Ones’ horns.

Elsena was one of the Ancient Beasts, known by the Ancients as the Gray Great Horned Stag.

Stags were peaceful creatures; their only weapon was their horns.

Yet those were also their most dangerous, hardest parts—purely bony structures.

Their sharpness could easily serve as bone arrows or bone spears.

“My children do not like you. Stay away from us.” The woman still smiled.

The horns, like twisted limbs, slowly shifted, wrapping around her, shielding her—and threatening Li En.

Li En frowned; the thought that these “horns” likely came from children’s skulls only stoked his rage.

“Hum!” The gravity field suddenly reversed again, successfully suppressing Li En once more!

This time, the gravitational pressure was far stronger than before—he nearly collapsed to his knees.

“Damn.” Li En gritted his teeth, drove force through his legs, and stood upright again.

Maria merely continued smiling at him.

Having confirmed “inverted up-down” was ineffective against Li En, she redirected all her power into doubling the gravity’s weight.

The ambush had failed, but Maria did not pause—those horns were her true weapons of slaughter.

A relentless, rapid barrage transformed into a net of piercing spikes covering her opponent.

Perhaps she truly lacked combat skill—but that did not mean the beast’s instinct for hunting and killing was weak!

“Break Evil.” Li En’s response remained the searing Holy Sword.

“Clang!”

Even as every strike was blocked by the swift ten-horn defense, Li En did not retreat an inch.

Even as wounds piled across his body, he did not pause for a moment.

He swung the Holy Sword with total focus—each strike fiercer, faster than the last.

No need for blind roars; the flame of fury burned steadily in his chest.

The Holy Sword, named for rage, grew sharper as its wielder’s resolve deepened.

“Clang.”

Finally, this time the blade was not blocked.

The Armor-Eroding War Sword successfully severed one horn. Though Li En now seemed to hold the advantage, he showed no sign of triumph.

“Clang!” His timely parry blocked the sudden extension of the severed horn!

In just an instant, the severed horn regenerated and extended into a thrust.

Had Li En not been vigilant, he would have been pierced outright. As a warrior, he had matured far too much.

“Oh? Don’t you know antlers regenerate?”

Li En knew perfectly well—and had always been prepared. Hek’s memory had left him too deep a lesson; he would never slacken on the battlefield again.

Deer antlers, as bony tissue, are indeed the only large organ in mammals capable of full regeneration—but is this regeneration speed normal?

“Clang!” He blocked another volley of thrusts.

“Huh.” At this moment, having completed his intel gathering, Li En suddenly sighed and shook his head.

“You… are no warrior. Just a foolish beast.”

“What do you mean?” Maria could not understand—she held total advantage, so why say this?

Was this a deceptive lie? Or a dying man’s delusion?

But Li En gave no reply—he simply raised his sword in silence.

His body ached; the pressure never ceased.

The high-speed twisting “antlers” were too numerous, their bursts too fast to track with the eye—his two hands could not possibly handle them all.

Wounds kept accumulating; his blood had flowed until his nerves nearly went numb.

“But so what?”

A memory resurfaced: facing an endless legion, a god towering above, dozens of knights equal to himself, facing a destiny sealed in doom—how did the true Holy Knight act?

“Break Evil.” Will is power. Before death arrives, the knight does not kneel.

The blazing fire in his heart finally solidified into a calm, steady blade.

I merely swing my sword.

No need to consider the long term, no need to weigh victory or defeat, not even life or death—I do my utmost, and victory will favor the stronger!

And I have confirmed: at this moment, I am stronger!

“Boom!”

Evil must be exterminated!

This time, even with several bone horns blocking, the heavy strike could not be stopped!

Two bones were severed; the blade pierced through the defense net and smashed directly into Maria’s shoulder!

As the woman showed shock on her face for the first time, a geyser of blood erupted from her shoulder.

Li En had struck precisely—the “head” on her shoulder was crushed.

Blood spattered all the way to the cave’s ceiling.

The blade sank deep into her body—but it was not over.

Li En immediately drew a deep breath, then unleashed another surge of force—the silver blade ignited into a storm of holy energy!

“Shattered Sword. Break the Boundary!”

