Chapter 6 Victory and Defeat

What should we do? Xia Yan walked over to Emilia.

Such a small fry, naturally we just wipe him out. Emilia couldn't even be bothered to look at the Sword Saint of Wind, still lying leisurely in the carriage and sipping her tea.

Wait, are you saying I should fight him? Xia Yan felt a bit overwhelmed. A saint-tier warrior was completely different from an advanced-tier warrior; he had no absolute confidence. What if advanced-tier warriors were quite ordinary, but saint-tier warriors were several levels stronger? Would he get instantly killed?

Of course, Xia Yan. Dueling against a saint-tier warrior will greatly improve your combat skills. This is an immense benefit! Emilia wore a mischievous expression. By the way, Xia Yan, I won't help you. Don't blame me if you die!

ThisXia Yan's face turned bitter.

Yet, the prospect of fighting a saint-tier warrior also excited him.

After all, saint-tier warriors represented the pinnacle of combat strength in this world.

Let's test it out, to see if his physical limits could contend with the world's most formidable power.

Hal, the Sword Saint of Wind, approached holding a cyan longsword, exuding an imposing aura. The surrounding mercenaries played along wonderfully, trembling with fear and huddling together, wishing they could crawl over and lick his boots.

Are you the number one most wanted criminal on the continent? Hal looked directly at Emilia.

Eh, how were you able to track us down? Emilia looked puzzled. Both she and Xia Yan had slightly altered their appearances; they certainly didn't look like their portraits.

Because our men sprinkled tracking powder on this young man! Hal answered quite uprightly. According to the letter we received, this young man's strength is at least at the saint-tier, so His Majesty had no choice but to send me to handle this.

The mercenaries' reactions lagged far behind the conversation.

What?

Saint-tier!

They felt their minds must be breaking down.

Originally, the whole business about the continent's number one wanted criminal had already shocked them immensely. But compared to the revelation that Mr. Xia Yan was a saint-tier warrior, that didn't even amount to a drop in the bucket.

What was the concept of a saint-tier? Across the entire continent, only three individuals were publicly known! And now, the Sword Saint of Wind was telling them that this youth was the fourth saint-tier warrior.

Mr. Xia Yan was only seventeen years old! Did they even comprehend what seventeen years old meant?

Then what is it you want to do? Xia Yan looked at Hal.

Kid, do you have any idea what this girl has done? Hal shouted angrily. She stole the divine artifact passed down through generations in the Stein Empire.

A cold sweat broke out on Xia Yan's forehead. So the deed Emilia pulled off was this outrageous—she even dared to steal someone else's divine artifact. No wonder she was dubbed the continent's top wanted criminal.

Just thinking about it made it obvious: something called a divine artifact could hardly be a piece of junk!

She must return the divine artifact, and even then, death is her only outcome. Hal snorted coldly. But kid, you are different. You are a human prodigy. You can return with me and confess your wrongs to His Majesty the Emperor. Not only will your life be spared, but you will also be given an important post.

Cut the crap. Anyone who dares show disrespect to my young lady won't leave here alive. Xia Yan couldn't be bothered to trade words any longer, simply dropping a line fit for a decisive battle.

The expressions of the nearby mercenaries shifted drastically. To oppose the Sword Saint of Wind without showing the slightest trace of weakness—what terrifying ferocity, what an imposing presence!

Could Mr. Xia Yan really be a saint-tier powerhouse? The bald mercenary was astounded.

But how old is Mr. Xia Yan? Is he even human? The flat-topped mercenary was equally astonished.

Idiots, Mr. Xia Yan is obviously human. Think about it, Lord Hal became an advanced-tier warrior at nineteen, so why couldn't Mr. Xia Yan become a saint-tier warrior at seventeen? The long-haired mercenary offered a barrage of absurd logic.

Too complicated, completely don't get it. The bald mercenary looked displeased. Anyway, all I need to know is that I, Bald Jack, was once guided by a saint-tier warrior, and I can brag about this for ten years!

I can brag for twenty years...

I can brag for thirty years...

I can brag for a lifetime...

The idiotic mercenaries went back to their antics!

Xia Yan paid no attention to their commotion, focusing all his concentration on Hal. The strength of this saint-tier warrior was definitely not something an advanced-tier warrior could compare to.

In fact, a hundred advanced-tier warriors might not even equal a single saint-tier warrior.

He felt the pressure mounting.

At the same time, Hal felt it too!

Driven by this pressure, Hal shifted his position, his cyan longsword letting out a soft hum. A layer of cyan-green battle aura enveloped his body, and he charged forward like a phantom.

Fast—so fast it dazzled the eyes. His speed unquestionably surpassed Xia Yan's.

Xia Yan's hand movements remained exceptionally steady. He held his versatile blade horizontally across his chest, adopting a defensive stance!

Immediately afterward, the clash of metal rang out, and their bodies collided.

Xia Yan could feel that in terms of sheer strength, he still held the advantage!

His opponent was a speed-oriented saint-tier warrior, and someone who reached the saint-tier would certainly possess formidable combat techniques. Xia Yan also harbored some confidence; as an inheritor of the Thousand Schools lineage, he refused to show weakness in martial arts techniques.

