Chapter 235 The broken magic circle...
William's possession method was essentially infusing his own consciousness into Alice's mind.
Alice instantly regained her clarity, her eyes wide open, having no idea what had just transpired.
"Relax and deeply feel my sword technique." William decided to give this naive apprentice of his a lesson. To be enchanted by someone else while holding such a divine sword was utterly disgraceful.
"Huh? Master?" Alice looked around but didn't spot William's figure.
"Stop searching. I've infused a part of my consciousness into you. Don't move recklessly; I'll control your body for now," William briefly explained. By this point, he had a decent understanding of the strength of the Soulmancers of this era. He wasn't going to accidentally harm someone.
"You're controlling my body?" Alice's cheeks flushed. "You can do that?"
"What are you thinking? Focus!" William was somewhat annoyed. What bizarre thoughts was this girl always harboring?
Even if he could control Alice's body, would he misuse her in any inappropriate way?
After Seraphina's move, both Lucien and Bryant seemed rather passive.
Lucien stood at the Saturn position of his Ninefold Stellar Sanctuary magic circle, using a small fortress as a shield, hesitating to make a move.
Bryant, having experienced Seraphina's might before, was on guard and hid within the ancient bell, not daring to budge.
They didn't even have a chance to observe Alice's situation.
In their perspective, Alice's condition certainly couldn't be better than theirs.
But how could they have anticipated that, at this moment, it was actually William controlling Alice's body?
Seraphina's flute music might have enchanting effects on others, but in front of William, it seemed almost child's play.
Even with just a sliver of William's consciousness in Alice, Seraphina's flute no longer had any effect.
Quickly analyzing the situation, William decided to deal with Lucien first.
Spectators only saw Alice, holding a wooden sword, rushing towards Lucien with a speed that left many in awe.
Lucien also noticed Alice's move and thought the woman was overly audacious, daring to directly challenge him!
He stood at the Saturn position of the magic circle. A blue light flickered beneath his feet as he activated the "Ninefold Stellar Sanctuary," transforming the stones into 6-foot-long cones that shot towards Alice. He had also built a solid defensive fortress around himself using large rocks.
When Alice was about 2 feet away from Lucien, a disdainful sneer crept onto his lips as he said condescendingly, "You're digging your own grave!"
Standing at the Saturn position, he seemed to possess a divine and absolute defense, entirely unworried about Alice's attack.
When fighting with Zoey, he dared not let her get close due to her immense power. However, Alice was in no way on Zoey's level. A girl who was merely in the early stages of a mid-level Soulmancer, wielding a wooden sword and daring to approach him, wasn't she courting death?
Lucien had already anticipated the next scene in his mind. With just half a step more, Alice would fall right into the trap he had set up and tumble down. Although this tactic might seem a bit excessive against a young girl, one could only blame her for not being careful enough.
Suddenly, an overpowering force of gravity emerged!
"Feel this sword strike!" William suddenly intervened. But the sword he swung wasn't aimed directly at Lucien. Instead, he struck from below, splitting Lucien's "Ninefold Stellar Sanctuary" in half.
"Break!"
The strike seemed ordinary, with only a few stones rising from the ground.
Yet, under that one blow, Lucien's Ninefold Stellar Sanctuary crumbled apart.
The rock fortress Lucien had built instantly shattered. His face was a picture of disbelief as he murmured, "How... How is this possible?"
His Ninefold Stellar Sanctuary magic circle wasn't a tangible entity. How could it be split in half by a single sword strike?
Lucien didn't even feel the power from that sword blow, but how could it possibly break his Ninefold Stellar Sanctuary formation?
Lucien's face was filled with an expression of utter disbelief.
The reason Zoey was able to win before was purely due to her overwhelming power.
So, what was the deal with Alice's sword strike?
Lucien was dumbfounded. Yet William turned to Alice and asked, "Did you understand that?"
"Not really." Alice genuinely didn't grasp the subtlety of that sword move. It seemed like a very ordinary strike to her, and she felt that she could have done it herself.
Wasn't it just a sword thrust upwards?
There was nothing special about the movement or posture, and not even a hint of sword energy was released.
But indeed, this one strike had shattered Lucien's Ninefold Stellar Sanctuary.
"This is the secret technique of swordsmanship, understand?" William gritted his teeth in frustration. Why did she focus on the sword move?
It was so foolish!
Can a sword technique break an intangible magic formation?
"How... How did you do that?"
The one who couldn't believe what had just transpired the most was Lucien. At this moment, he had no interest in competing for anything anymore; he just wanted to understand what had just happened.
William said casually, "Activate your magic formation again."
Lucien stared at Alice. At this moment, he felt that even the mere presence of the woman before him was extraordinarily outstanding, perhaps akin to what a deity in legends would feel like.
Even her tone of speech gave him an indescribable sense of oppression.
Without much thought, Lucien activated his formation again, his body once more illuminated with a blue glow.
William stated, "Watch closely!"
His words were intended for Alice, but Lucien thought they were directed at him, so he intently focused on every move of Alice's.
This time, William didn't raise his sword; instead, he seemingly nonchalantly thrust it into the ground.
"Thud!"
Lucien's magic formation was broken once again, and he spat out a mouthful of blood, his face ashen.
What shocked him even more was that Alice had merely thrust her sword into the ground, and his magic formation was effortlessly shattered.
He couldn't help but wonder, if a casual strike like this could break his "Ninefold Stellar Sanctuary," was this formation not incredibly weak? Lucien truly began to doubt his career.
He still didn't understand the sword technique secret William spoke of. Alice also expressed her confusion, saying, "Master, I still don't understand."
"How about another try?" Lucien tentatively suggested to Alice.
William responded somewhat irritably, "One last time. If you still don't get it, let it be." Demonstrating his secret sword technique thrice, William finally understood what it felt like to have a not-so-bright disciple.
Mistaking the conversation as being directed at him, Lucien hesitated for a moment and then, somewhat bewildered, nodded. He activated the "Ninefold Stellar Sanctuary" magic formation again.
This time, William slowly raised his sword. The secret of his sword technique was evident, with a twisted glow surrounding the wooden blade.
"This is the secret sword technique!" Lucien finally grasped it.
The sword technique William showcased this time was truly evident.
Anyone with a shred of sense would understand its depth. Alice seemed to have some realization this time, but she still hadn't fully mastered William's technique.
The audience and Seraphina were fixated on Alice. For a moment, it seemed like the sword in her hand was the only thing that existed in the universe.
Tristan, in particular, was utterly astonished.
Was this the legendary secret sword technique?
Legend had it that the mysteries of swordsmanship were indescribable, understood only through direct experience. Yet, could Alice manifest such an elusive skill?
To achieve this, to what level had her understanding and mastery of the sword reached?
This might explain why Alice could break Lucien's magical barrier with just one strike.
Ordinary energy, even when manifested into a tangible form, would find it challenging to interfere with such an intangible magic barrier. This kind of energy is just a physical accumulation, devoid of intent or emotion.
But the sword technique displayed by Alice was a perfect amalgamation of true intent and power. Each of her strikes seemed to carry a strong will and belief, not only possessing a tangible form but also a unique soul. This allowed her to easily break through Lucien's magic.
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