“Boom!”

A chain of explosions delivered lethal, shattering damage.

Once in state, Li En’s transition from “Eroding Sword” to “Shattered Sword” required only an instant.

“Break Evil.” The explosions had not ended—the warrior’s next slash was already coming.

Li En had no habit of waiting for smoke to clear to assess results—he swung again, instantly, at high speed.

Talk? We’ll chat after you’re dead.

As that old sly Holy Knight once said: face any opponent—just swing your sword.

“Clang.”

This time, it was caught between two black claws.

The woman, now partially bestialized, bore bloodied scars and bulging veins across her cheeks; parts of her limbs had become inhuman.

“Tch. Strong brute force.”

Feeling the raw power, Li En was forced backward.

Yet Li En himself smiled.

He had seen it: his previous strike had worked well—not only had he cut through one “head” and half her shoulder.

With one symbiont lost, her bodily balance and stability had been shattered.

Rapidly regenerating flesh piled into grotesque lumps; she had long since lost her human form.

“My child, my poor child,” the woman continued wailing, her voice choked with tears.

Li En chuckled softly, too lazy to respond—where had she even copied these deceitful words from?

“You may be strong, but you’re still a waste.”

In a calm tone, he swung his blade again with full force—this time, holy light blazed along its edge.

“Boom!”

Her claws blocked the blade, but the holy shockwave from the shattered strike exploded directly against her face!

Mastering a second sword technique doesn’t mean merely adding one more card to your hand.

For seasoned warriors, an extra tactical option opens up countless possibilities in combat.

“Die.” Li En, never pausing, swung his sword again with brutal force.

“Clang!” He stomped forward, sinking straight into a crater in the earth.

This time, the sudden attack came from above.

Maria’s renewed gravitational pressure seemed to pin him down.

“Exorcise.” Even as his body leaned precariously, even as his bones groaned in agony—could it truly stop him from swinging?!”

“Aaaahhh!” Maria’s face twisted with incomprehensible emotion—her useless smile had been shattered.

This time, the blade sank deep into flesh—and slashed violently!

The blade pierced through Maria’s defenses at nearly waist level, completing a horizontal cut that tore a gaping wound across her body.

Flames erupted upon it! Dragonfire inflicted secondary damage!

“Die with me!” But at the same time, realizing she couldn’t block it, the monster chose a trade of wounds.

As he struck his opponent, Li En was simultaneously impaled by a dozen sharp bone spikes bursting forth!

“So, there are more than five symbionts.” Li En simply tore the bone spikes from his body without a word.

If I’d been unarmored or wearing ordinary armor, I’d be dead already.

But this armor I wear now? Far from ordinary.

As for the exposed flesh without armor? I protected my head. A few wounds elsewhere? What’s that to a warrior?

“You don’t feel pain, do you?” He’d suspected this since her head was severed—now it was confirmed.

“Hah. Human weaknesses don’t exist in me.” The monster, half its face and body twisted beyond recognition, finally showed some emotion.

Did it sense a threat to its life?

Li En smiled. Emotion? Good. That just confirmed a useful piece of intelligence.

Pain is a weakness? Hah.

Li En took a deep breath and raised his twin blades once more.

So it’s a trade of wounds? So you’re fearless of pain? I’ve fought worse.

But when you combine both? Is that really an advantage for a warrior?!

“Exorcise.” The holy sword swung again—this time, more precise, more deadly.

The two clashed at point-blank range, neither able to dodge or parry.

Li En’s Dragon Eyes were fully open, minimizing his own losses.

Maria, her body twisted and deformed, dared not retreat a single step—she needed to maintain her gravity ability.

One slash, then another—Li En cut with wild delight.

One volley of bone spikes, then another—Li En grew numb to the pain.

In mere minutes, Li En couldn’t remember how many strikes he’d landed.

His entire body was riddled with wounds; his hardened armor was pierced through in several places—but his opponent was far worse off.

Limbs were severed constantly; flesh mutated uncontrollably—under Li En’s blows, she grew less and less human, even less like a Horned One!

Her body was covered in grotesque lumps; her original balance was utterly shattered.

