147: Chapter 148 The Sword Saint's Doubt

A thick, churning, sickly green poisonous mist, like a living monster, completely swallowed the entire arena. Vision was stripped away, visibility dropped to the minimum, leaving only a heart-palpitating green haze. The air was filled with a cloying, nauseating stench; every breath felt as if countless tiny poisonous needles were irritating the nose and throat.

"Ugh... this smell is awful, and it looks so toxic..." Standing at the center of the poisonous mist, the Elf Princess Lilia couldn't help but frown slightly. A flash of disgust crossed her eyes as she instinctively raised a hand to cover her nose and mouth. Despite the protection of the Holy Light and her master's Aura, the visual and olfactory discomfort remained.

"It matters not. Master has already spread the Light of Protection for us; these toxins cannot harm us in the slightest." The voice of the Night Elf Seraphina rang out within the poisonous mist, cold and steady, as if this lethal environment with its extremely low visibility had no effect on her at all.

Having survived in the peril-filled Underdark since childhood, she had long been accustomed to maintaining absolute calm and sharp focus in all sorts of harsh environments. At this moment, her purple eyes glowed faintly. The innate vision of a Night Elf, combined with a strange perception from their soul link, allowed her to roughly see the energy flows and outlines of objects within the poisonous mist.

In the very instant the two were conversing in low voices, a sudden change occurred!

Hiss, hiss, hiss—!

Within the poisonous mist, countless emerald-green vines, as agile as snakes, suddenly lunged out from all directions and even from the cracks in the arena floor beneath their feet without any warning! They didn't attack randomly; instead, they interlaced and coiled with great precision. Within a mere second or two, they wove a massive, airtight green vine net that covered every inch of space—above, below, left, and right—within the area shrouded by the poisonous mist! This was the signature control skill of the [Infinite Green Vines]—Heaven and Earth Net!

The vines were covered in fine barbs and suckers. Once ensnared, not only was it difficult to break free, but the barbs would inject paralyzing toxins while the suckers would frantically drain the prey's life force and energy. This net was rapidly closing in and compressing toward Lilia and Seraphina at the center of the mist, intending to trap and strangle them completely!

If it were an ordinary opponent, even a high-level warrior or mage, they would inevitably be thrown into a panic under the dual blow of the mist obscuring their vision and the sudden assault of the vine net. Once entangled by the vines, escaping would be extremely difficult.

Unfortunately, they were facing Seraphina.

Facing this overwhelming giant vine net, not a single ripple appeared in Seraphina's violet eyes. She didn't even move her feet; she simply stood in place and slightly raised her right hand, which was holding the [shadows kiss] in a reverse grip.

Buzz—!

A low and dense hum echoed in the air, not from sound, but from the fluctuations caused by high-speed energy vibrations.

In the next instant, exactly thirty-six "Blood Shadow Flying Daggers"—composed entirely of killing intent and shadow energy condensed to the extreme, thin as a cicada's wing, with a mournful blood-red light flowing along their edges—materialized out of thin air around Seraphina's body without warning! This was the maximum number she could summon at once after upgrading her Origin Skill [Blood Shadow Flying Dagger] to level 24! The flying daggers hovered silently, their tips pointing in all directions, emitting a sharpness that chilled one to the bone.

"Disperse."

Seraphina's red lips parted slightly as she uttered a single cold word.

The thirty-six Blood Shadow Flying Daggers moved in response! They didn't fly out randomly; instead, as if possessing independent wills and vision, they transformed into thirty-six blood-red lines almost invisible to the naked eye. With Seraphina as the center, they shot out toward the closing giant vine net!

Chh-chh-chh-chh-chh—!

The dense, tooth-aching sound of cutting merged into one within the poisonous mist, as if countless sharp scissors were simultaneously trimming the toughest of fabrics!

Those emerald vines, which seemed incredibly tough and capable of trapping a giant elephant, were as fragile as dried straw before the Blood Shadow Flying Daggers imbued with the "Extreme Blade: Severing" effect. Wherever the flying daggers passed, the vines were neatly severed and crumbled like butter under a hot knife! Whether it was the main vine or a branch, thick or thin, there was no difference before the "Severing" rule.

