Chapter 27. Defensive Artefact

Everyone stared at the guy who had just lost. No one missed the smile that appeared on his face. They all stared in the direction in which he was smiling at and they saw an unfamiliar face.

They would have ignored him but when they realized that he was only in the Blossom Plane, they could only pity him. A Blossom Plane cultivator like him dared to clap first?

The name of the guy who had just lost was Leon. The people made way for him as he approached the newcomer. He stood with a smile and spoke.

"It's been a long time since we had visitors. I wonder what friend's name here is?" He asked.

"Doesn't matter who I am," the guy replied nonchalantly not placing him in the eye.

"Ha! Very well... Very well... It seems that yoou dared try to mock me for the second time. I demand to hear your apology right now or don't blame me for being ruthless," Leon said folding his hands on the chest.

"Frog in the well. Just in the Blossom plane and yet you dare act arrogant before me. Do you know the might of the heavens? Since you refused my good intentions, don't mind me being rude," Leon said angrily with a murderous gaze after failing to receive an answer from the guy.

After all, a Blossom Plane cultivator should be very terrified of a Master Plane cultivator. He was standing a meter away and he did not even give a warning as he punched at the guy's belly.

The rest shook their heads as Leon was too shameless venting out on a Blossom Plane cultivator. The watched as his punch hit the Blossom Plane guy.

The fist landed cleanly on the guy and everyone knew that boy could not even defend. After all he was a Plane lower than any of them and the fist was enough to kill him or even leave him incapacitated.

But whatever they were waiting for never happened. The guy was not sent away and did not even take a step back or close his eyes. His red eyes stared indifferently at Leon who's fist was still on his belly.

Leon was confident at first as he punched at the guy and he exepected to hear some cracking of ribs. There was a crack though that everyone expected to be a rib. But in a few seconds, his eyes widened as he felt a sudden surge of pain.

He looked up and saw the guy looking down on him as his hand dropped. He had broken his wrist and fingers and the guy did not even take a step back. He wanted to scream but the fear he felt suddenly made him fall back.

He started crawling backwards as all his killing intent disappeared and was replaced by fear. Why was he so scared of a Blossom Plane cultivator? Was all the rest wondered but only Leon could see the two burning flames deep in his pupils that threatened to burn him alive.

Athan was not one to find trouble but when someone came looking for trouble, he would oblige. The guy only made one mistake and that was showing his murderous intentions.

Athan only had only one policy and that was letting his opponent have an opportunity to kill him and if he was unable, he would be the one to die. Athan would not have had such intentions if he was attacked without intent to kill, he would not have replied the same way but would have just broken some bones.

But now, someone had aroused his killing intent! He watched as the guy crawled back. He could not believe how weak his will was to easily give in to fear. Athan took a step forward and squated before Leon.

"You really disappoint me. If you tried to kill me with just this level of strength, then you are a fool. But don't feel sorry now, just stand up and put up a fight before I kill you. Killing you like this is the same as killing a chicken which is embarrassing," Athan whispered to the guy who had his eyes bulging out.

The crowd was confused why was Leon overreacting? Was it not just a Blossom Plane cultivator? Each of them could easily defeat him with a finger. None o f them heard Athan's words.

"Come fight me on the stage. You should stop overreacting like this. After all,you can easily kill me," Athan said these words aloud as he walked to the stage with the sword on his waist.

Everyone was confused. A Blossom Plane cultivator dared to act so arrogantly and even dared to issue a challenge! Was he in his right mind? But something was off as they did not know why Leon was taking so long to reply. After all, they knew that he wanted to vent.

Athan bent and picked up the sword that Leon had been using and climbed on the stage.

"Could it he that friend here is afraid of Blossom Plane cultivators?" Athan asked loudly inciting the emotions from Leon.

This drew the crowd's attention and they all had the same view. Even if he was tired, defeating a Blossom Plane cultivator was easy.

"What's wrong with Leon?"

"It can't be that he is afraid, right?"

"What is he even doing on the ground?"

"Does he want to shame the Quiren Family to an outsider?"

"..."

These words reached Leon who was on the ground. The words struck him at the core. Him? Afraid? Afraid of a Blossom Plane cultivator? What a joke! He was sure that the guy had some treasure which was a defensive artefact.

If he could get it, he was sure that he was going to be invincible in the younger generation. This aroused his greed and his heart resolved to kill the guy. He secretly took a pill and healed his hand instantly.

He stood up with a confident smile but when he looked at Athan, he could not help but have his killing intent surge. He saw his sword on the stage and he started walking towards the arena.

He hopped on it and picked his sword.

"Ha! A Blossom Plane brat dares to act smugishly in front of me. Or did you think that I would be scared of you? Just so you know, I was just pretending to be hurt so that I could draw you into this stage.

"Accidents are bound to happen and don't blame me if I accidentally kill you," Leon said and the crowd heaved a cumulative sigh of relief. Leon always trying to act mysterious. He had them worried that he was defeated.

"So that is the case? I was afraid you might not say that. Accidents are really prone to happen in an exchange of swords," Athan said with a smile.

"Its not too late to give up. But don't you even think of it for I won't let you," Leon said as he played with the sword with the freshly healed hand. "Here I come."

Leon charged at Athan and executed a wind technique. He was keeping facade that he was strong but he was not sure that he could manage to kill the guy with the defensive artefact he had. This meant he had to aim for the vitals.

Athan smiled and wonderedif he should let the guy try to kill him but he decided against it. He had to polish his skills every now and then. But he wanted the guy to go all out so he acted slow as he let the sword slice at his chest.

From the strength, he was sure it could only leave a scratch. He did not even bother drawing his sword for it was a tool for murder and anyone he drew it against had to die.

Leon saw the opponent was looking down on him as he sliced at the chest. He was met by resistance but he still managed to leave a shallow wound across his chest. This meant that the artefact was not invincible.

It was just that it was a waste giving such an Artefact to a Blossom Plane cultivator who could not even defend himself.

"That was a nice try," Athan said with a smile.

"So he has an artefact!"

"No wonder he was so confident."

"Here I thought he had some skill."

Everyone now realized why Leon was having a hard time. After all, fighting someone who had a defensive artefact was troublesome. Luckily he was against a Blossom Plane cultivator who could not utilize it fully.

Athan was caught by surprise. What defensive artefact were they talking about? But he could not bother explain it to the ignorant. He realized that he was still being looked down upon which was good news.

"Not going to draw you sword yet? Or how long do you think you can last with that defensive artefact? As a man, you should at least try to put up a fight. Are you even a man hiding behind a turtle shell?" Leon jeered and the crowd backed him up.

"Haha..." Athan chuckled. Did they think that he would fall for such cheap provocation? There was nothing that could provoke his anger that he knew of. "Do you think that you can afford the price of me drawing my sword?"

His words were arrogant. Too arrogant at that. He really had some nerve.

"So what price is it that you think that I Leon of the Quiren Family cannot afford?" Leon jested as the crowd laughed. All eyes staring at Athan like he was a fool.

"Your head. Can you afford it?" Athan asked as he released his killing intent slightly. Then, his hand landed on the sword hilt...