Chapter 1121
Exhaling a quiet breath, Raon shifted his weight into the Fangs of Insanity stance, his gaze sharpening into narrow slivers.
"I see Briana isn't making an appearance just yet."
The warrior gripping the hilt across from him wasn't Briana, but Brigitte. Instead of switching places with her sibling, she flooded her weapon with a violent aura, signaling her firm resolution to settle this herself.
"Are you not curious to witness the extent of my evolution?"
A smirk played on Brigitte’s lips as she leveled the point of her blade at Raon’s heart.
"My sister isn't the only person to have claimed the title of Queen of Swords!"
The moment the declaration left her mouth, she blurred across the stone of the training grounds with explosive speed. With a subtle flick of her wrist, Brigitte’s steel lunged forward like a lightning strike, arcing toward Raon’s throat with a high-pitched whistle.
Raon intercepted the incoming thrust, utilizing the Revolving Sky maneuver from the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation through his Heavenly Drive. The heavy impact caused both blades to spring back with equal force.
"I thought we agreed to refrain from using aura?"
The Divine Sword Tournament was traditionally a contest of pure skill without internal energy, yet she was brazenly circulating power through her limbs and her steel.
"Does it matter? As the first outsider to ever step into the Divine Sword Tournament, we might as well discard that restriction too."
Brigitte swung again, remarking that the lack of aura would make for a dull spectacle. Her aggressive footwork and savage martial style made the Queen of Swords moniker feel entirely appropriate. Raon ignited the embers of the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation along the length of Heavenly Drive to intercept Brigitte’s heavy blow.
However, the fire of the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation flickering on his blade was snuffed out, unable to withstand the sheer pressure of Brigitte’s energy.
'Has Brigitte truly reached this level of strength?'
Raon had undergone massive growth since their last encounter. His own energy quality was hovering just beneath the threshold of the Five Kings, meaning the flames on his sword shouldn't have been so easily extinguished. Yet, Brigitte had wiped his fire away with raw momentum and velocity. Even accounting for the fact that he wasn't pushing his limits, her combat ability was far beyond his anticipations.
With a sharp gust of wind, Brigitte pivoted on her toes, resetting her posture before bringing her sword down in a diagonal slash.
'Swift and devastating.'
While her technique had become less intricate and more direct, the sheer force behind it was formidable. Raon manifested a Fire Wall to catch the heavy descent of Brigitte’s blade. The jarring vibration of the contact traveled up his arms, making his shoulders shudder.
"What do you think? I’m a different person now, wouldn't you say?"
Brigitte gave a triumphant grin, resting the flat of her blade against her shoulder.
"Indeed. Even if your fundamental style remains familiar..."
Raon gave a composed nod, his eyes locked on her.
"Your physical threshold and the depth of your aura have seen a massive leap."
It was clear Brigitte had dedicated herself entirely to the refinement of her vessel and her energy, as both had expanded significantly. She was clearly relying on this newfound speed and power to simply blow past his defenses.
"It’s all thanks to you."
Brigitte offered a small smile as she lunged to the flank. Her sword scraped against the stone floor before rising in a vicious upward arc toward Raon’s midsection.
"But I must apologize..."
Raon planted his foot firmly and executed the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation - Crimson Slash with Heavenly Drive. The razor-edged arc of fire tore through Brigitte’s incoming strike as effortlessly as a master disarming a novice.
"How... how is this..."
Brigitte gasped, her breath hitching in pure shock.
"You have certainly improved, Lady Brigitte. Nevertheless..."
Raon blinked slowly, exerting a crushing pressure through his physical might, his speed, and the sheer density of his aura.
"My own advancement has been even more significant."
Throughout the trials of the Successor candidate testing, his combat prowess had reached heights that dwarfed his previous self.
Even though the returns on his growth slowed as his attributes climbed, the acquisition of over 200 points created a staggering disparity.
Furthermore, his disciplined daily regimen meant the distance between them could only increase. As Raon focused his internal energy and bodily strength, Brigitte’s defensive strike shattered like brittle glass, and she was sent reeling backward, her balance fluttering like a scrap of parchment in a gale.
"Ngh!"
Refusing to concede, Brigitte dug her heel in and lashed out with a horizontal sweep. Her sword was cloaked in a turbulent aura, designed to pulverize rather than slice, and it dropped like a hammer toward his chest.
Raon unleashed the Frost Snap with Heavenly Drive. Two streaks of cerulean light, powered by the Extreme Swift Sword Technique, carved through Brigitte’s momentum and sent her flying back with violent force.
"Hah..."
Tumbled back by the Frost Snap, Brigitte slammed a hand onto the ground to steady herself, her chest heaving as she stared in disbelief.
"Just what kind of freak are you?"
Her jaw hung slightly open, unable to process the reality.
