Synopsis and Starting Chapter Chapter 2 Master Zhao
Chapter 3 The Blue Angel
Chapter 4 Magic
Chapter 5 On The Road
Chapter 6 A Harsh Lesson
Chapter 7 The Black Pill
Chapter 8 A Taste Of Magic
Chapter 9 Master Firehear
Chapter 10 Windsong
Chapter 11 Stages Of Magic
Chapter 12 The Wind Realm
Chapter 13 Opening A Realm
Chapter 14 A Breath Of Wind
Chapter 15 Drunken Masters
Chapter 16 The Valley
Chapter 17 An Unexpected Arrival
Chapter 18 Preparing For Battle
Chapter 19 The True Face Of Magic
Chapter 20 Aftermath
Chapter 21 Disguises
Chapter 22 Memories Of Murder
Chapter 23 A Difficult Choice
Chapter 24 Master Zhao’S Treasures
Chapter 25 The Journey Ahead
Chapter 26 Redwater
Chapter 27 Dinner With Enemies
Chapter 28 Unlikely Companions
Chapter 29 Stormleaf'S Gif
Chapter 30 Power Overwhelming
Chapter 31 Lord Jiang
Chapter 32 The Price Of Power
Chapter 33 The Estate
Chapter 34 Training With Lord Jiang
Chapter 35 Continued Training
Chapter 36 Body Refinemen
Chapter 37 Feast Of Treasures
Chapter 38 Faster, Higher, Stronger
Chapter 39 The Starmetal Sword
Chapter 40 The Magistrate
Chapter 41 Duel
Chapter 42 Revelations
Chapter 43 Breaking The Seals
Chapter 44 Newfound Power
Chapter 45 Lord Jiang'S Gifts
Chapter 46 Saying Goodbye
Chapter 47 Leaving Silvermere
Chapter 48 Ambush
Chapter 49 Wounds Of Battle
Chapter 50 The Bandit Fortress
Chapter 51 Senecio
Chapter 52 Looting Treasures
Chapter 53 Words Of Chaos
Chapter 54 The Old Man And The Trickster
Chapter 55 Panurge’S Punishmen
Chapter 56 Windblade
Chapter 57 A Way To Escape
Chapter 58 Prison Break
Chapter 59 The Prisoners
Chapter 60 A Clear Path
Chapter 61 A Change Of Plans
Chapter 62 Assaulting The Prison
Chapter 63 Resistance
Chapter 64 Facing The Archmage
Chapter 65 Birds And Dragons
Chapter 66 Leaving The Stronghold
Chapter 67 The Edge Of The Empire
Chapter 68 The Story So Far
Chapter 69 The Border City
Chapter 70 Darkfire
Chapter 71 A Small Figh
Chapter 72 Tournamen
Chapter 73 The Shadowblood Novice
Chapter 74 The Gray-Robed Lady
Chapter 75 Governor Eddarin
Chapter 76 Leaving The City
Chapter 77 Darkfire'S Ordeal
Chapter 78 A New Arrival
Chapter 79 Judgmen
Chapter 80 New Techniques
Chapter 81 The Arenas Of Hillfor
Chapter 82 The Victor'S Spoils
Chapter 83 An Unexpected Invitation
Chapter 84 Lunch With The Governor
Chapter 85 Amaya
Chapter 86 Searching For Answers
Chapter 87 Stoneheart'S Army
Chapter 88 Stonehear
Chapter 89 Zehava
Chapter 90 Unexpected News
Chapter 91 Darkfire’S Decision
Chapter 92 Before The Tournamen
Chapter 93 The Tournament Begins
Chapter 94 The Tournament Continues
Chapter 95 Defeated
Chapter 96 Snowcloud
Chapter 97 The Valley
Chapter 98 Oathbound
Chapter 99 Urgent Matters
Chapter 100 Running
Chapter 101 Questions
Chapter 102 Answers
Chapter 103 First Steps
Chapter 104 Crystals
Chapter 105 Blindsided
Chapter 106 Fighting Blind
Chapter 107 Shadowsigh
Chapter 108 Exposed
Chapter 109 The Bracele
Chapter 110 The Deserters' Fortress
Chapter 111 Fighting Dirty
Chapter 112 Assault On The Fortress
Chapter 113 Blood Magic
Chapter 114 A Debt Repaid
