Chapter 018: An Additional Factor

Prince Quested hesitated for a moment. After all, Du Fan had such a prestigious reputation, and although Edgar was strong, he wasn’t necessarily guaranteed to win… Initially, he had sent him merely to save face for the people of the Gavin Empire, but now that things had escalated to a full-scale battle, it would be difficult not to determine a winner.
What started as a matter of pride now had an additional layer of stakes, changing the dynamics entirely. Winning would be great, but losing could lead to serious trouble.
Over there, Count Christopher, seeing that Prince Quested remained silent for so long, couldn’t help but smile sarcastically. “Is Prince Quested afraid? If so, let it be that way. If we win today, we won’t make any demands. If you win, you can propose one more condition during negotiations—how about that?”
Normally, no one would refuse such an easy deal, but Prince Quested still had some dignity left. He snorted and said, “Count, do you look down on me, Quested? As you said, whichever side wins can propose one more condition!”
With that, Prince Quested sneered, stood up, and declared loudly, “What’s the point of fighting in this small place? Let’s all go somewhere else and have a proper fight!”
Immediately, everyone rushed to the great hall of the Elves’ dwelling. Prince Quested’s men were extremely rude—they drove away all the guests before he could say anything, quickly clearing a space.
Although those guests were all powerful figures from the imperial capital, seeing the people of the Lanny Empire on one side and the elite of the capital on the other, they had no choice but to accept it, though they retreated to a corner to see what was going on.
The dancers on the stage also screamed and left, leaving only empty cups and leftovers.
Both sides casually found seats. Before Du Fan could speak, Edgar jumped onto the stage, drew the curved sword at his waist, and pointed it at Du Fan, shouting, “Duke Du Fan, I challenge you here today. According to our rules, unless someone surrenders or one side dies, there is no real winner or loser! If you’re afraid, why not surrender now?”

These words were uttered in a deeply ominous tone; everyone present could sense the murderous intent in them. Du Fan, however, calmly glanced at Prince Quested before smiling lightly and saying, “Your Highness, is this truly the rule of your Lani Empire?”
Prince Quested nodded and replied, “Yes. If the Duke is afraid, he can simply admit defeat now.”
Du Fan smiled and said, “I’m not afraid. I just want to be sure. Otherwise, if my sword accidentally injures your people, I’d feel embarrassed!”
Prince Quested laughed heartily and said, “The Duke is joking. It’s already a great fortune for a warrior to die in a fair duel. How could I get angry?”
Du Fan nodded and said calmly, “If that’s the case, then it’s simple…”
With that, Du Fan casually rolled up his sleeves and removed his outer robe, revealing the martial attire beneath. The Sword of Frost and Snow hung at his waist.
Du Fan smiled faintly before slowly stepping onto the platform. He glanced at Edgar’s curved sword before finally laughing lightly and saying, “I’m ready. Commander Edgar, please go ahead!”
Seeing Du Fan’s expression, Edgar sneered inwardly. He had already received hints from Prince Quested—even if he couldn’t take this handsome man’s life, he must at least embarrass him. He took a deep breath, let out a loud roar, and raised his curved sword high.
With that roar, his face twisted into a fierce expression as he shouted at Du Fan, “Handsome guy! Come on! Today, I’ll show you what a real warrior is!”
As soon as he finished speaking, the remaining guards of Prince Quested also began to cheer him on, while those trapped in the corner paled in horror. Only now did they realize that it was the once-popular Duke Du Fan who had fallen out with the people of the Lani Empire!
Hiss—hiss—hiss—
A combat aura like blazing fire slowly emanated from Edgar’s sword blade, seemingly capable of burning anyone at any moment. Those around him were deeply alarmed by this sight.
But Du Fan calmly grasped the hilt of the Sword of Frost and Snow at his waist and slowly drew it out, bit by bit. His movements were extremely slow, as if he weren’t moving at all. Yet as he pulled it out, the sword’s blade emitted a cold glow, as if Du Fan wasn’t relying on his own combat aura but was using the sword’s energy alone to counter Edgar’s momentum.

