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Chapter 220: Rhett vs. Hogus
🕑 Added 2024-09-20 05:45:06 +0000 UTCThe Rockfall spell was now as useless as a chicken rib. Its descent speed was clearly no match for Hogus's rapid advance!
Rhett quickly realized that Hogus could reach him before the boulders even touched the ground—he had to change his strategy.
Stone Armor! Rock Shield!
He first cast double-layered defensive spells on himself, feeling slightly reassured by the thick barriers. Simultaneously, he focused his mental energy on the ground ahead of him!
At that moment, Hogus had already passed through the falling rocks and suddenly sensed a fluctuation in the earth element beneath his feet. An alarm rang in his mind, but he did not alter his path. Instead, he let out a faint sneer, and the sword in his hand burst into a bright cyan glow, resembling a roaring white tiger. With a perfect diagonal slash, he shattered the rising earth spikes!
It seemed effortless for Hogus to break through the earthen spikes blocking his way. Though his speed momentarily slowed, it was still faster than if he had tried to go around them.
"Indeed, a prince raised in the royal palace... The training and nurturing he’s received must far surpass that of ordinary people. He so easily found the best way to respond!" Rhett silently marveled, realizing the strength of his opponent from just this brief exchange.
Determined not to hold back, Rhett decided to give it his all.
Quicksand!
In just a split second, Rhett used his mental power to transform the ground twenty meters ahead of him into quicksand.
"Too simple!" Hogus smirked.
After years of battling earth-element mages, he had developed an instinctive response to their most common spells—Rockfall, Quicksand, Earth Spikes—the few spells that were most effective at hindering a knight's advance.
Having faced countless mages and knights from all elements throughout his life, Hogus had undergone targeted training so extensively that it had become second nature. As soon as he sensed anything unusual, he would respond with the optimal countermeasure.
With a swift leftward bend of his left leg, and a powerful push off the ground with his right, his body moved laterally, almost like a flicker. In the next moment, he appeared on the left side of the quicksand, then bent his right leg and pushed off again, leaping several meters in a single bound. Within three quick jumps, he had circumvented the quicksand spell’s range.
Earth Spike!
At that moment, Rhett, a battle-hardened warrior, felt a jolt of excitement. He had found a slight opening—Hogus's body would briefly lose control while in mid-air during his rapid jumps.
"A perfect opportunity!"
A spike of earth imbued with a yellow glow suddenly shot through the air, aiming directly at Hogus's right leg.
The seasoned fighters observing the battle from a distance all had the same reaction—a flash of surprise in their eyes.
"Impressive!"
"This spike wasn’t fired randomly. In that brief moment, Rhett judged the frequency of the Third Prince's steps and aimed precisely at his landing point." A Sky Knight with a rapier squinted as he spoke.
"Count Rhett is no slouch. The Third Prince must not underestimate him."
Among the two Archmages, one of them, an earth-element Archmage, locked his gaze on Rhett with interest. "No wonder he survived the battlefield. His top-notch observation and quick adaptability are indeed impressive!"
Hogus's face shifted as he felt the change. Originally, his next leap should have brought him within ten meters of Rhett, but the sharp angle of the spike forced him to lift both legs, disrupting his momentum. He was forced to halt prematurely, landing roughly twenty meters away from Rhett.
With his fighting spirit burning fiercely, Hogus quickly changed tactics. He suddenly flung his longsword!
Whoosh!
Like a streak of lightning, the sword shot straight toward Rhett's throat!
The unexpected move made Rhett tense, but as he noticed Hogus moving to the side rather than charging directly, his mind raced, guessing his opponent’s strategy.
Feigning anxiety, Rhett turned away, ignoring the sword as it shattered his outer Rock Shield, which cracked like a spider’s web before disintegrating into a cloud of earth elements.
Yet, he had another layer of Stone Armor beneath. He chose not to use Earth Armor, believing there was no need to reveal it. The Stone Armor was enough to handle the current situation.
Hogus closed in on Rhett's right side, aiming a punch at Rhett’s face.