In just the span of a breath, that imposing giant vine net that had just formed was shredded by the thirty-six Blood Shadow Flying Daggers like a fishing net thrown into a grinder. It turned into countless inch-long green fragments that pattered onto the arena floor, before letting out a puff of blue smoke and vanishing without a trace.

The [Infinite Green Vines]' ability to spread and regenerate was indeed impressive, but its growth speed was far from matching the terrifying cutting and destruction efficiency of the Blood Shadow Flying Daggers! Especially after a large number of its core vines were severed, its soul link was damaged, making it impossible to organize an effective attack network again in a short time.

Seraphina broke the vine encirclement with a single move, her actions as smooth as flowing water, without moving even an inch. With a thought, the thirty-six Blood Shadow Flying Daggers that had completed their cutting task did not dissipate. Instead, like the most loyal guards, they nimbly flew back and spiraled around her body, constructing an invisible domain of death.

However, just as the Blood Shadow Flying Daggers circled back, preparing to find the next target—such as that World Tree emitting a majestic life Aura or that pitch-black snake vine constantly spewing poisonous mist—another change occurred.

The massive canopy of the World Tree moved without any wind, its emerald leaves letting out a soft rustling sound as if chanting an ancient natural incantation. A soft, translucent light-green halo rapidly expanded with the World Tree as its center, forming an arched barrier of light in front of it, flowing with countless tiny ancient runes!

[Nature's Barrier]! The World Tree's signature defensive skill, which could block, deflect, or even absorb most targeted long-range energy attacks and physical projectiles!

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—!

Right at that moment, the ten or so Blood Shadow Flying Daggers controlled by Seraphina turned their direction like sharks smelling blood and shot toward the World Tree's massive trunk! These flying daggers were as fast as lightning, trailing fleeting blood-red streaks through the poisonous mist, their power enough to easily pierce through thick steel plates.

However, when these incomparably sharp Blood Shadow Flying Daggers struck that seemingly soft light-green barrier—

Thud, thud, thud...

Like raindrops falling into a calm lake, they only stirred up ripples that were barely noticeable before completely vanishing! There was no explosion, no penetration, and not even a single crack left behind. That [Nature's Barrier] seemed like a bottomless pit, silently "absorbing" and "neutralizing" the terrifying kinetic energy and cutting force contained within the Blood Shadow Flying Daggers.

"Hmm?" Seraphina's purple brows furrowed slightly for the first time. She could feel that her connection with those few Blood Shadow Flying Daggers had been instantly severed, and the energy contained within the daggers themselves seemed to have been "neutralized" by the barrier.

"Long-range projectile attacks are ineffective?" In the contestant area, Lin Muyang saw this scene through the shared vision. His brows twitched slightly, but a playful curve tugged at the corner of his mouth. "This barrier... is quite interesting. Similar to the concept of a 'Wind Wall'? It can only block flying projectiles but can't stop melee attacks?"

As if to verify his hypothesis, Seraphina in the arena also instantly understood the properties of this barrier. Without any hesitation, she crouched slightly, her legs exploding with terrifying power!

Boom!

The specially made arena floor beneath her feet was stamped with fine, cobweb-like cracks! As for herself, she was like a purple cannonball fired from its chamber, tearing through the thick poisonous mist. With an unstoppable momentum, she charged boldly toward the World Tree! The thirty-six circling Blood Shadow Flying Daggers followed closely behind her, like arrows of death clearing her path.

Her speed was at the extreme, leaving a series of clear afterimages in the poisonous mist. Almost before the audience could react, she had already rushed in front of that light-green barrier!

The barrier was close at hand, its soft light flowing. Seraphina's gaze was icy, with no intention of slowing down or turning. She channeled all her strength, speed, and the "Extreme Blade" will of the [shadows kiss]—which could cut through anything—into her right hand.

Then, she swung her arm and slashed!

She didn't use any fancy skills; it was just the simplest, most direct, and most concentrated strike of her current peak state—a diagonal slash!

The dark blade of [shadows kiss] traced a graceful yet lethal arc through the air, as if cutting through space itself. That line of cold light at the edge of the blade suddenly erupted with a blinding, forest-white radiance!