With one attacking and the other defending, more than a dozen moves passed in the blink of an eye. Blades flashed with brilliant radiance, fusing power and speed as if a streak of starlight had emerged from the darkness.

Although Xia Yan fell into a temporary disadvantage and found it difficult to counterattack, his defense remained extremely tight, leaving no openings for his opponent.

The mercenaries watching from the sidelines were rendered speechless with shock.

Even after Hal stated that Xia Yan possessed the strength of a saint-tier, they had still suspected some kind of mistake.

Yet witnessing this scene, no one doubted Xia Yan's true strength anymore.

He was indeed a saint-tier warrior; no one could dispute that point, as he had exchanged over a dozen blows with the Sword Saint of Wind, Hal, without suffering the slightest injury.

Since when had another saint-tier warrior appeared on the Star Continent, let alone one of such a tender age?

Such technique... Sindy exclaimed in admiration. Mr. Xia Yan's combat skills are truly terrifying. Even though his speed is inferior to his opponent's, he still manages to hold his ground.

Such formidable techniques! Mr. Xia Yan definitely cannot be from another race; he must be human.

Right, even the Dragon race—though they possess immense physical strength, their combat skills are quite ordinary.

Who would have thought that Mr. Xia Yan, as a human, would reach the saint-tier at seventeen? It's too terrifying.

Truly amazing!

The mercenaries stopped fooling around and praised him endlessly. They figured that with Mr. Xia Yan's strength, the world was vast enough for them to go anywhere, and they no longer worried about the safety of Xia Yan and Emilia.

Baldy! Emilia waved at the bald mercenary.

W-What is it, Milady? The bald mercenary trotted over eagerly, wearing a flattering smile.

Pour me some tea! Emilia lay in the carriage looking supremely comfortable, showing not even the slightest intention of glancing at the battlefield.

Understood, Milady. The bald mercenary immediately reached for a teacup, only to be glared at by Emilia. Baldy, wash your hands first.

Yes, yes... Not daring to disobey, the bald mercenary hurriedly went to wash his hands, scrubbing them with utmost diligence before returning to serve tea to the young miss.

The two were still engaged in combat. Xia Yan remained on the defensive, having yet to turn the tide; perhaps he was waiting for something.

Mountain-Crushing!

Hal's cyan longsword flashed, and his sword momentum became as heavy as a mountain, enveloping Xia Yan from an endless distance.

Phantom Slash!

Xia Yan split into two, his bodily movements suddenly accelerating. Darting about, he miraculously dodged the attack without a hair harmed. Simultaneously, the versatile blades in both Xia Yan's hands slashed out together.

Retreat!

Hal's expression shifted, and he quickly pulled back, not daring to trade blows head-on with Xia Yan.

Retreating a hundred meters, he still wore a look of shock in his eyes. For nearly twenty years since reaching adulthood and attaining the saint-tier, he had never once felt threatened...

This was the first time, and it was at the hands of a teenage boy!

Crossing and Weaving!

Hal retreated fast, but he advanced even faster. His speed was lightning-quick, making him look as though he were flying through mid-air as he swept toward Xia Yan!

In Xia Yan's line of sight, five or six phantoms fluttered around him. This probably wasn't just the profound subtlety of movement arts, but a special technique executed by utilizing the properties of battle aura!

Meeting changing situations with constancy, Xia Yan was not flustered. His ancient martial arts techniques prioritized steadiness; as long as he could defend against the enemy's attacks, counterattacking wouldn't be difficult!

Slash!

Hal arrived behind Xia Yan, his cyan longsword sweeping horizontally with dazzling speed.

Instant Slash!

Xia Yan had been waiting for this exact attack. Maintaining full defense all along, he refused to let the enemy exploit any openings! His advantage lay in raw strength, and an instant slash would push that advantage to its absolute limit.

This counter-attack landed before the enemy's blow could finish, flashing with a dark light as it struck Hal's cyan longsword.

The immensely powerful impact sent a tingling sensation through the web of Hal's thumb and forefinger. Shock appeared on his face as faint traces of blood seeped from his hand. This time, he retreated even further—all the way to two hundred meters away.

The mercenaries rubbed their eyes.

They rubbed their eyes again.

And then they rubbed their eyes a third time.

Yet, the scene before them remained unchanged.

Lord Hal, one of the continent's top three saint-tier warriors... was actually injured?

Good heavens! Mr. Xia Yan isn't just comparable to the saint-tier—he's among the absolute elite of the saint-tier?

Just what kind of terrifying strength was that? A single blow left Lord Hal's right hand covered in blood!

Too powerful! And he's the youngest, most talented saint-tier warrior on the entire continent!

Lord Hal has been in the saint-tier for six or seven years now; he's definitely no weakling among saints.

They all looked at one another in dismay. To say they weren't shocked would be a lie.

At this moment, they cast bizarre glances not only at Xia Yan but also at Emilia, viewing her with a lingering sense of terror.

Just how noble could this young lady's background possibly be, to have a human powerhouse of saint-tier strength serve as her attendant?

Baldy, pour me some red tea! Emilia indolently ordered the bald mercenary around.

Yes, yes, Milady. The bald mercenary cheerfully poured the tea, looking utterly earnest.