You Fell Before I Even Tried

Tu Jiao Mountain. Ten years ago, Olivier was defeated here by Haydson for the second time, nearly losing his life.

Ten years later.

"Olivier, you were defeated by me ten years ago, and you will be defeated again today. I am the true number one powerhouse of the Saint Realm."

Above Tu Jiao Mountain, Haydson and Olivier stood suspended in the air.

"Haydson, ten years ago I considered you a rival, but today you are like an ant in my eyes. You were not even worth my effort, yet you insist on challenging me."

Olivier did not yield in the slightest; both men spoke with immense arrogance.

"Is the Rock Sword Saint not the number one powerhouse of the Saint Realm? Isn't Olivier being a bit too arrogant?"

"What do you know? The first time he challenged the Rock Sword Saint, he was no match at all. By the second time, he was already nearly on par. Given the cultivation speed of Lord Olivier, he must have surpassed the Rock Sword Saint after ten years."

"I heard that after returning to the Imperial Capital, this Olivier has been wandering around with two maids. I wonder if he's just blowing hot air."

"I have some news. It is said that in the Northern Frozen Wasteland, Lord Olivier challenged the top expert of the ice plains, Rutherford, and retreated unscathed."

The crowd was divided, with some skeptical and others supportive, their voices rising in a cacophony.

"Blumer, your big brother isn't just bragging, is he?" Kenyon asked Blumer, who stood beside him.

Many disciples of the War God Sect had arrived, and there were over twenty Saint Realm experts present.

Kenyon had remained at the mid-Saint Realm for many years despite his cultivation. Facing these geniuses—whether it was Linley or Olivier—he could not help but feel a twinge of jealousy.

In truth, many people present felt that Olivier was far too conceited.

With his own brother on one side and his senior brother on the other, Blumer found it difficult to retort. He thought to himself, Once you see my brother's true strength, you will understand that he is actually quite humble.

"Lord Simba, will the Master be alright?"

On the other side, Sophie and Jessica were questioning a snow lion the size of a human standing next to them.

"Rest easy, you two. A character like this could be dealt with by a single slap from me, Lord Simba. He is no match for the Master."

Simba spoke with a look of disdain.

"A Saint Realm magical beast? Isn't that Lord Olivier's maid? I've seen her before."

Someone recognized the two women and realized the snow lion was actually a Saint Realm magical beast.

"Olivier, you are too rampant! Strength isn't proven by the mouth. Let us see the truth in battle."

Provoked by Olivier, Haydson was furious.

Olivier stood in the void, calm and composed, showing no intention of making a move. Haydson gripped his sword, focusing all his energy as he began to build up his power.

At first, Haydson had not taken Olivier very seriously, not believing he could be that strong. But as Olivier stood opposite him and their auras began to clash, Haydson realized that Olivier was as unfathomable as the sea. A sense of helplessness suddenly rose in his heart, and he began to think that he was truly inferior to Olivier.

"Haydson, don't say I didn't give you a chance. Use your full strength."

Hearing Olivier say this now, Haydson no longer felt it was arrogance. Looking at his unfathomable opponent, he realized he had the right to say it.

"Olivier, this is the Earth Split that I have perfected over these years. It is my strongest technique. Be careful."

Feeling the overwhelming aura radiating from Olivier, Haydson had to unleash his strongest move, or he feared he would never get the chance.

The massive earth-yellow sword slashed down, as if the entire earth were crashing down upon them.

"Earth Split, is it? The momentum is not bad."

The moment Haydson unleashed his move, Olivier knew that Haydson had indeed made progress in the Laws of the Earth over the years. The power of this strike was more than double what it had been back then. For an ordinary Saint Realm expert, such improvement in ten years was quite impressive, but for geniuses like Olivier or Linley, this growth was negligible.

Out of respect for a rival of so many years, Xiao Hong drew his own sword and struck out casually.

Black and white light rapidly condensed, transforming into a giant sword. It looked like the break of dawn, yet also like a sunset, as it met Haydson's earth-yellow blade.

"Boom!"

The terrifying sound of the collision roared like thunder between heaven and earth, triggering a violent gale that caused the heavy rain to drift sideways, blowing the rain shelters away into the air.

After the deafening blast, the black and white sword light engulfed the earth-yellow blade. The remaining force sent Haydson flying thousands of meters away, where he crashed heavily into the ground, creating a massive crater.

"You fell before I even exerted myself."

Given Haydson's current strength, Olivier could not muster any desire to fight. In the original timeline, Haydson had been split in two by a single strike. Olivier felt that since he had been a rival for so long, and now that he had far surpassed him, there was no need to kill an opponent he had already outgrown.

The aftermath of the clash ruffled Olivier's robes, his long hair fluttering in the wind, making him appear like a god.

Haydson could not accept this result. He had clearly failed to withstand even a casual strike from Olivier; the gap was simply too vast.

The spectators were equally stunned. They had expected to enjoy a spectacular Saint Realm battle, but never imagined it would end in a single move.