Edgar grew furious at Du Fan’s slow movements. He had been focused and ready to defeat his opponent with a single strike, but Du Fan’s actions only made his heart beat faster. He had a vague sense that as long as Du Fan drew his sword, he would be doomed to failure!
Finally, Edgar could hold back no longer!
With a loud roar, he gripped his curved sword with both hands and charged toward Du Fan, the sword wreathed in layers of blazing flames as he swung it down at Du Fan’s head.
As the arrogant commander of the Lanxi Empire’s imperial guard, Edgar was indeed skilled. His attack was filled with deadly intent, and with his combat energy surging, his strength was likely at level seven or eight.
Yet, upon seeing this, a hint of mockery flashed in Du Fan’s eyes. He finally drew his sword, but it seemed to carry no strength as he met Edgar’s strike head-on.
With a loud “boom,” the blow struck Du Fan’s sword, sending a whirlwind of energy into the air. A fierce wind swept through the hall, and everyone felt as though a drumbeat had struck violently in their minds. Some ordinary people who had not practiced combat energy or magic couldn’t hold back and spat out blood before collapsing to the ground.
Princess Quested and Count Christopher, on the other hand, acted as if nothing had happened, merely narrowing their eyes to watch carefully.
Du Fan’s seemingly casual sword strike blocked Edgar’s fierce attack, but level seven or eight combat energy was still formidable. By underestimating it, Du Fan did not use his full strength, and soon he heard cracking sounds beneath his feet. Cracks appeared on the platform made of white marble, and his heels sank in.
Seeing this, Edgar roared loudly, drew his curved sword back, and unleashed another series of slashes, sending waves of blazing flames at Du Fan like a storm.
When those with some skill in the distance saw this, they gasped in shock.

This Edgar is truly formidable—his strikes are faster and more powerful one after another. Not only do they carry the speed of lightning, but each strike also seems to possess the force of splitting mountains and seas. Especially the flames on the blade grow denser with each swing, like an inescapable mist; they could likely scorch a person to death upon contact.

With dozens of consecutive strikes in quick succession, Du Fan was forced to retreat step by step. Initially, they stood in the center of the platform, but after these attacks, Du Fan was almost at the edge. Though he deflected Edgar’s attacks with ease using his Frostfall Blade, it seemed unable to counteract the sheer force of them. With each block, sparks erupted in the air, eventually forming a dense cloud that almost enveloped both of them.

Yet despite this, Du Fan managed to parry every one of Edgar’s moves, not missing a single one. Even attacks that could have been avoided were met head-on, as if on purpose. After those dozens of strikes, Edgar took a few deep breaths. Seeing that Du Fan had only been pushed back but still managed to block all his attacks, he was secretly surprised. He stopped swinging his blade and stepped back slowly, scrutinizing Du Fan’s body for any weakness.

Du Fan’s breathing was also uneven; he had endured all of Edgar’s attacks with great effort, showing signs of fatigue. But when he saw Edgar retreat, he suddenly smirked coldly and said, “What? Giving up already? If you keep going, you might even knock me off the platform!”
“Or is that all you’ve got?”
“Enough nonsense!”

Edgar suddenly let out a vicious laugh. His eyes turned blood red, and with a swift motion of his curved blade, a whooshing sound was heard—as boiling flames instantly surrounded him. He roared loudly, and the blades on his arms and legs stretched several feet long, seemingly unable to withstand his combat energy, emitting a buzzing sound.

Then, Edgar’s figure flashed suddenly, appearing in mid-air. With his blades aimed at Du Fan from above, he resembled a hunting eagle.

Du Fan watched this scene, and a hint of surprise finally flashed in his eyes. He looked up at Edgar falling downward, then suddenly grasped Hanshuang Luoxue with both hands and swung it. A blade of light formed from combat energy shot upward swiftly…