Chapter 115 Exchanging Knowledge
Chapter 116 Goldhaven
Chapter 117 Lord Sevaril
Chapter 118 The Formula
Chapter 119 Ingredients
Chapter 120 The Golden Hall
Chapter 121 Troublesome Treasures
Chapter 122 The Power Of Lies
Chapter 123 Truth Be Told
Chapter 124 Picking Treasures
Chapter 125 Windfall
Chapter 126 Rapid Training
Chapter 127 Leaving Goldhaven
Chapter 128 Injuries
Chapter 129 Smooth Travels
Chapter 130 A Familiar Face
Chapter 131 Stoneheart'S Misfortune
Chapter 132 Preparing For Battle
Chapter 133 Bloodlus
Chapter 134 Control
Chapter 135 Trus
Chapter 136 Forced March
Chapter 137 Contac
Chapter 138 Danger Illustrated
Chapter 139 Titan
Chapter 140 The Dragon
Chapter 141 The Tempering
Chapter 142 Destruction Realm
Chapter 143 The Tempering, Take Two
Chapter 144 Tempered
Chapter 145 Weakness
Chapter 146 At The Castle
Chapter 147 The Dragon'S Proposal
Chapter 148 A Decision
Chapter 149 The Eve Of Battle
Chapter 150 Bai
Chapter 151 Fighting An Army
Chapter 152 Novices
Chapter 153 Hunting The Survivors
Chapter 154 Riverbend
Chapter 155 The Next Mission
Chapter 156 Leaving The Castle
Chapter 157 Hiding The Evidence
Chapter 158 Eidaran Ruins
Chapter 159 Parting Ways
Chapter 160 Into The Ruins
Chapter 161 A Long Wai
Chapter 162 Enemies
Chapter 163 Fear
Chapter 164 Spirit Crystals
Chapter 165 About Dragons
Chapter 166 Journey To The Dragon Lands
Chapter 167 Chasing Dragons
Chapter 168 Dumber Than Rocks
Chapter 169 Unexpected News
Chapter 170 The Dragon'S Lair
Chapter 171 The Enemy Appears
Chapter 172 Plan Of Attack
Chapter 173 The Eve Of Battle
Chapter 174 To Fight A Dragon 1
Chapter 175 To Fight A Dragon 2
Chapter 176 To Fight A Dragon 3
Chapter 177 To Fight A Dragon 4
Chapter 178 The Best Way To Kill A Dragon...
Chapter 179 Dragon'S Blood
Chapter 180 Blood Crisis
Chapter 181 Blood Battle
Chapter 182 Leaving The Blood Pool
Chapter 183 Escape Plan
Chapter 184 Dragon'S Fligh
Chapter 185 Dragon'S Ruin
Chapter 186 The Way Back
Chapter 187 Unexpected Allies
Chapter 188 Iron Mountain Adepts
Chapter 189 A New Plan
Chapter 190 The Road To Uvar
Chapter 191 Setting The Trap
Chapter 192 Facing A Master
Chapter 193 Hunter
Chapter 194 The Way Back
Chapter 195 The Edge Of Victory
Chapter 196 A Final Deception
Chapter 197 The Iron Mountain Camp
Chapter 198 Toward The Valley
Chapter 199 The Valley'S Gate
Chapter 200 The Patriarch'S Palace
Chapter 201 Barrier
Chapter 202 The Patriarch
Chapter 203 The Patriarch'S Summons
Chapter 204 A New Path
Chapter 205 A Long Journey
Chapter 206 Into The Valley
Chapter 207 Alder'S Farm
Chapter 208 An Invitation
Chapter 209 Houses Of The Ninth Valley
Chapter 210 A Change For The Worse
Chapter 211 Unreasonable Demands
Chapter 212 A Small Demonstration
Chapter 213 Show Of Power
Chapter 214 Bad Teacher
Chapter 215 The Thousand Cuts
Chapter 216 Training Days
Chapter 217 The Road Ahead
Chapter 218 Hidden Estate
Chapter 219 A New Approach
Chapter 220 Insigh
Chapter 221 Recovery
Chapter 222 Reunion
Chapter 223 Snowcloud'S Potions
Chapter 224 Snowcloud'S Departure
