Prefecture Lord's Battle

Prefecture Lord's Battle

The arena was bustling with people, but on the stage, only a sparse murmur could be heard.

Leidolina looked at the handsome man across from her and sighed. "Athos, after all these years, you're still so stubborn! Why can't you just listen to me? Give up. You can't beat me."

"Leidolina, you'll never understand," Athos said, his gaze cold. "I will win today, even if I have to stake my life against you."

Leidolina took a deep breath, and a long whip appeared in her hand. "Then let's begin!"

Lincoln watched with interest and patted Aier on the shoulder. "Those two seem to know each other. The kind of old acquaintances with a history."

Neither of the fighters onstage moved for a moment. Unable to wait any longer, Athos struck first. He didn't draw a weapon, but simply clenched his fist and charged straight at Leidolina, unstoppable.

Seeing this, Leidolina spun her whip like a whirlwind, trying to keep Athos at a distance.

But Athos simply ignored the attacks raining down on him and charged forward even faster.

"Come on, Prefecture Lord! Beat that pretty boy to death!"

"Athos, you can do it! We support you as the new Prefecture Lord!"

The crowd cheered and waved their banners.

"Lincoln, are these really experts in the Laws of Water and the Life Law fighting? To me, it looks more like a battle between the Laws of Earth and the Rules of Destruction." Aier had rarely seen a battle between Prefecture Lords. This brawling style was beyond her understanding, so she couldn't help asking.

Lincoln smiled faintly. "Aier, look at Athos. Is he really taking Leidolina's attacks head-on? They're both defensive, but water and earth are quite different."

At his words, Aier looked closely and realized that every time the whip struck Athos, a strange force deflected most of its power.

"Athos is very skilled at using the Mysteries of Roundness and Softness. But Leidolina is clearly holding back. She's an expert in the Life Law, yet she's using physical attacks."

Seeing that she couldn't stop him, Leidolina raised her right hand. Her Divine Life Power surged into the whip. In an instant, the whip seemed to come alive, bending and darting about "freely," attacking and blocking on its own. It completely held back Athos's advance, leaving him unable to take even half a step forward.

After several fruitless attacks, Athos suddenly leaped into the air. His legs transformed into a fish's tail, and he brought it down hard on the whip. The scales on his tail scraped against it, sending sparks flying, and knocked it far away. Having landed his strike, Athos leaped again, his beautiful tail swinging toward Leidolina.

"No wonder he's called the Iron-Tail Sea Spirit. He's incredibly strong, yet moves with such grace. What a pity that he hasn't cultivated the Laws of Earth with those physical gifts." Lincoln had a keen eye. He could tell that Athos had not only a tough body but also sharp scales. If that tail struck an enemy, they would likely suffer a powerful blow and be slashed in several places as well.

But Leidolina remained unruffled. The whip that had flown away returned, green light flowing along its length, dazzling and bright. It resumed both its attack and defense.

With just that one whip, Athos still couldn't get close to Leidolina.

"If Athos has no other tricks, he can't win," Lincoln replied to Aier's earlier question. "Leidolina has been holding back plenty. Even now, she hasn't used her full strength!"

As an envoy of the Sovereign who had once been the Life Sovereign, Lincoln had met many experts in the Life Law. Although he didn't know how to cultivate it, he naturally had some understanding of it.

Aier nodded, only half understanding. Of course, she trusted Lincoln's judgment completely.

Sure enough, after several more exchanges, Athos kept striking with his iron tail and showed no other abilities, but he still refused to give up or admit defeat.

"His strength is already greater than that of an ordinary Asura. It's a pity he's up against Leidolina. He can't win."

"Give up, Athos. I don't want to hurt you." Leidolina continued trying to reason with him, but Athos paid her no heed and only kept attacking. Looking troubled, she could do nothing but use her whip to block him. After a while, Leidolina's pupils suddenly contracted. Her expression struggled for a moment, then her gaze finally hardened.

Her whip changed as well. Whenever it blocked an attack, countless green specks scattered into the air, spread outward, and then vanished.

"She's getting serious," Lincoln said calmly.

Athos had noticed the green specks too. He stopped attacking and retreated a few steps warily. Divine power surged through him, forming an oval shield that kept the green specks out. Then he produced a crystal longsword. A chill spread from him as he swung it toward the distance.

His profound technique, built around Sharpness of Ice, had reached the Five-Fusion level. Unfortunately, without the boost from his special fish tail, its power was actually weaker, and it was even less capable of breaking through Leidolina's defenses.

Suddenly, Athos's expression changed. His body convulsed, and he collapsed to the ground. His divine-power shield vanished as well. Leidolina sighed, stopped attacking, and walked over to him. "You just wouldn't listen."

"Lincoln, look. Athos is about to lose." Aier took hold of Lincoln's hand.

"Not necessarily," Lincoln replied.

"Why not? Didn't you just say Athos couldn't win?" Aier asked, confused.

"I said he couldn't win if he had no other tricks. But I just realized he does have another trick," Lincoln said with a smile.

"Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!" The crowd's shouts grew louder and louder, while the voices supporting Athos gradually faded. Winner takes all; the strong prey on the weak. That was the most direct rule in the world.

Leidolina gripped her whip tightly. After a moment's hesitation, she swung it without mercy. That strike would surely scatter his soul.

But just then, Athos suddenly leaped to his feet. His dazzling fish tail appeared again and slammed into Leidolina. She was sent flying a great distance. She wasn't dead, but her aura weakened drastically. After landing his blow, Athos burst into uncontrollable laughter, his face twisting into a more ferocious expression.

But his laughter soon stopped. Green light suddenly radiated from Leidolina's prone body, and her aura quickly recovered. She rose to her feet, turned toward Athos, and sneered. "Well, I'd forgotten. Your kind's talent works exceptionally well with the Mysteries of Fog Illusion. My Soul-Devouring Green Light never hit you at all, did it? But after all these years, I didn't expect you to remember that pain so well. What a convincing act."

"Shut up!" Athos's face twisted as well, as if the painful past had come back to haunt him.