Chapter 190

Time flowed like water, quietly passing by.

In the blink of an eye, only a few days remained until the opening of the bloodline altar.

Luo En stood at the entrance of the simulated combat device, but his mood was completely different from last time.

It was no longer the anxiety of facing the unknown, but an anticipation of returning to the battlefield.

The previous clash with the Tiger-man weapon master Aksa had yielded him a rich harvest.

Not only did his swordsmanship break through to proficiency, but he also gained a deeper understanding of combat.

This time, he also came with a clear goal.

"Apprentice Luo En!" A familiar voice came from the control room.

Luo En turned his head to look, seeing a middle-aged man wearing an alchemist's robe waving at him.

"Mentor Grison." Luo En bowed slightly in greeting.

Grison was the alchemist responsible for maintaining the simulated combat device in the school, and also an acquaintance Luo En met through Tang Pusen's introduction.

"Heard that your ranking in the candidate wizard sequence has risen a lot recently?"

Grison walked over with a smile, patting Luo En on the shoulder: "As expected of the school's newly promoted genius potion-maker."

"Thank you for your praise." Luo En responded modestly, but a bit of determination flashed in his eyes:

"Today I want to challenge the Tiger-man weapon master again."

Grison raised an eyebrow: "Aksa? That's a 'difficult' level opponent; the last record showed you could tie with him, which really surprised me."

"However, the fee will be a bit less this time." He lowered his voice:

"Tang Pusen has already greeted me; you are someone who will use the simulation device long-term, so I can just charge you 5 magic stone fragments."

"Many thanks, Mentor." Luo En handed over 5 magic stone fragments, secretly happy in his heart.

As his status in the candidate wizard sequence rose, the resources and connections he could access were also constantly expanding.

This change, although subtle, was real.

"I have already debugged the device." Grison said while walking:

"Because you have had one successful combat record, Aksa's data model has already linked with your spirit; theoretically, this combat will be even more fluid."

Luo En nodded, already having a basic understanding of the working principle of this simulated combat device.

The simulated combat device does not just simply create opponents, but extracts information from the user's spirit to create a combat environment most suitable for the current user.

"Good luck." Grison stopped in front of the console and made a gesture of invitation.

Luo En took a deep breath and stepped into that familiar thick iron door.

Darkness enveloped him, followed by the familiar feeling of spiritual power scanning.

As if countless tiny tentacles were gently brushing over his entire body, collecting his status information.

When light returned, Luo En found himself standing in a completely different arena from last time.

This was a more open battlefield, surrounded by ancient stone pillars, the ground paved with rough sand and gravel.

The distant skyline presented a strange dark red color, as if it were an eternal dusk.

"This is..." Luo En looked around; unlike last time, this time he was already able to roughly identify it:

"A bit like the 'Black Sand Wasteland' of the third layer of the abyss recorded in books?"

"Sharp observation, young apprentice." A low and familiar voice came from behind.

Luo En turned around, seeing Aksa's tall and burly figure standing about ten steps away.

The Tiger-man held a greatsword, appearing even more majestic than last time.

"Long time no see, Master Aksa." Luo En nodded slightly, his eyes revealing a bit of friendliness.

"It's only been a few months."

Aksa's amber eyes shimmered with fighting intent: "But your aura is already completely different. I can feel that you have become stronger, young man."

Luo En did not deny it, instead reaching out to draw the sword at his waist.

"Hope to bring you a better opponent this time." He smiled, slowly assuming a starting stance.

Aksa nodded, the greatsword drawing an arc in the air: "Let me see your progress!"

Before the words fell, the Tiger-man had already erupted into an attack!

Compared to the last exchange, Aksa's offensive was clearly more fierce.

The greatsword's waving brought up bursts of strong wind, rolling up a thin mist of sand and gravel from the ground.

But what surprised Luo En was that this time, facing Aksa's attack, he was able to respond calmly.

Sword and sword intersected, emitting a crisp metallic clashing sound.

