Chapter 677: Kai's Desperation
Kai gritted his teeth, his expression cold and full of disdain. "Don't think for a second that a level 2 Sword Concept will save you. You sealed your fate the moment you dared step into this battle with just 8th level Expert Rank strength. No amount of conceptual mastery can make up for the gap in raw power."
As he spoke, a sudden surge of violet energy burst from his back, forming two long, razor-edged wings of crackling purple lightning. They buzzed violently, releasing loud electric roars into the air as arcs danced across the sky.
BURRRR!
The next instant, Kai vanished—nothing more than a blur of violet light streaking through the battlefield like a bolt sent from the heavens.
Max's eyes narrowed. 'Fast!' he thought, feeling the pressure bear down on him. But he didn't panic. His Three Dimensional Body activated automatically, allowing him to perceive movement from all directions in real time. His body shimmered in blue lightning as he moved with equal speed, counteracting the ferocious attack.
In the blink of an eye, Kai appeared in front of Max, his sword covered in violent purple lightning as it sliced downward. But Max reacted just in time, his own blue dragon sword sweeping up to block the attack.
CLANG!
BOOM!
The sound of thunder erupted as their swords met, creating a shockwave that shattered the ground beneath them, sending rocks flying and the hilltop trembling from the impact.
Both were knocked back from the violent clash, their feet skidding along the rugged terrain.
But before Kai could regain his footing, Max's eyes flashed with deadly focus. He raised his sword to the sky and muttered, "Magic Sword—Excalibur." In that instant, the sky above them split open, and from within the rift, a radiant golden sword of immense size began descending like divine judgment.
It crackled with destructive energy, glowing brighter than the sun as it fell straight towards Kai, who looked up with widened eyes, caught off guard by the sudden turn of events.
The crowd held their breath, unable to believe what they were witnessing from someone who was only at the Expert Rank. Max's counterattack was coming down like a divine decree—unstoppable and absolute.
"Damn it!" Kai cursed, still reeling from the blast that had knocked him backward. His footing was unstable, and the force from Max's golden sword had left cracks in the terrain beneath him. He wasn't ready—he couldn't dodge.
His eyes flashed with a desperate glint. "Roar of the Lightning Dragon!" he shouted, pouring every ounce of purple lightning around his body upward. In an instant, it gathered and twisted into a massive dragon formed entirely of violent purple arcs, its roar booming across the hilltop as it surged toward the descending golden sword.
BOOM!
The moment the dragon and sword collided, a thunderous explosion rocked the entire area. A dome of shockwaves erupted from the point of impact, flattening trees on the hillsides and sending tremors through the ground.
The sky lit up for a moment with gold and violet light swirling in a chaotic storm. The watching elders and geniuses instinctively shielded their eyes, the sheer pressure causing their clothes to flutter wildly.
But before the smoke and lightning debris had even settled, Max was already on the move again.
His figure shimmered in blue lightning and he burst forward like a streaking comet, closing the distance between them in a blink.
"Severing Flow Sword Art," he muttered under his breath, his sword flashing with a sharp edge that seemed to sever even the wind as it slashed toward Kai.
"Damn, damn, damn!" Kai growled in frustration, barely able to raise his sword in time to block the strike. The impact reverberated through his arms, numbing them. But Max wasn't done.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
Sparks flew as Max continued his relentless assault, slashing again and again, each strike sharper and faster than the last.
Kai was on the back foot completely, gritting his teeth as he blocked frantically. Max didn't let up—he weaved between different forms of the Severing Flow Sword Art, attacking from different angles, unpredictable and ruthless.
He wasn't giving Kai even a second to breathe, much less to counter.
Their figures became streaks of lightning—blue and purple flashing across the battlefield. Every time Kai tried to escape using his purple lightning, Max would catch up within a heartbeat, like a hunter refusing to let his prey flee.
The terrain beneath them shattered with every clash. The air buzzed, the atmosphere thick with sword intent and lightning. For minutes, they clashed like that—one desperately defending, the other ruthlessly pressing forward, refusing to let momentum slip.
"This…" Elder Bras from the Thunder Monarch Hall stood frozen, his lips slightly parted as if trying to speak, but no words came out. His aged eyes, which had seen countless battles and witnessed the rise and fall of many geniuses, were now filled with disbelief.
For a long moment, he simply stared at the battlefield, unable to process the sight before him.
And he wasn't alone. Elder Drew of the Great Ruler Empire, someone who had maintained his calm even in front of storms of blood and fire, also stood stunned, his brows furrowed in pure shock.
Neither of them could understand it—how could an 8th level Expert Rank boy hold his ground so fiercely against a 3rd level Champion Rank genius? And not just any genius, but one who bore the 2-star title of the Thunder Monarch Hall, one of the proud pillars of the Middle Domain.
It defied all logic, shattered all understanding of cultivation norms. What they were witnessing wasn't just talent—it was a monster born out of the impossible. Each exchange, each lightning clash, each sword collision was a slap to their long-held beliefs of what it meant to be a genius.
Their minds struggled to catch up, their instincts screaming that this boy—this Max—was no ordinary figure.
Off to the side, Lyra's lips curled into a faint smile, her eyes never leaving the battlefield. "I didn't make the wrong choice," she whispered to herself, a flicker of pride and determination shining in her gaze.
She had placed her trust in Max, and he was now tearing apart every doubt in the hearts of those who thought she had gambled too much.
Kai was beginning to show signs of exhaustion. Beads of sweat rolled down his temples, and his breathing had grown heavier with each passing second.
It wasn't just the rapid exchange of blows that wore him down—it was the sheer pressure of trying to block a relentless sword technique empowered by a level 2 sword concept. Every time his blade clashed with Max's, he felt like he was being chipped away bit by bit.
'At this rate, I'll be completely drained,' he thought grimly, a flicker of panic crossing his eyes before his expression hardened with resolve.
Gritting his teeth, Kai made a split-second decision. He gave up on defending altogether and suddenly shot high into the sky, his body surrounded in a crackling purple aura.
Whoosh!
The sound of his purple lightning wings tearing through the air echoed as he flew upward like a streak of light.
But Max didn't hesitate. With eyes locked on Kai, he shot after him, blue lightning sparking all around him like a storm contained in human form.
The moment Max gave chase, Kai turned around mid-air, and from his position above, tens of coiling purple lightning dragons burst forth. They roared as they descended in waves toward Max, lighting up the entire sky with a dazzling purple brilliance.