Chapter 410: Unbearable Insults
Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_
Lie Jian paused for a second before he could feel the knot of anger in his belly rise to his throat. He gritted his teeth and glared at Patroclus as a few words managed to escape his mouth, "I take insult from no one!"
The fiery GN forced boiled inside the Martian, calling for revenge. His only wish was to eliminate Patroclus from the face of the planet.
"The seventh level, Fiery Phoenix!"
Lie Jian's body levitated as sizzling angry flames surrounded him. Although the effect struck a resemblance with that of Mastery, Lie Jian's power came from his GN force instead of soul energy, and it was much deadlier than the latter.
The development deeply concerned Michaux Odin. He lamented that he had underestimated the Patroclus' power after all. However, he reasoned that Lie Jian was not entirely without any odds of success. As long as he could keep the fire of rage burning, he could draw limitless power from his tactics.
The seventh level of the Tactics of the Blaze was the highest and the most critical component of the tactics. It was said that it could grant a godlike power to the chosen one. Just like the other legendary tactics, the tactics of the Blaze was surrounded by myths and tales.
However, was such power enough to counter Patroclus and his Tactics of the Deva King?
Hovering in the air, Lie Jian had turned blazing red from head to toe. He rounded his eyes and knotted his face, looking just like the God of Fire on the murals of ancient temples.
"What's up with the temperature? Anyone got some water, please? Having a heat stroke here!" Karl shouted out and then took a sip of water from the bottle Zhou Sisi handed to him.
No one found his words funny, but many cast a questioning stare at him. Karl conceded that it was not the time for jests, so he lowered his head and became silent.
As the red-hot GN force expanded, it formed a layer of protective shield around Lie Jian. Suddenly, he swooped down on his opponent from above.
"Kom!"
Patroclus raised his right hand as a blinding explosion erupted at the point of contact. Lie Jian's deadly attack was easily blocked.
Lie Jian had transformed his body into a weapon as he swooped down. However, Patroclus held his ground firmly, and the stage stayed an equal blend of silver and red. Lie Jian conceded that it was almost impossible to affect Patroclus with his fire poison, since his attack simply bounced off of Patroclus's silvery protection.
Lie Jian glared at Patroclus and gritted his teeth, trying to swallow down his resignation. He had poured all of his power into the last strike, but Patroclus quickly blocked his attack with a wave of an arm.
Neither skill nor strength worked, and Lie Jian wondered what he could try next. It was hard for him to admit that the power of the Tactics of the Blaze seemed so puny in front of the Tactics of the Deva King.
Although the five significant Tactics were considered equal, many people had forgotten that Patroclus was the only person other than Rilangalos who was able to master the tactics of the Deva King. Rilangalos had been a legend, an equal of General Li Feng. So, what would it make Patroclus?
Lie Jian's patience was wearing thin. Just as Patroclus thought that he had gained a number on Lie Jian's power, Lie Jian tapped into Michaux's energy stored inside him. These energies were enhanced by Michaux to counter Patroclus.
Suddenly, energy shot through Lie Jian's body as his power surged. The fiery red GN power started to change its color to that of crimson blood.
The sudden burst of energy brought pain to Lie Jian's body. Like a rebirth, Lie Jian knew that after of the pain was the new power that would make him stronger than ever.
Patroclus was taken back by the development. However, he paused for only a brief second and released a wave of energy from his left arm nonchalantly. The thrashing energy inside Lie Jian quieted down instantly.
The development enraged Lie Jian as he lurched towards his opponent without a second thought. However, before he could take a second step, he was thrown off balance by an unseen force. Everyone watched as a ball of fire plunged into the ground.
"Kom!"
No one had seen Patroclus move, but somehow, he appeared at a different place than where he had been standing. Patroclus gathered strength and yanked his arm up, as car-sized boulders fell from the sky above Lie Jian. When the dust finally settled, the audiences saw a huge crater at the center of the stage, from where the audiences saw Lie Jian stumble out. His shambolic footsteps indicated that he had not yet fully recovered from the blow he had received.
With their breath caught in their throats, the Martians couldn't make a sound, neither had they anticipated such a sad ending. Across the stage and amidst the dust and smoke, audiences watched Patroclus's haughty statue with awe.
It was obvious that Patroclus was way ahead of his fellow cultivators, and his performance would outshine any opponent. Many people believed that even the reincarnation of the Blade Warrior was no match for Patroclus.
Lie Jian bit down on the tip of his tongue until it started to bleed. The pain was good for him right now, since it could clear his mind and make him focus. Even as everyone thought the match was about to come to an end, an eerie smile crept onto Lie Jian's face, revealing a row of stained teeth that looked as if they were freshly filed. What else could he be hiding under his sleeve?
Lie Jian took a deep breath and levitated his body again. He looked down at Patroclus and announced, "Patroclus! You will never defeat me! Once I'm done f*cking with you, I will do it all over again over your dead body!"
Before Lie Jian's threats faded away, he bore down on Patroclus as the deadly energy shot out of his fists. Everyone was perplexed by the development. Insulting Patroclus with profanity would only spur him to unleash more power; which was not good news for Lie Jian.
Like everyone had suspected, Patroclus furrowed his brows and doubled down on his counter-attack. In a blink, his right arm was coated with a layer of silver energy.
Almost simultaneously, Lie Jian let go of his defense shield as he continued flying towards Patroclus.
"What's going on?"
"Something is fishy!"
By exposing himself to mortal danger, Lie Jian had put the relationship of two major factions at stake. He was gambling against Patroclus's conscience while holding millions of innocent lives hostage.
Martians were firm believers of absolutism, and therefore, they considered it moral to deploy any means necessary for personal gains.
As everyone was kept to the edge of their seats wondering what Patroclus would do, the Ivantian prince answered their question loud and clear.
"Kom!"
Patroclus landed a solid blow on the Martian with full intent.
Throwing his head back, Lie Jian fell backward as a gush of blood squirted out in between his teeth—he was done for.
Patroclus suddenly disappeared, not because he wanted to follow up with more strikes, but he simply didn't want to be splattered by the blood.
The development was sad and ironic.
As the heir of the great house, Lie Jian had to resort to such despicable and cheap measures. And what was worse, Patroclus didn't even care.
Before the referee announced the final result of the match, the medics had rushed toward the stage to rescue Lie Jian. No one wanted the ire of short-tempered Martian Legions.
To everyone's surprise, Patroclus waved his right hand in the air as an invisible wall formed around the stage, blocking the medics passage. The sudden turn of the event immediately angered the Martians, as a swell of complaints and insults rose.
Michaux Odin rushed to the interpreters' station and spoke through the mic. "Please be patient everyone. The match has not ended yet."
The arena suddenly becomes quiet, with hope and curiosity looming about.
Patroclus watched Lie Jian's collapsed body and announced, "Like a phoenix, he will rise again."