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Chapter 386: Wind and Thunder

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

Lee Xin's eyes glinted as he realized what a great opportunity it was. Should he defeat Li Shiming, he would be able to push the fame of House Lee to a new height.

Facing his hawkish opponent, Li Shiming appeared calm. He had seen many powerful fighters, and therefore, he was unruffled by Lee Xin's threatening stare.

Li Shiming had come to terms with the fact that his life revolved around being challenged, and had already gotten used to it.

As for Lee Xin, he was one of the strongest fighters his family had ever produced, and was determined to add his family name to the list of great houses. On the Moon, the Lee family had already exerted a significant influence.

The two fighters bowed to each other; since they were both trained by their Einherjar Fathers and shared equal talent, this fight was bound to be an uphill battle for both of them.

Unlike a fight between two ordinary fighters, this fight meant a great deal, not only to the two fighters, but also to their family.

The audience-seat was packed; no one wanted to pass up the opportunity to watch and learn from the two level six fighters. This kind of learning was especially useful to other level six fighters, since they were on the same level.

Ma Xiaoru and Li Ruoer also attended the match, seated in the VIP section. Although Li Ruoer had since learned that House Ma had officially acknowledged Wang Tong and Ma Xiaoru's relationship, she didn't mind it. Ever since her defeat, she had decided to distance herself from her troubles for a while to recuperate.

Plus, Li Ruoer was moved by the way Ma Xiaoru treated her. Reflecting on her previous wrongdoings against Ma Xiaoru and Wang Tong, Li Ruoer felt only regret and bitterness. If she lost her best friend Ma Xiaoru, she would have lost everything.

"Xiaoru. you are so lucky." Li Ruoer blurted. Her words seemed to have come out of nowhere, as everyone else was on the edge of their seats waiting for the fight to start.

Ma Xiaoru knew that Li Ruoer was disappointed after being defeated by Wang Tong. She wagered that in Li Ruoer's eyes, Wang Tong had practically stolen the victory from her. However, Ma Xiaoru was surprised to find out that Li Ruoer didn't hold any grudge against Wang Tong, especially considering her high self-esteem.

"Ruoer, I am sure you will get what you are looking for soon. I noticed that Lie Jian seemed to have taken an interest in you."

Hearing the name, Li Ruoer furrowed her brow and said, "He is so annoying! I have never seen anyone so full of himself. Eh? Does Wang Tong know Michaux? Look, they are talking to each other."

Wang Tong and Michaux sat in the front row of the reserved section, chatting with each other. The audiences around them gossiped as to why the no-account Wang Tong would suddenly become friends with the young master. Even Karl and his friends were astonished by their friendship.

Wang Tong and Michaux didn't mind the murmurs around them.

"What do you think of this fight, Brother Wang?"

"I think Li Shiming will have an edge during the battle."

"Both House Li and the Dower knew the way of the divine path, and had worked hard to uncover its secret. However, neither of them had scratched even the surface. That being said, despite a large amount of information we gained about the divine path, the Divine Master Sect is still far from unearthing its true power by a long chalk. What do you think we have done wrong? " Michaux asked.

"Brother Odin, what do you think is the difference between focusing solely on soul energy versus focusing solely on physical strength?" Wang Tong replied with a question and then cracked a smile.

"What is the meaning of soul essence?" Michaux decided to get straight to the point.

"It's hard to describe in words. I can show it to you later when we fight." Wang Tong announced.

Michaux was surprised by Wang Tong's candid answer. "Brother Wang, why do you trust me so much?"

Wang Tong smiled faintly and said, "It's for my own sake." And then, the two looked at each other with a knowing smile.

The match finally started with thunders cheers. On the stage, both fighters stood still while charging up their soul energies. So far, both fighter's sol readings were very similar.

"Zeng!"

At that moment, the two combatants unsheathed their blades simultaneously.

"Clank!"

As soon as the two blades collided, Lee Xin pulled the Thunder Blade back and channeled GN force into the longsword. The Tactics of the Thunder Blade was an aggression-focused tactic, with an emphasis on controlling the GN force. When fully released, the power of the Thunder Blade would be overwhelming to fighters of any level. Lee Xin took the initiative and attacked first. An explosion of GN force erupted as the Thunder Blade knocked the Vayu to the side, and its tip thrust squarely at the chest of Li Shiming.

Li Shiming had been trying to prevent his opponent from gaining the initiative, but he had clearly failed. So now, he was forced into a defensive position.

Lee Xin's strike technique was taught by his Einherjar Father, called the "One-hundred-and-eight Cuts of the Thunder Blade." It had been Lee Xin's father, Lee Moshan's infamous coup de grace.

Although Lee Xin was confident in his ability, he was not so dumb to underestimate Li Shiming's power. He figured that instead of defending against Li Shiming's powerful attack, he might as well unleash the coup de grace from the beginning and keep the pressure on Li Shiming. After all, one of the most important factors in winning the battles against a high-level fighter was to gain the initiative.

Li Shiming's face twitched as he was visibly unnerved by the turn of the tide. He channeled more GN force into Vayu and lashed it out, trying to stop the Thunder Blade's aggressive attack. However, the Thunder Blade did not change its course after the impact; Lee Xin seemed much more determined in winning the fight than Li Shiming.

Already standing at the top of a mountain, Li Shiming lacked the drive to climb even higher compared to other fighters, who were still on their way to the top.

The Blade Aura shot out from the shimmering Thunder Blade, threatening to kill. The Thunder Blade had always been shrouded in mystery. Rumors had it that Einherjar Li Moshan had spent half of his life looking for this legendary weapon. It was not only able to withstand the immense power of the tactics of the Thunder Blade, but it would also be able to absorb power from naturally occurring thunders.

"Li Shiming is ballsy as hell. Did he want to challenge to the power of the Thunder Blade?" Ye Kai commented.

Ye Kai had been looking forward to this fight ever since he was defeated by Michaux. Plus, swordplay was also up in his ally—one more reason to not miss the fight.

"Shiming might appear to be one the defensive side, but he has a knack for gaining insights on his opponents. When Templar Elders' were commenting on this year's contestants, they all agreed that Li Shiming was one of the most powerful fighters." Yao Bai nodded. He wagered that Li Shiming should be able to turn the tide when the timing was right. However, he conceded that Li Shiming's act of holding back his power at the beginning was a very risky, move since his family reputation was at stake.

However, no one knew for certain what Li Shiming was thinking, and what trick he had hidden up his sleeve,

Even on the defense side, Li Shiming's moves were still graceful as ever. On the other hand, Lee Xin's strikes were aggressive and vicious. As Lee Xin increased the intensity of his attacks, his GN power started to take on the lightning attribute, which further increased its damage output.

Lee Xin had gained the control of the flow of the battle, and he did not intend to hand it over freely to his opponent. So, he doubled down on the attack and quickly reached level six soul energy.

After witnessing the ascension into level six of previous fighters, the audiences were not surprised by Lee Xin's advancement.

As soon as Lee Xin advanced to level six, a blaring thunder appeared above the two fighters, and the Thunder Blade's strike suddenly increased its vigor drastically.

By then, Wang Tong, Michaux, and Patroclus had realized the unique power of the Tactics of the Thunder Blade. Not only was the Tactics of the Thunder Blade a deadly sword technique; it was also able to absorb power in the lightning. This unique ability, coupled with a level six soul energy, would make the cultivator as deadly as any Einherjar in the world.

Chapter 387: The Seal of Thunder

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

While everyone's focus was on the sword "Thunder Blade," Michaux and other top fighters had noticed something else on the stage. It was a web of an unseen force, looming over the stage.

"The Seal of Thunder!" Michaux marveled.

On the stage, a soul-energy seal was slowly taking shape amidst the roiling dark clouds. This was the unique power of the Tactics of the Thunder Blade.

Wang Tong's eyes glinted. He was astonished to see that Lee Xin was able to cast such a powerful spell while engaging in a full-fledged assault at the same time.

Wang Tong always had been very curious about the Mastery's techniques, and had attempted to copy some of their abilities by linking his soul essence with the energy in nature. He conceded that harnessing the nature's energy would be extremely convenient while fighting a large amount of Zergs, since he would not have to worry about exhausting his soul energy in the prolonged battle.

Despite having the soul essence, Wang Tong found it hard to master the Mastery abilities. He hoped that watching Lee Xin's fight would help him improve his skills. Wang Tong's intention was shared by other top fighters, as they were all eager to learn as well.

On the stage, Li Shiming knew he had to walk a very fine line between learning from his opponent's techniques and total failure.

Up till now, Li Shiming was able to hold his ground despite the aggressive attacks. His training had focused not only on aggression, but also defense. Li Shiming carefully and swiftly countered every rise and fall of the Thunder Blade. Infused with the power of the lightning, sizzling electric tendrils surrounded the blade. Every impact would cause an ear-deafening crackling and rumbling.

Lee Xin became increasingly focused as the battle intensified. A shimmering light started to cover his entire body, making him look like the God of Thunder in ancient paintings. So powerful were his attacks that every strike would force Li Shiming to take a half step back to dull the impact. To make the matters worse for Li Shiming, the Thunder Blade never attacked in a straight line. It would take a sudden turn at any time during the attack, zig-zagging like lightning that scarred the night sky.

As Lee Xin's attack had become increasingly difficult to defend, he slowly started to gain the upper hand in the battle.

A thousand sparks erupted from each impact of the two legendary blades, intensifying the suspense of the fight.

Although Lee Xin had started to take a noticeable advantage in the fight, Li Shiming's expression remained calm. However, the seemingly waning vigor of Li Shiming's counter-attack unnerved his supporters.

Patroclus and Zhang Jin, on the other hand, watched the fight unfold calmly in one of the VIP balconies.

"This is impressive. To complement his own power, Lee Xin has drawn the energy from nature. I think Li Shiming had underestimated his opponent this time." Zhang Jin exclaimed.

Patroclus cracked a smile, "Jin, it is you who have underestimated Li Shiming. He is no less powerful than me."

Patroclus's replied had caught Zhang Jin off guard. "Really?"

"Hehe, House Li is very shrewd. People only talk about how difficult it is to cultivate the Tactics of the Deva King, but rarely do they mention that the Tactics of Vayu were no less difficult or powerful. Too bad Li Shiming's father lacked talent, otherwise..." Patroclus paused as he was distracted by the fighting scene on the stage.