[part:gemini-3.1-flash-lite]

No, it was not the dagger itself that was glowing. At the moment she swung the blade, a massive, stark white blade Aura, condensed to the extreme and composed purely of the will of death and destruction, erupted from the tip of the dagger. It expanded in the wind, transforming into a crescent-shaped edge over ten meters long, solid as if real, and slashed toward the light green barrier and the World Tree itself, silent yet unstoppable!

"Death Severing Blade"! An epic-grade Assassin skill, cooldown 60 seconds. Effect: Releases a blade Aura containing the power of death, dealing massive physical damage to enemies in a straight line. epic-grade special effect: This skill's attack ignores 90% of the target's physical defense!

This strike not only utilized the high base damage and terrifying armor-breaking special effect of the epic-grade skill, but also perfectly stacked the armor-ignoring cutting rule of the "Extreme Blade" special effect from the legendary-grade "Shadow Kiss," along with Seraphina's shocking strength and agility attributes under the influence of multiple Auras! Its power had already reached an inconceivable level!

When facing this "melee slash," which was not a "ranged projectile" but rather attached to the weapon and came with the user's charge, the properties of the light green "Natural Barrier" seemed to contradict themselves. The barrier attempted to "absorb" and "deflect" the death energy contained within the stark white blade Aura, but the blade Aura itself was tightly combined with the kinetic energy of Seraphina's charge and the body of "Shadow Kiss," forming a certain kind of "force field."

Pshh—! A soft sound, not a violent collision. The stark white blade Aura cut through the so-called "Natural Barrier," which was supposed to withstand ranged attacks, like a hot knife through the toughest gelatin, slicing a gap right through the middle! The barrier fluctuated violently, its runes flickering wildly, yet it could not stop Seraphina and the deadly blade Aura in her hand!

The blade Aura did not lose momentum; after slicing open the barrier, it struck without hesitation at the SSS-grade World Tree behind it, which stood tall and emitted an Aura of antiquity and life!

The World Tree seemed to sense an unprecedented, fatal threat. All its branches danced wildly, its emerald light blazing brilliantly as it attempted to weave a thicker wooden armor in front of its trunk. At the same time, massive vitality surged, preparing to endure the strike and repair the damage at an astonishing speed. Its defense and HP had truly reached the pinnacle for an existence of its level, worthy of being called a "fortress."

However, in the face of the 90% defense ignore from "Death Severing Blade" + the rule-based cutting of the "Extreme Blade" special effect + Seraphina's limit-breaking attribute burst, the so-called "pinnacle defense" appeared so pale.

There was no deafening roar. There was only a teeth-gritting "crack" sound, as if the toughest ancient wood was being slowly but irresistibly sliced open by the sharpest divine weapon. It clearly echoed throughout the suddenly dead-silent venue—because the Aura and will of death accompanying Seraphina's heaven-shaking strike had completely dispersed the thick toxic fog along its path, purifying a clear channel!

Under the horrified, dazed, and incredulous gazes of all the spectators, they saw: the purple figure descending from the sky, carrying an unrivaled momentum, and the terrifying, stark white blade Aura extending from her hand, like a legendary blade that could split the heavens and earth, swept right through the center of the World Tree's ancient trunk, which would require several people to embrace and shimmered with a metallic luster!

Time seemed to freeze at this moment. The World Tree's frantically dancing branches suddenly stiffened. The emerald light instantly dimmed. And then... Rumble—! A massive sound, like a mountain collapsing, rang out, but it was not an explosion; it was the dull thud of a heavy object hitting the ground.

That SSS-grade World Tree, standing over fifty meters tall with a crown like clouds, viewed by countless people as a symbol of indestructibility, actually split into two halves along the trajectory of that stark white blade Aura, slowly and obliquely...! The upper half of the crown, along with part of the trunk, slid and collapsed toward one side of the arena with a boom, slamming heavily into the ground and kicking up clouds of dust. The lower half of the trunk remained standing, but the cut was as smooth as a mirror, shimmering with an eerie, intertwined stark white and emerald light, and not a trace of life Aura emanated from it anymore.

One slash! Just one slash! "Hiss—!!!" After a brief silence, a sound of gasping, like a tsunami, swept across the entire venue! Immediately following that was an uncontrollable, deafening chorus of exclamations and shouts!

