“There were really that many cultivators here?” Hadjar asked in surprise.
Einen nodded.
“It seems,” he said, “that when you and I managed to enter the stone, it also drew in all the cultivators in the area.”
Hadjar swore. They’d gone through a lot of trouble, not to mention come up with and executed an insane plan, and the others had simply gotten an opportunity to claim the Inheritance for free! The world of martial arts was truly unfair.
“And now?”
“It’s quiet, but there are still some skirmishes going on. Cultivators are drawn to them like moths to a flame.”
“To fights?” Hadjar asked and raised an eyebrow.
“No.” Einen shook his head. “You don’t have to defeat anyone in particular. It’s enough to just finish someone off. And then both you and the corpse will disappear.”
Hadjar cursed again. What a ridiculous system!
“How many people have you seen so far?”
“76,” Einen said and peeked out again, “including you, 77.”
“What about our old friends?”
“Except for the archers, they’re all here. I don’t think they failed the trials. I think that-”
“-there are no Techniques or Inheritances in here that are suitable for them.” Hadjar nodded in understanding. He then told Einen about what he’d gone through. “What kinds of trials did you get?”
Einen shrugged and told him that his trials hadn’t differed from his own save for the fact that he’d encountered a guardian wielding a spear-staff. Hadjar found that quite surprising because such a weapon was one of the rarest ones around.
The islander had passed his trial on his first attempt, using his most powerful combo. He hadn’t been able to even scratch the guardian, but it had drawn its weapon, thus deeming him worthy.
Once he was done making the bombs, Hadjar looked around again — staring back at him was the same seemingly endless web of wide staircases. Except now he knew that every nook and cranny of this area hid their enemies, including the Dinos siblings, the Eternal Mountain clan, and Dora.
There must’ve been around fifty to eighty thousand people near the stone when it had gone off, so there were probably at least a thousand of them in here.
“So, I just have to finish someone off?”
Einen turned to his friend. His purple eyes glinted in amusement.
“Another plan?” He asked.
“I’m really tired of sitting around.” Hadjar shrugged. He hid the bombs in his spatial ring, got to his feet, and, summoning the Black Blade and his Call, stepped out onto the parapet.
He stopped at the top of the stairs and took a deep breath.
“PROXIMO!”
Chapter 724
A s Hadjar had expected, the gloomy maze answered him with absolute silence that was suddenly broken by the whistling of something cutting through the air. He didn’t so much as flinch as a dagger was thrown at him. Without even looking in the direction of the energy-infused blade, he made a quick slash. It was followed by the metallic clang of two steel fragments and a hilt landing at his feet. He’d merged three sharp sword strikes into a single, far deadlier one.
“PROXIMO!” Hadjar roared again, making the deteriorating staircases wobble. Chunks of stone and clouds of dust rained down into the abyss below. Their fall was followed by a deafening silence. Hadjar wondered if there even was a ground floor. Whoever had created this world had wielded power that was beyond his comprehension.
This time, however, the spearman appeared. He and the other members of Galkhad’s squad were just six flights of stairs above where he was standing. Grabbing the edge of one of the steps, Proximo vaulted over it and got to his feet.
“I didn’t think you’d be strong enough to get this far,” he said, putting his thumb to his right nostril and blowing his nose toward Hadjar’s feet. Coming from a warrior, this was an expression of utter contempt even worse than if he’d spat in Hadjar’s face. “I didn’t think you’d have enough courage to challenge me, either.”
Hadjar felt numerous eyes watching them from the darkness. Everyone else was hiding in the shadows, also coveting the secrets, Techniques, and the Inheritance of the ancients. They were hoping to steal a kill and get out of this maze as quickly as possible.
He wasn’t about to make it easy for them.
“Where’s Galkhad? Or are you without your nanny today?” He replied with a sneer.
“Thank the gods, you wretched fool, that I asked him not to interfere. Otherwise, he would’ve already torn you to shreds, you fucking traitor.”
“Are you trying to talk me to death, or are we actually going to fight today?”
