“Good.” The Baron nodded with a smile. “Then I can rest easy.”
Red turned over to look at Hector, who was staring at him with a gratified look.
“This is goodbye then, kid.” The elder said.
The youth frowned and looked over the old man’s body up and down. “How are you going to distract them in your condition?”
He couldn’t feel the slightest hint of Hector’s earlier strength in the elder’s body. He seemed to have spent most of his Spiritual Energy and vitality in the previous battle.
Hector scoffed. “My strength never laid in my cultivation base, kid. Do you think someone at the Lesser Ring Realm is worthy of wielding a treasure like the Deep Sea Sword?”
This was indeed something that always confused Red. Hector was a very strong and knowledgeable cultivator, but it was hard to imagine a sect-defining treasure would be left in the hands of someone at the Lesser Ring Realm.
“I’m one of the few people that this sword has acknowledged in centuries, and the only one to do it below the fourth realm.” the elder said. “It’s why even if my fellow sect members bemoaned about how this blade was wasted in my hands, none of them could ever do anything to take it from me.”
“Even with this sword, you won’t be able to fight against these people.”
If Hector was already struggling to fight against that ghostly woman with the sword, he couldn’t imagine how he would fare against an imperial army.
Hector shook his head. “I don’t intend on fighting them. I just want to show them a single move.”
Red did not know what the elder was referring to, but he trusted his judgement. If anyone knew the limits of his own powers, then it was Hector.
The elder waved his hand, and a blue flash shot into the room. The Deep Sea Sword hovered in front of him, close to the ground, though its earlier glow was diminished substantially at this moment.
“Help me get on top of it.” Hector extended his hand to Red.
The youth followed his instructions, taking the old man’s wrist as he tried to find balance atop the sword. His legs were trembling, and it seemed as if he could buckle to one knee at any second. This made Red hesitate to let go of his arm.
“Shoo!” Hector shook him off on his own. “I can do this much on my own.”
The youth had no choice but to take a step back and watch as the elder tried to find balance on his own. It took the better part of a minute, but in the end he remained steady atop the sword.
Hector looked over at the Baron. “Make sure to not falter, no matter what.”
The Baron nodded, a saddened look on his face as he stared at Hector.
The elder then turned around to look at Red. “As for you… I know the life of a sect cultivator has never befitted you, and I won’t resent you if you choose to walk away in the future. Still, even a rogue cultivator is well served of friends and companions, so if there’s one thing I ask of you is to look after Allen in the future.”
Red nodded. “I always planned to.”
Hector smiled. “Good. Also, be careful with that sword! The seal will not last forever, even if you leave it untouched!”
The youth nodded once more. Even with the sheathed sword, he could still hear the faint echoes of the spirit raging in his mind now and then.
The elder seemed satisfied, and he waved his hand. His sword started to fly away out of the meeting hall with the old man on top of it. Red thought he was going to fall at any second, but that didn’t happen. Even as a dying cultivator, as soon as Hector got on top of his sword, it seemed as if his confidence and strength returned on the surface.
The youth knew this couldn’t be farther from the truth, but it was at least enough to allow the elder to keep his balance.
“Did you know your elder is a grandmaster of water and ice?” Aurelia’s voice reached his ears.
Red frowned, but he didn’t respond.
“I had my suspicions from the past, but seeing him wielding that sword today made it all clear to me.” she said. “He has the mastery over two laws that would allow him to become a fourth realm cultivator, the only thing he lacks is the cultivation base. I suppose in that sense that makes him one of the strongest Lesser Ring Realm cultivators in the world, for all the good that does him.”
The youth was digesting her words before he heard the Baron call out to him.
“Red.” the man said. “Keep close to me. I will explain to you what will happen…”
…
Above the clouds, the mounted knights still waited patiently.
“It has almost been ten minutes, sir.” the female knight said. “Should we prepare to attack?”
The silver knight nodded. “Be sure to end this quickly. I don’t want any cultivators interfering with our plans.”
His subordinate nodded, and just as it looked as if she was about to give out an order, something happened down below.
“Someone is approaching!”
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One of the knights warned the rest of them, though they all noticed this at the same time.
A flying figure rose from the town below, passing unhindered through the translucent barrier. An old man, standing on top of a flying sword, riding straight towards the golden knights with a fearless expression.
Immediately, the arms of every imperial knight went to their weapons, though they didn’t immediately draw it. Only Bernard still kept his arms crossed as he stared at this approaching figure.
“It’s the elder from the Ocean Bearer’s Sect.” the female knight by his side said.
“Sir, should we allow him to approach?” Another knight close by asked.
“Let him.” Bernard waved his hand at them. “I want to see what he has to say.”
The army followed his orders, though they all kept their hands on the hilt of their weapons. Even against an ant, these knights would always bring their full might to bear and would never let their guard down.
Hector continued to approach them until one of the imperials raised his hand to stop him.
“That’s far enough!” the knight said. “State your purpose, cultivator! Have you come to offer your surrender?”
The elder didn’t say anything at first, looking at the knights with a slight smile on his face. His gaze, though, eventually came to a stop on the silver knight at the center of the army.
“I want to speak to your commander.” Hector said.
“Our general can hear you.” the knight said. “Speak your purpose and if he deems it necessary, he will respond.”
The elder laughed, still looking over at Bernard. “You are Bernard, right? The so-called Silver Knight of the Empire.”
There was no response from the knights, though some of them shifted their hands. It was clear that Hector’s tone had bothered them.
