A Weapon of Destiny

Warren's chest rose and fell slightly as he looked at the "himself" opposite him, who wasn't even breathing. For the first time, a deep sense of powerlessness surfaced in his cold eyes.

He knew that even if he tried his best, he wouldn't be able to budge the man in front of him in the slightest.

The opponent's effortless demeanor was like an insurmountable mountain, making all his previous pride and confidence seem like a joke.

But he cannot admit defeat yet.

Warren's right hand slowly moved to his waist and gripped the hilt of the weapon he had never used in public before.

This is his last trump card.

Jiang Bai watched his actions, the smile on his lips undiminished.

"Oh? So you're finally going to take out your toys?"

Warren did not answer.

His fingers tightened one by one, gripping the cold hilt of the knife.

The next second, he slowly pulled the knife out.

There was no harsh sound of metal scraping against metal; as the blade was drawn from its sheath, the surrounding air seemed to ripple and distort slightly.

It was a long, narrow, single-handed curved blade with a deep, dark silver base. On the blade surface, there were pale purple patterns that resembled rifts in the void, as if a small universe was sealed within it.

This is the sword of the supreme commander of the Royal Army, and also one of the most famous magical weapons in the entire Kingdom of Edolas — the Trace Rift.

The appearance of this sword is legendary in itself.

In the beginning, the kingdom assembled the most skilled craftsmen and used unimaginably precious materials to create the prototype of this weapon.

However, just as the sword was quenched and finally formed, a sudden change occurred.

Centered on the sword, ripples began to appear within a ten-meter radius, like the surface of a lake where pebbles had been thrown in.

This is not a violent energy, but a gentle yet irresistible repulsive force.

No one and nothing can get close to it.

It was as if this weapon possessed a spirit of its own, with its own Absolute Domain, which only those destined by fate could touch.

This perfectly illustrates the old saying, "Divine weapons possess spirits, and only demons and monsters can obtain them."

The kingdom's high command could see that this weapon contained unimaginable power, its might even be comparable to those forbidden weapons sealed in the deepest recesses of the national treasury.

But if no one can use it, then it's just a gorgeous but dangerous decoration.

If this continues, the kingdom will have no choice but to seal away this second uncontrollable weapon once more.

At that time, the kingdom was beset by internal and external troubles and urgently needed a powerful warrior to step forward, stabilize morale, and deter all sides.

Therefore, the king ordered a nationwide search for warriors who could wield the sword.

In an instant, countless renowned knights, powerful mages, and self-proclaimed mercenaries flocked to the capital from all corners of the kingdom, all vying to become the master of this legendary sword.

However, before Warren appeared, let alone picking it up and using it, no one could even get within three feet of the Trace Rift.

Just when the kingdom was about to give up hope, a young soldier who was somewhat famous appeared before them.

He is Jiang Bai Warren.

When Warren came to the sword, he did nothing but stand there quietly.

Some in the crowd even let out disdainful sneers, ready to see how he would be awkwardly pushed aside by that invisible force.

However, a shocking scene unfolded.

The divine weapon "Trace Rift," which had always repelled everyone, suddenly lit up its purple patterns and emitted a clear, melodious hum after sensing Warren's presence.

Then, in the dead silence, it suddenly rippled and broke free from the sword rack, transforming into a streak of light that landed steadily in Warren's hand.

The entire square was completely silent.

Everyone was stunned by this miraculous scene.

It's like how the Orb Rings chose Gai instead of Juggler.

This is destiny.

Since then, Warren has been the sole owner of this sword.

At this moment, when the Trace Rift was once again in Warren's hands, his entire aura changed.

If he was an iceberg before, then he is now a peerless divine weapon unsheathed, its sharpness fully revealed and unstoppable!

Jiang Bai looked at Warren, whose demeanor had changed drastically, and the lazy smile on his face finally faded a bit.

Instead, a look of genuine interest ignited in their eyes.

"Oh?"

Jiang Bai cracked his wrists, producing a series of crisp, cracking sounds.

"Now, it finally looks somewhat interesting."

Now, neither of them was empty-handed.

Jiang Bai Warren slowly drew the long, narrow, curved blade— the Trace Rift— from his waist.

The moment Jiang Bai saw the knife, his eyes narrowed slightly.

The energy flowing across the blade was extremely pure spatial magic.

In other words, his "Infinity," which he relied on for fame, would likely be greatly diminished, or even completely useless, in the face of this knife.

