Two weeks later.
The atmosphere was much livelier than usual.
The disciples of the Sword God Style gathered in twos and threes on both sides, whispering about the two people facing off in the arena.
In the central open space, Luo Ge and Auber stood facing each other.
Each of them held a wooden sword, the tips of which were slightly lowered, and their breathing was steady.
They had already exchanged dozens of blows, sparks flying as they went, each move fierce and deadly, making the onlookers' hearts pound with fear.
Another round of offense and defense has ended.
Auber suddenly sheathed his sword and retreated, deliberately creating distance between himself and the enemy.
He sheathed his wooden sword, let out a long breath, and looked at Luo Ge with undisguised amazement. "Truly amazing... Sword King, you are the most insightful swordsman I have ever seen."
He paused, then said sincerely, "In just over ten days, your North God Style has risen from the Advanced Rank- level to at least the King Rank."
"... It's probably only a matter of time before we reach the Emperor Rank."
"Ha?"
"This is already at the King Rank?"
Luo Ge gripped the wooden sword, his expression a mixture of bewilderment and surprise.
This is way too frivolous!
He earned his title of Sword King by defeating all the Sword Saint of the Sanctum, so its prestige is undeniable.
And now, after learning the North Mountain Style techniques from Auber for only ten days, the other party has already rated him as the North King?
It feels like buying a stamp from a roadside stall only to be told it's the Imperial Seal of the State—it's hard to believe.
Auber noticed his hesitation and explained with a smile, " The North God Style's ranking system isn't as strict as the Sword God Style's."
" The Sword God Style requires mastering the Sword of Light to truly become Sword Saint, and the title of Sword King is even more difficult to attain... But our North God Style emphasizes flexibility and adaptability. As long as your skill level is high enough, you can call yourself the North King or the North Saint without any problem."
"So casual?"
Luo Ge's lips twitched slightly.
"This was not arbitrary."
Auber said seriously, "With Sword King's comprehension, to be honest... reaching the Emperor Rank of the North God Style is not difficult."
"In a few more days, even I'm afraid there won't be anything left to teach you."
His tone remained calm, but inwardly he was deeply impressed by the talent of the person before him.
These past ten days or so.
No matter what he teaches.
Luo Ge can learn something after hearing it once, master it after seeing it once, and even apply what he has learned to other situations, developing more efficient uses based on the basics.
This learning speed is no less than a revolutionary, disruptive attack.
In fact, Auber has been intentionally slowing down the pace of teaching these past few days, holding back a few tricks and slowly revealing them.
Otherwise, at Luo Ge's pace, he could learn all of the North God Style's secrets in three days.
What a little monster!
When the thought popped into his head, Auber himself found it incredible.
If at first he thought defeating the Dragon God was just youthful idealism, then after spending just half a month together, he actually felt it.
Defeat the Dragon God.
Perhaps... there's even a sliver of a possibility.
Perhaps one day in the future, this young Sword King might actually be able to rival the Dragon God.
The disciples around him were completely unaware of the complex emotions in Auber's heart; they only saw the exhilarating competition that had just taken place.
Luo Ge and the North Emperor exchanged dozens of blows, each strike precise and sharp, dazzling the onlookers.
The moment Auber voluntarily sheathed his sword and stepped back, a chorus of exclamations of admiration erupted from the crowd.
" Sword King is too amazing! Even the North Emperor acknowledges him!"
"It's only been half a month, right? He jumped directly from the Advanced Rank to the King Rank... This talent is terrifying."
"No wonder the Sword God took him as his personal disciple; such a genius is a rare find, perhaps only one in the Sanctum every few hundred years!"
In this Sword Sanctum where strength reigns supreme, there are no seniority distinctions; only power matters.
They are naturally drawn to strength, and Luo Ge's performance has completely won everyone over.
There was only one exception.
Nina stood on the outermost edge of the crowd, her fists clenched tightly, her teeth clenched.
Watching Luo Ge being surrounded and praised by everyone, and hearing those heartfelt compliments, she felt as if a stone was lodged in her chest, making it hard to breathe.
hateful.
The more she showed off like this, the more upset she felt.
On what grounds?
Why is it that guy gets everyone's approval?
Why is it that even though I work hard every day, I can only stand on the sidelines and watch?
After practice at the dojo today, Nina left the Sanctum alone without saying goodbye to anyone.
She mounted her horse and rode off towards the western forest.
Near the waterfall in the western part of the Frozen Forest on the western side of the Sword Sanctum.
When each disciple of the Sword God Style becomes Sword Saint, in addition to mastering the Sword of Light, they must personally hunt a monster from the forest and make its hide into a fur coat.
That was a symbol of the Sword Saint's status and a testament to his strength.
Nina needs a fur coat like this.
She felt that she could now wield the Sword of Light, which should be considered the level of Sword Saint, but she was well aware of her current state.
She needs to do something to prove herself, to prove that she's not just someone who can stand on the sidelines and watch others shine.