Proximo shouted something, whirled his spear over his head, and then lunged forward. A Spear Spirit materialized behind him. By infusing power into its master, it allowed him to use a Heaven level Technique.
Swirls of brown energy passed through the spear and split his attack into hundreds of beams. Like twisting ribbons, they enveloped Hadjar and trapped him in an impenetrable sphere that was fifteen feet in diameter. It cut him off from the outside world completely. This attack was different from what Proximo had used in the battle against the Stone Crocodile.
Assuming a defensive stance, Hadjar prepared for the next attack.
It didn’t take Proximo long to launch it.
A couple of energy beams burst out of the sphere and intertwined to form a spear tip. Like a scorpion’s stinger, it struck out at Hadjar’s chest.
Back then, at the bottom of the dried-up river, Proximo had been at the Wielder level, but now he was at the Weapon’s Heart level. Apparently, the trial had done wonders not only for Hadjar and Einen, but everyone else who’d passed it as well. The attack aimed at his chest was thrumming with the deep and powerful mysteries of the Spear.
Hadjar didn’t block the attack and instead dove to the side. Wrapped in his wispy cloak, which was now adorned with a silver hieroglyph, he tried to break through the sphere, but to no avail.
As soon as he approached the wall, it responded by sending out dozens of spears. The attack that he’d just dodged changed its trajectory and aimed at his back.
The Black Blade, leaving a fading trail of energy in its wake, struck the spear made up of dozens of brown ribbons. Hadjar tore the attack to shreds and passed through the strike. His blade cut through the sphere, but its walls reformed in a fraction of a second.
“Not bad, Hadjar, not bad,” Proximo’s voice came from far away. “For a commoner, of course. But we should really end this charade now. Porcupine’s Ball!”
The sphere shot out countless copies of Proximo’s spear from all its walls.
Cursing, Hadjar used the second stance of the ‘Light Breeze’ Technique.
Thinking that he’d finished him off, Proximo dispelled the sphere. He was about to leave when he suddenly realized that the sphere hadn’t disappeared. Instead, it bubbled like molten glass, quivered, then cracked like a broken mirror. Finally freed, a gust of strong wind burst forth from its prison, crushing the stone stairs.
Proximo met the wind with his spear held out in front of him. The spear tip cut through the storm like a knife through butter, but even so, he was still pushed back a few steps.
Hadjar straightened up and wiped a few drops of blood off his cheek.
“Is that all you got, Proximo?”
The spearman’s eyes were bloodshot. Letting out a terrible cry, he charged in. He slid over the rocks, his spear shining with a brown light.
Using the ‘Spring Wind’ stance, Hadjar parried his first thrust, which had been aimed directly at his stomach. Knocking the tip of the spear slightly to one side, he decided to take advantage of his own close-quarters combat style. Proximo, being a long-range fighter, would find himself in a tight spot if Hadjar got too close as he wouldn’t be able to wield his weapon properly.
At least that’s what he’d presumed.
As soon as he slipped past the spear tip a
nd tried to get close to his opponent, Proximo smiled broadly and swung his body to the side.
It felt like the trunk of a mighty oak had crashed into his side. Hadjar was thrown back. He almost fell into the chasm below, but managed to grab the edge of the staircase at the last second and pull himself back up.
Looking around, he didn’t immediately notice Proximo.
“I hate this place!” He hissed.
The spearman was… hanging upside down on the opposite staircase. Or maybe he was the one standing upside down? He wasn’t sure, nor did it really matter.
Proximo used his spear like a pole and vaulted over to Hadjar. They stood in silence, eyes locked, then finally bowed. In the world of martial arts, power was valued above everything else. Proximo had shown Hadjar what he was capable of and seen that Hadjar was a serious and dangerous opponent.
“Tell my name to your forefathers, Hadjar Darkhan,” he said calmly. “As I will be the one to send you to them.”
“I hope you’re prepared to meet yours, Proximo.”
After a moment of silence, the two warriors charged each other.
