203: Chapter 203 Leave it to me

Han Xiao's expression changed drastically as he held his blade with both hands to block.

Clang—!

Sparks flew everywhere.

Han Xiao felt his arms sink, the webbing of his thumbs instantly split, and the ground beneath him exploded as he was forced onto one knee by the sheer weight of the sword.

"Fuck..."

He gritted his teeth so hard they nearly shattered.

The gap was too large.

The power of this strike had completely surpassed those previous Silver-armored Knights.

"Han Xiao!" The man with black wristguards roared, wanting to rush over and support him, but he was held back firmly by two knights and couldn't break free.

Gu Yunting gritted his teeth and threw out several Spirit Blades, trying to force the Adjudicator to withdraw his move, but the opponent merely raised a hand and shook them all apart.

The Middle-aged Man rushed forward, his short blade aiming straight for the Temple Adjudicator's neck.

But the Adjudicator didn't even turn his head; he simply pinched his fingers together and caught the short blade firmly between them.

The Middle-aged Man's pupils constricted.

In the next second, the Adjudicator struck him in the chest with a backhand palm.

Bang!

The Middle-aged Man was sent flying instantly, spitting out a mouthful of blood in mid-air before crashing heavily into a pile of bone fragments in the distance.

Gu Yunting's scalp tingled with fear.

"How can we even fight this?!"

No one answered him.

Because on Han Xiao's side, he was almost at his limit.

The Temple Adjudicator pressed down on Han Xiao with his sword, his expression calm to the point of indifference.

"I have seen many people like you."

"Always thinking that risking your lives can bridge the gap."

"Unfortunately, you are too weak."

As soon as he finished speaking, he exerted more force with the knight's sword in his hand.

Crack.

The battle blade in Han Xiao's hand actually let out an overburdened snap.

If he pressed down any further, the blade would break, and the person would die.

But Han Xiao's eyes were bloodshot; he gritted his teeth and didn't retreat an inch, instead squeezing a sentence through his teeth:

"You fucking..."

"Talk too much."

A hint of coldness finally flashed in the Adjudicator's eyes.

"Seeking death."

The sword's edge suddenly plunged down!

Just then, the entire shattered altar suddenly trembled slightly.

Everyone's movements involuntarily paused for a moment.

Immediately after, an aura more condensed, heavier, and more overbearing than before slowly rose from behind the altar.

It was as if after a fire was extinguished, what was revealed was not ashes.

But a piece of glowing red refined iron.

The Adjudicator was the first to notice and abruptly looked up.

At this moment, Han Xiao also felt the pressure on his blade momentarily stall.

In the next second, a hand reached out from the side.

With fingers spread, it directly gripped the knight's sword that was pressing down.

The entire scene seemed to fall silent for a moment.

The Temple Adjudicator's gaze suddenly sharpened.

Han Xiao was stunned at first, then he suddenly grinned, his mouth full of blood.

"You're finally... finished."

Lin Mo stood by his side, one hand gripping the sword's edge. His robes were torn in several places, and on his exposed arms and neck, dark gold patterns were several times clearer than before, like the shadows of dragon scales slowly flowing beneath his skin.

His face was still cold, but his gaze was deeper and sharper than before.

Like a blade just quenched from the fire.

"Good work."

Lin Mo spoke; his voice wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally clear.

Then, he looked up at the Temple Adjudicator.

"It's my turn now."

"You all step back."

Han Xiao grinned, spat out some bloody phlegm, and took the Opportunity to retreat.

"I've been waiting for you to say that."

As soon as he retreated, Lin Mo's fingers suddenly twisted.

Crack!

An ear-piercing screech of metal twisting suddenly rang out.

The knight's sword in the Temple Adjudicator's hand was actually twisted half an inch by Lin Mo's bare hand. Although it didn't break, the tyrannical and unreasonable force vibrated back along the blade into the Adjudicator's arm, making his wrist go slightly numb.

