Chapter 10: Two Geniuses
Olivia instantly flew back to the spectator stands, staring at Linley with a shocked expression.
Then, Olivia actually burst into loud laughter: "Good, good, good. Your sword speed actually matches my 'Phantom Dream Sword.'"
"You're not bad either, to actually block my 'Wind Ripple.'" Linley's cold voice rang out.
The Wind's Profound Meaning — Wind Ripple.
The Light and Shadow Sword — Phantom Dream Sword.
The power of the two was actually equal.
After these two geniuses praised each other, they both fell silent, warily glaring at one another. Clearly, from the previous exchange, both sides now regarded the other as an equal.
The air in the entire arena seemed to congeal. The terrifying pressure made it hard for the eighty thousand people present to breathe.
"If you can withstand my next sword strike, I will spare your life." There was a hint of appreciation in Olivia's eyes as he looked at Linley. "If you take my next strike, you will have proven yourself worthy to be my opponent."
As soon as these words were spoken, Barker and the others below started cursing.
"Damn it, this Olivia doesn't have any advantage at all, and he still says... 'take my next strike, and you'll be worthy to be my opponent.' Who does he think he is?" Gates cursed.
The other members of the Barker brothers also snorted in dissatisfaction.
...
Indeed, Olivia's words made many in the arena unhappy. Anyone with eyes could see that Olivia held no advantage. Yet he said this? He was far too arrogant.
"Opponent?" Linley said with a faint smile. "If you can withstand my next strike, then *you* will be worthy to be my opponent."
The two spoke identical words.
"Haha... then try the power of my 'Polar Light Sword'!" Olivia laughed loudly. Then, tapping off the stands, he charged at Linley again with even greater speed.
Linley sneered coldly.
Linley also prepared to use the second move of the Wind's Profound Meaning — The Rhythm of Wind. This was also a single sword strike, executed with maximum speed and power.
"Boom!" The air exploded.
Linley's ferocious dragon tail flicked, and his entire body transformed into a blur as he charged towards his opponent, the purple blood soft sword in his hand turning into a dazzling purple light.
The white light of Olivia's Ice Dream Sword suddenly flared up. The blinding white light made the Ice Dream Sword as dazzling as the sun.
The piercing white light forced everyone in the arena to squint.
The strongest strike of the Light and Shadow Sword — Polar Light Sword.
Linley's strongest strike of the Wind's Profound Meaning — The Rhythm of Wind!
The eerie purple light was as swift as a furious thunderbolt, yet it also possessed a gentleness like a spring breeze. Two completely different artistic conceptions were reflected in the same sword strike.
That special rhythm made many people's hearts tremble with fear.
"What a powerful strike." The Rock Sword Saint 'Hederson's' eyes lit up. He could fully sense the terrifying power of Linley's strike.
Under this special rhythm, a wind blade naturally formed on the surface of Linley's purple blood soft sword. To be precise, it should be considered an air blade.
The eerie purple light and the blinding white light collided in the sky above the arena.
"Boom!" A violent, terrifying force erupted from the point of impact, spreading in all directions. The stands below seemed to be pierced by countless invisible arrows, riddled with holes. At the same time, a fierce gale of air surged outwards, shaking the eighty thousand spectators.
"Crack!" Some poles inserted beside the stands snapped under the force of the gale.
The spectators clung desperately to the stone seats connected to the stands. Only after this gust of wind passed did the arena gradually calm down. However, many spectators were shocked to discover that the clothes of some people, which had been loosely draped, had been blown away.
What terrifying power.
Everyone stared in shock at the two powerhouses in the sky. At this moment, Olivia and Linley were still silently confronting each other in mid-air.
The Rhythm of Wind, the Polar Light Sword.
Once again, they were evenly matched.
Olivia looked at Linley, his eyes brightening, a smile appearing on his face. "Linley, what was that sword strike of yours called?"
Linley didn't hide it. "The second layer of the Wind's Profound Meaning — The Rhythm of Wind."
