Chapter 287 - 285: Fierce Clash

Chapter 287: Chapter 285: Fierce Clash

Duane’s movements naturally drew the attention of the island’s residents.

However, when the residents saw the Lord’s men, covered in blood and radiating a murderous aura, they hesitated.

They only dared to watch from a distance, lacking the courage to approach and greet him with their usual enthusiasm.

Before long, Duane and his party arrived outside the Medical Sanctuary.

"Lord, look!"

Raymond pointed to the fortress wall, where three people—one woman and two men—were bound with hemp ropes and left hanging.

The woman was Priestess Jesse. Duane remembered how well she had cared for the group of crazed residents and had even rewarded her with Hot Spring Mountain Tea for her efforts.

As for the other two men, one was likely the Black Forest Island resident Ralph had mentioned, and the other...

Duane’s gaze narrowed. He hadn’t expected to see Manny, who had been so full of vigor just a moment ago, now looking as if he were half-dead.

"It’s Lord Manny!"

Lune gasped in disbelief. "They actually dared to lay a hand on the heir of a Kingdom Viscount!"

The others were equally stunned. ’Is the Holy Radiance Court challenging the Kingdom’s system of nobility? Aren’t they afraid of facing the united opposition of every noble?’

Duane knew perfectly well this was all a show for his benefit.

’After all, if they dare to harm the heir of a Kingdom Viscount, what’s a mere Baron of Black Forest Island like me to them?’

"Raymond, Simone, Lune, go get those three down!"

"Yes!"

The three men acknowledged the order and charged forward. A sharp blast of Fighting Qi shot out and severed the hemp ropes.

Manny and the other two fell and were deftly caught by Raymond and his men.

Throughout this, the Guards on the wall made no move. One of them simply went down to report what was happening.

"Lord, he’s not in good shape!"

Simone approached, carrying the injured resident. The man’s lips were cracked, and he was unconscious.

Duane cast a Healing Technique to stabilize his injuries. Just then, the sound of sobbing came from behind him.

The resident’s family had gathered around.

"Lord, please save my husband!"

"Lord, save my son!"

A woman in a burlap dress knelt and pleaded, flanked by an elderly couple and two young children.

Duane wasn’t a doctor, but a quick check of the man’s breathing suggested he could still be saved.

"Benur, take some men and get the injured back to the castle. Have Dr. Ronald see to him."

He knelt and said to the family, "You should go with them to look after him. He should be all right."

Pouring out their thanks, the family left, escorting the injured man.

Priestess Jesse was in slightly better condition. A Mage’s constitution might not compare to a Warrior’s, but it was still stronger than an ordinary person’s.

However, perhaps from being suspended for so long, she looked haggard, her lips cracked from dehydration.

Duane activated his Starlight Eye to examine her and saw that her Magic Power was completely depleted.

She thanked them weakly. "Thank you, Lord... Thank you, Raymond..."

"Take her aside to rest," Duane said.

Raymond nodded and moved Jesse to the side.

Duane then turned to Manny. Though his injuries were serious, he was conscious.

"You’re Viscount Charlemagne’s eldest son. You should have immunity even on a battlefield. Why would they dare to attack you?"

In response to Duane’s question, Manny’s expression was a mixture of pain, bitterness, and resignation.

"They punished me for the crime of betraying the Church Court and excommunicated me."

To be honest, even Manny himself could hardly believe it was real.

After all, when his father, Viscount Charlemagne, had negotiated with Bishop Clement, his appointment to the Church Court as Knight Commander was written into the contract.

’And now they’ve unilaterally torn up the contract?’

Thinking of the tall man who had nearly crippled him with a single blow, Manny added a warning.

"Count, you must be careful. Besides Orisien, Chief Judge Thomsen is also here. I don’t know the extent of his power, but he is extremely strong!"

Duane nodded silently and had Lune help Manny aside.

At the same time, he took out a Crystal Ball and handed it to Simone.

"A Memory Ball?"

Simone had clearly seen one of these before. Back when he and Constance were madly in love, she had used one to record some of their happy moments together.

"Do you know how to use it?" Duane asked.

"I do!"

Simone replied confidently, "Just point it forward and infuse it with Fighting Qi."

"Your mission is to record everything that happens next."

To be honest, Simone would have much rather charged forward to vent his frustrations, but since his Lord had given the order, he had no choice but to obey.

"I understand. Leave it to me!"

Just as Duane and Simone were speaking, a booming voice echoed from within the fortress: "Baron Duane, where do you think you’re taking my people?"

Following the voice, Orisien, Thomsen, Sarah, and a dozen warriors in Black Armor strode out, their presence oppressive.

Duane glanced at the faint smile on Orisien’s face before turning his gaze to Thomsen.

Through his Starlight Eye, he could see a brilliant aura of Fighting Qi. Judging by its extreme density, the man had to be a Silver Moon Level Warrior.

Duane impassively opened his attribute panel.

He had accumulated a total of 13.6 attribute points recently from various achievements: reaching Perfection in Basic Breeding, Skilled in four Thunder Attribute Magic spells, Skilled with eight Level 1 Spell Scrolls, slaying the Black Bear, reaching the Introduction level in Basic Extraction, Skilled in the Solidification Spell, and Skilled in Manufacturing Basic Magic Ink.

He had been considering saving them to break through to a Level 7 Mage and master the Blessing Spell, which would increase the chances of his people awakening or achieving their own breakthroughs.

But this group was like a pack of mangy dogs; even when he hid himself away on Black Forest Island, they still managed to sniff him out and start trouble.

