## Chapter 1269
"Ha!"
A cold, incredulous laugh escaped Death Sword Spirit, sounding as though she had just heard something utterly preposterous.
"To make such a claim simply because you landed a single blow—it seems the Sword Emperor is even more hot-headed than the rumors suggested."
She appeared completely unphased by the gash on her shoulder, casually wiping the crimson smear away with the back of her hand.
"This clash has only just moved past the introduction."
As Death Sword Spirit growled those words, a crimson, glowing combat intent began to surge from the ground beneath her.
Kuguuguuguugu!
Death Sword Spirit began to radiate an atmospheric pressure of a totally different magnitude than before, suggesting that their previous exchange had been nothing more than a casual test. The overwhelming martial spirit pouring out of her caused the very air to warp and distort.
"From this moment..."
Death Sword Spirit once again leaned her torso forward, mimicking a predatory animal, and cocked her blade back behind her shoulder line.
The stance was identical to her earlier beast-like crouch, yet the murderous bloodlust and presence she exuded now belonged to an entirely different realm of power.
Uuuuuuuung!
As a violent explosion of fighting spirit erupted from her back like crimson wings, the swordsmen of the Light Wind Palace, who had been struggling to remain upright, began to fall to their knees, crushed by the sheer weight of her momentum.
"This level of spirit..."
"Da, damn it all!"
Burren ground his teeth, forcing strength into his quivering legs, while Martha scowled fiercely, refusing to yield; however, they were ultimately forced to lower their heads before the crushing aura Death Sword Spirit projected.
"Mmm..."
Runaan was managing to hold her ground as expected of a Transcendent, yet she bit down on her lip until it bled, clearly finding the pressure nearly impossible to withstand.
"Lo, Lord..."
"Grrruuk!"
"I can't... breathe..."
Even the high-ranking members of Eden were unable to withstand Death Sword Spirit's aura, prostrating themselves with pale faces as if in worship.
"You certainly are in a class of your own."
Raon offered a brief exclamation of praise at the fighting spirit Death Sword Spirit was finally displaying in earnest, giving a small nod.
"Nevertheless, the conclusion remains set in stone."
In contrast to Death Sword Spirit, who was venting a terrifying, volcanic energy, he remained enveloped in a serene aura, a faint smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth.
"That look on your face..."
Death Sword Spirit coiled her body like a tensed spring and narrowed her gaze until it was as sharp as a razor.
"Let's see how long it lasts!"
With a scream that she would forge a different outcome, she lunged forward, the earth shattering beneath her feet.
Chiaaaang!
Before Raon could even finish half a breath, a dark blade manifested before his vision. Death Sword Spirit had struck with a velocity twice as fast as their opening gambit.
Huuuuk!
Choosing not to meet that blindingly fast strike head-on, Raon pivoted on his ankle. He contorted his frame to parry the descending, curved black blade and slipped away to the right.
"Hmph!"
Death Sword Spirit spun her body in the air as if she had anticipated his evasion. Like a hawk banking mid-flight to intercept a fleeing hare, she shifted her entire momentum to stay on Raon’s heels.
'The velocity...'
Raon’s brows twitched as he observed Death Sword Spirit relentlessly pursuing him with a flurry of thrusts.
'It isn't dropping. If anything, she’s gaining speed.'
Standard physics dictated that changing direction caused a loss of momentum, yet Death Sword Spirit was moving even faster than her initial burst. It was a style of movement that defied conventional logic.
Jjeooooooong!
Raon swept Heavenly Drive upward in a diagonal arc fueled by heat. Utilizing the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation’s Revolving Sky, where fire swirled like a Great Mill, he swatted away Death Sword Spirit’s thrust, which was heavy with lethal intent.
'Heavy.'
It wasn't just her speed; her physical power was also reaching unnatural levels.
Death Sword Spirit’s blade hadn't just accelerated; its mass and impact force had been amplified. Even the soil beneath Raon’s feet seemed to groan under the sheer pressure radiating from her swings.
Huuuuk!
Driven back a step by the flames of Revolving Sky, Death Sword Spirit immediately lunged forward again, her black sword thrusting at an even more frantic pace.
She traversed the air with the grace of an acrobat on a high wire, striking at Raon’s vitals from a dozen different angles simultaneously.
Kyagyagyagyagyagyang!
Raon fluidly maneuvered the golden-glinting Heavenly Drive, parrying every strike of Death Sword Spirit’s tempestuous assault.
'That movement technique...'
It looks like it has potential.
