Chapter 1154
"Duel...?"
Raon swallowed hard, his voice a dry rasp as he echoed Glenn’s decree.
"To the brink of death?"
He had anticipated that Glenn would make them clash, but the requirement to fight until life nearly faded made him let out a hollow, stunned laugh.
"A match, then..."
Burren gave a stoic nod, acting as though he had foreseen this exact development.
"Makes sense! We need to gauge their capabilities first!"
Martha ran her tongue over her lips, her eyes gleaming with anticipation as she tightened her grip.
"Indeed... true advancement begins with combat..."
Runaan appeared to be drifting off, yet she began rolling her shoulders with her eyelids drooping halfway.
"M-more fighting? Is that all we do regardless of where we go?"
Dorian’s fingers twitched against his hilt, his face already pale with dread.
"We haven't even started, quit being such a spineless wreck!"
Krein delivered a sharp smack to Dorian’s back, barking at him to get a grip.
"This promises to be quite the spectacle."
Mark Goetun squeezed his fist shut, clearly eager to test himself against fresh opposition.
"Wait, what?"
Raon tilted his head, baffled by the strangely collected demeanor of the Light Wind Palace Swordsmen.
"Why is everyone acting so casual? Did you miss the part about fighting until the very end?"
He scanned the Light Wind Palace group, his gaze a stern warning that this wasn't some routine exercise and required total focus.
"Excuse me...?"
"Have you lost your mind?"
"...Raon?"
Burren, Martha, and Runaan stared back at him, blinking in total confusion at his sudden concern.
"Y-Young Master? Are you being for real right now?"
"This man is truly something else..."
"Eh?"
Dorian’s jaw hung open in disbelief, Krein ground his teeth as if he’d been mocked, and even Mark Goetun looked lost.
-You really are a lunatic...
Wrath let out a sharp, mocking cackle.
-You’ve been dragging them through life-and-death struggles for ages! You did it every single day!
The spirit turned away, seemingly unable to process how Raon could be so oblivious.
-You thrashed them when you were bored, thrashed them when they looked sluggish, thrashed them because the meal was bland, and now you act like this!
Wrath shook his tiny fist, demanding Raon acknowledge his own history of brutality.
'Oh...'
A soft realization escaped Raon as he took in the frustrated glares of the swordsmen and the indignation of Wrath. Seeing their faces, it finally clicked why they were reacting with such nonchalance.
"Ahem."
Raon shifted his eyes away, choosing to look at the other warriors instead.
"A duel?"
"If it's to the death, how much intensity are we talking about?"
"It means we fight as if our lives are on the line. This is going to be brutal."
"He's laying it on thick from the very first day."
In stark contrast to the Light Wind Palace crew, the other swordsmen were white-knuckling their weapons, their brows knit in visible anxiety. The frantic trembling in their eyes betrayed their nerves.
'I see...'
Raon nodded to himself after comparing the two groups.
'It's only my people who are acting weird.'
The Light Wind Palace Swordsmen weren't scared at all—they were annoyed with him. It was a testament to the fact that the hell they had already survived was on a different level.
"..."
"It’s been far too long since I’ve traded blows with other Transcendents!"
Karoon stood motionless with his arms folded, while Alice gave an eager grin, stretching her limbs.
"Who’s my target? Everyone looks like they'd be fun to break!"
"Control yourself."
The Blade Queen tapped her feet in excitement, only to have the Warlord place a steadying hand on her shoulder. The only ones who seemed comfortable in the arena were the Light Wind Palace members and the four Transcendents.
"Hmm."
Glenn gave a small shake of his head as he surveyed the assembled warriors.
"In their current state, watching them fight would be a waste of time."
He clicked his tongue, noting the suffocating tension radiating from the ranks.
"Light Wind Palace Master."
Glenn used the formal title rather than calling Raon by name.
"Select those who will provide the opening demonstration."
He gestured slightly with his chin, indicating that Raon should pick a pair to set the tone and help the others find their rhythm.
"Understood."
Raon gave a crisp nod and turned toward the Light Wind Palace group on his right.
"Hmm."
"Hmph!"
"Yawn..."