Zhang Jin burst out laughing, "Haha, I dare you to find another person in the world who could claim that Einherjar Li Zhedao lacks talent. Fine, I believe you. But, I want to see how Li Shiming could get himself out of this" Cultivation required the cultivator's absolute devotion, and therefore, Zhang Jin wondered how powerful could a power-monger such as Li Shiming be after he had wasted so many hours on politics.

The "One Hundred and Eight Cuts of Thunder Blade" were not merely 108 strike techniques, since all 108 moves could be combined in random order to form millions of different variations.

Everyone knew that Li Shiming could level up with ease if he chose to. However, Li Shiming had maintained his soul energy at level five, without any intention of advancing into level six.

By then, Lee Xin was convinced that he should be able to defeat Li Shiming with his much superior soul energy. However, despite the ever-increasing intensity of his attack, Li Shiming seemed to be able to counter the attack with just enough power before his defense crumbled.

Lee Xin was eager to defeat his opponent, and he would not give Li Shiming any chance of turning the tide. Therefore, he doubled down on his attacks.

"Kom! Kom!"

"Clank! Clank!"

As soon as Li Shiming's Blade Aura was about to get an inch longer, it was immediately suppressed by the Thunder Blade. It happened so fast that majority of the audiences could not even tell what was happening on the stage, other than swirls of Blade Aura dancing in all directions.

The Ivantian audiences cheered loudly for Lee Xin; they believed that sooner or later, Li Shiming would slip up and allow him to land a solid and decisive blow.

The thought of defeating Li Shiming elated all Ivantians. Although the impact of the rise of Li Feng could still be felt today, the tattered influence of House Li had encouraged the Ivantians to reclaim dominance of the Confederation.

If Li Shiming lost the battle, it would be another decisive blow to the reputation of House Li.

Suddenly, stormy clouds that had been hovering above the stage gathered around, as something bright roiled within, threatening to pierce through the dark clouds with its brightness.

Meanwhile, Lee Xin's soul energy soared, the energy around him made his hair stand on their ends. However, Li Shiming still refused to crank up his soul energy despite the imminent defeat.

All Earthling audiences were on the edge of their seats by the development. Many of them felt that Li Shiming was going to give the victory away freely to his opponent.

Wang Tong's mind raced; although he was certain that Li Shiming would not give up so easily, he was perplexed as to what this guy had planned for his next move.

The Seal of Thunder was finally complete! There was no escape once trapped inside the web formed by the cracking lightning serpents.

Lee Xin knew that his moment had finally come, so he unleashed the deadliest final eight strikes.

"Zeng!"

The Thunder Blade suddenly increased its size and hewed at Li Shiming, as it released all of the energy stored within. Everyone realized that Li Shiming had come to the moment of life and death.

A curl crept onto Lee Xin's mouth; it was only the beginning.

Li Shiming watched as a few strands of lightning escape the dark clouds and charge into the Thunder Blade—the second attack was coming.

Li Shiming drew a large gulp of air right before he was overwhelmed by thousands of tendrils of crackling lightning. He tried to defend against the attack using his GN force, but to no avail. Already, the second attack was on its way.

Sensing that there was no other way out, Li Shiming forced his soul energy to increase and then broke free from the first attack. He then quickly raised Vayu to block the second attack. However, he had underestimated the power in the attack, and was blown away, losing the precious chance to defend himself.

Seizing the opportunity, Lee Xin followed with another attack. The Seal of Thunder had given him a decisive advantage in controlling his opponent's movement, turning the fight into his solo performance.

The third attack hit home and sent Li Shiming's body flying. With his balance gone, Li Shiming failed to fend off the fourth and fifth strike. The fifth strike had even cracked open his GN defense and injured him.

After having received the sixth attack, Li Shiming's hands started to tremble and nearly dropped Vayu.

However, Lee Xin had slipped up during his seventh attack and missed his target, giving Li Shiming a moment to catch his breath.

Finally, Lee Xin unleashed the last attack, the eighth and the finishing move.

Lee Xin pointed the Thunder Blade at the ground as the dark clouds started to shrink in, like they had received a command. With an ear-deafening blare, the clouds had formed a giant lightning ball above Li Shiming's head.

Chapter 388: Never Forget the History

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

People started to realize that if the situation continued, Li Shiming might be in mortal danger. All would be lost for House Li if Li Shiming were killed on the stage there and then.

Lee Xin knew that this overbearing attack was necessary to defeat Li Shiming. He had been attacking for a while, and therefore, he had consumed much more physical strength and soul energy than his opponent. The hope of defeating Li Shiming would hinge on this one final strike. Therefore, he would have to make sure that this one counted. His opponent's safety was already out of the equation, since Lee Xin had always treated the tournament as a real battlefield.

The lightning ball was huge. It swooped down like a fallen star, aiming directly at Li Shiming's head.

However, Li Shiming smiled faintly and disappeared into thin air right before the lightning ball hit him. One of the abilities of the Tactics of Vayu was the extremely fast speed, and therefore, Li Shiming simply dashed out of harm's way. However, Li Shiming was still under the Seal of Thunder, and therefore, the lightning ball was able to detect his movement and trail behind him closely. As the lightning ball was about to hit Li Shiming, Li Shiming charged up his soul energy and swept Vayu in the air, causing a gale that immediately surrounded the lightning ball and slowed it down. Meanwhile, Li Shiming executed an almost impossible maneuver and shifted his body out of the way as the lightning ball whizzed past him.

Lee Xin was caught off guard by the backfire and instinctively raised the Thunder Blade to block the incoming lightning ball.

"Kaboom!"

The entire arena trembled after the impact.

Lee Xin was hit by his own coup de grace. When the dust finally settled, the match was also over.

Although Li Shiming didn't dominate the fight, he had won the match using to his calmness and experience.

Cheers from the Earthling audiences erupted like an explosion. This was a suspenseful match, and the Earthlings had been holding back their cheers and applause for too long.

Li Shiming shook his head, seemingly disappointed at the real power of the Tactics of the Thunder Blade.

"He handled it very well. What an experienced and deadly fighter!" Michaux exclaimed. This fight would not be nearly as memorable if Li Shiming hadn't held back his power. Li Shiming had proven his might as well as wits by overcoming a level six fighter using only level five soul energy. It was obvious then that Li Shiming had been very confident about his ability from the beginning, and he had just shown that his confidence was founded on solid performance.

Although he was disappointed by his opponent, Li Shiming bowed to his audiences polity before he was about to walk off the stage.

"Li Shiming, where are you going? We have just started."

"Kom!"

Lee Xin appeared in front of Li Shiming, blocking his way. The lightning had burned off his clothes, revealing a lightning-shaped-tattoo on his chest.

Li Shiming paused in his track, surprise written all over his face. "I knew you were better than this!"

"Hehe. My father had invented this new cultivation method by absorbing the nature's energy, and thanks to that breakthrough, he was able to become the only Einherjar who was not from the five houses. However, people usual mistakenly think that that is all he is good at. "

Even as the heir of the Thunder Blade spoke to Li Shiming, his body started to shimmer with a green luster. As soon as he finished the last word, Lee Xin disappeared into thin air.

Li Shiming's instinct told him that an attack was coming, so he raised Vayu to block. The attack was powerful, and Li Shiming was forced to take a few steps back.

Li Shiming sensed that Li Xin didn't only utilize the soul energy in his last attack, but also the energy from the lightning ball. He suddenly realized that Lee Xin had practically turned himself into to a vehicle like the Thunder Blade to contain the absorbed energy.

"Li Shiming, if you want to fight Patroclus, you better pass me first." Lee Xin reappeared in front of Li Shiming and announced.

Li Shiming cracked a smile as he posed Vayu about his waist. As he charged up his soul energy, a gale swept across the stage like a hurricane. Suddenly, the wild wind turned into a thousand tiny blades, hurling towards Lee Xin. Finally, Li Shiming had reached level six!

"Haha! Awesome! Now I don't need to hold back my power either!" Lee Xin shouted and lashed out the Thunder Blade at Li Shiming. However, he missed his target as Li Shiming disappeared right before the blow was about to land on him. Seeing that his first attack had missed, Lee Xin followed with a few dozen blows, but none of them had landed on target.

Thus it was, the real power of the Tactics of Vayu was its incredible speed.

Suddenly, Li Shiming appeared above Lee Xin as he bore down on him with a powerful attack—The Vayu's Denial!

Although Lee Xin was a very powerful fighter, he was not nearly as fast as Li Shiming. The blow struck home and the impact sent an explosion throughout the arena.

Lee Xin had successfully blocked the attack with Thunder Blade. Li Shiming quickly changed his position, and everyone watched as Lee Xin's body was picked up by an invisible hand. As Lee Xin wiggled in the air to break free, he started to spin as if he were held in the center of a tornado. A thousand tiny blades appeared from thin air and started to attack Lee Xin, nibbling away his defense.

Suddenly, the tornado hurled his body to the other end of the stage. Even before Lee Xin was about to thud back to the ground, a dark shadow appeared right above him. It was Li Shiming, and he bore down both GN-force-charged fists at the defenseless Lee Xin.

The fists hit squarely at Lee Xin's chest and completely crumbled his defense.

"Kom!"

After the dust had settled, Li Shiming finally unsheathed Vayu. On the other end of the stage, Lee Xin lied inside a small crater in the floor motionlessly.

This was the true power of Li Shiming, heir to the legendary general Li Feng.

The Earthlings shouted out his name feverishly. Any attempt to undermined House Li's dominance was futile. On the other hand, the Ivantians were shaken after their fighter's defeat, as they marveled at Li Shiming's ability. Not only was he able to lure his opponent to unleash the full power of the Thunder Blade, but he also annihilated Lee Xin once he had seen enough.

Patroclus smiled faintly; he was satisfied by Li Shiming's performance.

"Are you sure you can handle that?" Surprised by Li Shiming's power, Zhang Jin was no longer certain if Patroclus would be able to defeat him with ease.

"No." Patroclus cracked a smile. "I won't know for sure until I fight him."

"Well, well, after all these years, you two will finally make an end to the centuries-old feud." Zhang Jin lamented.