Chapter 225 Return To The House Of Swords
Chapter 226 To The House Of Flames
Chapter 227 A New Teacher
Chapter 228 Forms
Chapter 229 Form And Function
Chapter 230 Brightblade'S Vow
Chapter 231 The House Of Shadows
Chapter 232 A Step Into Shadow
Chapter 233 Shadow And Swords
Chapter 234 The House Of Seals
Chapter 235 A Small Bit Of Talen
Chapter 236 A New Teacher
Chapter 237 Reunion
Chapter 238 An Agreemen
Chapter 239 A Palace Of One'S Own
Chapter 240 Brightblade'S Background
Chapter 241 A Final Night Of Res
Chapter 242 The First Day Of Training
Chapter 243 Effor
Chapter 244 Destruction Essence
Chapter 245 A Brief Respite
Chapter 246 Shields
Chapter 247 Ambush
Chapter 248 After The Battle
Chapter 249 Questions Of Power
Chapter 250 Questionable Plans
Chapter 251 A Fruitless Search
Chapter 252 Facing The Elders
Chapter 253 Offending An Elder
Chapter 254 Brightblade'S Challenge
Chapter 255 The Dueling Grounds
Chapter 256 The Duel
Chapter 257 A Fight To The Death
Chapter 258 Aftermath
Chapter 259 The Matriarch'S Plans
Chapter 260 Treasures
Chapter 261 An Heir'S Estate
Chapter 262 Gifts
Chapter 263 Festivities
Chapter 264 Effor
Chapter 265 Brightblade'S Fortress
Chapter 266 A Small Wager
Chapter 267 Brightblade'S Orders
Chapter 268 Leaving The Valley
Chapter 269 Essence Remnants
Chapter 270 An Obstacle
Chapter 271 More Than Remnants
Chapter 272 Demons
Chapter 273 A Short Goodbye
Chapter 274 On The Road
Chapter 275 Hunter
Chapter 276 Amydon
Chapter 277 The Fall Of Amydon
Chapter 278 A Quiet Place
Chapter 279 A New Foundation
Chapter 280 The Final Stretch
Chapter 281 A Break
Chapter 282 The Caves Of Amydon
Chapter 283 The Hidden City
Chapter 284 Karanos
Chapter 285 The Mines
Chapter 286 Trash And Treasure
Chapter 287 A Step Into Shadow
Chapter 288 Darkness
Chapter 289 The Shadow Realm
Chapter 290 Amid The Ruins
Chapter 291 Shards Of Living Shadow
Chapter 292 A Fitting Weapon
Chapter 293 A Small Bribe
Chapter 294 To Leave A Dying World
Chapter 295 Homecoming
Chapter 296 Hidden Treasure
Chapter 297 Waiting For A Sign
Chapter 298 Departure
Chapter 299 Into The Ligh
Chapter 300 Redhill
Chapter 301 Pursui
Chapter 302 Training Ground
Chapter 303 Hunters
Chapter 304 Recruits
Chapter 305 Pills
Chapter 306 Thieves And Robbers
Chapter 307 Facing A Hunter
Chapter 308 Into The Battlefield
Chapter 309 Suffering
Chapter 310 A Knight Of The Imperium
Chapter 311 A Choice
Chapter 312 Searching The Battlefield
Chapter 313 The Fores
Chapter 314 Studying The Forms
Chapter 315 Preparation
Chapter 316 The Road To Esran
Chapter 317 The City Of Esran
Chapter 318 A Steward'S Aid
Chapter 319 Leaving The Borderlands
Chapter 320 The Border
Chapter 321 Into The Imperium
Chapter 322 Advice
Chapter 323 The Fate Of Refugees
Chapter 324 A City Of Tents
Chapter 325 The Wolfsblood Company
Chapter 326 Arrival
Chapter 327 A New Deal
Chapter 328 Imperial Politics
Chapter 329 Battle Approaches
Chapter 330 A Taste Of Battle
Chapter 331 The Spoils Of Battle
Chapter 332 Lord Kadun
Chapter 333 To The Mines
Chapter 334 What Lurks Below
Chapter 335 Into Darkness