Burren met his gaze steadily, Martha puffed out her chest to make herself the obvious choice, and Runaan let out a bored sigh.
"Urgh..."
"..."
Dorian looked away to avoid eye contact, while Krein tried to vanish behind Dorian’s bulk, holding his breath.
"Krein."
Raon called the name first, exactly as he did during the grueling sessions at the fifth training ground.
"And Dorian. Step out."
He signaled to both, summoning Dorian—the man who served as Krein's perpetual benchmark.
"Aaaaaagh!"
Krein let out a strangled cry, clutching his head in frustration.
"If this was the plan all along, why did you act like you'd forgotten!"
He gnashed his teeth, radiating resentment toward Raon.
"Why... why always me..."
Dorian shuffled forward, biting his lip in a mix of fear and resignation, too intimidated to actually complain.
"Darn it!"
"Sigh..."
Krein seethed while Dorian let out a heavy, dejected breath. Both seemed far more incensed by Raon's behavior than they were focused on the upcoming fight.
"Start with a light exchange."
Following Glenn's lead, Raon told them to keep it moderate to help settle the nerves of the onlookers. He then stepped back. The second the signal hit, Krein and Dorian lunged. Their footwork was a blur as they aimed for vital points. The ringing clash of steel echoed instantly!
Both swung with a ferocious intensity in their eyes, as if the previous reluctance had never existed.
With every heavy strike of their Astral Energy-laden blades, jagged scars were torn into the arena floor in rapid succession.
"I'm taking the win this time!"
"No way! If I lose, I'll be the one getting punished!"
The pair completely ignored the instruction for a "light" match. They unleashed devastating techniques as if they were blood enemies, hunting for any tiny gap in the other's defense.
"W-what is this?"
"I thought this was just a demonstration...?"
"Aren't they supposed to be inseparable friends?"
"Why are they trying to murder each other?"
"I had no clue Dorian and Krein had reached this level..."
The observing swordsmen swallowed hard, watching the two fight with a lethal desperation.
"You think we're doing this for fun!"
"If we don't go all out, the Palace Master will finish us himself!"
Krein and Dorian yelled back, shaking their heads as if to insist they were victims of circumstance. Yet even as they protested, their blades didn't slow, darting toward necks and hearts with terrifying precision.
"Hahaha! Yes! That's the spirit of a real duel!"
Balder, the True Martial Palace Master, sat on the dirt and clapped, thoroughly enjoying the display.
"I see the secret to the Light Wind Palace's power. If this is their daily routine, growth isn't a choice; it's an inevitability."
Serena, the Void Sword Division Leader, whispered that this was a mindset they needed to adopt, her eyes locked on the duel.
"..."
Karoon watched in silence, arms still crossed, looking genuinely intrigued. With a sudden, piercing lunge, Dorian used his Mind's Eye to predict Krein's path, driving his sword toward a momentary lapse in Krein's posture.
"Damn it!"
Krein scrambled to parry, but Dorian’s blade was faster and more clinical than his timid personality suggested. With a heavy thud, the flat of Dorian’s sword slammed into Krein’s chest, sending him sprawling across the dirt.
"Dammit..."
Krein bit his lip until blood surfaced, looking up with an expression that said losing hurt far more than the impact.
"G-good fight."
Dorian, drenched in sweat and looking far from a triumphant victor, reached out a hand.
"Heh, you got me today."
Krein gave a lopsided smirk as he took the hand and pulled himself up.
"I... I just got lucky. I could see what you were thinking."
Dorian offered a small, relieved smile, glad the ordeal was over.
"Hmm!"
As the two stood there, smiling and shaking hands, Raon walked over.
"P-Palace Master!"
"How was it?"
Dorian and Krein looked up at him with the eyes of students seeking approval.
"Insufficient. Your concentration wavered. Krein, your strikes lacked bite. Dorian, your reading was sluggish. Both of you missed at least ten chances to end it."
Raon clicked his tongue, offering nothing but cold critique.
"Go back to the line."
"Ugh..."
"Yes, sir..."
The pair slumped their shoulders, having no defense against the harsh assessment, and retreated.
"Oh, and you two will be going again shortly, so stay ready for a second round."
