Chapter 1050 The Old Sword
The sword was the most popular weapon out of many and with good reason. The sword, and similar types of weapons, were of optimal length and perfect for attacking, counterattacking, defending, and repelling attacks.
However, the most important detail was that each sword had a long blade that could be used to cut through anything if you had the right level of skill.
Spears or daggers also had blades, but one was too long and the other too short, though this had its advantages. Hammers were blunt in general, though they had much more explosive power.
The sword was the golden mean, preserving the balance of all existing weapons. The sword was the beginning for all and the logical end, as even the strangest weapons took something from the sword.
Liang was obviously one of the best swordsmen in all worlds. His skill was impeccable, and his experience was perhaps the most extensive and only Gael could rival him. After all, they both used the sword as their primary weapon.
Wain used the sword as well, but Gladius was more of a supplement to his core strength and supported his fighting style. In the realm of swordsmanship skills, Wain was significantly worse than Gael or Liang, although his skills were also at a very decent level.
Liang's sword was considered a great weapon, however, it wasn't really swordsmanship that was the basis of Liang's strength. In fact, now, his sword attack didn't leave a long cut in the middle of the desert, instead there was an explosion as if Liang's hands were holding a massive hammer.
Nitra was wary, clutching her spear tighter. She was already used to the way Liang acted, however, now everything was different. She could see that clearly.
"Now you're using your sword as a club? Hah, is this really how a true swordsman should treat his weapon!" Nitra exclaimed with a mocking smirk.
Liang tilted his head, "What kind of nonsense are you talking about? I'm using the sword as it will be maximized. What's the point of even cuts if I don't release my power through them?"
Liang shook his head, "Well, I guess I should show you how badly you're wrong. In any case, I need to destroy these scabbards somehow. As long as they're restraining my sword, I won't be able to fight seriously."
Crackle. Crackle. Crack.
At the same moment, Liang tightly gripped the hilt of his sword with even more strength than before. His muscles tensed up, becoming steely, and his veins swelled. Liang tilted his body backwards so that his attack would have maximum power because of the momentum.
Nitra quickly tried to think of a plan of action. She somehow wanted to stop Liang, but even with her intelligence, it was impossible to do something so quickly.
Wain shook his head, "Well if I were in her shoes, I would unleash one of my most powerful attacks on Liang without a second thought."
"Yeah, that would be the most correct decision. Even if Liang was able to complete her attack, the counterattack would have reduced its effect." Sven nodded, "In this case, Nitra should have acted on her instincts instead of her thoughts and calculations."
Marlis wanted to say something, but after Sven's words, she fell silent. Though Nitra was their enemy since she was going to participate in the war on the Arkans' side, Marlis was close in spirit to Nitra.
They were both scientists and liked to investigate unusual things and do calculations, so Marlis understood how Nitra fought.
'Damn... I wish I could prove them wrong, but it seems impossible. Considering Liang's abilities, it was actually a mistake on Nitra's part.'' Marlis muttered inwardly, biting her finger until it bled.
After a few seconds, Nitra made some sort of decision as energy traveled down her arms, but it was already too late.
Crackle.
Liang abruptly took a step forward, at great speed, bringing his sword down to the ground with red streams of aura that continued to emanate from his body.
At the same moment, the stone scabbard began to collapse, no longer able to withstand the pressure from Liang, and his attack showed its impact.
Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.
The ground trembled as from Liang's attack, a huge wave of sand rose up. In fact, it was many times larger than the tsunami he had caused with his last attack.
"Holy shit..." Nitra muttered, looking at the wave of sand casting a shadow over her. The wave was so high that it could easily cover half of the Tree and destroy the city around it, along with the crystals.
"I can't let that happen!" Nitra exclaimed as black electric shocks ran through her body. However, she didn't attack the slow-moving wave, instead, she headed towards the Tree, or rather towards one of the crystals near its roots.
"Mr. Nitra! We will help you!" One of the Guardians exclaimed.
Nitra nodded, "Sure. Your energy will be useful. Also, try to strengthen the barriers! This wave could seriously harm the Tree! We must avoid it!"
The Guardians quickly set to work, while Nitra touched one of the crystals. It was quite small compared to the others, much shorter than her, not even reaching her waist.
However, this small crystal had enough energy in it to power many large cities for months and fill Nitra's body with incredible power.
The tree was a unique resource, perhaps even more valuable than Plants' Crystal Mind Dew.
The tree was constantly releasing energy densities even higher than Sven's, even though he was on the Transcendence Stage and could defeat many opponents of the same level.
In the end, he defeated Polosa, who used all her trump cards and the Infinite Spear, a weapon capable of giving great power for an equally great price.
So, even Nitra had to realize that her body wouldn't be able to absorb the energy from too large a crystal. In fact, for a single attack, that was practically the limit she could absorb.
If someone from Fifth Chronicle tried to absorb the same crystal as Nitra did now, their body would be torn apart.
"Agh... The tree is actually our greatest treasure..." Nitra muttered, looking up at the long branches of the Tree spreading across the sky as if an entire world could fit underneath them.
Blue energy waves passed through Nitra's body like dense plasma, but, they quickly turned black and headed for her spear.
Then, Nitra took a deep breath and pointed her spear at the wave of sand that had already almost reached the barrier. Her eyes flashed as all the energy from the spear came out, transforming at Nitra's will into a devastating thunderbolt, heading towards the wave at the speed of light.
Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.
The thunderbolt spread ripples through the air every second, and when Wain blinked, the thunderbolt collided with a wave of sand.
At the same moment, waves of black flames engulfed everything around them before the most powerful shockwave dispelled them, completely clearing the entire space.
The impact from the explosion destroyed the wave, turning most of the sand grains into glass crystals. They fell to the ground in hail, reflecting off the bright sunlight, sometimes with rainbow colors.
"Damn, while this isn't exactly what I like, it actually looks beautiful. Doesn't it?" Wain smiled, looking at the part of the desert that was now covered in tiny glass.
Sven nodded, "Yeah, I agree. However, he doesn't seem to care about it at all."
Sven stared intently at Liang, on whose face no emotion appeared. Then, everyone's gaze shifted to his sword which was now freed from the sheath that had concealed it for a long time.
His sword had a black hilt and a long red blade, emitting a dense red smoke that matched Liang's scarlet aura.
One detail that set this sword apart from all the others, it surprised everyone, from Marlis to Wain to Nitra.
Every great person's weapon matched the status of its wielder. If it was a spear, it had to be indestructible and possess something unique, if it was a hammer, it had to be heavy and powerful enough to withstand the strength of its wielder.
Obviously, if it was a sword, it had to be flawless, from the hilt to the blade, perfectly straight and sharp.
However, Liang's sword blade was not at all as others had imagined it to be. It was damaged in many places, it was blunt and had some cracks. There were parts missing on two sides as if it was an ordinary, very old, and rusty sword that had not been taken care of by its owner.
"You were able to protect the Tree, but you had to use your energy to do so. Well, I think I know what I have to do now." Liang muttered with a deep gaze, looking up at the branches of the Tree.
"No! You wouldn't dare!" Nitra exclaimed, waving her hand, then she blinked, and Liang strangely disappeared. A small crater appeared where he had just stood, with sand rolling down into it.
Tap.
In a heartbeat, Liang appeared right in front of Nitra, as if he could teleport, but in fact, he was just fast enough that Nitra didn't notice anything.
Then, he grabbed her by the throat and threw her upwards with all his might, without meeting any resistance.