Battle of Liguang: Climax (5)

Elizabeth had no time to worry about them. She raised her rapier and assumed a stance. She might not be a master or anything, but she did have the bare minimum in training. She was not totally helpless in a fight. The same could not be said about Freon. He focused his efforts entirely on Arcania, so his one-handed sword was more for show than defense. It was his absolute last resort. That said, their efforts could never match up against a monster like Reverent Monk. Not to mention, he was very, very pissed off right now. The throbbing pain on his chest and feet reminded him of his humiliating defeat earlier. How would he hold his head high if word were to spread that he, a Perception Realm Master, failed against a bunch of children? It would forever stain his reputation! His eyes burned with fury. No matter what, he had to redeem himself! He accelerated like a shooting star towards Elizabeth and Freon.

Freon was the first to react and slashed out in a wide arc. It was a simple and effective measure to block his opponent's charge, but he grossly overestimated himself. Although he fought with several Perception Realms already, including killing countless more using his Bloodline Ability, that was from the perspective of an Arcanist. In terms of close combat, he never experienced the full brilliance of a Perception Realm Master. He had no way of understanding the gigantic chasm between him and Reverent Monk until now. With one masterful movement, the monk effortlessly evaded Freon's pitifully clumsy attack and attacked simultaneously. Bang! A powerful impact slammed into Freon's arms and chest. The monk savored every sound of broken bones like a pervert. The next second, the monk cracked his staff across Freon's face, breaking his jaw and shattering teeth. The strike instantly rendered Freon unconscious and his body landed by the monk's feet, his face distorted beyond recognition. It was a brutal scene.

"Bastard!" Benedict roared.

"Get away from him!" Shirley mirrored.

The two charged over with murderous expressions. They wanted to skin Reverent Monk alive! And yet, Reverent Monk seemed to welcome their challenge with open arms as he waited without doing anything. He even instructed that the soldiers behind him to not step in and interrupt their fight. Benedict and Shirley were on the verge of unleashing their flying strikes but held back. The monk flashed a smile and stomped on Freon's body, driving his heel deep into the boy's chest and causing him to cough out a fresh pile of blood. Sadism aside, Reverent Monk was making a clear point, as if to say that they could continue to use their flying strikes, but Freon would suffer for it too. They had to fight him head-on! Benedict and Shirley gritted their teeth and fell for his schemes. Well, it was not like they had an excess of Martial Energy to begin with.

Benedict, now a Fundamental Realm Master, and Shirley, now a Half-Perception Realm, worked together to attack Reverent Monk from two sides at once. They summoned the last wisps of their power to make a last-ditch effort! It was all or nothing! Sword and halberd light flashed as they descended on the monk. However, the monk simply sneered. Before, when Benedict and Shirley were in better shape, they were still no match for him. Now that they knocked on death's door, there was no way they could defeat him. He twirled his staff and blocked both attacks before unleashing a brutal assault on the two. First, he broke Benedict's sword arm, and then turned around to snap Shirley's leg. Although he was being particularly cruel, neither Benedict nor Shirley showed any signs of giving up. They did not even utter a single grunt in acknowledgement. After all, at this point where their bodies were already broken beyond recognition, their sense of pain had long since disappeared. Death was practically guaranteed!

Benedict quickly caught his sword with his other hand and Shirley also used her halberd to keep her balance. Their eyes flashed with cold determination. They wanted to continue! And yet, their bodies could not keep up because they were fundamentally at their limit. No amount of willpower could overturn that simple fact. Reverent Monk broke another arm and leg, completely removing their ability to fight. They were crippled! He followed up with a brutal one-sided beating that thoroughly humiliated Benedict and Shirley. He enjoyed everything a little too much. Bang! Benedict's skull was bashed in, and he fell unconscious. Another bang! Shirley crashed into debris and remained motionless. In the blink of an eye, Reverent Monk had defeated Benedict, Shirley, and Freon! As if keeping the best for last, he finally turned his attention to Elizabeth.

"What's the matter, Princess Elizabeth?" he taunted. "I heard about what you did to the late emperor. Don't you want to kill me too? Oh, but if you try that, then I will definitely kill your friends first." He laughed jovially. One year ago, she unleashed a mysterious power that killed Emperor Lianghu in one strike and reversed the odds. Clearly, Reverent Monk took precautions against her.

Elizabeth gnashed her teeth so hard that they almost cracked. No, maybe they did crack, but she no longer cared. Defeat was a foregone conclusion at this point. They had lost! The situation was eerily like the battle with the emperor back then, which made her even more frustrated. Everyone had clearly grown stronger, but the outcome was the same. Nothing changed! She lamented her powerlessness and charged at Reverent Monk. If she could get even one hit in, then it was worth it! Reverent Monk was about to smile when someone suddenly grabbed him by the ankle. It was Freon! He was still conscious! He spat out more blood but revealed a toothy grin as the spell he prepared activated. Boom! Both he and Reverent Monk were engulfed in a gigantic point-blank explosion and even Benedict and Shirley were caught up in the explosion too. It was a suicidal move! Only Elizabeth was left unharmed, her face drawing a blank. What happened to Freon… to her friends? Did they… die?

Elizabeth's mind stopped functioning. No, it was more accurate to say it broke down. She looked around. Liguang was destroyed, the Alzar Kingdom and the Li Family's forces were annihilated, all their top combatants were slain or crippled, and her friends were… The fires continued to transform the battlefield into a sea of flame, smoke clouded the skies in an ominous red, and the Featherwind Sect's large-scale beguilement array kept them trapped here. Surrounded by thousands of enemies on all sides with no escape in sight… She started laughing and crying hysterically. This was what hell looked like! This was the end! Her eyes narrowed viciously. In that case, then she might as well take everyone with her! As her emotions swelled out of control, her aura transformed rapidly. World Energy swirled around her in a magnificent rainbow and drew into her Core, its density was rapidly increasing towards a single point. Boom! Elizabeth finally became a Half-Condensed Drop Arcanist!

The dust cloud from Freon's final spell began to settle and a poor figure jumped out. Who else could it be but Reverent Monk? His clothes were burnt and falling apart, and he looked miserable. Although he was a Perception Realm Master, he dropped his guard precisely because he thought he had won. That was when Freon made a ruthless move and attacked point-blank. At that distance, there was no way that the monk could react in time. His expression was ugly. He should have killed them when he had the chance! No matter. They were probably dead now anyways. He consoled himself and shifted his attention to Elizabeth again when a spell suddenly attacked him from the front.

Boom! The projectile dug into his chest and sent him skidding across the battlefield with tremendous force. He slammed his staff into the ground to stop, but it was too strong! The spell eventually tore through his defenses and pierced through his chest! He glanced at his bloody injuries and then the perpetrator in hatred. Who else could it be but Elizabeth? It was her final attack! However, despite her best efforts, it was not enough. The interference strength had grown too much, and her Core was too weak. She fell unconscious regretfully. With that, Princess Elizabeth Etuvel Reindel was finally captured! The battle was over!