NOVEL WEB Chapter 859: Jake
Seeing Arnold sprawled in the crater, bloodied and shaken, Max strode forward with calm, deliberate steps, a faint smile tugging at his lips. His voice was cold and sharp as a blade. "Arnold, it seems that you're the one who will die today."
Arnold's pupils contracted in shock. "Max, you… you dare to kill me?" he shouted, his voice a mixture of disbelief and rage, but there was no mistaking the tremor in his tone.
The murderous intent radiating from Max was suffocating, piercing straight into his soul, making his body stiffen with fear. For the first time in years, Arnold truly felt the presence of death looming over him.
Max's eyes darkened. "Arnold, you're still saying stupid things like that even now? That really disappoints me," he said coldly, his hand tightening on the hilt of his Blue Dragon Sword. He raised his arm, poised to strike, his killing intent surging like an icy storm.
"Max, if you dare to hurt Arnold, I, Jake, will take your life!"
A voice, deep and fierce, cut through the battlefield like thunder. A figure rushed forward from not far away—a young man clad in a yellow shirt embroidered with a cloud and lightning emblem across his chest. His presence alone carried the distinctive aura of the Thunder Monarch Hall.
Max's gaze snapped to him, and his expression tightened. The man was another 3-star genius, just like Arnold, but his aura was stronger—much stronger. His cultivation had already reached the 7th level of the Legend Rank.
His mind flashing with calculation, and then his expression hardened, turning ruthless. There was no hesitation in his movements as he drove his sword straight at Arnold.
"Max—!" Arnold's eyes widened in sheer horror, his pupils shrinking to pinpoints as he saw the Blue Dragon Sword thrusting toward him like a streak of death. His face twisted, veins bulging as he roared with all his strength, drawing on every bit of mana he had left to form a defensive shield around himself.
But Max's attack was merciless, the sword carrying the power of his advanced Level 2 Severing Concept. The protective shield collapsed like fragile glass, shattering into pieces under the sheer weight of Max's power.
Arnold's heart seemed to stop for an instant, his soul freezing in terror as cold sweat dripped down his temples. He suppressed the pain coursing through his battered body and managed to jerk himself aside at the last possible moment, narrowly dodging the killing strike.
Arnold was indeed worthy of being called a prodigy of the Thunder Monarch Hall; even in such a dire state, he had avoided instant death.
"Damn it!" Max cursed under his breath, his face twisting with frustration. His sword turned sharply, flashing again as he lunged forward, stabbing for a second time.
This time the Blue Dragon Sword found its mark, piercing straight into Arnold's arm. Blood erupted in a crimson spray, soaking the ground as Arnold screamed in agony, his face contorted in pain and despair.
Max's killing intent intensified. His eyes burned with fury as he raised the sword high, his voice thundering through the battlefield.
"Severing Flow Sword Art!" He swung the blade down with full strength, intending to sever Arnold's arm entirely, perhaps even end him completely.
"No—!" Arnold's scream was raw and hoarse, filled with unrestrained terror. Blood oozed from his eyes as panic overtook him, his mind going blank in the face of imminent death.
But at that exact moment, a gray light flashed like a phantom.
Clang!
The sharp metallic ring echoed as Max's sword was forcefully deflected, sparks flying in every direction. The blow was intercepted with brutal precision, the impact reverberating up Max's arm.
A figure descended from above, slamming onto the battlefield with the weight of a falling meteor, the ground trembling beneath his feet. It was Jake, his aura raging like a violent storm, gray lightning swirling around his body.
He stood between Max and Arnold, halberd in hand, eyes locked onto Max with a cold, predatory stare.
"Jake…" Arnold's eyes lit up with relief the moment he saw his comrade, a glimmer of hope sparking in his otherwise desperate situation. He tried to stand, forcing his battered body upward, but the moment he put pressure on his injured arm, his face twisted in pain.
A white light flashed across his vision, and he choked violently, coughing up a mouthful of blood before collapsing back down to the ground, his strength completely drained.
"Arnold, take this pill." Jake's expression darkened when he caught sight of the gaping bloody hole in Arnold's arm, blood soaking the fabric around it. He immediately pulled out a golden pill, shimmering faintly with medicinal energy, and carefully placed it between Arnold's lips. "Swallow it. It'll stop the bleeding."
After ensuring Arnold had taken it, Jake stepped in front of him, his body like a wall shielding his injured comrade. His eyes locked onto Max, cold and murderous, his killing intent so heavy it felt like an invisible blade pressing against the air. 'If I'd come a moment later, Arnold would've lost that arm entirely,' he thought, his fury boiling to the surface.
"Max, you deserve to die." Jake's voice was devoid of emotion, deep and chilling, like the whisper of death itself. A gray light burst from his body, enveloping him like armor forged from shadows, while the long black spear in his grip gleamed with a cold, razor-sharp light.
Without hesitation, he lunged forward, the spear thrusting toward Max's throat with terrifying speed, aiming to end the battle with a single fatal strike.
"You think you can kill me?" Max laughed, his voice carrying a mocking edge. His Blue Dragon Sword swung out in one smooth motion, its sharp edge meeting the incoming spear head-on.
Clang!
The collision of sword and spear sent a deafening shockwave rippling through the area, flattening the grass and shaking nearby trees. Sparks flew like fireworks, and the force of their clash sent ripples through the ground beneath them, but neither fighter moved even an inch, both holding their ground with equal strength.
"Arnold, go find a place to heal your wounds. I'll handle him." Jake's eyes didn't leave Max for even a fraction of a second, his killing intent surging like a tide as he spoke to his injured comrade. His expression was grim, his tone brooking no argument.
With one final glance, he shot forward, his feet stepping into the air as if it were solid ground, his movement fluid yet unnervingly fast. His body shimmered with a refracted gray light, slicing through the void with a sharp hissss—a sound eerily similar to a poisonous snake slithering at terrifying speed.
When that hissing sound reached Max's ears, his scalp tingled, and his expression hardened. For a moment, it felt like he wasn't facing a human but some deadly serpent ready to strike, its presence instinctively terrifying. It was obvious that Jake had trained in an extremely powerful footwork technique—his speed and precision were exceptional, almost unnatural.
"Come on then!" Max grinned, his battle spirit ignited, and surged forward to meet Jake head-on.
Bang!
The two collided once more, sword and spear smashing together with explosive force. Shockwaves rippled outward like waves in a stormy sea, shaking the very air around them.
But despite Jake's raw strength and refined technique, Max's swordsmanship and power held firm. No matter how much Jake pushed, he couldn't overpower Max, and that realization sent a flicker of disbelief across his face.
Almost immediately, that disbelief hardened into ruthlessness as Jake narrowed his eyes. 'This one… he can't be allowed to live. His potential is too dangerous.'
"Max, you dare to hurt Arnold? Today is the day you die!" Jake roared, his body completely enveloped in gray light as he unleashed his full strength. His movement technique activated again, and he slid across the battlefield like a venomous serpent stalking its prey, closing the hundred-foot distance between them in the blink of an eye.
With a sharp, deafening buzz, the spear in his hands thrummed like a beast eager for blood. Then, with blinding speed, he thrust it downward like a bolt of lightning splitting the heavens, aiming to pierce through Max in one deadly strike.