Chapter 725
P roximo’s movements were unnaturally quick and so smooth that he was gliding along the stone surface of the steps. His spear was slower than Einen’s spear-staff, but much more versatile.
His first thrust, imbued with the mysteries of the Weapon’s Heart and the energy of a Spirit Knight, was aimed at Hadjar’s feet. He automatically jumped back, forgetting that he was dueling an enemy that preferred long-range attacks.
Having knocked Hadjar off balance, Proximo pushed down on the bottom of the spear’s hilt with his right hand, pointing it upward, right at his opponent’s chest.
Hadjar raised his sword and prepared to block, ready to deflect the spear with the back of his blade. Proximo jerked his hand a little in response and the spear changed its trajectory once again. Skirting Hadjar’s sword, the spear’s handle slammed into his shoulder. The power of the strike was so great that it smashed one of the staircases to pieces. Whoever had built this place clearly hadn’t expected for duels to take place in it.
Hadjar was pushed back a few steps, but Proximo kept on attacking, sending waves of powerful energy at him from all directions. Hadjar fought back with incredible speed, but even so, he couldn’t quite escape the barrage of seemingly endless blows.
Try as he might, he couldn’t get close enough to Proximo to hit him back. The spearman kept his distance, thus preventing Hadjar from using any sword Techniques. Regardless of how he’d viewed Proximo before, the spearman was proving to be a talented and experienced warrior.
However, being a nobleman, Proximo was used to duels and group fights, but Hadjar was used to war and fights where there was only one winner, the odds being against him, and fighting tooth and nail to survive. He’d gotten used to fighting one enemy after another until he was knee-deep in blood and gore.
Parrying another thrust, he leaned back and, pushing off with his palms, leapt into the air. Although he hadn’t been expecting such a swift move, Proximo still managed to react in time. He thrust his spear in front of him and said something. Hadjar couldn’t hear what he’d said over the sound of blades clashing.
The noble’s Spear Spirit flickered behind him and Proximo was enveloped in a sphere of brown ribbons bristling with hundreds of spear tips hungry for blood.
“Seventh stance: Azure Cloud!”
Hadjar’s attacks were smooth but so simple that the spectators didn’t think he’d be able to do any serious damage. A storm cloud swirled into existence above the sphere that was now reminiscent of a sea urchin. With a wild, unbridled roar, a dragon-sword emerged from the thunderstorm. Its appearance was followed by a wave of such crushing power that the nearest balustrades and steps crumbled to dust. The dragon’s cry echoed in the still air, shaking the staircases and making dust rain down from the ceiling lost somewhere up above in the looming darkness.
Wasting no time, it plummeted downward and struck the sphere, driving it deep into the stone. Without losing any power, it dragged it for about sixty feet in the opposite direction, gouging deep furrows in the floor. The stone cracked and gave in beneath the pressure of two opposing Techniques. The flashes of sword swings and spear thrusts filled the air. The mysteries of the Sword and the Spear collided, creating whirlwinds that destroyed everything in their wake.
A thick stream of brown energy burst out from within the sphere. It punched a hole through the dragon’s obsidian armor and they disappeared together, leaving behind only fading, multicolored sparks.
Hadjar had to get as far away as possible from Proximo. Although he still considered sword fighting up close to be his greatest strength, he had to admit that there was nothing he could do against an opponent skilled in long-ranged combat. He had to rely on his Techniques.
“Not bad, Darkhan!” Proximo was bursting with excitement. For a warrior, there was no pleasure greater or purer than fighting against an equal opponent. Only by battling those kinds of foes could they become stronger. “Not bad! Spear Shot!”
Leaning his spear against his shoulder as if he were getting ready to throw it, he aimed the tip at Hadjar. A thin beam of light shot out from it. Despite its almost imperceptible size, it held so much power that Hadjar had no doubt that it would break the Black Blade if he tried to block with it, despite the fact that his sword was an Imperial level artifact and the spear only a Heaven level one.
The beam moved noiselessly and with truly astonishing speed. Luckily, it wasn’t faster than Hadjar, so he managed to use his fastest Technique, the ‘Spring Wind’, just in time.