"It seems this is the end. Count Rhett may be a top-tier opponent at his level, but against the Third Prince, he still falls short..." the earth-element Archmage sighed in regret.
"Tsk tsk, how many mages have fallen before the Third Prince? To him, an earth-element mage is just a tougher punching bag!" The Sky Knight with the rapier seemed certain that Rhett’s Stone Armor would soon shatter, reducing him to a defenseless "ordinary person."
At this point, all eyes were fixed on the fight, paying close attention to every detail.
But then, something utterly unexpected happened to Hogus!
Just as his fist was about to land on Rhett’s face, his battle-honed instincts suddenly screamed of impending death!
To his horror, a spike emerged from Rhett's stomach, seemingly "drilling out" from within!
Yes, that’s how it appeared—Hogus was less than a meter away, and the spike shot out from Rhett’s abdomen, aiming directly at Hogus's lower torso.
The five powerful onlookers, who moments before had thought the fight was over and were preparing to congratulate the Third Prince, froze in shock.
Some had even prepared their congratulatory speeches, rehearsing how to praise the Prince in a brief yet not overly fawning manner.
But as Rhett unleashed the Disintegration Profundity, their expressions stiffened as though petrified.
They stared wide-eyed in disbelief at Rhett's midsection, which had transformed into loose sand!
"Impossible! Did I just see a Level 6 Archmage mastering the Disintegration Profundity?" The earth-element Archmage lost all composure, screaming inwardly in disbelief!
He was a Level 9 Archmage but had never even glimpsed the profundity’s embryonic form. Grasping a profundity had been his lifelong dream.
To master a profundity before reaching the Saint Domain was a mark of genius. In the entire royal family, only the Third Prince had achieved this!
The three Sky Knights were equally stunned. Their eyes flickered, and they no longer held the slightest trace of disdain for Rhett.
At that moment, everyone realized that while Count Rhett’s status was far below the Third Prince’s, his talent was no less formidable.
"The ability to disintegrate the abdomen while controlling the spike to pass through... His grasp of the Disintegration Profundity must be quite deep. Those who have only just touched upon the profundity can only disintegrate a small part of their body briefly—they couldn’t match Count Rhett’s level!" said a knight with extensive experience, his eyes gleaming.
"The Third Prince is in real danger now. If he underestimates Rhett, his chances of winning will drop significantly..." the Sky Knight with the rapier re-evaluated.
Hogus's adrenaline surged, every cell in his body trembling and pulsing. He pulled back his fist just in time.
In that critical moment, he twisted his body, barely avoiding a direct hit to his midsection. However, the spike still pierced the side of his ribs, creating a small wound. Hogus knew his body well enough that as he dodged, he managed to avoid damaging any bones, suffering only minor injuries to his skin and flesh.
Suppressing the pain, Hogus's cyan combat aura flowed, temporarily sealing the bleeding wound.
He sidestepped and caught his sword as it flew past Rhett.
Then, with a look of amazement, Hogus couldn’t help but exclaim, "Was that... the Disintegration Profundity?"
As a prince, Hogus had access to vast knowledge and secrets, especially concerning the profundities of different elements.
Rhett nodded, openly admitting, "Yes, it was the Disintegration Profundity. I grasped it when I advanced to a Level 6 Archmage."
With others around, Rhett refrained from mentioning the Sand Spirit's role in his understanding. Even if they were alone, he wouldn’t credit the Sand Spirit—revealing such a thing would only make his achievement seem more astonishing. It was better to attribute it to his own talent.
"Shall we continue?" Rhett asked calmly.
"Hahaha, of course!" Hogus, far from being disheartened, became even more excited. With such an opponent, he could fight at full strength without hesitation!
"I wasn't going all out earlier, Count Rhett. From now on, be careful!" Hogus’s eyes gleamed with excitement. Nothing was more thrilling than finding a worthy adversary at the same level.
The Sky Knights and Archmages watching nearby felt their emotions rise and fall with the battle. They couldn’t help but look forward to the next exchange.
Unlike most, as the Prince's guards, they were fully aware of Hogus’s strength. They knew that he had grasped the embryonic form of a wind-element profundity and that his comprehension wasn’t shallow.
