Chapter 424: Unveiling Secret Techniques

Chapter 424: Unveiling Secret Techniques

[Mutated Dragonkin Fourth Form (Dragon Beast Form): Upon activation, the body will undergo further draconic transformation based on the third form, becoming partially dragon-like. Immune to mid-grade toxins and disease effects, and immune to sorcery damage below 120 degrees.]



[Note: The duration is positively correlated with bloodline concentration and constitution.]



"Dragon Beast Form?" Upon seeing these four words, Ren's heart was filled with mixed feelings.

"After transforming, I'm becoming less and less human. I was at least a dragonkin before, barely human."

"But now, the system describes it as a dragon beast?" Ren couldn't help but shake his head slightly.

However, when Ren saw the phrase 'immune to sorcery damage below 120 degrees' in the system's description, he was delighted.

"Previously, it was immune to 80 degrees, but now it's 120 degrees. In other words, I should be immune to most Tier 3 and below spells from all elements."

"Never mind, whether it's human or beast, in this world, combat power is the most important."

"As the great man said, whether it's a black cat or a white cat, as long as it catches mice, it's a good cat."

Feeling the changes within his body, although Ren wanted to try the new form—Dragon Beast Form, he also knew that the Dragon Valley Secret Realm might not even withstand his third form, let alone the fourth form.

He estimated that as soon as he transformed, he would be 'squeezed' out of the secret realm.

"Sir, the bodies have all been dealt with." At this moment, Aida, standing beside him, approached with a smile and reported.

"Mm, you've worked hard." Ren smiled and replied.

"By the way, Lord Baldwin, shall we head to the third position now and set up the Rift Closer?" Ren turned to Baldwin, the commander of the army squad, and said.

"Of course, Lord Ren. It's about thirty kilometers east from here." Baldwin pointed to the east and replied.

Ren nodded.

He knew the exact location of the third position, which was southeast of Flame Mountain.

If they rushed there, it would take about twenty-five minutes at their speed.

Soon, a group of four, along with two golems, headed towards the second position.

About ten minutes after Ren's group left.

Suddenly, Lambert, dressed in a simple linen outer garment and carrying a large sword on his back, arrived at the scene.

He first looked around at the traces of battle, then paused for a moment, and his gaze rested on the four charred corpses on the ground, burned by Shadow Erosion Spell.

"No mistake, it's the energy residue of Metal Witchcraft."

"But these three people, they're all from the Empire, how did they end up in a conflict with Ren?"

"Moreover, do these people have some deep grudge against Ren? Why are their corpses corroded by Shadow Magic?" Lambert looked puzzled, thinking to himself.

Lambert could tell that one of the four remains was that of a Cultist Powerhouse due to the lingering unique scent, even though the bodies had been destroyed, he could still smell it.

The other three were likely participants in the requalification task.

This was getting interesting.

Additionally, it was strange that the injuries on the four people all had traces of Metal Witchcraft, indicating that all four of them had fought with Ren.

Although there were also traces of Shadow Magic, this merely suggested that either Ren had an accomplice or he also possessed some Shadow Magic.

For a moment, Lambert couldn't quite understand some of these questions.

However, he closed his eyes to sense the energy residue and also bent down to touch the ground with his fingers.

"They left around ten to fifteen minutes ago."

"And there were two golems."

"They were well-prepared." Lambert looked at the extremely obvious giant elliptical footprints on the ground and thought to himself.

After some thought, Lambert looked in the direction where Ren's group had left and immediately chased after them like an arrow shot from a bow.

Meanwhile, after dealing with a few scattered violent species that blocked their path, Ren's group smoothly arrived at the third position.

"Lord Ren, this is the place." Captain Baldwin glanced at the thin plate in his hand and smiled as he turned to Ren.

"Mm."

"Do you need my help?" Ren nodded and replied.

"No need, leave the rest to me. Activating the Rift Closer doesn't require too much mental energy." Captain Baldwin waved his hands repeatedly and said.

"Then, I'll trouble you, Lord Baldwin." Ren smiled and said.

"No trouble at all, it's thanks to your help, Lord Ren."

