160 Killing of the Grand Swordmaster Part 1 (1/2)

Leaping into the air was the most foolish thing a person could do when fighting a mage. The third scroll that Saleen unleashed was a Grade 5 scroll. Instantly, six huge blocks of ice surrounded the middle aged man and started to close in on him.

The middle aged man was shocked that he had allowed himself to be caught in the center of the ice blocks. Judging from the humongous ice walls coming from all four directions, the man knew that it was not just a simple elemental attack. In fact, it was much more lethal than that. Even if he used his sword aura to break the ice, his body would not be able to withstand the violent impact. Before he knew it, he would be smashed into smithereens.

Had this magic been used on the ground, the middle aged man would have been able to avoid the attack. This was because the spell required moisture to be drawn from all of its surroundings, and that included the ground. Drawing moisture from the ground was not only a lengthy process, but it also changed the texture of the ground and would have alerted him that something was amiss.

Regardless of the medium of attack, Saleen had unleashed a very powerful Grade 5 spell – Icicle Blast.

As Saleen watched the grand swordmaster prepare to meet his doom, he decided that he was not going to waste another Grade 5 scroll. This was his first time battling a grand swordmaster. Until now, he had managed to keep his opponent a good fifty meters away from him. He had not always been this strong. In the past, his magic attacks would not have been able to reach such a far distance.

Looking at the ice blocks that had surrounded him, the middle aged man suddenly shivered. He was so cold that he felt as if his blood had stopped flowing. Indeed, magic spells cast with the help of Grade 5 scrolls were much stronger than a Frost Array spell. With his life on the line, the middle aged man made the decision to face the ice blocks head on. He spun in the air for a while before pulling out his sword and stabbing the ice block coming up from beneath him.

The bronze grand swordmaster’s offensive attacks rivalled that of a Grade 6 mage. However, to instantly obliterate a Grade 5 spell was still too difficult for him. The spell had been cast so that there was no way out. Since he was only able to destroy one ice block at a time, he would have to submit to the impacts of the other ice blocks crashing into him. The middle aged man was left shocked as well as angry. His opponent’s moves were calm and calculated. If he had not worried about the girl wearing the colorful robe, he would not have acted rashly and fallen into his opponent’s trap.

Crackle… boom!

The middle aged man used his sword aura to instantly crush the ice that was coming from beneath him. However, as expected, he did not have time to react before the other five ice blocks smashed heavily into him. The sword aura immediately dissipated from the force of impact. The middle aged man crashed onto the ground, his mouth dribbling with blood. If he wanted to be optimistic, at least he was out of range from Saleen’s ice block attacks.

If he had still been within range and had escaped unscathed, the six ice blocks would have continuously followed him like missiles until either the water evaporated or he died. He brandished his long sword in an attempt to protect his body. He just needed some time – three breaths worth to be exact – to recollect his sword aura and manage his injuries.

With the sound of a plop, the middle aged man suddenly discovered that his limbs were moving sluggishly. It was as if he had landed in a bucket of glue. Saleen’s new spell had slowed him down to a snail’s pace.

What Saleen had unleashed was a Grade 5 spell – Swamp Illusion. Unlike the Icicle Blast, this offensive attack operated on a smaller scale. If the grand swordmaster had not been injured, he would have been able to break the spell with the wave of his sword.

At this point in time, Sika walked up to the bronze grand swordmaster who was still floating in midair and unable to escape the clutches of Saleen’s Swamp Illusion spell. She brought down her club, hard. The way she executed the attack was simple, but effective. The club struck the middle aged man’s thigh and sent him flying backwards.

It happened so fast that he could not even stop to catch his breath. He choked on his blood as his eyes rolled backwards. He was in so much pain that he was nearly rendered unconscious. He felt as though his thigh bone had shattered. Even his muscles were destroyed beyond repair. The grand swordmaster was overcome with despair. He had lost a leg. Even if he miraculously survived, there would be no point in living. There were not many calls for one-legged swordmen, after all.

He had never battled anyone stronger than a Grade 3 mage. As a bronze grand swordmaster, junior mages were insignificant to him. Even if he were fighting an archmage, he would be able to kill them with just a single slash of his sword.

The middle aged man was shocked beyond belief; never in his wildest dreams had he thought that the archmage before him would be able to strike so viciously. His mighty sword aura looked pathetic compared to his opponent’s magic. Disheartened, he pointed his sword towards his throat in an attempt to end his life.

Before he could bury the sword in his neck, a white, slender palm reached out to grab his long sword. The same hand then pinched down on it. The eight-sided sword, an object that could withstand even the most explosive of sword auras, shattered immediately. As he looked up, he stared into a pair of azure green eyes. They were filled with lust. Bloodlust, to be exact. At that moment, the grand swordmaster felt like prey, circled and eyed by a lethal predator just before it swooped in.

”So now you wanna die? Well, it’s a little too late for that,” the green-eyed woman sneered before grabbing the swordmaster’s shoulder and applying pressure. Almost instantly, the crunching sounds of his shoulder blades being crushed could be heard.

The mercenaries who had hid behind the carriages watched intently, their eyes following every move Saleen made. Saleen had displayed exemplary skill and executed his moves gracefully. His movements seemed so fluid, natural, and graceful. First, he had used Wind Magic to provoke the enemy. Then, he had used quicksand to trap the war horses before distracting the enemy using a warrior’s boomerang. Once he had tricked the grand swordmaster into jumping towards him, he immediately unleashed the more powerful spells he had kept hidden.

Just one Icicle Blast alone had dashed the bronze grand swordmaster’s hopes of leaving the battlefield alive. He should not even have been riding a horse, much less jumped from it. If he had chosen to travel by foot instead, he would not have gotten himself into this situation. He had placed so much faith in his sword that he had forgotten that one should never leave any room for a mage to attack.

Even a golden grand swordmaster would not fight mages of equal caliber in the sky. They would much rather prefer for the fight to be on the ground. Alas, it was too late for regrets. Nailisi carried the now immobile swordmaster and placed him in front of Saleen. As Saleen eyed his heavily wounded opponent, he chuckled before saying, ”Ooh, a swordmaster. I’m so scared now.”

The middle aged man, hearing Saleen’s mocking words, became so angry that he literally spat up blood. Saleen faintly nodded as he said coldly, ”Now, tell me what you were after. If you do as I say, I will grant you a less painful death. If you make me force it out of you, let’s just say that you’ll wish you had died during my Icicle Blast.”

A person could literally see the anger flaring in the middle aged man’s eyes. He stared at Saleen with a dull glare, before whispering in defeat, ”Does it matter how I go? When I was your age, I was not even afraid of death. So if you think you can get any information from me, think again. Do your worst.”

Nailisi let out a small laugh before whispering softly into the swordmaster’s ears, ”I was hoping you’d say that. At least my master won’t scold me for what I’m about to do to you.”

As Nailisi spoke, she simply set up a tent before slipping into it while carrying the middle aged man with her.