In other words, the upcoming clash would be a battle between wind and earth profundities!
Such a confrontation was rare in the history of the Kinlan Kingdom. These guards had never witnessed it before, and now they had the chance...
Their eyes locked on Rhett and Hogus, who were now only meters apart, all traces of their initial casual attitude gone.
"Your Highness, bring it on!" Rhett maintained his composure, adjusting his focus to be fully immersed in the battle.
In his eyes, there was only Hogus. In the next moment, Hogus’s figure seemed to flicker with a flash of green light before vanishing.
When Rhett looked up, he found that Hogus had leaped into the air behind him, slashing down with his sword.
Hogus was striking at thin air, but the air itself seemed to shift.
At that moment, Rhett sensed a subtle spatial distortion. Recalling the simulation of his opponent’s combat techniques, his pupils constricted. The sensation grew stronger, and the space before him seemed to split in two. It was as if his heart was being torn apart by the invisible sword energy.
Wind was invisible, and so was space. The profundity Hogus had grasped was known as the most destructive—Dimensional Wind.
Though Hogus couldn't yet tear open space, his attack caused real space-ripping vibrations.
Though the simulation had prepared him, experiencing it firsthand was something else. Rhett couldn't evade in time. Gritting his teeth, he cast a Level 5 spell—Earthquake.
Buzzing...
The space trembled as chaotic forces tangled in mid-air. Hogus's face changed slightly as his Dimensional Wind locked his body in place. Rhett caught the moment of stiffness and dragged him into the control spell.
From above, Hogus saw his Dimensional Wind tear through Rhett's Stone Armor and sever one of his arms, just as a faint earth element fluctuation spread through the sky. A moment later, a spike shot down from above, bringing great danger. Though Hogus moved quickly, the Earthquake field slowed him just enough for the spike to graze his left triceps, leaving a bloody gash.
Hogus winced. Such wounds were nothing new to him, having endured countless similar injuries in training. Yet this minor wound didn’t faze him. What concerned him more was seeing Rhett’s severed arm quickly reform as sand, prompting a displeased frown.
"Sigh, as expected, the Disintegration Profundity from the earth element is incredibly troublesome. You can't kill or even sever it!" Hogus sighed.
Rhett, undeterred by Hogus's praise, remained focused. Though he had anticipated Dimensional Wind, its execution still shocked him. He feigned disbelief and asked, "Your Highness, what technique was that? It easily shattered my Stone Armor. Even though I used the Disintegration Profundity to avoid damage, my mental energy was significantly drained."
"The profundity—Dimensional Wind!" Hogus's voice came lightly.
Hearing this, Rhett put on a convincing display of shock.
He had to react like a normal person, showing appropriate astonishment at hearing about such an advanced profundity. Any less might give away his future knowledge.
"No wonder... This Dimensional Wind is a perfect counter to me." Rhett’s expression turned serious.
"Let’s continue. I won’t hold back!" Hogus called out again, breaking free from the Earthquake field. After landing, he shot straight toward Rhett like a leaping monkey.
"Winged Dragon Slash!"
As Hogus's sword unleashed a blinding light, a phantom of a winged dragon appeared, surrounded by fierce winds. The world seemed to be engulfed in a sandstorm, with dust swirling everywhere.
Rhett snorted coldly, "Earth elements, obey my command—fall!"
Instantly, the dust in the air obediently returned to the earth.
But in the next second, a powerful force struck Rhett, sending him flying. He quickly landed on his feet, seemingly unfazed.
Still, his expression darkened. Hogus's last move had been smart—realizing that slashes wouldn't work, he switched to an area-of-effect technique.
Forced to use full-body disintegration to withstand the impact, Rhett was draining his energy far more than with partial disintegration.
Winged Dragon Slash!
Seeing that his plan worked, Hogus decided to continue, aiming to exhaust his opponent's mental energy!
As Hogus repeated his move, Rhett’s Stone Armor and Rock Shield reappeared before him.
Boom!
The Rock Shield shattered like glass, and the force weakened but couldn’t break through the Stone Armor.
