Chapter 421: Dual Wielding
Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_
Even at such a young age, Patroclus had displayed incredible martial talent. But, he was not the only one who had possessed such talent; during the days of Rilangalos, the Phantom Strike also consisted of eight concise moves. However, his offspring were unable to decipher the condensed movements, and therefore was forced to reverse the move list back to one hundred or so. It had been a significant setback in the history of the Dower family.
"KOM!"
Bright lights erupted from the scintillating silver lance as Patroclus thrust the lance at Wang Tong's heart.
How dare Wang Tong come to the match so unprepared? Didn't he know that it was not just any battle? It was a sacred duel to appease the gods who demanded sacrifice!
From the corner of Patroclus's eyes, he caught an eerie smile creep onto Wang Tong's face. The curl on Wang Tong's lips tingled the hair on the back of his neck, as he suddenly realized what was up the former's sleeve. Patroclus had been focusing on attacks from above, but had entirely overlooked the ones from the opposite direction.
"KOM!"
Right before Patroclus was about to unleash the twelfth attack, the earth roared, and then a " pillar" protruded out of the ground with such force that made the earth moan. The pillar was formed out of concentrated energy, and only the Mastery masters could tell that this energy was the primordial force from the core of the Earth, extruded by Wang Tong using extraordinary Mastery skills.
However, Wang Tong's counter-attack had only slowed down Patroclus, but was not able to stop him entirely. Patroclus about turned and rode on his momentum, then plunged the lance into the giant pillar.
"Kaboom!"
Patroclus was blown away by the impact. Such was the power of nature, much greater than that in a human's body.
Patroclus whooshed across the stage and struggled to regain balance. Finally, he landed on one of his knees like a meteor, making a sizable crater on the stage. Not a lot of people knew that this was his unique way of diverting the energy in the attack to the ground.
The invincible heir of Rilangalos was finally wounded.
Wang Tong had come prepared for this battle. He knew that he lacked both technical fineness and soul energy. However, he had one unique advantage—the Soul Essence. Combining the soul essence with Wang Tong's Mastery skills might give him just enough leverage to turn the tide of the battle. Although it was easier said than done, with the struggle to maintain two power sources being painful, if not tortuous. Wang Tong had still pulled it off, thanks to his immeasurable endurance and perseverance. Thus, Wang Tong's achievement was not only due to the predestined fortune to become the chosen one, but also because of his hard work and his will.
Wang Tong finally attacked. Although his opponent had many advantages, the combined effect of METAL combat and Mastery, enhanced by the power of the golden lance, was devastating.
The air caught fire and burned brightly around the golden lance as it closed in on its target. Patroclus acted out of instinct and moved to block the attack. However, he immediately noticed that the injury was much worse than he had thought.
The situation had taken a turn towards the dark corner for the Ivantians. They wondered what Patroclus would do under the pressure, considering he had never been experienced such circumstances.
Zhou Sisi had picked up the clues from the panicking looks on the Ivantian audience's face. 'That's it! That must be Patroclus's weakness.'
Patroclus was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and a golden brain. Life had always been smooth sailing, and never once had he seen a splash of water on the deck, much less the perfect storm that Wang Tong had summoned.
Miao Xiu and Luv Ma looked at each other with a blank face. They were two of the very few people who knew Patroclus well, and they too sensed the imminent capsizing of Patroclus's unsinkable confidence. Wang Tong's biggest strength, they reckoned, was his resilience and ability to cope. In contrast, Patroclus perhaps didn't even know how to spell the word "stress."
By then, everyone was aware that Patroclus was about to face the biggest challenge in his life. Wang Tong was merely the instigator, but not the challenge itself. The Ivantian Prince had to learn ways to cope with difficulty or face defeat.
"Kom!"
Patroclus's defense faltered, and he was about to be unable to fend off Wang Tong's attack.
"Ice Dragon Tornado!" Wang Tong shouted as he added ice element GN force onto the burning fire GN force.
It was the first time that GN force of different attributes got mixed. It was only possible because of the new Mastery techniques.
Although he had a superior soul energy, Patroclus did not know how to deal with the new technique.
"KOM!"
The strike hit home, and Patroclus was blown into the air. Wang Tong suddenly launched himself into the air above him and bore down with the lance. All the while, a whirlwind of energy surrounded Wang Tong, blurring the outline of his figure.
"Kom!"
Patroclus took another hit from above and thudded to the ground face down, as if he suddenly remembered a date with the floor.
Wang Tong landed beside the fallen prince lightly.
The turn of events even caught Mr. Wannabe by surprise. Although Wang Tong had discussed with him the possibility of using two attributes at the same time, Mr. Wannabe didn't change his outlook on the match. The struggle and pain Wang Tong had endured while practicing the dual attributes had further confirmed Mr. Wannabe's speculation—it was so difficult that it might as well be impossible. Despite the immense pain Wang Tong had to endure, he had made it. After hours of practice, Wang Tong had learned to harmonize the two energies using his Soul Essence, and therefore, eased the pain by a considerable measure. Although there was much more he could do with the Soul Essence, Wang Tong's ability to harness the power of Soul Essence so far was very impressive.
So powerful was the combination of soul energy and Mastery that it had even brought down the invincible Patroclus.
As the dust settled, people watched as Patroclus stood in the middle of the crater, his shoulder half slumped. The blow had clearly taken the wind out of his sail.
Li Shiming's heart sank. He wondered how he would have felt if it were him.
"Patroclus is having some difficulty. The young Blade Warrior is indeed powerful!" Michaux Odin exclaimed. Although Patroclus was considered the perfect human, he was a human after all. On the other hand, Wang Tong's ability had surpassed human's capabilities. In other words, his power had become irrelevant to the strength of his soul energy.
"Get out of here! Is he for real? How am I going to fight him?" Lie Jian shouted in disbelief.
"There is nothing you can do about it," Michaux said calmly.
"Sucks to be you, Patroclus..."
"No kidding! I have heard that Wang Tong didn't have his mind opened until he was sixteen. Who would have thought that he would improve so much in just two years! "
"Sounds like the Blade Warrior would dominate the world for the rest of the centuries, just like the good old days."
"Haven't you heard? The Templar's Court has already acknowledged Wang Tong's status. He is also engaged with Ma Xiaoru; he is not fighting by himself."
"That's true, but he does not lack enemies either."
"Touché, touché..."
By then, only the Martians could carry on the conversation regarding Wang Tong with such a nonchalant tone. Every Ivantian's heart was caught in their throat as they feared that the history would repeat itself. They had waited three hundred years after the defeat of their champion, Rilangalos, for the birth of another perfect Dower, but the promised glory was about to slip away because of Wang Tong.
Patroclus straightened himself; his wound was severe. As he channeled energy into the Deva Lance, the silver light flickered, threatening to distinguish.
Wang Tong didn't attack. Despite his opponent's apparent weakness, he registered that something was amiss. Patroclus's face was devoid of expression, but his eyes burned with anticipation.