Kill The Old Ones!

Chapter 172: Tournament: Grand Finals (II)

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Adrian yanked his sword out and retreated.

His face now wore a solemn expression. He truly wasn’t expecting this.

All his life, he never encountered someone he couldn’t cut. Well, he technically did, but most of them were older and more experienced than him. Such a gapa will naturally be made up with time, so he never felt pressed about it.

Adrian was peerless for the longest of times. The only ones he could keep up with were Lucian’s, but Adrian was already too far ahead because of his advantages.

He kept Lucian confident. He didn’t reveal his trump card because he didn’t want to break Lucian’s confidence. In some ways, Lucian’s constant request for a spar staved off Adrian’s loneliness.

Elena and Seraphina? Sure, they’re considered his ’peers,’ but Adrian knew better; he had already left them far behind.

Adrian’s overwhelming talent over the sword did not help him make friends or forge deep bonds whatsoever. He was lonely most of the time; his company was his sword for the most part.

He couldn’t live like Lucian does because he had a reputation to uphold. A lot of people were watching him, and the pressure of his clan never let up. They’re not micro-managing him, per se, but it still feels stifling most of the times.

Such was the fate of the talented and gifted. Everybody looks up to them to solve their problems.

After being named as the heir, Adrian was immediately overwhelmed by the sudden increase of his responsibilities towards the clan. He never had the time to just be himself.

The only times he could are when he’s running a dungeon solo. Away from the prying eyes, Adrian felt at peace and happy even though he was within a hostile environment.

Because of this, Adrian was never in a hurry to clear the dungeon. He stays inside for as long as he can to relax and unwind because he knows that when he returns to the real world, reality will catch up to him fast.

Adrian wasn’t expecting this scenario either.

This was him at his ultimate form, at his current level at least. Not even Lucian was able to force this out of him.

He revealed it to Ren, just to prove a point that he hadn’t stagnated at all.

But what’s this? Ren just casually received his edge like he was catching a frisbee. What the hell?

Adrian didn’t like this, especially when this just proved that Ren’s words earlier were the truth.

He changed his stance and used both hands to grasp his sword. Then, it unleashed a series of slashes that were seemingly slicing space itself.

In truth, that’s not the case, but it sure looks like it.

Adrian’s sword looked as if he were dicing the world around him, leaving sword marks and scars all over the place.

His physical sword didn’t reach Ren, but his slashing did. With his sword intent, Adrian’s attacks now reach further. He could stay grounded and kill a flying enemy with this.

These slashes were also sharp enough to cleave through a hundred men at once, slicing them in half. It comes out so fast that nobody could follow it with the naked eye.

Alas, Ren was weird.

He casually slaps his sword slashes like they’re some random flies, shattering them in the process. He does it so easily and smoothly, like they were truly nothing.

Even when Adrian sent a huge shark’s fin to bisect Ren, the dude just slapped it away like it was nothing.

Adrian released a breath of incredulity, and he couldn’t help but ask the following:

"What...what are you?"

He saw Ren raise a brow and reply: "What kind of question is that? A human martial artist, of course."

"No, that’s not right. You’re weird." Adrian huffed, not convinced at all.

Ren blinked, looking as if he were confused. He then looked at himself and said:

"Is it because of the tattoos? Hey, you can’t blame me for that; I was born with it. Everybody in our clan has them."

Adrian shook his head. Oh, he knew about that. Hell, everybody now knows.

How can they not? The Banished Arms Clan suddenly produced a monster that just overturned everybody’s expectations.

Before Ren appeared, people were dismissive of this clan. They even took offense to them still being included in the official list of Central City’s Ancient Martial Clans.

But Ren just happened to step onto the stage and show absolute dominance that defied the odds. Suddenly, everybody was talking about them.

Adrian was one of those people. He learned about the Banished Arms Clan and the curse they bear. He felt pity for them and just knew that they didn’t ask for that curse.