Luo En's body seemed to have instinctively remembered the best way to respond; the moment the greatsword struck, his body had naturally made the most appropriate reaction.

This feeling was both familiar and strange—what was familiar was the combat rhythm, and what was strange was this calm and composed sense of control.

During the last exchange, he could only barely keep up with Aksa's rhythm;

And now, he could even spare energy during the clash to observe the subtle changes in the opponent's facial expressions.

"Great progress!" Aksa praised, while casually changing moves, the greatsword suddenly changing to a horizontal sweep, the target pointing directly at Luo En's waist.

Luo En advanced instead of retreating, his body leaning back slightly, while the long sword in his hand stabbed out quickly, aiming directly at the Tiger-man master's right arm.

This stab was fast as lightning, precise and incomparable!

Aksa had to interrupt the offensive, swinging the greatsword back to block.

The two swords collided again, this time emitting a dull roar, as if thunder had exploded.

A flash of surprise appeared in the Tiger-man's eyes.

Luo En's mouth curled slightly; under the blessing of proficient-level swordsmanship, every strike of his contained the trait of 【Sharpness Exposed】.

Capable of precisely finding the opponent's weak point and gaining a speed bonus when attacking.

More importantly, during this period, his bloodline excitation level had reached a proficient level, and his physique attributes were constantly improving.

Plus the assistance of various magic potions, his physical fitness was no longer what it used to be.

The two went back and forth, sword moves fierce.

For ten whole rounds, neither could gain a clear upper hand.

Aksa's power and speed remained powerful, every strike containing astonishing force;

While Luo En relied on exquisite swordsmanship and flexible body techniques to circle with him.

"Looks like I need to get serious."

In the eleventh round, Aksa suddenly stepped back, his gaze becoming sharp.

The Tiger-man's aura changed abruptly, a violent energy erupting from within his body, causing the surrounding air to twist.

"Monarch's Protection!"

Aksa roared an ancient beast-race language he couldn't understand, his entire body's muscles instantly expanding by a circle, his hair becoming denser, emanating a golden-red luster.

Luo En felt a powerful pressure coming toward him, unable to help but narrow his eyes.

"My turn!" He showed no fear, instead revealing a smile of anticipation.

Closing his eyes lightly, Luo En began to mobilize the boiling bloodline power within his body.

—Life Explosion, Boiling Blood

With a low exhale, Luo En's body was instantly surrounded by a layer of faint blood-red halo.

His eyes became brighter, and the power flowing in the blood vessels under his skin was vaguely visible.

As a bloodline knight, "Life Explosion" was one of his most basic but also most practical abilities.

By stimulating the potential in the bloodline, he could significantly improve various bodily functions in a short time.

When he opened his eyes again, his entire aura had completely changed—sharp, firm, filled with pressure.

Aksa's eyes flashed with surprise, but soon it was replaced by the excitement of combat: "Come, young warrior!"

With a battle roar that shook the sky, the Tiger-man waved his greatsword, rushing toward Luo En like a golden-red lightning bolt.

Luo En advanced instead of retreating, rushing forward at high speed as well.

The two met in the center of the arena; the moment their weapons intersected, a visible shockwave erupted, shaking away all the sand and gravel around them, forming a hollow circle with a diameter of about three meters.

The ensuing battle became exceptionally intense.

Every strike of Aksa contained power sufficient to destroy huge rocks.

While Luo En relied on the enhanced reaction speed and physical fitness in the boiling blood state, either dodging or blocking, while looking for opportunities to counterattack.

When the battle reached the twentieth round, the two were already locked in a stalemate.

Aksa's attacks remained fierce, but Luo En was already able to fully keep up with his rhythm, even occasionally seizing opportunities to launch counterattacks that left the Tiger-man master struggling to cope.

Looking at the young man in front of him who was almost evenly matched with him, Aksa's eyes flashed with respect and appreciation.

"Didn't expect that in just a few months, you could grow to this extent."

The Tiger-man weapon master leaped backward after a weapon collision, his tone carrying a bit of admiration.