Chapter 336 Diggers
Chapter 337 Battle
Chapter 338 Three Monsters
Chapter 339 The Blood Ruin
Chapter 340 A Warm Welcome
Chapter 341 Studying Strategy
Chapter 342 Weapons And Training
Chapter 343 A New Tool
Chapter 344 Unwelcome Company
Chapter 345 Provocation
Chapter 346 Down Below
Chapter 347 A Small Disturbance
Chapter 348 A Lord'S Mercy
Chapter 349 Prison
Chapter 350 Prison Break
Chapter 351 Breaching The Defenses
Chapter 352 Defending The Gate
Chapter 353 A Knight'S Power
Chapter 354 Lord Rannoc
Chapter 355 Outrage
Chapter 356 The Strength Of Lords
Chapter 357 An Offer
Chapter 358 Revelations
Chapter 359 The Desolation
Chapter 360 Rannoc'S Orders
Chapter 361 Citizenship
Chapter 362 Sleepless Nights
Chapter 363 A Foundation
Chapter 364 The Road Back
Chapter 365 A Deb
Chapter 366 Settling Debts
Chapter 367 Broken Company
Chapter 368 An Exchange
Chapter 369 Preparations
Chapter 370 Breakthrough
Chapter 371 Delivery
Chapter 372 A New Journey
Chapter 373 An Unwelcome Invitation
Chapter 374 Challenge
Chapter 375 A Duel
Chapter 376 Facing A Knight, Again
Chapter 377 Words Of Warning
Chapter 378 What Lurks In The Bligh
Chapter 379 A Quiet Departure
Chapter 380 The Road To Sacrifice
Chapter 381 A Storm Of Blood
Chapter 382 Behind The Walls
Chapter 383 A Sea Of Shadow
Chapter 384 Reaver'S End
Chapter 385 Newcomers
Chapter 386 A New Plan
Chapter 387 An Old Friend
Chapter 388 An Imperial Knigh
Chapter 389 The Knight'S Apprentice
Chapter 390 Knight'S Watch
Chapter 391 Comprehension
Chapter 392 Master Of Shadow
Chapter 393 Finding Enemies
Chapter 394 The Missing Piece
Chapter 395 Reunion
Chapter 396 Decisions
Chapter 397 The Wolfsblood Army
Chapter 398 Enlightenmen
Chapter 399 An Unwelcome Gues
Chapter 400 The Oath
Chapter 401 An Invitation
Chapter 402 The Dangers Ahead
Chapter 403 Into The Desolation
Chapter 404 Suppression
Chapter 405 Confrontation
Chapter 406 Arrival
Chapter 407 The Archon'S Summons
Chapter 408 The Master'S Bloodline
Chapter 409 Bloodlines
Chapter 410 The Ruiner'S Temple
Chapter 411 Assassin
Chapter 412 The Citadel
Chapter 413 Fruits Of A Poisonous Tree
Chapter 414 The Strength Of Bloodlines
Chapter 415 A Path Forward
Chapter 416 - A Simple Task
Chapter 417 - Breakthrough
Chapter 418 - Final Preparations
Chapter 419 - Into Harm'S Way (1)
Categories Genre: Action, All, Fantasy, Ongoing, Xianxia, Xuanhuan Status: Ongoing ______
Total Chapters in book: 419
Estimated words: 787321 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 3937(@200wpm)___ 3149(@250wpm)___ 2624(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 787321 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 3937(@200wpm)___ 3149(@250wpm)___ 2624(@300wpm)
______
LIST OF LAST 10 CHAPTERS:
Page No. 419 Page No. 418 Page No. 417 Page No. 416 Page No. 415 Page No. 414 Page No. 413 Page No. 412 Page No. 411 Page No. 410 Page No. 409 Chapter 356 The Strength Of Lords
Chapter 356 The Strength Of Lords
Kadun came at Rannoc in a furious rush, raising the Living Shadow sword as if he wanted to finish his opponent in a single blow.
