With a resounding bang, the golden light erupted with a burst of terrifying energy wave. In an instant, the earth trembled, and fierce winds whipped through the air.
Dustin and his sword were sent flying several yards. After landing, he stumbled back several steps before finally steadying himself.
He looked up and saw that Abigail’s body was now covered in a layer of golden armor, though he couldn’t tell when it had happened. The armor glowed brightly, and it made her look imposing and striking.
It was clearly a divine artifact.
The Mystic Arts Order had been around for centuries, with deep roots and
countless treasures. As the Grand Sorceress, Abigail would obviously have several divine artifacts for protection.
Dustin wasn’t surprised, but the armor’s counterforce caught him off guard. Not only did it protect her, but it also had offensive capabilities.
When his sword struck the armor earlier, the blow didn’t leave a scratch. Instead, the armor absorbed the hit and sent the force back at him. It had a built -in retaliation feature. The more damage it took, the stronger the counterattack.
“Bet you didn’t see this coming, huh? I also have mystic armor.” Abigail smiled. “And this one has a special feature-no matter how you hit it, it will bounce your strike right back. The harder you strike, the stronger the backlash.”
“Yeah, I noticed it.” Dustin nodded and changed the subject. “Though the armor might be useful, it’s just an inanimate object. It’s not foolproof. Don’t let it give you a false sense of security. Overconfidence could be your downfall.”
As a martial artist, real strength came from within. Gears were just embellishments, and one shouldn’t develop a mindset of dependence on them.
Otherwise, it would hinder personal growth and leave a person vulnerable to others taking advantage of their weaknesses.
His words were meant as a reminder.
“So, do you think you can take me down?” Abigail smirked. She discarded the broadsword and pulled out a red sword with one hand.
After awakening her Phoenix bloodline, she inherited the memories of the Ninth Grand Sorceress. Simply put, she had mastered every weapon known to man.
“You can use a sword?” Dustin raised an eyebrow.
“Why don’t you give it a try?” She flicked her longsword with a sharp motion. In the blink of an eye, she closed the distance with her sword thrusting forward.
The strike came fast, sharp, and from an angle that made it hard to read.
Every movement had subtle variations that made it nearly impossible to predict. Without a decade of intense training, no one could ever achieve this.
“Oh?” Dustin raised an eyebrow, genuinely surprised.
As they always said, a true expert showed their skill with a single move. With his keen eyes, he could tell right away that her swordsmanship was on another level.
This wasn’t the result of just a few years of practice. She either had an extraordinary natural talent for the sword, or her Phoenix bloodline was giving her an edge.
Before he could think further, her sword was already upon him. He reacted instinctively and mirrored her move with a horizontal thrust. Their swords met in perfect harmony.
The tips locked briefly as a flash of light rippled outward from the point of impact. The force wasn’t overwhelming, but it had a sharpness that set his nerves on edge.
At that instant, the two swords were aligned in a perfect horizontal line and locked in a silent battle of wills.
Two grandmasters’ internal energy clashed through the swords, and a violent force pushed against one another. The energy surged like two armies in a fierce battle. Waves of light exploded from the impact, and they pulsed out in rhythmic bursts.
Abigail’s breathing gradually became more labored. Sweat began to bead on her forehead, and the hand gripping the sword started to tremble slightly.
In contrast, Dustin stood firm, and he looked calm.
Though she had many divine artifacts and her supreme powers were extraordinary, her cultivation was still lacking compared to Dustin’s. In this battle of internal energy, it was clear she was struggling.
In the end, Abigail couldn’t hold out any longer. With a quick flick of her wrist, she broke the lock between their swords. She swiftly withdrew and stepped back.
As she retreated, Dustin took his chance. Without hesitation, he thrust forward and aimed straight for the golden armor on her chest.
The armor rang with a sharp clang as it absorbed the blow and redirected the impact back through his sword.
The recoil surged through his sword, but Dustin let it carry him forward. He used the momentum to spin and let it propel his next move. He lunged forward again and drove his sword into the golden armor.
The sharp clang rang out again. The armor trembled, then unleashed an even stronger recoil.
Dustin repeated his previous approach and used the momentum to launch another series of strikes. His Celestial Blade fell like a storm, and each blow rapidly hammered against the armor.
Abigail was pushed back with every strike and struggled to stay on her feet. Each time she gathered her strength to counterattack, his sword sliced through her defenses like paper.
She withstood more than a dozen thrusts without being able to defend herself. If not for the protection of her mystic armor, she would have been riddled with holes by now.
It was then that she finally understood how superb Dustin’s swordsmanship was. What seemed like simple moves were actually the fundamentals of swordsmanship. It was so fast and precise that they couldn’t be dodged.
His strikes grew more intense with each passing second. After dozens of strikes, the golden armor started to lose its luster, and the spots where it was hit began to crack. It was clear that it was nearing its breaking point.
The armor was tough, but even it had its limits. It couldn’t hold up forever. After withstanding blow after blow, it was finally starting to crack.
Dustin thrust his sword again, and the golden armor shattered instantly. The blinding light that had enveloped Abigail disappeared, but the deadly force of his sword didn’t relent. It kept barreling toward her throat.
Her pupils contracted, but before she could react, the Celestial Blade stopped. The tip of the blade hovered less than half an inch from her throat.
Abigail could feel its cold, terrifying sharpness, and every hair on her body stood on end.
