Chapter 350 - 348: Corrupting Holy Seal
The battlefield had changed.
The power of a battle between a Scorching Sun Level and an Ascension Level was too immense. Even the aftershocks of their Combat Techniques could easily kill an Advanced Warrior.
"Fall back!"
Count Kais cut down an approaching soldier with his sword and roared, "Fall back, now!"
Continuing the melee would only lead to greater losses due to Duane and Severus’s clash. Even Celestial Tier Warriors like themselves could be injured.
The officers and generals of Fire Source City realized this as well, and all began to fall back.
Soon, the two sides that had been locked in a chaotic battle pulled apart, almost returning to the state of formation they held before the engagement.
"Who is that?" Cruz asked, a lingering fear in his voice as he staggered back to the formation.
He had been too close just now and was hit by a shockwave. His blood was churning within him, and he coughed up a mouthful of bright red blood.
The Count’s expression was grave. "I don’t know. I’ve never seen this person before!"
His gaze locked onto the emblem on Severus’s clothing. "Is that... the Holy Radiance Court?"
In an instant, his mind raced with possibilities, and his expression grew increasingly grim.
’I hope Duane can win,’ the Count thought, watching the battlefield nervously.
Duane and Severus had already exchanged several hundred blows, and both were heavily drained.
But as time went on, Duane gradually found himself at a disadvantage.
His opponent’s speed, Strength, and combat experience were all extraordinary. Even with his superior physique, Duane was slowly being suppressed.
Judging from his own mid-stage Scorching Sun Level strength, this Severus was likely a Warrior of the Extraordinary Realm.
It seemed that after Thomsen was driven out, the Holy Radiance Court had gone to great lengths to establish a foothold in the Pruck Kingdom.
’I wonder what the true foundation of the Holy Radiance Court on the Sunset Continent is. How many experts like Severus do they have?’
Similarly, Severus was even more shocked.
An ordinary Scorching Sun Level would have been defeated by his continuous use of Shadow Step, but he never expected his opponent to be able to fight him for so long.
The strength of an Ascension-level Warrior lay in mastering the Power of Life, which granted them powerful self-healing abilities.
The Power of Life didn’t enhance combat strength. Aside from this advantage, he was only slightly superior to Duane in terms of Strength, physique, and Fighting Qi reserves.
’If it weren’t for the energy I expended on Kurudo, my current state would be about the same as his. This Duane is a real monster!’
Severus launched an attack.
HISS!
The jet-black Power of Shadow formed a burning black flame that grazed past Duane’s shoulder.
Although it lacked scorching heat, it brought a stinging pain. After a few more exchanges, Duane had to pull away to relieve the numbness spreading through his body.
If he didn’t, his movements would become sluggish, which had already put him in peril several times.
’No, I have to slow him down.’
Duane tapped his toes on the ground, instantly putting a hundred meters between them. At the same time, he cast a Magic spell, pressing one hand to the earth.
The ground began to churn. A bog of mud spread from beneath his palm toward his opponent’s position. In an instant, a vast, muddy swamp appeared before everyone.
Neither warhorses nor Warriors could move properly on it.
On the city walls, Mitchell was shaken. "Level 6 Magic, ’Netherworld Swamp’! This man is actually a Grand Mage!"
Severus was equally astonished. This move would have caused considerable trouble for an ordinary person, but he was different.
Activating his Power of Shadow, he slipped into the void. Under the gaze of Duane’s Starlight Eye, Severus actually charged smoothly across the mud.
"Before my Shadow Step, that little spell of yours is useless!"
Severus laughed heartily, his Blood-colored Longsword carrying the Power of Destruction as he lunged at Duane.
Duane used a Blink Technique to once again create a distance of several dozen meters, the Arcane Power in his body surging as he entered a state of Arcane Resonance.
At this moment, he could clearly sense the Magic Net of Heaven and Earth, and his casting speed increased dramatically.
BOOM!
A bolt of purple lightning tore through the sky and slammed down, striking Severus with pinpoint accuracy.
"You think a mere Level 4 Magic can hurt me?"
Although Severus was surprised that the power of this Thunderstorm Technique seemed stronger than usual, he still didn’t pay it too much mind.
But just then... BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
A barrage of Thunderstorm Techniques descended from the sky, bombarding Severus like a divine punishment of thunder.
"How is his casting speed so fast?" Mitchell exclaimed in shock.
As a Level 7 Mage, he knew he couldn’t cast spells that quickly himself.
’This guy must have mastered some kind of trick for rapid casting.’
Mitchell’s eyes glinted. As a Mage, he knew how precious such a trick was, and naturally, he wanted it for himself.
Meanwhile, Severus, who was being continuously bombarded by the Thunderstorm Technique, was in a very bad mood.
The attacks couldn’t cause him any substantial harm, but being hit repeatedly was psychologically infuriating.
It was like being swarmed by a cloud of flies; though not a fatal threat, the constant harassment was extremely irritating.
Every Thunder Strike was now like a resounding slap to the dignity of this Extraordinary Realm expert.
"Enough!"
Severus roared, and his Power of Shadow erupted, swallowing all the Thunder in the sky.
At the same time, the runes on his Blood-colored Longsword lit up one by one, and the world itself seemed to dim for a moment.
WHOOSH!
A fierce wind howled.
Severus transformed into a phantom, appearing before Duane in the blink of an eye as if he had shrunk the distance to inches.
’So fast!’
Duane activated the Pupil of Collapse in his right eye, and a Spatial Compression Power instantly formed at its focal point.
"This is... Power of Space?"
Severus was stunned. His own ability, similar to a Blink Technique, was a visual effect produced by his Bloodline Power. But Duane could directly manipulate space?