Luo En took a deep breath and smiled slightly: "This is also thanks to the last exchange with you, which gave me a deeper understanding of swordsmanship."

"Since that's the case, let me see your full strength!"

Aksa suddenly raised his greatsword high, his entire body's muscles tensed to the limit.

An unprecedentedly powerful aura erupted from the Tiger-man's body, the surrounding air seemingly ignited, forming a circle of visible heat waves.

Luo En knew that Aksa was going to decide the outcome.

"Good!" He showed no fear, instead his fighting intent grew even stronger.

During this period, his boiling blood techniques had also made great progress, already able to more precisely control the eruption and flow of bloodline power.

—Bloodline Resonance, Red Dragon!

Luo En shouted in a low voice, the red-blood flying dragon bloodline that had been completely assimilated within his body instantly triggered, resonating perfectly with his own bloodline.

A surging life force erupted from his body, his entire body's muscles becoming sturdier in an instant, a faint phantom of red scales vaguely visible on the skin surface.

This was a bloodline technique he had mastered recently.

By resonating with a specific bloodline, he could stimulate even more powerful strength in a short time.

"Clang!"

Both moved simultaneously, weapons intersecting, a deafening metallic clashing sound erupting in the center of the arena.

Almost at the same instant, both retreated several steps, and then rushed toward each other again like two lightning bolts.

In the arena, only sword light could be seen flickering, figures blurred, accompanied by bursts of crisp metallic clashing sounds.

The speed of the exchange was so fast that it exceeded the tracking limit of vision, only two afterimages could be seen intertwining in the center of the arena, constantly colliding.

In the high-speed exchange, Luo En fought more bravely as the battle progressed.

In the boiling blood state, his reaction and perception had reached an unprecedented level of sharpness.

He could clearly perceive the subtle muscle tension before every attack of Aksa, and the slight changes in breathing during every move change.

Under the blessing of the 【Sharpness Exposed】 trait, his grasp of Aksa's weak points also became increasingly precise.

—Right now!

Luo En seized a small gap after one of Aksa's horizontal sweeps, the whole person rushing out like an arrow from a bow, the long sword in his hand stabbing out at a strange angle.

This sword was unimaginably fast, precise and suffocating!

Aksa's expression changed, raising his sword to block in a rush, but it was already a step too late.

"Clang!"

The long sword intersected with the greatsword, but the power contained in this sword exceeded Aksa's expectations.

After being struck, the greatsword actually flew out of his hand, spinning several times in the air before deeply inserting itself into the ground more than ten meters away.

The arena fell into a brief silence.

Aksa stood frozen in place, shaking his empty hands, then looked up at Luo En.

"I lost."

The weapon master admitted frankly, a bit of relief actually appearing on his face:

"Didn't expect that this day would come so soon."

Luo En stood with his sword, bowing slightly: "To be able to defeat you, I feel very honored."

"No need to be overly humble, young man."

Aksa walked forward, the fierce hanging eyes actually revealing a bit of gratification:

"Your progress far exceeded my expectations. During the last exchange, you could only be considered passable, but now, you have already stood at the threshold of a true powerhouse."

A sense of achievement that was hard to describe surged in Luo En's heart.

Once upon a time, Aksa was still an existence that could easily kill him in his eyes, but now, he could even defeat the other party with just swordsmanship.

"Actually, there is something I didn't have time to tell you last time." Aksa suddenly spoke, his tone becoming a bit heavy.

Luo En scratched his arm; because he had stayed longer than last time, he had already started to feel some itching on his body, just like... as if scales were about to grow.

It seems the simulated combat device was also trying its best to imitate the abyssal curse effect brought by the third layer of the abyss.

He resisted the itching that came unconsciously from his body, turned to look at the Tiger-man master, and waited for his follow-up.

"I am not a truly existing life, just a remnant soul sealed in the simulation device."

Aksa's voice was low and calm, his eyes carrying some distant memories.