Earth Spike!
Whoosh!
The emerging spike barely missed Hogus’s leg as he dodged nimbly.
In mid-dodge, Hogus’s sword tip erupted with brilliant light, unleashing a high-level technique—Bluebird Strike.
Rhett couldn’t evade in time, and his Stone Armor was pierced.
But Rhett only grinned. At that moment, a powerful force began pulling at Hogus from below.
As the caster, Rhett was immune, but Hogus found himself trapped in quicksand. His agile movements were suddenly as slow as a turtle’s.
"Damn, with His Highness caught in the quicksand, the situation looks bad." The Sky Knight with the rapier frowned.
"If he can’t escape quickly, two spikes could easily kill a Level 6 knight," another Sky Knight remarked.
"The Third Prince was too careless, but I must admit, Count Rhett's combat sense is exceptional. He can seize any mistake his opponent makes. His ability to find openings is among the best I’ve seen in mages." The earth-element Archmage praised.
Earth Spike! Sand Wolf’s Roar!
Rhett calmly cast two spells. Though Hogus broke free from the quicksand, he now faced three sand wolves surrounding him and a spike descending from above. His mood quickly soured.
It was a lethal situation!
Even Rhett momentarily doubted a way out. If Hogus had a shield, he might have blocked the attack, but Hogus had focused on speed from the start. Now, he had little hope of turning the tables.
"Sigh, it seems Count Rhett will win this round," the Sky Knight with the rapier shook his head, displeased by the outcome.
He had already prepared words of consolation and advice for the Prince, knowing how best to offer suggestions as a Sky Knight and an observer.
Hogus's eyes burned with fury as he felt cornered. His blood boiled, his mind racing. In this extreme state, the wind elements around him suddenly changed, revealing mysterious patterns.
For a brief moment, Hogus was dazed as the path of the Dimensional Wind became clearer.
Understanding came quickly and left just as fast. Hogus’s eyes gleamed as he grasped a subtle insight, instinctively swinging his sword with earth-shattering force.
A faint ripple appeared in the air.
A crescent-shaped sword energy obliterated two sand wolves, while Hogus twisted his body to dodge the last wolf and the spike.
The danger was averted, and Hogus escaped the crisis.
The invisible sword blade moved faster than anything Hogus had shown before, surpassing his initial Dimensional Wind in every way—speed, size, and power.
"Incredible speed!"
The sword energy shocked Rhett. For a moment, he wondered if victory was within reach.
But that sword energy not only shattered his hopes but also put him in danger! His mental perception warned him that the sword blade was like a sharp knife, radiating intense danger. As his spiritual power approached, he felt a tearing sensation.
Rhett’s face paled. Even with the Disintegration Profundity, he feared that he would be seriously injured. This sword energy seemed unstoppable!
What should I do? Rhett’s thoughts raced. He didn’t want to be hurt, nor did he want to lose!
Instinctively, he pushed the Disintegration Profundity to its limits. Even in full sand form, he felt no safety!
Swish...
The Disintegration Profundity flowed like a stream, driven to its extreme.
Particles of earth gathered more densely, bouncing wildly, seemingly chaotic but full of hidden potential.
In that moment, Rhett saw nothing but the sword energy and the endless flow of sand.
The yellow earth particles danced before his eyes, and suddenly, two clusters of sand overlapped—not just touching but merging completely.
The sand instantly solidified, like steel dropping into a stream, embedding itself in Rhett’s mind!
Buzz...
Rhett’s head felt hazy as a wave of unfamiliar yet vaguely familiar sensations flooded his mind!
"So it’s not compression, but merging..." Rhett muttered.
"Hahaha, I get it now!"
Rhett laughed as understanding dawned. He stood motionless, while the sand before him stopped flowing, transforming into a solid deep yellow mass. It appeared unremarkable, yet was as solid as steel, stunning the onlookers.
"Impossible! Did he just break through in the middle of a battle? How could he grasp the Condensation Profundity so easily?" The earth-element Archmage could no longer contain himself, his face contorting with shock.
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