Chapter 5: Berong of the Blade Clan (Part 1)

Lord Berong of the Blade Clan is quite famous in this area. He is one of the top experts among his clan and prefers to work alone, always practicing by himself. Unless he goes to the city for supplies or seeks opponents to spar with, he occasionally acts as a bandit, robbing merchant caravans. He is a troublesome figure—no wonder Stan was stunned upon hearing of his arrival.

Stan didn’t dare neglect him either. Berong must not be offended; this man was a solitary warrior with great combat skills, and provoking him would be troublesome. Although he wasn’t truly afraid of him—after all, he was a city lord, not an ordinary person, with many armed fighters at his disposal—it was best to avoid offending Berong.

One of his subordinates reported, “Lord Berong has arrived, Lord Stan…”

Stan sighed and said, “Let him in.” He glanced back at Guo Shier and the others, thinking, “I have three spellcasters here. Berong shouldn’t be too reckless.”

Guo Shier and the other two didn’t leave. Hearing that Berong of the Blade Clan had arrived, they decided to meet him. Since arriving at the Star Sacrifice, they had heard of the three top races, including the Blade Clan, so they were curious and wanted to see what people from that clan looked like.

“Haha, Lord Stan, I’m troubling you again this time…”

A tall, thin man walked in. He had long arms and legs but a very short torso, standing over two meters tall. His head wasn’t large either, giving him a somewhat strange appearance. His arms were bare and dark, resembling countless steel bars twisted together, exuding an extremely powerful aura. Two long knives were stuck in his back, their handles sticking out from behind his shoulders.

Guo Shier stared at him and suddenly felt a sense of familiarity. In the world of spells, he had once encountered a mutated mantis. This man gave him the same impression—a giant mantis with a fierce presence.

Stan showed no signs of displeasure on his face. Instead, he smiled and stepped forward, saying, “Lord Berong, it’s been some time since we last saw each other. Hehe, why did you suddenly think of me?”

Berong replied, “What? Aren’t you welcoming me?”

Although annoyed, Stan forced a smile and said, “How could that be? Of course I welcome you. We’re old friends… Hehe, Lord Berong, what brings you here this time?”

Berong said, “Hehe, it’s nothing serious. I’ve run out of supplies, so I’m here to ask for some from you…” He demanded directly, showing no intention of buying.

Stan smiled bitterly inwardly. He wouldn’t quarrel with such a skilled opponent over a little supplies. This guy wanted a lot—he had taken many things last time without paying a penny, not much different from robbery. He said, “No problem. Hehe, let me introduce you to three friends…”
Borong replied indifferently, “I have no friends, nor do I want any.” His tone was cold and stiff.
Stan secretly rejoiced and said obsequiously, “But these are top experts, hehe.”
Borong said calmly, “I’ve met many top experts, most of whom died at my hands…” As soon as he said this, not only did Guo Shier’s expression change, but Li Ran and Qi Wu Zhen’s gazes also turned icy. This guy was too arrogant.
Stan showed a teasing look and said, “They’re spellcasters.”
Borong glared at Stan angrily, realizing he had been tricked. Having been in this world for so long, he certainly understood how powerful spellcasters were. Though they were extremely rare, and although every caster from the Spellworld was formidable, few people ever encountered them. He wanted to ease the situation, but his previous words were too direct, leaving him unable to backtrack immediately.
Li Ran and the others also saw that Stan was trying to trick them. They were annoyed at being dragged into this, not only feeling no goodwill toward Borong but also toward Stan.
Li Ran and the others said nothing, merely staring coldly at Stan and Borong. Stan regretted it a bit, but at this point, he couldn’t explain. He said, “Since Lord Borong doesn’t want to get to know us, hehe… it’s as if I never said anything…”
Qi Wu Zhen stepped forward and asked calmly, “Are you very strong?” Unlike Li Ran and Guo Shier, she always did as she pleased. Usually, she wouldn’t start trouble on her own, but when it came to herself, she wouldn’t tolerate it at all. Moreover, she was never afraid to fight, so she stepped forward to provoke him, willing to engage even if it meant facing Borong’s tactics. Top experts were rare, and the chance to fight one here was exactly what she desired.
In fact, even if Qi Wu Zhen hadn’t stepped forward, Li Ran would have. His goal was clear: to figure out the true strength of the local experts.
Borong thought to himself that things were going wrong. He had encountered a few spellcasters before—though he hadn’t fought them, he had exchanged things with them and knew they were not to be trifled with. But he himself was also a top expert of the Blade Clan and wasn’t afraid of spellcasters. He said, “Our Blade Clan… has always been among the finest of experts!”

Qi Wu Zhen smiled. At that smile, Bo Long was momentarily stunned. This woman was too beautiful—she appeared delicate and weak, hardly like a skilled fighter. Bo Long said, “I don’t fight women!” He wasn’t bluffing; he truly never fought women, unless it came to a matter of life or death, in which case he wouldn’t kill them. In the Sword Clan, women were considered weak—a belief he had held since childhood—so it came naturally for him to say such a thing. Yet his words angered Qi Wu Zhen.