"I have spent every waking hour honing my body and refining my energy with the purest elixirs in the Unyielding Blade, where the world's mana is most concentrated, yet your physical form is still superior!"
Brigitte could only shake her head at the impossibility of it.
-That is the only logical response.
Wrath let out a brief sigh, expressing a rare moment of agreement with Brigitte's bewilderment.
-This individual is an anomaly favored by the heavens themselves. It is not just mortals; even the high-ranking Demons and Angels cannot hope to match his progression.
The entity shook his head, claiming that such a being couldn't be found even if one scoured every existing dimension.
"I happened upon a bit of enlightenment."
Raon gave a modest smile, attributing his success to good fortune.
"Gaining insight into the sword is one thing, but that shouldn't fundamentally rewrite your aura and physical limits like this!"
Brigitte scowled, finding the explanation nonsensical.
"I anticipated you would be more powerful, but I never imagined you would exceed our most generous projections."
The heat of her initial aggression seemed to cool into a hollow, breathless laugh.
"However, as you are well aware, this isn't the extent of our preparations."
Brigitte inhaled deeply, letting her sword tip drop.
"While I focused on the body and the spirit, my sister spent her time refining the blade within the world of the mind. We have been traveling the very road you pointed out to us."
After warning him to stay sharp, she allowed her eyelids to fall shut. When they snapped open again, the atmosphere shifted instantly. Briana, the peerless prodigy of her era who bore the title of Queen of Swords, had taken control.
"I assume you've enjoyed yourself, bullying my sister?"
A thin smile touched Briana’s lips as she appraised Raon. While her expression mirrored Brigitte's, the intent behind it was worlds apart. It wasn't a display of growth, but a focused, lethal competitive spirit aimed at his total defeat.
"And you have the audacity to manifest aura during the hallowed Divine Sword Assembly?"
She tightened her left hand into a fist, signaling that this transgression would not be overlooked.
"It wasn't my doing, Lady Briana. Your sister was the one who broke the seal first."
Raon shook his head, pointing out that Brigitte had initiated the use of internal power.
"Irrelevant. The fact that it was utilized at all is the issue!"
Despite the reprimand, Briana’s smile turned genuine and bright.
"Since the rules are already broken, let us cast aside all pretenses and engage in a true battle."
She gestured for him to bring his full strength. As Briana unleashed her presence, a volcanic surge of aura erupted around her. The sheer magnitude of her power was enough to clear the mist clinging to the Unyielding Blade.
"I won't lie, I was hoping for exactly that."
Glacial frost and searing heat climbed from the ground beneath Raon. The two opposing forces rose like massive pillars at his back, steadying his frame.
"Let's begin."
With a chilly grin, Briana vanished, reappearing instantly on his right. It was a flawless display of footwork, embodying the core of the Extreme Swift Sword Technique. She thrust her blade toward Raon’s shoulder, the strike moving so fast it seemed to devour the sound of its own passing—she had clearly ascended to a new realm of mastery.
Raon’s pulse quickened as he parried Briana’s sword, which felt as though it were distorting time and perception.
"You have climbed much higher than before."
Briana had polished her swordsmanship to a degree that perfectly complemented Brigitte’s physical and energetic breakthroughs. Had he not evolved through his own recent trials, simply stopping that opening move would have been a struggle.
"With my sister lending me her full strength, I would be a failure as an elder sibling if I hadn't achieved at least this much."
Briana nodded, acknowledging that Brigitte’s support allowed her to focus entirely on the art of the kill.
"Then it is my turn to press the advantage."
Raon pushed off the balls of his feet and lunged at Briana. Bringing Heavenly Drive into a middle stance, he unleashed the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation. Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation - Heavenly Drive. Thirty-Six Crimson Flash Techniques. He rained down thirty-six simultaneous, searing strikes, each one aimed at a vital point on Briana’s body.
"I am familiar with this move."
Briana stated she was prepared for it, tracing a wide circle with her sword to create a defensive perimeter capable of catching all thirty-six strikes at once.
"It isn't quite the same as the version you remember."
A fraction of a second before the Crimson Flashes met her steel, Raon subtly shifted his grip on Heavenly Drive. In that heartbeat, various different sword truths were woven into each of the thirty-six strikes, altering their cadence and trajectory as they bore down on her.
"You truly are a madman."
Briana caught her breath as she hoisted her weapon. Her eyes flashed with a mix of shock and pure exhilaration. She abandoned her circular defense and met the modified Crimson Flashes head-on. With a fierce, almost painful twist of her wrist, she lunged into the storm.
Briana’s blade danced with a sophisticated, fluid complexity, methodically nullifying every single one of the thirty-six strikes. It looked like a master artist erasing a pencil sketch with a single stroke.
"Unbelievable..."
Raon exhaled as he witnessed Briana dismantle his technique.
'She identified every single principle I integrated and countered them with the exact opposing truth, forcing the technique back into its basic form.'