"Ah, am I seeing things? The genius Sword Saint Olivier defeated the Rock Sword Saint Haydson in one move!"

"Lord Olivier is too powerful. He is truly worthy of being called the genius Sword Saint."

Olivier did not enjoy being surrounded. Before the crowd could recover from their shock, he had already reunited with Sophie and Jessica, heading back to his estate—naturally, the snow lion followed.

"Master, you were so amazing!" Sophie looked at Olivier, her eyes filled with adoration.

The man known as the number one powerhouse of the Saint Realm, the Rock Sword Saint Haydson, had been defeated in one move. It was enough to make the young girl's heart flutter and her eyes sparkle.

"Master defeated the number one powerhouse of the Saint Realm, so now Master is the number one powerhouse of the Saint Realm! When will I ever be that strong?" Jessica fantasized aloud.

"Master, to celebrate your victory, I shall offer myself to you tonight."

Sophie was deeply concerned that Olivier kept refusing to take her and her sister, having brought it up to him more than once. She knew her master was a responsible man; if they shared an intimate bond, Olivier would never abandon them in the future. Otherwise, he could leave them behind at any moment, so to seize the opportunity, she became increasingly bold.

These two girls were truly adorable. Having them follow him brought a bit of joy to a life primarily focused on cultivation, though with their strength only at the fourth rank, it was unlikely they would ever reach the Saint Realm.

Between his past and present lives, Olivier's two souls had existed for nearly a hundred years combined. Although he had never been married, he knew he was not a man of loose morals. He was unwilling to endure the cycle of birth, aging, sickness, and death, and he hoped his woman could accompany him forever.

Sophie and Jessica were girls of less than twenty; this was a classic case of an old ox grazing on tender grass.

This gave Olivier a headache. If he let these two girls go, he couldn't bear it; yet, having them follow him like this was not a long-term solution. Once he broke through to the Deity level, he certainly wouldn't be able to stay in the Imperial Capital constantly, nor could he bring them along.

"Master, you've encountered so many human beauties along the way, yet you never reproduce. You aren't... incapable, are you?" Simba suddenly interjected from the side.

Olivier noticed that Sophie and Jessica were also looking at him with inquisitive eyes, and he glared at Simba.

"Shut your mouth, or I'll make sure you become incapable."

Simba was afraid that Olivier was truly angry and dared not make another sound, but the way Sophie and Jessica stared at him with their bright, watery eyes made his heart race, a feeling comparable to facing a Deity-level expert.

At Tu Jiao Mountain, the crowd was still savoring the shock brought by this battle.

"Blumer, your brother's strength is truly unfathomable."

One of Blumer's senior fellow disciples remarked. Unlike Kenyon, this disciple's strength was in the upper-middle tier among all the disciples of the War God.

Big brother's strength is far greater than you imagine, Blumer thought to himself. Big brother, I will certainly not let you down.

"I never expected Olivier's strength to be this formidable. It seems the Achison family requires further investment." Emperor Joanne remarked after watching the match.

Emperor Joanne was currently a ninth-rank warrior. He had not aged in ten years and could remain on the throne for a long time. Ten years ago, Princess Nina had almost married Blumer, and Joanne had never given up on trying to win over the Achison family.

"To think Olivier is this powerful, though he is likely still not as strong as Lord Linley."

While Gates was shocked by Olivier's strength, he remained even more confident in Linley.

After this battle, Olivier's name once again shook the continent, while Haydson, the former number one powerhouse of the Saint Realm, seemed to have been forgotten. Haydson himself had not appeared again; it was said that he, too, had found a place to go into bitter cultivation.

At night, the stars were brilliant and the moon was like water. A breeze blew, draping a veil over the bright sky.

Sophie and Jessica sought out Olivier, wishing to offer themselves to him.

"Sophie, Jessica. You both know that I am a Saint Realm warrior. Sometimes, a single session of cultivation can last years, decades, or even centuries. You know that my last cultivation session took ten years. If you truly commit to me, perhaps by the time I finish my next session, decades will have passed. You would be left alone for decades, or I might not even finish my cultivation before you pass away. I do not wish for my woman and me to experience such painful separations, nor do I want you to suffer like that. Therefore, I can grant you your freedom and provide you with wealth so you may pursue your own happiness."

Olivier had thought about it for a long time and decided that it was better to endure a short pain than a long one, hoping these two girls would understand.

"Master, ever since we were reduced to slavery, we knew there was no hope for this life, but we lacked the courage to commit suicide. Under the pressure of our slave owners, we worked hard to learn various skills, hoping only to suffer less. Before meeting you, Master, we never imagined we could live such a good life as we do now. The thing we heard most often was that slaves never have a good ending. Only you, Master, have never treated us as slaves; even our own kin could not have treated us better. There is no man in this world as good as you. We only wish to stay by your side, to serve you, to pour your tea, and to cook for you."

"Please, do not drive us away."

"Master, please, do not drive us away."

Sophie and Jessica had already knelt on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably.