Chapter 413: Sword Saint

Chapter 413: Sword Saint

After departing from Pismis's warship, the Leather Jacket Girl and the Cleric Youth arrived at the entrance of the Frost Realm.

Standing a few dozen meters away from the entrance, the Leather Jacket Girl, Iria, turned to face the Cleric Youth.

"Do you feel it? The entrance facility that guy mentioned!"

"I don't sense anything, but it should be there. He wouldn't deceive us about this!" Arthur, the Cleric Youth, said as he raised his hand and cast a spell towards the entrance.

A pure golden Holy Cross descended and struck the dungeon's entrance.

At the same moment the cross fell, an intensely dark black barrier emerged and shattered the cross.

"Is it really there? Is that an Evil Aura Shield? How can this defense so easily block your attack?"

Iria was taken aback and decided to join the attack.

A Dark Moon Elf, a creature of Epic 0 Rank, appeared and struck the black barrier with a New Moon attack, similar to the previous Holy Cross. However, it too failed to cause any damage.

"It's strong, probably Epic 1 Rank or even higher. This is going to be troublesome!"

A defense of this caliber was beyond their confidence to break through.

But they had to find a way!

If they couldn't breach this barrier, they wouldn't even be able to enter the dungeon, let alone accomplish their mission.

Iria and Arthur summoned their beasts simultaneously, and two beams of light illuminated the area as their summons appeared.

The Leather Jacket Girl's summon was a Dark Moon Elf with a pair of wings on its back and dark purple skin.

Arthur's summon was an angel, one that Lu Wu had seen once during the University League—but with an additional two pairs of wings, making it a Ten-Winged Angel.

"Let's begin!"

Without wasting time on words, they launched their attack!

The Dark Moon Elf hovered in the air, facing the sky. As it drew a Dark Moon Longbow, a New Moon appeared behind it.

The Ten-Winged Angel spread its wings, focusing on the black barrier, and a massive Holy Light War Hammer materialized behind it, radiating a sense of holiness and authority.

"Dark Moon Arrow!"

"Holy Light Judgment!"

Two skills of the same rank as Lu Wu's Divine Judgment erupted simultaneously.

One was intensely dark, the other intensely bright.

The two forces, timed and positioned perfectly, not only failed to cancel each other out but also amplify each other to a certain degree.

This was the limit of their combined offensive power.

They started with their ultimate moves, determined to break through the black barrier.

However, their determination went unanswered.

This attack, which should have shattered the barrier, had no effect whatsoever.

"How is this possible? Even an Epic 1 Rank existence would struggle to withstand our combined attack. How can it have no effect at all?"

"What now? If we can't break through this, how can we enter? How can we complete our mission...?"

"Is this the place?"

As Iria and Arthur frowned, an aged voice sounded.

"Who's there?"

Iria and Arthur turned to look, discovering two figures above them, one of whom wore a sorrowful smile more tragic than tears.

"Hey, we meet again!"

Who was this, if not Pismis? However, Iria and Arthur's attention wasn't on Pismis but on the elderly man beside him, dressed in the unique attire of the 11th District and with a longsword at his waist.

Seeing him, Iria and Arthur's pupils constricted.

As rising stars in their respective organizations, they had a thorough understanding of Epic-level beings in the Alliance, including this elderly man.

If their eyes didn't deceive them, the man before them was the Sword Saint Osakazai Ryukuron, who was rumored to have passed away over two decades ago.

"Isn't he dead? How can he be here? And with Pismis?"

Iria and Arthur were filled with doubt, but Osakazai Ryukuron ignored them.

"The Evil Aura Shield confirms his presence!"

The aged man, seemingly on the verge of death, took a step forward and slowly drew his longsword, trembling as he thrust it towards the black barrier.

There was no sense of might in this strike, and one couldn't help but worry if the old man would perish before his sword could even land its blow.

But as the sword pierced forth, Ryuichiro Ryukawa's blade gently touched the protective barrier that Iria and Arthur had previously been unable to break through, and a crack appeared.

A light clatter followed, and the fissure began to spread endlessly.

In the blink of an eye, the black protective barrier shattered before Iria and Arthur's disbelieving eyes.

"Let's go!"

Ryuichiro sheathed his sword and led Pismis, who wore a reluctant expression, into the Ice Hell.

From start to finish, he didn't spare a glance at Iria and the others.

Only after Ryuichiro entered did the two of them dare to breathe a sigh of relief.

"What a terrifying existence! Truly worthy of being called the Blade Saint, despite his severe injuries and aged appearance, his strength remains so formidable. He shattered this level of protection with ease. For beings like us, he could probably finish us off with a single strike."

"He's probably after Li Wu and the fragment!"

This was not good news for Iria and his team.

It meant that their already challenging mission had become even more unpredictable. Originally, they only had to take it from Li Wu, but now they might have to face Ryuichiro Ryukawa directly, significantly increasing the mission's difficulty.

Despite this, Iria and Arthur did not retreat. They followed closely behind into the Ice Hell.

No matter who they faced or what challenges lay ahead, they were determined to complete this mission.

In contrast, Pismis' resolve fell short.

He had no intention of taking on this task.

If possible, he'd rather stay aboard the warship. Although he was a military enthusiast, his enthusiasm was superficial.

He wasn't the type to embrace missions as his destiny or fight for humanity.

His aspirations were simpler; he longed for a leader he could admire and serve wholeheartedly.

If such a leader existed, he would fight with all his might, but until that leader emerged, he preferred to take it easy.

He had no desire to get involved in situations like this.

Unfortunately, fate seemed to enjoy toying with him, forcing him to participate against his wishes.

"Where is the person?"

Upon entering the Ice Hell, Ryuichiro Ryukawa immediately turned to Pismis, drew his sword, and placed it against his neck before asking, clearly understanding Pismis' non-violent and uncooperative nature.

This method worked well against Pismis; with the sword at his neck, the previously dispirited man suddenly became full of energy.

"Please wait, I'll find out right away!"

As he spoke, Pismis took out a set of equipment from his spatial ring. With a slight activation, thirteen bird-shaped robots took flight, and he quickly set up the central command system.

In less than three minutes, a reconnaissance system was ready and operational.

Within two hours, the first wave of reconnaissance yielded results.

But Pismis wasn't prepared to speak.

On one hand, he wasn't sure if he would be killed once he lost his usefulness. On the other hand, he didn't want to get involved in this matter.

If he revealed the location and Ryuichiro Ryukawa rushed over to kill Li Wu, the latter's father and the conspirators backing Li Wu would undoubtedly seek revenge.

Pismis had studied Li Wu's information and knew he held grudges.

There was no doubt he wouldn't let Pismis off the hook! So, Pismis wanted to stall and avoid getting involved.

But as soon as he had this thought, Ryuichiro Ryukawa's sword was at his neck again.

"Have you found something?"

"No..." Pismis shook his head unconsciously, and Ryuichiro Ryukawa's eyebrows rose. He pressed the sword down, causing Pismis' scalp to tingle. Pismis quickly nodded, "Yes, yes, yes!"

Only then did Ryuichiro Ryukawa lift his sword.

"Speak!"

With the sword no longer at his neck, Pismis gained a bit of courage, "Let's make a deal. I'll tell you the location, but you should go yourself... I'll take you there, I'll take you there, I'm not that small, am I? Please don't wave your sword at me; I have a weak heart and can't take the fright!"

In the end, Pismis had no choice but to reluctantly get up and lead Ryuichiro Ryukawa to the location he had discovered.

"Let's go, we'll follow them!"

As soon as Pimisi and the others left, Iria, who had been secretly observing them for two hours from the shadows, waved her hand, ready to pursue with Arthur. However, Arthur, standing beside her, didn't move.

"Why are you still standing there? Let's go!"

"Look over there!" Arthur pointed.

Iria was taken aback and followed his gaze. To her surprise, a robot mouse had appeared at some point, and it was now running in the opposite direction of Pimisi's group.

"What's this about?"

"It's Pimisi's doing! Follow that robot mouse!"

Iria finally understood, "So, Pimisi had a backup plan and gave us Li Wu's real location?

It seems we misjudged him. He might not be as indifferent as he seems. He genuinely cares about this mission and the safety of all humanity, which is why he did this!"

No, you're reading too much into it!

Pimisi isn't here, but if he were, he would have responded like that.

Of course, it's not that he's being tsundere; he's just not that noble.

He specifically left a move for Iria's group, not out of any high moral character, but simply because he didn't want to face Li Wu.

Pimisi felt that if he confronted Li Wu, his life would be at stake.

So, he revealed Li Wu's location to Iria's group, letting them deal with Li Wu.

These two probably couldn't defeat Li Wu, but they could startle him, exposing Li Wu.

Once Li Wu is exposed, Ryuichiro Ryukawa, on the other side, would rush over immediately. At that time, there would be no time to worry about Pimisi, allowing him to escape from this vortex and return to his warship to continue playing music and dancing.

...

Iria's side:

Following the robot mouse, they ran north towards the entrance of the Ice Hell. The further they went, the more confident they became.

Along the way, they saw numerous ruins from intense battles and the corpses of summon beasts lying by the roadside.

Whether it was from the ruins or the bodies, there were clear signs of a bird-like creature's fierce battle.

As far as they knew, Li Wu had such a bird among his summon beasts.

"Pimisi was right. Li Wu entered this secret realm to break through to the Epic Rank.

From these ruins and corpses, it's evident that he and his summon beasts are undergoing rigorous and brutal training. The progress is remarkable, especially for that bird, which has improved significantly. The last few ruins already had an aura close to the Epic Rank."

This filled Iria and Arthur with a strong sense of urgency.

They must find Li Wu before he breaks through to the Epic Rank and take him down before Ryuichiro Ryukawa on the other side discovers him.

Otherwise, both they and Ryuichiro Ryukawa's side, including Pimisi, would be in danger.

"As soon as we see Li Wu, we'll strike with all our might!"

"Understood!"

Just as they nodded in agreement, a sudden intense vibration came from ahead, and they knew they had found Li Wu.

Indeed, not too far away, an ice-blue giant bird was fighting a group of Frost Giant Bears.

By the time they saw it, the battle was almost over.

The ice-blue bird violently pecked, piercing the heart of the largest Frost Giant Bear. A Frost Ray erupted, shattering the bear instantly, and the bird swallowed the bear's heart in one gulp.

This seamless burst of power caused Iria's group to gasp in awe.

Defeating a Rank 3 Warlord-level Frost Giant Bear in one move, this ice-blue bird's strength had undoubtedly reached the Epic 0 Rank.

However, it was still manageable.

The ice-blue bird was only at the Epic 0 Rank, within their capabilities.

Moreover, they noticed that Li Wu's state was abnormal; he was frozen and held by the ice-blue bird, never joining the fight.

"Li Wu must be absorbing energy to break through. They seem unaware of us, which is our chance.

Once that bird finishes the fight and lets down its guard, we'll strike.

Focus all attacks on Li Wu, and make sure to take him down in one blow!"

At that moment, Hahah was indeed unaware that he was being watched.

After the fight, he contentedly placed Li Wu in a cold pond in the Frost Giant's territory. Just as Hahah released Li Wu, the attack came...

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end