Raon tilted his chin up, making it clear their day was far from done.
"You monster! You absolute demon!"
"C-calm down!"
Krein bared his teeth and tried to lung at Raon, but Dorian grabbed his shoulders and hauled him back.
"...I finally see why the Light Wind Palace is a league of its own."
Serena gulped, the reality of their training culture sinking in.
"Let us resume. Light Wind Palace Master."
Glenn nodded, signaling that it was time to move to the Transcendent-level duels as planned.
"Yes."
Raon understood the intent and stepped forward, acknowledging Glenn as the patriarch.
"The challenger..."
Glenn’s eyes traveled over the Transcendents, weighing who should face Raon.
"Me!"
"Father! Pick me! Me! Me!"
Karoon dropped his arms and stepped forward, while Alice started jumping, shouting for Glenn to choose her.
"I want in too!"
"If the opportunity arises..."
The Blade Queen and the Warlord both reached for their weapons, expressing a fierce desire to test Raon. The air around them began to vibrate with battle aura; they weren't about to let a formal sparring session pass them by.
"Hmm..."
Glenn’s gaze swept the area before locking onto a single target. He pointed his finger.
"Blade Queen Siera. Step out."
Since this was an instructional setting, he used her name, Siera, rather than her formal title.
"Yes!"
The Blade Queen walked toward Raon with a beaming smile, clearly energized by the summons.
"I've been dying to see just how much my Lord has grown. To think we get to do this formally."
She rolled her wrists, her smile bright and dangerous.
"I hope I don't let you down."
Raon let out a steady breath and shook his head.
"I doubt that's possible. The aura I'm sensing right now..."
The Blade Queen licked her lips, her excitement palpable.
"It's every bit as sharp as mine!"
She pulled her scarlet blade, her teeth bared in a grin.
"I'll give you everything I have to ensure you aren't disappointed."
Raon drew Heavenly Drive, a smile mirroring the Blade Queen’s forming on his lips.
"Everyone else, settle down and observe. Pay close attention to their exchange."
Glenn signaled the other warriors as he threw up a shimmering barrier of aura to contain the fallout between Raon and the Blade Queen.
"Observation is a vital form of cultivation."
He gave a sharp flick of his hand, indicating they should start when ready, then moved to the edge.
"I'm taking the lead!"
The moment Glenn cleared the space, the Blade Queen exploded forward. She offered no courtesy or senior-level restraint.
"Please do."
Raon didn't give an inch against her violent charge. He stepped into the strike. When Heavenly Drive met the Blade Queen’s sword, a thunderous shockwave ripped through the air. Neither shifted a millimeter; their blades locked in a brutal contest of raw strength and mental fortitude.
"The Destructive King of the North builds a sturdy wall. It seems we don't have to hold back, do we?"
The Blade Queen noted with pleasure that Glenn's barrier didn't even flicker under the pressure of their collision.
"Shall we?"
She raised her chin, a silent dare to escalate.
"As I said, use whatever you wish."
Raon gave a thin, confident smile, signaling his readiness for her full power.
"Now this is what I call a workout!"
The Blade Queen’s sword became a whirlwind, slicing through the heat of the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation. Her momentum was a force of nature, her technique a masterclass in aggression. Raon, knowing she excelled in speed and raw destruction, didn't play defense. He met her blow for blow, matching her tempo and power by unleashing the Fangs of Insanity.
The ringing of steel became a constant roar. The Blade Queen’s style seemed to run on pure instinct, much like the Fangs of Insanity, allowing her to invade Raon’s personal space with terrifying ferocity. As their fire-drenched blades struck hundreds of times, a glowing trail like a comet's tail burned into the center of the ring. The sound was deafening!
Raon’s lips curled as he felt the Blade Queen’s sword beginning to swallow the heat of his Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation.
'Incredible.'
The Blade Queen’s martial arts were born from the foundation of the first Zieghart patriarch's style. Seeing how a branch of that art had evolved into its own unique, apex realm over a millennium was a profound experience.
"For someone so young, your energy is far too polite!"
