Chapter 017: Condensing Qi into a Sword

After colliding, both of them quickly bounced apart and flew a distance through the air before slowly landing back on the ground.
From the start of their fight until now, only a short moment had passed, yet the sheer number of changes and techniques used was truly astonishing. Although Best had already destroyed two weapons in this battle, he still held a clear advantage in terms of momentum. Even Francis, who was usually so arrogant, now secretly admired this Star Sword Saint.
The crowd watching around, though still clearly divided in factions, all showed admiration in their eyes at such an exciting duel! After all, on this continent, only the strong could truly earn people’s respect!
As for the two fighters, they were already at the pinnacle of strength, belonging to the true Saint rank. Many even secretly wondered that even Abraham, who had won in the magic duel, would likely end up dead if he faced these two!
The Crown Prince, upon seeing this, showed a strange expression in his eyes, seemingly unexpecting that someone could withstand Francis.
Du Fan, on the other hand, frowned inwardly. Having witnessed battles between Saints, he understood well what kind of outcome such a clash of powers could bring. In such situations, even minor differences could greatly influence the outcome of the battle. For example, Francis’s divine weapon, the Blood Rose, might not have played a significant role in the duel between these two supreme warriors, but the fact that his weapon was better than Best’s could very well be the key factor determining the winner.
Originally, whose death mattered little to Du Fan, but now that the Green family was tied to Prince Fisher’s cause, Du Fan had to care about who would win.
Glancing at Duke Green beside him, Du Fan frowned even more. His father was extremely obsessed with martial arts. Watching the fierce battle between the two, he was utterly captivated, his eyes taking on a peculiar glow.
Recalling what his father had said before, Du Fan couldn’t help but sigh secretly. If Best really lost… his father would surely step in…
But though his father was powerful, he was by no means at the Saint rank…
Trouble!

It seems that eventually, I might have to show some boldness and step onto the field… Although I’m definitely no match for Francis, with my own tactics, I can probably buy some time… Even if it’s just a short while, it’s better than watching my father go straight to his death! With these thoughts, Du Fan sighed softly again, his gaze falling once more on the two fighters in the arena, his expression turning serious.

“You’re strong!” Best said calmly, staring at Francis not far away. “I’ve fought countless people in my life and seen many so-called masters… But in front of me, they’re all so… so easily defeated! Only you have managed to push me to this point, Francis. I must admit… you truly deserve to be called a saint!”

Francis sighed and said, “The same goes for you! After all this time, you’re the second person who’s managed to withstand so many of my attacks without being defeated… I really admire you!”

“The second?” Best frowned. “Then who was the first?”

Francis didn’t answer but gave a meaningful look toward Prince Fisher on the platform.

Best followed Francis’s gaze and seemed to understand something instantly. He nodded and said, “Indeed. If you had met that person earlier, then I would indeed be the second…”

At that moment, Best suddenly sighed. “It’s a pity. If you had been born a few years earlier and let me know this secret sooner, I wouldn’t have been so lonely all these years!”

Francis shook his head, still staying silent.

“You’re strong! Really strong!” Best said coldly. “But there’s one thing that puzzles me… Why… why won’t you use your full strength in front of me? Do you think the strength you’ve shown is enough to defeat me? Or do you think you’re far superior to me?”

Francis raised his eyebrows slightly and said, “Lord Best, I’ll give you this back in kind… Why won’t you use your full strength in front of me? Until you show those hidden skills of yours, how dare I use mine first?”

Best’s eyelids twitched slightly. After a moment, he sighed and said, “You’re wrong. What I’m showing now is already my full strength! If you insist I’m holding back… then perhaps it’s just this one trick left!”

At that moment, Best’s right hand made a gentle grab in the air, and soon a golden-colored Holy Fighting Aura surged forth, forming a sword in his hand. As he grasped it, the aura on the Holy Light Sword continued to flicker and flow!
A hint of excitement flashed in Francis’s eyes as he couldn’t help but say, “It’s actually forming a sword from energy! Lord Best, you truly surprise me!”
Best replied coldly, “Stop talking nonsense. I’ve already revealed my last move. Shouldn’t you show me your true skills as well?”
Francis lowered his head in silence for a moment, then glanced at the Crown Prince again. Seeing the Crown Prince nod, he realized he must use his true strength this time—otherwise, it would leave an impression of failure among the palace guards watching around. Even if the Crown Prince had an 80% chance of winning, it might drop a few points due to that.
“Very well,” Francis seemed to smile. “Since Lord Best insists, then I won’t hold back!”
Best nodded. Standing there with a cold expression, he held the dazzling Holy Light Sword in his hand, staring at Francis from afar. The killing intent radiating from him was chilling. Compared to before, Best’s aura seemed weaker, yet the air and energy around him seemed to gather around him.
The onlookers even had a strange feeling—although they saw Best standing there, he actually didn’t seem to exist at all, not even the dazzling Holy Light Sword in his hand.
Of course, this didn’t mean Best truly didn’t exist; it was simply because he had reined in his aura so tightly that none of it leaked out, resulting in this illusion.
“Can Best win?”
After all, Austin III still cared about his old friend. He couldn’t help but stand up and walk to the edge of the platform to look into the arena.
A strange look flashed in Prince Fisher’s eyes, but he still smiled faintly and said, “Father, though I am called the Son of God, I am still just a human, not a god… And even if I were a god, I doubt I could predict the future… So I can’t answer your question!”
Austin III sighed and said nothing more, but his gaze became even more cautious.

Francis looked at Best in front of him, suddenly shook his head, and said, “Lord Best, your ability to control your combat energy so effectively is truly remarkable. You see, under normal circumstances, when we warriors release our combat energy, it appears extremely powerful and grandiose, but in reality, as much as 80% of that energy is wasted after making a move… Yet you manage to keep not a trace of your combat energy leaking out, which means you’ve managed to consolidate all your strength together—10% of your combat energy can exert the effect of 100%! This skill is beyond my comparison… But, Lord Best, today I must tell you… Control over strength is not the essence of strength! Only absolute mastery of the rules brings true power! I’m sure you can understand this!”
As he spoke, Francis paused slightly, and a golden-colored stream of combat energy surged forth…
A hint of disdain appeared on Best’s face, but quickly, that disdain turned into something strange, and eventually into an almost devout expression!
Suddenly, amidst Francis’s golden combat energy, a gray stream also surged out, instantly filling the entire training ground and enveloping everything in a gray haze.
In an instant, all the vibrant colors of the world vanished, leaving only grayness. Yet within this grayness, only Best still retained his original colors.
Best stared at what was before him, his eyes filled with disbelief. After a moment, he finally exclaimed, “This is… a Sacred… Sacred Realm! Has your strength really reached this level?”