The moment the horse's hooves stepped into the forest.
Nina tightened the reins, took a deep breath, and felt the scent of pine and earth filling the air.
She reached for the hilt of the sword at her waist, her gaze sharpening.
Just you wait and see...
She murmured softly, seemingly to no one in particular, "I'll catch up with you someday."
The icefall hangs silently between the cliffs like a frozen silver screen.
The Water Stream was frozen in mid-air by the frigid cold, and layers of icicles hung down, gleaming coldly in the moonlight.
Nina dismounted, tied the reins to a nearby dead tree, and then crouched down in a sheltered spot.
She took out a flint from her bosom, gathered some dry twigs and moss, and began to make a fire.
Firelight can attract monsters.
This was the first piece of wilderness experience she learned in the Sword Sanctum.
However, after a long time, the sparks from the flint and steel landed on the moss, flickered a few times, and then went out. It kept trying to ignite the moss but just couldn't get it going.
"Hateful..."
Nina bit her lip hard, the nameless fire in her heart burning ever brighter.
Ever since that guy came, she felt like nothing was going right, not even drinking water would help.
The image of that always slightly narrowed, calm face involuntarily surfaced in my mind.
Every time that guy saw her jumping up and down in anger, he remained calm and composed, as if all her anger was just a child's tantrum.
Nina gripped the flint tightly and struck it hard.
Snap!
A spark landed, and miraculously, the moss was ignited, a small flame flickering and leaping up.
"Very good!"
Nina carefully added thin branches, and the fire gradually stabilized.
The red flames danced in the night, casting a warm glow on the surrounding white snow.
She squatted by the fire, and the restlessness in her heart gradually subsided along with the firelight.
Then.
"Awooo!!!"
A deep wolf howl echoed from the depths of the forest.
Pairs of eerie green eyes lit up in the darkness, like will-o'-the-wisps flickering in the night.
The pack of wolves slowly emerged from the shadows of the trees, their throats rumbling with low growls, revealing rows of sharp fangs in the firelight.
Nina gripped the hilt of her sword and rose to meet the attacker.
The sword light drew sharp arcs in the night.
She poured all her frustration and resentment into each sword strike, making her attacks far more ruthless than usual.
One after another, the demonic wolves fell amidst the flashing blades, their mournful howls echoing throughout the land.
In a short while, the dozens of demonic wolves were routed, tucked their tails between their legs, and scattered into the darkness.
Nina stood there, panting heavily, the tip of her sword pressed against the snow, her chest heaving violently.
Looking at the wolf carcasses lying haphazardly around me, a long-lost sense of exhilaration rose within me.
She bent down, preparing to cut off the fur as a trophy.
A very subtle tremor suddenly came from the snow beneath my feet.
It wasn't the wind, nor the commotion of the wolf pack, but something... much bigger.
Nina froze.
She slowly raised her head, her gaze passing over the fire and into the depths of darkness.
Behind a thick pine tree, a huge head covered with snow-white scales slowly emerged.
A pair of cold, amber-colored vertical pupils were staring at her intently.
Snow Dragon Beast.
Nina's breathing suddenly froze.
She recognized that kind of monster.
A lower-ranking dragon species, wingless, inhabiting high-altitude, cold caves and ancient ruins in the north, with a small population also active in the deep mountains surrounding the Sword Sanctum.
Rated A, it has thick skin and scales comparable to iron armor, making it impossible for ordinary swordsmen to break through its defenses.
"No way..."
Nina's throat went dry, and she involuntarily took a half-step back.
With her current skill level, she could barely handle a pack of demonic wolves, but the Snow Dragon Beast —that was a being that even a team of Advanced Swordsman might not be able to defeat.
Her chances of winning are almost zero if she's alone.
The Snow Dragon Beast let out a low growl, and hot air spewed out from its huge nostrils, turning into two puffs of white mist in the air.
Its body slowly emerged from the darkness, its limbs as thick as pillars, leaving deep claw marks on the snow with every step it took.
Its amber vertical pupils locked onto her, and then it moved.
The Snow Dragon Beast accelerated its charge through the snow, its massive body bearing down on you with an overwhelming sense of destruction!
Nina had no time to think and instinctively rolled to the side to dodge.
With a loud crash, a large crater was created where she had just been standing, and shards of ice and snow scattered everywhere.
She gritted her teeth and got up, only to see that the Snow Dragon Beast had turned around and opened its huge mouth full of sharp teeth again, facing her.
The campfire flickered and burned intermittently, battered by the splattering snow.
Nina gripped the sword hilt tightly, her palms clammy with cold sweat, only one thought remaining in her mind—
escape?
Where can we escape to?
But she had nowhere left to retreat.
The Snow Dragon Beast let out a deafening roar and slammed its massive jaws down at her.
"Drink it! Aa...
Seeing this, Nina had no choice but to grit her teeth and charge towards the Snow Dragon Beast.