His gaze finally turned cold.

"It seems I have underestimated you."

"Have you ever thought highly of anyone?" Lin Mo replied indifferently.

As soon as he finished speaking, he stepped forward, the ground exploded, and he slammed into the Adjudicator's center at close range.

No testing, he went straight for a hard strike.

The Adjudicator reacted extremely fast; his right wrist flipped, the knight's sword instantly retracted, and his left hand formed a palm like a blade, cutting straight for Lin Mo's throat. Both the sword and palm blocked the path simultaneously, clearly trying to force Lin Mo to retreat first.

But Lin Mo didn't retreat at all.

He didn't even bother to block; his shoulder dropped, and like a Vicious Beast crashing into a mountain, he pressed forward against the opponent's slashing palm.

Bang!

The Adjudicator's palm struck the side of Lin Mo's neck and shoulder, but it felt like hitting a piece of quenched steel. Although the force made Lin Mo's upper body sway slightly, it failed to stop him.

In the next instant, Lin Mo's fist arrived.

Fast and heavy.

No fancy trajectory, just the most straightforward punch, slamming directly into the Adjudicator's chest.

The Adjudicator's pupils narrowed as he held his sword horizontally to block.

Boom—!

The fist smashed into the blade, letting out a dull roar like thunder.

The Adjudicator was actually forced back three steps by this punch, with cracks exploding in the ground with every step. By the time he stabilized himself, a line of blood had split open on the webbing of his sword-holding hand.

Gu Yunting watched from behind with his mouth agape.

"Holy shit..."

"When he was fighting us just now, it wasn't like this."

Han Xiao leaned against some broken bones, gasping for air and grinning fiercely.

"Nonsense."

"That was him beating us."

"Now, it's Lin Mo beating him."

The man with black wristguards also spat out a mouthful of blood, his eyes shining.

"Now that's more like it!"

In the field, the Adjudicator slowly looked down at his split thumb webbing, and his expression finally darkened completely.

He truly hadn't cared about Han Xiao and the others before.

In his view, although these East Continent Geniuses had some spirit and had obtained some Opportunities, their foundation was ultimately insufficient, and their strength was limited.

But the Lin Mo standing before him now was different.

The aura on this man was not at all as unstable as it should be after just absorbing an Opportunity; instead, it was incredibly heavy, as if he had forcefully smashed the dragon marrow fire seed and the guardian beast heart core into the deepest parts of his Physical Body.

Especially those faint dark gold patterns on his skin.

They made the Adjudicator instinctively feel a trace of discomfort.

Like something that shouldn't exist in a human was slowly taking shape within him.

"Interesting."

The Adjudicator slowly raised his sword, his tone a few degrees colder than before.

"It seems the greatest harvest of Black Dragon Gorge has indeed fallen upon you."

Lin Mo moved his wrist, his joints making a slight cracking sound.

"Enough talk."

"Didn't you want the dragon marrow fire seed and the dragon skeleton heart core?"

"Come and get them."

These words were spoken too calmly.

So calm they didn't sound like a provocation, but more like a statement.

As if he were truly telling the opponent: The things are on me, come if you have the ability.

A cold light flashed in the Adjudicator's eyes, and his figure suddenly vanished.

Faster than before!

Gu Yunting only saw a flash of a white-gold afterimage; in the next second, the Adjudicator had already circled to Lin Mo's right, his knight's sword like a streak of elongated cold lightning, piercing towards Lin Mo's ribs.

But Lin Mo seemed to have anticipated it; he turned his body slightly at the same moment the opponent vanished and slammed his right elbow down.

Clang!

The sword tip grazed his ribs, trailing a shower of sparks, but its trajectory was forcefully smashed aside by that elbow.

The Adjudicator's wrist shook, but his sword momentum didn't stop; he took the chance to flick it upward, aiming straight for Lin Mo's chin.