The Blade Queen pushed harder, her flames intensifying until they began to devour his own fire, cutting off any path of retreat. Pillars of fire erupted around them, forming a cage of heat.
"You cannot win a clash of momentum against me!"
She declared her dominance in the realm of power and speed. Holding her sword with both hands, she brought it down like a falling mountain. It was the Crimson Flame Piercing Form, the pinnacle of her destructive secret arts.
"That might have been true in the past. However..."
Raon pivoted Heavenly Drive. Golden fire erupted from the steel, cleaving through the Blade Queen’s wall of heat. With a bone-shaking crash, the Blade Queen’s strike—supposedly unmatched in charging force—found itself stalled and then shoved back by the golden fire of the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation.
"Things have changed."
Raon drove his left knee forward, closing the distance as he transitioned into the Azure Sky Sword. In their first encounter, he would have been forced to evade the Crimson Flame Piercing Form, but now he had the sheer power to shatter it head-on. With a roar of energy, the Azure Sky Sword, carrying the weight of the firmament, split her massive strike down the middle.
"Unbelievable!"
The Blade Queen laughed in shock even as she transitioned into her next move, the Wave Spirit Flame Palace. Ten distinct torrents of fire rose and hammered down toward Raon from every angle. With a thunderous boom, Raon lunged forward like a projectile, his sword a streak of light.
The Celestial Thunder Arts, fueled by explosive acceleration, vaporized the Wave Spirit Flame Palace, his blade shrouded in arcs of crimson lightning.
"Yes! This is a real fight!"
The Blade Queen’s eyes widened for a fraction of a second, but her resolve didn't waver. She flooded the area with her aura and Willpower, thrusting her blade with everything she had left. It was her ultimate technique: Crimson Wave Culmination. She fought with the desperation of one facing a mortal foe. The sheer volume of her power shook the very foundations!
Vast waves of fire followed the path of her blade. The entire world within the barrier seemed to vanish under a sea of red. It was a literal Crimson Wave—a mountain of fire surging forward to erase everything.
"Exactly. This is what it means to duel."
Raon, his blood pumping with excitement, held Heavenly Drive high and drew the Wooden Ring Sword with his other hand. Facing the apocalyptic wave of fire, his twin blades radiated distinct lights and clashing Willpowers. The air screamed under the pressure!
The fire of the heavens coated Heavenly Drive, while the chill of frost lightning danced along the Wooden Ring Sword. They tore open the sky and summoned the storm. The Sky-Piercing Thunder technique surged forward like the prow of a dreadnought cutting through a storm surge.
With an earth-shattering explosion, Raon and the Blade Queen poured every ounce of their being into the collision. The Sky-Piercing Thunder and the Crimson Wave Culmination slammed together, creating a shockwave so massive it rattled the entirety of the Lord's Manor far beyond the training grounds.
"Gah!"
"W-what is happening!"
"This isn't a duel! It's a battlefield!"
"They're both out of their minds..."
The watching warriors shook with terror, their teeth chattering as they stared at the epicenter where violent ripples of battle aura continued to surge. None of them had imagined a "sparring match" could reach such a level of carnage.
"It is finished."
Glenn opened his palms, and the barrier he had maintained dissolved. The thick smoke and dancing embers from the transcendent clash slowly cleared. Raon and the Blade Queen stood perfectly still, like statues carved from ice. Raon’s sword was at her throat; her blade was inches from his chest.
"You are something else. If you had shown that hidden strength from the start, I would have been finished."
The Blade Queen laughed breathlessly, genuinely stunned by the depth of Raon's power.
"You were holding back your true potential as well, Blade Queen."
Raon nodded, sheathing both Heavenly Drive and the Wooden Ring Sword. They exchanged a look of mutual respect, both appearing revitalized by the intensity of the struggle.
"Did you take note."
Glenn’s lips twitched into a faint, satisfied smile. He was clearly pleased with the display.
"That is the standard."
He gave a curt nod to the assembly, implying that every match from here on out was expected to match that level of ferocity.
"..."
The second Glenn finished speaking, the expressions of every swordsman in the yard shifted in perfect, horrified unison.
'Wait...'
'How?'
'Like that?'
'Just execute me now...'