As Baldwin spoke, he quickly opened the box containing the Rift Closer.

A rectangular device resembling a small electric motor was taken out by him.

Then, Baldwin took out a crystal emitting a strong energy fluctuation from the box and placed it inside.

As the crystal was installed, the Rift Closer flashed with a circular bright light, and then it began to slowly float.

After a few seconds, the Rift Closer seemed to cut into another space, becoming semi-transparent.

This scene seemed somewhat similar to the 'etherealization' state of the Void Beast, also becoming semi-transparent, like jelly.

No, it should be said that it was even more ethereal, as the device had become completely transparent.

The next second, the device completely disappeared in mid-air.

Hmm?

Seeing this, Ren's eyebrows slightly raised. He carefully sensed it again, and Ren could confirm that this Rift Closer was not releasing some kind of concealment array, but had truly disappeared.

It had disappeared from this space.

"No wonder, previously, Captain Tatiya didn't mention what happened after the setup was complete, it turned out that it had left the secret realm space."

"No, it shouldn't be a complete departure, it seems to have transferred to the secret realm's interlayer."

Ren had a vague feeling, thinking to himself.

Upon seeing this, Captain Baldwin of the army squad also heaved a sigh of relief and exclaimed, "The most important task is finally completed!"

"Lord Ren, why don't you report this to the Command Center?"

Hearing Baldwin’s words, Ren originally wanted to say, "Captain Baldwin, why didn’t you report it?" However, he quickly understood.

This was a gesture of goodwill from the other side, indicating that he had no intention of taking all the credit.

After some thought, Ren nodded and said, “Alright!”

Ren then took out a communication plate and said, “Command Center, this is Ren. Captain Baldwin of the Army and I have completed the setup of the Rift Closer at the Third Position.”

"Huh?"

Upon hearing Ren’s words, Baldwin couldn’t help but raise his head to look at Ren, his eyes flashing with surprise.

He hadn’t expected Ren to say such a thing.

After all, although Baldwin had brought the Rift Closer into the secret realm, the latter half of the escort mission was mainly completed by Ren.

In fact, without Ren’s support, not only would the Rift Closer have fallen into the hands of the cultists, but Baldwin himself would have perished long ago.

Ren’s statement almost equally divided the credit for setting up the Rift Closer.

This made Baldwin inwardly exclaim, “Strong in power, considerate of others’ feelings, and most importantly, so young. It’s truly unbelievable!”

The Aida sisters, standing to the side, exchanged glances and then smiled faintly.

Having traveled together, they naturally knew that the main effort in escorting the box was made by their master, Ren.

Following such a humble master was naturally a good thing.

A few seconds later, a reply came through the communication plate.

General Augustus’s deep voice sounded from it, “Received. Thank you both for your hard work.”

“You’re welcome; it’s what we should do,” Ren replied.

After the call ended, Ren turned to Baldwin with a smile and said, “Now that the setup is complete, I need to head to the encirclement point, Captain Baldwin, what about you—”

Ren paused here, looking at Baldwin.

Whether to leave the injured Baldwin behind or to take him along, both options carried risks.

Since that was the case, Ren felt it was better to leave the choice up to Baldwin.

“Lord Ren, I—”

Just as Baldwin was about to say something, Ren’s expression suddenly turned serious, and he turned to look toward the northwest forest.

Seeing this, Baldwin and the Aida sisters also became alert and followed Ren’s gaze.

A tall figure carrying a large sword slowly emerged from the forest.

As the figure approached, it was revealed to be Lambert, dressed in a simple linen coat.

"Sure enough, it’s you, Lord Ren. I spent quite some time tracking you down."

"Hmm? You have companions with you." Lambert glanced around at Ren and the others, then smiled.

“Lord Lambert, hello.”

“Is there something you need?” Ren nodded in acknowledgment.

“Lord Ren, I’d like to spar with you,” Lambert said straightforwardly.

Ren wasn’t surprised by Lambert’s response.

“Oh? Just a simple spar?” Ren asked.

“Yes, just a spar. However, Lord Ren, your strength is formidable, and I cannot hold back. Therefore, I suggest that during the spar, matters of life and death should not be considered!”

