The Emperor smiled, "It seems that way for now. Andrew has been in seclusion for a year, and no one knows what level he has reached. However, judging from his choice, I have more confidence. Adonis, you are also a genius warrior of our Yulan Empire, having been Ninth-level Warrior for decades. In terms of talent, you may not be as good as Andrew, but you are far superior to others. I hope that after watching this duel, you will gain something, and it would be best if you could achieve the Saint-level."
Adonis icy expression flushed slightly; he too had long anticipated this duel...
Regarding the choice of the duel location, probably only Andrew knows the real reason. Andrew chose Kaobis City for one reason only: it is the human city closest to the Dark Forest. A duel here would most likely attract Beirut's attention.
To him, a mere Saint Warrior was nothing compared to the attention he received from Beirut! However, the Emperor was right about one thing: Andrew truly didn't take Baird seriously these days.
This day was very special for the people of Kaobis City. All the residents of the city, from the city lord to ordinary people, flocked outside the city to witness this duel that would shock the continent, together with powerful figures who had come from other places.
"I never imagined our Kaobis City would have such a lively day!"
The people of Kaobis City lamented that the Dark Forest was a forbidden area on the continent. It was home to Beirut, the strongest being on the entire Yulan Continent. This was a fact known to almost all Saint-level experts. Therefore, no powerful individual dared to come here to train.
Furthermore, the Dark Forest is teeming with rodent-like magical beasts, whose sheer numbers allow them to easily destroy cities and nations. With such a threat, how could Kaobis City possibly prosper?
As time ticked by, more and more people arrived around a mountain peak Kaobis City.
That afternoon, a young man dressed in hemp clothing and carrying an iron rod arrived. He was tall and had thick hair, quite different from ordinary humans. Upon seeing him, those around him pushed him aside in disgust, cursing, "Barbarian!"
The young man wasn't angry. He untied the iron rod, sat down on the ground, closed his eyes, and waited quietly.
He was Baru.
The sun quietly set, and the last rays of light shone from the western clouds. Soon, darkness fell. At this moment, a sudden commotion arose at the foot of the mountain, where hundreds of thousands of people had gathered.
"Able to fly... Ah, that's Saint-level expert!"
Suddenly, someone in the crowd pointed to the sky and shouted.
In the south, a streak of earthy yellow light streaked across the sky and landed on a nearby hill. That was where the emperor's throne was located.
"Dean Meyer, you've arrived!" Upon seeing the visitor, the Emperor greeted him warmly. Given his status, very few in the Saint-level would receive such treatment.
Meyer smiled modestly, "Such a grand event, I can't help but want to see it myself. Not only me, Duke Bart will be arriving soon too."
As he spoke, several more streaks of light flew over; undoubtedly, these were all Saint-level powerhouses. Andrew recognized some of them, such as Meyer, Bart, Augustine, while he didn't recognize others, including two Saint Magus and three Saint Warrior.
Before this battle even began, eight Saint-level had already descended. And these were only those in the open; it was hard to say what would happen if they came in secret. Just look at the Emperor's entourage—no one would believe there wasn't Saint-level being protecting him.
"They're here! They're here! Earl Lance is here!"
Soon, a greater commotion arose from the crowd, and a warrior from the capital shouted excitedly. Everyone looked in the direction he was pointing and saw a carriage slowly approaching. Beside the carriage, Howard sat on the back of Golden Tiger, while Andrew walked alone, with a shrunken Golden Peng on his shoulder.
Looking at the sea of spectators, Howard was deeply worried. However, he said nothing. The duel was now inevitable; why should he put more pressure on Andrew? He only hoped that Andrew could win. If not, as a father, he would protect his son even at the cost of his life...
" Your Earl, His Majesty requests your presence!"
Just as they approached, a golden-armored warrior stepped out from the crowd and bowed, saying...
Andrew nodded and followed the golden-armored warrior to the mountain where the emperor was located.
"Greetings, Your Majesty!" The Lance family, including Han Yue, bowed respectfully.
The Emperor waved his hand dismissively. "No need for such formalities, please sit down. Han Yue, I've long heard that you and Andrew are deeply in love; it seems the rumors are true."
Han Yue blushed and asked in a coquettish voice, "Who told Your Majesty? Does my father know?"
The emperor laughed, "Do you think you can hide your secret from him?"
Andrew overheard their conversation and knew that the Han Yue family held a high position and had a close relationship with the emperor. Such a family was at least a ducal family.
However, he was not worried about his marriage to Han Yue. From today onwards, he would join the ranks of the strongest on the continent, and a mere duke was nothing to him.
