Chapter 51: Duel Against One of The Great Swordmasters
"Fight me."
The moment those words left Arthur's mouth, the church delegation felt a shiver run down their spines. They tried to reason with Aldrian, but the smile that never left his face only deepened their unease. Even Arthur, as he looked at Aldrian's smiling face, wondered what the young viscount was hiding.
When Arthur had studied the sword will on Balin, he had sensed a lingering holy energy, the same kind that Aldrian had displayed. But how could this viscount-stage 'boy' wield such a formidable sword will? Was there someone else with that kind of holy energy? Arthur felt he needed proof—something tangible to make him believe that Aldrian could truly be their savior. Until then, his doubts would remain. As for Aldrian, he was thoroughly enjoying the turn of events.
"Now I have a sparring partner to test my comprehension and newfound power," he thought.
"Fight you? I'm afraid the result will be devastating for you. I'm only warning you because this junior is concerned about Sir Knight's well-being," Aldrian said. Although it sounded arrogant, he truly meant what he said.
The delegation was stunned by his remark. None of them were sword cultivators capable of understanding the complexities of the sword will on Balin. Though Aldrian was the one who had defeated the Hydra, he was about to face one of their paladins and one of the ten great swordmasters of the continent. They didn't fully grasp Aldrian's capabilities, but they feared he was making a grave mistake by equating the mid-king stage Hydra with Arthur.
Arthur, who heard Aldrian's arrogant warning, narrowed his eyes. He felt underestimated, and there was no one who could talk to him like that since he became a Paladin, moreover after he became one of the ten great swordmasters of the continent. Becoming a Paladin required passing the church's demanding and difficult parameters.
You have to be a weapon-specialized cultivator with a minimum cultivation level of the duke stage. In addition to that, you must be highly proficient with your weapon. For example, a sword cultivator who wants to become a Paladin must possess sword intent. You also need to have a high purity of holy energy, something that has become increasingly difficult in recent years within the church.
With all these requirements, it's no wonder the Paladin Knights have never had more than 20 members. Arthur has been a Paladin for more than 10,000 years, during which time he has gained extensive battle experience.
He earned his title as one of the ten great swordmasters when he used a large-scale destruction technique with his sword to kill numerous devils during a mission in the northern territory. Since then, he was revered, even placed among the top five of the ten great swordmasters. Even demonic cultivators admitted that he was nearly strong enough to fight toe-to-toe with the Sword Demon.
"You don't have to worry about that. Do you want to do it or not?" Arthur asked, his tone irritated as he dropped his politeness.