He understood why they never performed that well and just tried to make an honest living while trying to keep their ancestral territory.

What he truly doesn’t understand was Ren’s appearance.

Someone like Ren shouldn’t have appeared within a barren clan like that. Even if it were possible for the whole clan to squeeze the generational fortune for one final gambit, it wouldn’t have been enough to produce such an anomaly like Ren.

That’s what he doesn’t understand. The Banished Arms Clan shouldn’t be this lucky to have him, yet they did. What’s going on?

"Hah, I suppose it doesn’t matter. I still have to take you down anyway."

"Well, good luck with that." Ren sounded genuine with that.

Adrian took a deep breath and flared his sword intent again. He harmonized it with his sword intent and performed a massive cleave aimed at Ren.

This wasn’t an ordinary attack. In this, Adrian poured his wish to cut through Ren’s invincibility.

This attack contained Adrian’s fate with his skill and sword; that is, his attack will cut through what made his opponent tough. He couldn’t see a flaw anywhere wherever he looked, so he just trusted that his sword would find it for him.

Even with the isolating dome, the audience could feel the terrifying danger behind that slash. Their skin was pricked by its sharpness, and it wasn’t even aimed at them.

This was the Young Sword King approaching his prime, and he’s already this strong.

However, this massive attack was once again received by Ren without any visible trouble.

He raised his arm and swatted it to nothingness. His inked arms didn’t even shake with that; he still stood tall, strong, and invincible.

That’s what everybody saw at least. To Adrian, it’s slightly different.

His previous attack left a mark on Ren’s arm. White scratch marks, something that failed to appear before.

Although he wasn’t pleased that this was all that attack could produce, it made him hope for a small chance.

Somehow, his faith with his sword produced something. Nothing ideal, but still something nonetheless.

’More faith and belief to my sword, then. I can do this.’

Adrian wasn’t one to give up. Even with the smallest hope, he’d latch onto it if there were something.

So, he sent the same intense attacks one after the other. His attacks were powerful enough to wreck the stage they’re in, but Adrian couldn’t bring himself to care.

Sweat poured from Adrian’s face and body as he continuously exerted himself with each attack.

Every single one reached Ren, not because Adrian was aiming, but because Ren took it all head-on.

Others will avoid this; they would run, hide, and cower in fear at Adrian’s rampage. They just knew that if they caught a single stray attack from him, it’d probably be the last injury they’d know in their life.

But they aren’t Ren. And Ren wasn’t them.

Ren didn’t feel the need to evade or escape. He couldn’t be bothered, honestly. He took everything head-on.

He understands why others would feel the need to evade, but to him, this was nothing.

Sword intent, sword heart. Adrian’s faith in his sword, skills, and strength. None of it matters to him.

Ren swatted every single attack that came his way. He was unshakable, immovable, and seemingly invincible.

He stood on the same spot he arrived at when this fight began and hasn’t been pushed back at all.

Ren took everything that Adrian dished out without any problems. He didn’t even grunt or exert himself at all.

Had this happened two years ago, Ren wouldn’t have been this at ease when facing Adrian. Hell, he probably wouldn’t even be at the same stage as he was.

But Ren saw and understood the Sky Archon Arts. He took inspiration from the Black Adamantium Glory Wings, transforming it into a defensive martial art, which he practiced and trained with religiously after leaving the trial grounds.

Furthermore, he inherited the Godly Sky Archon’s art—[Great Freedom Scripture]—which he also practiced religiously.

Sword intent? Sword heart? What about it? There’s no way he’d allow these things to affect his freedom.

So what if Adrian could affect conceptual matter with his sword art? What does that have to do with him?

Even if Adrian tried, he would always fail because the Great Freedom Scripture would act on its own to release any unwanted influence over Ren.

Besides, even though Adrian was also at the peak of the Pulse Awakening Stage just like Ren, he doesn’t have the Limitless Martial Physique.

In terms of physical stats, nobody within Central City at his generation could be considered Ren’s peer.

None.