One must understand that space and time were both profoundly esoteric concepts, things that perhaps even the Pope rarely dabbled in.
"This Duane!"
Severus shouted, resisting the Spatial Compression Power as he thrust his Longsword ferociously at Duane.
DING!
The spear tip collided with the sword point. A dark, destructive aura spread from the blade, enveloping the surroundings. The green grass on the ground instantly withered and turned a scorched yellow.
"Corrupting Holy Seal!"
Shrouded in an aura of destruction, Severus unleashed a triangular black sigil from the tip of his sword. It shot toward Duane, arcing through the air like a Shooting Star.
’Danger!’
Alarm bells screamed in Duane’s mind, and he immediately pulled back to retreat.
But his opponent’s change in attack was too fast. Even using the Snake Fang Thrust, he couldn’t retreat completely unscathed.
Tssss~
Like ice water thrown into a pool of quicklime, the Corrupting Holy Seal slammed into Duane’s left arm, instantly seeping into his skin and leaving behind a pitch-black patch.
Severus was breathing heavily.
This move had consumed a lot of his energy, but since it had hit its mark, it was worth it.
"Surrender now!"
Duane’s brow was furrowed as he ripped open his sleeve. The black patch on his elbow was burning his skin and expanding outward.
He focused his mind inward to observe his body and discovered that this corrosive power had already penetrated his skin and was beginning to invade his muscles and even the bone beneath.
ZAP!
He activated his Thunderous Fighting Qi. The speed of the corrosion slowed significantly, but it didn’t stop.
"It’s useless. Once you’re hit by my Corrupting Holy Seal, using Fighting Qi will only delay the injury."
He sneered inwardly. Duane’s action was like drinking poison to quench a thirst. The moment he stopped using his Fighting Qi to suppress it, the corrosion would spread even faster.
’Fel Energy?’
Duane recalled Viscount Charlemagne, who had been corrupted by Fel Energy, and quickly tried to use Harmony Magic to dispel it.
Severus wasn’t in a hurry at all. He watched Duane’s attempts while recovering his own energy.
He loved watching the anxious, panicked expressions of enemies as they failed to control the corrosion of his Corrupting Holy Seal.
A beam of Harmony Magic enveloped the wound, but this time, it had no effect.
It was obvious that this black patch was not Fel Energy and couldn’t be neutralized by Harmony Magic.
’The corrosion is speeding up!’
While using Magic, Duane had stopped using his Fighting Qi to slow the corrosion. In that short moment, the corrosion had spread even faster than before.
’I have to keep using Fighting Qi to slow it down!’
Duane wrapped his arm in Thunderous Fighting Qi and looked at his opponent. "What is this power?"
Severus said smugly, "This is my Bloodline Power. The fact that you forced me to use this move is something you can be proud of!"
Duane narrowed his eyes. He could see that his opponent’s Fighting Qi reserves had dropped significantly after using the Corrupting Holy Seal.
"It seems that move has a high cost. In your current state, you probably can’t use it a second time, can you?"
Severus was taken aback, not expecting his opponent to have noticed that.
"So what if I can’t?"
He laughed coldly. "Joining the Holy Radiance Court and devoutly repenting your sins to the great Master of Holy Radiance is your only choice."
If he could get Duane to join the Holy Radiance Court, or even go to the Holy Court on the Sunset Continent to be baptized, the merits he would earn would be immeasurable.
How could Duane possibly pay any mind to such talk?
He didn’t respond, but translucent, white-gold scales began to appear on his skin.
Because of the Corrupting Holy Seal’s effect, he had to end this fight quickly!
SWISH!
Duane became a phantom, his Long Spear smashing toward his opponent with such speed that the shaft itself bent.
"Earth Shaking!"
Before the move even arrived, the ground had already cracked, and a terrifying pressure surged toward Severus like a tidal wave.
He raised his sword to block, resisting the impact of the Fighting Qi.
But with a deafening CLANG, Duane’s Long Spear smashed onto the blade, bending the Blood-colored Longsword into a frightening arc.
It was a mystery what material this Blood-colored Longsword was made of to not have broken.
Severus’s expression changed. The immense force pressed down on him, causing his legs to buckle, almost forcing him to his knees.
He looked at Duane, who was attacking with all his might, completely ignoring the corrosion of the Corrupting Holy Seal on his arm.
"By using your Fighting Qi so violently instead of controlling the seal, your body will soon be completely consumed by the Corrupting Holy Seal!" Severus threatened loudly.
"So what?"
Duane retracted his Long Spear and swiftly attacked again.
BOOM!
The Long Spear was like a dragon, piercing through the air with a deafening shriek as it stabbed toward Severus’s chest.
Severus hastily raised his sword to block, but the strength of Duane’s strike was far beyond his imagination.
CRACK!
The Blood-colored Longsword finally gave way under the impact, and a tiny crack appeared on its blade.
Severus’s pupils contracted. Before he could react, Duane’s spear drove the sword’s blade right into his body.
PTHOO!
Severus spat out a mouthful of blood and was thrown backward.
Before he could even react, Duane followed up with a Snake Fang Thrust.
The spear tip split into dozens of afterimages, each one striking precisely at the enemy’s vital points.
Severus was fast, but perhaps because the Corrupting Holy Seal had consumed too much energy, or perhaps because he never expected Duane to attack so recklessly, he was half a beat too slow.
In that half-beat, the spear tip punched several holes in his shoulder and abdomen, and blood instantly stained his black and gold robes.
"You’re insane!"
Severus roared, "Don’t you want to live?"
Duane snorted coldly, "Then I’ll just have to kill you before I’m consumed!"