Although he had a premonition, hearing this sentence, Luo En still felt a bit shocked: "You were once a truly existing weapon master?"

The Tiger-man nodded:

"Once, I was the chief warrior of the Fierce Claw Tribe. In a war with a hostile tribe, we were defeated and captured by the wizards who conquered this area at the time."

The Tiger-man master's gaze seemed to traverse time and space, looking toward the distant past:

"Most of the clansmen were used as experimental materials, while I, because of my exquisite skills, was selected to be sealed in this simulation device to provide real combat experience for the wizards."

"This should be... something that happened many years ago, right?" Luo En asked softly.

"One hundred thirty-seven years and eight months."

Aksa answered precisely, a bit of a bitter smile appearing on his face:

"For a remnant soul that can only move in a simulated space, time is the easiest thing to calculate."

A complex emotion surged in Luo En's heart.

Sympathy, admiration, and a renewed awareness of the cruel reality of the wizard world.

"But I don't feel too bored." Aksa continued, his tone calm:

"As a weapon master, being able to constantly exchange blows with powerhouses and witness the growth of one generation of geniuses after another is also a unique kind of significance."

The Tiger-man master looked at Luo En, his eyes flashing with appreciation:

"Especially someone like you whose progress speed is so fast, and who uses pure martial arts to duel with me; even in the long years of over a hundred years, I haven't met many."

Luo En bowed slightly: "Being able to receive your guidance is my greatest honor."

"Hehe, now it should be me bowing to a future powerhouse like you."

Aksa waved his hand, feeling a bit amused:

"Speaking of which, besides wanting to verify your progress, do you have any other purpose for coming this time?"

Luo En pondered for a moment, deciding to be honest:

"Besides sparring with you, I also want to learn more about the combat methods of abyssal creatures, especially the multi-armed snake demon."

In the intelligence he obtained, there were quite a few mutated species infected by the abyss appearing in the bloodline altar.

And through the "abyssal difficulty" of the simulated combat represented by the multi-armed snake demon, it seemed there were also special rewards...

"Multi-armed snake demon?"

Aksa raised an eyebrow: "That's not an easy guy to deal with; even as a hybrid, it has combat power close to a formal wizard."

"How much do you know about them?" Luo En asked.

"Since you want to learn about the multi-armed snake demon." Aksa just said: "Why not experience it directly in simulated combat?"

"Then, thank you for your guidance this time, Master Aksa."

Luo En said sincerely: "Hope that next time we meet, I can bring you more surprises."

Aksa's mouth curled into a gratified smile: "I believe that day won't be too far away."

As soon as the words fell, the surrounding environment began to twist and deform.

The Tiger-man's tall figure also gradually became blurred, finally disappearing into the twisted space.

When his vision became clear again, Luo En found himself in a completely different environment.

This was a huge cave, the rock walls around shimmering with faint blue phosphorescence.

The air was filled with a damp atmosphere, and the smell of sulfur was vaguely audible.

The ground was slippery and rough, like rock that had been eroded by some corrosive liquid for a long time.

"The environment of the fourth layer of the abyss..."

Luo En felt a bit dizzy, seemingly seeing double.

He silently operated the basic meditation method, only then feeling this state improve significantly, then vigilantly looked around.

The duel with Aksa was more like a pure exchange of martial arts, but now, he could feel the danger and hostility permeating the air.

A faint friction sound came from the depths of the cave, like the sound of some creature wriggling on the rock.

Luo En immediately entered combat state, holding his long sword, his spirit highly concentrated.

The friction sound got closer and clearer.

Suddenly, a voice echoed in the cave, cold and harsh, as uncomfortable as metal friction:

"Smelled warm blood... fresh souls..."

Luo En's hair stood on end instantly, an instinctive alertness sweeping through his entire body.

This was not the upright martial aura of Aksa, but a pure, unmasked evil.

In the darkness, six eyes shimmering with faint light suddenly lit up, arranged in two rows, slowly moving toward him.

(End of chapter)