"There is someone else."

"Who?"

"Wang Tong. Jin, I have never been so happy before." Patroclus sauntered out of the room after he finished his words.

Wang Tong and Michaux smiled at each other knowingly, and Wang Tong said, "It's our turn."

"See you in a bit!"

As the two patted on each other's shoulder and left for their preparation room, people around them felt they were more like friends than opponents.

Unlike the last fight, the fight between Michaux and Wang Tong lacked any suspense, since everyone believed that Michaux would be the winner. Although Wang Tong had been lucky and even defeated Li Ruoer, everyone thought that his lucky streak would end here.

All students of Ayrlarng had been waiting for this glorious moment, regardless of their odds of winning.

Under thousands of pairs of anticipating eyes, Michaux and Wang Tong walked onto the stage at the same time. In the private session, Li Shiming sat in the front row, watching the two quietly.

Everyone shouted the name of their fighter at the top of their lungs. Karl was so excited that he almost passed out from shouting for too long.

Chapter 389: Missed the Target

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

The two fighters stared at each other as they felt the noise around them start to tune down. This was a fight that required their absolute concentration, since what was at stake was not simply a victory or a defeat, but something much greater than that.

"Divine Preaching!"

Michaux shouted as he switched through a few hand signs. The hand signs had caught other Mastery casters off guard. They knew that Michaux would never use hand signs while unleashing his attacks, unless he was going to double down on his attack.

"Break!" Michaux shouted.

'Kaboom!'

As if struck by a nuke, the entire arena trembled. The roar of the explosion could be heard miles away. Even while sitting behind the energy shield, the audiences could sense a shocking way of energy sweep across them.

Everyone was shaken by Michaux's performance, as they had finally realized that he had been holding back his power while fighting against his previous opponents.

After seeing such a deadly attack, everyone at Ayrlarng thought that Wang Tong had lost the battle there and then.

Suddenly, the front row audiences heard someone was dusting his clothes amidst the plume of dust on the stage. As the dust and the smoke settled, they watched as Wang Tong stood with tattered clothes and a broad smile on his face.

"Awesome power!" Wang Tong exclaimed.

Michaux had missed his target!

Michaux had never missed his target before, so most people started to wonder if Wang Tong had actually evaded the attack.

The students of Ayrlarng cheered after seeing that Wang Tong was unharmed. Although Wang Tong was well known in Ayrlarng as the strongest fighter—not only in METAL combat but also in fleet combat—no one had thought that he would be able to sustain such a powerful blow from the young master.

After having experienced Michaux's attack first hand, Wang Tong conceded that the soul energy attacks were indeed as powerful as what the other had claimed. Not only was the amount of soul energy in the attack enormous, but the attack was also aimed directly at the sea of consciousness. If Wang Tong didn't have the soul essence guarding his sea of consciousness, he would have been defeated just like all the other opponents of Michaux.

Having missed his target, Michaux was overtaken by astonishment, as his eyes glinted with curiosity.

Wang Tong clutched his fists and smiled faintly. Suddenly, he poked the air in front of him with one of his index fingers and then he announced, "Break!"

"Kaboom...Kaboom... KABOOM!"

A serious of explosion erupted on the ground, with a pattern that was the same as that of Michaux. The blasts let loose a storm of grit and sands hurling towards Michaux.

Michaux slammed a palm down on the ground, sending a wave of soul energy to counter the incoming storm, and eventually subsided the intensity of the storm.

Everyone was in awe of the level of power at the display. After a reverential silence, a wave of cheers erupted from the audiences.

"Who is Wang Tong? How come he was able to stand his ground against the young master?"

Not only had Wang Tong surprised everyone by his powerful attack, but Michaux's superb defense ability had also caught many audiences off guard.

It was obvious by then that the fight was not going to end any time soon.

"Brother Wang, are you planning to defeat me using my own ability?" Wang Tong's attack amused Michaux. Sensing the power in Wang Tong's attack, Michaux was elated to finally fight the mysterious fighter one on one.

"Hehe. I do want to try!"

Before Wang Tong finished the last word, he cranked up his GN force and charged at Michaux. It was common knowledge that although Michaux was the master of soul energy, his GN force was relatively weak. Therefore, by using GN force infused attacks, Wang Tong was trying to use his opponent's weakness to his advantage.

Wang Tong unleashed the "Layered Fist of Tong" at Michaux, wondering how he would be able to defend against his attack this time.

Seeing the incoming attack, Michaux stood still and didn't charge up his soul energy. Why was he thinking? Why didn't he counter the attack?

Right before Wang Tong's blow reached him, Michaux finally swept his right hand across and cast a golden shimmer around him. Wang Tong's fist landed squarely on the golden shield. However, it could cause no damage at all.

Wang Tong took a step back to take in what had just happened.

Wang Tong flexed his wrist. The punch had sent a numbness throughout his arm, as the power in his blow was reflected back to himself by the golden shield.

A brief moment later, Wang Tong attacked again with the Layered Fist of Tong. He doubted that the golden shield would be able to withstand the same attack twice.

Having seen through Wang Tong's intention, Michaux smiled and stood his ground. Wang Tong unleashed over twenty strikes in a blink, but none of them were able to make a dent in the golden shield.

Inside the golden light, Michaux waved his hand and the ground in front of him exploded, stopping Wang Tong cold in his track.

"Brother Wang, pure GN force attack is useless against me."

Having sensed how powerful his opponent was, Wang Tong cracked a satisfied smile. Although Michaux's defense was not perfect, for example, it might be breached if Wang Tong compounded the force inside each punch, it was a huge improvement over any form of defense Wang Tong had ever seen. The reason why Wang Tong didn't compound the force in his punches was that it would take a long time, and no one would wait for that on a real battlefield.

Wang Tong conceded that Michaux's defense would be the most annoying element of the fight. It was similar to Wang Tong's golden shield, but much more powerful.

Wang Tong took another few steps back, and Michaux's golden shield faded away as silence fell into the arena.

Seeing that Michaux was still unharmed after having received the belligerent bombardment from Wang Tong, some of the audiences had realized how wrong they had been in assuming that Michaux's defense was his weakness. So far, the match was a draw, and everyone wondered what could happen next.

"Ruoer, I am so nervous." Ma Xiaoru held on to Li Ruoer's hand and said.

The development on the stage made Li Ruoer furrow her brows. She wondered how come an Ayrlarng student could become so powerful. Why did House Ma ditch the marriage proposal with her brother in favor of this no account? Why did Wang Tong suddenly become so close with the young master Michaux? One question bade another, but Li Ruoer had found no answers.

Wang Tong folded his hands and made a strange hand sign, that looked exactly like that of Guan Dongyang.

"Fire Drake!"

A giant fire serpent spurred out from a wall of fire and charged at Michaux.

Michaux didn't flinch as he set up the golden shield again, with the fire dragon plunging right into him. The impact caused an explosion, sending a shock wave throughout the arena. After the smoke dissipated, Michaux walked out of the cinders and ashes completely unharmed. He extended his arms, sending a force wave out that snuffed the remaining fires around him.

"Brother Wang, I hoped you would show me what I really wanted to see." Michaux shook his head and said. He then linked his fingers and extended his arms, mumbling some words as if casting a spell. Suddenly, the same fire dragon appeared in front of Wang Tong and lunged at him.

There was no time for Wang Tong to evade, so he swept his hands and sent a wave of bone-chilling wind at the fire dragon, freezing it instantly.

All the Mastery fighters couldn't believe their eyes; the two on the stage had repeated their coup de grace with such ease that they didn't even require the aid of complicated hand signs. The fact that Wang Tong was able to cast spells as easily as Michaux was the second shock for the Mastery fighters.

Wang Tong didn't give Michaux time to connect his attacks, so he quickly pressed his left hand down on the ground, as a gaping hole suddenly appeared underneath Wang Tong's feet. Suddenly, Wang Tong disappeared from thin air, as if he had fallen through the hole under him. Michaux could still sense his whereabouts, so he charged up his soul energy and attacked Wang Tong with lightning that fell from the sky. However, Wang Tong was always one step faster than the lightning attacks. When he was close enough, he delivered a sweep kick at Michaux's feet to throw him off balance.

Chapter 390: War of Gods

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

Wang Tong had reckoned that frontal attack would never work against Michaux, and therefore, he decided to switch tactics and strike from below.

Michaux reacted quickly, as he sprinted up and kept hovering in the air using soul energy. Wang Tong also adjusted his position swiftly and punched at Michaux from underneath.

"Kom!"

Wang Tong's strike was on point. However, he quickly realized that Michaux's golden shield covered his whole body, and therefore, his sneak attack from below was as useless as a frontal attack.

While hovering in the air, Michaux pointed a long finger at Wang Tong, and suddenly, hundreds of hissing lightning appeared above the arena, scarring the night sky with bright zig-zagging streaks.

"The Seal of Thunder!"

The seal covered a large area, and therefore, Wang Tong couldn't evade the attack. Sizzling lightning rumbled across the sky and bore down on Wang Tong. Wang Tong swallowed down the pain and numbness in his body, focusing on defending against the aggressive lightning strikes.

By then, Guan Dongyang and Gongson-Wuce had been rendered speechless by the power of the young master. They just realized that their Mastery techniques were not unique inventions, since the Divine Masters had been using them since long ago. Also, both Mastery warriors could only harness natural energy that was compatible with their soul energy attributes. However, Michaux had shown that he could command more than two types of natural powers.

Without giving Wang Tong a moment of respite, Michaux connected his attacks and cast more lightning strikes on him after the initial attack. After a few seconds, Wang Tong had already received more than dozen solid blows.

As another angry lightning wheezed across the sky towards Wang Tong, he raised his left hand to block the hissing and buzzing bundle of electricity. The lightning reached Wang Tong's fist, and instead of continuing traveling through his body, it bundled together and clung to his fist. Wang Tong smashed the lightning-imbued fist at the young master. However, even with the aid of the lightning element, Michaux's golden shield was still impenetrable.

Such defense was almost impossible to break. Wang Tong quickly realized that as long Michaux was still under the golden shield's protection, he would never defeat him. Already, Michaux's lightning attack had started anew, and Wang Tong was forced into passive defense. He wanted to counter the lightning strikes by attacking the young master. However, since Michaux was hovering high up in the air, Wang Tong had no way of approaching him without risking being struck by the web of lightning.

