hotmtlnovel Chapter 234
Chapter 234
Even the Drake Fang Blade alone was a force to be reckoned with. But to deploy additional Igi-eo Swords alongside it?
Julius gave everything he had to deflect the attack.
Slash!
Though he managed to repel the brunt of the assault, he couldn’t entirely dispel the shockwaves.
Fsshh...
By the time he regained his senses, he was already standing outside the boundary line.
“This... I didn’t see this coming at all.”
Julius let out a bitter laugh, to which Theo responded with a grin.
“Unpredictability is the most important weapon on the battlefield.”
“I couldn’t agree more. This round goes to the Young Patriarch.”
Roar!
The crowd erupted into thunderous applause and cheers, their voices reverberating throughout the arena.
***
Even the Drake Fang Blade alone carried immense destructive power, but adding other Igi-eo Swords to the attack?
Julius had poured all his strength into deflecting the onslaught.
Slash!
Though he managed to redirect the brunt of the attack, he couldn’t neutralize the residual shockwave.
Fsss...
When Julius came to his senses, he found himself standing outside the boundary line.
“I really didn’t see that coming.”
Julius let out a bitter chuckle as Theo responded with a grin.
“Unpredictability is the most critical weapon on the battlefield.”
“I can’t argue with that. This match goes to you, Young Patriarch.”
Roar!
The arena erupted in deafening cheers, the sound of the crowd’s excitement shaking the air.
"Did you see that?!"
"Of course I saw it! You think you’re the only one?"
"That was insane! Absolutely insane!"
Julius wasn’t just anyone.
He was a man even Kyle Ragnar hesitated to face directly.
The Maehwa Palace Lord sparred with him only in theoretical exchanges, avoiding full duels whenever possible.
Julius earned his reputation as the Battle Demon—a swordsman undefeated on the battlefield.
His swordsmanship, brutal and relentless, was feared even by his allies.
Yet Theo had stood against that ferocity without faltering.
Step.
Amidst the now-ravaged arena, the second of the Nine Dragons ascended to the platform.
"It’s the Sword Dragon!"
"The Maehwa Palace Lord is stepping in!"
The Maehwa Palace Lord had discarded her usual elegant robes for a practical training outfit, though her inherent grace remained undeniable.
“What I will test today is your swordsmanship,” she announced.
Theo bowed respectfully.
“I humbly ask for your guidance.”
“Follow this sword.”
The Maehwa Palace Lord lowered her blade, taking a steady breath before her eyes widened slightly.
Swish-swish-swish!
“...!!”
It was just a simple swing of her sword, yet Theo felt utterly overwhelmed by the sheer presence it exuded.
Blossoming petals, drawn by the blade, seemed to grow larger until they formed a dense forest that filled the space around them.
What shocked Theo the most wasn’t the ethereal beauty or the overwhelming aura—
“A single strike...”
She had achieved all of that in just one move.
It felt as though he had returned to the moment he first pursued Dragon Slash, standing before an insurmountable challenge.@@@@
"They’re educating me as the Young Patriarch."
The Nine Dragons were not just Ragnar’s strongest warriors; they were also mentors tasked with shaping the Young Patriarch.
Their role was to give back to Ragnar what the clan had once given them.
Julius had instilled in Theo the will to fight.
The Maehwa Palace Lord had imparted her swordsmanship.
So, what lesson would the third trial hold?
“Is this the first time we’re crossing swords directly?”
“Yes, it is. Please take care of me,” Theo replied respectfully.
The third opponent was none other than the Black Dragon.
"Is he going to show me some of the Black Snow Division’s stealth techniques?"
To Theo, who had once worked in the intelligence division in his past life, seeing the Black Dragon—a former unapproachable superior—now standing before him as a warm and approachable uncle felt surreal.
“There is only one thing I will test you on.”
Swish.
As the Black Dragon stepped forward, a gust of wind swept through, and his shadow vanished.
"Wind Movement!"
Theo recognized it as a technique similar to Wind Thunder Form, the secret art of the Wind Master he had once encountered.
However, this seemed far more advanced, leaving no trace at all.
“This is Black Thunder Form—an evolved version of a technique I inherited from an old brother I once had to kill with my own hands.”
The voice echoed from all directions.
Theo sharpened his senses to their peak, but even his heightened awareness couldn’t locate the Black Dragon.
What kind of technique was this?
“Find me. If you fail—”
Shhhk!
A black lightning bolt pierced through the space, targeting Theo’s blind spot.
He barely twisted his body in time to evade, the blade embedding itself in the ground where he had just been standing.
“You’ll die.”
"He’s serious about this."
Theo tightened his grip on his sword.
From that moment, the assault began.
Boom! Boom! BOOM!
Black lightning rained down relentlessly, striking from every direction.
Theo swung the Drake Fang Blade and the Igi-eo Swords in rapid succession, deflecting each strike.
But as time passed, the bolts multiplied, their frequency and intensity increasing.
“What are you doing, wasting time? Find me. The longer you delay, the worse it will get for you.”
Theo ignored the Black Dragon’s taunts.
He knew that the Black Dragon’s stealth technique was beyond what he could counter with his current abilities.
So, he needed an alternative approach.
"Celestial Circle."
Theo visualized the understanding he had gained from the Maehwa Palace Lord and formed a great circle.
This time, he gave it a new name:
"Heavenly Circle."
As he wielded the Drake Fang Blade, the flow of air followed, creating the illusion of space twisting and bending.
The black lightning bolts were also drawn into the circle, and Theo sensed the subtle disturbance in the air behind them.
A perfect circle highlights even the smallest imperfections.
Spotting the irregularity, Theo drove his sword into the point of disturbance.
Clang!
As the space rippled, the Black Dragon revealed himself, sword in hand.
Through the mask he wore, his eyes curved into a smile.
“Correct.”