But Lin Mo was faster.

He raised his left hand, and with a smack, he actually grabbed the front part of the opponent's blade again!

"This move again?" Gu Yunting's eyelids twitched.

"This move works." Han Xiao spat out some blood and smiled sincerely.

The Adjudicator was prepared this time; the moment the blade was caught, a large amount of holy white radiance erupted from the knight's sword, its sharpness surging as countless tiny blade glows spiraled back along the spine toward Lin Mo's palm.

Clearly, he wanted to force Lin Mo to let go.

But Lin Mo's palm only tightened slightly.

The dark gold patterns on his skin lit up at the same time.

That holy white sharpness, enough to shred ordinary armor, only managed to cut a few shallow bloody lines in his palm, not even reaching the bone.

The Adjudicator's face finally changed.

"Your Physical Body—"

Lin Mo grinned: "You seem surprised?"

In the next second, his fingers suddenly exerted force, and he yanked the sword toward himself!

The Adjudicator hadn't expected Lin Mo to dare to compete in strength at such a distance, and his body was pulled forward into a tilt.

And Lin Mo was waiting for this moment of imbalance.

Knee Strike!

Bang!

This knee smashed heavily into the Adjudicator's abdomen, sounding as dull as a tolling bell.

The Adjudicator let out a muffled groan, his body doubled over, and he retreated several steps, a trace of blood leaking from the corner of his mouth.

The expressions of the Silver-armored Knights and White-robed Priests outside the field changed simultaneously.

"Lord Adjudicator!"

"Stand back."

The Adjudicator raised his hand to stop them, wiped away the blood from the corner of his mouth, and for the first time, the composure of being in control was gone from his face.

He looked up at Lin Mo, his gaze terrifyingly dark.

"Very well."

"You are worthy of me using my full strength."

Lin Mo shook the blood off his palm and stood still.

"Don't talk as if you have the advantage."

Gu Yunting almost laughed out loud from behind.

"Damn, Lin Mo's mouth... he doesn't usually talk, but when he does, he's more biting than I am."

Ji Wuchen, however, did not relax.

On the contrary, his brow furrowed even deeper.

Because he could see that only now was the Adjudicator truly starting to get serious.

As expected.

In the next moment, the slender knight's sword suddenly began to vibrate slightly.

A layer of gold-white radiance, purer and more condensed than before, spread from the hilt to the tip, clinging to it like flowing water. At the same time, the half Holy Radiance Badge on the Adjudicator's shoulder began to glow, and ancient divine runes appeared along the edges of his robes.

The several priests around them bowed their heads and began to chant simultaneously.

Milky white light runes merged into the ground, seemingly providing some kind of enhancement for the Adjudicator.

Han Xiao's face darkened.

"This bastard can even buff himself?"

Ji Wuchen said in a low voice, "The Temple Adjudicator is already a high-level combatant in the Sacred Radiance system. He was just using his own power before, but now—"

"He's playing for real."

The Adjudicator slowly raised his sword, pointing the tip at Lin Mo.

"Holy Radiance Judgment Art, Second Form."

"Condemnation."

The moment the words fell, his entire person vanished again.

But this time, it wasn't just speed.

It was as if even his presence had been erased.

Lin Mo's eyes narrowed, and in the next second, he abruptly tilted his head.

Chii!

A gold-white sword mark, thin as a hair yet sharp to the extreme, grazed past his ear. Behind him, a bone pillar as thick as three people hugging it was silently severed into two, the cut as smooth as a mirror.

Gu Yunting sucked in a breath of cold air.

"What kind of ghost sword is this?"

Lin Mo didn't answer.

Because the second strike had already arrived.

Left rear!

He spun his feet and threw a backhand punch.

When the fist and sword collided, there was no loud explosion, only an extremely sharp screech. A wound was instantly cut into the back of Lin Mo's hand, and the Adjudicator's sword momentum only paused slightly before the third and fourth strikes fell in succession like a rainstorm.