"The Rhythm of Wind... The Rhythm of Wind..." Olivia recalled Linley's previous strike, his gaze towards Linley filled with admiration. "Linley, I can hardly believe that you are that young sculpture grandmaster. To have such achievements before the age of thirty, I admire you."
Olivia's attitude towards Linley had clearly changed.
"I said, if you took this strike, I would spare your life. I will keep my promise. From today onwards, your name is added to my list of opponents. I look forward to your growth." Olivia said with a smile.
Linley frowned.
This Olivia was far too arrogant.
Down below, among the Barker brothers, the most hot-tempered, Gates, immediately jumped up and shouted loudly, "Damn it, Olivia, you didn't even win against my lord, and you're here blabbering on, acting like some lofty master. Who are you trying to fool with that act? Damn, I hate people like you the most!"
This loud shout caused countless people in the stands to burst into laughter.
It had to be admitted that many people agreed with Gates.
Olivia's words just now were clearly what a senior expert would say to a junior, with a lecturing tone, saying things like 'I look forward to your growth' and 'I will spare your life.'
If Olivia had actually won, saying this would only make people praise his magnanimity.
But he hadn't won. No one present could see any advantage Olivia held. If the fight continued, who knew who would actually win?
"Hmph." Olivia let out a cold snort, his icy gaze sweeping across the surroundings. The entire arena immediately fell silent.
Olivia looked at Linley and said indifferently, "If it were six years ago, you could indeed fight me to a draw. But now..."
"You barely qualify for me to draw my 'Blackstone Sword.' But once I draw it, you, this genius, will surely die today." Olivia's indifferent voice echoed through the arena.
It was only then that most people in the arena remembered — Olivia was carrying two swords on his back. The Ice Dream Sword was just one of them.
The Blackstone Sword?
"The Blackstone Sword? Olivia, have you truly comprehended it?" The 'Rock Sword Saint' Hederson from the judges' table spoke loudly. Hederson's voice drew everyone's attention.
It seemed the Rock Sword Saint 'Hederson' had some connection with this Olivia.
Olivia turned his head to look at the Rock Sword Saint 'Hederson' and said coldly, "Hederson, your guidance six years ago allowed me to have an insight back then. After three years of slaughter and three years of secluded cultivation in the mountains, I have successfully cultivated the 'Blackstone Sword,' which is more powerful than the 'Light and Shadow Sword.'"
Gasps of surprise rang out in the arena.
"More powerful than the Light and Shadow Sword? No wonder Lord Olivia said he would spare Master Linley's life."
"Back then, Lord Olivia defeated Lord Tilion using the Light and Shadow Sword. Back then, Lord Olivia only had one sword on his back, now he has two. Ten years have passed, he's indeed become stronger."
...
Many people marveled at Olivia. The strength he had just displayed wasn't even his true power. Just how terrifying was this Olivia?
"My brother..." Wharton also knew that Linley was standing up for him, and now he was worried for Linley.
Wharton was worried, but on the contrary, Barker and the others were not.
"Wharton, the lord hasn't even shown his true strength yet." Barker smiled at Wharton. "When the lord spars with you, he uses the purple blood soft sword. His real attacks, he wouldn't dare to test on you."
"Right, Linley also has a far more terrifying Black Heavy Sword." Sesslar said seriously.
Sesslar, Barker and the others, who had been following Linley all along, were well aware of the terror of the Black Heavy Sword. Back when Linley was still at the peak of the ninth rank, using the Black Heavy Sword to execute the Hundred-Layer Wave, even the Saint-level Undying Warrior, famous for his defense, couldn't withstand it.
An ordinary Saint-level mid-rank warrior would probably be severely injured.
And now, Linley's own basic strength and battle qi were already at the Saint-level. Now, using the 'Earth's Profound Meaning,' it was estimated that even a Saint-level peak powerhouse would find it hard to withstand this move.
After all, the 'vibration wave' attack that Linley had comprehended was simply too terrifying. Battle qi and muscular defense were of little use against it.
"Linley, I look forward to your future challenge." Olivia said with a faint smile.