The old man continued. “I heard a lot about you, you know? They say you developed your own swordsmanship, on par with the masters from the Hallowed Valley, and that you like to test it against other powerful opponents. In some ways, I think you have more of a cultivator spirit than a lot of cultivators I know.”
“Insolence!”
The knight in front seemed on the verge of drawing his sword and striking Hector down. Most of his companions also looked as if they were about to follow his example.
“Enough!” Bernard raised his hand.
All the knights stopped in their tracks. No one dared to disobey their general’s orders.
The silver knight turned over to look at Hector. “Continue. You will not be interrupted again.”
Hector seemed somewhat surprised, but he maintained the fearless and provocative expression on his face. “I hear that despite your willingness to test yourself against the strongest cultivators, you have never clashed against a sect cultivator. Isn’t that right?”
This was common knowledge among the sects. Direct combat between the empire and sects was rare in this part of the world, but it happened every now and again between the juniors of a similar realm. Most cultivators, however, avoided confrontation against Bernard like the plague, so much so that the knight had not even so much as traded blows against another sect cultivator.
The title of being one of the most talented cultivators in human history wasn’t an insignificant one, and a lot of sects were afraid of what would happen if they allowed the best of their own younger generation to challenge this man. If the best that the sects had to offer lost against Bernard, it would be a blow to their reputation and morale that would be even worse than losing a dozen kingdoms to the Empire.
This fact, in particular, was something that Hector knew bothered the silver knight a great amount. He couldn’t test against the strongest cultivators in the world.
If Bernard seemed upset about his words, though, he showed no indication of it.
“Are you suggesting you want to challenge me?” the silver knight asked.
“Challenge you? I’m not so insane.” Hector shook his head. “I just want to offer you the opportunity to witness the best the sects have to offer.”
“From you? A Lesser Ring Realm cultivator?”
Hector chuckled. “You know better than to judge one’s capabilities by their cultivation realm, Silver Knight. Besides, I’m certain that you and your men have done your homework before coming here. You know who I am.”
Bernard was silent for a few seconds. “… The elder of the defunct Ocean Bearer’s Sect, Hector. A man that taught dozens of talented young cultivators in his time, though destined to always remain in the Lesser Ring Realm due to an injury in their Spiritual Sea. An admirable accomplishment, though it doesn’t speak well to your abilities considering the people you taught still all got killed.”
The elder’s expression faltered for a moment. “My sect was headed towards destruction before I was even born. No one man could divert them from their fate.”
“On this front, we are in agreement.” Bernard nodded. “So, what do you propose to show me, cultivator Hector?”
“A single sword strike.” Hector said. “That’s all I want to show you.”
The silver knight sighed and shook his head. “You are dying. Are you certain that you can show me anything worth seeing, even with the help of that sword of yours?”
“Must you even ask me? Someone at your level should be able to discern a person’s resolve at a single glance.”
Bernard fell silent. It seemed that he was in deep thought, examining the elder’s unyielding spirit beneath his visor.
“My lord,” the female knight at his side called out to him. “He is just trying to buy the people below time. There is no need to waste your breath with a dying cultivator.”
The silver knight didn’t respond. Anyone would be able to tell what Hector’s intentions in doing this were, but it didn’t mean his offer didn’t interest the man.
To Bernard, the slim possibility of seeing a worthwhile display of technique was worth the price of letting a few people escape his pursuit.
“Very well, cultivator Hector.” he said. “Show me your sword strike.”
The female knight turned to her commander in alarm. “My lord-”
Bernard held his hand up, and it was enough to silence her.
“Give us space.” he said.
Even if they were unwilling, the knights didn’t disobey his orders. They spread out far apart in the air, leaving the immediate space above the town free for both Bernard and Hector.
The silver knight dismounted his own winged-horse, floating in the air on his own, before tapping the creature on the side and ordering it to fly away too. Soon enough, there were only two people in the sky - a silver fortress of a knight that invoked awe in anyone who looked at him, and a dying old man floating on top of a softly glowing flying sword.
One didn’t need a deep understanding of cultivation to choose a likely winner in their confrontation, but Hector didn’t seem fazed. Instead, the elder looked glad that his plan worked in the first place.
“Thank you for allowing me this opportunity, Silver Knight.” Hector nodded towards the man.
“Don’t thank me yet.” Bernard shook his head. “If I feel like this isn’t worth my time, I will still have my men attack the town below and capture that young man for me.”
The elder frowned. “I promise you that you won’t be disappointed.”
Hector didn’t say anything else. He kneeled on top of his sword, caressing the blade tenderly.
“I’m sorry, old friend, but I must ask you to make this one last trip with me.”
The sword’s glow intensified, as if expressing its agreement. It would stand by Hector’s side even here in the end.
Hector’s expression suddenly steeled. “Invoke!”
Suddenly, there was a rumble. Dark clouds suddenly started to manifest out of thin air in the sky above, covering the entire region as far as the eye could see in a vortex. The dark night seemed to become even darker, and heavy winds started to blow against the forest.
The sword beneath Hector’s feet began to evaporate into a soft blue energy that flew into the vortex above. Despite having lost his support, though, Hector didn’t fall, standing floating there in a kneeling position.
The energy of the sword continued to disappear into the clouds above until the blade was completely gone and the darkness swallowed the last bit of its blue energy. Nothing else seemed to happen for the next few seconds, until eventually, the clouds seemed to shift.
Then a roar came from within this vortex.
The roar of a creature long since extinct in this world.
The roar of a dragon.