Chapter 36
The two fighters were like dark blurs, rushing faster than most cars could drive.
To a normal person's eyes, they would be completely invisible, just streaks of shadow.
Despite this incredible speed, Lucas was avoiding and blocking the Earth Cultivator's attacks with calm control.
He was carefully studying the man's movements, searching for any weakness or opening.
His goal was to find the quickest and most efficient way to end the fight.
While Lucas smoothly dodged and deflected every attack coming his way, the Earth Cultivator landed after being pushed back.
He immediately began chanting, his hands moving in a sharp pattern.
[Earth Spell: Spike of Death]
The ground trembled violently.
Then, without warning, dozens of sharp, rocky spikes burst upwards from the floor all around the room.
They were trying to trap Lucas and pierce him into the air.
However, Lucas did not jump away.
Instead, he stood perfectly balanced on the very tip of one of the tallest spikes, looking down at his opponent with cold, uncaring eyes.
The Earth Cultivator scowled, anger flashing across his face.
He knew he had to use his full power.
He chanted three more spells in quick succession.
[Earth Spell: Armament]
[Earth Spell: Body Reinforcement]
[Earth Spell: Body Enhancement]
A thick, heavy suit of armor made of packed earth and stone formed around his body, covering him from head to toe.
His muscles bulged and his skin hardened like rock.
He was going all out because he had no other choice.
Lucas was clearly stronger.
If he held back anything or made a single mistake, he would die right here in this room.
His only hope was that Lucas might slip up, giving him one clear chance to deliver a final, deadly strike.
He refused to think about failure.
On the other side, Lucas had not yet killed the man for one important reason: the innocent people hidden in the underground base.
If it was not absolutely necessary, Lucas would not let them die.
He knew that if he fought with his full strength right now, the battle would likely destroy the underground base, harming the prisoners and slaves trapped inside.
So, while Lucas kept the Earth Cultivator busy, Blake was moving silently in the shadows.
He was quickly and quietly leading everyone out of the hidden base to safety.
The spike Lucas was standing on suddenly exploded into jagged pieces.
Lucas immediately reacted, forming a protective shield around himself.
[Mana Spell: Revolting Mana]
A swirling storm of raw mana energy surrounded him in a spinning sphere.
This powerful barrier blocked and shattered all the exploding rock fragments, which were flying like bullets at sixty meters per second.
When the dust and debris cleared, Lucas stood completely untouched, not a single scratch on him.
At that moment, the Earth Cultivator suddenly appeared behind Lucas, his giant sword already swinging down with great force.
Lucas dropped low and moved swiftly to the side, then jumped back.
He knew the man would change the direction of his attack.
The huge sword struck the ground where Lucas had just been, causing the whole floor to shake.
[Earth Spell: Dragon Roar.]
From the point where the sword hit the ground, a massive dragon's head made of earth and rock formed.
It roared silently and shot forward, rushing toward Lucas to crush him.
Seeing that Blake had almost finished evacuating the base, with only a few people left inside, Lucas decided to end the fight.
He used two spells together.
[Mana Spell: Revolting Mana]
[Mana Spell: Slasher]
He used the spinning force of the Revolting Mana to whirl around at incredible speed.
Then, he released the Slasher spell.
A blinding, crescent-shaped arc of pure mana energy shot from his position.
It was eight meters long and two meters wide, cutting through the air.
This "Moon Arc" moved faster than the Earth Cultivator could even see, traveling at sixty meters per second.
It filled the entire room with its light, leaving a deep cut in the floor and walls as it shot toward the man.
He had no time to react or fight back.
The mana arc sliced straight through his earth dragon, destroying it completely, and continued toward him.
His Earth Armor and Body Reinforcement were the only things that saved him for a brief moment.
They allowed him to resist the blow for a fraction of a second before the Moon Arc overpowered him completely, ending the battle.
A huge shockwave of released power exploded from the cultivator's location.
Lucas did not watch.
He was already looking toward the exit, sensing that Blake had finally gotten the last person outside.
Outside.
Blake stood firmly in front of the group of freed prisoners and slaves.
He was facing forward, a dagger held tightly in each hand.
He stood like an unshakable mountain, staring down the two new people who had just arrived.
One was an Iron Stage Cultivator, and the other was a Silver Stage Cultivator.
From the powerful energy Blake could feel coming from them, the Iron Stage warrior was as strong as a 5-Star Elite.
The Silver Stage cultivator was even more frightening, comparable to a 6 or even a 7-Star Elite.
The reason Blake wasn't sure about 7-Star was the huge difference true 7-Star Elites made on a battlefield.
Elites at 7, 8, and 9 Stars were in a class of their own. Even if they hadn't reached the famous Moon or Saint Classes, they were far above the rest.
They were considered powerhouses, essential for handling the most dangerous A-rank and S-rank missions.
Not having someone of that level on a tough mission was almost like asking to die.
This was also why Blake was careful about destroying entire organizations—many were secretly controlled by powerful people who had defected from their Hidden Cities, just like the man now in front of him.
The Silver Stage cultivator had black hair and black eyes, and his face was quite ordinary.
But the aura of power surrounding him was truly terrifying.
He moved with absolute confidence, every step calculated to show how certain he was of winning this fight.
Blake was only at the Bronze Stage.
He was confident he could fight the Iron Stage cultivator because of the powerful spells he had learned from his clan, the intense training he had endured since childhood, and the sharp battle instincts he had developed during the last Great War.
He also had an advantage with his Clover Eyes, which could see and predict an opponent's movements.
In truth, this often gave him the upper hand against most fighters from the hidden cities who were one rank above him.
But the Silver Stage cultivator was different.
He was stronger than Blake in every way: spells, physical strength, and even battle instincts.
Looking into the man's cold eyes, Blake could feel his experience and knew who he was.
This person had been a 5-Star Elite when the war began and was reported missing after it ended.
While the Hidden City of Sky did not place great importance on those below 6-Stars, only truly valuing those at 7-Stars and above, this man was still a serious threat.
"Peter Nowaly," Blake spoke, his voice cool and steady.
The man smiled, a slow and humorless curve of his lips.
He took a few steps forward and then stopped. "You know me, huh," Peter said.
Then he added, "Blake Motomato. I know you, too. From the famous Clover Clan."