Wang Tong knew that it was about time to get serious.

Wang Tong opened up his arms as a ray of golden light shot out of his body and pierced through the web of thunders. Wang Tong flew through the opening in the web until he was above Michaux's head, then he bore down his fists on Michaux.

Wang Tong knew that if he could not breach his defense, the only other way of defeating Michaux was to overwhelm him with unconventional power.

Although Wang Tong didn't use the Layered fist of Tong, the golden light shot out from his fists was able to penetrate through the energy shield. Even as an experienced veteran warrior, the young master was caught off guard by the development. He tried to evade the attack, but it had already been too late as one of Wang Tong's fist jabbed into his left shoulder.

"Kom!"

Michaux was slammed to the ground as his golden energy shield shattered.

No one other than Wang Tong had so much as touched Michaux, much less injure him. So, the scene had shocked everyone, including Lie Jian. Lie Jian was well aware of the defensive capability of the golden shield, and he knew that no one could have broken it so easily.

Michaux struggled to his feet slowly while holding his left shoulder. He was not a METAL fighter, and therefore, he was more susceptible to physical injury than other fighters.

Wang Tong tried to tame his tousled hair, and realized that his hair were messier than he thought. Both fighters laughed at each other like old friends.

"Looks like this match won't end until I use my real power," Michaux said as he took out a staff from his space crystal. This staff was passed down from generations of Divine Masters, and it was the symbol power in the sect.

Michaux charged soul energy into the staff, and suddenly, the staff seemed to have increased Michaux's power by ten folds. He lightly touched his left shoulder with the staff, and a creamy white light spread from the point of contact, until it was over Michaux's entire body. Michaux flexed his shoulder; it felt much better already.

The healing process was straight out of a magic show, and the energy emanated from Michaux suggested that he had become much stronger than when the fight had first started.

As Michaux held the staff, memories of the past generation flushed into his mind. He remembered that the Divine Master Oderades fought with the Blade Warrior. He remembered that during that fight, the Blade Warrior also used the golden soul energy that was identical to that of Wang Tong. There was only one explanation.

The thought of fighting the heir of the Blade Warrior had spurred Michaux's fighting spirit. He eagerly wanted to know the full extent of the legendary warrior's power.

Michaux quickly swept the staff in the air and summoned a storm of soul energy that covered the sky and trembled the ground. Amidst the chaos, the audiences could only see the bright creamy light emanated from the tip of the staff.

"Not bad! I doubt anyone else could make Michaux this excited." Lie Jian was elated by the development.

As the soul energy storm increased size, it started to erode the energy shield cast over the stage. Already, the audiences could see ripples on a thin layer of transparent energy.

Michaux floated in the air and turned towards the referee. "Please tell the audiences to stay back. My next move is too powerful."

The referees hurried to gather together to come up with a plan. They had been worried about the energy shield that threatened to shut off, so they had ordered technicians to fix the problem but to no avail.

All the martian audiences had been retreating to the back rows ever since Michaux started the soul energy storm, and the rest of the audiences followed them after they heard the warning from the referee.

Wang Tong's eyes were fixated on Michaux as he marveled at his immense power coming from three sources: Michaux's soul energy, the energy in nature, and the energy stored in the staff.

"Kom!"

Wang Tong's cranked up his soul energy, and instead of using it to channel GN force, he connected the flow of his soul energy with the natural energy around him, copying his opponent's strategy.

Slowly, a golden hue covered Wang Tong's body, and it was increasing its intensity by the second. In a few moments, the stage had been divided into upper and lower sections. Michaux's soul energy storm dominated the upper level, and Wang Tong's golden energy filled the lower level. The two waves of energy soon competed with each other, trying to force each other out.

Despite the energy shield cast over the stage, some of the deadly power leaked out to the audiences. As those audiences who remained in the front row felt the power of the leakage, they knew they had made a mistake. What was worse was that this was only the beginning of the final showdown, and neither of the fighters had moved yet.

As more audiences started to retreat, the reserved section had only a handful of fighters left. Among them were Li Shiming and Patroclus; even Li Ruoer and Ma Xiaoru had left for safety.

After most of the audiences had reached safety, the arena initiated another layer of energy shield. Having learned their lessons, the organizing committee was well prepared to protect the audiences.

Floating In the air, Michaux looked like a godly grandmaster, while on the ground, Wang Tong stood haughtily like a giant. Truth be told, not only his opponent inspired Wang Tong's technique, but without the overbearing power of Michaux, Wang Tong would also never think of adopting the new technique. He was exhilarated by the new energy that he absorbed from the ground, as if he had become one with the earth.

Michaux saw Wang Tong's excited expression and smiled knowingly. To execute the ability, Michaux needed to leverage the power of the staff. However, he watched as Wang Tong commanded the nature's power at his will without any aid. For Michaux, the energy in the staff acted as a barrier between the primordial force of nature and his soul energy. Without it, his sea of consciousness would be shredded into pieces by the wild force. However, Wang Tong didn't seem to need any protection...Could it be…?

Realization suddenly dawned upon Michaux, so he shouted to Wang Tong, "Wang Tong! Is that ... Soul Essence?"

Suddenly, the soul energy storm turned into a wild gale and swept across the field. The usually calm and placid young master could no longer hold onto his patience.

Chapter 391: Power of the Sky

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

Michaux could not accept the reality that someone else had gained the soul essence before him. Plus, Wang Tong was still far away from being an Einherjar. How would he have learned about the power of soul essence?

"Kom!"

Michaux slammed the staff down as a ray of cold light shot out from the tip of the staff. Meanwhile, Wang Tong charged up his GN force and sent a ray of golden light into the night sky.

As the two rays collided, they unleashed an immense energy that threatened to collapse the first layers of energy shield. As energy poured out profusely from the two fighters, both Li Shiming and Patroclus tightened their face and initiated their personal soul energy shield,

Outside the danger zone, no one could make out what was happening on the stage, as they murmured their admiration with awe.

The two fighters' performances had exceeded the audiences' expectation towards those of top fighters. Everyone was astonished by the incredible power of this generation of young fighters.

As the swirl of energy slowed down, the two rays of lights faded away. Wang Tong could sense the drastic difference between pulling the natural force with soul energy and being one with the natural energy. However, the risk of backfiring in blending oneself with the primordial force was significant, and such consequences could be catastrophic.

Fortunately for Wang Tong, after having survived the nuke blast ordeal on Norton, his body had been purified by the soul essence. Therefore, his soul energy was much more compatible with the natural force, thus lowering his risk.

Although Wang Tong knew practically nothing about the soul essence, today's fight was a solid first lesson for him.

Michaux stared at Wang Tong with envy. He had spent his entire life studying the soul essence, yet he was still denied its secrets.

Spurred by indignation, Michaux attacked again. He raised the staff above his head using his left hand while making a dozen hand signs with the right hand. Suddenly, the first layer of energy shield that had been invisible so far seemed to have turned into a glistering fluid, as it flowed into the staff like water being siphoned into a beaker—Michaux was absorbing the energy in the shield.

Wang Tong smiled calmly. Michaux's move didn't scare him. Instead, he felt more relaxed than before. He marveled at the unique advantage that the Tactics of the Blade had given him, as he reckoned that Michaux's method of obtaining energy was much inferior to his. Instead of becoming one with the natural force, Michaux was channeling it using his soul energy.

As the energy gathered inside the staff, a fiery bird appeared out of nowhere, hovering above it. The bird was a vivid representation of the Divine Master Sect's sigil—the undying phoenix.

Realizing that a coup de grace was coming, Wang Tong slammed the ground with a fist, and the rocks and debris started to tremble and rotate around the little crater, until they gained enough velocity and started to levitate. In a blink, Wang Tong had wrapped himself with a swirling tornado, with a few rays of golden light piercing through the cracks of the hurling rocks from time to time.

Sensing the promise of a devastating collision, Patroclus and Li Shiming finally abandoned their front row seats and retreated to safety. This was the first time for the Martians to see their young master unleash his true power.

Michaux shouted at the top of his lungs. His voice was filled with sorrow and anger.

"Flame of the Pure Soul!"

The fiery phoenix swooped down on Wang Tong with a menacing intent. It hit head-on against the golden ray of light, and made its way through half its length. Wang Tong gathered his strength and punched at the Phoenix. The impact release so much heat that it had turned air into hot steam. The sudden combustion sucked air into the vacuum, and Wang Tong suddenly felt being suffocated. Michaux's second attack was on its way already. Wang Tong hurried to defend, but the belligerent attack kept on raining from above. The fiery bird inched closer towards Wang Tong's head as the sphere of golden light shrunk its girth.

Michaux's eyes glinted with a new found confidence. Although Wang Tong had gained the soul essence ahead of him, he knew nothing about his new ability. In other words, Wang Tong still fought with the old mindset, and Michaux believed that that would be his downfall.

Karl's face had turned pale after seeing such display of strength. Although the two fighters' techniques were beyond his understanding, he could tell that they had taken the fight to the next level. He could also sense that Wang Tong had arrived at a critical moment in his cultivation, and the outcome of this fight would directly affect his advancement. The more Karl thought about it, the more worried he became for him, since Wang Tong's opponent was the young master Michaux, who was feared even by Li Shiming and Patroclus.

A smug look crept onto Lie Jian's face as he noticed that Wang Tong was struggling. He watched as Wang Tong's golden energy started to wane. Once the fiery bird reached Wang Tong, he could be crushed by the deadly force in an instance. Lie Jian believed that Wang Tong's focus was no longer winning, but surviving.

The fizzling line of contact between the two energies was only a few feet away from Wang Tong's head. Already, Wang Tong could smell the stench of burnt hair. He hadn't been in such a passive position ever since his battle against Mr. Wannabe in the crystal space. His dire situation convinced him that Michaux was a better fighter than him. However, Wang Tong would never give up.

Wang Tong's mind raced as he tried to come up with a solution. Since he lacked even the most fundamental understanding of the soul essence, thinking had been difficult.

The situation was getting worse. Being forced into a corner with no way out, even a minor slip up would have cost Wang Tong's life. He had to act quickly—but how?