Imbued with its enhancing properties, he made a simple but powerful slash with the Black Blade. Without slowing down, he twisted his body and followed that up with another slash. The two attacks crossed, forming an X, and met the beam, destroying it. But in doing so, they created a whirlwind of shrapnel, which, like an angered swarm of bees, rushed toward Proximo.
Hadjar let out a sigh of exhaustion. He’d managed to deflect the beam, but it had cost him two-thirds of his power.
If he’d been merely a talented spearman, Proximo wouldn’t have been able to earn the respect of the Eternal Mountain clan. As soon as Proximo’s beam touched his own Technique, it split into dozens of thin threads. Not prepared for this, Hadjar managed to repel only six of them. Two managed to slice through his forearm and one hit him in his wounded right side. Passing right through it, it disappeared off into the darkness of the maze.
Proximo, on the other hand, had been a little more successful in dodging the shrapnel, but he’d still missed a couple fragments. A scarlet streak now ran down the length of his left arm.
Hadjar felt the eyes of the spectators on him. Like jackals, they were just waiting for an opportunity to slip out of the shadows and finish off one of the wounded combatants. Most of them didn’t care about honor. The opportunity to rise to the top was the only thing that mattered to them.
“You fought well, Darkhan.” Proximo sneered and spat out blood. The shrapnel must’ve hit him hard. “But it’s time to put an end to this. This Technique has already killed one of the personal disciples of the ‘Quick Dream’ School. Except for me, my victim, and Galkhad, no one else has seen it.”
The Spear Spirit behind him shone more brightly than ever, brimming with power, and turned into a huge beacon of energy. Shining even brighter for a moment, it poured all of its power straight into its master.
“Heavenly Spear City!” He roared and slashed his spear through the air.
A brown crescent surged out of the steel spear tip. As it widened, it split into thousands of beams that formed a wall. Hadjar was absolutely certain that what he was looking at was an Imperial level Technique.
I guess I’ll have to use my trump card, he thought.
The spectators held their breath in both awe and surprise. They felt the hair on the back of their necks stand up. For some reason, they also felt like they were in just as much dan
ger as the two cultivators they were observing.
Followed by an azure curtain of blinding light, a giant bird spread its wings behind Hadjar. Letting out a shrill cry, it folded its wings and plummeted down, merging with the sword in Hadjar’s hands. The obsidian blade was no longer marked solely with the blue hieroglyph located at the base of the crossguard, but also with a depiction of a bird in flight.
“Black Wind!” Hadjar roared.
“Attack!” A familiar voice echoed through the air at the same time.
Tom, who’d already witnessed Hadjar’s true power, had been hiding in the shadows of the maze, waiting for the right moment to strike. He was fully aware of the fact that if he were to attack him head on, he would join his forefathers way before his time. However, he also knew that Hadjar was vulnerable during the brief period he needed to build up the ‘Black Wind’.
Seeing one cultivator rushing in to join the fight, the staircases suddenly came alive. Dozens of other warriors followed Tom’s example.
A mad smile spread across Hadjar’s face.
Chapter 726
I t was just as Hadjar had expected, the other people wouldn’t let him and Proximo finish their duel. The moment the powerful dragon, imbued with the mysteries of the Weapon’s Heart, had emerged from the Black Blade, it had attracted cultivators from all corners of the maze. They’d gathered around them like flies around carrion. Armed to the teeth, and with their eyes burning with greed, they charged. All of them were driven by a single desire: to be the one who’d kill either of the two duelists.
From the very beginning of their duel, both Hadjar and Proximo had been aware of the fact that the smallest of mistakes would cost them their lives. And this was why they’d saved their best Techniques for an emergency.
“Who is that monster?” Someone shouted.
“Are both their Techniques at the Imperial level?”
“How could that pathetic Heaven Soldier fight someone who’s almost an entire level above him in cultivation?”
Dragon Heart: Land of The Enemy. LitRPG Wuxia Series: Book 8 Page 36