Chapter 65

At this moment, the figure in the black robe suddenly rose lightly into the air, and everyone's gaze focused on this mysterious newcomer who was obstructing and threatening their path.

What is he going to do? No one knew the answer, but they would soon find out.

"Blinding Daylight"

Under the clear moonlight, it seemed to reflect his figure. In his hand, the scroll slowly emitted a dazzling white light.

"Close your eyes!"

Sapphire immediately shouted out, sensing something was wrong, but it was already too late.

Behind his tightly closed eyelids, Sapphire felt a strong magical fluctuation. The blinding light even penetrated his eyes, causing a slight pain.

In his ears, horses were screaming wildly, and the guards were moaning in agony. If Sapphire could see, everyone was covering their eyes and falling off their horses, and the hooves were trampling their bodies uncontrollably.

Slicing his hand like a knife into the mad horse under him, Sapphire lightly leaped and landed steadily on the ground as the horse fell.

The pain in his eyes gradually subsided, and Sapphire opened his eyes. Looking back, the neatly arranged guards were now in disarray, with only a few who reacted in time still standing firmly on their horses.

"All conscious guards, gather your incapacitated comrades and form a shield wall!" In this situation, Sapphire's calm mind immediately issued a timely order.

"Quite a capable young man."

Behind him, the black-robed figure's deep voice sounded, and Sapphire turned around, looking at him with a serious and earnest expression.

"Is this your confidence in keeping us here?"

The black-robed figure nodded and then shook his head, saying, "You could say so, or you could say not."

Sapphire coldly asked, "What do you mean?"

The black-robed figure said, "What truly can keep you here is not the magic scroll, but—"

At this moment, a sharp and urgent sound suddenly came from the street, trees, statues, and grass. Before Sapphire could react, a heart-wrenching scream erupted from the guard formation behind him.

He turned around, and countless black shadows emerged. Their hands glinted with cold light as they swiftly moved towards the disorganized guards, their blades spinning with death, reaping and slaughtering every panicked soul.

"How could this be?"

Sapphire clenched his fists, his eyes wide with disbelief.

He had clearly searched the surroundings with his senses, but why hadn't he detected such an obvious ambush!

"Surprised?" the black-robed figure whispered behind him.

"Indeed!"

Sapphire slowly drew his longsword from his waist, the inscriptions on the blade glowing brightly as they emerged from the scabbard.

"The ability to evade detection, powerful magic scrolls, the kingdom's forbidden crossbows... To be honest, your plans did catch me off guard, but I don't understand your purpose in keeping us here."

A strong, powerful hand emerged from the wide sleeves of the black-robed figure. Under the dim light, a simple silver-gray ring flashed in his hand, and a strangely shaped long knife suddenly appeared.

"Some things are beyond the understanding of mere pawns."

Sapphire held his longsword with both hands in front of him, his body tense, the internal energy flowing intensely.

He was ready to attack at any moment.

"Is it hard to understand? It's just dirty, internal affairs of the royal family. Haven't we seen enough of these over the years? But this time, it involves our kingdom's guards, and no one can save you."

The black-robed figure lightly waved the long knife in his hand, a faint white aura swirling around the blade.

"Quite a bold statement. While I admit that Salisst and Okwes do have the power to threaten us, overestimating them might disappoint you."

"Then let me see just how capable you are!"

With that, Sapphire shot forward like an arrow, the fierce energy from his sword mixed with a murderous aura, aiming straight for the black-robed figure's heart.

The black-robed figure didn't move, but the strange large knife in his hand did, the moment Sapphire's body erupted.

He lightly sliced it in front of his chest, perfectly blocking the fierce attack. The collision of the sword and knife sparked, and two different energies erupted violently.

This power is—

Feeling the immense force from the black-robed figure's knife, Sapphire flew back in the air and landed steadily.

The standoff between the two resumed.

"Focused power?" Sapphire asked coldly.

After the brief clash, what he couldn't forget was the force transmitted from the sword to his wrist. If he had persisted in the clash, he would have lost.

He could feel that the black-robed figure's strength was on par with his, evident from his body, his weapon, and his power.

He suddenly remembered that tall barbarian from that year.

He chuckled, perhaps this was the beginning of his revenge. If he didn't personally erase that shadow, he would forever be stuck before the FerNu law.

"Nice speed," the black-robed figure said, not denying it but praising him.

"I've always wanted to know, does power suppress speed, or does speed counteract power!" Sapphire's smile grew, as if he had found something interesting. "I guess I should thank you for your help."

"I don't think your speed can break through my power," the black-robed figure said calmly, stating a fact.

The sword was raised, and Sapphire's grip on it changed.

"What I'm proud of is not my speed, but my sword skills!"

The sword whistled, only the most formidable sword speed could achieve such an effect. Facing the renewed attack, the black-robed figure calmly grasped the trajectory of the sword's attack and raised his knife.

Again, the sword and knife clashed violently. The black-robed figure was about to unleash his power, but at the moment he pressed down, the other's sword suddenly withdrew.

Sapphire's wrist lightly turned, the sword blade following the force and smoothly deflecting, creating a strange sword shadow that elegantly cut towards death.

Huh?

The black-robed figure's neck suddenly tingled, his body instinctively sensing a fatal threat.

At the moment the sword blade cut down, the black-robed figure twisted his body, his long knife protecting his neck and resting on his shoulder, meeting the fierce slash. His body's posture could not maintain a stable balance, and the explosive sword energy blasted him away.

Steadying his steps, the black-robed figure's sword was already upon him, step by step, filled with killing intent.

The black-robed figure hastily raised his knife to block, and Sapphire's longsword, held with both hands, tore through the air and pressed down fiercely.

"Roar—"

Unable to muster his strength, the large knife was about to press down. The black-robed figure saw Sapphire's fierce face, death at his doorstep, and a suppressed roar of anger rose from his throat, the strength surging from his legs to his arms.

The inscriptions on the sword and knife glowed, and sparks and energy flew.

With a wild roar, ultimately, power triumphed, and the black-robed figure forcefully pushed away the death-dealing blade.

The wind gently blew.

"Crack—"

A clear, crisp sound of something breaking, heard clearly in the world around him.

"Clang—"

Sapphire looked at the broken half of his sword blade on the ground, his sword hand held horizontally in front of his chest, seeing the lighter longsword in his hand.

The broken cracks on the sword blade seemed to silently weep.

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