"Wang Tong is in danger. He should surrender right now, or he will be injured!" Li Ruoer heaved a sigh of resignation. She tried to hide her sympathy in her voice but failed.

Michaux Odin was too powerful of an opponent for Wang Tong. Not only was he the Martians' spiritual leader, but he was also much more powerful than people had predicted. Michaux was not from the Great Houses, but he had proven to be as deadly as great house members, if not more so.

Wang Tong had done a great job getting so far into the tournament, but it appeared that his journey would have to end here.

"Xiaoru! Come back!" Li Ruoer suddenly found out that Ma Xiaoru was walking towards the danger zone by herself. Her sea of consciousness was wide open.

The MC also noticed the sudden development and announced that the heir of House Ma was approaching the stage despite the grave danger. No one had rushed to rescue Ma Xiaoru, since it would be too dangerous to walk right into the storm of chaos without any protective gear.

Li Shiming and Patroclus wanted to pull Ma Xiaoru out, but they were at the other end of the arena, and therefore, would not make it in time to reach her.

Chapter 392: Turn the Tide

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

The familiar sense of Ma Xiaoru's soul energy had caught Wang Tong by surprise. From the corner of his eyes, he caught her approaching the stage, and was frightened.

Wang Tong's slight distraction had given the fiery bird advantage, and allowed it to press forward by another few inches. Wang Tong would lose the fight if he couldn't stop the bird.

By then, the oxygen around Wang Tong had been sucked clean by the vacuum. He conceded that the only way of surviving was to shield his sea of consciousness with his GN force. Even then, Wang Tong fingered that the odds of surviving the attack were extremely small. What was worse was that the shockwave from the impact would kill Ma Xiaoru as well.

Suddenly, Wang tong realized that Ma Xiaoru had walked to the stage because she wanted to die with him.

Wang Tong never feared death, not even during the moment of life and death. He would always remain calm until he found out a solution. However, there and then, Wang Tong found that he could hardly think straight.

Li Feng used to say that emotion was the source of the strongest power in humans. But, how could one harness the power?

Wang Tong rounded his eyes as he doubled down his defense. For the sake of Ma Xiaoru, he could not lose the battle.

Suddenly, Wang Tong's eyes started to burn with a golden luster. Ma Xiaoru's danger had triggered and unleashed Wang Tong deepest emotion and given him strength.

A burst of golden whirlwind appeared around Wang Tong. However, the fiery bird didn't waver.

Seeing Wang Tong's unyielding fighting spirit, a sense of respect suddenly rose inside of Michaux. However, he knew that his coup de grace was unstoppable, and Wang Tong had already reached his limit.

"Kom!"

Wang Tong struggled to resist the force from above, but he could barely lift his arm above his shoulder. Truth be told, what he wanted to do was practically impossible.

Wang Tong knew that if he still wanted to win the fight, he would have to find out a way to turn the tide right now.

Inside Ayrlarng, a fist-clenching, teeth-gritting quietness fell in the campus. Everyone's thoughts were the same.

Wang Tong pushed himself closer to a trance as the situation became more urgent.

Finally, a golden energy burst out from Wang Tong and shot straight up into the air. Wang Tong pushed his arms up slowly as his eyes turned into a mixture of gold and blood. Suddenly, the energy in the air stopped moving about, and even Michaux sensed the sudden change in the flow of energy.

"Kom!"

The golden energy flowed anew and took on a snake-like shape as it shot higher up into the air, then released a deafening roar.

A dragon slowly rose from the ground and pushed its head against the Undying Phoenix. The phoenix's movement was slowed down already. Despite the temporary setback in Michaux's attack, no one had thought that Wang Tong had a chance of turning the tide of the battle. However, only three seconds later, the audiences learned that they were wrong. The golden dragon opened its mouth and swallowed the Undying Phoenix, then soared into the sky towards Michaux. Michaux was ready to defend against the incoming dragon, but so powerful was the attack that the golden dragon shredded Michaux's defense and blew the young master away.

The giant dragon continued soaring higher until it blended into the starry sky.

"Kom!"

The entire arena trembled, and suddenly the floor caved in. When the dust finally settled, the stage had turned into ruins.

Wang Tong held Ma Xiaoru in his arms and shouted, "Are you out of your mind? Why did you come so close?"

In the distance, Li Shiming paused before he could reach Ma Xiaoru. His eyes glinted as he felt something was amiss.

Losing control of his body, Michaux was about to thud onto the ground, but was rescued by Lie Jian. If Michaux fell from such height, he would be gravely injured. Nevertheless, when Lie Jian looked down on Michaux's face, he noticed the young master was unconscious.

Ma Xiaoru didn't answer Wang Tong's question. Instead, she touched Wang Tong's face and smiled. She had been ready to die with her lover.

As soon as Ma Xiaoru's fingertip touched Wang Tong's face, his eyes returned to their normal color. Seeing that the shockwave had injured Ma Xiaoru, Wang Tong picked her up and rushed towards the medic station.

Staring at the stage that had been reduced to piles of rubble, the audiences wondered how the two were able to wreak such havoc.

The MC finally gathered himself and announced the decision of the referee panel.

"The winner is—WANG TONG!"

The audiences boiled over after hearing the announcement. This result was the most uncalled-for of all tournament fights!

Cheers erupted from the entire city of Shangjin, as the citizens celebrated this unexpected victory of Wang Tong. Inside every house, and around every corner of the streets, everyone stopped what they were doing and joined the celebration. This was a miraculous victory that would mark a new era for Ayrlarng as well as Earthlings.

The students and the teachers hugged and congratulated each other. No one had thought that Wang Tong would be able to win. However, he had done the impossible and created a miracle.

Inside the Dream cafe, the owner was so excited for his lucky charm's victory that he slammed a half-empty beer bottle on the ground and announced to all of his customers, "Let's celebrate! All drinks are on me!"

Ever since Wang Tong had made a name for himself in the tournament, the Dream cafe had become the most popular internet cafe in the entire Shangjin. The room of terminal number five had been permanently reserved for Wang Tong's personal use.

Meanwhile, in the sky arena, the MC shouted out Wang Tong's name, and all the audiences followed.

"Wang Tong—Wang Tong!"

Although this fight had brought danger to the audiences, it was such a marvelous fight that it was truly worth commemorating even hundreds of years from now.

After the fight, over a hundred thousand media outlets unequivocally praised the significance of the fight. Not only was it a fantastic fight to watch, but the two fighters had painted a brand-new landscape for the future of METAL combat.

"The darkest dark horse of all time—Wang Tong!"

"The pride of Earthlings, the bane of Martians."

"An average Joe, but feared even by the Great Houses."

Heroic headlines fell like a flurry of snow, and other talk shows also started to focus on the topic.

"I do believe that Wang Tong is worthy of the title 'The darkest dark horse.' "

"I agree too! He has proven himself as powerful as the Great Houses' combatants."

"I think we should call him the Magic Boy instead."

"Haha, that sounds kinda trashy."

"What about the Dragon Warrior?"

"Oh! That one is great. Fits his finishing move as well!"

From then on, Wang Tong was dubbed as the Dragon Warrior.

The inquisitive journalist also quickly sniffed out the love affair between Ma Xiaoru and Wang Tong, and therefore, the two's relationship had quickly become the second most talked about topic. Most people thought the two were a very cute couple, and gave them best wishes. The only ones who were disgruntled about the love affair were the House of Li, since they had been planning the marriage between the Li and Ma for years.

Ma Dutian was very pleased after watching the fight. He conceded that Wang Tong was capable of protecting his daughter, although he had freaked out when he saw Ma Xiaoru walking right into the danger zone.

Chapter 393: A Fledgling Among Einherjars

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

Wang Tong carried Ma Xiaoru and rushed into the medic room.

"She is fine. She only got minor injuries from the shockwave... How are you doing? Would you like a check up?"

"I am fine…" Wang Tong announced.

Before Wang Tong could finish his words, he felt the world turn dark, and then his collapsed to the floor.

People around Wang Tong were shocked by the sudden development, and they started to perform all kinds of checks on him, trying to figure out if he were still alive. After a while, they noticed Wang Tong's snores; he had fallen asleep.

In another Medic room, Michaux was still in critical condition, and had been carried into the medic bay for intensive care. He knew that he had to evade the attack when he caught the glimpse the golden dragon. However, he was grazed by the dragon's claw, and had almost lost his life.

The power of the natural force as too powerful for a human to withstand, and this power would become the new trend among cultivators.

Looking at the unconscious Michaux floating in the medic bay, Lie Jian felt a heavy weight on his mind as he pondered the reason for his defeat. To Lie Jian, Wang Tong had done the impossible. However, the thought of someone as powerful as himself elated him.

"Rest well, Michaux. I will avenge you."

Lie Jian said as he clenched his fist; Wang Tong, Patroclus, Li Shiming, either one of them would be an interesting opponent for him.

The first two of the quarterfinals were finished. Although Wang Tong and Li Shiming had led Team Earth to a complete victory, the two fighters would face each other during their next fight. Wang Tong's recent rise to fame undoubtedly had given Li Shiming a lot of pressure.

In addition to the gain and loss on the stage, the two also competed for Ma Xiaoru. On that front, Li Shiming seemed to have lost his advantage. Losing Ma Xiaoru would be a more devastating blow to House Li than losing a tournament.

No one in House Li had believed that Wang Tong was the heir of General Li Feng, as they reasoned that Li Feng would have chosen one of his family members instead. The fact that House Ma had believed such nonsense had given Li Shiming another reason to strike Wang Tong down.

Karl and his friends had been waiting outside the medic room ever since Wang Tong had collapsed. A few hours later, the doctor informed them that Wang Tong had simply fallen asleep.

"Can you believe that? Who falls asleep like that?" Karl exclaimed.

"What a waste of our time!" Hu Yangxuan lamented, even though his voice was filled with joy. He reasoned that since Wang Tong was not seriously injured, he should be able to be patched up quickly and ready for the next fight, the semi-finals.

Just like the sleepless crowd on the Earth, no one on Mars found it easy to fall asleep, as they struggled to come to terms with the defeat of their young master. What was worse was that Michaux was defeated by a dark horse that no one had ever heard of.

After the fight, Wang Tong had officially claimed his spot among the heirs of the Great Houses.