Yet where Kadun seemed overtaken with anger, Rannoc showed not even the slightest sign of excitement. Instead, his movements were steady and deliberate as he took a defensive position and braced himself for the attack.
Then, Kadun was upon Rannoc. Or rather, upon his weapon — because while Kadun held a sword, Rannoc wielded an eight-foot glaive with a reach far greater than his opponent's weapon.
Eager though Kadun might be to strike down his foe, to do so he would first need to get past the glaive's long blade — and that put him in range of Rannoc's attacks.
For well over a minute, the two Lords exchanged blows, with Kadun fighting ferociously to break through Rannoc's guard. He attacked again and again, his sword clashing with the glaive as he struggled to create an opening.
Rannoc's superior reach was no small advantage, however. The tall Lord met his opponent's furious offensive with calm and precision, the blade of his weapon constantly moving and denying Kadun even the slightest opening.
Whenever Kadun attacked, it wasn't long before he found himself in range of the massive glaive. And before Rannoc's powerful strikes, he was inevitably forced to retreat.
It was obvious that the two were expert warriors. Both had a level of skill that could only be earned through a lifetime of practice and experience, and although their styles were wholly different, neither seemed the least bit weaker than the other.
Still, as Arran observed the two, he could not stop a frown from appearing on his face.
While the Lords fought with a level of skill that was far beyond his own, what he saw was somehow less than he'd expected.
They clearly were stronger than the Knight he'd faced with Kaleesh, but the difference only appeared to be a modest one. And while their movements held the power of insights, Arran saw no sign of anything resembling true insights.
They were a bit stronger and faster than the Knight had been, but that hardly seemed to justify their differences in status.
Yet as the fight continued, Arran gradually began to feel that something was off about it. There was something subtly unnatural about the Lords' movements, a subtle shimmering in the air around them that was unlike anything Arran had ever seen before.
Suddenly, his eyes went wide, as he finally understood what he was witnessing.
"This isn't possible," he said softly, shock written across his face.
"But it's real," Kaleesh replied in a tense voice. "Watch closely."
Arran nodded silently, eyes fixed on the two fighting Lords before them as he tried to find an explanation for what he saw.
When the Lords moved, shimmering images of their weapons flickered in the air for a fraction of a second, briefly appearing in numerous places before disappearing again an instant later.
Each time they matched blades, it was as if, for a moment, a dozen different exchanges teetered on the edge of becoming real. And each time, only one of those became reality.
Yet in the two Lords movements, Arran saw that they reacted not just to the other's actual actions, but also to all the blurry movements that never fully materialized. With each attack, they assaulted a dozen defenses, and with each defense, they blocked a dozen attacks.
The blurry flickers were so brief as to be all but invisible, but now that Arran knew they were there, he had no doubt that they were real.
The sight left him completely dumbfounded.
Even with magic, what he saw should be all but impossible. Yet somehow, the Lords accomplished it — and without magic, since there wasn't the slightest trace of Essence to be Sensed.
He suspected that it was somehow related to their insights, but how, he could not say.
There was no time to give it more thought, either, because while he watched in astonishment, he saw that the tide of battle was shifting — and not in a good way.
At first, the change was a subtle one. While the reach on Rannoc's weapon had given him a slight advantage at the start of the fight, it wasn't long before that advantage disappeared.
While neither Kadun nor Rannoc scored any hits on the other, it seemed that each exchange eroded some of Rannoc's previous advantage, leaving him in a worse position every time the two crossed blades.
Kadun, meanwhile, clearly sensed his shifting fortunes. And as he saw victory looming on the horizon, he attacked with even greater fury than before, increasing the pressure on his opponent with vicious glee.
Arran understood that Rannoc had intentionally provoked Kadun earlier, but now, he began to wonder if that had been a mistake.
Although Kadun was still red-faced with rage, it was becoming increasingly clear that his anger had not made him the least bit careless.
He attacked furiously and viciously, but even so, his attacks were careful and deliberate. If Rannoc's provocation had achieved anything, it was to give Kadun a burning rage to draw upon for energy.