In a flash of insight, Briana had read the rhythm of the Thirty-Six Crimson Flash Techniques and fabricated a flawless solution. Even though he had introduced variables she hadn't seen, he hadn't expected her to neutralize them so effortlessly.
"Did you think I spent my time in the mental world doing anything other than figuring out how to beat you? Not even the Ten Thousand Swords is without a flaw."
Briana raised her fist, signaling him to brace himself.
"This is becoming quite fascinating."
Raon smiled, lifting Heavenly Drive once more.
"I suppose it's time I take this seriously and defeat you both properly."
Despite their smiles, the killing intent radiating from their weapons was as hot as molten lead.
Raon and Briana traded blows in a blur of motion. Their mastery of the blade was so advanced that their clashing styles decorated the sky above the Unyielding Blade like falling stars.
"Hah..."
Martha squeezed her fist tight as she watched the duel unfold.
'They're making the rank of Grandmaster look like child's play...'
She couldn't even follow the exchange clearly. Raon and Briana were fighting with such intensity that their movements were barely discernible. She could only guess at their intent and the paths of their blades by the faint distortions they left in the air.
'I am still so far behind.'
Martha bit her lip, watching Raon gradually put the pressure on Briana.
'I've grown soft since I took my vengeance on the White Blood Religion’s leader and found my mother.'
Her life’s mission had been to settle that score and rescue her parent. While she had been savoring the peace with her mother, Raon had been relentlessly pushing himself toward even more distant horizons.
Seeing that Raon—who was already leagues beyond her—was pushing himself even harder, she felt a sharp pang of regret and shame.
'My father would be ashamed to see me like this.'
Denier would have undoubtedly scolded her for her complacency.
'I need to be an asset to Raon.'
Just as Raon had put his life on the line for her sake, she realized she had to devote her existence to standing by his side. She gripped the hilt of her sword, vowing to train until her body gave out, just as she used to.
'If it comes to it...'
Martha gave a sharp nod, her eyes drifting toward Dorian, who was watching the fight with his mouth agape.
'I’ll even resort to borrowing a demon's strength, just as he does.'
Briana was sent tumbling by Raon’s sword, hitting the dirt of the Unyielding Blade with a heavy thud.
"Kuh!"
She bit her parched lip as she forced her dusty frame back upright.
"That monster..."
Briana gnashed her teeth, staring at Raon, who stood there perfectly poised.
'How is such a level of power even possible?'
She had sacrificed sleep to hone her blade in a mental realm where time was stretched, while her sister had endured agonizing monotony to perfect her vessel and energy. Despite two geniuses working in perfect tandem, it was nonsensical that Raon’s progress had moved into an entirely different dimension of reality.
"That was quite something."
Raon gave a respectful nod, noting the small nicks on the back of his hand and his shoulder.
"You have progressed significantly. I truly didn't expect you to reach such a peak."
"Is that meant to be a compliment?"
Hearing praise from someone who used to be unremarkable made her temper flare.
"I intended to save this until it was perfected..."
Briana stole a glance at the Thespian Emperor before lowering her guard slightly.
"But if I don't stop you here, I won't get another chance."
She leveled her sword and summoned her sister's essence from the core of her being. The souls of Briana and Brigitte manifested simultaneously within the single vessel, causing her eyes to glow with two distinct lights.
"That is..."
Raon took a sharp breath as he felt Briana’s soul domain undergo a violent surge in power.
"It’s a secret technique Ariel developed for me. For a fleeting moment, it allows us to merge our souls and maximize our combat potential."
Proclaiming she would settle the score today, Briana unleashed every ounce of her accumulated technique, her soul domain, and her aura. Her fighting spirit radiated with a blinding light, washing over the entirety of the Unyielding Blade.
"A truly magnificent sight."
Raon nodded with sincere respect.
"In that case, I will also hold nothing back."
With a focused, solemn expression, he brought the glowing Heavenly Drive down in a single stroke. Briana’s world suddenly turned white as the grand display of martial power she had conjured with her sister dissolved like mist in the morning sun, as if it had never been there at all.
When the brilliance faded, Raon stood before her, his arm extended as if he had performed only a solitary, simple motion.
"What... what just happened..."
Briana gasped, unable to reconcile what she had seen with the sensation that had just passed through her.
"You... exactly how high have you climbed..."
She was shaking, realizing she could no longer even perceive the ceiling of his power.
"Seeing you both push yourselves to the limit helped me realize something."
Raon offered a faint smile, acknowledging that the duel with Briana had provided him with a new perspective.
"So, you've reached it then?"
Briana swallowed hard, looking up at him.
"No. I am still shy of the Five Kings. But thanks to the two of you..."
Raon smiled, sheathing Heavenly Drive. He nodded, his eyes filled with a new sense of certainty.
"I believe the moment is finally within reach."