He had mastered air-stepping techniques long before reaching the Transcendent realm, but he had never achieved the level of absolute freedom Death Sword Spirit was currently exhibiting.
If he could decode and adapt her footwork, it would grant him a much more versatile combat style.
Kyagyagyagyagyang!
Raon traced a sword path as elegant as silk yet incredibly resilient, absorbing the impact of Death Sword Spirit’s attacks while his burning red eyes meticulously mapped out her footwork.
'I see it now. The secret lies in the unnatural flexibility of her ankles.'
Many believe that raw muscle and aura are the only keys to speed and power, but that is a significant fallacy.
Without a flexible body, one cannot achieve perfect posture, and even if they manage a brief burst of speed, their body will eventually break under the strain.
Currently, Death Sword Spirit was utilizing ankles that were flexible to a grotesque degree to execute movements the human frame shouldn't be capable of, all while maintaining a relentless barrage of stabs.
'Excellent.'
After confirming the mechanics of her ankles once more, Raon gave a subtle nod.
'I should be able to replicate that.'
The Ring of Fire assists in forging a physique perfectly tuned for martial arts from its earliest stages.
Given his current physical state, mimicking Death Sword Spirit’s maneuvers wouldn't be an insurmountable challenge.
"Haa."
It was just as Raon was preparing to mimic her air-walking footwork to counter-attack.
Huuuuuk!
Death Sword Spirit’s black blade let out a predatory howl as it aimed for his skull.
Seuuuuu!
Raon began drawing a semicircular arc with Heavenly Drive, infusing it with soft, yielding energy to neutralize the strike as he had done before, when his eyes suddenly went wide.
Tsijjijjijjik!
Death Sword Spirit’s black blade tore through the defenses of Heavenly Drive and lunged violently toward his head.
'What?!'
Raon attempted to shift the grip of Heavenly Drive with wide eyes, hoping to bat the blade away.
Piaaaaa!
But Death Sword Spirit lunged with her blurred, phantom-like sword, refusing to let the opening slide. She shoved Heavenly Drive aside and drove her point toward Raon’s throat.
Kyaaaang!
As a flash sparked in Raon’s red eyes, the Wooden Ring Sword resting at his right hip ascended on its own, intercepting and knocking away the black blade that had been inches from his neck.
"Just as I thought. I had heard the Sword Emperor wielded two blades..."
Death Sword Spirit leaped back rapidly, letting out a sharp, frigid laugh.
"Are you finally prepared to show your true self?"
She curled her lip upward, her pride clearly stung by the fact that Raon had only been using a single sword until now.
"......"
Raon stared at the Wooden Ring Sword hovering to his left with a focused, silent gaze.
'That was a close call.'
Death Sword Spirit had shredded his defense and lunged forward with a terrifying resolve, willing to take a wound herself just to ensure his death.
Had he not deployed the Wooden Ring Sword, his throat or chest would have been opened right then and there.
-You were being overconfident, and now look at the mess you're in!
Wrath gave a derisive snort, acting as though the outcome had been obvious.
-Just as you were studying that woman, she was studying you! That's exactly why she shattered your defense at the very end!
The small being waved his hands dismissively, looking disappointed.
'I wasn't being overconfident. I was aware of the risk.'
Raon gave a subtle, mental shake of his head.
'I simply didn't expect her to dismantle my defensive rhythm quite that fast.'
He knew she was analyzing him, but the speed at which she broke his flow was impressive.
As he had first suspected, her innate talent and combat prowess were formidable enough that her being called the Heavenly Demon's pupil seemed entirely plausible.
"Ha."
Death Sword Spirit scrunched her nose while observing Raon’s unshakable composure.
"Is the concept of panic foreign to you?"
She bit her lip, finding his lack of reaction—despite nearly dying—to be completely infuriating.
"No, to be perfectly honest, I was startled."
Raon replied, his expression remaining as still as a lake.
"I didn't plan on bringing this out yet, but you've proven yourself worthy of seeing it."
He let out a slow, measured breath and shifted his grip on both Heavenly Drive and the Wooden Ring Sword into a reverse hold.
Peoooook!
He plunged both weapons into the scorched, cracked earth, pushing his Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation and Glacier techniques to their absolute peak.
"Sword Domain."
The moment Raon released the hilts of Heavenly Drive and the Wooden Ring Sword and straightened his posture, a golden sun and a silver moon manifested behind him.
"Divine-Demonic Harmony."