And so far, that fuel showed no sign of running out.
It wasn't long before the first attack struck true — a shallow gash across Rannoc's forearm, struck too quickly for the Lord to parry.
The injury was small, barely worth mentioning under other circumstances. But now, it was undeniable proof that the battle was shifting in Kadun's favor.
"The ground has tasted your blood," Kadun said in a menacing voice. "And soon, it shall feast."
"You think a drop of blood makes a difference?" Rannoc replied. He gave his opponent a mocking smile, then shook his head. "You're still a fool, Kadun. And soon, you will be a dead fool."
Yet despite Rannoc's tough words, Arran could not help but notice that the large man was slowly retreating. While he still met Kadun's attacks with his glaive, each new barrage of blows caused him to take a step or two backward.
And that wasn't the worst of it.
The blurry images that flickered in the air before each exchange had changed, too. They had been nearly impossible to see to begin with, and now, the forms Rannoc created grew even weaker, fading so much that Arran could no longer make out anything but small ripples in the air.
The shadowy images of Kadun's weapon, on the other hand, grew sharper and clearer with each passing moment. No longer did it take Arran any effort to see them, and if they weren't exactly tangible just yet, they weren't far from it either.
Arran knew it was a bad sign for Rannoc's chances, but finally, he could see what was actually happening.
Each time Kadun lunged forward to strike at Rannoc, hazy images of a dozen different attacks formed in the air. And each time, the blurry shadows collapsed at the very last moment, leaving only one real attack.
At a glance, it was nothing special — any skilled mage could easily create similar illusions.
But as Arran watched, he became increasingly certain that these weren't mere illusions. Somehow, it was as if each of the attacks contained the potential to manifest and become real.
"We should leave," Kaleesh's voice sounded.
Torn from his thoughts, Arran glanced over at the captain. "Leave?" he asked, his mind still focused on what he was witnessing.
"Rannoc is losing," Kaleesh said in a low voice. "If we flee now, we might still escape with our lives."
Arran looked uneasily at the two fighting Lords, realizing that Kaleesh was right. Already, Kadun had opened several more wounds on Rannoc's body, and Rannoc's retreat was growing ever more desperate.
And as Rannoc retreated, Kadun's attacks grew even more frantic than before, his strikes ferocious as he drove the battle toward its end.
Yet just as Arran was about to join Kaleesh in fleeing the city, something caught his eye — something familiar.
"Wait," he said in a low voice.
In Rannoc's movements, he recognized the hint of an insight he shared with the Lord — binding. It wasn't as flawless as his own version, but it wasn't far from it, either. And as soon as he saw it, he knew what Rannoc planned to do.
Again Kadun attacked, a maniacal grin on his face as he prepared to strike the final blow.
A dozen versions of the same brutal strike briefly shimmered in the air, only to be met with a dozen blurred images of blocking movements, each of which contained Rannoc's insight into binding.
Both the sets of shadowy images collapsed a moment later, leaving only a single vicious sword strike — and the shaft of Rannoc's glaive, blocking it perfectly.
When the sword hit the glaive, it came to a sudden stop, and panic flashed across Kadun's face when he realized his weapon was completely immobilized.
It lasted only a second, but even as Kadun pulled his weapon free from Rannoc's, a dozen shadowy images of the glaive shimmered in the air, each of them showing a devastating attack filled with the essence of severing.
Kadun reacted instantly, but it was too late — although he created a handful of defenses of his own, there weren't enough to block all of Rannoc's attacks.
Still, several of Rannoc's ghostly strikes were blocked. Yet one slipped past Kadun's defense — and instantly became real, hitting Kadun as the other strikes blinked out of existence.
There was no time for Kadun to even look surprised. Rannoc's attack tore through his body, cleaving him from neck to waist in a fountain of blood.
As the dead Lord's remains collapsed to the ground, a small smile crossed Rannoc's face.
"You died the way you lived," he said. "An idiot to your last breath."
Total Chapters in book: 419
Estimated words: 787321 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 3937(@200wpm)___ 3149(@250wpm)___ 2624(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 787321 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 3937(@200wpm)___ 3149(@250wpm)___ 2624(@300wpm)
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