"My god! It split it open?! The World Tree was split open?!" "That is an SSS-grade summon! The World Tree, known for its defense and life!" "One slash! Just one slash! What kind of attack power is this?!" "What skill is that white blade Aura? It feels ten times more terrifying than the Blood Shadow Flying Dagger from before!" "So she doesn't just use flying daggers for ranged attacks; her melee burst is even scarier!!" "Gu Shuanglin's trump card... just gone like that??" "Absurd! Too absurd! What kind of monster is this Night Elf?!"

The auditorium completely exploded! If the speed and cutting technique Seraphina displayed when she instantly killed the Dark Gold Iron-Bone Beast with her Blood Shadow Flying Dagger were extreme, then this "Death Severing Blade" slash that split the World Tree showcased absolute power suppression and armor-breaking ability! The visual impact was stronger, and it was even more shocking to the soul!

By the side of the arena, Gu Shuanglin looked as if she had been struck by lightning. Her delicate body trembled violently, all color drained from her pretty face, leaving only boundless confusion and disbelief. She stared blankly at the remains of the World Tree, which had been split in two and severed of all life, her mind completely blank. This partner who had accompanied her as she grew up, gone through countless battles, and had never truly suffered heavy damage—her greatest reliance and pride—had actually been slashed in half by someone in one strike?

It wasn't a slow grind to death, it wasn't finding a weak point to break through; it was the simplest, most violent, most indisputable method—power suppression, a clean cut! This way of losing completely overturned her understanding and shattered the last shred of hope in her heart. She finally realized with absolute clarity what a huge, chasm-like gap existed between herself and the young man on the arena, as well as these young ladies he summoned.

After slashing the World Tree open, Seraphina landed lightly on the remaining stump of the trunk, one knee slightly bent to cushion the impact. Her purple hair fluttered behind her, her eyes remaining cold and clear, as if she had just done something insignificant. She didn't even spare a glance at the World Tree's remains; her gaze had already locked onto the other two targets on the arena—the Highly Venomous Snake Vine and the remaining Infinite Green Vine, which had fallen into a brief stun due to the destruction of the World Tree.

Her thoughts shifted again. The remaining twenty-plus Blood Shadow Flying Daggers circling her instantly changed direction, turning into a storm of death that swept toward the two plant summons! Having lost the barrier protection and life-link support of the World Tree, the Highly Venomous Snake Vine and the remaining Infinite Green Vine had no power to fight back against the full-power Blood Shadow Flying Daggers.

Pshh, pshh, pshh...! After a brief sound of cutting, the pitch-black snake vine was sliced into dozens of pieces, and the source of the sickly green toxic fog came to an abrupt halt. The remaining green vine network was also completely shredded, turning into powder. From the start of the match to the total annihilation of Gu Shuanglin's three trump card summons, the total time elapsed was less than ten seconds.

Among them, Seraphina was the absolute main attacker. Lilia didn't even release a single attack skill; she had only cast a few Light Blessings on her before she charged, increasing her attack power and armor-piercing effects. But it was this perfectly timed support that allowed Seraphina's burst to reach its peak.

"Contestant Lin Muyang, winner! Advancing to the finals!" the referee announced loudly, his voice trembling with unconcealable emotion. The arena erupted in crazy cheers again, but this time, the cheers contained too many complex emotions. Shock, awe, fear, worship... Lin Muyang and his young ladies were constantly elevating their status in people's hearts with victories that were more powerful and more mind-bending than the last.

In the organizer's seat, the Sword Saint remained silent for a long time. His deep gaze slowly shifted from the purple figure on the arena, who stood quietly with her blade sheathed like a goddess of the dark night, to the black-haired young man in the contestant area who remained calm and indifferent. His brows furrowed tighter and tighter.

"The attack power is absurdly strong, and there are multiple means of ignoring defense." "The speed is super-conventional, suspected to have massive acceleration-type ability buffs." "Completely immune to abnormal status effects." "The skill release frequency is abnormally high; the cooldown times seem extremely short." "The coordination between the summons looks casual, but is actually tacit and precise, with significant buff effects." One characteristic after another flashed rapidly through his mind, gradually overlapping with another genius in his memory...