The Mighty Dragons Are Dead

"Why did you think to come today? I thought you would be so busy on Black Horse Island that you wouldn't even have time to attend Lidun's Knight advancement celebration,"

In the study, the Earl was somewhat surprised by Liszt's visit.

His jesting carried a hint of dissatisfaction with Liszt for not attending Lidun's Earth Knight advancement banquet. Of course, it was just a slight dissatisfaction.

Liszt smiled, "I have indeed been very busy recently. Black Horse Island's grand development has countless matters that require my attention. But now things are on the right track, and I have more free time. So I thought to enjoy a lunch at Tulip Castle and also to seek some cultivation experience from you, Father."

"Seek my advice, huh..." The Earl's heart skipped a beat, a bad premonition emerging in his mind, "In the path of cultivation, you have always had firm opinions. Do you really need my guidance?"

"Yes, you are a Sword Saint Level Sky Knight, while I am just a common Sky Knight. With your guidance, I can avoid some detours and find the most correct path to cultivate,"

"It is correct for you to have such cautious thoughts."

"I've always believed that by standing on the shoulders of giants, I can see further."

"Hmm, that's an interesting saying."

"On the path of Dou Qi cultivation, the wisdom of predecessors is undoubtedly as vast as giants. We cultivate the Dou Qi Manuscripts they have left behind, continuing the Dou Qi levels they had traversed. If we cannot conquer this giant, if we cannot climb up from their shoulders, then it means failure."

The Earl frowned, that uneasy feeling resurfacing—This guy clearly came to ask for advice, so why is he preaching me these grand truths?

Liszt also quickly realized that today was not for idle chat; he decisively got straight to the point, "Father, to me, you are like a towering giant, and also the one I aspire to surpass! Today, having made some progress in 'Rising Sun Blaze,' I wanted to ask for your guidance in actual combat."

"Guidance in actual combat?"

The Earl was stunned, then nodded his head, his expression complex, "I thought you really came to seek my advice, but it turns out you just want to challenge me... You challenged me once when you were an Elite Earth Knight, it seems that after becoming a Sky Knight, your confidence has swelled."

Liszt's expression remained calm, "I haven't become arrogant, I just yearn to understand my true strength."

"Very well, I also want to see clearly, just how much strength my most outstanding son possesses that I am not aware of." The Earl stood up resolutely and left the desk, "Go wait for me in the manor, I'll change into my gear."

"Yes, Father."

Liszt turned and left, heading to the manor to wait patiently.

Meanwhile, back in the castle, Li Weiliam called his personal servant, "Bring me my battle gear, I need to change."

As the servant returned with a pile of gear, Lady Marie approached, "Dear, are you planning to go out today? You've even taken out your armor."

"No, I'm just going to have a sword duel lesson with Liszt."

"A sword duel?" Lady Marie was surprised, "Was that his purpose for coming today, to ask you for a sword duel lesson?"

"Yes."

Lady Marie did not fully understand the duels between Sky Knights; she was the quintessential noble lady of a manor adept in socializing and stewardship, but clueless about cultivation, "Let Lidun watch from the side. He is already an Earth Knight, and watching the fight of a strong knight will certainly help his cultivation."

"The combat of Sky Knights does not offer much insight to an Earth Knight. My lady, what Lidun needs is to solidify his foundation, not combat experience. Even if Levis does not accompany Loria to Golden Island, standing here, I would not allow him to watch. Earth Knights and Sky Knights are at different realms." Stay updated through empire

"Alright, I'm just being overly concerned. I just hope that Lidun can grow up faster, dear, you must know his talent is second to none."

"I understand, do not worry."

The Earl comforted Lady Marie with a few words and continued to change his equipment while she helped him adjust his armor before accompanying him out of the Castle.

By this time, Liszt was already mounted on the back of the Landwalker bird Loki. Seeing Li Weiliam emerge, he quickly said, "Father, the Rocky Beach to the north is quiet and uninhabited, making it suitable for real combat. I'll go ahead." With that, he directed Loki to set off and in the blink of an eye, he vanished into the horizon.

Lady Marie watched the direction in which Liszt disappeared and sighed softly, "Is there really a Son of Glory in this world? One Bloodline Fruit created Douson, and another created Loki. His fortunes are unbelievable... All these years, you've been seeking an Intermediate Magical Beast, yet you've never found one."

The Earl did not wish to continue the conversation.

He simply had his Retainers bring his own steed, a horse with the mixed bloodline of a Magical Beast and a Tinder Panther — the Panther. He mounted the horse and pursued in the direction Liszt had left.

...

Rocky Beach.

Liszt stood with his hands behind his back, watching the surging Sea Waves by the shore, quietly adjusting his physical state. What was to follow would be his first sword battle since becoming a Sky Knight, and it would also be of the highest quality.

Clip-clop, clip-clop, clip-clop.

The Earl soon arrived.

There were no Retainers, no Servants, and no spectators. On Rocky Beach, there were only Coral Island's two Sky Knights, facing each other.

"Father, Liszt challenges you!" He slowly drew the Sky-Cleaving Greatsword, and the surging Dou Qi within his body began to circulate.

The Earl didn't waste words and drew his own Longsword, one adorned with a Topaz and a Green Gem; both shimmered brilliantly: "Let's start!" The sword was called the Ever-Resilient Sword, derived from the two gemstones with the effects of tenacity and enhancing stamina attributes.

Before his words could fade,

Boom!

A whistling sound cleaved through the air as Liszt mobilized his Dou Qi, transforming into a streak of light rushing towards the Earl. A basic move from "Rising Sun Blaze" had astonishing offensive power.

In an instant, the Sky-Cleaving Greatsword arrived in front of the Earl.

The Earl's eyes flickered slightly, and the Ever-Resilient Sword was raised promptly to strike the Sky-Cleaving Greatsword accurately. The Dou Qi from both their blades erupted luminously, red and blue reflecting one another. Before the supremacy of their Dou Qi could be determined, their blades parted, and each swordsman stepped back.

Then Liszt launched another sword strike, and the Earl met it with his sword as well.

Clang!

Clang!

The fiery red Fire Attribute Dou Qi and the blue-white Water-Attribute Dou Qi intertwined with each continuing test attack, gradually twisting together and consuming one another.

Liszt continued to test with his attacks. His fighting style could be described as fierce, relentless when gaining the upper hand. Discovering the Earl's resistance was not as formidable as imagined, he could no longer restrain himself and intensified the output of his Dou Qi, ready to shift from testing to a frenzied barrage.

On the other side, the Earl furrowed his brows amid the probing.

He had fought countless times under Pioneer Mandates, with countless sword battles, against opponents strong and weak. Some favored entanglement while others valued bursts of power, yet their Dou Qi paled in comparison to Liszt's more enduring and ferocious Fire Attribute Dou Qi in front of his own Water-Attribute Dou Qi.

Even more alarming was the fact that every strand of Liszt's Dou Qi demanded he release even more of his own Dou Qi to negate it.

After just a few probing skirmishes, his Dou Qi was nearly as taxed as if he were employing powerful techniques: "How can this be, my Dou Qi is actually being crushed!"