"Oh my God, Brown is such a joke!"

"Yeah, he was so arrogant just now, but now he looks like a dead dog!"

"Reed is really something. I didn’t expect the awakening of the knight's heart to be so powerful. I really underestimated him before."

As Brown fled in embarrassment, the training ground erupted in chaos.

The students chattered away, their eyes filled with surprise and admiration as they looked at Reed.

Just moments ago, they had thought Reed was overestimating himself.

Now, it was clear that they were the ones who had been proven wrong.

Reed paid no attention to the surrounding discussions.

The instructor’s praise had put him in a good mood. As the crowd gradually dispersed, he continued practicing his blazing slash.

About half an hour later, the sound of hurried footsteps approached, accompanied by Brown’s shouting: "Brother! Brother! You have to avenge me!"

Everyone turned to look.

Brown was scrambling back, followed by a more robust young man.

The young man’s face was grim, and he was wearing the uniform of Lake Knight Academy.

It was Brown’s brother, Aaron.

"Brown, what happened? Who did this to you?" Aaron’s voice was icy as he saw Brown’s miserable state, his anger flaring.

"Brother! It was him! Reed!" Brown pointed at Reed, screaming hoarsely.

"He ambushed me! He even used a skill to burn me! Brother, you have to teach him a lesson!"

Aaron followed Brown’s finger and locked his eyes on Reed, his gaze filled with fury.

He strode over to Reed, looking down at him with a cold tone: "You’re Reed? You dare to hurt my brother?"

Reed looked up, meeting Aaron’s gaze without fear, a mocking smile on his lips: "Your brother challenged me to a knight duel. What, can’t handle losing and now you need your big brother to help? How pathetic."

"A knight duel?" Aaron sneered.

"You think you’re worthy? My brother is a squire level 1, and you’re just a waste who just awakened the knight’s heart. You’d duel him? I think you just ambushed him!"

Without giving Reed any chance to explain, Aaron swung his fist directly at Reed’s face, showing no mercy.

There was no knightly spirit, let alone any respect for duel rules.

"Despicable!" the instructor shouted, trying to intervene, but it was too late.

Aaron’s fist glowed with a deep blue light, accompanied by a howling wind, and in the blink of an eye, it was in front of Reed.

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The onlooking students gasped, thinking Reed was done for.

However, Reed remained calm.

He had anticipated Aaron’s sudden attack and slightly shifted his body, narrowly dodging the punch.

At the same time, he quickly drew the starfall sword, the blade vibrating with lightning as he shouted: "Thunder roar!"

"Zap—"

The starfall sword was instantly wrapped in dazzling lightning, emitting a heart-stopping sound.

The powerful electric force seemed to distort the surrounding air.

Aaron was slightly shocked.

He hadn’t expected Reed’s reaction to be so quick, nor had he expected Reed to know another skill besides the blazing slash.

Before Aaron could recover, Reed was already swinging the lightning-wrapped starfall sword, launching a fierce attack.

"Clang clang clang clang—"

The sound of metal clashing against metal was deafening, sparks flying everywhere.

Aaron, a squire level 2, was much stronger than Brown, but against Reed with thunder roar and the starfall sword, he was at a disadvantage, being pushed back by Reed’s sword skills.

Reed’s swordsmanship was exquisite, his speed incredible.

Each strike carried the powerful force of lightning, leaving Aaron with no way to defend himself, only able to dodge and block in desperation.

After a few rounds, Aaron had several charred wounds on his body, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. He looked utterly defeated.

"How is this possible? What level is he at?" Aaron was shocked.

He couldn’t believe that someone who had just awakened the knight’s heart could overpower him. It was a disgrace!

"Is this all you’ve got?" Reed sneered, his sword strikes becoming even more ferocious.

With a single slash, he broke through Aaron’s defense and kicked him hard in the chest.

"Thud!"

Aaron let out a scream, his body flying backward like a broken kite, landing heavily on the ground, dust flying everywhere.

"Pfft—" Aaron spat out another mouthful of blood, struggling to get up but finding his chest in too much pain to muster any strength.

He could only lie on the ground, looking like a dead dog.

Reed slowly walked up to Aaron, pointing the sword at his face, his eyes filled with mockery and disdain: "As a brother, you’re so weak and yet you still have the nerve to avenge your brother? You’ve brought shame to your family."

Aaron trembled with anger, his face turning beet red, wishing he could disappear into the ground.

The surrounding students couldn’t help but snicker, their gazes filled with ridicule and contempt.

"Finn, what are you waiting for? Come and help!" Aaron shouted at the crowd.

From the crowd, a tall and thin young man stepped out.

It was Finn, who had come with Aaron. He was also a squire level 2. Seeing Aaron so humiliated, Finn’s face also showed embarrassment.

He frowned at Reed: "Reed, you’re going too far. We’re all students of the same academy. There’s no need to be so ruthless."

"Ruthless?" Reed laughed as if he’d heard a joke. "When he ambushed me, why didn't you say he was ruthless? Now that he's lost, say I'm ruthless? How laughable."

With that, Reed turned to Finn, challenging him: "If you want to avenge, go ahead. I’m ready."

Finn felt a pang of guilt under Reed’s gaze. He had just witnessed how Reed had overpowered Aaron and knew he probably wasn’t a match for Reed either.

The surrounding students began to egg him on: "Finn, go on! Avenge Aaron!"

"Yeah, Finn, don’t be a coward!"

"Go on! Show us what you’ve got!"

Finn was put on the spot, his face alternating between green and white, sweat forming on his forehead.

He glanced at Aaron, lying in a pitiful state on the ground, then at Reed, who was wielding the lightning sword with a fierce aura.

After hesitating, he ultimately didn’t dare to step forward.

"Scared?" Reed spoke again. "Just a moment ago, you were saying I went too far, and now you don’t even have the courage to fight? How pathetic."

"You…" Finn’s face turned red with anger, wanting to retort but finding no reason.

He could only swallow his pride and say, "I… I just don’t want to stoop to your level!"

"Whatever, trash will always find excuses," Reed sneered, turning and walking away, ignoring Finn.

Finn, completely enraged but still not daring to act, could only suppress his anger.

He walked over to Aaron, helped him up with difficulty, and then slunk away from the training ground.

"Hahaha…" The training ground erupted in laughter once more.

The students laughed uncontrollably as they watched Finn and Aaron’s backs of fleeing in embarrassment.

"Reed is amazing! Even a squire level 2 isn’t a match for him!"

"Yeah, how long has it been since he awakened the knight’s heart?"

"A genius! I rarely admit someone is a genius!"

"Bullshit, you just called Brown a genius yesterday."

"Looks like no one in the academy will dare to mess with Reed anymore."

After today’s battle, Reed’s name had truly made its mark in Lake Knight Academy.

...