Under the expectant gazes of countless people, the two finally clashed.
High in the sky.
Gaspar struck first, transforming into a streak of black light that seemed capable of tearing through space, charging right up to Luo Ao in an instant. Luo Ao, by contrast, merely stood silently in place, then made a simple sword-drawing motion, suddenly striking into the space three feet before him!
The sword seemed to descend slowly, but that was merely an illusion.
Though Luo Ao struck later, he intercepted Gaspar's vicious sword strike at precisely the right moment.
Boom! The air exploded.
Their weapons slammed solidly together.
"What a Path of Wind Severing. Truly extraordinary." The instant Luo Ao met his opponent's weapon, he felt an exceptionally sharp, destructive force from its edge. Even the force leaking out left streaks of white marks on his battle armor.
"These profound mysteries... Vibrational Waves?" Gaspar's expression abruptly changed as well. He had once been fortunate enough to witness his teacher fight an expert skilled in the Laws of the Earth. The methods that expert used were extremely similar to what Luo Ao was using now.
In a realm imperceptible to the onlookers, an incredible vibrating force spread from Luo Ao's blade. Taking advantage of the collision between their weapons, it traveled across and abruptly descended upon Gaspar.
"Pfft!"
Gaspar felt as though his heart had been struck by a massive, ten-thousand-jin hammer. Unable to control himself, he immediately sprayed out a great mouthful of blood, his face turning exceptionally pale.
What an overbearing attack! Gaspar felt as though his entire body had nearly been shaken apart. His sword-wielding right hand had gone numb from the vibrations, and even the web between his thumb and forefinger had split open.
"Well? Do you still want to continue?" Very satisfied with the power of this new ultimate move, Luo Ao looked at him with a smile.
"Luo Ao! I underestimated you. I never imagined your greatest strength lay in the Laws of the Earth." Gaspar's face alternated between livid and pale. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and eyed his opponent warily.
Among Saint-level experts, the different profound mysteries of the laws they cultivated naturally meant that each excelled in different areas. Some excelled in offense, others in defense or speed, while some even specialized in bizarre, hard-to-guard-against Soul Attacks.
Among experts who cultivated the Laws of the Earth, those with the profound mysteries of "Vibrational Waves" were the most troublesome. It was very difficult for others to effectively defend against such attacks with battle qi.
"The Laws of the Earth? Think of it that way, then." Luo Ao curled his lip without offering much explanation.
"Luo Ao, that move of yours may be tremendously powerful, but it still has to hit someone. I refuse to believe you're faster than me too!" Gaspar steadied his surging blood and qi, quickly changing his approach to the fight.
The "Path of Wind Severing" he cultivated excelled above all at direct, forceful assaults. He could often slay powerful enemies with his keen blade; even thick-skinned, tough-fleshed Saint-level magical beasts could not withstand a strike from him. That was why he had confidently met Luo Ao head-on from the outset. He simply had not expected Luo Ao's attacks to be even more terrifying.
Still, everyone had to have a weakness. Someone who excelled in strength could not possibly be all that fast as well.
"Again!" Gaspar roared at Luo Ao and charged once more. This time, however, he did his utmost to avoid Luo Ao's blade, targeting other places instead.
"World Destruction!" Luo Ao frowned but paid it no mind. He struck again, using the same overbearing move.
His sword came forth like a mountain peak smashing down. Although the strike covered a wider area, weakening its power slightly, Gaspar no longer dared to meet it head-on.
Taking just one strike had left him coughing blood. To take several more head-on would be asking to have his life cut short.
"Retreat!"
Gaspar, who had been flying toward Luo Ao, immediately crossed dozens of meters as though teleporting, easily evading the strike.
Humm...
The sword struck empty air, instantly causing space to shudder violently. Like a thousand-jin boulder suddenly crashing into a still lake, it sent rings of ripples spreading outward through the space of the plane.
This fellow has gotten smarter. The moment his strike missed, Luo Ao withdrew his longsword and once again guarded against his opponent's attacks.
His attacks made Gaspar afraid to meet them head-on, but Gaspar's attacks were no joke either. Had he not blocked that earlier strike with his weapon, his battle armor and battle qi defenses alone would not have withstood its destructive force.
"Let's see how long you can defend!" Though forced back, Gaspar now held the initiative. He circled Luo Ao, striking again and again from every angle, his speed increasing all the while. Luo Ao, by contrast, could only remain in place, forced onto the defensive.