"Tsk, this author is brain-dead. How come it's not even the later stages yet? The spatial attribute is already as common as cabbage."

Jiang Bai silently complained to himself.

However, this also makes it more interesting.

He extended his right hand, palm facing up.

A powerful Psychokinesis began to gather, and countless points of light appeared out of thin air. These points of light rapidly condensed, compressed, and shaped.

A longsword, identical in appearance to the one in the Trace Rift, but with a translucent crystal-like texture, appeared in Jiang Bai's hand.

It's as if to prove who is the strongest based solely on talent, setting aside the special abilities bestowed by those worldviews.

Both of them, without prior agreement, chose not to use any of the flashy abilities.

Warren did not activate the power of the Trace Rift that could sever space.

If Jiang Bai wanted to, he could unleash a burst of magic power in an instant and completely pin Warren to the ground, rendering him immobile.

But he didn't do that.

He acknowledged Warren's talent.

"I admit, you, Jiang Bai Warren, are the strongest in this world."

Jiang Bai said softly.

Therefore, to show respect, Jiang Bai no longer deliberately suppressed his power. Instead, through exquisite control, he adjusted his strength, speed, reaction, and other three-dimensional attributes to the same level as Warren, who was wielding the Trace Rift.

A truly fair contest is about to begin.

"Clang!"

The next second, the two figures vanished from their original positions and collided with a loud crash in the center of the throne room!

The crystal longsword clashed with the blade of the Trace Rift, producing a crisp metallic clang and dazzling sparks.

Instantly separate!

The two figures moved with incredible speed, leaving countless afterimages in the spacious hall.

Every clash of the blades is precise and deadly!

There were no superfluous movements, no unleashing of magic, only the purest and most elite sword skills in a duel!

Swords flashed, and blades crisscrossed.

The two attacked each other fiercely, like a storm, their blades clashing hundreds of times in a fraction of a second, sending up sparks like a grand fireworks display.

At times, they move like ghosts, their footwork exquisite, searching for the slightest flaw in the opponent's defense.

However, there was no other way.

Some gaps cannot be bridged by willpower and talent alone.

Jiang Bai's three-dimensional attributes are simply too high. Even though he adjusted his external attributes such as strength and speed to the same level as Warren, he still has mental strength.

Jiang Bai was already trying very hard to suppress it.

The higher one's mental strength, the faster one's brain works and the sharper one's thinking becomes.

This is like two people exchanging blows; Warren's combat instincts and experience allow him to instantly anticipate the next ten moves.

However, Jiang Bai had already deduced all the possibilities after a hundred steps and selected the optimal solution from them.

The battle was never on the same level from the very beginning.

"Clang--!"

After another fierce exchange of swords, Warren took a step back, attempting to create distance and regroup.

But what he saw as the perfect choice was, in Jiang Bai's eyes, a huge flaw that he had already foreseen!

Chance!

Jiang Bai's figure followed closely, his crystal longsword tracing a seemingly ordinary path, yet breaking through Warren's defenses in an instant at an incredibly tricky angle.

Before Warren could react, the cold tip of the sword had already silently stopped less than a centimeter from his throat.

Just one more inch forward, and it would have pierced his throat.

The entire hall fell into a deathly silence.

Time seemed to stand still at that moment.

Warren stood frozen in place, looking down at the sword tip so close to his face. For the first time, a look of despair, called "defeat," appeared in his cold eyes.

He slowly lowered the Trace Rift in his hand.

"I... lost again."

His voice was hoarse, filled with resentment.

Jiang Bai casually waved his hand, and the crystal longsword in his hand turned into specks of light and dissipated.

"The first round was a draw, so it's not a loss," he shrugged.

"A loss is a loss."

Warren, however, was unusually persistent. He raised his head and looked intently at Jiang Bai with an unprecedentedly serious gaze.

"However, I want to see your... full strength."

Jiang Bai smiled upon hearing this.

"Forget about it all," he waved his hand.

"I'm afraid that I might accidentally tear your kingdom down."

"How about this?"

Jiang Bai's gaze turned serious, and an aura far more powerful than before slowly rose from his body.

"Use your full power directly, including all the abilities of your sword."

"I'll see how it goes."

Upon hearing this, Warren's eyes rekindled with fighting spirit.

He gripped the blade Trace Rift, and the purple patterns on its surface began to emit an eerie light.

"Good!"