Battle Qi

The past few days had slipped by in the blink of an eye.

Early in the morning, just as the sun rose, Arthur carried his sword to the edge of the camp.

There was a stretch of open ground there, deliberately laid out as a small training field for the warriors to use. It was also where Arthur usually trained.

It was only dawn, and no one else had come over yet.

Arthur silently walked to the edge and slowly drew his sword.

Whoosh!

The sharp sound of the longsword slicing through the air rang beside his ears. Carrying a gust of sword wind, it howled forward.

Several meters before Arthur, a crack appeared on the two-meter-tall wooden post in response—neat and sharp, without a single splinter flying loose.

Watching this scene, Arthur seemed to come to a realization.

He slowly raised his hand and, in an instant, activated the Life Seed within him, setting the mysterious new power in his body into motion.

Specks of silver radiance appeared in his hand, strikingly conspicuous beneath the sunlight as they coiled around his arm and flowed continuously.

Arthur stepped forward, looked at the huge wooden post before him, clenched his fist, and struck fiercely ahead.

Bang!!

A tremendous collision rang out on the spot.

The massive fixed post trembled violently, as though it had been hit by an incomparably powerful force.

Feeling the force transmitted back through his body, Arthur withdrew his hand and quietly looked ahead.

At the center of the wooden post, a huge pit had already appeared. It had nearly been punched through, leaving shattered debris scattered across the ground.

"So this is battle qi—the power of a Great Knight?"

Looking at the result he had created before him, Arthur muttered to himself.

After several days of recuperation, his injuries had completely healed. The Life Seed within him had grown rapidly, driving a swift transformation of his body, and now the adaptation period had finally ended.

At the Great Knight stage, the Life Energy within a knight's body would undergo a further sublimation. It would no longer be confined to the body, but could extend outward and unleash all manner of tremendous power.

Others called this power battle qi. It was exclusive to Great Knights and immensely powerful.

"Still, why is my battle qi silver?"

Standing where he was, Arthur looked at the wisps of battle qi emerging from his palm and said with some confusion, "Is it the influence of that unknown power, or is it because I'm a Half-elf?"

Thinking of his silver hair, he could not help but wonder so.

Previously, Arthur had searched through much information concerning knights. Some had come from books, while some had been personally recounted by veteran knights such as Knight Flar. The conclusions he reached had all been roughly the same.

According to those records and accounts, the trait displayed when a normal knight's Life Energy spread outward should have been a conspicuous white.

As for someone like Arthur, it could only be explained by bloodline.

Not dwelling on the question, Arthur walked to one side and continued testing his new power.

Only when the number of people around him gradually increased did he look at the sky and finally leave.

As time continued to pass, the situation in the north grew ever more chaotic.

Because the earlier troop deployments had been too severe, by now nearly all the warriors under Count Polia had been transferred to the front lines. Too few remained stationed in the various areas, forcing Knight Flar and the others to lead small groups of elites from place to place to suppress the unrest.

Arthur spent a month amid such turmoil. Only when the troops at the front were about to return was he reassigned, returning to the castle with Knight Flar and the others.

At noon, waves of hoofbeats sounded across the wilderness.

"Arthur, they're here!"

Beside Arthur, Edward's excited voice rang in his ears.

He forced himself to perk up and looked into the distance. There, the banner of a golden lion was unfurling.

At that moment, the castle gates slowly opened. Count Polia, dressed in formal attire with a slender sword at his waist, led people out with a broad smile on his face.

At his side, Knight Flar wore a stern expression. He was leading the personal guard behind him, closely following Count Polia forward.

In the distance, several knights likewise broke away from the ranks and swiftly rode toward Count Polia.

"Arcadia, my friend!"

As they drew near, Count Polia looked at the familiar figure opposite him, a delighted smile appearing on his face. He seemed extremely pleased by the other man's return. "I knew you would bring me victory and good news, wouldn't you?"

Before him, a robust middle-aged man in white armor slowly approached on horseback. Hearing Count Polia's words, a smile appeared on his face as well.

He looked handsome and sunny, though he faintly carried an air of pride and unruliness. Even seeing Count Polia come forward in person, he showed no hint of nervousness, merely saying naturally, "Of course, my friend."

Seeing the knight's casual manner, a trace of displeasure flashed deep within Count Polia's eyes. Yet he concealed it well, revealing nothing, and merely laughed as he congratulated him.

"So that is Lord Arcadia! He truly is valiant and mighty!"

Standing beside Arthur, Edward watched Arcadia chatting and laughing with his father from afar, his face filled with admiration and reverence.

Arthur, on the other hand, showed no expression. He merely looked at the distant army, a heaviness rising in his heart.

In the distance, the Knight Order clad in black leather armor stood silently. Every one of them was stained with blood, as though they had just come through a fierce battle. An aura of iron and blood rushed toward them.

This was almost certainly the strongest army Arthur had seen in this world. On the surface, it even appeared somewhat stronger than the personal guard led by Count Polia himself.

Ahead, Count Polia chatted with Flar and Arcadia for a while, then soon led them toward the castle.

During this process, Arthur noticed that the Black Knight Order directly under Arcadia's command was heading in another direction. It seemed they were not stationed in the castle, but had instead been arranged elsewhere.

"Are you Arthur?" A voice suddenly rang out beside his ear, startling him.

Arthur raised his head and looked ahead. There, a handsome blond man was watching him—it was Arcadia.

"Lord Arcadia!" The instant he saw the other man, Arthur's heart tightened. He felt a wave of pressure surge from the knight before him, instinctively putting him on guard.

The chip's voice sounded in his mind at that moment.

"Name: Arcadia. Strength: 7.5. Agility: 7.1. Constitution: 7.7."

"Ding! This target poses a certain degree of danger. It is advised that the host keep away!"

At that instant, Arthur was shocked, and his entire body tensed in a heartbeat.

Compared with Count Polia, who was also a Great Knight, the Arcadia before him was vastly stronger. Even Arthur had to treat him with utmost caution; one careless misstep, and his boat could capsize in the ditch.

"Name: Arthur Falkus. Strength: 6.9. Agility: 6.9. Constitution: 7.2."

These were Arthur's current stats. After more than a month, they had undergone another explosive improvement, making him several times stronger than before.

With these stats, if he truly faced the other man, Arthur was confident that, with the advantages brought by the chip, he could suppress him to a certain extent. But if he wanted to kill him head-on, never mind the chances of success—even if he succeeded, he would inevitably have to pay an exorbitant price.

"Don't be so tense!"

Across from Arthur, Arcadia saw him lower his head, but did not mind. He merely laughed heartily. "I only came to congratulate you on becoming a knight!"

He patted Arthur on the shoulder, smiled at him, and left directly.