Zhang Mi, the journalist, had worked overnight in pushing out the first draft of the fight to her editor. However, popular as the topic might have seemed, it was not the most eye-catching headline of the day. There was another more sensational news: Einherjar Lee Moshan had challenged Einherjar Wannabe.

This news had shocked the entire Confederation. Einherjars had always been a strategic arsenal for the three factions, and therefore, they rarely participated in any real combat.

In the three hundred years after the Great War with the Zergs, the three major factions of the Confederation had reached a consensus that no regional skirmish, however heated they were, should warrant the commissioning of Einherjars. This was also an unspoken law among Einherjars themselves, and it was very rare to see two Einherjars fighting with each other. Every Einherjar had sworn loyalty to the faction he or she belonged to, and therefore, any conflict between two Einherjars would quickly escalate into a conflict between two factions.

After all, humans' common enemy were the Zergs, and the purpose of every Einherjar's life was to make sure of the human race's survival.

Before Einherjar Wannabe became a viral sensation, all Einherjars represented the confederation instead of themselves. So, what had spurred Lee Moshan to make such a drastic decision?

As the rumor spread, many people believed that Lee Moshan was infuriated after having learned that Qin Lanyue had fallen in love with Einherjar Wannabe after their fight.

Einherjars were not gods, and therefore, they were susceptible to emotions, if not more so compared to an ordinary human. For Lee Moshan, unable to marry Qin Lanyue had been the only hurdle of his life that he could not come to terms with. Since Lee Moshan could not win her heart, he refused to accept the fact she had fallen in love with someone else.

Rumors aside, the fight would be very beneficial to both fighters' cultivation, since they were bound to learn a great deal from each other. That benefit alone had made every Einherjar tempted to challenge Mr. Wannabe, and Lee Moshan was the first one to make a move.

To most ordinary viewers, the fight between two Einherjars was a fight between gods. Therefore, no news would trump its gravity.

Employees of DREAM were shocked when they received the challenge letter from Lee Moshan. No one had thought that a simulation game would be able to attract the attention of an Einherjar. Regardless of the outcome of the match, it would be a huge win for the PA system. However, one question remained, "Would Einherjar Wannabe accept the challenge?"

Such a question was out of the DREAM's control, and therefore, they could do nothing other than sit and wait for the reply. Ever since its conception a few months ago, the online community "Marshal Hall" had increased its members by almost ten folds. After Einherjar Wannabe's victory over Qin Lanyue, he had become a synonym of hope for ordinary citizens of the confederation.

Wang Tong finally woke up the next day and left the hospital with Ma Xiaoru as if nothing had happened. Both of them were fine, and had fully recovered from their minor injuries.

After the two returned to Wang Tong's room, Wang Tong wished to introduce Ma Xiaoru to his only "relative," Mr. Wannabe.

"Mr. Wannabe, this is my future wife, Ma Xiaoru. Xiaoru, this is my old bro, Mr. Wannabe." Wang Tong announced as he beamed from side to side. He didn't know what to call Mr. Wannabe, since he saw the old ghost as a friend and tutor at the same time.

Ma Xiaoru hurried to bow to the old ghost. "Nice to meet you. Thank you for taking care of Wang Tong."

"Hehe, good girl. That idiot is lucky to have you! You can call me Mr. Wannabe." Mr. Wannabe said with a smile. However, Wang Tong noticed that a sadness shrouded Mr. Wannabe's eyes.

"I have good news for you. Einherjar Lee Moshan has challenged you in the PA. What do you say?" Wang Tong asked.

"Lee Moshan? You mean that fledgling?" Mr. Wannabe replied without any delight in his voice.

Chapter 394: An Old Ghost

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

Although she had heard from Wang Tong that Mr. Wannabe was a warrior, Ma Xiaoru was taken back by the Mr. Wannabe's audacious statement.

"You mean, Lee Moshan is only an entry level Einherjar?"

"Yes. Charcoal had already looked him up for me. He is a 100% noob…" Mr. Wannabe paused as he studied Wang Tong with a clear intent. "What about you fighting him instead of me?" Mr. Wannabe finally asked.

Wang Tong was shocked by the question while Ma Xiaoru had to cover her mouth to prevent herself from screaming out loud.

"Coward! He is just a puny weakling. What are you afraid of? He won't be able to reach Einherjar Level in the virtual world anyway. You need to fight him in real life!" Mr. Wannabe pouted and said.

Wang Tong suddenly realized what Mr. Wannabe was getting at, "So... you mean I'll fight him with a METAL suit?"

"Bingo! " Mr. Wannabe exclaimed, beaming from side to side.

"But where?" Wang Tong's eyes lit up with new found interest.

"In the space. With super METAL, you would be able to fight in the space. This way would provide a cover as well. I think you should fight him after your tournament though. You are ...not ready just yet. But, you might be ready after the tournament."

Mr. Wannabe had been watching Wang Tong's improvement for a long time, and he knew that since he had missed his chance of advancement into super Einherjar, he should provide as many opportunities for Wang Tong as he could.

Wang Tong's eyes glinted as his mind raced. Finally, he nodded slowly and said, "Let's do it!"

Mr. Wannabe smiled approvingly. He cast Ma Xiaoru a glance and then said, "Don't worry about him. That Einherjar-dude is a weakling."

Although Ma Xiaoru had her fair share of conversing with top notch fighters, she was pleasantly surprised by Mr. Wannabe's unswerving confidence.

"Xiaoru, Mr. Wannabe is telling the truth. You can trust him. He is over a few hundred years old, so he must have some mojo. Even if I can't defeat Lee Moshan, I can always run away." Wang Tong winked at Ma Xiaoru and said.

"Do whatever you want. I'm always here for you. But, don't risk your life, please."

"Don't worry. I'm pretty tough." Wang Tong smiled.

"I can testify that! Especially when he is in front of you. It's the power of love...Haha…" Mr. wannabe jested.

"Get lost!" Wang Tong cut Mr. Wannabe short.

Ma Xiaoru gave Wang Tong a shy smile. "Is that true? Tell me, come!" Ma Xiaoru said and then she dragged Wang Tong away.

Mr. Wannabe looked at the joyful couple and smiled like a father watching his growing son. Perhaps the old scars did not matter any longer. Mr. Wannabe lamented because the life now was so much more beautiful.

The news of Einherjar Wannabe accepting Lee Moshan's challenge had quickly become the most sensational news. What made this fight much more exciting for members of the marshal hall was that it would take place in real life, in the space.

Only in the space could the two fighters unleash their maximum power without the fear of hurting anyone else.

Everyone felt excitement and anticipation in the air. Many audiences had never heard of a fight between two Einherjars before, much less seen one.

Although no one knew how powerful Einherjar Wannabe was, they had watched his opponents fall one after another, and each one was more powerful than the last. Finally, the warrior shrouded in mystery was about to confront a real Einherjar.

The news of the fight had deeply disturbed the council. They knew that Einherjar Wannabe was finally ready to reveal himself in real life. Despite the gravity of his actions, the Confederation knew that there was nothing they could do to stop him. Plus, he had the populous on his side.

The confederation had spent a great deal of energy trying to figure out his real identity. However, whenever they thought that they had a lead, the mysterious fighter would throw a curve ball at the investigation and spoil their previous efforts.

Even the golden rule of elimination had failed, since the rule had indicated that the fighter was just an academy student. However, the PA system had confirmed his age to be over two hundred years old.

By then, all efforts in discovering Einherjar Wannabe's identify had failed.

Nevertheless, the failures didn't dull the great houses' interest in the mysterious fighter, since they gradually felt threatened by his existence. The establishment never welcomed changes, since they only cared about the status quo. But, Einherjar Wannabe had become an unstable element in the society, and therefore, he had become an inconvenience.

Meanwhile, Li Shiming and Porten were drinking together while watching a TV show about the coming fights.

"Bother Li, it appears that we were wrong about this Einherjar Wannabe." Porten lamented. However, he could not hide the snicker on his face.

He had been wearing the same snicker ever since he heard the rumors about Ma Xiaoru's relationship with Wang Tong. It ought to be a devastating blow the House Li. Life was a zero-sum game; others' failures might as well be Porten's gain.

Li Shiming gave him an aloof smile.

Li Shiming's sense of superiority always disgusted Porten. He furrowed his brows and announced, "It was a blatant insult to fight an Einherjar. How dare he!"

"That's too much. He is nothing but a clown."

"Oh? Why did you say so?"

"He always had been a clown. Maybe he is powerful, but he is also out of the league of the rest of the Einherjars. Such provocation would only end in humiliation. He thinks that people like him. But, people don't like him because he is the savior, people liked him because he is funny, like a clown." Li Shiming explained. General Li Feng had become powerful, not only because he was powerful, but also because he had saved the entire human race.

Porten's eyes glinted as realization dawned on him. "That's one very astute remark you have made! Once a clown, always a clown. Haha!"

Li Shiming smiled. Of course, he had oversimplified Einherjar Wannabe's character, but right then, he didn't have much energy to waste on such irrelevant matters. His priority right then was to get rid of Wang Tong.

Porten had seen through Li Shiming's calm disguise, and knew that he was concerned about Wang Tong.

Was it because of Ma Xiaoru?

Porten had known Li Shiming for many years, and it was the first time he had ever seen him truly troubled by someone.

"Uncle Lee has such short temper. Can you believe that he challenged Einherjar Wannabe?" Qin Yue rushed into her mother's room and announced the news to Qin Lanyue.

Qin Lanyue was caught off guard by the news. She paused for a second and asked her daughter, "What did you say?"

"Mom, what's up with this Einherjar Wannabe? What is he hiding? Why can't he show everyone who he is? Coward!"

"Nonsense, he is not a coward."

"How did you know? You only fought him once."

Qin Lanyue smiled and patted her daughter's head. "Trying to trick me, aren't you? Although I don't know him very well, I can tell that he was as much a superhero as a villain, but not a coward."

"Wow, that's a rare compliment coming from you. Now I'm curious if he could defeat an Einherjar. Imagine two duds duking out in the space: Phew-Phew! Phew-Phew!"

"Don't be silly. There is a reason why he set the stage in the space. The virtual technology is not capable of emulating the full power of an Einherjar." Qin Lanyue announced.