Qi Wu Zhen said coldly, “Coward! A spineless fool! What a pathetic excuse…”

Li Ran and Guo Shier couldn’t help but laugh. The old Qi Wu Zhen wasn’t like this—she rarely wasted words and usually went straight to fighting. It was unexpected that she would resort to provocation this time.

Bo Long’s face turned red instantly. Even though his skin was dark, it was clear he was flushed. He had never been mocked by a woman before, let alone by such a beautiful one. He simply couldn’t bear it.

“Don’t force me to kill a woman!”

After a long while, Bo Long finally spoke, gritting his teeth.

Qi Wu Zhen had disdained him from the start, and now she looked at him as if he were already dead. She sneered, “Idiot!”

Guo Shier burst into laughter, and Li Ran chuckled as well. They never expected Qi Wu Zhen to be so cruel in her mockery. Stan’s face turned blue—he hadn’t expected her to be so fierce. He thought, “Are female spellcasters also this crazy? Terrifying, utterly terrifying…” Seeing her indifferent expression, he knew this woman was either insane or extremely powerful.

Clang! Clang!

Bo Long stretched his arms outward, and the two long knives on his back transformed into two streams of light, drawing forth from their sheaths and flying into his hands. He was completely enraged by Qi Wu Zhen.

“You’re seeking death!”

Bo Long suddenly lunged forward, unable to control his emotions any longer. He had never felt so frustrated in his life, and his only thought was to kill this woman.

In a flash of light, two blinding beams sliced down from left and right. Qi Wu Zhen had already disappeared from her original spot, and Guo Shier and Li Ran had also teleported away. Guo Shier quickly grabbed Stan and pulled him away as well.

Boom! Boom!

The two beams struck the metal floor, cutting through the hard metal slabs as if slicing tofu.

A faint smile appeared on Qi Wu Zhen’s face as she said disdainfully, “Is that all?” She raised her hand and cast a spell, shouting lightly, “Seal!” Thousands of crimson runes immediately sealed the metal floor. She didn’t even attack directly; she merely used such a sneaky trick.

At the moment Qi Wu Zhen cast the spell, Bo Long was filled with inexplicable terror. In that instant, the twin knives connected to his life suddenly lost contact with him. Shocked, he jumped backward, waving his hands, and in the blink of an eye, two long knives reappeared in his hands. However, these were not his usual knives, and his strength dropped significantly.

The entire floor of the building was sealed, but it couldn’t block all connections. Bo Long could still faintly sense the location of his twin knives, but he didn’t have time to recall them. A master of the Blade Clan would see a sharp decline in strength once separated from their long knives. The strength of the Blade Clan lay in their mastery and understanding of knives—they were the most familiar with knives in the world.

Qi Wu Zhen truly was a supreme expert. With just one glance, she had identified the Blade Clan’s weakness. The greatest strength of the Blade Clan was their knives; without them, how much power could they still possess? She made sure to put them at a disadvantage right away.

The twin knives Bo Long pulled out this time were different from the ones he used earlier, and their power was far weaker. He roared and charged forward with his knives.

Guo Shier smiled and said, “He’s in trouble… Uh, sorry!” As he spoke, he released Stan. When Bo Long attacked earlier, he had casually grabbed Stan and taken him away, only now realizing he needed to let go. Stan’s face was red, but he was still grateful. With his own abilities, he couldn’t teleport to avoid attacks.

Stan said, “It’s okay… Thank you!”

Blinding flashes of knife light sliced through the air, rushing wildly toward Qi Wu Zhen, while the others retreated outside the circle. Qi Wu Zhen sneered and said, “Stubborn! Get lost!” She raised her hand, and a crimson phantom hand emerged from her wrist, expanding rapidly to the size of a table. Flames rose on that hand as it smashed down at Bo Long with incredible force.

Bo Long shouted, “Open!”

The twin knives resembled blooming flowers, with countless flashes of light creating ripples, accompanied by a hissing sound. Bo Long kept retreating, but the flaming hand gradually dimmed under the slight cuts from the knives. Sweating profusely, he could no longer believe that just one palm strike from his opponent had left him in such a mess. He dared not underestimate her anymore, his expression growing increasingly serious. There were three of them—just one of them was enough to overwhelm him, let alone all three attacking at once. He definitely wouldn’t be able to withstand it.

With his dual knives not being effective, Borong had to use every trick at his disposal to barely block that slap. For a top-tier spellmaster, a Virtual Talisman Palm was just an ordinary attack method, but when delivered by such a master, its power was astonishing—so much so that even Borong, a master of the Blade Clan, found it difficult to defend against. Suddenly, Borong realized that the opponent was a true expert among spellcasters; only by becoming a top master of the Blade Clan could he possibly block such attacks.