Hearing this, Ren couldn’t help but laugh.

A life-and-death spar was essentially a duel!

The large circle Lambert was making was to avoid responsibility.

Lambert wasn’t foolish; he knew that Ren’s current identity was that of an Empire Mithril Rank Swordmaster. Directly challenging him would be unwise, so he came up with this plan.

“Lord Lambert, do you know that Lord Ren bears an important mission for the Empire? Your actions will make you a criminal in the history of the Empire,” Captain Baldwin of the Army angrily rebuked.

“Huh? And who are you? You seem quite strong, but you’re injured and wouldn’t last a single move against me,” Lambert glanced at Baldwin, then shook his head.

“You! I am Captain Baldwin of the Army, and you’ve made me furious!” Baldwin’s face turned red with anger.

“Baldwin? I’ve heard of you. It seems you’re telling the truth,” Lambert looked at Baldwin, then at Ren, and said.

“Since that’s the case, Lord Baldwin, if I win, I promise I will complete the mission Lord Ren hasn’t finished.”

“Because if I win, it proves my strength is greater. It also means I am more suitable to complete the Empire’s mission, doesn’t it?”

“You—” Baldwin was momentarily speechless.

Lambert’s logic wasn’t entirely without merit. If he won, it would indeed prove his strength was greater than Ren’s, and it would be logical for him to take over Ren’s mission.

Logically, there was no issue.

The Aida sisters, hearing this, exchanged glances and mentally communicated:

“Sister, this person is so arrogant. I plan to test his level first.”

“Alright! But be careful, he’s very strong.”

After their silent agreement, Aida moved slightly, but Lambert immediately noticed. He looked at her and smiled at Ren, saying:

“Lord Ren, if you all come at me together, I wouldn’t mind.”

Ren waved his hand, saying, “To deal with you, I’m enough alone.”

“Come back, Aida.”

This made Aida glare fiercely at Lambert, but she naturally obeyed Ren’s command and flashed back to her sister Aida’s side.

“Good, Lord Ren, you haven’t disappointed me.”

Seeing this, Lambert stepped forward, drew the large sword from his back, and bowed slightly, saying, “This dual-bladed sword is named ‘Waveslash.’ Lord Ren, please provide guidance!”

“The hardened mithril sword I just transformed doesn’t have a name. I’m in a hurry, so let’s get started quickly,” Ren said, transforming his sword from hardened mithril.

Ren’s attitude seemed to irritate Lambert.

Suddenly, Lambert vanished from his spot and reappeared a few meters in front of Ren.

In the blink of an eye, Ren's position erupted with seven or eight crisscrossing arcs of silvery light.

"Clang, clang, clang!"

But at the same time, eight intense sparks flashed, and the dense, rapid-fire sounds of clashing metal reverberated all around. Lambert, who had once slain a Shadow Vulture in the preliminary trials with his 'Tide Wave Eight-Segment Slash', had his attack completely blocked by Ren.

After his initial strike missed, Lambert returned to his original position.

However, the smile on his face only grew brighter.

"Your Excellency Ren, I'm increasingly impressed by your strength."

"You know, although I owe the Dram family a favor, I could have actually refused their request."

"But I feel that Your Excellency Ren might give me a pleasant surprise and help me reach an even higher level. It seems my intuition was correct."

"Your Excellency Ren, then I shall give it my all." Lambert's smile turned solemn, and he held up his two-meter-long greatsword with both hands, its tip pointing straight up as if to pierce the sky.

"Tide Wave Triple Strike!"

With Lambert's battle cry...

Ren could feel the other's powerful mental fluctuations, accurately channeling the Sword's Will into his greatsword.

Suddenly, a sword-shaped wave of energy spanned over twenty meters, shooting out from Lambert's greatsword and hurtling towards Ren.

Ren remained composed, blocking with his crossed fine gold greatsword while his body was enveloped in the Combined Spell: Steel Plate.

"Clang!"

Instantly, three ring-shaped waves of energy dispersed in all directions from the point of impact between their greatswords. A tall tree over ten meters away began to sway violently, its branches breaking and leaves falling to the ground.