Too fast.

So fast that even the afterimages almost blurred into lines.

For a moment, the center of the altar was filled with crisscrossing gold-white sword marks. The ground, broken bones, and stone platforms were constantly being sliced apart, and for the first time, Lin Mo's figure was completely forced into a defensive rhythm.

Han Xiao gripped his blade hilt, his expression grim.

"Can he hold out?"

Ji Wuchen stared intently at the field, his voice kept very low.

In the field, after taking seven consecutive strikes, Lin Mo suddenly changed.

His movements, which were slightly stiff before, suddenly became fluid.

At the moment the eighth sword pierced toward him, he suddenly sidestepped, avoiding his vitals and allowing the blade to leave a bloody gash on his shoulder. At the same time, he forced his way into the Adjudicator's embrace and threw a punch at the opponent's chest.

The Adjudicator's expression changed, and he hurriedly retracted his elbow to block.

Bang!

With a dull thud, he was forced back again.

But this time, Lin Mo didn't give him any chance to pull away.

He followed with a step.

Another punch!

Boom!

The Adjudicator retreated again.

Third step, third punch!

Bang!!!

Three consecutive punches, each a hard smash, sent the Adjudicator reeling back. Even the Sacred Radiance light runes beneath his feet were being shattered by the vibrations.

Han Xiao's eyes suddenly lit up.

"It's reversed!"

Gu Yunting also got excited: "I knew it, there's no way this freak would just keep taking hits!"

The Adjudicator barely stabilized himself, his blood churning in his chest, and for the first time, true shock and anger appeared in his eyes.

He couldn't understand.

This person had clearly just finished absorbing; why was he adapting so quickly?

Why was he getting more fluid the more he fought?

But Lin Mo wouldn't give him an answer.

He just stood there, slowly exhaling a breath of hot white mist. The power from the Fusion of the dragon marrow and the heart core was flowing through his limbs and bones, becoming steadier and heavier.

The more the Adjudicator fought, the more alarmed he became. He stared at Lin Mo, the last bit of condescending coldness in his eyes completely replaced by frigid killing intent. The half Holy Radiance Badge on his shoulder glowed continuously, gold-white light flowing along the edges of his robes, and even the slender knight's sword began to emit a low vibration.

The chanting of the White-robed Priests around them also suddenly rose in pitch at this moment.

Large areas of Sacred Radiance light runes spread along the ground, converging toward the Adjudicator's feet like ripples in water.

Han Xiao frowned: "Are they going to stack another layer of armor on him?"

Ji Wuchen stared fixedly at those light runes and spoke quickly, "It's a resonance enhancement. In the Temple system, the Adjudicator is the Sword Wielder, and the priests are the Radiance Bestowers. When they are present at the same time, their combat power will surge."

Gu Yunting's face darkened: "Can you stop always giving bad news?"

Ji Wuchen didn't look back: "The good news is, he's been driven to desperation by Lin Mo."

"Shouldn't he be harder to fight if he's desperate?"

"For others, yes; for Lin Mo, not necessarily."

In the field, the tip of the Adjudicator's sword drooped slightly, and his breathing gradually merged with the surrounding Sacred Radiance fluctuations.

But the more it was so, the more dangerous it felt.

Like the few moments of eerie silence before a storm.

Lin Mo stood in place and didn't rashly charge forward.

That round of confrontation just now wasn't just him counterattacking; it was also him adapting to the new power fused into his body.

Dragon marrow tempered the bones, heart core strengthened the blood.

Now, with every movement, he could feel a sense of solidity entirely different from before.

As if every bone was denser.

Every inch of fascia was tougher.

Every surge of Qi and blood was more powerful than before.

This change was still continuing.

And battle was the best whetstone.

The Adjudicator suddenly spoke:

"Do you think that blocking a few moves gives you the right to bluster in front of us?"