"Are you sure he has reached the Einherjar level? He calls himself a wannabe, remember?"

Chapter 395: The Same Actor but Different Stories

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

Qin Yue's doubts were not unfounded, since it was not uncommon for level six fighters to possess stronger soul energy than an Einherjar. Therefore, soul energy should not be the only measurement of a warrior's strength.

"Hehe, you think I would miss an Einherjar right in front of me?" Qin Lanyue laughed. She didn't need to look too hard at the mysterious warrior to sense that loneliness which uniquely belonged to an Einherjar.

The third quarterfinal was about to lift its curtain. The arena had already been completely renovated and looked brand new.

This match was between the Ivantian Prince, Patroclus, and Heidi, the Kaedeian princess.

Patroclus walked onto the stage, dressed in a silver overall. As soon as he appeared on the stage, the Ivantian audiences showered him with a tsunami of cheers. It was obvious that the Dower family had cultivated a good reputation on the Moon.

A few seconds later, Heidi sauntered out from the backstage with the beauty that outshone the brightest star in the night sky.

As both fighters appeared on the stage, the match had inadvertently turned into a model show.

Many netizens had already mentioned that the two would make the sweetest couple if they got married. No Ivantians would object to that notion, since the union would very likely bring the Ivantians another perfect human as Patroclus's successor.

The two fighters had drawn an unprecedented number of audiences, and even the reserved seats were packed, as everyone wanted to see the full power of Patroclus. Even though he was about to face the Kaedeian prince, most audiences believed that Patroclus would win the fight without a sweat.

Wang Tong appeared in the arena with Ma Xiaoru while holding her hand. Although the two were practically joined at the hips, Wang Tong didn't wear his affection on his face as Ma Xiaoru did.

Ma Xiaoru was a METAL fighter, but ever since she got together with Wang Tong, she felt less and less interested in fighting.

Standing right beside the couple, Li Ruoer finally burst out, "The whole world knows about you two. Can you two show any more public affection?"

Ma Xiaoru blushed after hearing her friend's comment.

"Wang Tong, who do you think will win the fight?" Zhou Sisi asked. Almost everyone was convinced that Patroclus could only be defeated by the Blade Warrior.

"Patroclus." Wang Tong said without any hesitation.

"Really? You don't think Heidi stands any chance?"

"Hehe. Power aside, I don't think Heidi wants to be the Champion anyways."

Sisi was perplexed by Wang Tong's answer, as she wondered why Heidi would join the tournament if she didn't even want to become the champion.

"Princess Heidi, please," Patroclus announced courteously.

Heidi unsheathed her blade while Patroclus remained calm and didn't seem to want to use his weapon. Everyone felt that Patroclus's confidence had gotten the better of him. However, most people didn't care about Patroclus's confidence that borderlined on conceit, since they figured that he would win the game anyways.

Heidi cranked up her soul energy, which made her look even more goddess-like. Unlike human's soul energy that could burst into action, the Kaedeians' soul energy increased at an even rate, signifying the female warrior's calm temperament.

Slowly, Heidi's GN power opened up like a blooming lotus flower. Despite the serenity of the scene, her GN force was deadly powerful. Without even making a move, Heidi had already advanced to level six.

Ever since the first contact, humans had always been curious about the genetic makeup of the Kaedeians. The Kaedeian royal line carried its traits with an excellent stability and consistency that even the House Li and House Dower could not match.

"Z-oink Z-oink!"

Heidi started the attack with her blade as waves of Blade Aura lurched towards Patroclus, who remained still as the Blade Aura wheezed by. Heidi had aimed around Patroclus but not at him, so that her blow would land on target as long as Patroclus moved an inch in any direction. However, Patroclus had seen through Heidi's tactic and remained still.

Heidi cracked a smile and marveled at his keen observation and formidable judgment. No wonder, she thought, they called him the perfect human.

Although Heidi's ultimate goal in the tournament was not Patroclus, she conceded that she was intrigued by the Ivantian's power.

Heidi cast a sidelong glance towards a corner of the arena.

"Hey! I think Heidi glanced at me!" Karl shouted out.

Hu Yangxuan slapped Karl's head and rebutted, "Not you, she was looking at me."

"Oh come on, you two! Neither of you are more handsome than the one in front of her." Sisi laughed out loud. However, she also registered the Kaedeian princess's glance and found it strange.

Noticing that Heidi was distracted, Patroclus paused and smiled. "Are you here for him as well?"

"What do you mean?"

"We are here for the same person, although my goal is entirely different than yours. I am here to defeat him, to put an end to the so-called Blade Warrior once and for all." Patroclus said as his eyes burned with a luster that held an unswerving conviction.

Heidi had doubted her judgment. However, after hearing Patroclus's words, she was confident that Wang Tong was indeed the man she had been waiting for.

The noise from the audiences drowned the voice of the MC, "The two fighters haven't started fighting right away. They are having a conversation, something about the 'Blade Warrior'!" Although the MC couldn't hear a thing, he had read their lips and the words "Blade Warrior" blurted out. Suddenly, the two words seemed to have killed all clamor in the arena, as a deadly silence fell.

Even after three hundred years, the mere mention of the Blade Warrior would draw everyone's attention immediately.

Li Shiming's face paled, as he too had been reading the two fighters' lips, and had realized that his would-be opponents were after the heir of the Blade Warrior.

Li Shiming clenched his fists, as he knew they were talking about Wang Tong and not him. It was unacceptable— as the heir of Li Feng, he had to do away with Wang Tong. There simply was no other option.

"That's good that we have this mutual understanding. Come on then, the only way to reach him is over me." Heidi cracked a gorgeous smile that captivated the hearts of all male audiences.

"Kom!"

Both fighters charged up their soul energy simultaneously. They shared not only the same ultimate goal, but also the same unwavering determination. Patroclus wanted to show it to the world that the legend of the Blade Warrior would no longer repeat itself, and House Dower would claim the empty throne; he would finish the task that Rilangalos had left.

Patroclus hacked his right arm at Heidi, and suddenly, it turned into a deadly blade shimmering with blade aura.

"Arm Blade!"

Heidi evaded the attack as Patroclus's strike landed on the ground and caused a sizable explosion. Before the dust had settled, Heidi had already lunged at Patroclus with unpredictable footsteps.

This would have been a fair fight if Heidi hadn't mentioned the Blade Warrior. A century-old feud had lent power to the beast inside Patroclus, threatening to unleash destruction that was beyond his control.

Driven by the call of the inner beast, Patroclus didn't evade the attack like he normally would. Instead, he reached out and grabbed the deadly blade with his bare hands.

Having sensed Patroclus's intention, Heidi changed the course of the blade and slid it up to under the Ivantian's neck. However, before she could finish the move, she noticed that Patroclus's fingers were already near the tip of her blade.

Being caught off guard, Heidi retreated abruptly as she heard Patroclus shout at her.

"Show me your real power. Little tricks like that won't work!"

Chapter 396: Return of the Moon King

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

Patroclus struggled to keep his voice down but failed; the beast was about to be unshackled.

After gathered herself, Heidi suddenly realized that the fingers she had seen earlier were nothing but an illusion; it was a technique that struck a resemblance with that of the Kaedeians.

She raised the blade high above her head and started to chant in Kaedeian tongue. Despite the smooth sound of each syllable, no one other than Kaedeians knew what she was chanting.

The MC knew a little bit of Kaedeian, and therefore, he translated her chanting into broken sentences.

"Power of the Gods...lend me...your servant...METAL!"

Suddenly, the blade lit up with an intense light, as something slithered along it down to Heidi's hands, arms, finally reaching her body. When the blinding light subsided, people watched with astonishment as a full METAL suit appeared on Heidi.

The tournament had forbidden the usage of mechanical METAL suits, and therefore, Heidi's METAL suit ought to be made out of different material.

"Interesting! Using the natural force to form a METAL suit, eh? Do you have a name for such technique?" Patroclus smiled amusingly.

"Phantom METAL."

Not only had Kaedeians been searching for new replacements for human METAL suits, but they had also been researching different ways of harnessing the natural force as the Mastery did. They had soon discovered that the METAL suit made out of the natural force could achieve 100% synchronization with the wearer, and were convinced that the natural force would be the future of cultivation.

Although the new invention would not immediately affect the still-powerful METAL suit industry, it would have a huge long-term impact.

Wearing the Phantom METAL, Kaedian Princess lunged at Patroclus again.

"Kill!"

The audiences watched as Heidi charged forward with a deceptive footstep, that was meant to confuse the opponent.

Patroclus closed his eyes and opened up his arms, as if he were going to embrace the attacker.

Heidi thrust one arm forward as a blade appeared in her hand out of nowhere. However, some experienced warriors in the audience found out something was amiss: such attack would not release the full intent of the thrusting motion. This kind of a slip up should not have happened during a fight between such powerful fighters.

Even as the audiences wondered what had gone wrong, Heidi reached out the arm, and suddenly, five ice serpents slithered out from under her sleeve and lashed out at Patroclus.

"Kom!"

It was obvious by then that the GN force blade attack was merely a cover, and the real strike was the five serpents materialized using the natural force. Only the Kaedeians would be able to transition from GN force attack to natural force so smoothly.

As soon as the five ice serpents materialized on the stage, the air seemed to have gotten colder. It was a clear sign that Heidi was much more skilled at wielding the natural force than even the Mastery warriors such as Guan Dongyang.

The ice serpents exploded when they were near their target. A thousand icicles blasted at Patroclus and sealed him inside an ice shell, immobilizing him in the end. However, everyone, including Heidi, knew that Patroclus would not be subdued so quickly. Therefore, the Kaedeian princess attacked again as she jammed the sharp tip of the blade into the ice statue. Then, she opened her arms as a circular magic seal appeared under her feet. Luminescent colors lighted each letter and stroke that made up the seal. As the circle started to turn by itself, the temperature inside the arena dropped dramatically. A few moments later, heavy snowflakes fell from the sky as Heidi industriously changed multiple hand signs, commanding the motion of the luminescent seal.

Gong-son Wuce had only heard of such technique before, and it was called the Seal of Sub Zero.

"Seal!"

A thousand thin wisps of cold air rose from the center of the seal, twisting into numerous strands of energy that rushed into the ice statue.