The Divine Sword, forged from solar energy, and the Demonic Sword, birthed from lunar frost, were summoned into Raon’s hands as plumes of fire and ice rose behind him, taking the faint shapes of an angel and a demon.
His presence was the very definition of the word peerless. Every living soul in the vicinity held their breath at the sight of this transcendent aura, which seemed capable of erasing all of creation while simultaneously shielding it.
"Very well..."
Death Sword Spirit’s jaw trembled, seemingly jarred by the aura Raon radiated after manifesting his Sword Domain, even as she twisted her mouth into a grin.
"I will also put everything on the line!"
As she slammed her foot down, a geyser of scarlet fighting spirit erupted toward the heavens, staining the entirety of Eden’s lush headquarters in a bloody light.
Kuguuguugu!
The area surrounding Death Sword Spirit began to look as if it were being consumed by an inferno of red malice.
As if terrified of her sheer existence, the ground of Eden’s base shuddered and groaned as if the entire structure might come crashing down.
"......"
Raon didn't respond with a terrifying display of spirit or by rattling the atmosphere. He simply maintained a light, effortless hold on the Divine and Demonic swords, which burned with a quiet intensity.
"Haaaa..."
The immense fighting spirit pouring from Death Sword Spirit saturated the sky and earth, forming a demonic silhouette behind her. Her visage, crowned with a laurel of blood, was truly that of a sword spirit that beckoned death.
The mere act of her brandishing that black sword, glowing red with malice, felt as if it would extinguish every spark of life in the world.
"Grrruuk!"
"Da, damn! I can’t... get air!"
Burren and Martha were suffocated by the aura Death Sword Spirit was venting, clutching at their throats. Even these two, who were nearing the Transcendent stage, found the pressure unbearable and sank to their knees, gasping.
"Uuu..."
Runaan attempted to manifest her own aura at full strength to shield the Light Wind Palace, but the sheer gap in martial power between her and Death Sword Spirit was too vast. It looked as though she could barely protect herself.
Yet, even as her limbs shook, she extended her aura in a protective circle, placing the safety of the Light Wind Palace above her own well-being.
"Hheup!"
"Ahh..."
"Wh, what kind of freak of nature is that..."
It wasn't just the Light Wind Palace; even the officers of Eden began to collapse, foaming at the mouth, unable to process the absolute fighting spirit radiating from Death Sword Spirit.
"I will end your life right here."
Death Sword Spirit began her advance, her footwork shredding the ground. She charged forward with a killing intent so piercing it sent shivers down the spine, all of it concentrated in her blade.
The sight was as beautiful as a sword deity delivering judgment, yet it was equally ominous and grand.
"Yes."
Raon gave a calm nod and raised the Divine and Demonic swords in a crossed guard.
"Let’s settle this."
In contrast to Death Sword Spirit, who seemed to be a streak of light, he moved forward with a natural, walking pace.
Paaaaang!
Death Sword Spirit swung her glowing black blade downward, carving through the air with the absolute certainty of her triumph.
The raw desire to annihilate Raon, regardless of her own safety, was palpable.
Huuuuuk!
Raon met Death Sword Spirit’s descending blade with his Divine Sword, imbuing the strike with Fangs of Insanity.
The sword path, wreathed in soft golden fire, met the blade that was heavy with chilling lethality.
However, the massive shockwave everyone anticipated never occurred.
Kwawaawaawaawaa!
The Divine Sword’s softly glowing edge didn't just repel Death Sword Spirit’s attack; it utterly incinerated her fighting spirit.
"Wh, what!"
Death Sword Spirit tried to lean more weight into her black blade, but sensing she couldn't win through raw force, she attempted to spring backward while swinging her sword defensively.
Seuuuuu!
Raon lunged with the Demonic Sword in his left hand, refusing to grant Death Sword Spirit an escape.
"Hmph!"
Death Sword Spirit snorted, attempting to evade by utilizing her air-striking footwork once again.
Peoooook!
The Demonic Sword surged forward as if it were jumping through the fabric of space itself, burying itself in Death Sword Spirit’s chest. It wasn't a triumph of speed, strength, or technique. It was simply the inevitable result—the sword moves, and the enemy is cut.
"Ah..."
Death Sword Spirit’s eyes shook violently as she stared down at the blade embedded in her chest, unable to grasp how she had been hit.
"You mentioned that you would disclose the Heavenly Demon's whereabouts as you died."
Raon gazed down at her skin, which was already beginning to frost over from the Demonic Sword, his eyes reflecting a chill even deeper than the ice.
"This is the result I promised."
