Chapter 55: Clearly Growing Stronger
Mr. Rat blocked Mage Sage Seraphilia, and after the two returned to the audience seats, the surrounding spectators noticed nothing unusual, completely unaware of the brief exchange that had just occurred.
Mage Sage Seraphilia had shown some courtesy to the Void Arena organizers. After all, she was a major figure of the lawful order faction. Even if she wished nothing more than to grind Su Xiao's bones to dust, she would only kill him through covert means, not openly.
"What a hypocritical woman."
Mr. Rat gulped down strong liquor. If he wanted to kill someone, he would never be so sneaky—he'd just take aim and fire. As for the consequences, he'd deal with them after the kill.
From the current situation, Mage Sage Seraphilia wouldn't make another move anytime soon.
"Roar!!"
The audience's cheers merged into one. The reason so many had come to this Void Arena was the hype surrounding the reappearance of the Law Destroyers. Some spectators had rushed over on short notice, while the Demon Race had hurriedly arrived upon hearing the news, paying high prices for tickets.
Dong, dong, dong...
The war drums above were struck three times, signaling the match was about to begin.
Su Xiao walked across the yellow sand. The loose soil beneath his feet would affect his explosive speed, but fortunately, his opponent faced the same issue.
Su Xiao's opponent was quite tall, far beyond normal human proportions, standing at least five meters high—like a small giant.
Most giants gave the first impression of being clumsy, but this small giant was different. Though over five meters tall, he wasn't bulky; instead, he appeared lean and agile.
As for the small giant's appearance, it was unknown for now. His entire body was clad in iron-gray armor. The helmet had only eye holes and breathing vents at the mouth and nose, covering everything else tightly. The helmet's shape was peculiar, like an inverted iron bucket.
"Bao Nai Shi Peng Le... (Unknown Language)."
The small giant wielded a broadsword at least three meters long and over forty centimeters wide. Even if not struck by the blade, being hit by the flat of the sword would be devastating. Combined with the small giant's physique, it radiated immense power.
"Ladies and gentlemen, this match is undoubtedly one of the most anticipated. Why 'one of'? Because you're all also looking forward to Prince Wind's match, aren't you?
Back to the point. Among the two contestants, the Law Destroyer needs no introduction from Harkod. You've all read records and heard tales of the Law Destroyers—truly a terrifying era. In that age, magic became taboo on most planets. But that era has passed, and most grudges have faded with time.
Across time and space, today we witness the battle of a Law Destroyer. However! Though the Law Destroyer is powerful, his opponent is not to be underestimated. This opponent comes from the shallowest layer of the Black Abyss's exile zone, having survived there for an entire year. He has no name, only a number—Number 51. Name unknown, race unknown. He cares nothing for honor or treasure. He came to the arena only to fight. He lives for battle!"
As Harkod finished, the audience erupted in uproar. These races living in the Void knew what the Black Abyss was—one of the Void's forbidden zones, fraught with danger, still not fully explored. Even its shallowest layer was a living death zone. Surviving there for a year was no small feat.
"Audience, cheer with all your might! Cheer for this battle between Number 51 from the Black Abyss and the Law Destroyer!"
Harkod was hyped, but Su Xiao, standing on the yellow sand field, was a bit speechless.
"Just start the match already. Save the chatter for after the fight."
Su Xiao muttered. After a preliminary warm-up, he was in good condition. His right hand gripped the hilt of the Dragon-Slaying Flash at his waist, and the blade slowly slid from its sheath.
Clang.
The Dragon-Slaying Flash let out a crisp ring.
"There it is! The legendary companion blade of the Law Destroyer! Harkod is already excited—what! Wait!"
Harkod shouted, because Su Xiao had already charged toward the small giant.
"Match start!"
Harkod quickly announced the start to ease the awkwardness.
Boom!
A deafening impact echoed through the arena. Su Xiao's blade clashed with the small giant's greatsword. Layers of shockwaves spread outward, and the yellow sand field rippled like a pond struck by a large stone, sending waves of sand in all directions like ripples.
Layers of yellow sand swept up, eventually crashing against the energy barrier.
At the center of the field, Su Xiao and the small giant locked eyes.
Whoosh~
Two auras surged toward each other. One was pale red—pure killing intent. The other was dark red, like viscous blood, corrosive and adhesive.
Crack, crack, crack...
The auras corroded each other. Clearly, Su Xiao's pale red aura was sharper and purer, gradually pushing back the dark red aura.
After just one exchange, Su Xiao realized his opponent was no pushover. Due to his size or some ability, the small giant was slightly stronger than him but slower. Their durability might be equal. As for combat experience, it was hard to say who had the upper hand.
The small giant had spent a year in the Black Abyss, fighting or fleeing every day. His combat experience couldn't be weak. That dark red aura was earned through slaughter in the shallow Black Abyss.
The long blade and greatsword pressed against each other. Su Xiao's right arm muscles bulged, while his left arm hung at his side, fingers rapidly moving as if manipulating something. In reality, he was spreading the Realm Severing Thread around the enemy. He needed at most two more seconds.
"Jia Meng (Unknown Language)."
The small giant seemed to notice something. He pushed harder on the sword hilt, leaning forward from the effort.
This sudden surge of force made Su Xiao grunt, and his legs, already sunk into the sand, sank deeper.
If he had faced such a formidable opponent before, Su Xiao would have been in for a tough fight. But now was different. He had recently assembled the Demon Hunter Set. What did a 40% increase in melee damage mean? On top of that, his total health had increased by 20%, boosting his survivability by at least 30%. Not only that, but he had also mastered the Instinct ability, making him even stronger in close combat.
Su Xiao twisted his blade, and the small giant's greatsword slashed diagonally.
The small giant was clearly stunned. He couldn't understand why Su Xiao would release his force at this moment—it was almost suicidal. Though puzzled, he immediately adjusted his swing. The greatsword, originally aimed at Su Xiao's shoulder, changed angle to strike at his face, as if trying to split him in two.
After mastering the Instinct ability, Su Xiao no longer needed to clash head-on with enemies. There was no need.
The greatsword came straight at his face, bringing a howling wind pressure. Just as it was about to hit, Su Xiao tugged with his left hand.
Zing~
A cyan metal wire buried beneath the sand was pulled out, wrapping around the small giant. Su Xiao had laid it during the earlier shockwave.
Seeing this, the small giant immediately tried to pull back his strike, but it was too late.
Bang!
A sharp sound rang out. It wasn't the Realm Severing Thread breaking, but being pulled taut. The thread had already coiled around the small giant's neck. Moreover, a small section of the thread had wrapped around the greatsword in his hand. The force of the swing aimed at Su Xiao's face not only failed to harm him but instead acted on the small giant's own neck. That sharp sound was the thread cutting into the armor at his neck.