Faced with this situation, Duane could only choose to prioritize his own power.

After all, he could only think about other matters once his own safety was guaranteed.

Only immense personal combat strength could win Black Forest Island more bargaining chips and breathing room.

A Scorching Sun Level Warrior wasn’t invincible, but they could absolutely turn the tide of a battle.

His very existence would be a deterrent, like a nuclear weapon on Earth.

Duane no longer hesitated. He poured all his attribute points into Strength.

Instantly, his Strength Attribute soared to 93.6, triggering a drastic transformation in his body and his Fighting Qi!

At the same time, the aura he projected began to climb higher and higher. Those around him felt the air thicken, the pressure making it hard to breathe.

"Since you excommunicated Jesse and Manny, and they are now on Black Forest Island, they are my people by default."

Duane continued, "As the Lord of Black Forest Island, do I need to inform you before I provide for my own subjects?"

Thomsen’s expression was inscrutable. He was still wondering why the man’s aura had changed so suddenly.

Just then, Duane added, "However, one of your people was here. I brought him along, too."

As he spoke, he gestured with his hand.

Simone immediately understood. He tossed Priest Otto’s severed head, which landed in front of the group. It rolled twice before coming to a stop, facing Thomsen and Orisien.

The color drained from both their faces.

But the most terrified of all was Priestess Sarah. Her situation was nearly identical to Otto’s—she, too, had abandoned Jesse and Manny to save her own skin.

"Duane, you have some nerve!"

A murderous look appeared on Thomsen’s face. "Do you wish to make an enemy of the entire Kingdom?"

Duane drew his Long Spear and aimed it at him. "And do you represent the entire Kingdom?"

The auras of the two Silver Moon Warriors clashed in the air, spreading a grim, chilling atmosphere that made everyone’s blood run cold.

Thomsen frowned slightly, a flicker of doubt in his mind. ’Strange. Why do I sense danger from him?’

In his eyes, Duane was just a wet-behind-the-ears kid, not even twenty years old. He, on the other hand, had been famous across the Sunset Continent for decades and had defeated several Silver Moon Warriors.

It was for this very reason that he held the position of Chief Judge in the church’s expansionist movement.

But this kid was too strange. If his intelligence reports weren’t one hundred percent certain, he would have suspected he was facing some old master disguised as a youth.

While Thomsen was deep in thought, Orisien spoke up. "Duane, do you have any idea who you’re dealing with, or how powerful he is?"

Duane looked at him with contempt and sneered, "Orisien, in my eyes, you’re like a three-year-old. After getting hit, all you know how to do is run crying to your parents for help."

"The only difference is, for a three-year-old, it’s just their nature. But you..."

"Shut your mouth!"

A brilliant light erupted from Orisien’s body, and he entered a state of near-combustion.

"You really think I lost to you?"

With a deep roar, a peerless, radiant Longsword appeared in his hand.

This weapon had been enchanted by a High-tier Enchanter; it was leagues above the standard-issue weapons from the tournament.

For this strike, Orisien burned his Bloodline Power, entering a state of "Extreme Speed."

To Lune and the others, Orisien’s figure simply vanished, replaced by a streak of brilliant light.

SWISH!

In the blink of an eye, countless flashes of light flickered before them, making it impossible to track Orisien’s position.

Thomsen’s eyes remained fixed on Duane. He would let Orisien test his opponent’s true depth.

Duane activated his Celestial Python’s Eye and Starlight Eye. With the two Pupil Powers combined, he was able to track Orisien’s movements.

His opponent was constantly changing position, creating afterimages to launch a fatal high-speed attack when his target was least able to react.

’He’s fast, but not fast enough to escape my sight!’

In a flash, Duane’s figure flickered and appeared directly in front of him.

Orisien’s pupils contracted violently, his face a mask of shock. "Impossible!"

He never imagined Duane would be able to see him clearly, let alone match his movements.

Orisien stared into Duane’s eyes. Those cold, platinum-gold pupils made him feel as if he’d been plunged into an icy abyss.

"Earth Shaking!"

The Long Spear, brimming with immense strength and surging Fighting Qi, became like a massive club as it smashed down on his opponent.

Orisien barely managed to snap back to his senses, but it was too late to prepare a Combat Technique.

Fortunately, his Enchanted Longsword possessed the special ability "Holy Punishment," a top-tier Enchantment from the Holy Radiance Court.

In that instant, spear and sword met.

Thunder and Holy Light clashed violently, erupting with a deafening roar!

Two completely different energies tore at and consumed each other, forming a visible shockwave that radiated outward.

The ground trembled violently under the aftershock of the "Earth Shaking" Combat Technique. Hard bluestone pavers cracked and shattered, and the shockwave sent fragments of stone flying in all directions like a torrential downpour.

All the warriors raised shields of Fighting Qi to defend against the terrifying force.

Even the fortress walls behind them were scarred by the residual energy, and dust filled the air.

Orisien watched in horror as the light of his Holy Punishment was completely suppressed and rapidly disintegrated by his opponent’s attack.

The webbing between the thumb and forefinger of his sword hand split open, and blood streamed down the hilt.

Under the immense pressure, his legs sank into the ground.

’This is bad!’

Thomsen cursed inwardly, realizing he needed to intervene immediately to help Orisien.

But just then...

BOOM!

With a final, explosive crack, Orisien, unable to hold on any longer, was sent flying backward like a kite with its string cut. He slammed into the fortress wall twenty meters away, smashing out a human-shaped crater.

The Longsword had already been torn from his grasp. It spun several times in the air before Duane caught it firmly.