Olivia was also a ascetic pursuing the peak. A good opponent was hard to find. In Olivia's eyes, since Linley was so powerful in his twenties, he would naturally become his opponent in the future.
"Lord Olivia truly has the bearing of a master." Many people praised him. But Brummer, sitting in the audience, was somewhat dissatisfied. "Why doesn't big brother just kill that Linley directly?"
...
The ferocious spikes on Linley's forehead reflected a metallic sheen under the sunlight.
"Olivia." Linley's dark golden pupils locked onto Olivia. "I told you before, a person should know their limits. Is your Blackstone Sword really that powerful?"
"Hmm?" Olivia's expression changed as he looked at Linley. Wasn't Linley being too ungrateful!
But Linley flipped his hand, and a terrifying cyan-black heavy sword appeared.
"My ultimate weapon — the Black Heavy Sword." Linley stared at Olivia. "Once the Black Heavy Sword is drawn, even I can't control the extent of its power. I might just end up killing you."
Olivia was stunned.
The Rock Sword Saint 'Hederson' was also startled. Brummer stared in shock at Linley, who was standing in mid-air. The entire arena of eighty thousand spectators fell completely silent.
In mid-air, Linley, transformed into the ferocious Dragonblood Warrior, held the Black Heavy Sword, coldly staring at Olivia. "From what you said, your Blackstone Sword is very powerful. I'd like to see if your Blackstone Sword is stronger, or my Black Heavy Sword."
"Black Heavy Sword? Black Heavy?" Olivia, Hederson, and others were secretly shocked.
Legend had it that it was a precious ore that even Deity-level experts found difficult to destroy.
"Haha... good, excellent." Olivia laughed loudly. "I take back my previous words. Now, I want to see if your Black Heavy Sword is as powerful as you claim. Linley, be careful. Once my Blackstone Sword is drawn, it might very well take a life."
Saying this, Olivia sheathed the Ice Dream Sword and slowly drew the Blackstone Sword. The Blackstone Sword was the same size as the Ice Dream Sword, but its surface was pitch black and looked ordinary. However, when Olivia placed the Blackstone Sword before him, a layer of cold, dark light began to flow on its surface.
That dark light seemed capable of devouring everything around it.
"The Blackstone Sword technique was created from my insights into the Laws of Darkness." Olivia coldly stared at Linley.
Linley held the Black Heavy Sword. Because when the Black Heavy Sword was forged, a divine lightning bolt struck it, causing a cyan halo to flow on its surface.
"The Black Heavy Sword technique was created from my insights into the Laws of the Earth." Linley's dark golden pupils also stared back at his opponent.
One held the Blackstone Sword, the other the Black Heavy Sword.
Two unparalleled geniuses faced off in the mid-air of the arena, under the gaze of eighty thousand people. Everyone in the entire arena held their breath. Whether it was Brummer or Wharton and the others, their hearts were in their throats.
At this moment, no one knew who would win between Linley and Olivia!
"Boom!" "Boom!"
Two earth-shattering sonic booms erupted. The two, hundreds of meters apart, charged at each other at maximum speed. But at this moment, the Rock Sword Saint 'Hederson' on the judges' table vanished from his original position. He took only three steps in mid-air with lightning speed, forcefully inserting himself between the two.
"Stop!"
A wave of earthy yellow energy radiated from the Rock Sword Saint 'Hederson,' simultaneously striking Linley and Olivia. Linley felt as if he had been hit by countless meteors in succession, his entire body involuntarily blasted back dozens of meters. Olivia was similarly blasted apart.
Linley and Olivia both looked at Hederson in the center.
The Rock Sword Saint 'Hederson' glanced at the two with a faint smile and said, "Linley, Olivia, you two are both rare, unparalleled geniuses in the entire Yulan continent. You are both so young. From what you've said, your Blackstone Sword technique and Black Heavy Sword technique are both extremely dangerous, and you cannot control their power. If this fight continues, one of you will surely die, or perhaps both of you will. The fall of two geniuses would be a great loss to the entire continent. I think... let this battle end here."