Chapter 018: The Difference Between Victory and Defeat

In a gray world, Francis held a blood-red rose that had also lost its color, slowly walking toward Best. As he walked, he said calmly, “Lord Best, your strength lies in your absolute control over power. My skill, on the other hand, is to create a domain of my own—though it’s not a true domain. In this sacred realm, I can only use one rule… But even just one rule is enough to deal with you when the time comes!”

“Because in my domain, I am everything!”

Francis’s voice echoed through the gray world. Then he took a step in Best’s direction, raising the blood-red rose high before pointing it at Best.

In the distance, Best only saw a flash before a beam of combat energy appeared before him. He didn’t even have time to react; instinctively, he raised his Holy Light Sword to block it!

A crisp sound of destruction rang out!

Best’s Holy Light Sword turned to dust in an instant. He felt a chill on his face as the hair floating above his forehead was cut off, and a thin cut appeared on his face. A faint trickle of blood seeped from the wound…

Hit by this strike, Best retreated dozens of steps in the gray world. He looked down at his hands, stunned beyond comprehension.

He realized that Francis’s seemingly gentle strike carried a power many times greater than anything he had faced before. It was the Holy Light Sword, forged from sacred combat energy, that made it so vulnerable!

“Impossible!” Best growled. “How could you reach such a level?”

Francis shook his head slightly and said, “Nothing is impossible… I’m not afraid to tell you that my Holy Rank domain is the flow of time. In other words, I can control time within my entire Holy Rank domain. Just now, you saw me move at incredible speed, but in reality, I had already swung ten swords in the same amount of time. Those ten swords then merged into one, so the power naturally became ten times greater… You wouldn’t be able to understand this unless you’ve grasped the concept of a Holy Rank domain! If you’ve already mastered the Holy Rank, then perhaps you could be my opponent! But with your current strength… it’s already amazing that you can move freely within my Holy Rank domain! But to defeat me? That’s absolutely impossible!”
Best shook his head and muttered, “Holy Rank domain? Holy Rank domain! Hmph, as long as I’m not a true domain master, am I afraid of you?”
A fierce look flashed in Best’s eyes. He stretched out his hands and grabbed at nothingness, and moments later, a even more powerful Holy Light Sword took shape.
Grasping the Holy Light Sword, he stepped forward and rushed at Francis.
No one could see Best’s movements clearly. Everyone only felt that as he charged forward, the Holy Light Sword in his hand seemed to carry boundless killing intent as it flew toward Francis.
Some even faintly saw the gray sky and earth seem to split slightly under that sword strike. Best’s body and the Holy Light Sword in his hand had become one. At this moment, Best was both sword and man—there was no longer any distinction between the two!
A soft sigh echoed in everyone’s ears.
“Lord Best, others may not understand, but as a Holy Rank master, don’t you understand either?” Francis said in a calm tone, with a hint of pity. “Using strength against rules—how could you possibly win?”
At Best’s original speed, he should have reached Francis in an instant. But after Francis said those words, it seemed as though he was still incredibly far away!

But in reality, Best’s speed remained extremely fast. It was just that he was inside Francis’s Holy Rank domain, where time around him had slowed down to near infinity. Although he felt his speed was still high, to others, every one of his movements was crystal clear—even the slight lift of his Holy Light Sword or the faint frown on his face became unmistakably visible! It was like watching a video in slow motion, giving a sense of fluidity that defied logic! Everyone watching the scene felt nauseous, yet they still stared wide-eyed. After all, where else could one witness such an extraordinary duel? Francis watched Best’s movements and suddenly shook his head slightly. His blood-red rose in hand shot upward, and a sword aura charged with combat energy rushed toward Best. Best sensed this attack coming and gritted his teeth, suddenly breaking free from the constraints as he blocked it with his sword. But even before he could fully parry Francis’s strike, thin streams of blood began flowing from his body! He had somehow used sheer human strength to break through the rules of the Holy Rank domain, allowing him to use this move! Yet the cost of this breakthrough was enormous—he was bleeding all over and likely suffered internal injuries! Ding— As Best broke free from the constraints, he suddenly became incredibly fast. If he had been a snail before, now he was like a storm, like lightning! His sword slammed hard into Francis’s sword aura, producing a loud “buzzing” sound. Although Francis had swung his sword lightly, its power was immense. Best stared at it desperately; the palms of his hands were torn, and cracks appeared on his Holy Light Sword. The weapon, formed from Holy Combat Energy, began to shake again, as if it might explode at any moment!

Francis now felt a certain degree of admiration for this Star Sword Saint. After all, when absolute power faced absolute rules, there was almost no room for resistance! Just as fire would be extinguished by water and water would freeze when encountering ice, such power contained the ultimate principles of the universe. Not to mention humans, even some absolute entities could hardly resist such principles.

Yet Best, relying solely on his absolute control over power, managed to break free from the rules he had created himself—how could one not admire that?

Not to mention others, even Francis himself believed he would never be able to do such a thing!

If this Star Sword Saint had been given another ten years, perhaps he could have grasped his own Saintly Domain!

But unfortunately, he might no longer have that time!

Francis sighed softly once again. This time, he did not raise the Blood Rose; instead, he simply pointed his finger in Best’s direction and took a slow breath before saying calmly, “Break it for me…”

His low voice spread slowly, yet everyone in the training ground seemed to hear it. Then they saw Francis’s finger point at Best’s Holy Light Sword!

The Holy Light Sword suddenly emitted a burst of golden light before gradually turning into swirling fireflies.

Desperation appeared on Best’s face. He roared loudly, desperately channeling his Sacred Fighting Energy to stop this destruction. But no matter how hard he tried, his Holy Light Sword continued to turn into dust.

In the end, a flash of light appeared, and the Holy Light Sword vanished completely from the air. Everyone felt a stinging pain in their eyes, and tears streamed down their faces!

Best, struck like by lightning, trembled violently.

Immediately afterward, a sound of something breaking was heard. The blood flowing from Best’s body evaporated instantly, and his originally high-quality warrior’s robe began to disintegrate from his arms, spreading up to his upper body, turning into dust all at once. The dust floated in midair as if in a vacuum!

At that moment, within Francis’s Saintly Domain, time seemed to slow down immensely. The robe turning to ashes, the traces of evaporated blood, even the screams around them—all became hoarse, unpleasant, and endlessly prolonged!

Best’s face was filled with surprise and disbelief. But before he could say anything, his body slowly began to float upward. Then he saw Francis snap his fingers, and instantly all the strange sights around vanished, even the gray sky and ground returned to their original colors!
Francis seemed to smile slightly!
Best felt a jolt throughout his body, along with a severe pain in his chest, forcing him to spit out a mouthful of blood.
As the blood sprayed out, Best was flung backward violently, heading straight for the platform where Prince Austin III and Prince Fisher were!
Judging from Best’s momentum, if he hit the platform, it would likely be reduced to dust!
The residual power of a holy-grade warrior was immense. Best’s flying body moved like a phantom, arriving at the platform in an instant, yet no one could react in time!
Clearly, Francis had received hints from the crown prince—on this final move, he not only wanted to eliminate this Star Sword Saint but also Prince Austin III and Prince Fisher!
Given Francis’s status, he naturally couldn’t act directly, but such an “accident”…