The temperature in the arena had dropped to below forty degrees. Most audiences in the reserved seat had initiated their protective shield to ward off the biting coldness.

All of this was happening when the arena energy shield was still functioning.

As everyone was convinced that Heidi would heavily leverage on her Phantom METAL, she started to use soul energy. Her unpredictability reminded the audiences of Wang Tong, the Dragon Warrior.

A layer of scintillating frost had crept onto the surface of the floor while tiny crystals formed on the ice statue, until the surface of the statue looked almost metallic.

"The Absolute Zero Ice Cage!"

After completing her coup de grace, Heidi retracted the METAL and revealed her pale and exhausted face. The METAL was used to ward off the extreme coldness while she was casting her spell.

A reverential silence fell in the arena, followed by a cracking noise from the first layer of the arena energy shield.

Inside the ice cage, the Ivantian Prince's expression looked serene and otherworldly, suggesting that he might never get out of the cage again. Heidi was very confident in the power of the ice cage; it would take even an Einherjar a while to get out from there, much less Patroclus.

Seeing that Patroclus was utterly immobilized, the referee started the countdown.

Heidi had done all she could to capture Patroclus inside the cage. Unlike a male fighter who would seek to solve the problem by force, Heidi had chosen a peaceful solution.

Five seconds later, seeing Patroclus was still trapped inside the ice cage, the Ivantian audiences started getting nervous. He was their Prince, and if he lost, all Ivantians would have lost.

"Eight!"

The Ivantians rounded their eyes in disbelief as the referee continued the countdown.

"Kom!"

Suddenly, a wave of blue energy pieced the icy cage and sloshed over the stage.

"Nine!"

"Kaboom!"

The ground trembled as if the earth were about to turn upside down. Another wave of blue energy shot through the air and stripped apart the first and second layer of energy shield, until the third and the last shield finally blocked it.

As Patroclus emerged out of the ice, he was holding something in his hand: the legendary weapon of Rilangalos, the Deva Lance!

"Kom!"

Patroclus stabbed the butt of the Lance into the ground, and the entire world trembled as the stage suddenly collapsed in front of everyone's eyes.

Heidi attempted to ward off the belligerent attack, but she was immediately blown away by the insurmountable energy. When the havoc subsided, people saw the entire stage was destroyed, except the few square inches of a floor under Patroclus's feet.

The Deva lance had finally revealed itself to everyone in the hands of the heir of Rilangalos. Although Patroclus's opponent was a lovely princess who only sought peace, Patroclus had struck her down as if she were a menacing demon.

Staring at the god-like Patroclus on the stage, people suddenly remembered the nickname for Rilangalos—Asura, the Demon God.

The beast inside him was finally let loose.

Patroclus didn't spare the half-conscious Heidi a glance. Instead, he reached out and pointed at a corner of the arena, drawing everyone's eyes to the same spot.

He did not point at Li Shiming, nor Lie Jian. At the corner of the arena sat only one remaining combatant—Wang Tong.

The MC shrieked in excitement, "That's Wang Tong! WANG TONG! The heir of Rilangalos has pointed at Wang Tong!"

Everyone was taken back by the turn of the event since they had expected Patroclus's goal was to defeat Li Shiming. Meanwhile, they wondered why a dark horse would have evoked such intense interest in Patroclus.

Wang Tong remained calm and smiled faintly. He could feel the excitement of Patroclus, since the same excitement had been roiling inside Wang Tong ever since the start of the match. Wang Tong was eager to experience the power of Patroclus's deadly strikes first hand.

So confident was Patroclus that he didn't even turn back to make sure he had defeated his opponent before he sheathed the Deva Lance.

Chapter 397: Establish Dominance

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

However, Patroclus had forgotten to acknowledge Li Shiming, which had rubbed the heir of House Li the wrong way. Li Shiming had worked hard to improve himself, and therefore, he could not stomach the humiliation of being ignored.

For Li Shiming, this tournament should and only be about House Li, and there was no room for the Dower. His loathing towards Wang Tong also increased ten folds, as he believed that only a member of the House Li was fit for inheriting the power of the Blade Warrior, not some low-life no account. As Li Shiming's thoughts went on, his eyes held a luster that meant death.

Suddenly, a chubby round face appeared close to Li Shiming's eyes. The face beamed from side to side and shouted, "Go Wang Tong Go! Go Ayrlarng Go!"

It was Karl.

Feeling embarrassed, Hu Yangxuan and Zhou Sisi hurried to drag Karl back to his seat.

"The winner is—PATROCLUS!"

This had been an easy victory for Patroclus, since he had only started to become serious when he used the Deva Lance. It was obvious then that Patroclus's previous fight must have been excruciatingly boring for him, yet he held his patience to wait for the fight against Wang Tong. All the while, Wang Tong's excellent performance was Patroclus's only consolation.

After Wang Tong's fight against Michaux, Patroclus was finally certain that he would be up against the heir of the Blade Warrior. After having watched Wang Tong's fight, even Patroclus was no longer certain of his victory. Meanwhile, this feeling of a sudden lack of confidence and superiority was exhilarating for the Ivantain Prince. Ever since he had mastered the Tactics of the Deva King, Patroclus had always been able to achieve whatever his heart desired. Despite the obvious convenience, the forlorn boredom from a lack of challenge had turned his life into a drudgery.

Truth be told, Patroclus had planned his attack so that the lance only grazed Heidi. Otherwise, the Kaedeians might have to choose another princess from the royal bloodline, because Heidi would never leave the Moon alive. His lance attack was more of a symbolic gesture, a manifesto of his determination and a response to Wang Tong's last match.

Wang Tong was one of the handfuls that had understood his intention clearly and well. When Wang Tong saw Patroclus's stunning performance, he finally understood the "frenemy" relationship between Li Feng and Rilangalos. In addition to Patroclus, Wang Tong conceded that he had an additional opponent: Li Shiming.

Seeing Wang Tong had attracted the attention of the Ivantian Prince, Ma Xiaoru felt proud of his boyfriend.

"The youngsters nowadays are incredible!" Wu Xin marveled. She had thought that the tournament would be a child's play. "But... how did Patroclus know about Wang Tong's hidden identity?"

Ma Dutian cracked a smile; he was also very pleased by Wang Tong's performance. "Perhaps it's his sixth sense, hehe. I look forward to their fight. However, Wang Tong will have to cross Li Shiming first. Xin, it's a different time now. I doubt anyone can stop Patroclus if Wang Tong failed." Ma Dutian lamented. Until a few minutes ago before he had seen Patroclus's lance attack, Ma Dutian had no idea what it meant to be the heir of Rilangalos.

"Wang Tong will defeat him! And he will become my son in law."

"Hehe, fine. You sound as if I don't like that boy. Anyhow, just for your information, your son in law has told your daughter everything about himself. In other words, she now knows much more about the Blade Warrior than both of us combined."

"You mean..."Wu Xin was taken back by the news.

Ma Dutian nodded. "I am glad that they trusted each other."

"I agree. That's something you can learn as well. "

Ma Dutian gave his wife a shy smile and then said, "I'm always... open to you."

Wu Xin rolled her eyes at Ma Dutian, but with a sweet smile on her face.

All media outlets praised the victory of Patroclus, and the fight was described as an easy win for the Ivantian prince.

Many experts had pointed out that although Patroclus hadn't broken free from the ice cage until the last moment, he had many opportunities to interrupt Heidi before she had completed the spell. They speculated that Patroclus did so to demonstrate the invincibility of the tactics of the Deva King to the world.

Many debates were also carried out around the fact that the two fighters both mentioned the Blade Warrior before the fight started. Moreover, as people started to connect the dots, they realized that Patroclus had always attended Wang Tong's fight even before he had become famous. All signs indicate that something must have been going on between the two fighters even before the tournament had started. By the same line of reasoning, it was easy to conclude that Patroclus was not merely taunting Wang Tong at the end of his match. Instead, there seemed to be more significant issues that needed to be settled between the two.

What had made Patroclus taunt the Dragon Warrior? What kind of a story had happened between the two? Questions came one after another, but people knew that they wouldn't find out the answers until the two started fighting.

So far, three combatants had succeeded in their quarterfinals, but who would be the fourth one? Would it be Lie Jian from Mars or Zhang Buyu from the Templar?

Everyone waited for the fight to start with great anticipation.

Inside the resting room, Lie Jian flexed his wrist impatiently. He was disgruntled by the fact that Patroclus had pointed at Wang Tong and not him.

Lie Jian's goal was clear; he needed to get rid of the last hurdle — Zhang Buyu— before he reached his ultimate goal, Patroclus.

Soon, the final match was about to start. The arena maintenance crew had been working round the clock to replace the entire stage. This wasn't the first time they had to do it, and therefore, they had finished the repair faster than expected. However, recharging the first and second layers of the energy shield would take a much longer time. Therefore, the tournament committee had decided to continue the fight with only the third layer on. Meanwhile, the committee had ordered the safety crew to turn on two more energy shields in addition to the three existing layers during the semifinals.

Even with such rigorous safety precautions, a small line of fine print was added to the ticket of the first row seats, indicating the risk of injury for sitting so close to the stage. Nevertheless, these tickets were sold out in a blink, as everyone wanted to witness the fighter's greatness despite the danger.

Zhang Buyu sat quietly inside the resting room as he reflected on his previous fights. Although the most well respected Templar trained him, he knew that he needed to see more and his cultivation should not be restricted within the Court.

"Wish you good luck!" Ye Kai said nervously. The last couple of fights had opened his eyes to another level of power.

"Who is this Wang Tong? Why does Patroclus care so much about him?"

"I'm not sure. But I sense that he is behind the huge improvement of Hu Yangxuan as well."

"Did it ever cross your mind that he could be the heir of the Blade Warrior?" Wu Gang asked abruptly.

"Haha! You have been listening to rumors again." Ye Kai laughed.

The two fighters stepped onto the stage at the same time, as a swell of thunderous cheers welcomed them. The last two fights had set the bar so high that Zhang Buyu wished that he could live up to the expectations of the audience.

Lie Jian was in a flaming red gym shirt, topped with red hair curled up like the mane of a lion. A fire burned in his eyes, as if he could not wait to tear his opponent apart with bare hands.