"Your Majesty, I didn't expect you to come and watch the battle in person." After exchanging a few pleasantries, Andrew said with a smile.
The emperor looked at him meaningfully. "My arrival here is not unexpected. Look at those people below, some of them even crossed the Mountain Range of Magical Beasts to come. You are the most outstanding genius in the past tens of thousands of years on the Yulan Continent. Although you are young, your strength is already unfathomable. Everyone wants to know, a year ago you were only at level nine, what level have you reached now!"
Andrew picked up his glass, took a sip, and a smile appeared in his eyes. He seemed quite satisfied with the results of his year of seclusion.
"My strength is more than enough to defeat Baird. What I'm worried about now is that Baird might not dare to attend the meeting."
Meyer said, "You don't need to worry about that. News of this decisive battle has spread throughout the entire continent. Even if Baird is utterly unscrupulous, he will still consider his reputation."
Andrew nodded indifferently and waited with the others.
As night deepened, the spectators lit bonfires. In an instant, countless bonfires illuminated the foot of the mountain.
As the moon rose high in the sky, a figure appeared silently.
Andrew suddenly stood up, let out a long laugh, and shot out like a cannonball.
"He's flying!" The emperor and the Saint-level experts beside him exchanged a glance, and everyone was somewhat flustered.
This time, Andrew flew alone, without relying on any magical pets or casting any spells. This means that he has already reached the Saint-level!
" Saint-level who's not even twenty years old..." This thought flashed through everyone's minds.
Andrew's flight through the air completely ignited the crowd of spectators.
" Earl Lance has become Saint-level powerhouse!" Everyone was frantically spreading this news...
Seeing this, Baru gripped the iron rod tightly, remaining silent. However, his eyes blazed with fighting spirit. On the other side, a drunkard reclined, occasionally taking a sip of wine. Suddenly, he spat out the wine that was about to enter his mouth, startled by Andrew.
"Good lad, he's already broken through in just five years. Back then, I didn't become Saint-level until I was fifty..." The drunkard muttered a few times, then calmed down.
At the summit of the mountain where the decisive battle would take place, Baird had arrived.
Andrew slowly descended to the top of the mountain.
"I was worried you wouldn't dare accept the challenge," Andrew laughed.
Baird was extremely ashamed and furious. If Andrew hadn't spread the message throughout the entire continent, he would never have kept the appointment. On the Yulan Continent, no one knew Andrew's strength better than him. A year ago, Andrew, merely a Ninth-level Warrior, could already hold his own against him; now that he had broken through to the Saint-level, what chance did Byrd have of winning?
Andrew looked at his unpredictable expression and smiled happily.
" Baird, I have no respect for you. You're weak in front of the strong, and arrogant in front of the weak. Of course, none of that matters. What matters is that you've crossed me!"
Andrew's voice carried for miles around, and everyone watching heard it.
Baird was enraged. Pointing at him, he shouted, "Boy, don't think you have the right to look down on me just because you broke through by chance! I've been famous for thousands of years; my accumulated experience is far beyond what you can compare to! Last time, I was careless and let you escape; this time, I will kill you!"
Andrew took out the Godslaying Saber from his spatial ring; this time, he made no attempt to conceal it. Now, given his status, he was worthy of a spatial ring.
"Strength is not determined by the length of time you've cultivated. You've cultivated for thousands of years and you're still only at the Saint-level, while I, after thirteen years of cultivation, have also reached the Saint-level."
Andrew thought back to when Howard started teaching him cultivation when he was five years old. From then on, his desire for power had never diminished. This year, he was almost eighteen years old, and he had been cultivating for thirteen years.
"A year ago, you used your Saint-level Late-Stage strength to ambush and kill me, Ninth-level Warrior. At that time, when I left, I said that we would fight again a year later, and I hoped that you could withstand one of my strikes. Today, I've come to fulfill that promise!"
Baird was both anxious and angry. Although he admitted that his strength was probably not as good as Andrew's, as a veteran Saint-level expert, how could he tolerate being looked down upon like this!
"Boy, you're too arrogant. So what if you slash me once, or even ten or a hundred times! Today, you'll pay the price for your arrogance!" Baird said, already drawing his black spear. Today, his aura was even stronger than a year ago; after all, the place Andrew had chosen was practically his home turf.
Andrew shook his head. Strength isn't something you talk about; it's something you show with your actions.
"Get ready. If you're still alive after this one cut, I'll admit defeat!" Andrew said coldly.