The Tide Wave Triple Strike, from the surface, appeared to be just one strike infused with the Sword's Will, but in reality, it was a combination of three strikes, hence the three waves of energy.

After executing this move, Lambert didn't continue his assault but instead readjusted his stance, changing from a straddle-legged position to a left-foot-forward, slightly bent posture with his right foot behind.

He held his greatsword diagonally overhead.

From this move, Lambert once again raised his estimation of Ren's combat power.

The fact that Ren could steadily block his Tide Wave Triple Strike, infused with the Sword's Will, indicated that their strengths were on par.

At this point, relying solely on the Sword's Will and projecting one's primal force outward was insufficient.

One had to incorporate strength and combine them into a unified force.

In simpler terms, they would have to engage in close-quarters combat!

Meanwhile, in the command center on the second floor of the Astrologist's Platform in the capital of Tamriel...

Marshal Alfred and the others were busy monitoring various situations occurring within the secret realm.

"Not good! Captain Agrapheus has sent word that his squad encountered a legendary powerhouse from the Plague Cult, and although they repelled the enemy, two of their members were infected with the Soul Devouring Plague, which cannot be dispelled in a short time."

Tatia looked at the communication plate, her expression changing as she reported, "Is there a problem with the rift closer?" Augustus, the general, asked first.

"The rift closer is functioning properly. Captain Agrapheus will soon arrive at the second position. But the current issue is that our squad's combat strength has been compromised, and if we send them to confront that powerhouse again, there may be problems."

Tatia added.

At this moment, the communication plate in Tatia's hand vibrated again.

She glanced at it and frowned, saying, "Captain Baldwin has sent word that Your Excellency Ren is being blocked by Lambert, the apprentice of the Tide Sword Saint, who insists on a forced sparring match."

Tatia had naturally heard of Lambert.

As the apprentice of the Tide Sword Saint, his strength was unquestionable.

His original title was the 'Tide Sword Master', and from this title, it was clear that he had undoubtedly received the true teachings of the Tide Sword Saint.

But in the past two years, this title had gradually faded.

To be called an 'Apprentice Sword Saint' meant that one's swordsmanship had undoubtedly reached a certain threshold, and once they surpassed it, they would attain the realm of the Sword Saint.

"This is ridiculous! In the secret realm, every bit of the Empire's strength is precious. This Lambert..."

Upon hearing this news, General Augustus was visibly infuriated.

After listening to Tatia's report, the Great Astrologist Dalayn silently chanted a spell, voluntarily displaying Ren's current situation on the elliptical stone platform in the command center.

Apparently, Ren's repeated interventions had also piqued the Great Astrologist Dalayn's interest.

As the scene appeared, everyone in the room couldn't help but turn their attention to it.

However, at this moment, the scene showed not Ren and Lambert's figures but instead, the two observing Arida sisters were clearly visible.

This strange scene naturally puzzled Tatia's eyes.

Could it be that Great Astrologist Dalayn's astrology had failed to lock onto Ren?

"Their speed is too fast," Marshal Alfred said in a low voice.

Tatia took a closer look and realized that the center of the scene was filled with large, embracing trees, falling like cut wheat, and two blurry figures occasionally appeared, only to quickly disappear again.

Although the figures weren't clear, the intense sparks from their clashes and the brief pause when their greatswords collided allowed one to discern their silhouettes.

Compared to those in the command center, the Arida sisters, who were on the scene, had a better understanding of their formidable strength.

"Sister, this guy's swordsmanship is truly the highest I've ever seen. Do you think Your Excellency Ren can win?" For the first time, the younger sister Ailia was worried.

"I believe Your Excellency Ren will win," the older sister Arida nodded and said.

Suddenly, the situation in the center of the arena changed!

"Sword Shadow Clone Strike!"

Lambert roared, and his figure suddenly appeared in mid-air, clearly visible! The next moment, his arm muscles swelled, his clothes ripped, and eight figures with different striking postures appeared, leaping and slashing down towards Ren's position, one after the other!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end