From her disfigured limbs, at least seven or eight heads had sprouted.

The monster had swollen several times over—its bulk now reached the cavern’s ceiling.

Her strength had grown; the bone spikes had thickened; the bone whips lashed at Li En relentlessly.

The twisted humanity mixed with bestiality seemed to awaken.

“Why?! Why won’t you die!!” She couldn’t comprehend—hadn’t all her previous targets been crushed instantly?!

Fool, it’s because you’re amateurish—and your wounds aren’t deep enough. Li En, of course, didn’t answer truthfully.

Can you control a dozen exotic weapons at once and still maintain power and precision? Are you some kind of superweapon master? Or a supercomputer with multitasking abilities?

Most of those bone spikes were instinctual attacks; only a few were deliberately controlled—and truly threatening.

So, use the Dragon Eyes to dodge or block them.

A truly excellent warrior needs only one strike!

“Waste of ability. Waste of a good hand.”

The only response to Maria’s confusion over why she couldn’t kill him? Li En’s sword, each strike heavier than the last.

Her gravity control was terrifyingly powerful—but she’d only developed it into a stationary casting stance.

That turned it into a niche ability, good only for bullying the weak.

Against those weaker than you, you crush them instantly. But against those who can endure? You’re just standing still, trading blows like a fool!

Abandoning mobility to stand and trade blows with a professional heavy armor warrior? Pure suicide.

At this moment, Li En almost pitied the transcendentals she’d killed before.

They’d been killed by such an amateur “Talent Beast.”

“Idiot.” Li En’s holy sword, always guided by his Dragon Eyes, maintained relentless damage output.

He steadily and efficiently targeted her weak points—the locations of those “heads.”

Resurrection wasn’t without cost—each head slain caused its corresponding bone spikes to freeze until it regenerated.

Even when they regenerated, the new spikes grew slower, duller, dumber.

More fatally, the shattered internal balance made her even more erratic and inhuman.

Li En, though covered in wounds, kept his bloodshot eyes locked on his foe—and Maria—

“You didn’t even notice the four weak spots on my back armor. All the wounds I’ve taken? From the front. And so far, because I’ve abandoned pain, you haven’t noticed what I’ve done.”

Li En was certain: this thing was an utterly incompetent warrior. How could such a fool kill him?

Perhaps her talent was unbeatable, her ability invincible—but overreliance on it made her stupider. She lacked deadliness experience entirely!

“Die!” This time, Li En’s holy sword shattered her defenses and severed her head!

Bestiality doesn’t mean immunity to fear—actually, the beast’s instinct is survival and continuation.

After regenerating again, she hesitated. She froze.

Was she unable to kill this man? Was this silver armor truly invulnerable? Were these wounds truly incapable of causing him pain?

“It hurts like hell—but so what?!”

Warriors don’t fight without bleeding. Li En’s face remained calm as he swung again.

Never show fear to a beast!

If you’re not afraid, the one who fears first is—

“Snap!”

The monster took a step back.

And at that moment, Li En felt his body grow lighter.

“Exorcise!” Li En’s unguarded strike came even more ferociously!

Trying to flee? Dream on!

Li En didn’t stop. The moment the restraint vanished, all his pent-up rage erupted into a chain of furious slashes.

The Acceleration Boots activated; the knight surged forward at full speed.

One slash, then another—wearing heavy armor, trading wounds, Li En’s blade grew fiercer, his face more monstrous.

“Die.”

The beast was afraid.

“No!” Finally, the monster was cleaved in two—half of it even began to flee!

It had lost all confidence in killing Li En; its animal instinct for survival had awakened.

But it was too late.

Li En didn’t pursue. He simply looked upward, silently.

“Boom!” Heavenly fire rained down, engulfing him completely.

His long-planned setup had finally reached its payoff.

Li En didn’t move closer. He didn’t relax. He knew this wasn’t the end.

“You forced me to do this…”

The flames didn’t fade—but rising from them, clad in fire, was a fully transformed Horned Deer monster.

A multi-headed, gray giant stag stood calmly, silently.

And Li En raised his longsword once more.

“How tragic, Sister Maria. Let me grant you release.”

(End of Chapter)