"The situation has reversed in an instant. Now Lord Luo Ao is at a disadvantage." Watching Gaspar turn into streaks of black afterimages that trapped Luo Ao in place, the spectators below felt their hearts tighten once more.
At first, when Gaspar had been struck hard enough to spit blood on his very first exchange with Luo Ao, everyone had thought the gap between their strengths was enormous, and that this duel would simply begin with a tiger's head and end with a snake's tail, fizzling out without a proper finish.
They had never expected the situation to take a winding turn in the very next moment, with Gaspar gaining a slight advantage instead.
Indeed, as the saying went, a prolonged defense was bound to fail. Both Gaspar's movement speed and the speed of his sword strikes were astonishing. Luo Ao simply could not keep up with him, and given enough time, he would inevitably reveal an opening.
I never imagined Gaspar's speed would be so astonishing too. Luo Ao had now discovered his own shortcomings. Compared with his offensive capabilities, both his speed and defense seemed quite ordinary.
Although the best defense was offense, being unable to hit his opponent felt truly unbearable. Gaspar was like a slippery loach, darting up and down before him, yet he simply could not catch him.
Is this fellow deliberately exposing openings to bait me? Gaspar was actually under enormous pressure as well. Even at his peak, taking his opponent's first strike had left him with considerable injuries. If Luo Ao "smashed" him with another strike, even if he was lucky enough to survive, he would immediately lose the ability to fight.
He could not afford even a single mistake now. His opponent could easily take an injury in exchange for luring him in.
And in fact, Luo Ao really was still holding some strength in reserve. Once he seized an opportunity, Gaspar would be utterly finished.
Thus, the fight unexpectedly reached a deadlock for a time. Gaspar held the initiative but dared not act rashly, while Luo Ao, forced onto the defensive and unable to hit his opponent, likewise kept some strength in reserve.
"At this rate, when will this fight ever end?"
"Exactly! Can't Gaspar just charge in like a man?"
"It's so frustrating to watch..."
Although Gaspar's dazzling movements and swordsmanship had initially mesmerized everyone, as time passed, they gradually began to grow somewhat tired of it.
"Headmaster, in your opinion, will this duel end in a draw?" Beneath a sunshade pavilion erected beforehand, Emperor Joyce was also watching the battle. Beside him was the silver-haired second princess.
"If it were someone else, it probably really would end in a draw. But I know Gaspar's personality. He's extremely concerned with face, and he'll definitely take a desperate risk in the end." Kaslo, with his golden curls, shook his head. He knew Gaspar all too well.
Having issued the challenge himself, only to be forced into a "running battle" with his opponent, Gaspar was already finding it difficult to save face. If it ended in a draw as well, he would lose even more face, especially since this was his first battle after emerging from seclusion.
"Sure enough, Gaspar has chosen to take a desperate risk in the end." As the headmaster's words fell, Emperor Joyce, Second Princess Alexia, and the others strained their eyes to the utmost, staring unblinkingly at the sky.
After probing repeatedly, Gaspar finally lost his patience. What he wanted was a thoroughly satisfying victory, not to perform swordsmanship and footwork before so many people like a circus clown.
"Space-Rending Slash!" Gaspar once again found a gap in Luo Ao's defense and decisively thrust his sword straight at him. This time, however, his entire body seemed to form a pale azure blade. As the strike swept out, it actually tore through the space of the plane, producing an exceedingly tiny spatial rift.
I've been waiting for you! Luo Ao sneered inwardly, suddenly turning and swinging his sword down behind him!
No! I've been tricked! He had never expected this to be an opening Luo Ao had deliberately exposed. But this time, he had unleashed his ultimate move. Though tremendously powerful, it was impossible to control as freely as his earlier attacks.
He wanted to pull away and retreat immediately, but it was already too late.
Left with no alternative, he could only choose to clash head-on with Luo Ao once more.
"World Destruction!"
As Luo Ao's sword cleaved downward, it was as though all of heaven and earth were crashing down upon him.
Gaspar's eyes went perfectly round. He could only watch helplessly as the two weapons collided again.
This time, Gaspar once again felt an utterly irresistible, tremendous force of heaven and earth surge into his body. Like a tattered doll, he was hurled backward uncontrollably.
His pitch-black longsword slipped helplessly from his grasp. The hand and arm that had held it immediately suffered comminuted fractures from the vibrations, and all his internal organs seemed to have shifted out of place.
That terrifying force finally spread into his chest. He felt his chest jolt, as though he heard something shatter, and then knew nothing more.
The world abruptly turned gray and dark.