Lion Guardian

Unlike the cycle, "Legendary Weapons" each feed their wielder immense energy, be it evil or righteous.

Those unable to accept this power are often controlled by it.

But without exception, possessing this sword allows even the weakest to become strong. And now, the Lion Guardian holds this sword, its power beyond imagining.

Lin Luo watched silently from above for a moment before leaping down.

Another familiar archway…

Through the vast space beneath the arch, a portion of the coast extended into small islands.

In the very center stood a withered tree, and before it, a colossal stone. A small round opening was revealed within the stone, perhaps the original sheath for the Grafted Blade Greatsword.

Beneath the stone sat a massive Lion Guardian, half-crouched before it. Its eyes were closed, its right paw tightly gripping the greatsword. The giant red sword bore numerous dark red scabs, perhaps from the servants of Castle Morne, or its own blood, or perhaps from those Scaled Misbegotten. Maybe all of them.

However, starting today, this sword would belong to Lin Luo.

"Patter... patter..."

Lin Luo navigated around the giant jellyfish before him, his boots making rhythmic splashes in the water.

His right hand slowly reached out from behind his back, and a dark red katana was drawn.

If the feeling of the famous Moonveil was a faint chill, then the aura of this blade was an endless killing intent.

This was the Bloodfinger Old Man's sword—Corpse Mountain Blood Sea.

Why he brought this sword was simple: the Lion Guardian was weak to fire.

Lin Luo gripped the sword slightly, the scent of blood flooding his nostrils, surprisingly pleasant.

The ten-odd steps were covered in an instant. The moment Lin Luo's right foot stepped through the archway, the Lion Guardian's closed eyes snapped open.

Its two bloodshot lion eyes fixed on Lin Luo, its pupils radiating an almost tangible killing intent—a pure aura of slaughter.

"..."

Lin Luo remained silent. He extended his right hand, pointing the blade of Corpse Mountain Blood Sea at the Lion Guardian. An intangible aura emanated from him, a profound and mysterious bearing that momentarily stunned the Lion Guardian.

"Roar!..."

The Lion Guardian roared in fury. It was intolerable to be shown up like this by a mere human.

Despite the Lion Guardian's immense size, its powerful limbs allowed for incredible agility.

In what felt like one or two blinks, the Lion Guardian lunged at Lin Luo. Its colossal body loomed before him, its gaping maw exuding countless scents—blood, decay…

Its right paw, wielding the Grafted Blade Greatsword, swung fiercely towards Lin Luo's waist.

Judging by the force of the sword, if he failed to dodge, he would likely be cleaved in half.

Lin Luo yanked his sword up sharply, holding it vertically at his waist to block the incoming Grafted Blade Greatsword. Immense force transmitted through Corpse Mountain Blood Sea.

Lin Luo himself was dragged several meters across the ground by the greatsword, the two deep gouges on the ground testifying to its power.

"Hahaha! This is exhilarating!"

Lin Luo suddenly burst into laughter, his pupils flaring with streaks of red.

"Excellent! My stagnant strength has finally improved!"

Lin Luo licked his lips excitedly. It wasn't that the current enemy was overwhelmingly powerful, but rather that, compared to before, the Lion Guardian before him represented its true strength… Then, would the Demigods also show improvement?

"Roar!"

Another furious roar from the Lion Guardian, clearly enraged that the human before it had blocked its attack.

Its steel-like claws slashed violently at Lin Luo.

Lin Luo chuckled, retreating slightly as the lion's claws grazed his nose.

However, a human-like smile flashed in the Lion Guardian's eyes.

Using the momentum of its claw swing, it leaped, twisting in mid-air. The greatsword in its right paw slashed out, the sound of the blade cutting through the air indicating its immense, weighty power—impossible to block directly.

But Lin Luo was different. He simply smiled. No, rather than a smile, it was as if his muscles, devoid of weight, were pulling with an unnatural stillness, a disturbingly incongruous expression…

Corpse Mountain Blood Sea remained held before his chest. Facing this strike, Lin Luo still chose to meet it head-on.

"Crack…"

A sound echoed from Lin Luo's right shoulder—the sound of bone breaking.

If possible, one would want to see Lin Luo's expression, perhaps regret or pain…

However, it was not so. It was the same unnervingly peculiar smile.

Lin Luo snorted, his right arm suddenly pushing down.

"Crack!"

That was the sound of bone resetting.

At the same time, as Lin Luo's right shoulder dipped, the Lion Guardian's greatsword continued its downward arc.

The sudden shift in impact and the ease of it caused the Lion Guardian to lose its balance. Its massive body lurched violently to the right, its giant claws gouging a massive trail in the ground.

"Boom!"

That was the sound of the Lion Guardian falling to the ground. Despite its surprisingly strong legs, it couldn't maintain its balance as its center of gravity shifted dramatically.

"Heh heh..."

Lin Luo chuckled, gripping the Lion Guardian's tail with his left hand...

Feeling the firm grip on its tail, the Lion Guardian was instantly filled with humiliation and terror.

Just a human, what does he think he's doing?!

The Lion Guardian tried to rise from the ground, its powerful tail pushing off, intending to teach this ignorant human a lesson. At the same time, its right paw gripped the greatsword and swung at Lin Luo again.

However, Lin Luo had already seen through these petty movements. Having "cleared dungeons so many times," he understood the Lion Guardian better than its own mother.

Lin Luo yanked the Lion Guardian's tail with a sudden heave. His palm, which seemed tiny compared to the beast's tail, grabbed it tightly as if it were made of iron.

As for the Grafted Blade Greatsword swinging towards his legs, Lin Luo didn't even blink.

He lifted his right foot and stomped down.

"Bang!"

It was unclear how much force Lin Luo put into the kick, but the greatsword, aimed at him, was pinned beneath his foot. Dust billowed up, accompanied by the Lion Guardian's pained cry.

"Hah... You think you're worthy of wielding that sword?"

Lin Luo's left hand suddenly exerted force, and the Lion Guardian felt itself lifted into the air. Disoriented, its vision spun wildly.

That's right, Lin Luo had thrown it with one hand. Its massive body slammed into the giant rocks behind it, its limbs throbbing with pain.

"Roar~!"

The Lion Guardian let out a pained roar, but mixed with the pain, one could hear its rage and its killing intent towards Lin Luo!

Lying on the ground, the Lion Guardian slowly got back up. It lowered its body to the ground, a primal instinct of the creature seemingly taking over.

"Hiss... Roar!"

The Lion Guardian roared again, repeating its previous action, but this time with greater speed and strength!

Unfortunately, Lin Luo wouldn't give the Lion Guardian another chance to harm him...

Lin Luo closed his eyes, drawing the Corpse Mountain Blood Sea with his right hand in a graceful flourish. He held the greatsword diagonally in front of his left arm, his body slightly crouched.

The Lion Guardian charged forward, its posture indicating it intended to bite off Lin Luo's head.

Man and beast, separated by only half a meter, and at this moment—Lin Luo swung his sword.

Carried by the wind, four words could be heard: "Corpse Strewn Across the Field..."