There was no surprise in the outcome of the fight. Eric knocked Russell's refined steel longsword from his hand, bringing the duel to its end.
In pure swordsmanship, Eric was no longer a match for Russell.
But Eric was, after all, a Phantom Beast Knight. His own Battle Aura combined with his Phantom Beast's elemental power to form a more potent elemental breath. Both the physical enhancement granted by elemental breath and the sword radiance it unleashed could overwhelm Battle Aura.
"Huff!" Russell looked at his empty hands, and the sense of superiority brought on by his sudden surge in strength quickly faded away.
That was a good thing.
It was also why he had rashly challenged Eric: he wanted the Phantom Beast Knight's overwhelming strength to hammer down his inflated confidence.
Only then could he properly face Extraordinary Power and understand that he was still merely at the starting point.
Russell was not dejected for long before he smiled calmly. "Compared to Teacher Eric, I'm still far behind."
Eric was not good at comforting people. He merely said in a muffled voice, "My lord's strength has already surpassed Jack, Tom, and the others. Your swordsmanship is even sharper. Your Battle Aura just isn't solid enough yet."
"Of course. Compared to you, my Battle Aura is definitely not solid enough."
"My lord, your strength has improved by leaps and bounds. May I ask why?" Eric voiced the doubt in his heart.
"Nothing much. One of my grandfather's wyverns took a liking to me, so it breathed out a mouthful of Origin Dragon Breath to help me cultivate." Russell gave a simple explanation. "That was why I could rapidly open up my main meridians and achieve Battle Qi Projection."
"Origin Dragon Breath?" Eric's eyes widened.
"Shh. Don't be so surprised. It